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Volume 3

A Family-Magazine from Seva darshan Kuwait

5114 `m{Z]Zw

Issue 6

15th September, 2013

For more information contact : Seva Darshan, Kuwait - INDEMB/KWT/ASSN/150 Sevadarshan@gmail.com

Sopanam - September 2013

Sopanam E-Magazine - (For members circulation only)

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Sopanam - September 2013

Editorial
Happy Onam wishes to all our readers. Festivals are always meant for celebrations and sharing. Amidst celebrations we forget the sorrows and problems that we face. Onam has a special place is the heart of the people of Kerala. Various legends aside, it is a festival celebrated by the whole community without any differentiation of caste, culture or creed. Countries in the Middle East, the celebrations go until October and sometimes even November. The story of Mahabali is an eye opener for us. Along with the message of being a king, a good administrator and good human being, God had to give him a lesson to take out his ego. Likewise we must remember that wealth may come and go, but our good character alone is what brings us wealth, knowledge, prosperity and good health. At the same time, we cannot ignore the harsh realities of the turbulent times our nation is passing through. With many underlying factors determining how our economy flourishes, one cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that it is an increased expenditure on foreign goods that is creating a substantial fall in the strength of the rupee against the US dollar. We must all be prepared to promote swadeshi goods to strengthen our domestic market and at the same time encourage people to invest more into manufacturing industry for domestic consumption. In this age of globalization, we must realize that the wise words of the nationalists who fought for our hard earned freedom, when they encouraged the establishment to develop a strong self-sufficient market system that would meet the needs of everyone. Yes, the domestic market is not competitive enough when it comes to quality and efficiency. But encouragement by way of increased sales will surely see positive results. Our economy has been able to withstand the pressures of global economic turbulence due to the saving culture of our families and the bond between family members who earn and spend for everyone. Another important factor is the role of the woman in our family who has been able to effectively control the expenditure of the households. A very important judgment has been made in the case of atrocities against women in our nation. We salute the judiciary which has given a right message to society in how it will deal with heinous crimes in the future. India needs a visible change and a strong administration to get over the crisis of scams, murder, riots and third rate politics. Only then we can concentrate our abilities on developing a stronger nation. With strong decisions being taken in the political arena we hope the results of 2014 will usher to a new era in the politics of the nation thereby marking a change in the mood of the nation. Seva Darshan is back to its activities after the long vacation and our families are all back to join us in our celebrations. Bala Darshan and Yuva Darshan classes have resumed at all units. Along with Onam all our members are also celebrating the utsav of Guru Pooja at all our units in the true spirit of sharing a portion our resources and earnings with the society and nation that needs our support. On October 6th, International Seva Day is being celebrated across the globe. We encourage everyone to participate by conducting activities that ensure all sections of society is reached.

Editorial Board

Krishna Kumar Paliath Vibheesh Tikkodi Anandharaj Konni Reshmy Krishna Kumar

Data Management

Ajaykumar Anjaneyam Rajarajan Ganesan Gopakumar. P Sindhu Sanjith Suresh Varickolil Roopesh R. Souparnika Adv.Vidhya Sumod Dr. Sindu Sudheesh Shyny Biju Navadeep Divya Satheesh Kumarakam Anuradha Sundara Raman Anju Prasad Arun Kumar. N Vishal Vikram Ragesh Regunath Raghiya Menon Sheeja Anand Praveen V.

Creative & Design

Sreenivasan C.P. Vinaya Babu. C.K. Sunil Pookode Deepa Namboothiri

For Comments, Submissions & Subscriptions please write to

email : vbkuwait@gmail.com
Sopanam - September 2013 3

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Sopanam - September 2013

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Vinayaka Chaturthi
sha idol is offered sweets and fruits and worshipped in the way. Lord Ganesha is known for his fondness for food and the main sweetdish during the festival is modhak and karanjis. This is known as modhagam [kozhakottai] in South India. A modhak is a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of coconut, jaggery and some other condiments. It can be either steam-cooked or fried and the coconut can be fresh/dry grated. A karanji is similar but has the shape of the 4th day moon. Modhak means "That which gives (or brings) happiness".

Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the son of Shiva & Parvati. Ganesh Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav falls on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (around August-September). It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. How to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi To celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi you require an idol of Lord Ganesha. This particular idol will be used in the puja or worship that lasts for odd number of days (from 1 to 11 days, sometimes 13). During the festival, puja is performed twice every day - once in the morning and again in the evening. The Gane6

Recipes for making different Modhaks or kozhakottai - Sweet, Salt, Sesame, Hot/Kaara The festival comes to an end with the visarjan ceremony. On this day, the idols of Ganesha are taken from various pandals, doorsteps, localities and puja rooms for a truly royal ride. Processions of people carry the idol to a river, lake or ocean and immerse the idols there hoping for them to return early next year.

Sopanam - September 2013

Spiritualism
curse such that anyone who looks at the moon during Ganesh Chaturthi will be falsely accused ccused of theft or crime. If someone accidently sees the moon on this night, he/she may remedy the situation by listening to (or reciting) the story of the syamantaka jewel found in the Puranas. The story summary is as follows, Satrajit, who secured a jewel syamantaka from Surya (Sun God), did not part with it even when Krishna the Lord of Dvaraka, asked for it saying it would be safe with him. Prasena, the brother of Satrajit went out hunting wearing the jewel but was killed by a lion. Jambavan of the Ramayana fame killed the lion and gave it to his son to play with. When Prasena did not return, Satrajit falsely accused Krishna of killing Prasena for the sake of the jewel. Krishna, in order to remove the stain on his reputation, set out in search of the jewel and found it in Jambavan's cave, with his child. Jambavan attacked Krishna thinking him to be an intruder who had come to take away the jewel. They fought each other for 28 days, when Jambavan, his whole body terribly weakened from the blows of Krishna's fists, finally recognized Him as Lord Rama. As a repentance for him having fought Krishna, Jambavan gave Krishna the jewel and also his daughter Jambavati in marriage. Krishna returned to Dvaraka with the jewel, and returned it to Satrajit, who in turn repented for his false accusation. He promptly offered to give Krishna the jewel and his daughter Satyabhama in marriage. Krishna accepted Satyabhama as his wife but did not accept the jewel.

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Today Ganesha Festival is also a street festival where every street owners collectively celebrate the festival. Compete with each other in a healthy way to have the best decorations and celebrations. A lot of cultural activities, songs, dramas and orchestra. In Karnataka, the day before Ganesh Chaturthi is assigned for Gowri Puja, when Ganesha's mother, Goddess Gowri or Parvati, is worshipped. The day is especially auspicious to married women, who pray to the Goddess for lasting marital bliss. Here the festival is also known as Gowri Ganesha. Don't see the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi The Legend goes that once, Ganesha accidentally tripped and fell, breaking one of his tusks in the process (this is also said to be one of the reasons for Ganesha's half or missing tusk). Chandradev (Moon God) saw this and laughed. Ganesha, being the shorttempered one, cursed Chandradev that anyone who happens to see the moon will incur bad luck. Hearing this, Chandradev realised his folly and asked for forgiveness from Ganesha. Ganesha relented and since a curse cannot be revoked, only softened, Ganesha softened his

Sopanam - September 2013

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The Myth of the Aryan Invasion of India

The often perceived and frequently quoted racial division in India between the fairer Aryan North and the darker Dravidian South is pernicious and dangerous. The British gave currency to this view of racial divide in India. It was part of their divide and rule strategy. The Northern people in India got especially sucked into this interpretation of history because it made the Aryan northerners appear racially closer to the white races of Europe. This viewpoint is also popular in Sri Lanka, where the Singhalese believe that they are descendants of Aryans from the North of India and that Tamils of Sri Lanka are not. This short article summarizes recent scholarship on the Aryan invasion theory. New interpretations of ancient Indian history do not accept the view that Aryans entered India from the outside. New information rejects the notion that the Dravidian people were the conquered races, or that the Dravidians were pushed down south by the invading Aryans. Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), a scholar of Latin and Greek as well as of Sanskrit, debunked this theory of the North-South racial divide in India. Sri Aurobindo did not subscribe to the theory that the languages of North and South India are unrelated. Sri Aurobindos study of the Tamil led him to discover that the original connection between the Sanskrit and Tamil languages was far closer and more extensive than is usually supposed. These languages are two divergent families derived from one lost primitive tongue. And, My first study of Tamil words had brought me to what seemed a clue to the very origins and structure of the ancient Sanskrit tongue. See The Secret of the Veda, V 10, the Centenary Edition, p 36, 46. Sri Aurobindo also noted that a large part of the vocabulary of the
10

Dr. Madan Lal Goel

University Of West Florida

South Indian languages (Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam) is common with Sanskrit. For anyone who seriously wishes to pursue the topic of north-south division in India in the light of Sri Aurobindo, I recommend K. D. Sethnas The Problem of Aryan Origins, New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan, 1980 and 1992. Also recommended are the following two titles. Rewriting Indian History by Francois Gautier, New Delhi, Vikas Publishers, 1996, and The Invasion That Never Was by Michael Danino and Sujata Nahar, published by Mira Aditi, 1996. Hindus collectively have no memory of an Aryan invasion of India that supposedly took place around 1,500 B.C. Hindu epics do not mention any such invasion. Surely, the extensive Hindu literature would describe the Aryan invasions if such had indeed taken place. Some people misread Ramayana as describing an invasion of the South by a Northern prince. The Indian epic Ramayana narrates Ramas tale, who invaded the Island of Lanka to rescue his wife Sita. Sita had been forcibly abducted by Ravana
Sopanam - September 2013

kmwkvImcnIw
Cultural
to the island of Lanka. Nowhere does Ramayana characterize Ravana as belonging to an alien or an inferior race. Ravana was a scholar of the Vedas and was called a Chaturvedi, a knower of the four Vedas. Ravana belonged to the same stock as the victorious Rama. People who give credence to an Aryan invasion of India cite archeological evidence as proof. Among the thousands of clay seals that have been found in the region of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (the sites of the Indus Valley Civilization, supposedly the home originally of the Dravidian people), no seals depict the horse or the wheel. In contrast, Aryans were known to have the horse and the chariot. From this evidence it is concluded that the Aryans conquered the people of the Indus valley through the use of the chariot and the horse. K. D. Sethna in his book cited above disputes this evidence. Some seals depicting the wheel have indeed been discovered at the Harappan archeological sites. The wheel was known to the people of the Indus Valley. Francois Gautier cites recent research which indicates that the script on the Indus seals is of Sanskrit lineage. This proves that the people of Harappa belonged to a much older Vedic age. The recent discovery of the dried-up Saraswati river further negates the Aryan invasion theory. Satellite photography from outer space shows the existence of a dried-up river bed in Northern India. The archeological evidence indicates that the river dried up several thousand years ago, much before

1,500 B.C., the date ascribed to Aryan invasions. Saraswati is mentioned numerous times in the Vedic scriptures of the Aryans, indicating that these people lived in India during very ancient times. Recent DNA evidence further negates the Aryan invasion theory. Dr. Subhash Kak summarizes recent research as follows: Advances in genetics have made it possible to trace ancient migrations. It is now generally accepted that modern man arose in Africa about 200,000 years ago and from there spread first into India and Southeast Asia by coastal migration that probably included some boat crossings. There are several estimates of the time when this spread into India took place. According to the geneticist Stephen Oppenheimer, settlements in India appear about 90,000 years ago. From India there were later northeastern and northwestern migrations into Eurasia and the Far East. The new findings turn on its head the previous view of the origin of Indians. The earlier view, popular in Indian history books, was that the Indian population came in two waves from the northwest around four or five thousand years ago, displacing the earlier aboriginals, descendents of regional archaic groups. . . The new view is that subsequent to the rise of modern mankind in Africa, it found a second home in India, which is the point of migration for the populations of Europe, North Africa, China and Japan. The migrants in India slowly adapted to the

Sopanam - September 2013

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spread to many parts of the country, both North and South. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from Bengal, Mirabai from Rajasthan, Tulsidas from U.P, Guru Nanak from Punjab, Jnaneshwar from Maharashtra, Jaideva (author of Gita Govinda) from Orissa, have all contributed to Hindu religion. The four Hindu holy places and pilgrimage sites (Tirathas and Dhams) at Badri Nath, Rameshwaram, Puri, and Dwarka are located in four corners of India: north, south, east and west. Every pious Hindu aspires to visit the four Dhams in ones lifetime. Some people equate Sanskrit with Hindi language and the Devanagri script. According to Swami Dayananda Saraswati, founder of Arsha Vidya Gurukulum in Pennsylvania and a Sanskrit scholar, Sanskrit language originally did not have its own script. It was written in a variety of local scripts. The writing of Sanskrit in the Devanagri script is a later development in history. An Aryan invasion of India from the outside around 1,500 B. C. did not occur. People of North and South India have lived together in peace as two branches of one family since antiquity. People who talk of an Aryan conquest of India the 19th century British viewpoint and do disservice to the cause of unity of India.

wide climatic conditions in the sub-continent (from the tropical to the extreme cold of the Himalayan region) leading to the rise of the Caucasoid and the Mongoloid races. . . When the theory of the Aryan invasions into India is replaced by an Out of India viewpoint, one can readily explain regularities in languages that are spread widely. Linguists see connections between India and languages that extend to distant lands. Dr. Kaks full article may be viewed at: http://www.sulekha.com/column.asp?cid=306006 . An invasion of India from the outside around 1,500 B. C. did not occur. Recent scholarship does not deny that the people in India had relations with other Indo-European people in Asia and Europe. There was a belt stretching from India to the Mediterranean inhabited by a people who spoke related languages, known as the Indo-European languages. Sanskrit is the oldest known language in this family and may appropriately be called as the Mother of Indo-European languages. English is an IndoEuropean language. Those who seek to foster the unity of India need to emphasize its unity, not its division. In the great cultural and religious history of India, important contributions have come forth from every region in the nation. The vast Ganga-Jamuna plain in the North of India is indeed the ancient heartland of Hinduism. This is the seat of Ayodhya (Bihar), Mathura and Vrindavan (UP), Kurukshetra (Haryana), and Indraprasatha (Delhi). The Great Mahabharata war was fought in the northern plains. The 8th to the 13th century revival in Hinduism originated in the South. Sankaracharya from Kerala laid the foundation of modern day Hinduism. Sankara traveled to many parts of India and established centers of teaching and learning in various parts of the country. Sankara wrote extensive commentaries on Brahma Sutras, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, which are standard texts for Hindus. Ramanuja fromTamilnad and Madhava from Karnataka initiated the Bhakti movement, which

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Bharath Dharshan

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My Beloved Amma

Sandhya Menon

As a young teenage girl, I was a little apprehensive when my parents told me that we were going to meet a saint. Even though brought up in a house where we did pooja every day and God was placed in a revered place in our hearts, I wondered whether it was necessary to meet someone, who everybody said was a saint .I felt I was at a stage, when knowing the lyrics of cinema songs was more important and necessary than knowing bhajans and stuthies. I remember walking into the big grounds in Gujarat and seeing Amma sitting on stage giving darshan to everybody, she was smiling all the time and I wondered how she knew so many people?! As I joined the darshan queue I thought to myself if Amma was really who they said she was, she would be able to read my mind and tell me what I was thinking. As I got closer and the music became louder, my heart started beating rapidly. Suddenly the first thing that hit me was a divine fragrance and then I could not hear any more music. I felt like everything around me was going into stand still as Amma hugged me and rested my head on her bosom. It was like coming back home and then Amma whispered in to my ears what I had thought about earlier. Then it clicked for me that she had arrived, yes Devi had come. I remember my eyes gushing with tears when I realized I found a deep connection with Amma that I had not felt with anybody else. 18 years later that connection has grown stronger, and I try to search for the same frequency in everybody, as Amma says that the divine resides in all. Today Mata Amritanandamayi Devi or Amma, as she is more commonly known as, has not only
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Sandhya Menon

become a beacon of hope and relief to this world, where suffering thrives, but has also become somebody who teaches by example. Millions of people who follow her all over the world do so because Amma loves and cares for everybody alike without any discrimination as to where they come from or what they believe in. In this simple yet powerful way Amma transforms every heart into a flower of love, one embrace at a time. In the past 40 years Amma has physically hugged more than 33 million people from all over the world and continues to do so. Ammas 60th Birthday to be celebrated on 27th September at Amritapuri. There are many charitable projects would be launched during this occasion, including a massive relief and rehabilitation project worth `50 crore in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand and a programme to adopt 101 villages across the country. This 'Amrita Swasrayagramam' project would ensure that every villager has a proper home and that the villages have school buildings, community halls and street lighting. Amma's unfathomable acts of dedication is the only backbone behind all these charitable activities through which people are experiencing a profound peace and inner fulfillment, never felt before, that arises from selfless acts of service. This is the true nature of 'Manava Seva Madhava Seva'.

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Bharath Dharshan

Raksha Bandhan is a popular festival celebrated across the country. Irrespective of caste and creed people from all walks of life participate in this festival. It is celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month Shravana (Shravana Poornima) which also coincides with Upa-karma (changing the sacred thread for the brahmins, Avani Avittom in South India). The festival is also called as Rakhi Poornima, Nariyal Poornima and Kajari Poornima in different states and is celebrated differently. On the occasion of this festival sisters generally apply tilak to the forehead of their brothers, tie the sacred thread called Rakhi to the wrist of their brothers and do arati and pray for their good health & long life. This thread, which represents love and sublime sentiments, is called the Raksha Bandhan means a bond of protection. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her. Before tying a Rakhi on their brothers hand the sisters first tie a Rakhi on the Tulasi plant and the another Rakhi on the peepal tree asking for the protection of nature Vriksha Raksha Bandhan. The concept of Raksha Bandhan is mainly that of protection. Commonly we find people going to the priests in temples and getting a sacred thread tied to their hands. We find this in the temple of Kala Bhairava at Varanasi where people get a black thread tied to their wrist. Similarly at Sri Vaishnodevi Temple in Jammu, we find people tying red band to their forehead after worshipping the Goddess. In Hindu religious functions we observe the preist tying a thread to the wrist of person/s performing the ritual before its commencement. It is believed and said that even Yagnopaveetam (sacred thread across the chest) acts as a Raksha (protection) to the wearer if one maintains its sanctity. In the concept of Marriage, Mangala Sutra (tied around the neck of the bride) and Kankana Bandhana (a thread tied to the wrist of the bride and groom by each other) also has a similar inner significance. The tying of a Rakhi is not confined to a brother and sister. It could also be tied by a wife to her
Sopanam - September 2013

husband, or by a disciple to the Guru. This bond does not have to be between blood relatives a girl might adopt a boy as her brother through the tying of a Rakhi. This ritual not only strengthens the bond of love, but also transcends the boundaries of the family. When a Rakhi is tied on the wrists of close friends and neighbors, it underscores the need for a harmonious social life. This helps to broaden ones vision beyond the borders of ones own family to the entire earth (vasudha) as one family Vasudhaiva kutumbakam. Indra Sachi Devi : As per Bhavishya Purana, Indra the King of Devas was advised by Deva Guru Brihaspati to wear a Rakhi as a protection against enemies (Demons) when he was facing defeat at the hands of Vritra Asura. Accordingly Sachi Devi (consort of Indra) tied a Rakhi to Indra. According to one mythological allusion, Rakhi was intended to be the worship of the sea-god Varuna. Hence, offerings of coconut to Varuna, ceremonial bathing and fairs at waterfronts accompany this festival. Usually fishermen offer coconut and rakhi to the Sea God Varuna this festival is known as Nariyal Poornima. It is said that when Alexander was defeated at the hands of the great Hindu King Purushottam of Punjab, Alexanders wife tied a Rakhi to Purushottam to protect her husband from being slain. During the days of Emperor Humayun, it is believed that Rani Karnavati (Queen of Chittor) had sent a Rakhi to emperor Humayun in order to get protection from Bahadur Shah who was invading her kingdom. Inspite of being of a different religion, he rushed to her help. Raksha Bandhan symbolizes the unmatched bond of love, care and respect. But in a broader perspective the festival of Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan) conveys an intrinsic message of universal brotherhood and sisterhood. Thus the festival of Rakhi conveys a message that has socio spiritual significance underscoring the need for nurturing of positive qualities, purity in thought, word and deed.
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Views Spiritualism

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A Collection Of Thoughts
Bharat as a Rastra.
Bharat denotes that this is our mother. In our cultural tradition, the respectful way of calling a woman is by childs name. So also is the case with the name Bharat for our motherland. Bharata is an elder brother of ours. He was a noble, virtuous, victorious king and a shining model of our manhood. This is our sacred land, Bharat, a land whose glories are sung by the gods, a land visualised by Yogis as the living manifestation of the Divine mother of the universe, who has assumed concrete form to enable us to see Her and worship Her. A land eulogised by our great poets as the enchanting Goddess of the world, the land saluted by thousands of young hearts to cheerfully ascend to the gallows in the cause of her liberty during freedom struggle. A land worshipped by all our seers and sages as Mathrubhoomi, Dharmabhoomi, Karmabhoomi and Punyabhoomi, a veritable Deva bhoomi and Mokshabhoomi But there are persons who say that Indians did not know what motherland was. That they were all divided into various warring clans and princely states, that patriotism was unknown to them. This then becomes our second question is the idea of India as a unit, a new idea brought by the British or did it exist long before the British came? Did the people of this vast land recognize that they were linked together? Did they share a common story of their civilization, of their Indian-ness, their Bharatiyata? Here we are trying to find out the

common scared thread that connects us and makes the remarkable.

Remarkably, the idea of India, as Bharatavarsha or Aryavrata, appears to have been alive for thousands of years in our culture, much before there was an America or a Great Britain or a Mexico or France. All of us would have probably heard the words, ".....Jambudveepe Bharatha Varshe Bharata Khande....." during the sankalpa mantram which forms an integral part of all Vedic rituals.

What exactly is this "Jambudwipa"?

Jambudveepa consisted of modern Asia, Europe, Africa and North America and not merely the Indian subcontinent. This Jambudvipa was divided into nine varshas (geographical regions) of which one was Bharatha Varsha. The other eight varshas were:

2. Ketumula Varsha 3. Hari Varsha 4. Ilavrita Varsha 5. Kuru Varsha 6. Hiranyaka Varsha 7. Ramyaka Varsha 8. Kimpurusha Varsha 9. Bhadrasva Varsha.
India which was then called Bharathavarsha extended in the west including the regions of modern Egypt, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Iran, Sumeria up
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to the Caspian Sea (which was called Kashyapa Samudra in those days). Within this Bharata Varsha was located the Bharata Khanda which was the heart of the Vedic civilization & the place where we Indians currently reside. This is one of the in numerous proofs that the Indo-Aryan race theory is a conspiracy theory moulded by western countries to show us in poor light. All of the regions so mentioned in the race theory are a part of Bharata Varsha & there was never a so called "invasion. It can be observed that in those times, most of South American continent, southern half of African Continent and entire Australia were submerged under water. On the other hand most of modern day Atlantic ocean and Pacific ocean, and the entire Arctic ocean were above sea level. This also proves the logical fallacy of the Western missionaries which claim that the Vedic civilization is just 5000 years old and the Kurukshetra war took place just a few thousand years back and so on. From the Manusmriti, we learn of the land of Aryavrata stretching from the Himalayas and Vindhyas all the way to the eastern and western oceans. Without the idea of Bharata, there could have been no epic called the Maha-Bharata that engaged kings throughout this land of Bharata. The story of Mahabharata shows a remarkable degree of pan-Indian context and inter-relationships, from Gandhari, the wife of Drithrashtra who came from Gandhara, (spelled as Kandahar in present-day Afghanistan), Draupadi from Panchala (present day Jammu and Kashmir), all the way to Arjun meeting and marrying the Naga princess Uloopi on a visit to Manipur in the east. Interestingly, Arjuna is said to have gone on a pilgrimage to the holy places of the east when this happens, showing the current North-East was very much linked top ur civilisation.The Mahabharta refers to Iraavat, the modern Irrawady valley, It refers to assam as Pragyothisha since the sun first rises there, In south, we have had
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close links with Lanka. Finally, Krishna himself is from Mathura and Vrindavana (in UP) though his kingdom itself is in Dwarka (Gujarat). Similarly, the story of Ramayana draws the northsouth linkage from Ayodhya all the way down to Rameshwaram, at the tip of which is finally the land of Lanka. Note that it is not, for this particular thesis, important that the stories are historically accurate. What we are interested in rather is whether the idea of India or Bharatavarsha or Aryavrata as a culturally linked entity existed in the minds of the story-tellers and ultimately in the minds of the people to whom these stories were sacred. And these stories were then taken and told and retold in all the languages of the people of this great civilization, till the stories themselves established a linkage among us and to the sacred geography they celebrated. This sacred geography is what makes northerners flock to Tirupati and southerners to the Kumbha Mela. And the diffusion of these common ideas was certainly not only from the north to south. The great Bhakti movement started in the 6th and 7th centuries AD had its roots in the south in the Tamil and Kannada languages. Even while the boundaries of kingdoms changed, enormous cultural and religious unity continued to take place across The Bhakti movement retold our ancient stories in the language of the common people, in Marathi and Bengali, in Avadhi (present day UP) and Bhojpuri (present day Bihar), in Gujarati and Punjabi and in Rajasthani. We can marvel at the cultural unity in India, where while the Bhakti poets initiated the great movement for devotion to Shiva in the south, the erudite philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism was being developed coevally in the north. Or that Kamban in the south was the first poet to take the story of Rama to the major regional languages, and Tulsidas, much closer to Ayodhya, came centuries
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later. Or that the great Krishna bhakta Chaitanya was celebrating his devotion to the King of Dwarka in Bengal while Tukaram sang praises of Lord Vithal in the west. An immense body of pan-Indian worship revolved around the triad of Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti in their various forms whether as Rama, Krishna, Sri Venkateshwara, Sri Dakshinamurti, Jagdamba, Durga Mata or Kali. These common stories were told and retold without the mandate of any central church and seeped through the pores of the land of Bharata, forging a shared bond, unlike any other seen on the planet. It was this idea of civilizational unity and sacred geography of India that inspired Shankaracharya to not only enunciate the mysteries of the Vedanta but to go around setting up mathas circumscribing the land of India in a large diamond shape. While sage Agasthya crossed the Vindhya and came down south, Shankracharya was born in the village of Kalady in Kerala and traveled in the opposite direction for the establishment of dharma. If this land was not linked in philosophical and cultural exchanges, and there was no notion of a unified nation, why then did Shankracharya embark on his countrywide digvijay yatra? What prompted him to establish centers spreading light for the four quadrants of this land Dwarka in the west (in Gujarat), Puri in the east (in Orissa), Shringeri in the south (Karnataka) and Badrinath (Uttaranchal) in the north? He is then said to have gone to Srinagar (the abode of `Sri' or the Shakti) in Kashmir, which still celebrates this in the name of Shankaracharya Hill. What better demonstration that the idea of the cultural unity of the land was alive more than a thousand years ago? And yet, these stories are not taught to us in our schools in India. We learn instead, in our colonial schools, that the British created India and gave us a link language, as if we were not talking to each
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other for thousands of years, traveling, telling and retelling stories before the British came. How else did these ideas travel so rapidly through the landmass of India, and how did Shankracharya circumscribe India, debating, talking and setting up institutions all within his short lifespan of 32 years? These ideas of our unity have permeated all our diverse darshanas. We have talked about Bhakti and Vedanta and the epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. But this idea of unity was not limited to particular schools. They were equally present in the tantric schools that exerted a tremendous influence on popular worship. Thus we have the legend of Shakti, whose body was carried by Shiva and cut up by Vishnu, landing in 51 places throughout the landmass of India that are now the site of the Shakti Peetham temples. The body of Shakti, or so the story goes, fell all the way from Neelayadakshi Kovil in Tamil Nadu to Vaishno Devi in Jammu, from Pavagadh in Gujarat to the Kamakshi temple in Assam and 47 other places. Why would the story conceive of these pieces of Shakti sanctifying and falling precisely all over the landmass of India, rather than all of them falling in Tamil Nadu or Assam or Himachal (or alternately, Yunan (Greece) or China, or some supposed `Aryan homeland' in Central Asia) unless someone had a conception of the unity of the land and civilization of Bharatavarsha? Whether these stories are actual or symbolic, represent real events or myths, it is clear from them that the idea of India existed in the minds of those that told these stories and those that listened. Together, all these stories wove and bound us together, along with migration, marriages and exchange of ideas into a culture unique in the story of mankind. A nation that was uniquely bound together in myriads of ways, yet not cast into a mono-conceptual homogeneity of language, worship, belief or practice by the diktat of a cenSopanam - September 2013

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tralized church, intolerant of diversity. Thus the Arabs and Persians already had a conception of Hind far before the Mughal Empire was established. If we suggest that their conception of Hind was derived only from their contact with Sindh in western India, why would the British, when they landed in Bengal, form the East India Company, unless the conception of the land of India (a term derived from the original Hind) was shared by the natives and the British? They used this name much before they had managed to politically hold sway over much of India, and before they educated us that no India existed before their arrival. Why would the Portuguese celebrate the discovery of a sea-route to India when Vasco de Gama had landed in Calicut in the south, if India was a creation of the British Empire? The answer is obvious. Because the conception of India, a civilization based in the Indian sub-continent, predates the rise and fall of these empires. True, that large parts of India were under unified political rule only during certain periods of time (though these several hundreds of years are still enormous by the scale of existence of most other countries throughout the globe) such as under the Mauryas or the Mughals. But those facts serve to hide rather than reveal the truth till we understand the history of the rest of the world and realize the historic social, political and religious unity of this land. We are not merely a country; we are a civilizational country, among very few other countries on the planet. Punya Bhumi and Pitrubhumi. Nothing can be holier to us than this land. Every particle of dust, everything living or non-living, every stock and stone, tree and rivulet of this land is holy to us. Even to this day, while taking bath we invokes the sacred rivers right from Ganga,Ya muna,Godavari,Saraswati,Narmada and sindhu to Cauvery. An Indian looks upon this land as land of his forefathers (Pitribhu),who inherits the blood of the race whose descendible source be traced to the vedic sapthasindhus and address the land as his holy land (Punyabhumi) as the land of prophets and seers, of his God-men and Gurus, and the land of piety and pilgrimage. So there we have it. India is one of the few nations of the world with a continuity of civilization and an ancient conception of nationhood. In its religious, civilization, cultural and linguistic continuity, it truly stands alone. This continuity was fostered by its unique geography and its resilient religious traditions. We have ongoing creation of more states based on Linguistic and other regional merits .Let there be more states on any of these basis, if it make our vast nation more administratively easier .But lets not forget that our nation is a living nation and all the other attributes as its limbs, united we stand and divided we fall. Vande Matharam.

Aaasindo Sindhu Paryantham Yasyabharatha Bhoomikah Mathru Bhuh Pithrubhoochaiva sah Vai Hindurithismrithaah Whoever considers the Bharatha Bhoomi between Sapta Sindu and the Indian Ocean, as his or her motherland and fatherland is known as Hindu. Himalayam Samaarafya Yaavat Hindu Sarovaram Tham Devanirmmitham desham Hindustanam Prachakshathe. The region between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean is called Hindustan.

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Sopanam - September 2013

hnZr`rmkw
Education
We are what our thoughts have made us, so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts Live; They travel far. Meditation means the mind is turned back upon itself. The mind stops all the thought-waves and the world stops. Your Consciousness expands Take risk in your Life. If you win, you can Lead! If you Loose, You can Guide!

Swami Vivekananda

Learn with Quiz Master

1. Who gave birth to Lord Vamana? 2. What is Cartography? 3. Which sea separates Australia and New Zealand?

Reshmy Krishnakumar

4. Which film was banned in 1921 because the actor resembled Gandhi? 5. Name the only sister of Kauravas? 6. Which chemical is used as rat poison ? 7. Who acknowledged the principle of giving free primary education in Travancore? 8. Oldest National Flag in the world is the national flag of which country? 9. Who wrote the famous astronomical book Almagest? 10. Bhishma brought three brides Amba, Ambika, Ambaliks for his brother Vichitravirya to marry. Among them one bride was not married to Vichitravirya. Who was she? Answers page - 27

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Litrature Spiritualism

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Sopanam - September 2013

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Art & Litrature

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Litrature Spiritualism

IekmlnXrw ArmnId Art &

Onam... Swirl of Nostalgia

I was quite a bit surprised when I received Onam wishes from a Kuwaiti Colleague; with my eyes wide opened, I asked him how does he know about our festival Onam and not contrary to my expectation, all that he knew about Onam was yet another festival for Indians. The keralite inside me could not resist enlightening my dear colleague with the exuberant Onam Celebrations that ultimately made me to end up in the swirl of nostalgia. During school days, the stumbling block before getting in to the festivity of Onam were the exams that accompanied the first few days of Onam which often reminded us to be responsible students and the nightmare of backto-school days after the holidays. However, nothing could stop the early morning gallops to collect flowers for the Pookalams and to be the first one to take the possession of the Swing. To the core of my heart, I still cherish the reminiscences of the sumptuous Onasadya (Onam feast), the long-waited Onakodi (new dress), the tempos of vallapattu, the spirit of Vallam Kali (snake boat race), Puli Kali (tiger dance). What we see around nowadays is the ethnicities of Onam been converted in to com-

Prakash Nair

petitions and sold in packets. Middle East turned out to be a podium for Onam Celebrations that lasts till the end of the year by various associations. Being embedded in the purity and bliss of my childhood Onam memories and the concept that was conveyed to me over years, I restricted myself to be a spectator in any of these Onam Celebrations. I resolved myself; I have to overcome these wistful thoughts of Onam. I am not going to adopt the feeling gone are those days and I cannot spend these days in front of TV watching some blockbusters. Getting in to the wings of the aircraft, I said, benevolent Mahabali Thampuran, am coming to your owned Kerala to pay a glorious tribute to your memory and to celebrate Onam with my much-loved people. It was a heavenly bliss when I felt the first rain drop on my forehead, but wished the hassles of rain out of the thiruvonam day. The spontaneous holiday spirit got a refreshing mind set. There was much more than shopping and celebrating, but to bring back the childhood friends from the vicinity as well.

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Sopanam - September 2013

IekmlnXrw
Art & Litrature
Being the native of the land of Thiruvaranmula Krishnan, I witnessed the marvelous sailing of Garuda faced thiruvonathoni carrying the provisions for Onasadya for the deity and the nights were filled with Vallapattukal from the banks of Pampa River. However, the places and people have changed a lot now. It took a while for me to realize the prosperity and divinity of Onam has vanished from Kerala, the streets are tightly packed with people everywhere, the roads in pathetic conditions, the visible discriminations between the affluent to unfortunate in errands and celebrations. The most awaited Pookalam was made of Marigold and other flowers brought from the flower market. Where are our Thumba, Mookootti, Chethi Poovukal gone! Why nobody including me tried to preserve them? Onam Swing was tied in the branches of a mango tree in our backyard, but children were busy with PlayStations and movies. People should be extra cautious to walk through the roadsides for the vehicles not to splash mud over the Onakodis. Had a delicious Onasadya, participated in the Snake Boat race and spent the whole afternoon socializing with friends and relatives. But a thought of unsettling restlessness and sadness came over me. I am missing something some where! It is thirteen years since amma left us, I know I cannot wish for more bliss than lying down in Ammas lap after the Onam feast listening her incessant chats. The constant ringing of telephone awakened me from the thoughts. Yes, the flight is on time, I have to leave back to my temporary abode for the rollercoaster ride for survival. Above all celebrations, we should understand the message that Onam conveys Nara rising to become Narayanaof human beings rising up to become one with God, the message of selflessness, sacrifice, truth, equality and compassion. Or, with every Onam, are we drifting away from our values? With all the limitations and the boundaries as expatriates, we should try our best to spread the message of Onam to our next generation for a harmonious and happiness world around us.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Aditi The science of making Maps Tasman Sea Bhakthavidura Dushala Zinc Phosphide Sreemoolam Thirunal Denmark Ptolemy Amba

Quiz Answers

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Health Spiritualism

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Sopanam - September 2013

Salt

Pepper

Mathru Dharshan

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Teej Recipes

throughout the old city. Women observe fast on this day for the well being of their husband and their schedule is some about like this, as they wake up early in morning, eat something good, so that they should be able to keep fast for the whole day, till the moon comes out. Some women start their Pooja / Archana by 12 p.m. and some starts at 7.p.m. This Indian Teej Pooja is really having a lot of belief and devote. Indian Women does this pooja with Thali by lighting agarbathis, kum-kum, flowers and some sweets. After the pooja is done, some women eat fruits and sweets and others remain very strict in their fasting. Teej celebrates the onset of bounteous monsoons. It is considered as a festival of indulgence, clothes, ornaments and delectable food. Married women does pooja for their husband, where as young girls keep

Teej or Teejri is the special festival for Indian women. It most often, falls in the month of Sharavan in Iuly or in August. On this day, married women fasts for their husbands and they pray for a happy and long married life. This festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. The Teej festival is an important festival for married Indian women, and much anticipated monsoon festival. It commemorates the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, after she paid a penance (Tapasya) of 100 years separation. The invocation of Parvatis blessing during the festival is believed to bring about continued marital bliss. Teejri is celebrated in North India Particularly in Jaipur, where a procession is taken for two days

this fast for their would be husband. Though a fast is observed by the women on the day of the festival, a sumptuous feast precedes and follows the festival. Delightful goodies are prepared in which the whole household is involved. Now a days, married women and even young girls also dress up and decorate their palms with mehndi (henna). Here are some mouth watering recipes, specially prepared during Teej festival by Indian Women across the country.

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_metemIw ArmnId

Speech of Swami Vivekananda

World Parliament Of Religion, ChicagoResponse To Welcome
Composed by Karthik Motwani

11th September, 1893

''Sisters and Brothers of America''
{At this moment came the three minute standing ovation from the audience of around 7,000} It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. l thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of the millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects. My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration.I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to the southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: As the different streams having there sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear,
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crooked or straight, all lead to thee. The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world, of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me. Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

I will tell you a little story. You have heard the eloquent speaker who has just finished say,
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Bala Lokam
15 September 1893
"Let us cease from abusing each other," and he was very sorry that there should be always so much variance. But I think I should tell you a story which would illustrate the cause of this variance. A frog lived in a well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born there and brought up there, and yet was a little, small frog. Of course the evolutionists were not there then to tell uswhether the frog lost its eyes or not, but, for our story's sake, we must take it for granted that it had its eyes, and that it every day cleansed the water of all the worms and bacilli that lived in it with an energy that would do credit to our modern bacteriologists. In this way it went on and became a little sleek and fat. Well, one day another frog that lived in the sea came and fell into the well. "Where are you from?" "I am from the sea." "The sea! How big is that? Is it as big as my well?" and he took a leap from one side of the well to the other. "My friend," said the frog of the sea, "how do you compare the sea with your little well?" Then the frog took another leap and asked, "Is your sea so big?" "What nonsense you speak, to compare the sea with your well!" "Well, then," said the frog of the well, "nothing can be bigger than my well; there can be nothing bigger than this; this fellow is a liar, so turn him out." That has been the difficulty all the while.I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. I have to thank you of America for the great attempt you are making to break down the barriers of this little world of ours, and hope that, in the future, the Lord will help you to accomplish your purpose.

_metemIw

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The Stories Behind the Onam Festival

A long long time ago, an Asura (demon) king called Mahabali ruled Kerala. He was a wise, benevolent and judicious ruler and beloved of his subjects. Soon his fame as an able king began to spread far and wide, but when he extended his rule to the heavens and the netherworld, the gods felt challenged and began to fear his growing powers. Presuming that he might become over-powerful, Aditi, the mother of Devas pleaded with Lord Vishnu to curtail Mahabali's powers. Vishnu transformed himself into a dwarf called Vamana and approached Mahabali while he was performing a yajna and asked for alms. Pleased with the dwarf brahmin's wisdom, Mahabali granted him a wish. The Emperor's preceptor, Sukracharya warned him against making the gift, for he realized that the seeker was no ordinary person. But the Emperor's kingly ego was boosted to think that God had asked him for a favor. So he firmly declared that there is no greater sin than going back on one's promise. He kept his word. The Vamana asked for a simple gift three paces of land and the king agreed to it. Vishnu in the guise of Vamana then increased his stature and with the first step covered the sky, blotting out the stars, and with the second, straddled the netherworld. Realising that Vamana's third step will destroy the earth, Mahabali offered his head as the last step. Vishnu's fatal third step pushed him to the netherworld, but before banishing him to the underworld Vishnu granted him a boon. Since he was attached to his kingdom and his people, he was allowed to return once a year from exile. Onam is the celebration that marks the homecoming of King Mahabali. It is the day when a grateful Kerala pays a glorious tribute to the memory of this benign king who gave his all for his subjects.

Another Story of King Mahabali & Vamana

Another legend has it that King Mahabali was a devout worshipper of Lord Vishnu. He was sincere, honest, just and a good ruler. But he had one weakness ego. And to eradicate his pride and redeem his beloved devotee of this one sin, Vishnu came to earth in the form of a dwarf Brahmin named Vamana. The king in his pride asked the Brahmin what he wanted for he could give anything. Vamana asked for three paces of land and the king agreed. To humble him Vishnu, as Vamana showed Mahabali that he is just a puny creature in front of God's universal stature. Mahabali, who was a man of principles, realized God's purpose and offered his head for Vamana's footstep, as he was sent to another world. This fatal step proved a blessing in disguise for the good king the foot salvaged and released him from the recurrent cycle of birth and death. That is why Onam is celebrated by wearing new clothes and resolving to lead a new life of truth, piety, love, and humility.

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Sopanam - September 2013