In the happiness of his subjects lies the happiness of the King (Head of the State) and in what is beneficial to the subjects his own benefit. What is dear to himself is not beneficial to the king, but what is dear to the subjects is beneficial to him. (Kautilya’s Arthashāstra, I, 19, 34)

Prime Minister Modi saluting the troops in Udhampur, May 13, 2025

Truth Behind Global Terrorism and India’s Response via Operation Sindoor

Prime Minister Modi exemplifies Chanakya’s conception of a leader like no other in the world today . Far too often, terrorism has struck down families, devastated and shattered people’s lives, altering the course of their destiny, for no reason other than to make some ideological point, and to strike fear and terror in the hearts of ordinary and common people. While it is true that the majority of Muslims are not terrorists, it is also true that most terrorists are Muslims. That Pakistan is the global leader in the manufacturing of terror, is also undeniable; but to state these obvious truths today is to invite the wrath of the Islamophobia brigade that serves as a global watchdog. People who call themselves leftists, liberals, and other convenient labels, are far too guilty of white-washing terrorism and equalizing the perpetrator and the victim as somehow responsible for the violence in equal measure. Our hearts and prayers are with the families who were irreparably shattered by these acts of violence in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Retaliation and retribution will not heal their wounds. Rebuilding their lives will take years. Some of them may never fully recover from the psychological impact of these barbaric attacks.

Operation Sindoor, aptly named, was long overdue. The Mumbai terror attacks of 26/11, 2008, which the world watched with horror for several days went largely without retribution, not because India did not have the capacity to retaliate, but because the ruling party of that time was afraid of escalation with a nuclear armed enemy. These frequent acts of terrorism on India, backed and bolstered by the threat of nuclear escalation, have been the calling card of Pakistan for decades now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shattered that barrier. He has displayed an extraordinary level of balance between aggression and restraint. So have the armed forces of Bharat. Adharma requires a response from Dharma—this is the lesson of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Ahimsa is not always the answer to Himsa. When one’s mother is being attacked, one does not have a choice of whether to defend, or to engage in pacifism and Ahimsa. So, what then when one’s motherland is attacked? Kshatriya Dharma has its vital place in the life of a nation, though often unappreciated.

Atmanirbhar Bharat: India’s Path to Self-Reliance ‘Even in Defense’

Operation Sindoor did not happen in a vacuum. It was the consequence of decades of investments, research, design, and development. It was made possible by a decade of unprecedented economic growth. It was founded upon careful integration of electronic systems, satellites, radars, guns, missiles, drones, espionage, human intelligence, and devastating fire power. It required in equal measure the ability to defend the homeland, its citizens, cities, military establishments and assets as well as the ability to reach deep into enemy territory and strike with devastating precision. It was made possible through exceptional ground, air and sea force coordination. It has established a new paradigm in war, through drones, missiles, and air defense. It has brought into sharp focus what Prime Minister Narendra Modi meant when he coined the term “Atmanirbhar Bharat,” meaning a self-reliant India. Equipment and capacities that rarely get battle-tested are now proven capabilities. India’s defense manufacturing and exports are going to skyrocket following Operation Sindoor. Bharat, that is India, now has demonstrated a nearly unparalleled capacity in this modern paradigm of war. Prime Minister Modi’s relationships with the armed forces of India are also extraordinary. He has spent every Deepavali since 2014 with the armed forces, distributing sweets, and being with them, even when there was no imminent war. His acknowledgement of the armed forces, in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, was deeply moving to hear. I cannot say that I have felt as much pride and respect for the Army, Navy and Airforce of India ever in my life. Nor have I felt as proud of a leader of a nation as I do now.

L to R: Shri Sajjan Agarawal, Shri Braham Ratan Aggarval, Dr. Jashvant Patel – HUA Chairman of the Board and Shri Kalyan Viswanathan – HUA President meet PM of India Shri Narendra Modi.

HUA Meets PM Modi

In September of 2024, a small team from the Hindu University of America met the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi Ji, in New York City. It was the first time I met him. There were four of us: along with me, Dr. Jashvant Patel, Chairman of the Board of HUA; Shri Braham Ratan Aggarwal, Member of the Board of Overseers of HUA; and Shri Sajjan Agarwal, member of the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee of the Board.

This was the first time I had met a head of state, and I did not quite know what to expect. Surprisingly, he spent about 30 minutes with us. What surprised me even more was his simplicity, and the ease with which he interacted with us. The meeting was warm and friendly, even affectionate. He held my hand several seconds longer than I expected and invited me to take a selfie with him. It felt like a meeting between old friends, not a new acquaintance. I spoke in English, and he replied in Hindi. He asked me if I understood Hindi, and I said yes, I do. We took a few more photographs.

HUA President Shri Kalyan Viswanathan in a selfie with PM Modi

After introductions and pleasantries, we used the opportunity to brief him on the progress that HUA had made over the last five plus years. We spoke about the recent merger of the California College of Ayurveda with the Hindu University of America, and he listened with great interest. I shared the brochures describing the programs offered by HUA, and he took it all in. He listens keenly before he speaks. So, when he responds, he is always appropriate to the occasion, a quality so rare among leaders in this world today. We spoke about the future possibilities for this university. He focused on what he called the two treasures from India – Yoga and Ayurveda. He said that even we Hindus don’t fully appreciate the potential of Yoga and Ayurveda, for the world. He shared a story about the young daughter of an African head of state who was going blind. On his recommendation, she had taken Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala and restored her eyes. He said that she had become a great proponent of Ayurveda.

He spoke of the ‘jhagada’ or fight, in India between the mainstream allopathic doctor community and the Ayurvedic community. He wondered what could happen if the divide between these two communities could be transcended. What potential and possibility could be unlocked if the relationship between the different medicinal systems were to be situated in a framework of collaboration instead of rivalry. Ayurvedic practitioners suffer from a sense of inferiority in India. They are trying to become more like mainstream medical practitioners, he observed. This leads them sometimes to represent Ayurveda as a superior system that has all the answers. He remarked that Ayurveda suffers from a lack of adequate scientific validation. Ayurveda needs authentication. Without this authentication, it is easily dismissed as an ancient tradition not grounded in science. This can be rectified, he said. HUA must take this up in earnest, he suggested. The contemporary scientific validation of Yoga and Ayurveda through rigorous study and research – this is one of the true potentials of Hindu University of America, he said. In India, he said the focus is more on practice and developing practitioners. The research focus is not yet mature. This must be developed in collaboration with the West, where research is much more well developed, he said. It seemed he was giving us a task to do. Setting a direction for us. He said that Indians living in America can make this important contribution. Not just for our sake, but for all humankind.

He inquired about each of our families and wellbeing. He invited us to visit India and see him in India. The Government of India, he offered, will do whatever it can to support HUA’s mission. Outside the hotel suite a big Japanese delegation was waiting to see him next after us. But he seemed in no hurry. He was present with us for the whole half an hour that he spent with us. I was left amazed, most of all by his presence, his attention and keen sense of listening, his humility, and the lack of any of the airs of self-importance and power that we see so often in much less accomplished individuals. I was in the presence of a Rajarishi, I thought. A Yuga-Purusha unlike any we might see. There was great power in him, great confidence, and self-assurance. But it was held in the poise of humble, kind, and compassionate bearing. Bharat is very lucky to have him as its Prime Minister, for as long as he has been. But only 37% of the voters in India vote for the Prime Minister’s party. 63% of them don’t. I shudder to think of what would happen to Bharat, if the other 63% somehow united and came together. They keep trying and failing.

Conclusion: A Leader for the Ages

It is perhaps the most consequential idea in the Arthashāstra: that the ruler must surrender his entire life in service of his people. This is not the renunciation of a Sannyasin, the one who withdraws into an ascetic life far away from the madding crowd. It is a different kind of renunciation, that of Karma Yoga, that prioritizes the happiness and well-being of his people over his own as the first and foremost the first principle of Rāja Dharma. Shri Narendra Modi is the greatest example of such a Karma Yogi, that we can hope to encounter in our lives. And he does it all amid the raging Kurukshetra, of the powerful currents and forces, both domestic and international, that seek to unseat him, vilify him, denigrate him and destroy him on a daily basis. It was a great grace and blessing that I got to meet him in New York City.

1. https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/india-operation-sindoor-china-pl-15-missile-france-japan-fragments-explained-13889890.html
2. https://www.opindia.com/2025/05/operation-sindoor-how-india-can-become-global-leader-defence-export/

The post Narendra Modi’s Leadership: Modi’s Vision for India and HUA appeared first on Hindu University of America.

Dvaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita
Broadly speaking, the Advaita school sees the unity of Brahman, jīva, and jagat while the other two schools see Brahman separate from jīva and jagat. Let’s look at how we as average people understand the world (jagat) and Īśvara (Brahman, Lord, Kṛṣṇa, God, or identified by any similar name):

1. Each one of us experiences of daily life.

2. Each one of us – being a conscious being – is separate from each other.

3. Each one of us – being a conscious being – is separate from other non-living beings.

4. Each one of us feels that Īśvara (Brahman, Lord, Kṛṣṇa, God, or identified by any similar name) is different from us and

5. Many of us believe that Īśvara created every living, and non-living being in this world (samsāra) and if we worship/become devotees of the Īśvara, our sufferings will go away.

6. Many of us also believe that there is nothing called Īśvara and that whatever we see and experience in this life and world is the only reality.

7. We take actions (karma) based on our likes & dislikes which generates sukha-dukkha, paap-puṇya, and multiple births.

This is largely the state of dvaita. As average people and not enlightened beings, we see the bheda (difference) while living in this world all the time. Sri Madhvācārya’s Dvaita school systematizes the bheda and so does the Viśiṣṭādvaita of Sri Rāmāṉujācārya under special conditions. Sri Madhvācārya and Sri Rāmāṉujācārya both teach that Hari (Viṣṇu) is the ultimate reality – the Īśvara – who is all-powerful, present everywhere all the time. Hari is the Brahman and is responsible for the creation, existence, and destruction of everything including us. The only difference between Dvaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita is as follows: as per Dvaita the jīva (jīvātma as a precise Vedāntic technical word) is eternal, self-illuminating, and separate from Paramātma. Each living being has a Jīvātma which means there are many Jīvātma. Viśiṣṭādvaita differs from Dvaita here and it says Jīvātma is subservient and dependent on Paramātma. As per Viśiṣṭādvaita, before the jīva gets the physical body-mind and senses, jīvātma is in a sukṣma (subtle or causal) state. In this sukṣma state, jīvātma is with Brahman. There is no bheda between jīvātma and Brahman. Once the jīvātma gets the physical body-mind-senses, it gets into the sthula state. As physical bodies are distinct from each other and have separate minds of their own the bheda (dvaita) is visible and experienced. This is the reality that we all experience in the normal state of life. The path for the jīvātma to be close to Brahman (Hari)is complete devotion through bhakti. Since the jīvātma is subservient and dependent on Brahman (Hari) a total surrender is required. In other words, humans should seek the grace of Hari through bhakti. Depending on how the devotee is offering bhakti, Hari takes care of the jīvātma after its death. Jīvātma gets a place in Vaikuntha-Loka. This is the Mukti for Jeevātma in Viśiṣṭādvaita. In the Dvaita school, the separation between the jīvātma and Brahman (Hari) remains forever. During the living life of jīvātma, the jīvātma continues to offer bhakti to Hari and seeks Mukti.

Advaita

Advaita, however, is radical in its viewpoint. It states that the bheda or dvaita that is experienced by the jīva is real though that reality is transient. This reality is called mithyā. Mithyā in today’s Indian languages means illusion or something like a mirage. In the dark, one sees the snake but upon checking it in light, realizes that it is a rope. The snake is mithyā in today’s language. However, it is not a correct representation of mithyā from Advaita’s point of view. Advaita does not consider the perceived world as something unreal or imaginary. It differentiates between Satya and mithyā. Satya for Advaita is an unchanging reality and a reality that does not depend on anything else. Mithyā is that reality that depends on something else and hence undergoes change. Once this difference between Satya and mithyā is clear the separation becomes just an incorrect understanding of reality (Satya). If we see the gold bangles, gold chain, and gold ring, each of the ornaments is separate and has its own identity. However, from Advaita’s point of view, it is just gold. The waves on the water are distinct and are real, however, waves are forms of water. Just like a wave does not exist without water, ornaments cannot exist without gold, and pots are fundamentally just clay, the jagat and jīvātma are names and forms of the Brahman. Brahman in saguṇa form is Īśvara and in the context of Bhagavad Gita chapter 11 virāṭ-rūpa is Saguna Brahman in the form of Kṛṣṇa. The unity of all jīvas and jagat is Brahman. There is no bheda (no dvaita) and hence it is advaita. The reason the world appears in dvaita is because of avidyā. Avidyā is an incorrect understanding of the human thinking that he or she is separate from the Brahman. With Jñāna (knowledge), one can realize the true nature of reality, Sat-Cit-Ānanda Ātman, and achieve Mukti. To achieve this jñāna, one needs to prepare the mind through viveka and exercising karma-yoga. This karma-yoga needs bhakti as a foundation. The more one practices karma-yoga by applying viveka in one’s life, one becomes more ardent bhakta of Īśvara.

Dvaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita are about the separation of jīva, jagat, and Īśvara. Īśvara being the all-powerful and creator, conserver, and destroyer of jīva and jagat, jīva must surrender through bhakti to seek Mukti which is a grace of Īśvara.

Advaita does not recognize the separation of jīva, jagat, and Īśvara. A bhakti-based viveka exercised through karma-yoga prepares the mind and jñāna is realized in such a mind. This realization delivers the Mukti in living the life of jīva. Such a Jīvanmukta continues to live life as per the prārabdha and once the physical body-mind-senses merge into the  five elements after death, the sukṣma śarīra is merged into Īśvara.

How do we reconcile the Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita and Dvaita schools having apparently contradictory, opposing views of the same Upaniṣad?

देहबुद्ध्या तु दासोऽस्मि, जीवबुद्ध्या त्वदंशकः। आत्मबुद्ध्या त्वमेवाहं इति मे निश्चिता मतिः।। “Oh Lord, while I identify myself with my body, I am your servant. When I consider myself as Individual Soul, I am Your part. But when I look upon myself as the Spirit, I am one with You.”

I feel this one verse reconciles the 3 schools of Vedānta for average Hindu persons like us. All the differences in the philosophy of each school in terms of how each Ācārya has interpreted the Upaniṣad and Bhagavad Gītā are important from the deep study of each of the schools. The scriptural textual analysis and their methods of finding support in Upaniṣad and Bhagavad Gītā must be studied to gain a deeper intellectual understanding. It is not that this study is not for the average devotee. However, what matters to the average devotee is the sādhanā – the daily practice – that will pave the path of his or her Mukti. All three ācāryas’ teachings have the following common aspects:

1. Īśvara is an all-pervasive, all-powerful, creator-conserver-destroyer of everything.
2. Bhakti is mandatory.
3. Mukti – freedom from suffering – is the goal of human life.

Despite this, how do we reconcile the apparent differences in the views of these 3 schools? I feel if we keep studying each philosophical detail of every school to compare then reconciliation is difficult. The common factors across all the 3 schools don’t yield much apart from the academic and intellectual exercise. I suggest that the 3 schools are a continuation of Vedantic thought. This continuation is evolving to explore various facets of Vedānta to simplify Hinduism for the average Hindu. Now the question is what we mean by simplification of Hinduism. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gītā in 4.13 about गुणकर्मविभागशः – meaning He has created each person depending on their guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas) and prārabdha karma. As he says in 2.47 about कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते means – one has the right to choose their karma (action) – free will to choose the actions. So, every person has predisposed guṇas and prārabdha but has free will to chart the course of life. It also means that every person has a different state of mind as a result of the combination of guṇas, prārabdha karma, and free will. Hence each person’s state of mind to be prepared to seek Mukti is different. Someone may see bheda and start the journey or someone may start with the belief that there is a unity of Self with Īśvara, or someone may start with seeing bheda but believing in unity with Īśvara. Finally, it is about the evolution of the understanding of the mind where it may start with Dvaita to Advaita or from Advaita to Dvaita or from Viśiṣṭādvaita to Advaita or Dvaita.

Advaita focuses on achieving freedom from suffering in this living life (Mokṣa). It is a path having bhakti and dhyāna at the foundation to lead a life with karmayoga which purifies the mind, and, in such a mind, “Tat Tvam Asi” is realized. Dvaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita focus on the “Sādhanā” of complete devotion – bhakti and belief that in the afterlife Hari will grace the Jīvātma with a place near him. The place that the Jīvātma gets depends on the level of devotion.

Krisha in 18.62 says तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत। तत्प्रसादात्परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम्‌| – “Take refuge in Him alone with your whole being, O scion of the Bhārata dynasty. Through His grace, you will attain supreme Peace and the eternal Abode.” And in 18.63 इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया। विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु| – “To you has been imparted by Me this knowledge [Derived in the instrumental sense of ‘means of knowledge’; i.e., the scripture Gita.] which is more secret than any secret. Pondering over this, do as you like.”

Bibliography

Chari Srinivasa S. M., The Philosophy of the Bhagavadgita. A Study Based on the Evolution of the Commentaries of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. New Dedlhi: Munshilala Manoharlal Publisher Pvt. Ltd., 2005.

Dutt, M. N., trans. Mahābhārata – Sanskrit Text with English Translation. 9 vols. Edited by Dr. Ishvar Chandra Sharma and Dr. O. N. Bimali. Delhi: Parimal Publications, 2018.

Radhakrishnanan S., The Bhagavadagita With and Introductory Essay, Sanskrit Text, English Translation and Notes. Noida: Harper Element, 2014.

Swami Gambhīrānanda, trans. Bhagavad Gita : With the commentary of Sankarācārya. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2018.

Swami Gambhīrānanda. Trans. Eight Upaniṣads: With the commentary of Sankarācārya. 2 vols. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2019.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Bhagavad Gita Home Study Course. 9 vols. Chennai: Arsha Vidya Research and Publication Trust, 2012.

The post Samanvaya Across 3 Vedanta Schools – Part 2 appeared first on Hindu University of America.

Samanvaya (Reconciliation) of Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, and Dvaita

Vedānta is the corpus of knowledge at the end of the Vedas. These are the Upaniṣad. These are the core texts capturing revelations by Ṛṣis. Bhagavad Gītā as part of Mahābhārata is the second important text to put the Upanishadic knowledge in the context of human life. The Brahma Sūtra written by sage Bādārayaṇa summarizes the teachings of Vedānta in the form of short statements. Upaniṣad, Bhagavad Gītā, and Brahma Sūtra are called “Prasthānatrayī” – the trinity of Hindu thought. Various ācāryas have been writing the interpretations of the Upaniṣad, Bhagavad Gītā, and Brahma Sūtra giving rise to multiple schools of Vedānta. Upanishadic thought means the relationship of jīva (living beings), jagat (the physical world around the living beings – matter), and Īśvara (Sat-Cit-Ānanda Ātman) with each other. For these three entities (jīva, jagat, Īśvara) various possibilities of relationships emerge. Out of those, the following 3 are the most prominent-

1. Jīva, jagat, and Īśvara as being one (abheda) – nondual or Advaita.
2. Jīva, jagat, and Īśvara are fundamentally different and do not merge into each other (bheda)– dual or Dvaita.
3. Jīva, jagat, and Īśvara being one under specific conditions and being different under specific conditions – Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Sri Śaṅkarācārya (8^th century) is the most prominent proponent of Advaita. Sri Rāmāṉujācārya (11^th century) was for Viśiṣṭādvaita and Sri Madhvācārya (13^th century) was the proponent of Dvaita. Each of them humbly says that they are merely interpreting the Vedānta and Bhagavad Gītā and not the founders of each school. As per them, their view is firmly established in Vedānta and supported by Bhagavad Gītā. If we look at the core principles of each of the schools, it feels that each school is showing a new path different from each other. Our common experience is that Hindus subscribe to these schools and vehemently ground themselves in their schools. Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, and Śakta Saṃpradāya worship Śiva, Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, and Goddess Śakti respectively in various forms. It means each of the forms for their Saṃpradāyas is the ultimate form of truth.

A historical perspective shows that Viśiṣṭādvaita came out as a critic of Advaita and later Dvaita came out as a critic of both Advaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita. This gives a view that the three schools of Vedānta have so many differences that it is not possible to reconcile those as consistent with one another.

After understanding the core tenets of each school and considering that Advaita came first, followed by Viśiṣṭādvaita and then Dvaita, I feel that each of the schools of Vedānta is a continuation of the same thought of achieving Muktī – freedom from suffering and freedom from the cycle of rebirth. Each ācārya guides us to take the path that they propounded in the light of the Upaniṣad and Bhagavad Gītā (only Sri Śaṅkarācārya wrote a commentary on Brahma Sūtra).

Evolution of Vedic Thought

The early Upaniṣads were revealed to ṛṣis and were written 7,000 years ago. The original Vedic thought originated at least 1,000 to 1,500 years before the Upaniṣads. The original Vedic thought worshiped Indra, Varuṇa, Soma, and other devatas of nature. Various rituals and sacrifices were at the core of the Vedic life and were meant to deliver a happy and prosperous life in terms of progeny and wealth during life and svarga (after life). Slowly Vedic thought evolved beyond the rituals and sacrifices. Vedic thought evolved to describe

the limits of the rituals and sacrifices to achieve truth and peace – the Sat-Cit-Ānanda Ātman. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12 says –

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्रह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन ।

तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ १२ ॥

A mature human being (in worldly affairs) resorts to renunciation after examining the worlds, acquired through karma, with the help of this maxim: the uncreated (eternal/reality) is not accomplished by karma. For knowing that reality he should go to the Guru with samidhā in hand.

It is a common experience of any mature person who has some experience of the world, that any amount of fulfillment of desires does not generate a lasting peace and freedom from suffering. The desires keep changing and new desires keep developing. So, in such situations, the mature person surrenders to the Guru who is well-versed in Brahmavidyā. This Upanishadic thought did not hinder the rituals and sacrifices but provided a new meaning of Mukti. Now it was no longer related to going to svarga by practicing sacrifices but freedom from suffering in human life and freedom from the cycle of birth-growth-death. Taittirīya Upaniṣad (Brahmānanda Vallī) 2.1.1 says- ब्रह्मविदाप्नोति परम् । तदेषाऽभ्युक्ता । सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म । यो वेद निहितं गुहायां परमे व्योमन्‌। सोऽश्नुते सर्वान्‌ कामान् सह ब्रह्मणा विपश्चितेति॥ The knower of Brahman attains the highest. Here is the verse about that very fact: “Brahman is satya, jñāna and ananda. He who knows that Brahman as existing in the intellect, lodged in the supreme space in the heart, enjoys, as identified with the all-knowing Brahman, all desirable things simultaneously.” Here Vedānta reveals that path of freedom from suffering in human life while continuing to follow worldly engagements. The human needs to understand his or her connection with the physical world, other living beings, and the ultimate truth – Brahman. Various Upaniṣads provide different models of the origin of jagat (physical world), jīva (all living creatures), and Brahman.  Chāndogyopaniṣad in 6.2.3 describes बहु स्यां प्रजायेयेति – It (Being, or Brahman) thought: ‘May I be many; may I grow forth.’ So, Brahman had a thought and it decided to become many and from there, the origin of jagat and jīva started.  This is like Nāsadīya Sūkta (Ṛgveda 10.129) कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः प्रथमं यदासीत्। – “In the beginning, desire descended on It (Brahman), that was the primal seed, born of the mind.” Brahman had a desire to create the jagat and jīva. This desire can be termed as māyā the Śakti that created everything including time and space. This is explained in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad in 1.1.7 as – यथोर्णनाभिः सृजते गृह्णते च यथा पृथिव्यामोषधयः संभवन्ति। यथा सतः पुरुषात्‌ केशलोमानि तथाऽक्षरात्‌ संभवतीह विश्वम्‌ ॥ “As the spider puts out and gathers in, as herbs spring up upon the earth, as hair of head and body grow from a living man, so here all is born from the Immutable (i.e., Brahman).” In summary, Vedānta through various Upaniṣads reveal the connection between the physical world (jagat), living beings (jīva), and Īśvara (Brahman). Now comes the Bhagavad Gītā. Ācārya Madhusudana Saraswati praises Bhagavad Gītā in his Gītā dhyānam – सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः| पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत्|| “All the Upaniṣads are the cows and Kṛṣṇa is the one who milks them. Arjuna is the calf; the devotees are the consumers of the great nectar of Gita.”. Bhagavad Gītā provides a systematic path to understanding the Upaniṣads and implementing the revelations of the Upaniṣads in the daily life of devotees to free oneself from suffering. Kṛṣṇa – the Īśvara – incarnation of Brahman – says following ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति । एवं त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ॥ ९-२१ ॥ “After having enjoyed that vast svargaloka, their puṇya is exhausted, and they re-enter into martyalokam (human world). Thus, those who follow the rituals and sacrifices prescribed in the three Vedas – merely the Vedic rites and duties; are desirous of pleasures. They attain only the state of going and returning (from svarga to this world – rebirth cycle), but never that of mokṣa.” In 5.29 Kṛṣṇa says – भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्। सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति।।5.29।। “One attains Peace by knowing Me who, as the great Lord of all the worlds, am the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, (and) who am the friend of all creatures.” With multiple such references across Bhagavad Gītā, it becomes clear that Kṛṣṇa provides clarity on Mukti. If one follows the Vedic rituals and sacrifices, one will reach svargaloka but will eventually have to reenter jagat. If one worships Kṛṣṇa, one will attain peace – peace from cycles of birth, growth, death, and suffering. In other words, this reflects the entire Vedic teaching. The Pūrva Bhāg of Veda (Mīmāṃsā) deals with the rituals and sacrifices that take one to svarga and the evolution of Vedic thought through Upaniṣads provides the path of true happiness – Sat-Cit-Ānanda. So, are these 2 separate paths for the devotees? The answer is no. The path that the devotee takes depends on his or her readiness of mind through three Guṇas (satva, rajas, tamas) and free will – the choice of actions one wants to exercise while choosing the path. Now with this background, we can go back to the three ācāryas.

Vedānta Schools: Sri Śaṅkarācārya, Sri Rāmāṉujācārya, and Sri Madhvācārya

Note that none of the Ācārya says that they are teaching their “school”, but they say that they are teaching Vedānta. It becomes puzzling and unsettling to know that each of the Ācāryas has interpreted the same Upaniṣad and Bhagavad Gita differently in many aspects while having few commonalities.

The post Samanvaya Across 3 Vedanta Schools – Part 1 appeared first on Hindu University of America.

A Vedic Counselor’s Perspective on Life

“In the vision of Vedanta, a person, by virtue of his own essential nature, is totally, absolutely, pure and free. Compassion, love, giving, and sharing are all dynamic forms of this absolute happiness (aananda). You are limitless, fullness, complete, lacking nothing.”- Swami Dayananda Saraswati

My Nānijī

Nānijī would lovingly start every conversation with “Sai beta, please share with me a few words of spiritual wisdom…” I would respond, “Nānijī, keep your mind on ‘Om’”. In her last few months, Nānijī could not even digest daal water. She would burp loudly during our conversations, mostly listening to my voice telling her to keep her mind on her Higher Self – her “I am.” We never discussed the topic of death directly, but Nānijī knew that it was near and all she wanted to do was rid herself of the immense suffering her body was going through. I reminded her often that she was neither the body nor the mind; that she was beyond these two that caused suffering; that she was pure love, infinite, ever-present awareness – the “I am” that vibrates in the “Om.” In this state of mind, her last moments were not consumed with questions or attachments to the material world she was to leave behind, but rested on her deeper, Higher Self.

Nānijī and I also practiced forgiveness meditation where over the period of several weeks we learned to forgive those who have hurt us. I could feel that as Nānijī neared the end, she was more free, lighter – she divested herself of all of life’s experiences and settled in her Higher Self; her mind was consumed in looking up at the Divine rather than holding down on to the material plane. One day, while sending her healing energy in my meditation, unbeknownst to me, Nānijī passed away in her sleep. She finally merged with the ever-present, indivisible, infinite awareness

Vedic Counseling

I share this story because I was engaged in a form of counseling that I didn’t know existed: Vedic counseling. After much reflection on how I engaged with Nānijī, I decided to explore Dr. David Frawley’s (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) course on Vedic counseling. I became a Certified Vedic Counselor and began my formal journey into Vedic counseling with the hope that I am able to become a compassionate guide to others in their time of need, particularly those nearing death. In time, I developed my own Vedic vision on life drawing from my practices in yoga and study of Vedanta as well as learning from numerous teachers.

Dr. David Frawley explains that Vedic counseling can be understood as dhārmic guidance on right living, right action, and right awareness. It draws upon Vedic knowledge rooted in Vedic Sciences such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Vāstu, Jyotiṣa, among others, and provides life guidance to those in need so that they may access the unlimited wisdom, energy, and vitality inherent within themselves while connecting to the universal intelligence that helps them move beyond their human constraints (Frawley, Kshirsagar, the Art and Science of Vedic Counseling). Vedic counseling then is counseling of inner observation into our internal reality and a Vedic counselor sets in motion a deeper process of observation and investigation in the individual with the goal of awakening an already-present deeper intelligence (Frawley, Kshirsagar, the Art and Science of Vedic Counseling).

As I reflect on my conversations with Nānijī, and others who I had spent their last moments with, I found that my guidance has organically always led to a focus on the changeless element of experience, the ever-present, indivisible, infinite awareness of “I am.”

“I am” – A Contemplation

Consider the following contemplation from spiritual teacher and philosopher, Rupert Spira:

“Look around the room you are sitting in and reading this article. Look at the objects, what’s on this table, the table, the walls, the chair, and so on. Now bring your attention away from the objects in the room and bring your attention to the space in the room. Have you ever contemplated this space? Have you ever thought of this space or brought your attention to it? Perhaps the only times you become aware of this space is when you move into an empty home or when you move out, but in between, you fill it up with various objects.

Now bringing your attention to the space in the room, ask: is this space limited to the four walls? Remove the four walls and what happens to that space? You realize that the space in this room pervades this room but is not limited to this room. Relatively speaking, it is infinite. When the building is taken down, the space will remain exactly as it is, as it has always been. (Spira, The Place of Refuge). Similarly, the self or awareness of yourself pervades the body but is not limited to the body. It is utterly intimate with itself, but it has no personal qualities or limitations. It is infinite. It is not located in a body or mind, but you notice in your direct experience that the awareness with which all experience is known, like the space, is not located in any particular experience. (Spira, The Place of Refuge). It has always been there. Everything, including the body and the mind, the experiences you have in your life, all appear in that awareness.”

Similar to the space with all the objects in it and similar to the way we identify with only those objects but not the space within which they are in, our lives are always qualified and colored with the “I am” with thoughts, feelings, sensations, or perceptions. Notice that all those objects of thoughts, feelings, sensations, or perceptions that follow “I am” all appear, exist for a time, and vanish, but “I am” remains. (Spira, The Place of Refuge). In fact, this awareness of “I am” has always been there.

Take a step back from your experience and step into this “I am.” Contemplate this “I am” and soon you discover that the body and the mind is what we are aware of; it is not what we are. (Spira, The Place of Refuge). In other words, the awareness of “I am” precedes all objects and content of experience. It has always been there. This awareness, this presence of awareness, is the most important thing we can understand about ourselves. This awareness is so caught up and mixed with experience that we have forgotten this “I am.”

Be with this “I am.” I am. When a thought arises, ask: are you aware? And you find that the “I am” is aware of that thought but a thought is not aware of itself. When a feeling arises, ask: are you aware? And you find that “I am” aware of that feeling but a feeling is not aware of itself. In this way, you find that no object of experience is aware. And then you ask what is it that is aware of experience? And you find yourself back in “I am” – the knowing and being that is “I am.” Keep going back to this “I am.” (Spira, The Place of Refuge). Stay there. (See also Kavitha Chinnaiyan, Svatantra Institute, Bliss Meditation)

Role of a Vedic Counselor

Our entry into the world is pervaded by duality. From the moment we are born, we are conditioned with the subject-object relationship. As a result, we already begin our lives from a place where we feel limited, incomplete, so we start seeking and resisting. We desperately try to feel whole and complete in our daily activities and relationships. This feeling of separation ultimately leads us away from the one reality — that single, indivisible, reality behind all the objects and people that derive their apparently independent existence. (Spira, An Introduction to Non-Duality). This sense of separation ultimately brings disharmony between ourselves and the world. A Vedic counselor is one who understands that sole reality and guides an individual to an understanding that they lack nothing, that they are already complete.

The apparent separate self or ego, an illusory self (real but not what it appears to be/an arising in awareness) mixed with objects of experience, is sometimes in need of practices or instruction. (Spira, The Place of Refuge; also see Greg Goode, Standing as Awareness). The Vedic Sciences are practices and techniques that facilitate the individual to arrive at the recognition of “I am.” Ayurveda is the Vedic Science for well-being of body and mind; Jyotisha is the science of time and energetic effects of cosmic bodies on the mind; Vastu is the science of space and directional influences,; and other sciences lead us to the vision of Vedanta, which is the philosophy of awareness. (Frawley, Kshirsagar, the Art and Science of Vedic Counseling).

These Vedic Sciences are the preparation ground to allow one to arrive at the “I am.” (Spira, the Way of Surrender). These Sciences provide processes and solutions to the suffering, needs, questions, and fears of this separate self. (Spira, the Way of Surrender; also see, Chinnaiyan, Shakti Rising). They cater to the separate self’s unique needs before finally resting in the awareness “I am.” A Vedic counselor identifies a particular Science or a mixture of these Sciences and sets in motion the processes to help that separate self dissolve into awareness. Ultimately, the Vedic counselor facilitates an individual to take a step towards themselves, to go home to themselves, to be simply with the knowledge of themselves, to surrender to themselves and open up the possibility of the dissolution of their apparent separate self or ego, that illusory limitations that the separate self acquires from thinking, feeling, sensing, perceiving and so on, into the infinite, ever-present awareness that they already are.

Every investigation or surrender to dissolve this separation that causes so much suffering results in coming back to ourselves where we simply live and be aware of our being, of the “I am.” This is the death of the separate self before the death of the physical self.

The End of the Illusory Separate Self

Visualize yourself on your deathbed. You’ve been told you have three days to live. What would you be contemplating about? What would you want to be thinking about? How would your mind approach the moment? Will it grasp for all that content of experience it has gathered over this lifetime or will it divest all that experience and go straight to the unblemished, essential self? Consider the contemplation on “I am” we just discussed. Would it change how you approach the last few days, hours, minutes, seconds in your mortal coil?

As I reflect on Nānijī’s physical end, and the physical loss of so many other friends and family over the last few years, I find myself constantly reflecting on death. Particularly, on the death of the separate self, and all its illusory limitations, before the death of the physical self. Consider the possibility of having the separate self die well before the physical.

The Sufis call this “dying before death” and Vedantans call it “liberation while living” (jivanmukta). What is meant by this understanding is that when the mind constantly dwells in the “I am” instead of the qualified, colored experience that contracts that “I am,” the mind finds itself in the open, in spaciousness, clarity, and peace; in other words, it is restored to its pristine, unconditioned state. As the body deteriorates in various ways, the mind remains illumined in the knowledge of “I am” – that true self, infinite, ever-present awareness. Many of us fear death, but when we have the capacity to clearly investigate our separate self with a healthy body and mind – especially when that body and mind are healthy now – we can immediately get in touch with ourselves deeply. That is, instead of constantly identifying with experience and desperately holding on to it – the experience of thoughts, feelings, perceptions that say “I am old,” “I am wrinkly,” “I am losing everything” – return back to the one constant, changeless element that has always been there no matter your age: the awareness of “I am.” Keep your attention there. See where this takes you. Does it liberate you from the fear of dying? Remain there.

We find that no matter what happens to this body, the death of identifying with experience, the illusory separate self, gives rise to the birth of peace that is already our being. In this way, when the moment comes when the body is finally done, all that shines in our minds is our knowledge of “I am” – the pure, peaceful, ever-present awareness that has always been there – that awareness that has preceded our birth and that awareness that continues after our death.

**My sincere thanks to the teachers that continue to shape me: Shri Guru, Bhairava Baba, Shri Atmananda Krishna Menon, Shri M, Rupert Spira, Sri Ramana Maharishi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Greg Goode, Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan, Dr. David Frawley, and all those numerous beings who continue to teach and guide me.

The post A Vedic Counselor’s Perspective on Life appeared first on Hindu University of America.

“The Indian caste system is perhaps the most extreme expression of a type of social organization that violates the most revered principles on which modern Western societies are based” (Stearns, et al. 24). This is the opening statement of a World History textbook passage on caste in India. With a self-righteous tone, this sentence indicts the entire Indian civilization and everyone associated with it, including innocent Hindu American students. The rest of the textbook pertaining to India employs bias by the commission to lay the blame for the inequities of the caste system entirely on the shoulders of Hindu civilization. It absolves the major Western colonizers, especially the British, of any blame in the current state of affairs. This is a pattern that repeats itself in other textbooks. However, history and Hindu scriptures paint an entirely different picture.

The Spanish and Portuguese origins of the word “caste” as “casta” are well known. What is less well-known are the European origins of birth-based caste, along with how Europeans imposed these concepts on their colonized peoples, as described by Sumit Guha in his online article. In addition, Hindu scriptures do not contain the word “casta” or any other derivative.

 Las Castas (The Castes), Anonymous.

The above painting was completed in the 18th century and depicts the 16 race-based castes at birth as defined and imposed by Spanish colonizers on the Natives of Mexico. This type of classification was devised prior to British interference with the indigenous social system of India. The idea of caste hierarchy being determined by proximity to the white race was first propagated by the Spanish and later implemented by the British in India. The subordinate status of Spanish women as compared to Spanish men can be concluded from the more limited marital options available to women, as shown in the painting.

At the time of the Spanish caste system’s development, Indian society was following a very different social order. Amongst the Vedas, which are the primary scriptures of Hinduism and are believed to hold true regardless of era or geography, the only kind of social structure that was mentioned pertained to the four “varnas.” The term “varna” referred to the four qualities or functions that were found in society: priests/scholars, rulers/administrators, merchants/farmers, and artisans/laborers. The Purusha Sukta contains the following hymn:

brā̠hma̠ṇō̎sya̠ mukha̍māsīt । bā̠hū rā̍ja̠nya̍ḥ kṛ̠taḥ ।
ū̠rū tada̍sya̠ yadvaiśya̍ḥ । pa̠dbhyāgṃ śū̠drō a̍jāyataḥ ॥

From His mouth came forth the Brahmins and from His arms were Rajanya made
From His thighs came the Vaishyas and His feet gave birth to Sudras.
(Rigveda 10.90.12)

Even though the above hymn is not referring to a hierarchy between the four varnas, the fallacy of a hierarchical varna system has gained widespread traction in today’s literature. In reality, the varnas represent the four parallel pillars of a holistic society. In Hindu thought, the entirety of existence is described as the manifestation of God, or Purusha. As God, or Purusha, is One, no part of Purusha can be considered higher or lower. Therefore, one varna is not considered higher or lower than another. Also worth noting is that Purusha is frequently taken to mean Lord Vishnu, who is oftentimes depicted in a reclining pose, with no part of his body higher or lower than the other. The hierarchy misconception can be refuted even further if one examines the next two verses from the Purusha Sukta in the Rig Veda:

cha̠ndramā̠ mana̍sō jā̠taḥ । chakṣō̠ḥ sūryō̍ ajāyata ।
mukhā̠dindra̍śchā̠gniścha̍ । prā̠ṇādvā̠yura̍jāyata ॥

nābhyā̍ āsīda̠ntari̍kṣam । śī̠rṣṇō dyauḥ sama̍vartata ।
pa̠dbhyāṃ bhūmi̠rdiśa̠ḥ śrōtrā̎t । tathā̍ lō̠kāgṃ a̍kalpayan ॥

From His mind the Moon was born, from His eyes was born the Sun

From His mouth, Indra and Agni, and from His life-breath was born Vayu

Space unfolds from His navel, the sky well-formed from His head

From His feet, the earth, and His ears the Quarters.

(Rigveda 10.90.13-14)

 If the Purusha Suktam referred to a hierarchy of the varnas, then, by the same logic, the Moon must be considered higher than the Sun, and space must be considered lower than the sky. Such nonsensical reasoning can be rejected, leading us to the conclusion that the Vedas do not recognize any sort of hierarchy in society. Instead, the varnas refer to psychological groupings of people based on their temperaments and qualities. These groupings achieve goals similar to that of today’s personality tests when they are used to predict what types of occupations may best suit a given individual. It is important to note that there are many examples of people having moved between varnas.

Another term that is native to Indian civilization and is mistakenly conflated with the caste system is “jati.” Unlike “varna,” the term “jati” is not found in Hindu scriptures. “Jati” typically refers to an endogamous community where a specific profession is often passed down in a hereditary fashion. Sharma quotes P.V. Kane in explaining how the jatis came into existence: “ …[jatis] arose from the unions of males of different varnas with women belonging to varnas differing from their own” (130). Sharma later calls out an important distinction between the traditional Indian concept of jati versus the modern Western misunderstanding of where jatis reside in the social fabric. In the traditional Indian view, jatis were formed outside of the traditional varnas. Jatis were formed to accommodate all of the different combinations of people in society that were derived from the original four varnas. The following figure depicts some of the many possible jatis that formed from the unions of the different varnas in succeeding generations:

Figure 1: Varna-Jati Relationship Prior to British Intervention

One can easily observe that over thousands of years, over many generations, and countless combinations resulting in thousands of different jatis, there was no way to create a definitive hierarchical order of jatis in pre-British Indian society. This indeed was the case, where the fluidity of movement between jatis and fluidity of jati status existed. Kane further describes this fluidity when he writes “Therefore, it must be admitted that the …social status of the several castes [ie. jatis] might have varied from country to country or from epoch to epoch…” (Sharma 130). Although there was jockeying for position within the larger society by the various jatis, there was no authority that dictated a jati’s social position. 

However, the situation drastically changed when the British gained power in India and they socially engineered the creation of the modern caste system. Sharma describes how the British administrators chose to think of the jatis as being contained within the varnas, as shown in the figure below:

Figure 2: Varna-Jati Relationship After British Intervention

Using the British methodology, each jati now had to understand itself in relation to the varnas. With a clear hierarchical structure, it was in each jati’s interest to be viewed as high as possible in the pyramid. Force-fitting the entirety of Indian society into a neat pyramid satisfied the British thirst for order and categorization, resulting in what they called the “caste system.” 

In their article, Walby and Haan describe how nineteenth-century Europeans felt a need to make sense of the world by classifying everything neatly into categories and then ordering them. Foucault proposed the creation of hierarchical taxonomies that would allow scholars to produce “truth,” or to reach conclusions about populations under study. 

The problem was that in India, many British census takers and data compilers ran into great difficulties when it came to reaching a neatly categorized and hierarchical view of nationwide caste data. During the British censuses of India, “…many people were reported to not know their caste, to claim they had no caste, or to provide a caste name to enumerators [census takers] when they should not have had one (as was the case for Christians and Muslims)” (Walby & Haan 304). They further describe that one of the ways for census takers to overcome these difficulties was “often through fudging the process” (304). Another commonly employed tactic, of which there is much evidence, is that castes were frequently fabricated. By doing so, British census takers and administrators not only created a new pecking order for the vast diversity of jatis in Indian society, but they also fossilized this pecking order in official government publications with the completion of each census. 

What before British rule had been an informal and fluid system of families and clans moving between different varnas and even jatis was hardened, with social hierarchy given official sanction by the colonizers. There are countless examples of jatis appealing to British officials to reassign their community to a higher status. These officials, and their census publications, became the ultimate judge of a jati’s stature in society.

ML Middleton, Superintendent of the Government of India, wrote the following in the 1911 census: “…we pigeon-holed everyone by castes and if we could not find a true caste for them labeled them with the name of a hereditary occupation…we are largely responsible for the [caste] system which we deplore.” (343)

Middleton further went on to speculate as to what may have happened if the British had not extensively tinkered with the indigenous system: “Left to themselves, such castes…would rapidly disappear and no one would suffer. The large number of people who have refused to record any caste at this census is a sign of progress and the breaking of customary bonds..[the British] Government’s passion for labels and pigeon-holes has led to a crystallization of the caste system, which, except amongst the aristocratic castes was really very fluid under indigenous rule” (343).

Aside from the European preoccupation with hierarchical categorization, there was another phenomenon at work that was even more pernicious. It was the nineteenth-century theory of race, which used pseudo-science in the form of anthropometric measurements to pin each race into a hierarchical order. Europeans considered the white race to be the most superior of the races, and they used this racial theory to justify the colonization and exploitation of other races around the world. In regards to the caste system, H.H. Risley reformulated caste along racial lines when he architected the 1901 Census of India. “Risley argued that caste was a system of social precedence deriving from a race-based hierarchy of social life” (Carlan). Risley used two anthropometric ratios to help him determine his social hierarchy based on race. The first was the nasal index, which was the ratio of the height to the width of the nose. The second was the cephalic index, which was the ratio of the length to the width of the head.

The British concoction of the modern caste system in India would change India forever, dividing its population against itself. Artificial racial boundaries of “Aryan” (ie. light-skinned) and “Dravidian” (ie. dark-skinned) were imposed on the native population, creating and shaping political movements that otherwise would never have existed. In addition to these effects, the modern caste system provided the British with yet another tool: the ability to deride Hinduism as the source of caste inequality and to position Christianity as a better alternative. Even though the caste system exists in other Indian religious communities such as Sikhism, Jainism, Christianity, and Islam, the British successfully perpetrated the “casteism in Hinduism” trope throughout the West, leaving this as another marker of their colonial legacy.

That is why in Social Studies textbooks today, the lens of caste is simplistically used to explain almost everything about Hinduism and Indian history: “What gave Indian civilization a recognizable identity and character was…a unique social organization, the caste system” (Strayer and Nelson 125). The same book later claims that the caste system prevented pan-India empires from surviving for any length of time. The book’s obsession with caste is evident throughout its coverage of India and Hinduism, eventually tying a person’s caste to their spiritual progress. The authors neglect to discuss any Hindu saints who belonged to the so-called lower castes. And not once is there any mention of the British intervention that produced the caste system as we know it today.

As another example, another textbook states that “…the caste system continued to serve as the most powerful organizing feature of Indian society” (Bentley, et al 318). A few pages later, this statement appears: “Caste distinctions first became prominent in northern India following [white] Aryan migrations into the subcontinent” (323). Thus, the book successfully promotes the superimposition of race onto caste, as envisioned by Risley and others over a hundred years ago. The false association between the so-called Aryans, Hinduism, and the caste system is something that is still pervasive in modern textbooks, an anachronism that has managed to outlive British rule in India.

        Books such as these are not purveyors of World History or World Cultures. They are purveyors of Hinduphobia.

Textbooks such as these come with real-world consequences. When the caste system is falsely tied to Hinduism as one of its defining characteristics, entire generations of Americans, both Hindus, and non-Hindus, walk out of the classroom with ingrained prejudices. The Hindu American Foundation published a report concluding that there is “a correlation between the intensity with which a school’s Hinduism unit focuses on caste and the likelihood both that the child will perceive that Hinduism has been taught negatively and that she/he will be bullied for her/his faith…” (HAF 6). The report goes on to suggest that when “an intense curricular focus on caste creates and reinforces a view of Hindu beliefs as uniquely repellant, it is the curriculum itself that needs to be reexamined” (6).

In conclusion, we find the lived reality of Hindu Americans to be at odds with the artificial reality found in Social Studies textbooks. No Hindu temple teaches its congregation about caste or any kind of social hierarchy. Many Hindu American children are not even aware of their caste affiliation. The colonial-era narrative that persists to this day in American textbooks insists that the hierarchical caste system is a fundamental part of Hinduism. This essay has attempted to point out that nothing could be further from the truth. With that being said, caste-based discrimination found in all of the religious communities in India must be eliminated because it is a social evil. When it comes to Hinduism, there is no room for this discrimination, or for any type of discrimination, in a faith community that recognizes each human being as divine. It is time for the narrative around caste and Hinduism to be rectified, especially in Social Studies textbooks for American students. 

This article is an adaptation of a term paper required for the course “Reconstructing Hindu History: The Commissions,” taught by Dr. Raj Vedam.

References

Anonymous. Las Castas. 19th century. Museo Nacional del Virreinato, Tepotzotlán, Mexico. Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casta. Accessed 6 June 2021.

Bentley, Jerry H., et al. Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, UPDATED AP Edition. 6^th ed., McGraw Hill, 2020.

Carlan, Hannah. “Sir Herbert Hope Risley.” southasia.ucla.edu/history-politics/colonialepistemologies/sir-  herbert-hope-risley/. Accessed 8 June 2021.

Guha, Sumit. “What Did Europeans Contribute to the Caste System in India?” www.jhiblog.org/2018/05/30/what-did-europeans-contribute-to-the-caste-system-in-india. Accessed 6 June 2021.

Hindu American Foundation. “Caste in the Curriculum & the Bullying of Hindu Students: Secondary Analysis of Survey Results.” www.hinduamerican.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/HAFN_16_018- CasteInCurriculumReport_r2_0.pdf. Accessed 5 June 2021.

Middleton, L. and S.M. Jacob. Census of India, 1921. Volume XV, Punjab, and Delhi, Part 1. Civil
and Military – Gazette, 1923.

Sharma, Arvind. The Ruler’s Gaze: A Study of British Rule over India from a Saidian Perspective. HarperCollins Publishers India, 2017.

Stearns, Peter N., et al. World Civilizations: The Global Experience Since 1200, AP Edition. 8^th ed., Pearson, 2020. 

Strayer, Robert W., and Eric W. Nelson. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources. 4^th ed., Bedford, Freeman & Worth, 2020.

Walby, Kevin and Michael Haan. “Caste Confusion and Census Enumeration in Colonial India, 1871–1921.”  Histoire Sociale/Social History, vol. 45, no. 90, 2012, pp. 301–318., doi:10.1353/his.2012.0026.

The post The Flawed Portrayal of Caste in Modern Social Studies Textbooks appeared first on Hindu University of America.

It is a kind of day, when a long-suppressed civilization heaves a collective sigh of relief, after five hundred years. At 12:15:15 PM IST,  August 5, 2020, let us pause, recall and bow to the spirit, patience, perseverance and valor of our venerable ancestors.

In the land where Rama pervades

moh, lobh, krodh and kaam,

we were asked to prove the existence of our beloved Sri Ram.

In the land where Rama has a

navmi and janma bhoomi,

we were asked to prove the existence of our beloved Sri Ram.

In the land where Rama is in

one’s name and in the ideal state,

we were asked to prove the existence of our beloved Sri Ram.

In the land where Rama stands for

the perfect nation and national integration,

we were asked to prove the existence of our beloved Sri Ram.

In the land where Rama permeates

thoughts, speech & action,

we were asked to prove the existence of our beloved Sri Ram.

In the land where Rama is invoked both in

trepidation and meditation,

we were asked to prove the existence of our beloved Sri Ram.

In the land where Rama is in

salutation and salvation,

we were asked to prove the existence of our beloved Sri Ram.

When a long-suppressed civilisation heaves a collective sigh of relief, after five hundred years, it is that kind of a day. At 12:15:15 PM, August 5, 2020, let us pause, recall and bow to the spirit, patience, perseverance and valor of our venerable ancestors.

In this period of pandemic pandemonium when the rest of the world battles anxiety, Bharat is resplendent with piety. In a world that repeatedly witnesses, and glosses over, the inherent dichotomy of othering, rampant in the supposedly egalitarian later day belief systems, the intrinsically pluralistic Hindus invested their conviction in the modern justice system to undo a historic wrong, and won. That is Dharma – eternal and attuned to the times. This should make us unabashedly own every aspect of our faith and heritage. This should also empower us to proactively highlight and correct misinterpretation of our past by the outsiders’ lens of the present.

It would not be an exaggeration to state that today is the biggest festival in Bharat, after aeons. Know it, own it and exult in the absolute awareness that the oldest civilisation has infused the world with devotion, resilience and perseverance, for preservation and perpetuation, at the same time as another civilisation surreptitiously infected the planet with a virus.

Comprehend, appreciate and underline the magnificence of who we are. Bask in this glory with pride.

आज पर्व है

हिंदू होने पर हमें गर्व है।

The King of the North and all directions, the protector of all realms, here and beyond, the breaker of all chains of maya and more, has chosen to lead us today into an era of self-discovery and reacquaint ourselves with who we were, who we are and who we can potentially be. Rejoice, for, when He is for us, who can be against us!

As a descendant of a community persecuted over seven centuries for choosing the Hindu faith, I am filled with unbridled joy at this epoch defining moment – an inhuman civilizational wrong being righted, albeit, after centuries of exertions. Our uninhibited celebration shall create a surge of positive, harmonious energy, marking the end of the dehumanisation of Hindus in their own land. Two bigoted, plundering waves of colonialism, that questioned and scorned our very existence, dwindled our population and reduced our geographic expanse. The illegal insertion of secularism in the Indian Constitution continued this dehumanization in independent India where demonization and vilification of Hindus, by outside faiths, found active support and institutionalization.

We have had to face the ignominy of Jai Sri Ram, glory be to Sri Ram, being maligned as a militant war cry; Bhakt, sanskar, sanskriti and other such concepts corrupted into crude abuse; Bhagwa vilified as the uniform of Hindu fundamentalists and the latter itself being turned into a dog whistle to pillory Hindus. Today is the day to proclaim that a fundamentalist Hindu is the only fundamentalist capable of ensuring a world of peace, knowledge, valour and spiritual elevation. We have a documented history that substantiates the same.

Today is the day to proudly declare ourselves as traditionalist Hindus, for, the ancestors who fought for this day, through blood, sweat and tears, were traditionalists. We must strive hard to keep the faith in our faith and the tradition of continuing with and passing on our traditions. Remember their struggle to comprehend why some forces are intent upon breaking our traditions and violating the continuity of our rituals

Be aware that the longest extant civilization will cease to be one, without continuity.

Beware and pledge to uphold our sacred traditions and faith.

Today is the time to transmute the self-sabotaging programming internalized by generations of Hindus that any celebration or reminder of our faith, culture and traditions, is an affront that needs to be compensated for. Financial jaziya has long been abrogated; stop paying the psychological one. Upholding and celebrating our faith is our basic human right. Our motherland still bears the wounds inflicted by those whose core is othering. Bharat was, is and will unquestionably remain the civilizational home of all Hindus. Time to rise and end all external flogging and put an end to internal self-flagellation. Let us be proud of and proclaim our inherently pluralistic, loving, respectful, peaceful faith, culture and civilization. We have every reason to!

The observance of our faith is no longer at the coloniser’s mercy. Do not allow the Indian state to act like one, imposing fines, allowing and disallowing our tenets and practices, based on their whims, fancies and flawed, ill-equipped understanding. Our ancestors got us to this momentous occasion. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that Hindus have equal rights, our temples are free, we are at liberty to impart religious and cultural education to the next generation and that our history is correctly documented.

We must revive the skills, talent, crafts and occupations that built Hindu civilization before the two rapacious waves of colonization alienated us from our outstanding identity, turning us into outsiders. Now is the time to awaken and collaborate to build an inclusive Hindu society that offers equal opportunities for growth to all; to work towards harmony and mutual respect within our society and root for collective success; to recognise and refuse divisive agendas and to proclaim हर हिन्दू अपना बंधु है.

Today is also the day to pause, reflect and evaluate if we are leading a life of Dharma at all. Are our thoughts, speech and deeds in accordance and alignment with Dharma? Being a Hindu is not only a matter of pride and honour but also a huge responsibility towards the perpetuation of a philosophy not confined to one book. We have an entire curriculum that we need not necessarily study at length, but definitely be aware of. Are we courageous enough to embark upon this voyage of awareness that can last an entire lifetime? Before we do so, let us be careful in seeking teachers who are insiders and actively avoid being taught about our own civilisation by outsiders.

Each one of us is equipped with inherent abilities, skills and talent. Let us use those to create a world of opportunities for all. Our civilisation, where Gurus guided bright unknown youngsters to create a Rashtra, now grapples with insecurity and self-serving mental slavery of those who, instead of igniting young minds, pander to preserve selfish gains. Of what use is mentally colonised scholarship that either willfully or inadvertently enables outsiders to mock, malign and maul our own? Let us put up a united front based on Hindu kinship, compassion, respect and empathy. Do remember that the world treats us exactly as we treat ourselves. Let us be proud Hindus and spread the scintillation of Sanatan.

Centuries from now, humankind will be astounded to know that a civilisation, the people, that waited patiently for five centuries, yes 500 years, for the right to pray to their Bhagwan in His janm sthan, that civilisation, those people were vilified globally as intolerant! As some parts of the world sleep, Bharat, the longest extant civilisation in the history of mankind, reawakens.

The clarion call of Jai Sri Ram heralds a spiritually resurgent Bharat. May it reverberate as powerfully in the present and future, as it has in the past. May no individual, no society, no nation, no culture, no civilisation, no faith, ever have to go through what the Hindus have. May the entire world learn from the heroism, determination and spirit of the Hindus.

Jai Sri Ram is no ordinary chant. It is a cure and a balm for our civilizational wounds. It is also a civilizational clarion call.

This is what the civilizational clarion calls.

May we embark upon a transformational milestone in the history of human civilisation.

May mutual respect, harmony and peace prevail.

May the Divine bless all sentient beings.

May we all know who we are and work towards the greater good of all.

And so, it is!

– Dimple Kaul

The post The Civilisational Clarion Calls appeared first on Hindu University of America.

To show the relevance of Ṣaṭ-darśanas in modern science and on why we need to promote the knowledge of true Bhāratīya history, that is narrated by insiders.

On Ṣaṭ-darśanas (षट्-दर्शन), and More

Destruction of the indigenous education system and 200 years of colonial education have dangerously affected the minds of all Indians. For generations, they have been taught to hate their culture, traditions, and values. It is surprising that the Dhārmic culture and traditions of Bhārata are still surviving – but thanks to the efforts of many social reformers, modern sages, honest academicians, organizations, and recent initiatives like the Hindu University of America, they are still practiced.

The idea of religion was mapped and forced on most Indians’ minds by colonial education, which is an outsider’s perspective. Most Indians identify the Dhārmic traditions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, as religion. The reality is that all indigenous traditions of Bhārata have a common theme and quest for one truth. Quoted in the Rig Veda (I.164.46) which states this common theme that has multiple perspectives; “Ekam sat vipraha bahudā vadanti”, meaning; There is one truth, the wise give it many different names. This Vedic quote states the universal Dhārmic principle, which is the heart of the pluralistic and accommodative nature of all ancient Bhārtiya Darśanas, which were core to the indigenous education system.

Darśanas, which literally mean ‘perspective’, are systems of Indian philosophy, which have been the core of the Vedic education system. There are six Darśanas, which were propounded by six sages as their founding teachers. These Darśanas do not compete with each other, nor are they mutually exclusive as they have some overlap, which is the pursuit of the one truth and goal.

The highest goal of human pursuit is to completely eliminate three kinds of misery–or Duḥkha –which are known as Ādhyātmika (caused by one’s own body and mind), Ādhibhautika (caused by others being), and Ādhidaivika (caused by natural calamities). The six Darśanas guide humans to perform Puruṣārthas, which are the efforts to achieve the highest goal. There are four Puruṣārthas – Dharma (right conduct), Artha (earning wealth), Kāmā (fulfilling physical and mental desires), and Mokṣa (liberation from all misery). Liberation, Mokṣa, is one of the main topics of the six Darśanas, which addresses a different topic as follows:

Sāṅkhya: Founded by great sage Kapila, Sāṅkhya Darśana addresses the distinction between Puruṣa (consciousness) and Prakriti (nature).

Yoga: Codified by great sage Patañjali, Yoga Darśana addresses the control of the mind that enables this distinction described by Sāṅkhya Darśana.

Nyāya: Authored by sage Gautama, Nyāya Darśana describes methods of investigating the truth (reality), and discussion of proof.

Vaiśeṣika: Developed by sage Kaṇāda, Vaiśeṣika Darśana discusses substances and entities found in the universe, atomic theory with a discussion of proof.

Pūrva Mimānsa (also known as Dakṣiṇa Mimansa): Composed by sage Jaimini, Purva Mimānsa discusses the interpretation of Vedas and associated rituals.

Vedānta (also known as Uttara Mimansa or Brahma Sūtras): Authored by sage Bādarāyaṇa, Vedānta discusses the nature of Brahman (also known as God).

All ancient Bhāratīya scriptures from various Dhārmic traditions (also known as Saṃpradāyas) discuss the common theme of these six Darśanas, but their emphasis has been on a specific topic. All these Saṃpradāyas arose with the advent of specific sages, or Gurus, or Āchāryas, like Śaṅkarācharya, Mahāvīra, Buddha, Rāmānuja, Chaitanya, Mādhavācārya, Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, or Svāmīnārāyaṇa. They all affirmed the same ancient truth about life and God and described it from their own perspective, with emphasis on a different aspect, just as all the six fundamental Darśanas do. Founders of all Saṃpradāyas made adjustments in their teachings to suit the specific times and social settings, and thus restored balance where they saw imbalance. These great sages appeared in different times and places, and inspired millions, simplified and codified great spiritual and scientific knowledge for easier assimilation, application, and practice. Common people were deeply inspired by these great āchāryas and began to practice and preserve these specific teachings, giving rise to these great Saṃpradāyas, which all had a common goal of eliminating human misery by using Puruṣārtha.

One of the modern perspectives proposed is the Unified Field Theory, which resembles Sāṅkhya Darśana. For 100 years, modern science has revealed that our physical universe, or cosmos, is structured in layers of creation. These layers are explored in four distinct parts: Classical Mechanics: the study of macroscopic objects, which can be seen and felt. Quantum Mechanics: the study of atom and subatomic particles, which we cannot see. Quantum Field Theory: deeper than the atom, atomic nucleus, and sub-nuclear particles. Unified Field Theories: the most recent discovery of the deepest layer.

The Unified Field Theories (also known as Superstring Theories) reveal the fundamental unit of life, by showing that the basis of the cosmos or universe is a single universal field of intelligence. This single entity is the fountainhead of all the laws of nature and order displayed throughout the universe. Sāṅkhya and Yoga Darśanas have explained in greater detail thousands of years ago, and have been part of the Bhāratīya indigenous education system. As stated earlier, Yoga Darśana describes the control of the mind to enable the distinction between Puruṣa (consciousness) and Prakriti (nature), whereas proponents of Unified Field Theories propose that the human mind and consciousness are structured in layers parallel to the structure of the universe. It clarifies further that at the surface levels the mind is active, thinking and chaotic. But deep within, there are quieter and quieter levels of the mind. These are the more powerful levels of the thinking process. Modern science is just beginning to re-discover the theories proposed by ancient Bhāratīya Darśanas.

According to modern science, the human body is made up of matter, and the consciousness inside the body originates from this matter. There are other spiritual theories around the world that the consciousness (also referred to as the soul) is a separate entity, driving the function of the mind (thoughts, emotion, and ego). Sāṅkhya and Yoga agree with the second perspective, and in addition, they offer that there is an internal body (made up of non-matter), which is called the subtle body. This distinction is important, and the first step is to differentiate between the “brain” and the “mind”. The brain is part of the gross body (physical, made up of matter), whereas the mind (Chitta) is part of the subtle body. Sāṅkhya Darśana discusses this distinction in great detail.

Let’s take a high-level look at the Sāṅkhya Darśana, which is the final goal of both Yoga Darśana, and the modern Unified Field Theories.

The gross body (physical or external, that we can see and feel) is composed of:

1. Five external sense organs (skin, eyes, ears, tongue, and nose),
2. Five external motor organs (hands, legs, tongue, genitals, and excretory organs)
3. The brain, which coordinates the ten organs

There are many other supporting organs, such as the lungs, heart, etc. But for the purpose of mapping to the subtle body we are limiting to the ten main organs that we can see and feel.

The subtle body (invisible or internal) is composed of:

1. The five subtle sense organs (touch, see, hear, taste, and smell)
2. The five subtle motor organs (grasp, move, speech, procreate, and excretion)
3. The Chitta, which is composed of Buddhi, Ahaṃkāra, and Manas.

The subtle body is non-perishable, and therefore continues after the physical body has perished. The key aspect of Sāṅkhya, where the Unified Field Theories appear to begin scratching the surface, is the Chitta. Let’s briefly examine its components:

1. Buddhi (intellect): for judgment and decision-making
2. Ahaṃkāra (ego): helps in self-awareness, the idea of “me” or “I”
3. Manas (desire & impulse): coordinates sense and motor organs.

Thus Sāṅkhya differentiates between the brain and the mind (Chitta), and proposes the concept of the subtle body, which is non-perishable, and it only dissolves into primordial elements of the Prakriti (nature) when the creation cycle ends (big crunch), or when a human (Yogi) attains liberation (Mokṣa).

The consciousness (Ātma or Soul) is one of the three elements of Cosmos:

1. Prakriti (Nature): Three elements (sattva, rajas, and tamas), and two categories:
   a. Physical (Apara): all visible matter (living bodies) and energies known to scienceb. Subtle (Para or spiritual): All invisible matter, and subtle bodies. Modern science is currently calling it dark matter and dark energy
2. Puruṣas (individual souls, consciousness): Distinct from nature, therefore eternal and survives the creation cycles. Infinite numbers, one for each living being; but needs nature to gain knowledge.
3. Paramātma or Īśvara (Supreme Soul or God): Similar to individual souls, but unlike individual souls, God does not need nature (matter and senses) to know anything.

Sāṅkhya Darśana proposes that everything that we observe in this universe is an interaction of these three fundamental elements. This interaction is eternal (Sanātana), therefore there is no beginning or end. It is only the Prakriti (nature) element that goes through cycles of creation (big bang) and destruction (big crunch). In this creation cycle, God is not considered the “creator” of matter or souls, rather God is an agent of transformation that makes use of the always-existing matter (Prakriti), and the always-existing souls (Puruṣas).

In conclusion, Sāṅkhya and Yoga Darśanas are just two of the countless fascinating parts of indigenous Bhāratīya education system, which was destroyed by colonizers. We must put an effort to decolonize our minds to regain the lost glory, without depending on mainstream educational institutes and the governments, as they seem to have the vested interest to keep Hindus colonized. Therefore we need to promote the knowledge of true Bhāratīya history, that is narrated by insiders; the true practitioners of Dhārmic traditions.

References:

1. Reading and Video assignments of week three
   – Articles: “Building Blocks of Hindu Thoughts”, and “Sanatana Dharma”
   – Youtube Video: “Is Consciousness the Unified Field” – A Lecture in Stanford University, by Prof. John Hagelin
2. Books: “Yoga Sutra of Patanjali” – by B. Ravikanth

Cover Image Created in MSPowerpoint by JS

The post On Sad Darsanas (षट्-दर्शन), and More appeared first on Hindu University of America.

Sri Ram’s help is needed against today’s Ravanas

Something big is happening in Bharat after 500 long years. Common sense says that it should have happened much earlier: latest in 1947, when India was partitioned on religious lines and Indians who had converted to Islam got Pakistan. At that time, it would have been natural for Hindus to get back their temples which had been destroyed by invaders and mosques built on them as symbols of dominance and supremacy.

But maybe, now is just the right time for Bharat and the world to get back the Mandir at the birthplace of Sri Ram. The reason is that Ram is an epitome of Dharma, who fought and vanquished adharmik forces – and in our times, Adharma has become exceptionally strong and also needs to be fought and vanquished.

Humanity is presently not in good shape – without roots and direction, without meaning and values. It’s called “being woke” and even portrayed as positive. It spread among Westerners and already shows some impact among young Indians. Truth as such is now declared as non-existent, because “everyone has his own truth”. There is no objective meaning to life either, but it’s now a “personal matter”. Humans are dumbed down with junk food, drugs and low-grade entertainment, which only benefits the producers.

The belief in a Supreme Being and a soul has been ridiculed by “renowned” philosophers and scientists, like Yuval Noah Harari or Stephen Hawking. And many more terrible things, which were up to now hidden, are coming to light thanks to the alternative media and whistle blowers.

The worst of these things is probably the massive scale of child trafficking – for sex abuse, organ and blood harvesting and even for ritualistic “sacrifice” (means murder) to propitiate demonic forces by members of secret societies, who hold powerful positions on top of the pyramid. It’s all so unbelievable, but several whistleblowers have been silenced after speaking up, and this sadly gives them credence.

The eternal strife between Devas and Asuras is well underway in this world of Maya, and the Asuras seem to have the upper hand. Lust, anger and greed – the three gates to the hell of self-destruction according to Sri Krishna (Bh.G 16.21) – are rampant. Clearly, attempts are made to cut off humans from Atma, their divine Self – the worst thing that can possibly happen.

In the midst of this dark scenario, Bharat is still a beacon of light, even though Kali Yug shows its effect here, too. Yet most Indians still have faith in their Hindu Dharma. They still know about their divine core (Atma) and have devotion for the Devas.

Bharat is the only place on earth, where daily in many thousand temples the Devas are worshiped for the well-being of ALL, and NOT the Asuras or Satanic forces for personal wealth, power and sense-enjoyment. Every morning and evening the temples reverberate with the Arati for the Lord of the world (Om jaya Jagadisha hare) or for the Deities of the particular temple, who are all essentially one with the ONE Great Brahman or Sat-Chit-Ananda – blissful Consciousness.

The Deities are not somewhere in heaven, but present in the temple due to Pran Pratishtha having been performed, where the stone idol is infused with Prana, the divine life-force. And now, on 22 January 2024, a most special Pran Pratishtha will be performed: Sri Ram will become a living Presence in the newly-constructed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Ayodhya – the name evokes great emotions in Hindus:

Ayodhya is the place where Ram was born, and grew up with his brothers Lakshman, Bharata and Shatrughna; where the sage Vashishtha taught them the ancient wisdom, and sage Vishwamitra took Ram and his brother Lakshman to fight malevolent Asuras.

It is the place where he brought Sita as his wife from Janakpur; from where he, Sita and Lakshman left for his long exile on the very same day, when his coronation was planned.

It is the place where his father died of grief over the separation from his dearest son; where his brother Bharat ruled, putting the padukas of Ram on the throne… and to which Ram returned with Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman after he had defeated the demon king Ravana in Lanka, and established the benevolent Ram Rajya.

Every Hindu knows the details of Ram’s life. The Ramayana is ingrained in them. It is played on village stages, chanted in ashrams and was an absolute hit on TV. It is a sacred scripture that contains all that one needs to know to live a dignified life, and to behave in an ideal way in midst of challenges.

Sri Ram is an outstanding example for humans – noble, just, brave, ever protecting the weak, and keeping his word.And he is dearly beloved.

Therefore, is there any question at all why Hindus fought for 500 years to get back this very special place and sacrificed so much? They fought not only against the invaders. In recent decades, they also had to fight against their own people – scheming politicians, communists and former Hindus who had converted to Islam, who all denied that Ram was real and that there was a Mandir earlier.Yet this is now past, finally.

Bharat is in a celebratory mood. Many Hindus have taken vows in the run-up to Pran Pratishtha, to purify themselves for the historic occasion. Japa of the Ram Mantra is done and devotional bhajans are sung or listened to.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be a witness of the Pran Pratishtha on behalf of 140 crore Bharatiyas, too, has announced that he will follow certain rituals for 11 days prior to the Pran Pratishtha because – in his own words – “I have to awaken divine consciousness in myself, too”. As Prime Minister, he has tremendous responsibility. He surely needs and will ask for guidance from Prabhu Shri Ram.

There is a good chance that western media will criticize PM Modi for being so unapologetically Hindu. They may wonder, what it is about Hindu Dharma which makes people stick to it, in spite of all the negative propaganda against it by the Abrahamic religions, by communists and media. Why are the attacks on Hinduism from all sides not working as planned? Why do now even more Hindus again treasure their heritage? Why do even many foreigners consider Hindu Dharma as the best option for humanity and the world?

The answer is easy: Hindu Dharma is based on Truth and righteous living. It tells us who we really are in our essence (eternal Atma). And in this temporary world of Maya, it is on the side of Devas, who want to liberate us from Maya by realizing our divine consciousness, and not on the side of those who want to drive us deeper into ignorance and bondage.

Yet there is still a big challenge for Bharat: How to make those Indians who have been massively indoctrinated to look down on the faith of their Hindu ancestors – either by their newly adopted religions or by the education system – also see this truth?

Hopefully, Shri Ram gives Sadbuddhi to all.

And may all feel His Divine Presence in their hearts….

Satyameva Jayate

Jai Sri Ram

By Maria Wirth

This blog was first published here:

Sri Ram’s help is needed against today’s Ravanas

The post Sri Ram’s help needed against today’s Ravanas appeared first on Hindu University of America.

Multi towered Meru in a famous Bali landmark (Pura Ulun Danu)

Bali

The island of Bali in Indonesia has a predominantly Hindu culture. The population is 87% Hindu. “I was blown away by the first words in Balinese that I heard when I exited the airport at DenPasar,” says Kanniks, reflecting on the taxi driver greeting a Parking Booth Agent with the phrase ‘Swasti-Astu’. This is a Sanskrit phrase, a blessing wishing auspiciousness. A week in Bali with trips to various temples and marketplaces in the Ubud area, the rice fields of Jatiluwih, Ulun-Danu and UluWatu, a Gamelan school, the Kechak and Legging dance performers left the composer ‘overwhelmed’ at the cultural connections, the warmth and the hospitality.

Chaturmukha at a road crossing

Kanniks Bali Film

(An Indian American Composer celebrates Balinese Cultural Connection with India)

The result of this trip is this musical tribute titled ‘Om Swastiastu’ in a medium that integrates Sanskrit, Shaastriya Sangeet, Bharatanaatyam, Balinese Dance and relevant visuals from all over Bali, thus presenting a rich story of Bali in the context of the devata ‘Saraswati’.

The music, in the Southern Indian Raaga Bhupalam (with scalar equivalence to the Balinese Pelog scale) is structured along the lines of the compositions created by Indian composer Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835). Dikshitar was a peripatetic composer, who visited temples all over the region and created ‘Kritis’ in their praise in the Sanskrit language with vivid descriptions of the places visited and their historical and cultural significance, in a collection of terse Sanskrit phrases.

This kriti (devotional composition) is an attempt to showcase the richness of Bali and its commonality with India in a traditional musical template in the pan-Indian Sanskrit language especially given the widespread prevalence of Sanskrit words in Bali. The song addresses Saraswati the Goddess of Wisdom, as Sharada, worshiped all over India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The release of this musical tribute in the year 2023 is significant as it coincides with the consecration of the Sharada temple in Kashmir and the historic visit of the Indian Prime Minister to the USA.

Kanniks at the Saraswati temple in Ubud

Kanniks

Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran is an internationally renowned music composer, educator and scholar who is known for his sustained contribution to music and community for the past 25 years. His recent viral video, Rivers of India has received critical acclaim and has gone viral with words of praise from such luminaries as Anand Mahindra. Kanniks is regarded as a pioneer of Indian American Choral music; his far-reaching work in this area has touched the lives of over 3500 performers, inspired the flowering of community choirs in more than 12 U.S. cities, and built new audiences and collaborations. His flagship production ‘Shanti A Journey of Peace’ featuring a cast of 200+ is rooted in the Upanishadic vision of oneness and portrays 5000 years of Indian cultural history using choral music and multimedia.

Kanniks taking a look at the daily offerings made to the various devatas

His research and his first-ever recording of the Indo Colonial Music of eighteenth-century composer Muthuswami Dikshitar in 2008 and his Documentary film ‘Colonial Interlude’ have received critical acclaim and awards in film festivals. Kanniks has collaborated with well-known ensembles and musician such as as Bombay Jayashri, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Ajay Chakraborty, Ranjani and Gayatri, Lakshmi Shankar, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and others. Kanniks is the recipient of several awards including the Ohio Heritage Fellowship and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Madras.

Balinese Saraswati

The Kriti and its Translation

vāgdevī vidhi yuvatī- sarasvatī śārade

vīṇā pāṇI varade -sarasīruha padayugaḷe

śrībalipura śubha nilaye mudam dehi maṇivalaye – vāgdevī

vedānta vedinī kali kalmaṣa nāśinī

nādAnta vihāriṇī brahmāṇyanna pūraṇī

jāḍyāpahe śrī saccidānanda svarūpiṇī

ādyantarahita paramādvaita tatva prakāśinī – vāgdevī

ubūdapura kumuda sarasa madhye

ekādaśa tīrtha vaibhave – acintye

bhūta kāla mahite sumeru śrṅga lasite

viriñci viṣṇu rudra mūrti sahite

vicitra kurma prṣṭa svarṇa padmāsanaste sumate

campaka sugandha vijite – caitanya kusumapriye

kecaka nartanādi gambhīra nāṭaka mudite

gāmaḷānga bherivādya hamsanāda virājite

balipura bhūpāla pāla guruguha gajeśa vidite (vāgdevī)

‘O Saraswati, the Goddess of Speech, the consort of Brahma, One who bears the musical instrument Veena, One who is the Grantor of desires, one who is decorated with gem studded bracelets, Grant me Liberation’.

‘You are known through the wisdom of Vedanta, and you destroy the blemishes of ‘Kali Yuga’. You are the ultimate goal of Nada Yoga; you are also Annapurani who provides nourishment for all (the protector of the rice fields of Bali). You remove inertness; you are the form of truth, consciousness, bliss. You are the very essence of ‘Non Duality’, the state of existence without a beginning or an end’.

‘You are Taman Kemuda Saraswati who resides in a temple adorned with ponds filled with lotus/water Lilies. You are adorned with eleven Tirthas in the village temple. You are of the form of Achintya, that which cannot be comprehended. You are held in awe by Bhuta and Kala and you are resplendent on the tiered Meru. You are worshiped along with the Trimurti Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra; and you are worshiped on the golden Padmasana mounted on a tortoise.’

‘Your fragrance excels that of the Frangipani (Sacred) trees; you delight in the fragrance of ‘Consciousness or Chaitanya’. You delight in the grandeur of the Ramayana and other plays enacted in the Kecak dance form. You are enthroned, on the sacred sound of ‘Hamsa’ produced by the Gamelan ensemble; you are worshiped by Goa Gajah, the protector of the Ruler of Bali’.

Consistent with the compositional paradigm of the 1800s, the text of the composition features the name of the raaga Bhupalam. The raaga’s murchana is based on the Balinese (pentatonic) pelog scale. A modal shift of the tonic on this scale results in the ragas Gambhira Nata and Hamsanadam; and these are illustrated in this composition.

Dr. Kannikswaren has led several cutting edge projects as an HUA faculty member, including the epic Yog Darshan, teaches multiple courses, and encourages and invites participation from everyone, especially those who are musically and artistically inclined. From the rich ancient Hindu civilization, we see its dynamic evolution in the music, dance, architecture, and many aspects of daily life on Bali. Dr. Kanniks brings this to our attention in this project.

The post ‘Om Swastiastu’ – The Bali Connection appeared first on Hindu University of America.

Academic studies of Hinduism is a necessity, as it can shape the current and future generations’ understanding and appraisal of Hinduism. Academia has larger scale influence and starts impacting human life at a younger formative age. Next to the institution of family, academia has the strongest influence given the amount of time a student spends there. Also bringing an insider’s perspective to Hindu academic studies allows for development of an alternate Hindu worldview paradigm, which helps position Hindu thought, equitably, along with other worldviews. The symbiotic relationship between insiders in academic and non-academic settings, in terms of replenishing the “Śraddha Capital” or the level of one’s sincerity, in the Hindu society, ought to be recognized.

NECESSITY FOR HINDU STUDIES IN ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT

Introduction

Hinduism is a vast collection of several traditions. It is referred to, by many insiders, in the Hindu fold, as Sanāthana Dharma. The word Dharma has a multi-faceted import. For the purposes of this discussion, we can understand Dharma as a sustaining framework of universally beneficial mass of knowledge and traditions, that guides humanity towards felicity. Thus, Sanāthana Dharma can be freely translated as “Eternal Sustenance” – a framework, in which several mathas (religious traditions) and siddhāntas (well ascertained philosophical foundations) can thrive, while retaining mutual respect.

Problem Statement

If the parents of today’s youth are qualified “insiders” – i.e. well-informed proponents and adept practitioners of Dharma, then their children will have the benefit of receiving right Dharmic education and thus keeping their respective Dharmic traditions alive. But on the other hand, a growing mix of today’s families (Hindu or otherwise), is a product of Western-style education (which has intrinsic anti-Hindu bias, in varying degrees). Such parents are most likely disconnected with their Hindu roots or worse antagonistic to it! If this trend continues, the insider population will dwindle sooner than we are able to imagine!

This raises a serious question, what is the best way of communicating the Dharmic ideas and practices, from one generation to another? The ideas that are in Sanāthana Dharma, have the power to change the world for the better, but only if presented in a manner consistent with the understanding and the will of the human society. The ability to take an idea and reliably disseminate it needs an institution, which systematically bridges the gap between human understanding and will. Family, the most ancient institution available to us, is necessary but not sufficient (as discussed in the previous paragraph), especially when there is a need to operate at a large scale of outreach and influence.

Today the most reliable centers of learning about Sanāthana Dharma are the various āśrams and Gurus (for example  Sri Ramakrishna Mission). But the percentage of population accessing these traditional Gurus and ashrams is very small, in comparison to the regular school and college goers. Also, exposure to such Gurus and āśrams often happens very late in most people’s lives.  This means that the reliance on Academic institutions (schools, colleges, universities), to introduce Hinduism properly and fairly, at an early age, cannot be avoided.

Power and Influence of Academic Thinkers

Thinkers in academic settings – mainly researchers and professors, often form a very tiny fraction of the human population, in any country or society, but they are powerful enough to decide what ought to be studied by children, youth, and students in general. They influence many aspects of society – from school textbook content to government policies.

From India’s past (i.e. during British India) till date, we know that the academic environment and its output have been utilized as a tool, to create “intellectual sepoys”, out of the Indian society [1]. So clearly the ability of academia, to influence our society, popular discourse, and future generations, is time tested and proven fact. The question then is not whether Hinduism ought to be studied in an academic setting, but how to significantly increase the number of Hindu insiders, in academic Hindu studies.

Evolving Alternate Paradigm – Hindu World View

The argument so far in this essay was focused on the need for accurate representation, reliable communication, and broader outreach, as it relates to Hinduism and how this can be achieved, with the injection of insiders, into academic study of Hinduism. 

Now we will consider another strong motivator for academic study of Hinduism – namely leveraging the unique vantage point Sanaathana Dharma offers to researchers, to study non-Hindu world religions and systems of thought. As mentioned in section I, Sanāthana Dharma offers a framework for sustaining several mathas and siddhāntas, which can coexist and thrive, with abiding mutual respect. Their mutual respect is due to the mature understanding that finite human attempts at exploring the infinite, are bound to give rise to multiple expressions or approaches, along the way. This plural, inclusive, mature understanding is rooted in Vedas (or sacred revealed knowledge of the Hindus), which forms the bedrock of Sanāthana Dharma. 

The Vedas and Sanāthana Dharma also offer a non-dogmatic framework, encouraging inquiry and study, which can be directed towards studying different traditions and worldviews. This approach helps evolve a fresh alternate paradigm to studying different world systems of thought and religions, through a versatile Hindu lens. This kind of study in an academic environment will serve to highlight Hinduism’s unique credentials (suited to studying world thought systems) and also position the Hindu worldview, equitably, along with other existing world views. Such an effort will surely have universally beneficial – academic, cultural, and political ramifications. 

Śraddhā Capital

Śraddhā plays a key role in the insider’s approach to studying Hinduism. One of the key tenets of a person, being endowed with Śraddhā, is his or her, well-reasoned acceptance of Vedas as “Pramana” or reliable means of knowledge. This is usually achieved, after receiving valuable traditional insights from the Guru [2 – verse 25]. Now, this creates a unique situation, wherein, to introduce people endowed with Śraddhā a.k.a insiders, into academia, we need to draw from the “Sraddha capital”, in the society. Developing this “Śraddhā Capital ”, is a key prerequisite for evolving Hindu studies in an academic setting. This clearly shows the symbiotic relation between academic insiders and non-academic insiders of today (i.e. parents, traditional ashrams, and Gurus), which is instrumental to growing the insider voice and population. 

Conclusion

Investing into promoting the insider’s voice in the academic study of Hinduism is necessary, to (1) present a fair appraisal of Hinduism to current and future generations (2) develop an alternate, distinctly Hindu paradigm, of studying world religions and systems, and (3) thereby enriching the world. This whole process relies upon drawing from the “Śraddhā capital” in the Hindu society, which in long run, can be replenished by a growing level of insiders voice in academia.

References:

• Rajiv Malhotra, “Academic Hinduphobia: A critique of Wendy Doniger’s erotic school of Indology”, Voice of India, New Delhi, 2016
• Swami Madhavananda, “Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya”, Advaita Ashrama, Mayawati, 1944

The post Necessity for Hindu Studies in Academic Environment appeared first on Hindu University of America.