Tattva - Hindu Magazine for Youth

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January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition

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Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture

It gives me great pleasure to share with you my thoughts as you proudly face the current challenges

and take advantage of the opportunities presented to us. As you know, we are currently passing through a time of monu-

mental change. On the religious and cultural front, the murmur of the clash of civilizations still reverberates. Extremism,

especially in its most pernicious form of suicide bombing, presents a menacing face to humanity. Intolerance, and even

hatred, shows its ugly face in many parts of the world. On the economic front, the financial crisis has left the world be-

wildered. On the geopolitical front, the end of the Cold War has not brought any relief from massive violations of human

rights, especially in Africa. We face potentially calamitous consequences from climate change. And on top of this, Hin-

dus in many parts of the globe face daily persecution. Bangladesh, several Caribbean countries, Malaysia, and Fiji, are

the obvious examples.

In the midst of it all, as Hindu youth in the US there are critical issues to face. How can we ensure that in our own lives

we embody the precious values we have proudly inherited from our cultural heritage? How can we assist and support our

Hindu brothers and sisters who are suffering from identity crises?

It is essential to focus on keeping our own anchor strong in our essential Hindu values. It is this heritage that gives us the

foundation to face the challenges. And the opportunities are enormous. The country is keen to hear the message only if we

have the proper skills to articulate it and communicate it effectively. Look at how the country has embraced Yoga, Ay-

urveda, and meditation. And it is we who can proudly proclaim Vasudhaiv Kutumbhakum. The samskars we get from

our scriptures and culture are our inspiration, which we must share with others. May the Lord’s blessing be on all of us!

Professor Ved P. Nanda is the Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law and Director of The International Legal Studies Program at

the University of Denver College of Law. Since 1992 he has served as the John Evans University Professor, and since 1994, as Vice

Provost for Internationalization at the University of Denver. He is the Sanghachalak, president, of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA.

Message from Professor Ved P. Nanda President, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh


From the Editor’s Desk

Namaste,

Tattva is a monthly magazine produced by Hindu youth across the globe. It presents inspiring aspects of the rich Hindu culture

along with related current day issues. Tattva was started three years ago by a few youth based in Seattle, Washington and has

since evolved into a popular online magazine. In the past three years, Tattva has published over 250 articles, written by 95 differ-

ent authors. The magazine attracts a readership of 2,500 each month, a number that grows with each edition. This is the third

printed anniversary edition of Tattva, and we intend to distribute 2,000 copies of this edition at universities around America.

This edition of Tattva is being released on “International Youth Day,” which is celebrated on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda,

one of the earliest and most celebrated representatives of Hinduism to the West. As contemporary Hindu youth, it is now our turn

to carry out this role as cultural ambassadors. Tattva helps us in this role by giving us a better understanding of the most ancient

culture thriving on this planet; it also offers us an opportunity to share our ideas and inspire others. As we start this new decade,

let us resolve to live up to the legacy of our ancestors and keep the timeless knowledge of Hindu Dharma flourishing on this planet.

Sudharsan D., Editor

[email protected]

TTATTVAATTVA --- AAA TRIBUTETRIBUTETRIBUTE TOTOTO HINDUHINDUHINDU CULTURECULTURECULTURE

INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF HINDU YUVA

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Social Entrepreneurship 4

A Fulfilling Summer 6

Discovering Home in India 8

Yuva for Sewa FAQs 9

Lost and Found Shivaji 10

Significance of Shivaji 13

Birsa Munda 14

Ayurvedic Remedies 15

Hinduism, There is No ‘-ism’ 16

Power of Prayer 19

Emily & Malini 20

Perspectives 21

Indic Faiths 23

Indo-Greco-Coptic Nexus 25

Science in Service 27

Good Reads 28

Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra 29

Tattva Team 31

Hindu YUVA 33

Social Entrepreneurship

For social entrepreneurs, untapped markets

are people or communities in need, who

have not been reached by other initiatives.

Power of Prayer

Prayer is not merely a

religious ritual with

spiritual connotations.

It offers mental peace

and even physical sol-

ace.

Lost and Found Shivaji

Of what use is it to fight

the enemies hiding in

stone forts? What of the

enemies within us? Why

can't I become a devotee

and chant the name of the lord all the

time?

The very first thing I noticed about eve-

ryone at the Gurukula, not just the stu-

dents, was their profound contentment,

unfaltering joie de vivre,

and absolute gracious-

ness.

A Fulfilling Summer

The views presented in Tattva are solely those of the contributors and do not reflect the views of Hindu YUVA or HSS.

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SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Career Opportunities in the Social Arena Shobhit Mathur

In the past couple of decades social entrepreneurship has

become very popular and a potential career option for

youth across the world. Social entrepreneurship is the

work of a social entrepreneur. While entrepreneurs in the

business sector identify untapped commercial markets,

and gather together the resources to break into those mar-

kets for profit, social entrepreneurs use the same skills to

different effects. For social entrepreneurs, untapped mar-

kets are people or communities in need, who have not

been reached by other initiatives. But while they may have

different goals, social and business entrepreneurs have a

lot in common. They build something out of nothing. They

are ambitious to achieve. They marshal resources to meet

their needs. They are constantly creative. And they are not

afraid to make mistakes.

Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or

business sectors, social entrepreneurs identify what is not

working and solve the problem by changing the system,

spreading the solution, and persuading the entire soci-

ety to take new leaps.

One well known contemporary social entrepreneur is Dr.

Muhammad Yunus, founder and manager of Grameen

Bank and its growing family of social venture businesses,

who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. The work of

Yunus and Grameen echoes a theme among modern day

social entrepreneurs that emphasizes the enormous syner-

gies and benefits when business principles are unified with

social ventures.

What Social Entrepreneurship is Not:

Nonprofits are primarily reliant on philanthropy, grants,

and volunteers, but social entrepreneurs, just like business

entrepreneurs, rely solely on their business model (and not

“Social entrepreneurs are not

content just to give a fish or teach

how to fish. They will not rest

until they have revolutionized the

fishing industry.”

- Bill Drayton, CEO, Chair, and Founder of Ashoka

Founded Health in Harmony, a

project that trades healthcare

to villagers in Borneo in return

of their rainforest conservation

labor.

Kinari Webb

just on philanthropy, though it could be a source of funding).

Social activism is not social entrepreneurship. Mahatma Gandhi

was a social activist, but not a social entrepreneur. Social activ-

ists create (or attempt to create) change via indirect actions –

mostly by influencing others (like non-government organiza-

tions, governments, customers, etc), but the main difference is

that they do not necessarily ‘execute’ – they are mainly influen-

cers. Wealth is just a means to an end for social entrepreneurs.

For business entrepreneurs, wealth creation is a way of meas-

uring value creation.

Social Enterprises:

Social enterprises are businesses run by social entrepreneurs.

Their aim to accomplish targets that are social and environ-

mental as well as financial is often referred to as having a triple

bottom line. Social enterprises are profit-making businesses set

up to tackle a social or environmental need. They often use

blended value business models that combine a revenue-

generating business with a social value-generating structure or

component. Many commercial businesses would consider

themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are

distinctive because their social or environmental purpose is

central to what they do.

Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a key proponent of the social

business model, argues that capitalism is too narrowly defined.

The concept of the individual as being solely focused on profit

maximizing ignores other aspects of life: religious, ethical, emo-

tional, and political. Failures of this system to address vital

needs, which are commonly regarded as market failures, are

actually conceptualization failures, i.e. failures to capture the

essence of a human being in economic theory.

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Example of Social Enterprise:

Grameen Danone Foods Ltd., popularly known as “Grameen

Danone,” is a social business enterprise which, since its launch

in 2006, has been providing children with many of the key nu-

trients that are typically missing from their diet in rural Bangla-

desh. This is run on a ‘No loss, No dividend’ basis.

Grameen Danone Foods aims to reduce poverty by creating

business and employment opportunities for local people, since

raw materials needed for production, including milk, will be

sourced locally. The companies that make up Grameen

Danone Foods have agreed not to take any of the profits

out of the company. Instead they will invest these for

creation of new opportunities for the welfare and

development of people. Hence it is called a ‘social business

enterprise.’

Grameen Danone Foods Ltd. produces a special yogurt called

‘Shakti Doi’ from pure full cream milk that contains protein,

vitamins, iron, calcium, zinc, and other micro nutrients to fulfill

the nutritional requirements of children of Bangladesh and

contribute in improving their health. While ‘Shakti Doi’ (which

means ‘power yogurt’) is primarily intended for children, it is

also appropriate for adults. The price of each 80 gram cup of

yogurt is only $0.05. It is an affordable price even for the poor

people of Bangladesh.

Social Venture Capital:

Social venture capital is a form of venture capital investing that

provides capital to social businesses. These investments are

intended to both provide attractive returns to investors and to

provide market-based solutions to social and environmental

issues. Among the several firms that deploy social venture

capital are the Acumen Fund and the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation. These firms identify innovative social enterprises

and support them to become financially sustainable and scal-

able.

Conclusion:

Social enterprise gives people jobs. It empowers local com-

munities. It builds skills and capacity. It creates mecha-

nisms of ownership. And, perhaps most importantly, it

gives people a sense of control over their own destinies.

For example, one social enterprise, called VisionSpring,

recruits local “Vision Entrepreneurs,” who are trained to

operate a mini franchise. These recruited entrepreneurs

travel from village to village and conduct vision camps to

give people eye checkups. VisionSpring has also developed

a low-cost pair of reading glasses. One pair, with a case

and cleaning cloth, costs between $2 and $4. Locals are

trained as entrepreneurs and thus have an opportunity to

earn a steady stream of income, while those with poor

eyesight can correct their vision and once again earn a

livelihood. Everyone benefits!

If our primary motive is to lift the “bottom billion” out of

poverty, social enterprise is a strategic and effective way

forward. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the

United Nations, said that the social enterprise movement

is “founded on the principles of private initiative, entrepre-

neurship, and self-employment, underpinned by the values

of democracy, solidarity, equality, and solidarity…. *The

movement] can help pave a way to a more just and inclu-

sive economic order.”

Today more than ever the world needs innovative and

dedicated entrepreneurs who can use their skills to create

positive change. Social enterprise is a proven approach

through which we can make lasting improvements in the

lives of the poor, which is critical for the world, critical for

the world economy, and critical for humanity.

Shobhit is pursuing a career of social entrepreneur-

ship in India.

Founder of Camfed – the

Campaign for Female Education -

an organization dedicated to

eradicating poverty in Africa

through education and women’s

empowerment.

Ann Cotton

Founded the Barefoot College in

Rajasthan, India. By educating villagers,

hundreds of thousands of people now

have access to clean water, healthcare,

employment, and education.

Bunker Roy

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A FULFILLING SUMMER

Volunteering in India and Guyana Apurva Kaushik

Though this summer began with ambivalent uncertainty,

it ended with contented fulfillment. Since I was given the

extraordinary opportunity to dedicate the entirety of my

summer volunteering in both India and Guyana through

the Yuva for Sewa program, I was decidedly excited and

yet a tad apprehensive about, well, everything. Could I

handle the doubtless myriad issues that daily life in for-

eign places would entail? As my project mostly involved

teaching children English (in India) and Vedic Math (in

Guyana), would there be communication issues? Would I

be able to reach to the children? Would they like me?

I was extremely privileged to commence my sewa experi-

ence at the Maitreyi Gurukula in the village of Moorkaje,

located in the south Indian state of Karnataka. The Mai-

treyi Gurukula is a free boarding school, funded by the

Ajaya Trust, for exceptional girls between the ages of 8

and 16 and of rural or impoverished background—

brilliant and talented girls who would otherwise never

receive the opportunity to realize their potential. Many of

these girls would have been married off at a young age

simply because their families could not afford to keep

them, let alone give them the education their talents

merit. The purpose of the school is to educate these girls

so that they can go back and educate others in their vil-

lages, as well as properly educate and bring up their chil-

dren with Sattvic

values—a sort of

intellectual trickle-

down. By giving

these girls a well-

rounded and a

holistic education,

it is ensured that

not only is an indi-

vidua l be ing

helped but also

the next genera-

tion has a greater

chance of being

raised with strong,

positive morals

and ethical values.

It is simultaneously heart-warming and wrenching to see them.

Though a delight to watch them flourish in the wholesome and

intellectual environment in which they clearly belong, it is be-

yond heartbreaking to imagine how many such children are

languishing in surroundings undeserving of their ability. I am

immeasurably lucky that my project teaching English allowed

me the opportunity to interact with these girls on a very famil-

iar level.

The very first thing I noticed about everyone at the Gurukula,

not just the students, was their profound contentment, unfal-

tering joie de vivre, and absolute graciousness. Despite being

afforded but the barest minimum of luxuries, they are utterly

satisfied with their lot. They are uprooted from their native

villages and families at the age of 8, schooled in a wholly differ-

ent language (the medium of instruction is Samskrit; they are

taught upon arrival and become fluent in usually a year or

two), wake up at 4:30 in the morning, and—in addition to

classes— clean the buildings daily, tend to the gardens and do

all the required upkeep themselves. The Mathrushris (teachers)

are all absolutely wonderful women for whom my respect

Shyam Parande, Chief Coordinator of Sewa International, In-

dia, said of the Gurukula:

“A sprawling 100+ acres of lush green hilly forest full of cocoa-

nut, areca nut, jack fruit, and rubber plantation among the

beautiful Western Ghats is probably the most appropriate

venue for such a Gurukula where 100 and odd girl students are

learning the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagawatam, Ramayana,

Mahabharata, and the Vyakaranam together with some mod-

ern subjects….”

MAITREYI GURUKULA

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knows no bounds. As their title suggests, they are all extremely

nurturing, caring, and devoted; these brave ladies have literally

dedicated their whole lives to improving the world by begin-

ning at the foundation of society: caring for the well being of

less fortunate children.

My weeks at the Gurukula were among the most fulfilling and

inspiring of my life. Seeing the simplicity of these girls, how

happy they were even though they woke up at the crack of

dawn every morning, swept and mopped the whole school, had

three pairs of clothing (two for everyday wear and one for spe-

cial occasions), washed their clothes everyday by hand on a

stone, slept on straw mats atop the concrete floors in their

classrooms with all their possessions placed in one square

foot’s space on a communal rack—this was indescribably inspi-

rational to me! I experienced a complete paradigm shift.

It is commonly thought that people lacking material luxury are

unhappy, but it seems to me to be the very opposite. Too often

people look to material goods for fulfillment and validation.

The means becomes the end, and people attach their identity

to transient things; material objects become people’s statuses,

their possessions. And since things are ephemeral, people find

no fulfillment or joy in their lives. Those who do not have the

crutch of material comfort find their value and happiness in the

internal, the intangible, and that which can never be taken

from them.

My experience in Guyana was markedly different. At the Guru-

kula, I was more of a friend to the girls, and treated as a re-

spected peer rather than as an authority figure, but my role in

Guyana was decidedly that of a teacher. Teaching math is far

different from teaching English. At the Gurukula, my English

classes were mostly teaching conversational English and im-

proving pronunciation, resulting in an informal and casual at-

mosphere where I learned as much (if not more) from the stu-

dents as they from me. I had no challenges teaching because

the girls did not require any disciplining: there was nothing for

me to control or to do besides presenting the coursework,

which the girls dutifully followed.

In Guyana I taught at the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School, a

Hindu school taking inspiration from Vidya Bharati in India. It is

located in Cornelia Ida and serves to educate Guyanese Hindu

children (who are fifth or sixth generation Indians) on Hindu

values, and to experientially teach them their cultural heritage.

Here, I did a lot more teaching and a lot less conversing. I

learned how to control a classroom of noisy adolescents who

are but a few years younger than I (asking nicely, speaking

sternly, yelling a bit, and issuing ultimatums of extra home-

work—in that order), and how to command authority.

Whereas at the Gurukula, all my classes consisted of be-

tween twelve and twenty extremely respectful girls who

viewed being educated as a high honor and privilege and

firmly practiced “Acharya devo bhava” (treating the

teacher as God), at SVN, I had classes of thirty normal kids.

Of course, it was a mixed bag. Some classes were a real

pleasure to teach: the students in one of my classes asked

me if I could come teach them everyday (I taught five

grades, each twice a week) and if I could keep teaching

through the next period as well, and the youngest class

was so unabashedly enthusiastic, sweet and eager that

they would beg me for homework and further practice! I

found only one class (the eldest students) to be unruly. The

rest were more than manageable. In Guyana I learned to

deal with the disciplining and leadership aspects that are

part and parcel of teaching.

Both of my projects were deeply satisfying, albeit in com-

pletely different ways. I loved almost everything about

both of the countries I had the honor to visit. Though I sup-

pose my original trepidation was not baseless, I fortunately

experienced no insurmountable difficulties. Sure there

were cultural differences and quite a bit of miscommunica-

tion (the supreme irony that I had no problem communi-

cating in my second language, Kannada, but I could not for

the life of me discern what was being said to me in English-

speaking Guyana), but even that which was originally un-

pleasant became wonderful as I began to overcome these

challenges. I would not change a single detail of my experi-

ences during this internship.

Apurva is a third year undergraduate student at Case

Western Reserve University.

Gu

yana is a co

un

try on

the

no

rthern

coast o

f Sou

th A

merica.

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DISCOVERING HOME IN INDIA

Volunteering in the Slums of Bangalore Aparna Garg

Last summer, I was presented with a unique opportunity

to volunteer in India through the Yuva for Sewa internship

program. Looking for an adventure and motivated to do

something for the country I consider my punya bhoomi, I

decided to spend a couple months volunteering in Banga-

lore. Though I initially had doubts as to whether I would be

able to handle the linguistic and cultural challenges, I thor-

oughly enjoyed my volunteer experience and consider my-

self fortunate that I was given this opportunity.

My exposure to India increased manifold over the

summer. As an American-born Indian, I visited India

with my family a few times before, but most of my previ-

ous trips were limited to sightseeing and shopping. I al-

ways experienced India from a visitor’s perspective. Travel-

ing around in air-conditioned cars and staying at nice ho-

tels might have provided for some great family vacations,

but they did not allow me to experience the other side of

India. This mysterious other side sometimes rose to the

surface in the form of begging children surrounding us on

the streets or glimpses of cardboard houses along the side

of the road. But it always ended with us handing over a

few rupees and looking the other way, going on with our

lives.

“My very first time in a slum, an eight-year-old boy

stopped me as I was walking by and tried to give me a

piece of the mango he was eating. It was then that I first

began to realize the hospitality and culture of these

people.” - Aparna Garg

“It was a little shocking to know how

happy people can be with so little.”

Shikta Sapkota , YFS ‘08

In my past visits I was in India without really being in India. To

understand a country, it is necessary to explore all its different

facets, interact with all types of people, and live in all sorts of

environments. The Yuva for Sewa experience gave me an op-

portunity to immerse myself in a new lifestyle and discover a

side of India that I was not exposed to before. Although I

learned an incredible amount about India, my biggest learning

was that I have barely begun to scratch the surface of the coun-

try’s beautiful complexities.

For my internship, I was working with a

Bangalore-based organization called Youth for

Seva (www.youthforseva.org). My project was to

document the impact of the various slum development pro-

jects taken up by different NGOs in Bangalore. As part of this

experience, I had the opportunity to interact with volunteers

who work at these projects as well as the people from the

slums whom these organizations are serving. The first time I

visited a slum I was distressed by the painful, insecure living

conditions: the homes are tiny (usually just 10x10 feet and of-

ten made of scrap cloth or tents), the entire place is cramped

and polluted, and the “roads” are often just narrow and un-

even dirt paths. However, I quickly realized that if I want to

really understand life in slums I would have to move beyond

just the physical aspects and really get to know the people who

live in these places.

While interacting with people in slums, I began to experience

the joy of hospitality. The first time I visited a slum, I was just

walking around with another volunteer, and we were stopped

by a young boy about seven or eight years old. He was eating a

mango and after talking with us for a few moments, he repeat-

edly offered us his mango and invited us to his home for tea. I

was amazed by the connection we were immediately able to

form. I experienced the same hospitality wherever I went.

9


Most families I visited, no matter how short my visit and no

matter how modest their financial circumstances, would not

let me leave without at least a cup of tea. Another interesting

thing I noticed was that for the most part, the people I talked

to in slums seemed pretty satisfied with what they have;

ironically, they did not seem any less happy than other fami-

lies I know who have every luxury in the world except for the

time to enjoy them.

That being said, people living in slums live in some of the

most miserable conditions in the city. There are many chal-

lenges standing in the way of slum development, including

lack of education, illiteracy, disease, lack of hygiene, and alco-

holism. But it is inspiring to see how thousands of volunteers

are working truly selflessly to tackle these challenges. The

organizations I worked with run projects such as free tutoring

classes for children in government schools, medical camps,

health clinics, self-help groups, adult education, and women’s

empowerment. It was amazing to see the positive impact that

they have had in the past years. If their work continues to

grow as it has, the future of Bangalore’s slums looks much

brighter.

Being in India was definitely different in some ways, whether

it was dodging around the crazy traffic (Bangalore drivers

make New York City drivers seem polite and courteous), figur-

ing out the bus system, or trying to understand an entirely

new language. But this experience has also taught me that

India is really not as foreign or distant as many Indian-

Americans, or even first generation Indians, may perceive.

Living in India for the past couple of months made me realize

that this country is also my home and I have a place here.

Tell us about the Yuva for Sewa (YFS) internship projects.

YFS internship projects are designed to develop personal-

ity, build leadership and teamwork, empower visionaries,

and provide experience in helping the community. Pro-

jects are available in multiple fields including Basic Educa-

tion, Healthcare, Publicity and Awareness, Environmental

Care, Micro-finance, and many more. Internship durations

vary from one month to six months to fit both the require-

ments of the volunteer and the project. Opportunities are

available in various countries such as India, America, Guy-

ana, and Suriname.

What are the qualifications needed to become a YFS fel-

low and what is the selection process?

YFS fellows need to be between 18 and 30 years of age.

There are no specific academic qualifications needed. Fel-

lows need to be sincerely committed to the value of

service work. The fellowship will certainly be physically,

mentally, and emotionally challenging. Fellows should be

willing to explore their personal boundaries with a strong

desire to learn. The selection process involves two rounds

of phone interviews and one personal interview. The total

interview process should be completed within a month.

How can a student earn credit for participating in the YFS

internship?

Cleveland State University in Ohio offers credits for the

YFS fellowship. Students from any university are eligible

for these credits. Applicants are highly encouraged to look

for such opportunities from their own universities as well.

Sonia Gosain

YUVA FOR SEWA: FAQS

Katelyn Kerrigan, YFS ‘08 on Niveditha Nele, a shelter for impoverished girls

Aparna is an undergraduate student at Boston University.

Sonia is Vice President of P.R. and Media at Sewa Int’l USA.

“Most of these girls were rag pickers before, working in the slum

area, leaving their house at 5:30 in the morning, as young as

5years old, going out, digging through these piles of trash, col-

lecting a specific recyclable item, whether it’s plastic or newspa-

per or bottles, turning them in at the end of the day for 10 ru-

pees, and normally their handing it over to their alcoholic father,

or giving it to their mother who’s been working as a construction

worker or a maid servant, just so that they can get the bare

minimum amount of food that they need.”

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Jeeva Mahal said, “But my

lord, what of the people?

What of those who are strug-

gling under the yolk of foreign

rule? What of young Sambaji?

What of your wife Sayyibai?”

Suryaraj added. “My lord, the

moment the enemies know

that you have renounced the

world, they would charge

upon our lands like a hungry

pride of lions attacking a help-

less crippled deer. Please

think twice before you reach this decision.”

But Shivaji was unmoved by their requests. He said, “When

warriors like Bhaji Prabhu, Tanaji should be around, why do you

worry? The enemies quiver even hearing their name. Tanaji is

like a lion. One roar from him sends the enemies flying. Let him

become the king of the Marathas and continue this struggle. I

have made up my mind.”

So saying, Shivaji Maharaj rested his head yet again at the lotus

feet of Tukaram Maharaj. Tukaram Maharaj, the ever gentle

and all knowing one, watched all this with a smile. Now that all

eyes were upon him, he spoke gently to Shivaji: “Shivaba, what

is this you are talking about? So many people come to listen to

Vitthala's glory but do they all renounce their duties? What of

Pundalika? Even when Panduranga came to him, he continued

his work serving his parents, but just threw a brick for Vithala

to stand on, lest his robes get dirty. Thus by doing his duty did

Pundalika reach Panduranga. Why then do you talk of renounc-

ing your duties Shivaba?"

LOST AND FOUND SHIVAJI

A Story Sharath Kumar

The following is a narration of how one of the foremost

warriors of the world fell into a state of worry and doubt,

but was guided by his guru to follow his Dharma.

The air was charged with devotion. Tuka says, “Let my

tongue ever sing your glory.” So saying, Santha Tukarama

sang the glory of Vitthala. The audience was spell bound.

Lust was frightened and fled from the place. Her sister

Greed felt scorched and followed her soon. Their brother-

in-law, Worry, and his wife, Fear, were themselves envel-

oped with fear of their sustenance, and they also followed

suit. Such was the discourse of Tukaram Maharaj.

Among the audience, there were luminaries, whom

Bhaaratha Maata (Mother India) was blessed to have as

her children. For there seated, infused with the devotion

to Panduranga, was Chhatrapathi Shivaji - the warrior em-

peror of the Marathas, Jeeva Mahal, and Suryaraj, his

trusted bodyguards.

Shivaji Maharaj, who himself was the blessed son of

Mother Bhavani (God in the form of Universal Mother),

was so overcome with dispassion, that after the discourse

he threw aside his sword with its scabbard, his tiger claw,

and his shield; removing his turban, he fell at the feet of

Tukaram Maharaj and said to him, “Sadguru Tukaram Ma-

haraj ki Jai! Verily, you are Panduranga and no one else.

Through you, I could catch a glimpse of the infinite glory of

Panduranga. Of what use is this worldly life? It is but like

the dream of a daydreamer. Where does this lead one? I

have now realized that I am living but a dream. Of what

use is it to fight the enemies hiding in stone forts? What of

the enemies who are within us? You drove them away to-

day during your discourse. I wish to be rid of them forever.

Therefore, enough of this fighting. Enough of this war. I

shall become a haridaasa (devotee) and with the name of

Vitthala on my lips, shall serve you, Vitthala's foremost

devotee.”

When Suryaraj and Jivamahal heard this, they were

alarmed! How could the lion cubs possibly fend for them-

selves without the lion and lioness in the pride? The other

predators would quickly devour them. With quivering

hearts, they pleaded with Shivaji Maharaj to see reason.

Vitthala and Panduranga

are names for Lord Krishna.

Gopuram of Tukaram (left), Vithoba (standing figure, left)

waiting on the brick as Pundalik (center) serves his parents.

11


Shivaji Maharaj replied, “After tasting nectar, would one still be

inclined to like sugar candy? Similarly after glimpsing the glory

of Panduranga through you, I have become attached to your

lotus feet. Please allow me to be your disciple and serve you.”

To which the all knowing divine Sadguru Tukaram replied,

“Panduranga! Panduranga! Why do I even struggle to explain.

It is not for me to do this. Shivaba, if you believe me, then hear

me out patiently. I am not ordained to be your guru. Your guru

is the incarnation of Maruthi (Hanuman) and is the very em-

bodiment of devotion. Verily through him, you will reach Rama

(Panduranga). Hence, before you take any hasty decision, I re-

quest you to go meet your guru, Shree Samartha Ramdas, at

Sajjangad. To you he alone is Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh-

wara. He is beyond everything and he is beginning-less and

endless, for he alone is Parabrahman. Go therefore, righteous

one. Go meet him. Go seek refuge in his holy feet. He alone is

Panduranga. He will verily bless you. He is the Goswami (swami

who protects cows) who lives in Sajjangad.”

Hearing this, Jeeva Mahal and Suryaraj breathed a sigh of relief,

if only for a moment. They now set off with their beloved

Shivaji Maharaj to Sajjangad to meet the incarnation of Ma-

ruthi, the great Rama Bhaktha (devotee), Shree Sadguru

Samartha Ramdas.

After travelling many days, eagerly seeking the darshan (divine

vision) of the guru, like a thirsty person travelling in a desert or

like a hungry person looking for his next meal, Shivaji Maharaj

traveled with his retinue, with ever-increasing restlessness in

his mind.

However, as they neared the desolate landscape of Sajjangad, a

kind of calm seemed to envelope them. As they neared the

temple of Lord Ram, inside they saw a Samartha sitting and

reading the Ramayana. His handsome face shone with the bril-

liance of a thousand suns. As soon as he saw them approach,

as though he was waiting for them, he came out and

greeted them, “Welcome my children, I was waiting for

you.”

One look at the Samartha, and Shivaji had lost all his rest-

lessness. His mind became very still. He had forgotten

about hunger, thirst, and fatigue. His hands were aching to

touch the lotus feet of the Samartha. He got off his horse,

fell on the lotus feet, and cried tears of joy and ecstasy at

having come so close to divinity.

He then entreated the Sadguru thus: “O Lord! Tukaram

Maharaj was right. You alone are God. There is no doubt in

this. My store of good merits from past life have brought

me to your feet. You know what doubts have assailed my

mind. You know how they have besieged my mind. Only by

your kindness and mercy can I be saved. You alone are

mother, father, brother, and friend. You are everything to

me. One look at you and all my troubles seem to have fled

far, far away. Please accept me as your humble disciple

and guide me as to where I should go, for there are many

roads before me, and I do not know which one to traverse,

for I have lost my way.”

The ever-compassionate Samartha Sadguru looked kindly

at Shivaji Maharaj and said to him, “O Shivaba, I know

what doubts assail you. What you saw at the Keerthan was

indeed the infinite glory and splendor of Lord Rama, sung

by Tukaram Maharaj, his great devotee. It is indeed this

essence of truth and splendor that we are all striving to

reach.

“There are many paths

to this destination. Just

like all paths up a moun-

tain ultimately lead to

the peak of the moun-

tain, all paths lead to the

same truth, the same

essence of the universe.

"As Lord Vishnu, in his

K r i s h n a a v a t a r a

(incarnation) has said in

the Bhagavad Gita,

there are four types of

yoga: Jnana yoga, Bhak-

thi yoga, Karma yoga,

and Raja yoga.

Continued on Page 12

Sajjan

gad

is in th

e Satara D

istrict of

Mah

arashtra, In

dia. S

ajanag

ad m

eans

“Fo

rt of G

oo

d P

eo

ple” an

d is th

e final

resting

place o

f Ram

das. R

am

das.

Samarth Ramdas

acknowledged Shivaji as

“Shrimant Yogi,” or a person

achieving desires with

detachment.

12


“Each of these paths is as good as the other. But depend-

ing on one's inherent tendencies, which are a result of

one's actions in this life and preceding lives, one gets at-

tuned to follow a particular path. There is no path that is

better than the other. One cannot argue that his path is

better than another’s path.

“According to your tendencies in this life and in previous

lives, you were born a warrior. It is this tendency, O Rajan

(king), that made you take the oath of Swarajya (a free

land) when you were a mere stripling of a boy. It is this

tendency that made you capture Torna fort when you

were a mere teenager. If a person is standing on a cliff and

sees nectar on another cliff separated from his cliff by a

deep ravine, he may jump toward the nectar and end up

falling in the ravine. Similarly, you are trying to jump from

your chosen path of karma (duty) to the path of bhakthi

(devotion).”

Shivaji Maharaj, who was listening attentively until now,

spoke to the Sadguru, “But O Lord, why can't I become a

haridaasa and chant the name of the Lord all the time?

What is wrong with me, or what is wrong in choosing that

path?”

The Samaratha said, "Oh Shivaba, you are now enamored

by the way of a haridaasa. Let us assume that you do be-

come one. It is of utmost importance that the heart and

mind should be one hundred percent directed towards the

worship of God. However should you hear that a temple is

destroyed, should you hear of innocent people killed be-

cause they refused to convert, should you hear of women

being abducted and their honor put to stake, would you

still be calm? Would you still be able to see Panduranga? If

those innocent and hapless women and the orphaned chil-

dren of the Mughal tyranny start thinking, “If only Shivaji

Maharaj had not renounced the world. Why did he do such

a ghastly deed?”, when you hear their cries and anguish,

Continued from Page 11

Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge.

Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion.

Karma Yoga is the path of work.

Raja Yoga is the path to union, based on

meditation.

would you still be calm? Do you think you will be able to sing

the glories of the Lord in peace?”

Shivaji Maharaj answered, “No, Guru Maharaj. I now realize

that I cannot. But is there no way for me to glimpse the infinite

glories of Lord Rama, which you have experienced? I know that

I can by your grace. Kindly help me in this pursuit as well.”

The Samartha replied, “Oh Shivaba, I see Lord Rama as clearly

as I see you. There are various ways to reach him. I reached

him by thinking of him and only him. All my actions were dedi-

cated to him. I thought of him alone as the doer and myself

merely as an instrument. When I gave up this false ego, I was

able to see him and experience him. There was everlasting

bliss. Having achieved his feet, what was there for me to do.

Yet the Lord instructed me to spread his glory. As I was doing

so, I saw the miserable conditions of the people of Sanathana

Dharma. They groan under this foreign oppression. Hence I set

about constructing temples of my Lord Shree Rama.

“Take Mahavira (Lord Hanuman). How much was his surrender

to the Lord? He did anything and everything for the sake of

Lord Rama. He fearlessly flew to Lanka taking Shree Rama's

name. He single-handedly combated the demons at Ashoka

Vatika. He neither had fear nor cared for his life. All that mat-

tered was service to Lord Rama. That was his duty.

“Likewise, O Shivaba, do everything as a service to the Lord.

Offer the results to Rama. You do your work. A grihastha

(householder), who does his work with devotion and offers the

fruits to the lotus feet of Lord Rama is as great, if not greater

than a sanyasin (one who has renounced the world).

“I accept you as my disciple. If you follow me as your guru, here

is my advice to you. Let all your worries, doubts, and burdens

be with me. Leave them to me, and thinking of me, do your

dharma (duty) with sincerity and submit the fruits to Lord

Rama. Then you shall reach the very same place, which Shree

Tukaram Maharaj and I have reached. Do not have any doubts

anymore. I will take you to the abode of Rama.”

Thus dispelled of all fears and doubts, Shivaji Maharaj fell at

the Lotus feet of the Samartha Sadguru and declared, “Oh Sad-

guru Maharaj. Your words are the Vedas for me. Now my mind

is clear. I shall continue performing my duties, and offer the

results at your lotus feet, O Maruthi avatar. I am now fearless

as I know that you shall guide me, and now no fear or doubt

can assail me, since I am protected by your grace.”

The Samartha Sadguru was pleased, and placing his right hand

on the head of Shivaji Maharaj, he declared, “Go now Shivaba.

13


Sharath Kumar is a graduate student at the University of Texas

at Dallas.

Go to your favorite temple at Tuljapur. Go to Mother Bhavani.

Pray to her earnestly for three days, and she will help you in

the successful accomplishment of your duty.”

Thus, cleared of all doubts and fears, Shivaji Maharaj now

looked like a tiger roused from his nap. With firm faith in the

Sadguru's words, Shivaji Maharaj went to Tuljapur and prayed

earnestly to Mother Bhavani for three days. At the end of three

days, as the guru had prophesized, Mother Bhavani appeared

before Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji Maharaj cried with tears of joy,

“Jai Bhavani! Jai Raghuveer Samartha! (Victory to the foremost

devotee of Rama , who was of the Raghu dynasty, symbolizing

Hanuman or Samartha Ramdas). Blessed am I, O Mother, to

behold you. Let my tears wash your lotus feet. You and you

alone can help me achieve my life's aim.”

Mother Bhavani replied, “O Child, it is to help you achieve your

life's aim, that I sent you to Samartha Ramdas. Cling to his feet

at all times. Do your duty and rid this earth of all evil people

who reside in this holy land. Tough times are ahead for the

good people of this land owing to the age of Kali. You can do

your dharma. To help you in your work, I shall give you my

powerful parashu (axe) and khadga (sword). This will make you

invincible. Use this for good, for the protection of the good and

the helpless. My blessings are always with you.”

Thus having received the boon from Mother Bhavani and Sad-

guru Samartha Ramdas, Shivaji Maharaj was elated. He re-

turned to his duties, and as the future unfolded he became the

emperor of the Maratha empire, which at its peak overthrew

the Mughal rule from even Delhi and the Bahamanis from Kar-

nataka. Shivaji Maharaja served his Sadguru till the end and

reached the goal of eternal bliss by the grace of Sadguru

Samarth Ramdas.

Shivaji serves as the example of the first successful

attempt by a Hindu to reassert Hindu civilization in the

public sphere following the ascendancy of Islam in

Bharata (India). That is, Shivaji promoted an active, dy-

namic Hindu society, which relied on Hindu civilization

not only for an individual to pursue Moksha but for the

development of society generally.

The importance of this historical contribution often be-

comes lost in the political correctness of today’s world.

However, an honest discussion of Hindu history requires

the recognition that the ascendancy of Islam in Bharata

coincided with the decline of Hindu civilization in the

public sphere. Before Shivaji’s rajyabhishekam, or corona-

tion ceremony, Hindus in large parts of the country

had forgotten that they could provide for government

administration, maintenance of public safety, and de-

fense of national frontiers. Hindus had forgotten that they

could live in a dynamic society based on universal Hindu

norms and customs.

Today’s Hindus, then, can learn several lessons from

Shivaji. First, even in the darkest of hours, Hindus can

overcome any obstacle. After all, by the time of Shivaji’s

rajyabhishekam, large parts of Bharata had been under

the rule of one or the other foreign dynasty for over 400

years! Despite this, Shivaji successfully established a

Hindu svarajya. Indeed, he left a legacy of a nearly 150-

year Hindu interregnum in Bharata between the fall of

the Mughals and rise of the British.

Second, even without any resources, Hindus can make

great achievements with confidence in their faith. Tak-

ing the example of the Vanara Sena from the Rama-

yana, Shivaji recognized that shraddha (faith) and bhakti

(devotion) can play a greater role in battle than numbers

or technology.

Third, one individual can make a difference. The same

Marathas who were unable to confront the Mughals be-

fore Shivaji, ultimately established an empire that cov-

ered the entire country for over 100 years after him.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SHIVAJI

Full Name: Shivaji Shahaji Bhosle

Birth & Death: 02/16/1627 to 04/30/1680

Birthplace: Shivneri Fort, near Pune, Maharashtra, India

14


BIRSA MUNDA

The Eternal Strength Rashmi Priyanka Patil

When any second generation Indian youth thinks of the

Indian Independence movement, the first name that usu-

ally enters his or her mind is Mahatma Gandhi. Even

though we know that the efforts of many others like

Nehru, Tilak, and Aurobindo did not go without acknowl-

edgement, there is still a very skewed perception of the

freedom fighters during this time. In the endeavor to over-

throw the British Raj, many common people transformed

into leaders to undertake the challenge of regaining India’s

independence. One such person was Birsa Munda, a hum-

ble tribal leader who played a massive role in the move-

ment. His internal strength of fighting for his people was

remarkable since initially he was the only one brave

enough to take on the British. He stirred up awareness by

questioning people’s beliefs, mobilizing groups of rebel-

lions, and proving himself a threat to the British rulers, all

before the age of 25.

In 1875, Munda was born into a poverty stricken family in

Ranchi (which is now the capital of the newly-formed state

of Jharkand), that was being suppressed, alienated, and

experienced injustice in every aspect of daily life. At the

age of 8, his family was forced to separate so that they

could all earn a living working in different fields, a situation

that today’s youth couldn’t even fathom. As Munda was

becoming very involved with his studies he met some local

families who had been converted to Christianity in his own

Munda tribe. He was so absorbed in learning the story of

his own people as to why they had been forcibly attacked

and converted that he let the sheep and goats graze in the

field of grown crops.

The owner chastised

him and beat him,

and said that he was

not capable of any-

thing.

After leaving that

village, he went to

live with his brother

when he was 10

years old and was

still motivated to

complete his lower

primary examination

at a German mission

at Burju. He contin-

ued his education in

Chalibasa at the

Gossner Evangelical

Lutheran Mission

school run by Ger-

man missionaries.

This is where Munda transformed into a fighter for the tribals.

Even as a youth, without any support, he only had his internal

strength guiding him in these tough times. When a Father at his

school was narrating the story about the Kingdom of Heaven,

Munda challenged him by asking where this Kingdom of

Heaven was, since the exploitation of the tribals by landlords

was at its worst.

By 1890, he and his family had given up their membership to

the German mission which led Munda to realize that this sup-

pression by the British was intolerable. They were torturing the

masses and gathering all the wealth available from all the tribal

people. He began to organize people of the tribes to prevent

Dikus (non-tribals) and Zaminders (money lenders) from steal-

ing their land and becoming laborers in their own land. When

he was 19 years old, there was so much discontentment among

his people that he had no choice but to organize a protest in

October 1894. He continued his protest march against the for-

est dues, in which the British were making tribals pay for living

in the forest area. His very words were, "Maharani raj tundu

The portrait was unveiled by the then

Speaker of the Lok Sabha (lower house

of Indian Parliament), Dr. Bal Ram

Jakhar, in 1989.

Ranchi is the capital city of Jharkand, a state in Northeastern

India that was formed just 10 years ago.

15


jana oro abua raj ete jana,” which meant that the tribal peo-

ple will put an end to the rule of the queen and re-establish

their own kingdom. His courage and internal zeal pushed him

to end the atrocities happening against his tribal brothers

and sisters.

Birsa Munda, now in his early twenties, had spread the word

of patriotism like wildfire by giving examples of their ances-

tors who had fought for regaining control of their own coun-

try. He was able to unite the entire tribal community to speak

in one voice against the British Raj. With Munda’s organiza-

tional skills and motivating speeches, he had awaken the

masses to regain power from the Dikus and Zaminders to

make themselves owners of the land again. Munda continued

to use all his strength and vigor to fight for the people’s rights

until he was arrested and put in the Ranchi Jail, where due to

some mysterious conditions he died at the tender age of 25

years.

Birsa Munda’s efforts and achievements of retaliation shat-

tered the roots of the British in a very short period of time.

His movement helped the passing of the Chotanagpur Ten-

ancy Act of 1908 which specifically protected the rights and

interests of the tribals. Many legislations have been passed

by the Parliament and the State Legislatures protecting the

tribals from having their land taken over by others. The gov-

ernment’s plans of the Integrated Tribal Development Pro-

jects (ITDP) and Modified Area Development Approach

(MADA) still need to be given more attention so that Birsa

Munda’s dream can be a reality. The Government of India

has dedicated a statue in his memory at the Parliament, but

the true memory is the strength and conviction he has given

his people and his own eternal strength that will be revered

for generations to come.

Priyanka is an undergraduate student at the University

of California at Berkeley.

The following is an excerpt from Ayurveda: A Way to

Health and Happiness, written by Dr. David Frawley and Dr.

Pratichi Mathur, and published by Hindu Swayamsevak

Sangh.

COMMON COLD AND COUGH

(sore throat, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and whooping cough)

Press out the juice from garlic and mix 10 to 15 drops of it

in warm water for asthma relief.

Drink a glass of 2/3 carrot juice and 1/3 spinach juice 3

times a day.

Add 30-40 leaves of Basil in 1 liter of water, strain the

leaves and drink the water throughout the day.

For asthma relief, drink a glass of warm water mixed with 1

teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey 2 to 3

times a day.

For a dry cough, grind 10 grams of cardamom, dry ginger,

black pepper, and cinnamon and 40 grams of rock sugar.

Mix 1/2 teaspoon (about 3 grams) of the powder 2 times a

day with honey or warm water after meals.

For a sore throat, chew a clove, two cardamoms, or a few

raisins. Gargle warm salt water 2 to 3 times a day.

For a hacking cough, mix 10 to 15 drops of betel leaf juice

with honey and consume 3 times a day.

Drink non-fat milk boiled with crushed ginger and 1/2 tea-

spoon of turmeric powder.

Maintain a light and warm diet of boiled or steamed vege-

tables, non-juicy fruits , and herbal teas.

Avoid breads, meats, nuts, pastries, cheese, creams, yo-

gurt, sweet fruit juices, and cold drinks.

“I am happy to associate myself with the unveiling of the statue of Shri Birsa

Munda, a legendary figure in the history of our struggle for freedom. He is

well known as an early advocate and exponent of tribal rights and as an

indomitable fighter against foreign rule and oppression. One of the lesser-

known aspects of our fight against British rule is that tribal uprisings

constituted an important part of the defiance of the colonial regime. Birsa Munda is an outstanding

representative of one such movement in late 19th century in Chotanagpur region, who initiated a unique

phase of our freedom struggle…”

K.R. Narayan, President of India (‘97-’02)

AYURVEDIC REMEDIES

16


to a certain group of people? The point is, many religions today

focus on what is said and done in the outside world rather than

listening to the universe that exists within. Religion should not

merely be limited to a book or a prophet, but should be a way

of life that has a strong emphasis on the Self. A Self that is so

unique in all of existence. A Self that wishes to take the spiri-

tual journey that is the most suitable for its own existence. A

journey that is part of one’s everyday life. For five thousand

years, such a way of life, as Dr. David Frawley says, “…has main-

tained an unbroken current of awareness linking humanity with

the Divine.”

In the mixing melting pot of the United States where people’s

lives collide every day, a new generation of youth are coming

of age. The second generation of Indian-Americans, whose

immigrant parents are primarily Hindus, are questioning their

parents’ way of life. If we were to live in a society where we are

surrounded by a particular way of life that we do not feel needs

to be questioned, we undoubtedly follow that way of life

through mere respect. But when growing up in a country

where the world comes together, many questions arise. While

many immigrant parents from the Asian subcontinent take the

time to answer the questions of their children pertaining to

HINDUISM, THERE IS NO ‘–ISM’

Sai Santosh Kolluru

Many of the world’s current religions, mostly one thou-

sand to two thousand years old, practice the code of One

Prophet, One Book, and One Philosophy. Even though the

world and society have changed since the origin of these

religions, people still tend to adhere to this code of One

Prophet, One Book, and One Philosophy, and reject all

other views.

Today’s religions have merely become “saving” religions,

religions in which unexplained rituals replace the individual

pursuit of spirituality, where rituals are performed with

fear rather than with love. In addition, today’s religions

have gone to a strict fundamentalist approach, where peo-

ple are in pursuit of the pleasures of the material world,

rather than knowledge and truth of what is beyond the

material world. Furthermore, the kind of Bhakti (devotion),

that has been developed in today’s world is one in which

the only way of loving one’s own ideal is by hating every

other ideal.

The idea of a nationalistic God, or a God confined by ideas

particular to a race, country or mindset, is contrary to

God’s omniscience and omnipotence. The idea that there

is only one kind of an “exclusive God” for only one kind of

people creates an atmosphere of fanaticism. If each relig-

ion believes that God is one beyond all subjective ideas of

form or identity, then how can God be different from one

group of people to another? Many people have gone so

low for their love of God that they offer services and com-

munity help only if a person in need adheres to a specific

set of “rules of practice.” How can this be when God re-

sides in everyone and everything? Is Seva really exclusive

“…The universe is an organic

web in which every life is

inextricably enmeshed with

the other and that this web is

permeated with cosmic force

of which man and nature

were constituents as well as

contributors.”

–Sri Aurobindo

Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs)

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Free-

dom recommended that the following countries be

designated as CPCs.

Burma

China

Eritrea

Iran

Iraq

Nigeria

North Korea

Pakistan

Saudi Arabia

Sudan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

17


their identity, many parents also tend to leave their children to

make their own decisions, primarily because they do not know

the answers. This is where a way of life that “has carried over

from over from earlier cycles of civilization in previous humani-

ties unknown to our present spiritually limited culture” is being

lost. While material achievements and pursuits such as educa-

tion and professions provide a level of comfort and standing in

life, so does the way of life that helps to deal with such com-

forts and standing. Many immigrant parents think, “As long as

my child becomes a doctor or an engineer….” But when the

time for choosing a life partner comes into play, many parents

succumb to their daughter or son marrying a person not of

their own Dharma and suffer the loss of someone who could

potentially continue the paddhatis, sampradayas, and sam-

skaram. Many parents also tend to give in to their children’s

decisions simply because they do not want to lose their chil-

dren. The point is that it is vital in today’s world to integrate

spirituality, culture, samskaram, paddhatis, and sampradayas

with the society to provide knowledge of the inner science,

especially in a country like the United States that offers so

much in advancement of outer science.

We can see in our everyday lives, the physical presence of our

culture and way of life. The Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Pitts-

burg, Pennsylvania and the Ganesha Temple in Flushing, NY

were the first of many temples established in the United

States. Our immigrant parents who created and established

these temples in this country should ask themselves the ques-

tion, who will look after these sacred sites after they decease?

The answers must be found in their sons and daughters, who

should slowly take over the administering of these temples

across the country. The famous saying, “the torch must be

passed on,” must prevail.

Furthermore, many second-generation Indian-Americans

tend to follow everything within the control of their par-

ents till the point of pursuing higher education. What hap-

pens until that point is that a parent instructs and a child

follows without questioning. If a child does question, the

parent might not have adequate knowledge to give an-

swers. However, the real questioning takes place when the

child goes to college, when there is a direct interaction with

various faiths. Then the question of identity arrives, “What

am I? Am I a Hindu, a Christian, a Muslim?” There should be

no need for exploration because the eighteen years of age

should provide plenty of answers to attain an identity and

such identity should be justified even more at this stage of

Brahmacharya. Because the “Hindu mind represents hu-

manity's oldest and most continuous stream of conscious

intelligence…”, it is tough for an immigrant parent to an-

swer their child because they themselves had no reason to

question the way of life back home. For this reason, there is

a great need to understand our way of life. Excuses usually

take place of interest when it comes to exploring the end-

less answers the Hindu way of life has to offer. For this fact,

the torch is not being passed on; it is being extinguished. It

is vital for us to pursue the way of life that our parents have

pursued. The Hindu way of life is not a life in which the

scriptures are read and interpreted every day, but it is a life

that focuses on the Self and the Selfless aspect of the Hu-

man Being. It shows that through Karma, Jnana, Bhakti, or

Raja Yogas which can be practiced through our everyday

lives, we can achieve the ultimate perfection. It tells us to

ask ourselves the question, “What will happen to me after I

die?” and also provides the answers to such questions. The

Advaita, Dvaita, and Visishtadvaita philosophies provide

clear perspectives about life so much that they even pro-

vide room for atheism.

“Brahma satyaṃ jagat mithyā, jīvo brahmaiva nāparah,”

Brahman is the only truth and there is ultimately no differ-

ence between Brahman and the individual self. Many sec-

ond-generation students tend to question the ritualistic

part of the Hindu way of life, often without experiencing

and engaging in a ritual. Such initial rejection of any idea or

an action creates an atmosphere of ignorance where one is

not even giving the idea or thought to grow. The morning

rituals of chanting the Gayatri Mantra, or applying certain

religious marks on the body like kumkum, is for the sake of

self-purification, self-discipline and ultimately self-

realization as well as respect to the Devas and the Devis


BALAGOKULAM

Gokulam is where Lord Krishna’s magical childhood

days were spent. It was here that his divine powers

came to light. Balagokulam is a forum for Hindu

children to discover and manifest that divinity. It

will enable Hindu children in the US to appreciate

their cultural roots and learn Hindu values.

Visit www.balagokulam.org

“Every child has that spark of

divinity within.”

18


and all of the matter in existence. There are many other

outer forms of worship like Yajnas, which provide the key

to the Selfless part of the Self, where there is a need for

going beyond just helping ourselves. Whether it means

through Bhakti or Karma, our daily way of life revolves

around the Self and the Selfless.

As one can see, the Hindu way of life is a life of being one

with the nature and the universe, through the belief that

the nature is us and we are the nature. Such ideals, princi-

ples, and values are vital for the future generations here in

the United States to continue. Many sages, seers, saints,

and yogis have confirmed through thousands of years that

such a life leads to the Absolute Truth, a life of fulfillment.

The challenge lies in educating ourselves and our children,

questioning our views like that of a disciple and the guru as

clearly seen in the Upanishads, and also finding answers.

The key lies in our own self-perfection through which the

self and the selfless side of our lives can work towards con-

tinuing a way of life that is beneficial for both the Self as

well as the advancement of human civilization. As Sri

Aurobindo would say, “The saints and sages of ancient

India injected power and potency in the Indian mind. In

turn, this power and potency added to the capacity of the

sages and saints to think deeply on the phenomena

around. One of the fundamental truths discovered by

them was that the universe is an organic web in which

every life is inextricably enmeshed with the other and that

this web is permeated with cosmic force of which man and

nature were constituents as well as contributors.” Is this

not justification enough to continue such a way of life,

thousands of miles away from home where it has origi-

nated?

References:

1) Alex Grey quotation in the beginning of the article

from Alexgrey.com.

2) Religious books for seekers article on the Declaration

on Fundamentals of the common religion.

3) Dr. David Frawley, also known as Pandit Vamadeva

Shastri, quotation mentioned throughout the article.

Author on Hinduism, Yoga, and Ayurveda.

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Sai is an undergraduate student at Case Western

Reserve University.

19


POWER OF PRAYER

Sanchay Jain

The clock strikes midnight. With a sleep-induced sigh, the mas-

sive textbook is slammed vigorously and stacked on top of the

others. I rise from my chair and shuffle down the stairs and

towards the sanctuary. Sitting cross-legged, back erect, I close

my eyes and inhale, the fresh oxygen refreshing my body.

Amidst the stress that comes from the rigors of tests and activi-

ties and the hustle and bustle of school, the next five to ten

minutes are blissfully spent in the solitude of meditation and

prayer. The tension is relieved; the worries are removed from

my mind.

***

In every civilization, prayer is associated with spirituality. Hin-

duism is no different. Its two epics, the Ramayana and the Ma-

habharata contain numerous examples of men and women

whose meditation and calls for God yield miraculous results,

from Draupadi, Ravana, and Bheeshma, to even the authors

themselves. Ultimately, one would not pray if they did not be-

lieve in the impact of their prayers, and Hindus are no excep-

tion.

However, prayer is not merely a religious ritual with spiritual

connotations. It offers mental peace and even physical solace.

Without the opportunity to clear my thoughts through this ca-

thartic process, frustration would stay pent up inside, festering

dangerously. Prayer also provides a routine. Despite the fre-

netic pace my life takes and regardless of the chaotic nature of

my schedule, I can rest assured that when I sit down in front of

God, the next five minutes will be standard everyday.

Hindus are blessed with a unique method of prayer: the chant-

ing of sacred mantras. These mantras can range from four lines

to thousands of stanzas. As a result, they are not only messages

for divinity, but also potent tools for sharpening intelligence

and inculcating self-discipline. Without consistent practice and

repetition, how can one memorize a long prayer like the Hanu-

man Chaalisa?

One example that illustrates the character-building power of

prayer comes from my mother’s uncle. When he was a child, a

local priest recommended that he memorize a sacred mantra

describing the one thousand names of the Lord Vishnu. In or-

der to memorize this shloka, my mother’s uncle went to the

priest’s ashram for one hour

every week. After five years of

this routine, he had finally

memorized the entire shloka,

something he remembers till this

date. More than just the words in

this prayer, the weekly regimen

instilled in him the self-discipline to tackle big challenges

gradually, a very valuable characteristic to possess.

But finally, perhaps the most important non-spiritual im-

pact prayer has is its ability to serve as a vital link for the

future generation to its roots and heritage. Hindustan is

certainly a diverse and expansive nation, with a multifac-

eted culture that varies by region. This colorful tradition

would fade into a dark extinction without the subconscious

handing down of mantras.

The most famous example of prayer’s role in preserving

Hindu tradition has occurred in the Caribbean, Fiji, and

Mauritius, where Hindus were transplanted forcefully due

to the British Raj. Devoid of sacred texts and pandits to

guide them in pooja, these men and women were only

equipped with the memory of Tulsidas’s Ram Charit Manas.

Instead of being exterminated in a foreign land, Hinduism

thrived in this new environment, due to the preservation

and propagation of the Ram Charit Manas amongst the

people.

***

I do pranam in front of the murtis of our family pooja room,

and then walk upstairs, ready to go upstairs. The agitation

of my mind has been silenced, while the wandering has

ceased. In terms of the soul’s spiritual journey, it has per-

haps inched ever-so-slightly closer to Brahman, but the

body has replenished itself as it progresses through the

game of Life. I collapse onto my bed and close my eyes,

knowing that I have not only helped myself through prayer,

but I have helped play a small and yet valuable part in the

preservation of my heritage. The power of prayer is im-

mense.

Sanchay is a high school senior in Massachusetts.

20


EMILY & MALINI

A Poem Ankit Gupta

Emily is a personification of e-mail and Malini is a personification of postal mail.

Ankit is a graduate student at the University of Washington.

21


PERSPECTIVES

22


PERSPECTIVES

an important part of the Hindu American community?

Are Hindu Temples in the United States

23


INDIC FAITHS

A Cohesive Cluster Ajoy Chatterjee

Long before the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians had built

their magnificent civilization, the holy waters of the Sindhu

(Indus) were daily witnessing the lucid and curling columns of

the scented sacrificial smokes and the valleys resounding with

the chants of Rig Vedic hymns. The glorious civilization took its

birth in the lap of the Sindhu river as early as 7000-6500 BCE.

While much of the world outside were occupied cutting

through the Bronze Age, the highly advanced civic societies on

the Harappan banks of the Sindhu grew and eventually spread

toward the east, beyond the alluvial planes of the Ganges and

Saraswati, with the sharpest usage of cultivating tools not yet

known to the rest of mankind. The evolution of this single con-

tinuous stream of civilization is perhaps the most remarkable in

human history. We are in succession of that blazing legacy,

comprising the purest wisdom built over millennia, and we

should take nothing less than pride in this identity.

Who is a Hindu?

Hinduism is much more than a religion; it is a coherently het-

erogeneous cultural entity, a homogenous racial entity, and a

vociferous national entity. What defined the ancestral habitat

of Hindus itself is the source of their name. “Sindhu” was re-

peatedly mentioned in ancient Persian literatures like Zend-

Avesta as “Hindu.” The land washed by the Sapta-Sindhu

(seven rivers), stretching from the banks of the Sindhu (Indus)

to the Himalayas until Sindhu (ocean), is the land of our forefa-

thers. That defines, since the time of the earliest of Homo

sapiens known on this planet, the Hindu nation – Bharat.

Therefore all those who love this land as their father land,

motherland, or ancestral land and consequently claim to in-

herit the blood of that sacred race, by incorporation and/or

Harappan Pashupati, Rig Vedic Rudra, and post-Ramayan

Shiva – an evolution


adaptation can be called a Hindu.

“No people in the world can

more justly claim to get

recognized as a racial unit

than the Hindus and per-

haps the Jews.”

–Veer Savarkar

Brave freedom fighter of

India

And the most recent series of scientific searches flawlessly

prove that DNA samples from across Hindu demographics

bear unadulterated and uniform traits, thereby disproving

existence of any racial divide among Hindus ever. Different

cultures, linguistics, and traditions indeed evolved within

Hindu societies, under the influence of topological, climatic

and other external variations. But at the top of the pyra-

mid, “Hindu” is one – hailing from the identical golden root

of the Sindhus. Needless to say, we, the Hindus Diaspora

living in America, Canada, the Caribbean, UK, Nepal, Sri

Lanka, Mauritius, Africa, Australia, Fiji, Singapore, Malay-

sia, Indonesia, and across the globe are all the lineage of

the same golden root.

Hindu Dharma and Indic faiths

Hindu Dharma is probably the most philosophically rich,

compound and yet liberal and inclusive amongst all others

in the world. This richness has drawn people all over the

world, and this liberalism gives birth to hundreds of

schools of thought. Philosophy for a better mankind and

quest for wisdom for a healthy body, mind, and soul is the

essence of Hindu Dharma.

Nahi Gyanena pavitramiha vidyate

-Shrimad-Bhagavatam

Nothing is purer than wisdom in this world.

24


Broadly, Hindu philosophy comprises of six astika

(accepting the Vedas as supreme) and four nastika

(heterodox) schools.

The major astika schools are:

1. Samkhya – dualist exposition of nature, i.e. pu-

rusha (soul or self) and prakriti (matter and energy)

2. Yoga – advocates meditation and compliments

samkhya

3. Nyaya – methodologies of logic

4. Vaisheshika – physical and metaphysical inference

of nature and Brahma in light of atomism

5. Mimamsa – anti-mystic and practical school of or-

thopraxy

6. Vedanta – philosophical teachings of Upanishads

and humanitarianism

The major nastika schools are:

1. Ajivaka – semi-theist and ascetic school of philoso-

phy (extinct)

2. Boudha – Buddhism

3. Jaina – Jainism

4. Carvaka – materialistic and atheist school (extinct)

This list is just a summary, and Hindu philosophy extends

much beyond them. But the clearest point springing out of

this is that Hindu Dharma is for all – theists, semi-theists,

atheists, vegetarians, non-vegetarians, realists, mystics,

logicists, and who not. Some of these schools of thoughts

have taken shape and are widely regarded as distinct

faiths. Hindu Dharma and all faiths that evolved from the

punyabhumi Bharat are sisterly, complimentary to each

other. Sikhism is the most recent addition to this. They

form the most cohesive cluster of faiths, commonly known

as “Indic faiths,” to the world.

Buddha has been widely regarded as the ninth most signifi-

cant avatar of God Vishnu.

tatah kalau sampravritte sammohaya sura-dvisham

buddho namnanjana-sutah kikateshu bhavishyati

-Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.24)

God says, “Thereafter, in the twenty-first manvantara at

the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord

Buddha, ful demigods.”, the son of Anjana, in Kikata

Pradesa (the province of Gaya-Bihar), for the purpose of

deluding those who are envious of the faithful demigods.”

In Nepal and Tibet, it is difficult to differentiate between

what is Hindu and what is Buddhist. In Tantrism, both the

streams are just tributaries to each other. Here, Goddess Tara

Shakti becomes the female bodhisattva and mother of all be-

ing, in various forms - Green, White, Red and Yellow Tara. God

Bhairava (Shiva) or Mahakala becomes Chakrasambhara. God-

dess Chhinnamasta (one of the 10 mahavidyas) becomes Devi

Vajravarahi. There are hundreds of such examples. Thus, H.H.

Dalai Lama says, “Hinduism and Buddhism are twin brothers.”

Similarly, Jainism has the seeds of the Upanishads and Vedanta.

Lord Mahavira is respected as no less than a holy god-head by

Hindus. Jains and Hindus visit each others’ temples to pray.

Jains worship Lakshmi, Ganesha, Krishna, etc., while in Shravan-

belagola, during mahabhishekam of Lord Bahubali hundreds of

Hindus participate with pious hearts.

Sikhism too reciprocates the same camaraderie. Guru Nanak

Dev ji, while referring to Gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva said,

“It is one God whom we realize in different forms.” Guru Angad

ji was a devotee of Durga Mata. And Guru Govind Singh ji

helped Hindus in joining direct battle against Aurangzeb to pro-

tect the sacred city Ayodhya. Today, one can find hundreds of

Sikh brothers busy in bhajans at Vaishno Devi shrine, while Hin-

dus whole-heartedly visit Gurdwaras and accept all Sikh Gurus

as their holy mentors.

The primeval holy sound of “Om” carries a larger significance

uniting these four faiths of Bharat in one garland. The Buddhist

“Aum,” Sikh “Ek Omkara,” and Jain “Om’” are the ramifications

of the same sacred “Om” which, to every Hindu, is the source

of ultimate power. Let the celestial might of “Om” bestow upon

us all Hindus and the brothers of Hindus. Let Hindus unite glob-

ally for a better, safer and peaceful planet.

Ajoy Chatterjee is a graduate student in Arkansas.


25



INDO-GRECO-COPTIC NEXUS

Mind-Blowing Similarities Between India & Greece Vrndavan Parker

Shri Krishna depicted as East India’s Jagannath (left) and

Northwest India’s Bal Gopal (right)

The historic connections between India and Greece are many.

Recognition of this reality is of great importance and value.

Ancient India and ancient Greece share many incredible com-

monalities so much so that it is as if India, with its languages,

customs, religion, politics, science and culture had been trans-

planted to Greece. This may seem startling to the casual ob-

server, yet many evidences seem to confirm that in ancient

times India and Greece were intimately connected. It can be

asked, “If Greece and India were truly inter-related civilizations,

why do we not see obvious and immediately identifiable evi-

dence of this?”

The answer is that in order to understand that ancient Greek

and Indian cultures are nearly identical, we need to look at

modern India as an example. Since religion is and has always

been a major focus of both Greek and Indian cultures, let us

start there.

If one were to visit a Krsna temple in Northwest India and then

travel to Orissa’s Jagannath Puri, an informed person would

recognize that they are visiting a Krsna temple in Puri as well.

However someone with no knowledge of Hinduism would be

quite challenged to recognize that Bal Gopal of Rajasthan and

Jagannath of Orissa are the same deity.

Travel all over India, and again and again one is confronted by

extremely diverse representations of the same deities and

personalities. Many times the legends themselves are dif-

ferent and barely recognizable. Thus India’s Hanuman is an

eternal Brahmacari, or bachelor, whereas in Thailand this

same Hanuman is married. Most times names are different

as well. Both the mood and modes of worship vary greatly.

Yet most Hindus will be able to recognize that, regardless

of the differences, all these divinities are all a part of the

same religious tradition worshipping the same Gods. Mod-

ern Hindus can easily sort this out because the texts, spiri-

tual lineages, or Sampradayas are intact and most source

materials are still available. This, combined with an impres-

sive record of unbroken traditions, allows us to have a

complete picture of India’s complex religious diversity.

On the other hand, Greece and many other ancient Vedic

cultures lost that connectivity that had allowed them to

retain an accurate understanding of what was what and

who was who. Within their own Greek records they speak

of a time of many wars that nearly destroyed early Greek

civilization. Research has also revealed that in 2193 BCE, a

severe drought lasting 200 years impacted the entire

globe. This is evidenced by black ice samples found in ice

on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. This effectively disrupted

trade and put an end to any ongoing cultural exchanges.

The impact of this drought was so severe that the Nile

River failed to flood for 50 years. The famine and chaos

that followed effectively brought about the end of Egypt’s

Old Kingdom.

Obviously the Greeks were affected as well. As the centu-

ries went on the Greeks were left with mere scattered leg-

ends and broken traditions. They basically lost many and

most of their active links to India. However their culture

and religion was still a Vedic based tradition despite the

fact that the Greeks themselves no longer retained an ac-

curate memory of their own history and culture. Thus the

deities and temples continued to carry out Vedic rituals etc

but they lost the ‘why’ and as time went on they lost the

‘how’ in regards to the authentic Vedic traditions. If this

same trauma had been experienced by the Hindus in India,

perhaps the same situation would have arisen.

26



From left to right, top to bottom:

Ancient Bengali Bronze Radha, Ancient Greek Rhoda,

Modern Indian Radha Krishna, Ancient Greek Rhoda

From left to right, top to bottom:

Ancient Greek Kouros, Ancient Rajput Krishna, Kouros the

Calf Bearer, Gopala Krishna the Protector of Cows

Scholars could easily speculate as to the proper identity of

Jagannath and Krsna. They would obviously be seen as

completely separate Gods. Kali and Durga may have be-

come two competing deities, and Rama and Krsna sepa-

rate Gods. Shiva as the Linga and Shiva in human form

would not be recognized as the same God. Without the

background information how would anyone recognize that

the human form of Shiva and the Linga rock are the same

being? How could anyone ascertain that the Shalagram

rock form of Vishnu and the four armed human-like form

of Vishnu are the one? It would be impossible to ascertain

that all of Vishnu's 10 Avatars are recognized as the same

Divinity?

Now by superimposing this formula on the ancient Greeks

we can begin to understand how ancient Western religion

has been so misconstrued. With this understanding it be-

comes easier to identify the Vedic basis of Greek religion

and culture. The various Greek Gods are the same Vedic

Gods. We see that the Greek God and Goddess Kouros and

Rhoda may indeed be a Greek version of Krsna and Radha.

Not only are the names similar but the names mean the

same thing and these two beings have the same relation-

ship as Radha Krsna within the Indian tradition.

Kouros was actually considered as the origin of all the Greek

gods. He is described as a beautiful youth tending His sacred

white cows with His elder brother and friends. He plays a flute

and leads the boys in dance as they clash their cymbals. The

peacock feather was the pre-eminent symbol of Kouros and

famously of Lord Krsna as well. We can reach these conclu-

sions, not merely based on similarities, but rather upon the

facts. The Vedic and the Greek Gods and Goddesses mentioned

here are exact mirror images of each other.

The article above is an excerpt from Vrndavan Parker’s 27

-page research paper in which he identifies and justifies

several major similarities between the Vedic, Ancient

Greek, and Ancient Egyptian religions and cultures. His

complete work will be published in parts in future online

editions of Tattva Magazine.

Vrndavan is a founding member of WAVES, World Association

for Vedic Studies and the owner of Vedic Empire Productions.

27


United Nations Development Programme as one of the

most useful decentralized sources of energy supply, as

they are less capital intensive than large power plants.

NASA is also planning to use this technology for its future

lunar mission to generate energy on the moon surface. As

a graduate research assistant at the University of Florida, I

have designed such anaerobic digesters for NASA for their

future lunar mission. The same technology NASA is plan-

ning to use for their space missions, I feel, can be of great

potential use for farmers in India. Every farming season,

farmers generate a lot of biomass from their farming ac-

tivities, which is generally dumped as it is or used as a cat-

tle feed. The same biomass, if processed through the an-

aerobic digestion facility, will not only produce the electric-

ity but also reduce the pollution, waste disposal, and pro-

vide fertilizer at the same time.

India’s Ministry of New and

Renewable Energy reported in

their 2008-09 Annual Report that

the nation’s grid-connected

power generation capacity is

14,485 MW, or 9% of the total

power generation capacity. This

number is predicted to reach 87,000 MW by 2022.

Biogas is used to run a gas engine to produce electrical

power. Some waste heat from the engine is then used to

heat the digester. In the United Kingdom, there are about

80 MW total of such generation, with potential to increase

to 150 MW. The scope for biogas generation from non-

sewage waste biological matter – energy crops, food

waste, abattoir waste, etc. is much higher — estimated to

be capable of about 3,000 MW. Farm biogas plants using

animal waste and energy crops are expected to contribute

to reducing CO2 emissions and strengthen the grid while

providing farmers with additional revenues in UK.

Biogas technology is a very old technology in India, but no

one has implemented it in an engineered way. I feel the

top officials in the Indian government should take initiative

to develop such policies in the benefit of farmers. So, here

is

SCIENCE IN SERVICE

of Small Farmers in India Abhishek Dhoble

India being a predominantly agrarian economy, science and

technology can potentially be of great use for the uplifting of

the farming community. In 2004, while reviewing the science

and technology policy of the Government of India, A.P.J. Abdul

Kalam said: “In a world where the powers are determined by

the share of the world’s knowledge, reflected by patents, pa-

pers and so on…it is important for India to put all her acts to-

gether to become a continuous innovator and creator of sci-

ence and technology intensive products.” The importance of

scientific and technological advancement in today’s highly glob-

alised environment cannot be overstated.

“Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” was the slogan of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

This slogan of a visionary prime minister has lost its potential

over time. After independence, according to Mahatma Gan-

dhi’s vision of Gram-Swaraj, villages and especially farmers

were to be the main focus of any development plan of India.

This over the time caused severe distress among the farmers,

leading to the recent dramatic rise in the number of suicides

among the farmer community. Electricity does not touch the

small/marginal and medium-sized landholder, as the cultivation

is deprived of an assured irrigation source. Thus, those who are

cultivating cash crops that require irrigated water have to per-

force rely on the rainfall that is fickle at the best of times. A

technology named ‘Anaerobic Digestion’ has immense poten-

tial for improving the quality of life in rural India. Anaerobic

digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms

break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen-

producing methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas, helping

replace fossil fuels. Anaerobic digestion is a simple process that

can greatly reduce the amount of organic waste, producing

energy at the same time.

Anaerobic digestion facilities have been recognized by the


A domestic ARTI

biogas plant in India.

This utility uses food

waste to supply

biogas for cooking.

Visit

www.arti-india.org

28


in any particular cropping season. There should be one the

is the plan. Generally a district has a 2-3 varieties of crop

production in any particular cropping season. These should

be one common anaerobic digestion facility under direct

supervision of district collector for each type of crop

waste. The energy will be equally distributed among the

farmers producing particular crop type. The energy should

be exclusively used for the farming operations only eg.

Irrigation. The fertilizers will be distributed in proportion of

the biomass waste supplied by a particular farmer. It has

lot of employment potential. The skills available in the lo-

cal community and tribal population should be tapped

through a current scheme of Indian government called

‘Mass Employment Generation through Science and Tech-

nology.’ Some countries offer incentives in the form of e.g.

Feed-in Tariffs for feeding electricity onto the power grid in

order to subsidize green energy production. This is the

time; India should take such critical decisions.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government has

avowed goals to reduce poverty and stimulate develop-

ment. They have acknowledged the importance of invest-

ing in science and technology by announcing a doubling of

related spending in terms of GDP percentage over the next

couple of years. Parliament’s approval of a National Sci-

ence and Engineering Research Board, responsible for

funding and furthering scientific research, is a laudable

step in the right direction. This technology may demon-

strate the successful application of science in the service of

small farmers and toward rural upliftment. India has ex-

perienced the Green Revolution and the White Revolution;

now it’s the time for the Bioenergy Revolution!

Abhishek is a graduate student at the University of Florida

at Gainesville.

The following letter appeared in “Dear Abby,” a syndicated

column published in hundreds of U.S. newspapers: “Dear

Abby, I am a Hindu woman living in the ‘Bible Belt’ *southern

USA]. Many of my friends and acquaintances are Christians,

and they are all wonderful except for one thing. Some try in

small, subtle ways to convert me to their faith. With Christmas

approaching, I know what’s coming: boxes of baked goodies

with little brochures and pamphlets tucked inside all about

Jesus and the Christian faith. I wish you would remind people

that all of us in this diverse nation should respect the faiths of

others. To try to convert someone to your faith implies that

you consider your religious beliefs superior, and this is just

plain wrong. I know these gestures are well meant, but I

wouldn't dream of sending Hindu brochures with my holiday

goodies. Abby, what is a tactful, but firm, way of dealing with

this?” Signed, Happy Hindu In The Bible Belt.

Abby's response: “Dear Happy Hindu, much as you would like,

you are not going to change people who feel its part of their

religious commitment to ‘save’ you. Ignore the brochures and

enjoy the goodies.”

Based on a 12/21/02 Chicago Tribune feature under the head-

line “American Advice Columnist Responds to a Hindu’s Con-

cern.”

“The ecological knowledge that will be crucial to the survival of

humanity in our new century is not only emerging from con-

temporary science, but is also an integral part of traditional

wisdom in many cultures around the world. This beautiful

book connects modern ecology and environmental activism

with the ancient Vedic tradition of India in a way that inspires

contemplation and action.”

Fritjof Capra is a physicist, systems theorist, and bestselling

author.

(The image of the book above was taken from www.aliandesign.com)

Founded in 1979 in Rajasthan by Dattopant Thengadi— a

renowned thinker, organizer of the masses, and Congress-

man— Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (Indian Farmer’s Union) is the

nation’s largest farmer’s advocacy and upliftment organiza-

tion. The BKS employs non-violent movements and demon-

strations when necessary. Its motto is extracted from a lar-

ger phrase in the Rig Veda which translates to, “Don’t gam-

ble; farm, and live graciously on its earnings.” In 2005, the

BKS urged the Indian government to set up a $20 billion

fund for agricultural development.

Visit www.bharatiyakisansangh.org

BHARATIYA KISAN SANGH

GOOD READS V

ED

IC E

CO

LOG

Y


29


VISHWA MANGAL GOU GRAM YATRA

And its Relevance in Today’s Times Balakrishna Sastry

India is on the economic march. However, how can it balance

economic growth with environmental sustainability? According

to the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, India has a

per capita energy use of 510 kg of oil per capita. The same fig-

ure for the US is 7,778 kg of oil per capita. On one hand it

shows the level of prosperity in the US in comparison to most

developing countries. On the other hand, it is clear that it will

be very difficult for the whole world to achieve development

along the lines of the US without seriously endangering even

more resources. As per the 2001 census, just over 72% of the

Indian population lives in rural areas. This is drastically differ-

ent than the US where over 81% of the population per the

2005 census lives in urban areas. Given these facts, is there a

way for India to achieve sustainable growth while at the same

time ensuring environmental sustainability?

Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra is one such attempt which

hopes to combine the traditional Hindu respect for gou mata

(Mother Cow) with the creation of a sustainable economic

model that will make cow rearing a more economically viable

activity and thus re-affirm the cow’s importance and status as a

mother. Our ancient Hindu traditions and scriptures hold the

cow in a very high regard. The cow is the giver of 5 unique

“gavya,” i.e. ghee, milk, yogurt, cow dung and cow urine.

The usefulness of milk has been known from time immemorial

as the source of calcium. Fresh cow’s milk is especially good,

though unfortunately, the homogenization of milk greatly re-

duces the nutritional value of the milk we typically buy in su-

permarkets. Even pasteurization, while increasing shelf life and

being of some safety value potentially compromises the full

value of milk. Ghee is highly regarded in Ayurveda. It has been

claimed in the past that ghee increases cholesterol and is fatty.

Dalda, or vegetable ghee, was marketed as a better substitute.

However, recent research has vindicated the usefulness of

ghee with some studies showing that ghee in fact helps reduce

LDL cholesterol (i.e. the “bad” cholesterol).

Yogurt or curds is of course very good for the digestive system.

The benefits of yogurt are widely documented. Most lactose

intolerant people can take yogurt, and it has been used in

many countries beyond just India, particularly in the middle-

east and Eastern Europe. Continued on Page 30

Coming to cow urine, it may seem odd that something like

urine can be useful for anything. After all, we are pro-

grammed to think that urine is a necessary evil and most

likely something rather gross. However, there is research

going on which shows that cow urine utilized in various

forms to make different products can help treat a variety

of diseases, including cancer. Truly there lies immense po-

tential in this product. It is just a matter of further scien-

tific investigation to reconfirm what our ancestors have

said, along with good marketing which can further

30


I

popularize this. There are a variety of soaps, distilled cow

urine, and related products which are sold.

Finally, cow dung’s importance cannot be overstated. Cow

dung along with cow urine is an important component of

an organic fertilizer and compost. It is a key element in the

agnihotra fire ritual where the smoke from burnt cow

dung adds oxygen to the air and reduces pollution. During

the Bhopal gas tragedy where there was major leakage of

MIC gas, many families suffered from the ill effects of ra-

diation. However according to an April 7th 1985 report

from The Hindu newspaper, 2 families who lived just 1 mile

from the accident were unscathed because of agnihotra.

Some atomic power centers in India and Russia use cow

dung to protect against radiation.

Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra was conceived by many

sadhus, sants, and Hindu-minded organizations, including

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Some of the aims of

the yatra include banning cow slaughter, declaring the cow

as a national animal, and educating people about the use-

fulness of the cow— not just in terms of milk, ghee, and

butter, but also utilizing cow urine and cow dung to de-

velop various organic products and thus emphasizing small

-scale industries along this path. When the knowledge of

the full benefits of cow as well as how to keep the cow

economically viable is missing, farmers may often sell their

cows to butchers in spite of the fact that cow slaughter is

illegal in many states in India.

Currently, the high use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides,

and genetically modified seeds has put many Indian farm-

ers at the mercy of the companies who sell these products.

While such products may initially increase agricultural

yield, it often becomes addictive in terms of using ever

increasing amounts of fertilizers and pesticides to produce

higher yields. Often, even the yields start to decline after

some time due to soil degradation.

This is perhaps a more manageable problem in places like

the United States, where agriculture is dominated by large-

scale agri-businesses that may have the flexibility to culti-

vate different tracts of land. However, Indian farmers are

typically small-scale farmers who can suffer from severe

economic damage if left to the vagaries of high input costs

and volatile prices of agricultural produce. Further educa-

tion of Indian farmers on how to utilize cow dung and cow

urine to stay in or switch back to organic farming is very

important. This will help make farmers more self-reliant

and encourage cottage industries centered around various cow

products. Youtube has an excellent video on “biodynamic farm-

ing” which goes into detail about effective organic farming

methods.

The Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra started in Kurukshetra on

September 30, 2009 and will end on January 16th in Nagpur

after having touched numerous parts of Bharat. The yatra has

received a great response and has been supported by a number

of eminent personalities, including Suresh Oberoi (father of

film star Vivek Oberoi), Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and

others. Various speeches, roundtables, and seminars have been

organized.

Given that Bharat is the land of innumerable villages, develop-

ment paradigms that are less energy intensive would seem to

be the ideal way to curb excess migration to cities and thus

reduce the carbon footprint. Model village development, as

seen in places like Chitrakoot and Mohad, offer some examples

in this regard of making full utilization of the 5 gavyas for food,

medicine, fertilizers, pesticides, electricity generation, etc.

With the spread of this knowledge through Bharat, it can hope-

fully set an example for the rest of the world as to how to in-

crease the economic well-being of the society without degrad-

ing our environment.

Here are a few websites apart from the Vishwa Mangal Gou

Gram Yatra website (http://www.gougram.org) which give in-

formation on different cow based products and their relevant

research.

http://www.goshala.com/

http://www.govigyan.com/index.html

http://www.govigyan.org/default.asp

Balakrishna is an associate financial analyst at an energy com-

pany in California.


“The farmers are not aware

of the significance and

usefulness of the cow. They

do not know that they can

earn more money from the

cows that do not give milk

than the cows that give

milk. It is due to this

ignorance that they sell the

non-milk-giving cows to

butchers.”

Shri Raghaveshwar Bharati Swamiji

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TATTVA TEAM

is a junior at Case Western

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Philosophy. She is involved in

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the community and is the

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APURVA KAUSHIK

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ANKIT GUPTA

is a graduate student

currently working as a

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interested in philosophy,

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the environment, and music.

He lives in Bentonville, Arkansas.

AJOY CHATTERJEE is a graduate student at the

University of Florida at Gainesville

studying Biological Engineering. He

is a Graduate Research Assistant at

the university's Bioprocess Lab

where he is designing a Waste

Management system for a future

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ABHISHEK DHOBLE

is the outgoing editor of Tattva Magazine. She is a

junior at Boston University, studying Journalism

and Economics. She is a Regional Youth

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In her spare time, Aparna enjoys traveling around

India, practicing karate, reading, and writing.

APARNA GARG

is the incoming Editor of Tattva Magazine. He is a

sophomore at Las Positas College in Livermore,

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He enjoys watching C-SPAN, meeting new people, and

keeping busy.

SUDHARSAN DWARAKNATH

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is currently working full time for the

Dharmic. He is a founding member

of WAVES, the owner and founder

of Vedic Empire Productions, a

founding member and former Vice-

President of the Vedic Friends

Association, and a former executive board

member of Community Television of Lane

County, Oregon.

VRNDAVAN PARKER

is a sophomore at Case Western

Reserve University studying

Aerospace and Mechanical

Engineering. He is President of

the CWRU Hindu YUVA chapter

and works with Sewa Int'l on

the Bhutanese Refugee

Empowerment project. He enjoys Cross Country,

Track & Field, and studying the Vedantas.

SAI KOLLURU

is a senior in high school in

West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

He has interned in the

Scheduling Office of MA Gov.

Deval Patrick and is a branch

manager of Hindu

Swayamsevak Sangh, USA.

Sanchay enjoys reading and listening to music.

SANCHAY JAIN

is a senior at the University of

California at Berkeley studying

Integrative Biology. She is a

County Youth Coordinator for

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA

and the President of the UCB

Hindu YUVA chapter. She is a Yoga Bharati

certified Yoga instructor. She enjoys craft

making, meeting new people, and traveling.

RASHMI PRIYANKA PATIL

completed his Bachelor’s from IIT

Bombay and Master’s from University

of Washington. He was the first editor

of Tattva. After working for a few

years in the software industry, he

decided to pursue a career in social

entrepreneurship in India. In his free

time, he enjoys reading, watching theme-based

movies, and analyzing economic trends.

SHOBHIT MATHUR

is a graduate student at the

University of Texas at Dallas

studying Computer Science.

Sharath is the Vice President

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chapter. He is interested in

spirituality and enjoys

reading books and learning about the

saints of India.

SHARATH KUMAR

BALAKRISHNA SASTRY

holds a Bachelor's in Economics

from the University of California

at San Diego. She is the Vice

President of Public Relations and

Media at Sewa International USA.

She is interested in Hindu Dharma

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spirituality. Sonia enjoys dancing, reading, cooking,

going to India, and eating sweets.

SONIA GOSAIN

is an associate financial

analyst at Edison Mission

Energy in Irvine, California. He

completed his MBA from UC

Irvine. He spent one year as a

full time volunteer for Hindu

Swayamsevak Sangh, USA. His interests include

yoga, economics, sports, and traveling.

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HINDU YUVA: YOUTH FOR UNITY, VIRTUES, AND ACTION

Bringing youth together to practice, protect, preserve, and promote Hindu Dharma

Welcome 2010! An entire

decade of the 21st century

is over. A lot has happened

and continues to happen in

the United States and

around the world. As young

Hindu Americans, we have a

responsibility to contend

with. A responsibility of

being the inheritors of the

oldest and the most inclu-

sive culture in existence. A responsibility to share the culture

and its universal values with the wider American audience. A

responsibility to preserve the meaning, understanding, and the

practice of the culture for those who are Hindu Americans.

Indeed, let us welcome this hugely important responsibility

with blessings of our ancestors while keeping in mind the wel-

fare of the world.

As one of the major cultures of the world, the pluralistic Hindu

Dharma has great values to offer to humanity, especially in the

decade that has been rife with religious conflicts and heinous

terrorist acts, including the tragic events of September 11th. It

is perhaps a great coincidence that the great Hindu monk

Swami Vivekananda came to Chicago as a representative of

Hinduism at the World Parliament of Religions on September

11th, 1893. His now famous speech that started with, "Dear

Brothers and Sisters of America..." carry more meaning and

weight than ever before. The service organization started in his

honor, Vivekananda Kendra, celebrates Universal Brotherhood

Day each year on September 11th to commemorate Swami

Vivekananda's historic address.

Let us understand the true meaning of the words of the great

ANNUAL HINDU YUVA CAMP

“Our youth must be made to feel proud of

being born in the great lineage of rishis and

yogis. If we have to live up to their legacy,

we must live as Hindus, we must appear as

Hindus and we must make ourselves felt by

the whole world as Hindus."

- Shri Golwalkar Guruji, lifelong social worker

Swami Vivekananda and act on it to welcome this new

decade. Let us, as young Hindu Americans, strive hard to

bring forth the pluralistic values of Hindu culture in this

post-modern world. The young and energetic karyakartas

(volunteers) of Hindu YUVA (Youth for Unity, Virtues, and

Action) have been working hard on university campuses

across the United States to do justice to do this great re-

sponsibility. On the next page, you will find several activi-

ties, projects, and programs that have been and are being

conducted to carry forth the message of Hindu Dharma

and to help its followers live its values. Let this be the

change that we can not only believe in, but the change

that we can make happen!

“O fortunate youth, recognize this great

duty. Feel this wonderful privilege. Take

up this adventure. God watches you

graciously, ever ready to help and guide.

I wish you to be great. The world has

put its faith in you. Your elders keep their hopes in

you. Now youth means to place your firm confidence

in yourself and exercise your hopeful determination

and resolution and willing good intentions in this

beautiful task of self-culture. This will truly bring

supreme satisfaction and fulfillment not only to you,

but also to all concerned. The shaping of your

life is indeed in your own hands.”

Swami Vivekananda

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Speaker on Campus: Bringing the Relevant Knowledge of Hindu Culture to Universities

Hindu YUVA organized Speaker on Campus, a lecture series to raise awareness about Hindu Dharma, at 24 universities last fall.

This program brought eminent speakers to university campuses to present to students and faculty on topics such as Yoga, Ay-

urveda, and Hindu philosophy. Speaker on Campus has been conducted across the country for the past four years.

University Shakha: Creating a Regular and Sustained Cultural Experience

Hindu YUVA organizes weekly gatherings, called Shakha, at 18 universities across the country. Students gain knowledge about

Hindu Dharma not just by listening to presentations or reading books, but by immersing themselves in firsthand experience: by

doing yoga, playing games, having intellectually stimulating discussions, and doing community service projects around campus.

Yuva Sangam: A Confluence of Young Minds

Yuva Sangams are day-long or weekend retreats that bring together youth and help them connect to their Hindu roots. Activi-

ties include games, yoga, team-building workshops, and discussions on challenges and opportunities faced by Hindu youth in

America. Last year, five regional yuva sangams were held around the country, with participation from 200 youth.

Yuva for Sewa: Opportunity to Create Positive Change

For the past four years, Yuva for Sewa provides youth an opportunity to volunteer their time, while using their area of interest,

to help the disadvantaged. Projects throughout the US, India, and the Caribbean are designed for building leadership and

teamwork, empowering visionaries, and providing firsthand experience in helping the community. Last summer, five student

volunteers dedicated a few weeks to service projects as diverse as microfinance, slum development, and teaching English.

Leadership Development Camps: Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

Week-long leadership development camps are organized to help youth realize and prepare for exceptional leadership roles.

These intensive and fun-filled training camps build confidence, instill a sense of social service, promote leadership qualities,

and help build a strong network of like-minded youth. Last year, 60 youth participated in five such camps.

Tattva: A Magazine for Hindu Youth

The magazine you are reading now was started by Hindu YUVA three years ago as a way to present inspiring aspects of the

ancient Hindu culture along with related current day issues, and offer youth a forum to share ideas. Tattva has grown to reach

an audience of 2,500 readers in 18 countries.

Hindu YUVA: Activities and Projects in 2009

Contact us at [email protected] or visit us at www.hinduyuva.org for more information!

1. Arizona State Univ.

2. Case Western Reserve Univ.

3. California State University,

Fullerton

4. California State University,

Northridge

5. Illinois State University,

Bloomington

6. Jersey City

7. Northeastern University

8. North Carolina State Univ.

9. New York University

10.San Jose State University

11. University of California,

Berkeley

12. Univ. of California, Irvine

13. University of Cincinnati

14. University of Florida,

Gainesville

15.Univ. of Georgia, Athens

16. University of Houston

17.University of Southern

California

18.University of Texas, Austin

19. University of Washington,

Seattle

20. Univ. of North Carolina,

Chapel Hill

21. Univ. of North Carolina,

Charlotte

Hindu YUVA: University Chapters

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We hope you enjoyed reading this edition of Tattva. While Tattva is an interesting and informative read, it is also

an opportunity for each of you to contribute articles and share your ideas. Here are some possible topics:

Basic tenets of Hinduism; Great personalities; Hindu history; Hindu art, dance, music, and festivals

How Hinduism can contribute to solving current world problems

Personal experiences; reflections; current events

Quizzes, puzzles, poems, and artwork….or any other topic you find interesting!

We eagerly look forward to your feedback on this third anniversary edition of Tattva. E-mail the editor to let us

know what you would like to see in future editions. Please let your friends know about Tattva. The previous

editions are available online at www.hinduyuva.org/tattva

E-mail the editor at [email protected]

Subscribe to receive monthly issues of Tattva by sending an e-mail once to [email protected]

WHAT’S YOUR HQ?

CONTRIBUTE TO TATTVA

Determine your HQ (Hinduism Quotient) by going through the list of Hindu scriptures, great personalities, and sacred places below and checking off the ones you are familiar with. Calculate your total score by adding up your points (easy ones get 1 point, medium ones get 2 points, and difficult ones get 3 points). Visit www.hinduyuva.org/tattva and enter your score in the box to find out your Hinduism Quotient!

All of the great people, places, and scriptures listed above come from the Ekaatmata Stotra, a beautiful hymn describing the unity in diversity of Bharat. To listen to the Ekaatmata Stotra, check out www.geetganga.org/ekaatmata-stotra

Easy (1 point each)

Himalayas

Ganga

Ayodhya

Amritsar

Bhagavad Gita

Draupadi

Janaki

Sati

Rani Lakshmibai

Guru Gobind Singh

Shri Ram

Ekalavya

Manu

Buddha

Kalidas

Mahavir

Tulsidas

Janak

Shri Krishna

Agastya

Ashoka

Chanakya

Maharana Pratap

Chhatrapati Shivaji

Swami Vivekananda

Mahatma Gandhi Medium (2 points each)

Vindhyachal

Kaveri

Takshashila

Vijayanagar

Puranas

Gargi

Arundhati

Durgavati

Nivedita

Prahlad

Harischandra

Bheeshma

Parashuram

Bhagiratha

Rantideva

Shankaracharya

Chaitanya

Narshi Mehta

Birsa Munda

Surdas

Ravi Varma

Markandeya

Pushyamitra

Chandragupta

Vikramaditya

Krishnadevaraya

Sushruta

Subrahmanya Bharati

Dr. Hedgewar Difficult (3 points each)

Malaya Giri

Brahmaputra

Avanthika

Prayag

Agama

Tripitaka

Anasuya

Kannagi

Shukadev

Dadhichi

Prithu

Dhanvantari

Nimbarkacharya

Purandaradas

Bhata Khanda

Bhagya Chandra

Kharavela

Samudragupta

Harshvardhan

Lalitaditya

Musunoori Nayaka Total Score: __________ Enter your score at www.hinduyuva.org/tattva Descriptions of the above items are also available on the Tattva website.

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Documents

Tattva - Hindu Magazine for Youth