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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
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
TTATTVAATTVA --- AAA TRIBUTETRIBUTETRIBUTE TOTOTO HINDUHINDUHINDU CULTURECULTURECULTURE
INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF HINDU YUVA
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January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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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Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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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January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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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Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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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January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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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Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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.
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January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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.”
10
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
“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
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Continued on Page 18
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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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Continued from Page 17
Sai is an undergraduate student at Case Western
Reserve University.
19
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
PERSPECTIVES
22
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
PERSPECTIVES
an important part of the Hindu American community?
Are Hindu Temples in the United States
23
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Continued on Page 24
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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.
Continued from Page 23
25
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
Continued on Page 26
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
Continued from Page 23
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
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Continued on Page 28
A domestic ARTI
biogas plant in India.
This utility uses food
waste to supply
biogas for cooking.
Visit
www.arti-india.org
28
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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
Continued from Page 27
29
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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.
Continued from Page 29
“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
31
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
TATTVA TEAM
is a junior at Case Western
Reserve University, studying
Philosophy. She is involved in
many social service projects in
the community and is the
Philanthropy Chair for the
CWRU Hindu YUVA chapter. Her interests include
reading, painting, and drawing.
APURVA KAUSHIK
is a PhD student in the Dept. of
Computer Science and
Engineering at the University of
Washington. He is particularly
interested in contributing to
society through his research
and social service projects. Ankit enjoys
traveling and understanding the self better.
ANKIT GUPTA
is a graduate student
currently working as a
Project Lead for Cognizant
Tech Solutions. Ajoy is
interested in philosophy,
Dharma, politics, technology,
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
NASA lunar mission.
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
Coordinator for Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA.
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,
California studying Chemistry. Sudharsan is a County
Youth Coordinator for Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA.
He enjoys watching C-SPAN, meeting new people, and
keeping busy.
SUDHARSAN DWARAKNATH
32
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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
of the UT Dallas Hindu YUVA
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
and other faiths, social issues, and
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.
33
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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
34
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture
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
35
January 2010 - 3rd Anniversary Edition
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.
36
Tattva - A tribute to Hindu culture