Sunday, April 29, 2018

Lord Krishna the union joint of two cultures

Lord Krishna, the Union Joint of two cultures.

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions of the world and the holy books of Vedas are the most ancient literature, derived from sruti (what heard). Lord of Fire, Lord of Winds, Indra, Ashwini Kumars, etc, are the major deities of Rigveda. The Richas of Rigveda are the prayers of these lords. Yajurveda focuses on rituals, Samveda on musical chanting of the prayers, and Atharva the mixer of all three. Offerings to these deities for security and prosperity was more common in the culture of those days. There are Richas referring Indra’s war with the demons and the black skin people. It is an indicator of the practice of discrimination by during Vedic era. 

Weaver (non Brahmin) Rishi Gutsamad (without ego), in second mandal of Rigveda, Sukta 19, Richa-6 and Sukta-20, Richa-7 describes the war of Indra with the natives of the land. 

स रन्धयत्सदिवः सारथये शुष्णमशुषं कुयवं कुत्साय । दिवोदासाय नवतिं चनवेन्द्रः पुरो व्यैरच्छम्बरस्य ॥(Rig 02.019.006)
(That Indra has destroyed 99 colonies of the exploiters and cruel people to protect the kutsa community)

स वृत्रहेन्द्रः कृष्णयोनीः पुरंदरो दासीरैरयद्वि । अजनयन्मनवे क्षामपश्च सत्राशंसं यजमानस्य तूतोत् ॥(Rig 02.020.007)
(That Indra killed the army of the blacks (practice of apartheid?), created land and water  for humans (his men), and fulfils the desires of the hosts).

The cultural pressure from the western area over the native Indians of the eastern India to follow Vedic rituals might had been a major issue of the  disputes, fire/wars between the Aryans (Vedic people) and Anaryan/Dravid/ (native Indians). 

At this junction point, Krishna enters. There is a story of Krishna’s fight with Indra, the lord of thunder and rains. Krishna opposes the annual offerings to Indra and defines Dharma for individual, the role to perform duties to the best of the abilities. He opposes prayers and offerings to the natural forces. Villagers of Vrindavan agree with him and stop the worship of lord Indra. Angry Indra floods the village and Krishna then lifts the Govardhan hill up and saves his people and cattle from the floods of Indra. Indra accepts the defeat and India thereafter moves to the path of Karma, the new philosophy preached by Lord Krishna. 

The major Kings of Mahabharata were not Kshatriyas! Rishi Ved Vyas was the son of Rishi Parasar (Brahmin), born out of the sexual act of Parasar with the fisherwoman Matsyagandha in a boat. Her father was away and the girl gave a lift to the Rishi to cross the river. Matsyagandha (Satyavati) then married to King Shantanu of Hastinapur. They had two sons, Chirtavirya and Vichirta Virya. When they grew up, their elder brother Bhishma (son of Shantanu and Ganga), abducted three daughters of Kashya, the King of Kashi. Two of them got married to the two sons of Matsyagandha and the third Amba committed suicide, later born as Shikhandi. After the death of Shantanu, the kingdom was run by Matsyagandha with the help of Bhishma. But in doubts over the relation between Matsyagandha and Bhishma, the two sons committed suicide. Bhishma as per his pledge couldn’t marry but to carry the race of the kingdom ahead, Ved Vyasa the son of Matsyagandha was called to performed niyoga with the widows. He performed niyoga over three, Ambika, Ambalika and the maid. From that, Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidur were born. Thereafter, there was fight for kingdom between the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Krishna sided with the five sons of Pandu. They were not the real sons of Pandu. Pandu had a curse, can die if go for sex, therefore Kunti delivered three children and Madri delivered two children through mantra/niyoga with the deities of Vedas (Lord of Dharma/Fire, Lord of Winds, Lord of rains Indra, and two Ashwini Kumars). Karna (Radhey) might be the son of Radha, but to add Kshatriya character in him, the story of Surya-Kunti putra might had been depicted. Similarly, Krishna the son of Yashoda and Nanda, the Yadavas (cattle rearers), but he became a legendary, therefore, again to prove that only Kshatriya can perform such act, the story of Vasudev-Devki might had been depicted. 

Look at the diplomacy of Krishna, he opposed and fought with Indra when he was in youth and his village was in floods; but as a king of Dwarika, he took side with Indra’s son Arjuna and his brothers, who were the sons of Vedic deities. He was Chandra Vanshi but tied himself with the Pandavas, the Surya Vanshi. His time was the time of the unification of India, merger of the culture of the west and east, the Vedic and non-Vedic. West (present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and western India) was the land of Indian Aryans and East was the land of the Native Indians. When Krishna was attacked by the kings of the east, he fled and settled in Gujarat near the Sea around Junagarh (not Jamnagar!). He was accepted as 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. 

The culture of ancient India has been described well in the great epic Mahabharata and when we look at the culture of the present day India around, things are not changed much. The same cultural conflicts and coordination go on amongst the upper and lower sections of the society. Equality still remains the biggest challenge of the country after the cultural journey of 5000 years. 

Punamchand
29 April 2018

Monday, April 16, 2018

Lopamudra

Lopamudra

Vedas are written in ancient Sanskrit, therefore, there will be conflict between shabdartha (the literal meaning) and bhavartha (spirit/secret meaning). One may miss the message if follow the literal meaning.

Rishi Agastya Maitravaruni had composed 234/238 slokas of hymn 165-199 of Mandal 1 of the Rigveda. 2 slokas of the hymn 179 were composed by his wife Lopamudra and 2 slokas of the hymn were composed by his celibate disciples. Mandal 1 and 10 are later addition to the oldest text of 2-9 Mandals of Rigveda and were likely to be composed around 1300 BC, the time of Sangam-2 in South India. Therefore, Rishi Agastya may look a mythological character, but the hymn in Rigveda and supportive evidences of tales spread across the country and around don’t deny his historical existence too.

He had composed prayers of the Gods present in various forms in nature: Marut ganas (God of Winds), Indra, Ashvins, the Heaven and the Earth, Varuna (God of Rains), Anna (God of Food), Agni (God of Fire), Brihaspati, the Sun, etc. In hymn 199 he talks about Ayurveda, describes the poisonous creatures over earth and the Madhula technique of removing the effect of poison in the presence of the Sun.

But in a book full of prayers to the Nature Gods, only 6 slokas of the hymn 179 devoted to Rati/love and made it romantic! When one prays someone, one praises him/her, starts offering, but when fell into love, may enter into the romance of Rati. Humans may follow celibacy but the hormones of the age force him/her to surrender to creation. Therefore, we read many stories of sexual acts of Babas and their women disciples.

But there are always secret/spiritual meanings behind the Srutis.

The first two verses are expressions of Lopamudra's passion filled approach to her husband, highlighting his old age and his coolness towards her charms. Lopamudra by composing just 2 slokas, deified love/rati an object of life. She reminds her aged husband about his role in creation.

पूर्वीरहं शरदः शश्रमाणा दोषा वस्तोरुषसो जरयन्तीः । मिनाति श्रियं जरिमातनूनामप्यू नु पत्नीर्वृषणो जगम्युः ॥ (Through many autumns have I toiled and laboured, at night and morn, through age-inducing dawnings. Old age impairs the beauty of our bodies. Let husbands still come near unto their spouses.)

She further reminds him that “For even those ancients who served truth and at one with the gods spoke truths, even they got out of harness for they did not reach the end. Wives should now unite with their husbands (to produce children)(ये चिद्धि पूर्व ऋतसाप आसन्त्साकं देवेभिरवदन्नृतानि । ते चिदवासुर्नह्यन्तमापुःसमू नु पत्नीर्वृषभिर्जगम्युः ॥)

What did Agastya reply?

न मृषा श्रान्तं यदवन्ति देवा विश्वा इत्स्पृधो अभ्यश्नवाव । जयावेदत्रशतनीथमाजिं यत्सम्यञ्चा मिथुनावभ्यजाव ॥
(Not in vain is the labor that the gods help. Let us take on all contenders; let us two win here the contest of a hundred stratagems, when a united couple we will drive on.)

नदस्य मा रुधतः काम आगन्नित आजातो अमुतः कुतश्चित् । लोपामुद्रा वृषणंनी रिणाति धीरमधीरा धयति श्वसन्तम् ॥ (when the ways of the river/lust is blocked, the power generated (physical and mental) through that restraint inspires the desire of getting a child. Lopamudra makes the bullish one flow out, but the husband who controls his breath can control his restlessness.)

The disciple/student overheard the conversation of the couple (knowledge of love) composed:
इमं नु सोममन्तितो हृत्सु पीतमुप ब्रुवे । यत्सीमागश्चकृमा तत्सु मृळतुपुलुकामो हि मर्त्यः ॥(The Soma (coldness) that is most near within my heart, and has been imbibed within the spirit, pardon us for any sins (listening the talk or getting excited) we have committed. Verily mortal man is full of longings.)

And at the end of the hymn, praise their Guru in following words:

अगस्त्यः खनमानः खनित्रैः प्रजामपत्यं बलमिच्छमानः । उभौ वर्णावृषिरुग्रःपुपोष सत्या देवेष्वाशिषो जगाम ॥
(Agastya with his research and new inventions (obtaining desired results)thus, nurtured both the groups: those engaged in producing children and those getting power through living a life of restraints (celibates). He arrived at his hopes, which came true among the gods.). Human lives in restrain can perform better in research and innovation!

Each one of us is made of two forces of the nature, the Purusha (male) and the Prakriti (female). We are made from Agastya and Lopamudra. Lopa means lost/disappeared and mudra means beauties or postures/strength. Agastya is ageing and Lopamudra is disappearing, and all of us are passing through the mental war of running after the lust or applying restraint over the lust. Life is passing through the cycle of childhood, youth, adult and old age. Each stage has Karmas link with body cycles governed by the hormones. Therefore, Agastya has to serve the purpose of life before the Lopamudra disappears. (Lost time never returns). The objective of Rati/Sex is for reproduction (through spouse), not to make sex a mean of pleasure, otherwise, the society without restraints can turn into a society of criminals and rapists.

Before Mudra (beauty/strength) disappears (Lopa), use the age (Agastya) for the betterment of your family, friends, society, country, whom you love (Rati) the most. Lol 😆

Punamchand
16 April 2018

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Agastya, who brightened India

Agastya, who brightened India

Agastya, the sage not born in a Brahmana family but became Brahmana with his karmas of spreading knowledge. He was the first test tube baby of his time born out of the earthen pot (kumbha). Varuna (mind) and Mitra (karmendriyas) saw Urvashi (lust-desire) and ejaculated semen that fell into a mud pitcher from where the fetus of Agastya grew. 

He had traveled from North India to South India and upto Java in Indonesia and made the Indian Union of Ubhay Varnas (multi colours) of one culture of unity in diversity. He and his wife Lopamudra had composed 21 hymns of Rigveda. Interestingly, his character is present in Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other ancient literature; might be an indicator of his school of knowledge was present through Ashrama/Gurukul. 

He was founder of acupressure (treatment through vital points) and may be of marshal art. He was the union jack to join Sanskrit and Tamil and might had attended the second sangam. When it was difficult to cross the Ocean, he had traveled upto Java and had been referred in the literature of Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia. 

Northwest in Indian history was always a pressure corner from where the invaders were entering and pushing the ethnic population down. The Dev-Danav wars (a war between the Persian Aryans- Ahuras and Indian Aryans-Suras) might had divided the culture into two major streams. 

It is interesting to note that ancient Indian religion didn’t  propagate idol worship. It was mainly the worship of the energy of the God spread in different forms in the universe. Therefore, the area between Afghanistan and Pakistan moved from Vedic religion to Buddhism and then to Islam easily. But the Indian continent, covered with forest might had had many streams of rituals of worshiping idols in many forms and with the mixture of Vedic and Ethnic culture the new religion of Hinduism was born. 

How interesting it is to note the contribution of two great sages of India, one Agastya Muni traveling from North to South and another Shankaracharya traveling from South to North to make India the continent of knowledge, harmony and spirituality.

Punamchand
12 April 2018
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