Issue 08 Volume 02-03 August-September 2008

GANESANI NARA ALLSOP DISCOVERING GANESH NAVARATRI SHANA DRESSLER H.H. SrI SIVANANDA SANDHYAVANDANAM EVERYTHING IS TRUE with accompanying audio HOOMAN MAJD SRIVATSA RAMASWAMI ROBERT BEER MANGA INTERVIEWED BY BARRY SILVER ROBERT SVOBODA DOUBLE TAKE DINESH KHANNA Publishers & Founding Editors Robert Moses & Eddie Stern Advisors Dr. Robert E. Svoboda Meenakshi Moses Jocelyne Stern Editors Meenakshi Moses Eddie Stern Design & Production Robert Moses Eddie Stern Diacritic Editors Vyaas Houston Isaac Murchie Circulation & Distribution Youngblood Roche Assistance from Deborah Harada Website Development Matt Alexander Kendal Kelly Robert Moses

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Sri Swami -devananda Gaņeśanī, , South . January 2007. Photograph by Robert Moses. 2 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 ISSUE 08 VOLUME 02 AUGUST 2008 ISSUE 08 VOLUME 03 SEPTEMBER 2008

GAŅEŚANĪ The Female Gaņeśa 4 DURGA PUJA or NAVARATRI 29 Nara Allsop H.H. Sri Swami MANGA 6 EVERYTHING IS TRUE 33 Barry Silver Hooman Majd SANDHYAVĀNDANAM 8 AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT BEER 37 Srivatsa Ramaswami Dr. Robert E. Svoboda An audio file of Srivatsa Ramaswami chanting DOUBLETAKE the in this rare article is available at: DURGA PUJA PANDAL 46

http://www.namarupa.org/volumes/vol02.php Dinesh Khanna DISCOVERING 21 Shana Dressler

NÄMARÇPA uses diacritical marks, as per the chart shown below, for the transliteration of all Saêskäta words. While many of the articles do contain these marks, it is not a universal occurrence in the magazine. In those cases where authors have elected not to use diacritics, Saêskäta words remain in their simple, romanized form. Chart by Vyaas Houston.

अ आ इ ई उ ऊ a ā i ī u ū ए ऐ ओ औ e ai o au ऋ ॠ ऌ ॡ अं अः ŗ ř ļ ĺ ał aģ क ख ग घ ङ ka kha ga gha ńa च छ ज झ ञ ca cha ja jha ña ट ठ ड ढ ण ţa ţha ďa ďha ņa त थ द ध न ta tha da dha na प फ ब भ म pa pha ba bha ma य र ल व ya ra la va श ष स ह śa ša sa ha � � � kša tra ña

August & September 2008 3 í®‰ÀŸ≤¤

Y GAŅEŚANĪZ THE FEMALE GAŅEŚA Artwork and Text by NARA ALLSOP

4 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 ndia is home to a variety of little- her bottom right hand) her broken left Gaņeśanī extends her left arm out in Iknown images of an elephant-headed tusk, a pink lotus, cakra (discus), śūla dance posture. Both hold lotus buds Goddess. The earliest currently known (trident), either an ańkuśa (elephant in their right hands. Why Gaņeśanī dates from the first century bc and goad) or mazhu (axe)–there is some has the lower half of a tiger or Vyāla was excavated in Rairh near Jaipur. It damage to the mural just where the is unknown as no textual description is a small terracotta and very rough. blade of either implement would has been discovered as yet. However, Although its identification is disputed, be–pāśa (three-corded noose), sugar it is interesting that Chidambaram one can certainly make out the goddess’ cane, ripened grain, a blue lotus and has historically been known as Puliyur image in the worn terracotta if one a fruit–possibly mango or citrus. In (Tigertown) due to Goddess Kālī’s wishes to! Such two-armed figures are addition, Gaņeśanī holds a golden chain patrolling the vicinity with the help of a sometimes considered to be Yakšīs– in her trunk. The trunk is right turning, tiger. The great devotee of Śiva Naţarāja, magical female nature spirits. which is said to indicate that the deity is also known as Vyāghrapāda, is given his There is also the elephant-headed suitable for tantric worship. Her skin is tiger legs as a boon from Śiva. This was Yoginī included in the iconographic vermillion and she wears a blue dress. to enable him to better reach the flowers programme of the tenth century he required for pūjā from the tree tops Chaunsaţha Yoginī temple in Hirapur, or the painting, I have translated of the ‘tillai’ forest of Chidambaram. Orissa. In various Purāņas groupings of Fthis mural from the simplistic but Vyāghrapāda Gaņeśanī, on the lower such Yoginīs are usually given as sixty- powerful Keralan style into the more right of the painting, is from a wooden four. The earlier conception of these visually complex Tamil idiom. The issue sculpture at Tirunelveli’s Nelliyapan forms is that of powerful, dangerous, over the object held in her upper right temple. She is marching forward with dreaded beings to be placated and hand being an axe or goad is resolved by gadai (mace), udaivall (sword), kedaya worshipped as grantors of magical depicting an implement that could serve (shield) and ańkuśa (goad). Not all Tamil power and averters of disease and both functions. The facts that Gaņeśanī forms of Gaņeśanī are tiger-legged–a witchcraft, much in the same way as is three-eyed and holds her broken four-armed version is shown in relief Grāma-Devatās are regarded in small tusk indicate that she is the female at Suchindram’s Sthanumalaya Temple villages throughout India. These Yoginīs counterpart to Gaņeśa as opposed to within the Chempakaraman Mandapa are shown with all kinds of animal her being solely an independent Yoginī, seated on a throne in lalitāsana with her heads–snake, crane, goat, buffalo, lion, Matrika, or nature spirit, as some left leg extended. vulture and many more, including writers have suggested. Furthermore, elephant. So it would seem that this in the ten-armed form at Kuttipuram, hese are very exciting times is a separate identification to that of a the skin coloration matches that most Tfor the iconographic study female form of Gaņeśa. Of course, this popularly seen in Gaņeśa–vermillion, of Gaņeśanī and no doubt further is India and categorizations merge. The and also, the Deity wears the crescent discoveries are to be made as She Wills. later conception of the Yoginīs is that of moon on her crown. In addition, all of In my own research, I tentatively propose emanations of the Great Goddess Devī her implements are those commonly that the Goddess currently identified or servants of . The Kālikā Purāņa held by South Indian forms of Gaņeśa. as Śaradā, who is seated on the lap of mentions ten million such Yoginīs. One further irrefutable piece of the peacock-mounted, three-trunked A feminine Gaņeśa may perhaps evidence toward a definite identification Ganesha, housed within the eighteenth be a later conception arising with the of a female Gaņeśa is the very recent century Trisunda Gaņapati Temple in explosion of Gaņeśa’s popularity in discovery by Dr. J.N. Pandey, History Pune, may, in fact, be Gaņeśanī. This medieval times. The Devī Sahasranāma Professor of Allahbad University, of a is due to what could be interpreted includes names of such feminized forms rock-cut sculpture of Gaņeśa seated as Her having a trunk, rather than as Lambodāri, Gaņeśvarī and Vainayakī. with Gaņeśanī at His side. Ganesha possessing an overly elongated Up until now, iconographic scholars who In the Vijayanagar period, Tamil trunk on his left, in comparison to the have written on the subject have been Nadu gives rise to the visually arresting central and right trunks. She can also silent or unaware of a spectacular ten- form of Gaņeśanī with the legs and be identified as Gaņeśanī because of her armed form of Gaņeśanī painted on the feet of a lion (Vyāla) or tiger (Vyāgra). pot belly and . Anyway, it is an sanctum wall of the nineteenth century The two-armed Vyāgrapāda Gaņeśanī altogether highly unusual icon, as the Śiva temple in Parayil, Kuttipuram, at the bottom left of the painting is peacock-mounted Mayureśvara Gaņeśa Kerala. This image is of particular from a stone relief within the Madurai is, in every other case I know of, shown importance because no other ten-armed Śrī Mīnākšī Temple’s Kambattadi with only one trunk. form is known; all others recorded thus Maņďapa. A similar form is also seen at far are two- or four-armed. Not only Chidambaram’s Śiva Naţarāja temple. Nara Allsop a painter of deities, studied this, but her iconographic attributes are In our form, the Deity’s left arm is for five years with Robert Beer. Helives in nearly totally undamaged and visible. hanging by her side in dola hasta mudrā, Arizona under the auspices of his patron, Gaņeśanī is holding (clockwise from whereas Chidambaram’s Vyāghrapāda Lee Lozowick.

August & September 2008 5 6 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 August & September 2008 7 Barry Silver teaches Ashtanga Yoga in Japan. SANDHYĀVANDANAM Ritualistic Gāyatri SRIVATSA RAMASWAMI Photographs by Badri Ramaswami

8 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 andhyāvandana is a structured rajas, and tamas–slowly deteriorates. (citta) becomes totally transformed Smeditation ritual centered on the Sattva becomes dormant and the mind (pariņāma). One can maintain a sattvic profound gāyatrī . The gāyatrī becomes dominated by tamas and rajas. mind or a one-pointed mind (ekāgratā) is considered the mother of all vedic Once these two guņas take hold of the all through one’s life and use it to obtain mantras even as the praņava () is mind and dominate it, they incline spiritual results as well. considered the origin of the . the mind to the same groove, the same sałskāra. According to sāmkhyas and andhyāvandana offers a struct- íŸæ&¤~~~~Ä ö≥Æ–ŸÄ ºŸ™Ÿ ÑÆÄ ∏˘“˜ ú‹Œ—∆ ≤Å | , a tamasic mind tends to become Sured, regular and, sustained med- gāyatrīł chandasāł mātā stagnant and depressed. A predominantly itative practice that combines āsana, idał jušasva naģ | rajasic mind, on the other hand, tends to nyāsa, prāņāyāma, gāyatrī mantra, become aggressive, angry, distracted, and and prayers to the Lord and the other The Vedas themselves exhort the likely to experience considerable pain. devatās, and helps the mind and body initiated to worship the Sun every Once these guņas dominate the mind, to experience great comfort (sukha) dawn while facing the East with gāyatrī they often make people depressed, weak, and to attain spiritual awakening and mantra. This mantra is at the heart of and considerably anguished. Sałskāras freedom. the sandhyāvandana ritual. Sandhyā (habits) strengthen tamas and rajas and Sandhyāvandana is a daily ritual means the meeting, or meeting of night make one continue to function in the (nityakarma) that may be considered and day, and vandana means worship. same groove all through life. a duty for those initiated into the Sandhyāvandana is Sun worship with Almost every mind is capable of study and practice of the Vedas. Many meditation on the gāyatrī mantra. experiencing sukha (comfort) and ekāgrāta perform it three times a day: at dawn, The word sandhyā is etymologically (concentration) as a matter of habit if the at noon, and at dusk. It is then known interpreted differently by some scholars. mind becomes sattva dominated. Many as trikālasandhyā (worship done at the Sandhyā is considered a word derived old texts including the venerated Bhagavat three sandhyās of the day). The mantras from the root dhyai, to meditate or Gītā exhort everyone to make the body/ and procedures vary slightly depending think deeply (dhyai cintāyām), as is the mind increasingly sattvic, and maintain upon the time of day, the denomination yogic word dhyāna, meditation. The a sattvic mode all through life. But how to which one belongs, the veda or prefixsał means something complete, it does one achieve this? veda sect to which one belongs, and being a cognate of the English word sum Yoga offers a time tested and which code book (smŗti) one follows. which means total. So sandhyā could be fundamentally sound solution. Ac- In the south, most people follow the considered to mean total contemplation. cording to Patañjali, Svātmārāma, and Āpasthamba code book (Āpasthamba And sandhyāvandana could be thought other yogis and yoga texts, a proper, well sūtra/smŗti). of as worship (of the Sun) with complete designed, and regular āsana practice will contemplative veneration, a complete slowly but surely reduce the rajasic guņa he sandhyāvandana ritual is made meditative ritual. in us. Likewise, the other highly ven- Tup of three parts: the pūrvāńga, Universal interest in mantras and erated yet rarely observed yoga practice, the preliminary part of the ritual; the meditation has been growing steadily prāņāyāma, reduces the debilitating gāyatrī ; and then the upasthāna, or and even Western medicine has begun to and corrupting influence of the heavy additional worship. There are some slight view meditation as a healthful practice. tamas. With the weakening of rajas differences in the choice of the mantras But some meditative procedures and tamas, the previously dormant during the three sandhyās done at adopted by contemporary yogis lack sattva slowly takes hold of the mind. dawn, noon, and dusk, but here we will proper structure. Many choose mantras A well regulated consistent practice of basically follow the dawn ritual. There at random and practice meditation meditation (dhyāna, sałyama) slowly are also three very important functions irregularly. The ancients found that well- strengthens the sattvic sałskāras. If in sandhyā: the arghya pradhāna or thought out meditation done regularly a person practices a proper mix of offering to the Sun, as sanctioned in the and with sincerity was a restorative āsana, prāņāyāma, and meditation, Vedas; prāņāyāma done with the Vedic practice for the mind. associated with a regulated sattvic diet prāņāyāma mantra; and the meditative It is traditionally believed that the and the lifestyle practices recommended japa (repetition) of gāyatrī mantra. mind, made up of the three guņas–sattva, in the -, then the mind

August & September 2008 9 Pūrvānga Ācamana After a bath or shower, or a dip in the river or village pond, one starts the sandhyā before dawn facing the East. One sits on one’s haunches with knees spread, in kūrmāsana, or seated turtle pose, somewhat similar to the yogic utkaţāsana. The first procedure is called ācamana. One keeps the right hand slightly cupped using the mŗgī mudrā as in prāņāyāma and pañca pātra pours a spoonful of water taken from the vessel pañca pātra which is kept in front.

Then, silently saying

Çôæ‹™Ÿæ ≤ºÅ acyutāya namaģ Salutations to the one who does not deteriorate or fall from His exalted position [the Lord]. A prayer to Lord Rāma called Śrī Rāma Jayam extols the one should tilt the water into the greatness of this mantra.1 slightly opened mouth from the hand and swallow it. Çôæ‹™Ÿ≤≥™ íË⁄∆≥Æ kūrmāsana ≤ŸºËôöŸ¿® ∫‰ŒúŸ™Î With a second spoon of water one says ≤Õæ⁄≥™ –郟 ¿ËíŸÅ –´æÄ –´æÄ ∆ÆŸΩ擺Π| Ç≤≥™Ÿæ ≤ºÅ acyutānanta govinda anantāya namaģ nāmocchāraņa bhešajāt Salutations to the One who extends nasyanti sakalā rogāģ beyond the entire creation, or another satyał satyał vadāmyaham | meaning would be One who is the By the medicine of the Universal Breath, or Life. chanting of the names achyuta, ananta and govinda, Thirdly, with another spoonful of water all diseases are eradicated, in the hand, one says the mantra this is the Truth, and certainly this is the Truth. íË⁄∆≥ÆŸæ ≤ºÅ govindāya namaģ 1This part of the śrī rāma jayam Salutation to the Cowherd, or the ācamana stage one prayer, which starts with ‘āpatām One who shepherds all the beings. apahartārał’, is recited by parents to children before they go to and then sips the sanctified water. sleep, so that they sleep without nightmares. Children are assured early in life that the Lord will These three mantras are done at the protect them always, even when beginning of all rituals, and are said to they sleep. be the first ‘purificatory’ mantra.

ācamana stage two

10 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 Nyāsa The next step as part of ācamana is called nyāsa, or invoking the Lord to protect the important senses. Placing the right thumb on the right cheek one would say keśava, a name of the Lord. Then saying nārāyaņa, keśava nārāyaņa one places the right thumb on the left cheek. Then say mādhava and place the right ring finger on the closed right eye, then govinda touching the closed left eye. višņu is the mantra said when one places the right index finger outside the right nostril and then the same finger is placed by the left nostril saying madhusūdana. mādhava govinda Trivikrama is the mantra used with the right little finger on the hole of the right ear and vāmana is the name of the Lord said while placing the same finger on the left ear. The right middle finger is then placed on the right shoulder while the mantra śrīdhara is muttered and then on the left shoulder, saying hŗšīkeśa. Then all the višņu madhusūdana fingers are kept together and one touches the navel or heart saying padmanābha and then the top of the head saying dāmodara. These are the dvādaśa mantras (twelve sacred mantras) of Lord Višņu, invoked to protect all the senses and the vital organs.

GaŅapati dhyāna trivikrama vāmana Meditation on Lord Gaņeśa for the removal of all impediments in the performance of the sandhyā ritual follows. Closing both the fists, gently tap the temples repeatedly, saying the following mantra À‹èƒŸÄ∏¿∞¿Ä ⁄∆œ®‹Ä śrīdhara hŗšīkeśa À⁄À∆®@Ä ò™‹∫@‹úºÎ | ¥˘–NŸ ∆Æ≤Ä ±æŸæ‰™Î –∆@⁄∆îÙË¥ÀŸ≥™æ‰ || śuklāłbaradharał višņuł śaśivarņał caturbhujam| prasannavadanał dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye || I meditate upon the all pervading padmanābha dāmodara Supreme Lord , wearing a white cloth and having a white complexion, with four arms and a pleasing face, for the removal of all impediments.

Gaņapati dhyāna

August & September 2008 11 Samantraka PrāŅāyāma SaŁkalpa Samantraka Prāņāyāma is prāņāyāma A resolve, a determination. with the vedic mantra. Keeping the This mantra is repeated with theprayoga , fingers of the right hand in mŗgī mudrā or by keeping the left hand on the right or deer gesture, one closes the right thigh and keeping the right palm on it at nostril and slowly inhales through right angles. This procedure is universal the left nostril. Then closing both the for all rituals including japa or pūjā. nostrils, one should mentally chant the prāņāyāma mantra slowly. ººË¥Ÿ% –º—™ Æ‹⁄¿™’æظŸ¿Ÿ Ã˘¤¥¿º‰Ã¸¿ ¥˘¤´æ¨@Ä ¥˘Ÿ™—–≥±æŸÄ Ü¥Ÿ⁄–œæ‰ | F ∫›Å | F ∫‹∆Å | F–‹∆Å | F º“Å | F ú≤Å | mamopātta samasta durita kšayadvārā F ™¥Å | F –´æºÎ | F ™´–⁄∆™‹∆@¿‰©æÄ ∫íË@ śrīparameśvara prītyarthał Ɖ∆—æ ∞¤º⁄“ | ⁄∞æË æË≤Å ¥˘òËÆ柙Π| Ç˺Ÿ¥Ë prātassandhyāł upāsišye | ùæË™¤¿–Ëɺ‡™Ä ∏˘“˜ ∫›∫@‹∆—–‹∆¿ËºÎ || To eradicate all the sins I have prāņāyāma oł bhūģ | oł bhuvaģ | oł suvaģ | oł accumulated, and to please the mahaģ | oł janaģ | oł tapaģ | Supreme Lord, I now worship Goddess oł satyam | oł tatsaviturvareņyam sandhyā with intense meditation. bhargo devasya dhīmahi | dhiyoyonaģ pracodayāt | om āpo jyotirasaģ amŗtał Mārjana brahma bhūrbhuvassuvar om || Mārjana is the wiping away of dross–a Om is the consciousness of the bhū loka purificatory procedure. The prayoga of or that in individual waking state. Om the mantra is to sprinkle on oneself a is the consciousness in the dream stage. small quantity of water while chanting Om is the consciousness in the deep the mantra. A spoon, uddharaņī, full sleep stage. Om is the consciousness in of water is taken from the pūja vessel, the turīya or the individual liberated panca pātra, and placed across the top of stage. Om is the consciousness of the the vessel. First write Om on the water macrocosmic stage of Universal creation. in the spoon and repeat Om śrī keśavāya sałkalpa with prayoga Om is the consciousness of the stage namaģ, making a vertical mark with the of deep contemplation of Universal water on the forehead. Dipping the tip Creation. Om is the Supreme pure of the right ring finger into the water, Consciousness. one should sprinkle the water on oneself (prokšana) at the end of chanting each Then one should exhale slowly of the following vedic mantras: through the right nostril. This is one prāņāyāma. ÇŸ¥Ë⁄“}Ÿ ºæË∫‹∆Å | With this, all the of āpohišţhā mayobhuvaģ | Consciousness, from the waking ™Ÿ≤ áú‰@ Æ∞Ÿ™≤ | individual to the undifferentiated tāna ūrje dadhātana | supreme consciousness are contemplated º“‰¿®Ÿæ ò’–‰ | as One Consciousness, an advaitic or maheraņāya cakšase | non-dual contemplation of the ultimate æË∆⁄ÕÀ∆™ºË¿–Å | Writing ‘Om’ in the water reality. Some yogis do this contemplation yovaśśivatamorasaģ | by focusing on the cakras sequentially ™—æ∫Ÿú晉“ ≤Å | from mūladhāra to sahasrāra. Then the tasyabhājayateha naģ | gāyatrī mantra is chanted (the meaning ÜÀŸ™¤⁄¿∆ ºŸ™¿Å | is given when we discuss the gāyatrī uśatīriva mātaraģ | meditation later) and finally the last ™—ºŸ Ç¿~íºŸº ∆Å | portion is known as śiras or head. Om tasmā arałgamāma vaģ | is the pure consciousness (āpaģ), it is æ—æ ’æŸæ ⁄ú≥∆¨ | effulgence, essence of everything rasaģ( ), yasya kšayāya jinvatha | immortal or non-changing (amŗtam), ÇŸ¥Ë ú≤樟 ò ≤Å | the source of the Universe () āpo janayathā ca naģ | and is known/experienced individually You, the water are the givers of in waking, dream, and deep-sleep stages great happiness. (bhūrbhuvassuvarom). Give us the great eyes of wisdom. Om śrī keśavāya namaģ

12 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 You have the most enjoyable peace- Thus chanting the mantra the producing essence. Give us that here practitioner drinks the water from the itself, like the loving mother and make right hand. us worthy. There are different mantras from the We seek you for that great essence. Vedas that are used for the noon and May we be reborn with wisdom. dusk rituals.

With the last mantra one should sprinkle Punarmārjana the water on the right and left knees. For purification, at the end of each mantra, using the tip of his right ring F ∫›∫‹@∆—–‹∆Å || finger, the practitioner sprinkles the oł bhūrbhuvassuvaģ | ‘mantra-impregnated water’ from the spoon onto himself. prokšana So chanting, a spoonful of water is poured into the hand and circulating Æ⁄∞é˚Ÿ⁄∆©®Ë Ç韌@ºÎ the hand around the head the water is ⁄úœ®Ë¿XŸ—æ ∆Ÿ⁄ú≤Å | offered into the ground –‹¿⁄∫ ≤Ë º‹êŸé¿™Î ¥˘Ÿ® ÇŸæ›Ä⁄Œ ™Ÿ⁄¿Œ™Î || Prāśana ÇŸ¥Ë⁄“}Ÿ ºæË∫‹∆Å | One sips a spoonful of water after purifying ™Ÿ≤ áú‰@ Æ∞Ÿ™≤ | it with the following mantra. This mantra º“‰¿®Ÿæ ò’–‰ | is pertinent to morning sandhyā. æË∆⁄ÕÀ∆™ºË¿–Å | ™—æ∫Ÿú晉“ ≤Å | –›æ@XŸ ºŸº≥æ‹XŸ º≥æ‹¥™æXŸ ÜÀ™¤⁄¿∆ ºŸ™¿Å | º≥æ‹é‚™‰ªæË ¥Ÿ¥‰ªæË ¿’≥™ŸºÎ | ™—ºŸ Ç¿ÄíºŸº ∆Å | æÆ˙Ÿ&⁄æŸ ¥Ÿ¥ºéŸŒ@ºÎ | æ—æ ’æŸæ ⁄ú≥∆¨ | º≤–Ÿ ∆ŸòŸ “—™ŸªæŸºÎ | ÇŸ¥Ë ú≤樟 ò ≤Å | mārjana right knee ¥�Ÿº‹Æ¿‰® ⁄ÀÕ≤Ÿ | F ∫›∫@‹∆—–‹∆Å || ¿Ÿ⁄&—™Æ∆ƒ‹Ä¥™‹ | dadhikrāviņņo akāŗšał æ⁄´éÄò Æ‹⁄¿™Ä º⁄æ | jišņoraścasya vājinaģ | Ñƺ“Ä ºŸºº‡™ æË≤È | surabhi no mukhākarat –›æ‰@ ùæË⁄™⁄Œ ú“Ë⁄º —∆Ÿ“Ÿ || prāņa āyūłši tārišat || sūryaśca mā manyuśca manyupatayaśca āpohišţhā mayobhuvaģ | manyukŗtebhyo pāpebhyo rakšantām | tāna ūrje dadhātana| yadrātriyā pāpamakāŗšam | maheraņāya cakšase | manasā vācā hastābhyām | yovaśśivatamorasaģ | padbhyāmudareņa śiśnā | tasyabhājayateha naģ | rātristadavalułpatu | uśatīriva mātaraģ | yatkiłca duritał mayi | tasmā arałgamāmavaģ | idamahał māmamŗta yonau | yasya kšayāya jinvatha | sūrye jyotiši juhomi svāhā || āpo janayathā ca naģ | mārjana left knee Sūrya, the Sun, anger which possesses oł bhūrbhuvassuvaģ || everyone, and the gods that govern I salute the Lord who bears the whole anger, may they protect me from all the Universe, permeates it, the source of sins committed due to anger. all skills in the form of hayagrīva, the All the sins committed in the previous conqueror. May He keep my face (mouth) night—by mind, words, arms, legs, and other indriyas sweet smelling. stomach, sex organ, may the deity of night remove and all other sins The second part of the mantra committed by me. Thus cleansed of all starting from āpohišthā has already been sins, may I offer into the luster of the described in the Mārjana. Sun, and may it be that this action be well observed.

oł bhūrbhuvassuvaģ

August & September 2008 13 Arghya pradāna ÇŸ⁄Æ´æÄ ™¥@æŸ⁄º The next procedure, known as arghya –輀 ™¥@æŸ⁄º pradāna (respectful offering), is ÇñÎ퟿éÄ ™¥@æŸ⁄º considered a very important ritual. Take ∏‹∞Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º a spoonful of water in the right hand. ∏‡“—¥⁄™Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º Facing East in the morning moments À‹é˚Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º before sunrise and at noon, or West in À≤ÊXŸ¿Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º the evening moments before sunset, one ¿Ÿ“‹Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º should chant the following mantra and é™‹Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | pour the water on the ground. ādityał tarpayāmi somał tarpayāmi F ∫›∫‹@∆—–‹∆Å | ańgārakał tarpayāmi ™´–⁄∆™‹∆@¿‰©æºÎ | budhał tarpayāmi ∫íË@ Ɖ∆—æ ∞¤º⁄“ | bŗhaspatił tarpayāmī arghya pradāna step one ⁄∞æËæË≤Å ¥˘òËÆ柙Π|| —∆Ÿ“Ÿ || śukrał tarpayāmi oł bhūrbhuvassuvaģ | śanaiścarał tarpayāmi tatsaviturvareńyam | rāhuł tarpayāmi bhargo devasya dhīmahi| ketuł tarpayāmi| dhiyoyonaģ pracodayāt || svāhāģ || éÂÀ∆Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | This is done three times at dawn and ≤Ÿ¿Ÿæ®Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | dusk and twice at noon. This mantra ºŸ∞∆Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | is the gāyatrī mantra. Then prāņāyāma íË⁄∆≥ÆÄ ™¥@æŸ⁄º | with the mantras is done for prāyaścitta ⁄∆œ®‹Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | (repentance for transgressions due to º∞‹–›Æ≤Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | tamasic mind) followed by one more ⁄&⁄∆é˚ºÄ ™¥@æŸ⁄º | arghya as described. ∆Ÿº≤Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | Ã˘¤∞¿Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | arghya pradāna step two Aikya anusandhāna „Œ¤éÂÀÄ ™¥@æŸ⁄º | Meditating on oneness. ¥T˜≤Ÿ∫Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º | One touches the water dropped on the ÆŸºËÆ¿Ä ™¥@æŸ⁄º || ground and keeps the moist fingers at keśavał tarpayāmi | the heart saying the following mantra nārāyaņał tarpayāmi | mādhavał tarpayāmi | Ç–Ÿ∆ŸÆ⁄´æË ∏˘“˜ ∏˘“˜Ê∆Ÿ“º⁄—º | govindał tarpayami | asāvādityo brahma višņuł tarpayāmi | brahmaivāhamasmi | madhusūdhanał tarpayāmi | This āditya or the Sun is verily the trivikramał tarpayāmi | brahman. And I am that brahman.1 vāmanał tarpayāmi | śrīdharał tarpayāmi | TarpaŅa /devatarpaŅa hŗšīkeśał tarpayāmi | Presenting libations of water to please padmanābhał tarpayāmi | the Lord and the planetary gods. Take dāmodarał tarpayāmi || a spoonful of water in your right hand, chant each of the mantras one by one Then Acamana is done one more and, at the end of chanting the mantras, time. With this the preliminary part is raise the hand and pour the water on to over, and one sits and prepares for the the ground as in arghya pradāna. One second part which is the gāyatrī japa or starts with offerings to the nine planets: meditation. Aditya (Sun—adityam tarpayami), (Moon) or Śiva, Angaraka (Mars), Gāyatrī japa Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Start with gaņapati dhyāna, then Sukra (Venus), Sanaiscara (Saturn), perform one round of prāņāyāma and Rahu (the shadow planet I) and Ketu then the japa sałkalpa–a resolve to do (shadow planet II). Then to the twelve gāyatrī japa. The mantra (mamopātta names/aspects of Lord Višņu. …) is chanted with the palms placed

1This is done only by adherents of some sects who are comfortable with Advaita philosophy. 14 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 one on the other on the right thigh. One The same procedure is repeated for would add that one will do a certain the vyāhŗti portion of the prāņāyāma. number of repetitions of gāyatrī, or say Touching the crown one would say that one will do mamopātta samasta… bhūrādi sapta vyāģŗtīnāł bhŗgu aštottara śata samkhyā / aštottara sahasra vasišţa gautama kāšyapa āngīrasa ŗšayaģ sałkhyā gāyatrī mahāmantra japał meaning that for the seven vyāhŗtis or karišye. For example, one could resolve utterances, starting with bhūģ, the seven to keep chanting until after the Sun rises ŗšis associated with each one of them are completely in the East, until the stars Atri, Bhŗgu, Kutsa, Vasišţa, Gautama, appear in the evening, or the resolution Kāšyapa and Angīrasa. Then, as one could be for a specific number of touches the nose, the following mantra repetitions–say 108 or 1008. is chanted silently, gāyatrī ušņik anušţup One of the most important practices bŗhatī pałktī tŗšţup jagatī chandāłsi, nyāsa ŗši before starting meditation or japa or pūjā meaning the chandas or meters of is doing a certain number of repetitions the Vedas are gāyatrī, ušņik, anušţup, of prāņāyāma with mantras. This bŗhatī, pałktī, tŗšţup and jagatī. samantraka prāņāyāma is extolled in all Then, touching the heart, one silently Yoga disciplines, haţha yoga, remembers the following mantra: or mantra yoga. According to Patañjali, vāyu arka vāgīsa varuņa viśvedevāģ prāņāyāma removes tamas (āvaraņa or devatāģ meaning the deities remembered cobwebs) from the mind and makes it are Agni, Vāyu, Arka, Vāgīsa, Varuņa, fit for meditation (dhāraņā). Usually Indra and Viśvedevās. prāņāyāma is done with the famous prāņāyāma mantra, described earlier. PrāŅāyāma It is customary to use a prayoga Preparation for japa with an important mantra. Many According to and several other vedic mantras have a ŗši or sage who sages and smŗtikāras (those who have intuitively ‘discovered’ the potent written code books consistent with the nyāsa chandas mantra, its meter and the devatā to teachings of the Vedas), prāņāyāma whom it is addressed. In prāņāyāma should be done with the mantras. we have three mantras, first the seven According to an oft-quoted verse found vyāhŗtis with praņava preceding in Manu Smŗti and several other books, each one of them, then the gāyatrī, prāņāyāma should be done with the and last the part called the śiras or mantras chanted while holding the head. One touches the head, nyāsa breath. ŗši, as one mentions the name of the sage credited with the mantra, then –…柄⁄™Ä –¥˘®∆ŸÄ íŸæ&⁄ŸÄ ⁄À¿–Ÿ –“ | one touches the mouth or, more ⁄&Å ¥§‰™Î ÇŸæ™Å ¥˘Ÿ®Å ¥˘Ÿ®Ÿæº—– Üô晉 || usually, the nose, nyāsa chandas, savyāhŗtił sapraņavāł while chanting the chandas or the gāyatrīł śirasā saha | meter in which the mantra is ‘seen’ triģ paţhet āyataģ prāņaģ and then one touches the heart with prāņāyāmassa ucyate || the fingers of the right hand, Prāņāyāma is said to be that procedure nyāsa devatā devatā, saying the name of the devatā. when the mantra consisting of the For prāņāyāma first the praņava is seven vyāhŗtis with praņava, then taken. While touching the crown, gāyatrī and then the śiras is chanted the mantra praņavasya ŗširbrahmā is three times while holding the breath. chanted silently, meaning that the Creator Lord is the sage who uttered Since only adept yogis can hold their the OM mantra initially, then one breath for three rounds of mantra japa, touches the nose saying devī gāyatrī it is customary to chant the mantra chandaģ, or naming the meter–here once holding the breath, but to do the it would refer to gāyatrī–and finally prāņāyāma three times. Different smŗtis one touches the heart and chants the refer to different procedures, but all of mantra paramātmā devatā or the deity them refer to samantraka prāņāyāma is the Supreme Self or the Lord. (prāņāyāma done with mantras).

August & September 2008 15 Gāyatrī āvāhana everyone and the life of everyone, you Before starting the gāyatrī japa, it is are the conqueror of everything. customary to meditate on gāyatrī and O gāyatrī, sāvitrī and sarasvatī invoke and invite gāyatrī into oneself. (three aspects of the Sun) This is called āvāhana. There is a vedic I beseech you to be present in me. mantra of gāyatrī invitation. First the nyāsa for the āvāhana mantra: While saying the āvāhayāmi mantras Keeping the fingers on the crown, one one would inwardly turn the hands in would say a gesture of invoking gāyatrī within oneself (see āyātu nyāsa). ÇŸæŸ⁄´∆⁄™ Ç≤‹∆Ÿé—æ ∆ŸºÆ‰∆ à⁄ŒÅ | āyātviti anuvākasya vāmadeva ŗšiģ | Then, after the nyāsa of gāyatrī, the For the mantra starting from gāyatrī japa or repetitive meditation is āyātu, the sage is vāmadeva. performed. āvāhana mudrā

Then one would keep the fingers –Ÿ⁄∆_æŸ à⁄ŒÅ ⁄∆øŸ⁄º&Å touching the mouth (or nose) and say ⁄≤ò‡íŸæŸ&¤ ö≥ÆÅ | anušţup chandaģ (the meter for this –Ÿ⁄∆™Ÿ Ɖ∆™Ÿ || mantra is anušţup) and then keeping sāvitryā ŗšiģ viśvāmitraģ the fingers touching the heart one nicŗgāyatrī chandaģ | would chant silently gāyatrī devatā (the savitā devatā | deity is gāyatrī). Then the gāyatrī āvāhana is done with Keeping the fingertips touching the the hands in āvāhana mudrā, wherein crown, chant the mantra which means one keeps the hands in añjali mudrā, Viśvāmitra is the ŗši. Placing the fingers but keeps the thumbs touching the base on the nose or mouth, declare: the meter of the respective ring fingers. is nicŗ-gāyatrī. Then placing the fingers on the heart, affirm that Savitā, or Sun, ǟ柙‹ ∆¿ÆŸ Ɖ∆¤ Ç’¿~ ∏˘“˜–⁄Ωº™ºÎ | is the deity worshipped. āvāhana mudrā detail íŸæ&¤Ä ö≥Æ–ŸÄ ºŸ™Ÿ ÑÆÄ ∏˘“˜ ú‹Œ—∆≤Å | āyātu varadā devī Gāyatrī japa akšarał brahma sałmitał | Then one should do the gāyatrī japa, the gāyatrīł chandasāł main aspect of sandhyā mātā idał brahma jušasvanaģ | May the goddess (gāyatrī), grantor of F | ∫›∫‹@∆—–‹∆Å | ™´–⁄∆™‹∆@¿‰©æºÎ | all desires, the mother of all meters, ∫íË@ Ɖ∆—æ ∞¤º⁄“ | ⁄∞æËæË≤: ¥˘òËÆ柙Π|| enter this eternal hymn of praise, the oł | bhūrbhuvassuvaģ | gāyatrī mantra, equal to Brahman. Be tatsaviturvareņyam | favorable to us. bhargo devsya dhīmahi | dhiyo yonaģ pracodayāt || ÇŸ‰úË⁄– | –“Ë⁄– | ∏ƒº⁄– | ∫˘ŸúË⁄– | Ɖ∆Ÿ≤ŸÄ ∞Ÿº≤ŸºŸ⁄– | The meaning, according to the micro- ⁄∆Õ∆º⁄– ⁄∆øŸæ‹Å –∆@º⁄– | cosmic interpretation, is as follows: –∆Ÿ@æ‹Å Ç⁄∫∫›¿ËÄ íŸæ&¤ºŸ∆Ÿ“æŸ⁄º | āyātu nyāsa –Ÿ⁄∆&¤ºŸ∆“æŸ⁄º | The three vyāhŗitis, the Praņava (Om) –¿—∆™¤ºŸ∆Ÿ“æŸ⁄º || are in me as paramātman, bhūģ (the ojosi | sahosi | balamasi | bhrājosi | witness of the waking state), bhuvaģ devānāł dhāmanāmāsi | (the dream state) and suvaģ (the deep viśvamasi viśvāyuģ sarvamasi | sleep state) sarvāyuģ abhibhūroł gāyatrīm āvāhayāmi | sāvitrīm āvāhayāmi| Or according to the macrocosmic level: sarasvatīm āvāhayāmi || O gāyatrī! You are vitality, energy, Om the paramātman is the creator of physical strength, mental strength, the earth (bhūģ), the intermediate region the luster of divinity, you are the (bhuvaģ) and the heaven (suvaģ). universal space, universal time, you are The gāyatrī … “ May the luster of the

16 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 Lord in the orb of the Sun on which to do a smaller number, say fifty-four or to be in vogue. The creases at the root we meditate kindle our intellects” sixty-four, or thirty-two, or even twenty- of the little finger then the next two or seven, but not less than that. It is said folds then the tip of the little finger “May we meditate on the luster of that one should limit the gāyatrī chant to are counted. Then the thumb is moved the Lord, the Supreme Creator, who 108 especially gŗhasta or family people to the top of the ring finger and then kindles our intellect.” as they have other duties like further the two folds and then the bottom of pujas or wordly activities like jīvanopāya the ring finger, thus it would be eight The difference lies in the interpretation (making a living). However, vānaprastha counts. Then the thumb is moved to of the words saviturvareņyam. Savitā is (retirees), sałnyāsin (renunciates) and the middle finger root and the next line another name of Sun and also Creator. brahmacārins (students) can do up to and that is the meru or peak, then the Vareņya could mean that which surrounds, 1008 repetitions. I knew a young man of thumb works in the reverse order and or here, the orb of the Sun or it could about thirty-five years who had decided thus it would be twenty mantras in mean the Superior One, the Lord. to do gāyatrī japa ten million times in one round and five such rounds will Some chant the bare gāyatrī mantra his life. By doing 1008 repetitions every be one hundred . There are some starting with tatsavitur, but many chant morning he had planned to complete other variations but suffice it to know with Praņava preceding the mantra–Oł the ten million repetitions in a matter of that the counting is done with the tatsavitur. But traditionally the gāyatrī about thirty to thirty-five years. Starting longitudinal lines of the fingers of the mantra is chanted with the praņava and this vow at the age of about ten years right hand. And while doing japa one the vyāhŗtis and thus three important he had, when I met him, followed this superior method is to stop at the end mantras are chanted together as shown practice for about twenty-five years. I of each repetition and dwell on the above–Oł bhūrbhuvassuvaģ tatsavitur, also know of other people who chant meaning of the mantra, then continue etc. Viśvāmitra, the sage credited with their favorite mantras ten million times in this manner. It will be consistent the discovery of the gāyatrī mantra, (one crore). They are said to attain with Patañjali’s yoga sūtra, where he recommends chanting the gāyatrī mantra mantra (successful use of the says, tajjapaģ tadartha bhāvanam, and with the three important mantras, the mantra) by this kind of perseverance. the elaborate commentary on this sūtra gāyatrī with the praņava and the three Another piece of information may be of Śańkara. vyāhŗtis. Some say the bare gāyatrī mantra of interest. Some ancient sages suggest is called sāvitrī and gāyatrī mantra is the doing gāyatrī japa while holding the Gāyatrī Upasthāna more complete one including the praņava breath in prāņāyāma. Inhale through After one completes the japa, the next and three vyāhŗtis. one nostril and while holding the step is to proceed to do upasthāna–giving breath, chant the gāyatrī as many times a reverential farewell to the gāyatrī–and do ow many times should one chant as possible, then exhale stopping the other additional worships and procedures. Hthe mantra? And how should one japa. Then again inhale, hold the breath After the gāyatrī japa one should do a do the japa or mantra repetition? Several and continue with the japa. This may have different prescriptions. be repeated as many times as necessary According to many the gāyatrī should until one completes the predetermined be repeatedly chanted facing the East in number of japa, possibly 108. the morning and West in the evening. Some use a japa mālā, a with One should be standing in the morning 108, fifty-four or twenty-seven beads, while doing the japa according to many and after chanting the mantra once, experts, but one should assume a seated they push one bead and so on until posture in the evening. But many going they reach the peak or meru which will by the general rule that meditation indicate the end of one round of japa. should be done while seated, do so all But many orthodox people, while doing the time they do Japa. In the olden gāyatrī japa, do not use a japa mālā days many would go to the river or the but use the cross lines of the fingers. village tank for an early morning bath. Many who have been initiated into the After ablutions, they would stand in Vedas through (initiation knee-deep water and offer the arghya to ceremony) have a sacred thread which the rising Sun and then continue to do they are supposed to wear all the time. the gāyatrī japa standing in the water. In With the thumb and the index finger the noon and evening sandhyās one is (web) around the knot of the sacred supposed to sit and do japa. thread, they would use the right thumb It is customary to silently chant and count by moving the thumb with the gāyatrī mantra 108 times in the the longitudinal creases of the fingers. morning. Sometimes one is permitted Again different procedures are found Counting mantra japa

August & September 2008 17 round of prāņayāma with mantra and friend (the Sun) who protects all abhivādana or obeisance mantra and then, with folded hands or hands in añjali beings. The omniscient Sun-god then bends down and places the tip of mudrā, say: knows everything and conducts the the fingers on the ground as a gesture lives of all beings. He supports the of reverence to all the devatās. One may ¥˘Ÿ™—–≥±æŸ Ü¥—¨Ÿ≤Ä é⁄¿œæ‰ | earth and the heaven. The Sun-god also lay prostrate in daņďa samarpana as prātassandhyā upasthānał karišye watches all beings without a wink. a gesture of total surrender. Now I will do the upashtāna We make offerings to Sun-god, made of rice and for eternal boon. Abhivādana Then standing up, in tadāsana, and Oh Lord-Sun, the universal friend, Gesture of respect. with folded hands looking at the East, whosoever wishes to worship you in The abhivādana mantra varies depending one says the following vedic prayer, the the right way, may such a person be upon one’s or lineage. There are gāyatrī upasthānam endowed with all righteous ! about twenty that are well known. The one who has received your It normally refers to vedic sages of the Ü%º‰ ⁄À꿉 Ɖ∆¤ ∫›ΩæŸÄ ¥∆@™º›∞@⁄≤ | blessings will not fall ill, and sins of lineage, usually about three but rarely ∏˘Ÿ“˜®‰ªæË “¯≤‹◊Ÿ≤Ä íôö Ɖ∆¤ 樟 –‹êºÎ || the recent or distant past will not five as in my gotra śrīvatsa. The mantra uttame śikhare devī afflict him of śrīvatsa gotra goes as follows bhūmyāł parvatamūrdhani | brāhmaņebhyo hyanujñānał Devatā vandanaM Ç⁄∫∆ŸÆæ‰ ∫Ÿí@∆ ôæ∆≤ ÇŸ¥Ù∆Ÿ≤ gaccha devī yathā sukham || Worship of praiseworthy gods. ÇŸÊ∆@ úŸºÆì≥æ ¥ÄòŸ¿Œ‰æ O, the lustrous one (gāyatrī), Then facing the direction of the gāyatrī ¥˘∆¿Ÿ⁄≥∆™Å Ã˘¤∆´– íË&Å | having given your blessings to us, japa (East in the morning, West in the ÇŸ¥—™º∫ –›&Å | æú‹ÕÀŸêŸïæŸæ¤ | devotees of the supreme Lord in this evening), with folded hands one should Ã˘¤ ¿Ÿº—∆Ÿº¤ ÀºŸ@≤ŸºŸ“Ä Ç⁄—º ∫ËÅ || world, please happily return to your say sandhyai namaģ or salutation to abhivādaye bhārgava cyavana āpnavāna abode in the highest peaks of the goddess Sandhyā, then turning ninety jāmadagnya pañcāršeya (Meru) Mountain. degrees to the right one would say pravarānvitaģ śrīvatsa gotraģ | with folded hands sāvitryai namaģ or āpastambha sūtraģ | yajuśśākhādhyāyī | SŪryopasthāna salutations to Sāvitrī, then the next śrī rāmasvāmī śarmānāmāhał Then follows the sūrya upasthānam. direction with the mantra gāyatryai asmi bhoģ || This mantra is for morning sandhya. namaģ salutations to Gāyatrī and then I, with the name (Śarma) of sarasvatyai namaģ or salutations to Rāmasvāmī of the lineage of the sage ⁄º&—æ òŒ@®¤ ∞‡™Å goddess Sarasvati. Then returning to Śrīvatsa whose forefathers include, the Ã˘∆Ë Æ‰∆—æ –Ÿ≤⁄–Ä | the starting point, the mantra sarvebhyo five sages, viz., Bhārgava, Cyavana, –´æÄ ⁄ò&Ã˘∆—™ººÎ || devatābhyo namo namaģ is muttered, Āplavāna, Aurva and Jamdagni, a ⁄º&Ë ú≤Ÿ≤Π柙æ⁄™ meaning salutation to all the devatās. follower of the code book (sūtra) of ¥˘úŸ≤≤Î ⁄º&Ë ÆŸ∞Ÿ¿ According to the Vedas there are 330 āpastambha, and of the branch of Yajur ¥‡⁄¨∆¤ º‹™YŸºÎ | million devatās, created by the Supreme veda pay my obeisance to you. ⁄º&: é‚œ¢¤¿⁄≤⁄ºŒŸ⁄∫òœ§‰ Lord to control the myriad natural –´æŸæ “…æÄ î‡™∆⁄ظ∞‰º || forces. There is a god of water (jala The variables in this mantra are the ¥˘–⁄º& º™Ë@ Ç—™‹ ¥˘æ—∆Ÿ≤Î devatā), of fire (agni), of earth (bhū) and name of gotra, the ŗši, the name, the æ—™ ÇŸ⁄Æ´æ ⁄À’⁄™ ∆˘™‰≤ | even of emotions like anger (manyu) sūtra and the veda. ≤ “≥晉 ≤ ú¤æ™‰ ´∆Ë™Ë ≤Ê≤ºÄ “Ë and desire (kāma). And this prayer is ÇÃÙË´æ⁄≥™™Ë ≤ Æ›¿Ÿ™Î || to all the devatās of the universe so that Namaskāra mitrasya caršaņī dhŗtaģ one gets the blessings and goodwill of Prostrations śravo devasya sānasił | all these gods. Thereafter one does namaskāra or satyał citraśravastamam | pays respects to the ‘directions’ and mitro janān yātayati 韺Ë韌¤@≥º≥拿韌¤@NŸºË≤ºÅ | others. Facing East with folded hands, prajānan mitro dādhāra kāmokāršīnmanyurakāršīnnamonamaģ | one should chant prācyai diśe namaģ pŗtvīmutadyām | or respects to the Eastern direction. mitraģ kŗšţīranimišābhicašţe This interesting vedic mantra is then According to my , this can be satyāya havyał ghŗtavadvidhema || recited with folded hands. This implies done by bending half forward (ardha prasamitra marto astu prayasvān that all the bad actions one has done were uttanāsana) and stretching the arms yasta āditya śikšati vratena | due to kāma or sensual desire (tamasic) with folded hands. Then one turns to na hanyate na jīyate tvoto nainamał ho and manyu or anger (rajasic), and not face the southern direction and chants aśnotyantito na dūrāt || out of one’s own volition and hence dakšiņyai diśe namaģ, then the West I meditate on the worshipful and should be pardoned. Then keeping the with pratīcyai diśe namaģ, and then captivating greatness of the universal hands covering the ears one chants one’s the north with the mantra udīcyai diśe

18 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 namaģ. Then standing facing East in the Then facing West (or North according morning or West in the evening, one to some customs) one would chant the would point the folded hands upward following prayer for both Višņu and and chant ūrdhvāya namaģ, then Śiva (harihara vandanam) with folded downward with adharāya namaģ, then hands. It is also a vedic prayer. up with the mantra antarikšāya namaģ, then directed downwards with the à™Ä –´æÄ ¥¿Ä ∏˘“˜ ¥‹¡ŒÄ é‚œ® ⁄¥ñÎ탺Π| abhivādana mantra bhūmyai namaģ, then upwards á±∆@¿‰™Ä ⁄∆¬¥Ÿ’Ä ⁄∆ø¬¥Ÿæ ∆Ê ≤ºÅ || with the mantra brahmaņe namaģ, then ⁄∆ø¬¥Ÿæ ∆Ê ≤º åNŸº Ñ⁄™ | the hands facing downward with višņave ŗtał satyał parał brahma namaģ, and the hands pointing upward purušam kŗšņa pińgalam | with the mantra mŗtyave namaģ. ūrdhvaretał virūpākšał viśvarūpāya vai namaģ || Yama vandanam viśvarūpāya vai nama oł nama iti | Then facing South, one would say yamāya I worship the Great Brahman, the namaģ and continue with a prayer to ultimate Reality, the absolute Truth, the Yama the Lord of death as follows: indwelling consciousness, which is the black complexioned Višņu and also the 溟æ ∞º@¿ŸúŸæ º‡´æ∆‰ òŸ≥™éŸæ ò | bright colored Śiva, with the upward ∆Ê∆—∆™Ÿæ 韃Ÿæ –∆@∫›™ ’æŸæ ò | pointing vitality, the three eyed and the ÇÈÆ‹Ω∏¿Ÿæ Æ∞ÙŸæ ≤¤ƒŸæ ¥¿º‰⁄}≤Ë | one that contains the universe within ∆‡éËÆ¿Ÿæ ⁄ò&Ÿæ ⁄ò&í‹PŸæ ∆Ê ≤ºÅ || Itself. I worship the all encompassing ūrdhvāya namaģ ⁄ò&í‹PŸæ ∆Ê ≤º åNŸº Ñ⁄™ || Lord again and again. yamāya dharmarājāya mŗtyave cāntakāya ca | So saying one would lay prostrate on vaivasvatāya kālāya the ground as a gesture of total surrender. sarvabhūta kšayāya ca | audumbarāya dadhnāya Facing the direction of gāyatrī japa (East nīlāya paramešţhine | in the morning, West in the evening) the vŗkodarāya citrāya following prayer is said to the Sun in the citraguptāya vai namaģ | form of Nārāyaņa (Višņu). citraguptāya vai nama oł nama iti || I salute the Lord Yama, the controller of ≤º—–⁄∆&‰ úíƉé ò’‹Œ‰ lifespan, who is also the god of dharma/ úí´¥˘–›⁄™⁄—¨⁄™ ≤ŸÀ “‰™∆‰ | piety and order, god of death, the &椺æŸæ ⁄&í‹®Ÿ´º∞Ÿ⁄¿®‰ terminator, the son of Vivasva, the god of ⁄∆⁄¿⁄†≤Ÿ¿Ÿæ® ÀÄé¿Ÿ´º≤‰ || time, the ultimate destroyer of all beings, namassāvitre jagadeka cakšuše the powerful, also named as Dadhna, jagat prasūti sthiti nāśa hetave | one with dark complexion, venerated trayīmayāya triguņātma dhāriņe adharāya namaģ by everyone, one with a wolf-like belly, viriñci nārāyaņa śałkarātmane || unfathomable, mysterious. To that I salute You, Lord Sun!. You are the mysterious and secretive one I offer my only eye of the world. (You are the only salutations over and over again. original source of light for the world so daņďa samarpana

August & September 2008 19 Srivatsa Ramaswami every one can see). You are the cause SamarpaŅam was a long-time of creation, sustenance and ultimate Conclusion and dedication student of the legendary teacher T. annihilation of the world. You are Krishnamacharya. He has written four the three Vedas. Possessing the three éŸæ‰≤ ∆ŸòŸ º≤–‰⁄≥Æ˙æÊ∆Ÿ@ books on Yoga. universal guņas (of sattva, rajas and ∏‹ØÔ¯Ÿ´º≤Ÿ∆Ÿ ¥˘é‚™‰Å —∆∫Ÿ∆Ÿ™Î | tamas) you are the trinity of Brahmā, é¿Ë⁄º æY™Î –éƒÄ ¥¿—ºÊ Nārāyaņa and Šańkara. ≤¿Ÿæ®Ÿæ‰⁄™ –º¥@æŸ⁄º || kāyena vācā manasendriyairvā ±æ‰æ—–ÆŸ –⁄∆™‡º©•ƒ º±æ∆™¤@ buddhyātmanā vā prakŗteģ svabhāvāt | ≤Ÿ¿Ÿæ®Å –¿⁄–úŸ–≤ –⁄NŸ⁄∆{Å | karomyadyat sakalał parasmai éÂ替∆Ÿ≤Î ºé¿é‹©•ƒ∆Ÿ≤Î ⁄鿤¢¤ nārāyaņāyeti samarpayāmi || “Ÿ¿¤ ⁄“¿©ºæ∆¥‹∞‡@™ÀÄêòé˚Å || dhyeyassadā savitŗ maņďala madhyavartī Do another ācamana and then nārāyaņa sarasijāsana sannivišţaģ | keyūravān makara kuņďalavān kirīţī ºæŸé‚™⁄ºÆÄ ¥˘Ÿ™—–≥±æŸ íŸæ&¤ hārī hiraņmayavapur º“Ÿº≥& ú¥ŸëæÄ éº@ dhŗta śałkha cakraģ || åÄ ™´–™Î ∏˘“˜Ÿ¥@®º—™‹ | One would always meditate upon Lord mayākŗtamidał prātassandhyā gāyatrī Nārāyaņa, who exists in the center of mahāmantra japākhyał karma the Sun, is seated firmly in Lotus pose, oł tatsat brahmārpaņamastu | with ornaments on the shoulders, Whatever I do with my body, speech, wearing jeweled ear studs, crowned, mind, senses, intellect or the self/ego, wearing a garland, having a body of due to natural tendencies, all of which golden hue, bearing a conch and the I dedicate to the Supreme Nārāyaņa. disc (cakra) in the hands. I dedicate this morning daily ritual, sandhyā , the japa of the great mantra ÀÄê òé˚ íÆŸ¥Ÿ®‰ ظŸ¿éŸ⁄≤ƒæŸôæ‹™ gāyatrī which I have just done, to the íË⁄∆≥Æ ¥‹©•¿¤éŸ’ ¿’ ºŸÄ À¿®Ÿí™ºÎ | Supreme Lord. ÇŸéŸÀŸ™Î ¥⁄™™ºÎ ™ËæÄ æ¨Ÿ íôö⁄™ –Ÿí¿Ä –∆@ Ɖ∆ ≤º—響ŠéÂÀ∆Ä ¥˘⁄™íôö⁄™ || Sitting down, place a spoonful of śałkha cakra gadāpāņe water in your cupped right palm and dvārakānilayācyuta after chanting the above mantra, pour govinda puņďarīkākša it down on the ground. This ends the rakša māł śaraņāgatam | sandhyā of the morning. ākāśāt patitał toyał yathā gacchati sāgaram sarvadeva namaskāraģ Notes keśavał pratigacchati || Although gāyatrī is the most venerated mantra, O Lord (Kŗšņa)! I totally surrender to those who have not been initiated (dīkšā) into You, the One bearing a conch, disc, it use a number of other mantras and follow mace, residing in Dvārakā, and you never well-defined japa proceduresjapa ( vidhāna). pancākšarī om let down your devotees. O Govinda, The well known five-syllable ( namaśśivāya), the six-syllable śaktipancākšarī the lotus eyed, protect me. Like all the (om hrīł namaśśivāya), the eight-syllable drops of water falling from the skies, ašţākšarī (om namonarāyaņāya), and the twelve- ultimately reach the Ocean, all the syllable dvādaśākšarī (om namo bhagavate offerings and salutations made to all the vāsudevāya) are the more prominent ones. gods ultimately reach the Lord Keśava. Others would include subrahmaņya pancākšarī, Certainly they reach the Lord. sūryanārāyaņa, rāma, rāmatāraka, hanumat, santānagopālakŗšņa, hayagrīva, sudarśana, Ã˘¤ éÂÀ∆Ä ¥˘⁄™íôö⁄™ åNŸº Ñ⁄™ || gurutāraka, annapūrņā, bhuvaneśvarī, caņďi śrī keśavał pratigacchati oł nama iti || navākšarī, mahālakšmī, vākvādinī, śrī vidyā, balātibalā, ajapāgāyatrī and several more. The above three prayers are to Sun, In 1985 the author recorded the complete Nārāyaņa and Kŗšņa. Visual worship and sandhyāvandana mantra which is still being sold form meditation have been an integral in India. See www.vinyasakrama.org & www. part of worship from time immemorial. vinyasakrama.com for more information.

20 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 DISCOVERING GANESH SHANA DRESSLER

magine a community so poor that passing the Aperture bookstore and was living there at the time, working Iits inhabitants live in tents fashioned gallery on 23rd street in New York City, I on a story about AIDS and sex workers out of tarps attached to public buildings had seen the photography book Bombay in Kamathipura, Mumbai’s red-light and city walls. You pass through this by Raghubir Singh, one of India’s best district. She introduced me to Sudharak neighborhood and notice that the known photographers. On the cover Olwe who was a staff photographer at the residents, despite their poverty, have was a photograph of a fifteen to twenty- Times of India. Diana and I spent much somehow scraped together enough foot high plaster of Paris Ganesh being of the ten festival days with Sudharak as money to commission a beautiful, eight- splashed by a small army of men in the he had shot the Ganesh Chaturthi for foot sculpture of their beloved elephant- Arabian Sea, I knew the sculpture was years and knew where to go. headed god, Ganesh, for the annual ten- a depiction of Ganesh as I had taken We began our journey in Lalbaug, a day festival, Ganesh Chaturthi. Even an entry-level course on Hinduism in Mumbai neighborhood where some of after spending four years photographing 1991 when I was studying comparative the best studios which produce Ganesh this festival, this first observation left a religion and anthropology at Columbia (icons) as high as 35-40 feet lasting impression on me. University. I had also seen his image on are located. We saw artists putting the various yoga studio walls when I first final touches on hundreds of Ganesh n 2003 I boarded an Air India began my practice. murtis, which were soon to be picked Iflight with my friend Diana. We were When Diana and I arrived in up by various patrons and brought to on our way to experience the Ganesh Mumbai, we were met by an Italian their homes. The larger murtis were Chaturthi first hand. Years earlier, while photojournalist friend of mine who purchased collectively by communities

August & September 2008 21 and businesses, which set up mandips, or made out of astroturf, spices, peacock fully to the required rituals. Families shrine-like public installations. Inside, feathers, and dried fruit. I saw an incredible typically submerge their idol either highly decorative scenes of Ganesh were thirty-five foot high Ganesh mounted on after one and a half days or on day on display, often placed against a colorful the symbol OM, another riding a swan, five, seven or ten. That said, I’ve seen background with other , yet another crushing a demon, and one murtis submerged on the “off” days living saints and historical figures from of my favorites, Ganesh sitting on a half as well. The Ganesh murtis on public India’s freedom movement. moon. I’ve seen Ganesh on the shoulder display remain for ten days before What I loved about the various of King Kong, sharing the stage with they are paraded through the city en mandips was the incredible variety in the Harry Potter, sitting on a conch shell and, route to one of the various beaches in depictions of Ganesh. Some included on a more serious note, presiding over the and around Mumbai. The largest idols elaborate Coney Island-esque mechanical, Twin Towers on September 11th. are brought all the way to Chowpatty or light and audio, shows in which beach, which is at the southwestern Ganesh emerged from a red curtain as hough the festival lasts tip of Mumbai. During the day there the hero at the end of a parable. Some Tten days, householders keep a are spontaneous outbreaks of song had social themes, others political ones, consecrated of Ganesh anywhere and dance in the streets, unapologetic and still others represented current affairs between one and a half and ten days. assaults on passers-by with showers that had impacted the consciousness of They are required to perform puja of colored powder, and a palpable Mumbaities. Over the years, some of my twice a day and many choose to take sense of deep devotion and sanctity. favorites have been the Ganesh murtis off from work to dedicate themselves At the culmination of the festival,

22 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 tens of thousands of Ganesh murtis alking around town in and photographing Ganesh as an object, I of varying sizes, shapes, and materials Wout of the mandips there was shifted to photograph him as everyone are submerged into the Arabian Sea always a feeling of generous inclusiveness around me saw him—as a deity. I would to ensure that Ganesh will return the toward us. When Diana and I went refer to a Ganesh murti as a sculpture. next year. off on our own, we were often invited I was immediately corrected, “That is The popularity of the Ganesh Festival into people’s homes. “Come in, come not a sculpture, that is Lord Ganesh!” is attributed to Lokmanya Tilak, a social in! Where are you from? What is your I started to understand the incredible reformer and freedom fighter who, at name?” At many other religious festivals look of devotion and tenderness that the end of the 19th century, transformed that I have been to around the world, I I was seeing. I wouldn’t describe it as the festival from a family celebration have never felt this sense of openness. In awe per se. The look that I saw over and to a public one. The idea was to create order to witness the more sacred rituals over again, watching devotees looking unity among Indians using grassroots that take place, I have had to work hard at the Ganesh murtis was one of deep, efforts in order to organize protests at finding a trusted member of the deep love. This concept was so radically against British rule. Given that social community to invite me in. different from my Judeo-Christian and political gatherings were forbidden During the first few days I began upbringing in which paintings and at the time, the festival made it possible photographing the festival as an outsider sculptures are representations of God, for people from all different castes and observing through my American lens. not embodiments of Gods. communities to gather together and What quickly changed once I got to know So the challenge became how to discuss the affairs of the day. people in Mumbai was that, instead of convey this devotion and understanding

August & September 2008 23 on a technical level. This included using incredible, creative expression found paintings and other sacred art dedicated slower shutter speeds, film sensitive to in the Ganesh murtis and the deeply to Ganesh. The rest of the second low light and a technique I learned as moving rituals performed to bring him floor would showcase my multimedia a photography student years ago called to life inspired me to transform what exhibition about the Ganesh Festival. “shake and bake.” With this technique began as a photo essay into a multimedia The exhibit would bring photography, you need to use a slow shutter speed exhibition. What I had seen in the video shorts, soundscapes, and artifacts along with a flash. What this creates homes of Ganesh devotees and in public together to communicate a palpable is an image where the ambient scene spaces throughout Mumbai transformed experience of the festival as celebrated around the main object creates a blur my own idea about “acceptable” ways of in Mumbai. Unfortunately, one month while the rest of the photograph is in depicting divinity. before I was set to leave for India to sharp focus. The blur for me was a way After returning to New York from complete the photography and shoot to give a sense of spirit being present as Mumbai the second year, I started to the video shorts, the curator with whom opposed to merely matter. approach galleries with my work and I was working resigned and the museum presented a slideshow at the United dropped the show. I didn’t skip a beat, hen I returned to New York Nations. In 2006 the Rubin Museum however, and left for India in the fall of Wafter the first year, I decided to of Art decided to mount the show. 2007 as scheduled. submit my best shots to Kodak for a film The exhibition was slated to open in It wasn’t until I returned with all my grant and I received enough film to shoot the fall of 2009 and the plan was to film developed, finally satisfied that I the festival again the following year. The exhibit a floor and a half of sculptures, had filled the holes in the story, that I

24 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 had to confront the obstacle of finding if these realizations were the spiritual Many people in India live a life of a new home for the exhibition. When lessons I needed to learn from the show squalor by American standards. But I had settled back into my life in New falling through at the Rubin Museum. unlike many of America’s inner-city York, I had more mental space to think A pundit whom I met on my third trip poor, in many of the poor communities about what losing this opportunity told me that Ganesh will often put an I saw in India people were not strung meant. I began wondering what obstacle in the way of those who are out on drugs, depending on the system obstacles were present, what lessons I driven by their egos, so that they can to take care of them, isolated and in could learn, what was missing in my redirect their energies and actions to despair. They are not broken people research, what connections needed to be better align with their soulpaths. the way it seems people are here. made in order to go beyond the surface There is a real sense of community level and move people. I came up with y experiences in India working and interdependence. Whenever I hear some answers. Most importantly, I Mon this project and everything people talking about poverty in India, I realized that in producing this entire I’ve learned about Ganesh have had a can’t help but think that psychologically project I hadn’t really spent time profound effect on my life. On a broad and emotionally they are not the ones looking at the sacred texts, learning the level I see how important community who are impoverished. Many have a mantras, or talking to experts, pundits, is in feeling part of a larger whole. connection to God that helps them and devotees to get insight into what One can do something much greater to make sense of their suffering and would be most meaningful to share in a group of like-minded people with to move beyond it so that they see with a Western audience. I don’t know a common goal than as an individual. meaning in their lives.

August & September 2008 25 On a personal level, I see that in he exhibit, which I am calling As a culture I think we obsess about working on this project I have had to TDiscovering Ganesh, is designed what we think our deficiencies and ask myself a lot of questions: What does to be a kind of guided mandip. A shortcomings are. When I worked at top Ganesh represent to me on my journey variety of media are used to engage global advertising firms in my twenties, as an artist, an individual, a non-Hindu viewers, but with a lot of context to I saw many of the strategies employed American who grew up in another help American viewers understand in their various advertising campaigns. faith? What are my obstacles–physical, this kaleidoscope of stimuli. And the The largest profits were being made in mental, emotional, financial, spiritual, show is not just for those interested the “fix-it” industries–fashion, weight professional, interpersonal–and what in Hinduism or even any form of loss, relationships, get rich quick am I struggling with most and why? spirituality. Regardless of religious or gimmicks, etc. These strategies spoke What would my life look like if I didn’t cultural background, the universal to the customer’s deepest suffering and have any obstacles? What would I talk questions that I asked myself are pain and promised a quick remedy. about or do with my time if the majority interwoven in the presentation. The But how often do you hear people ask of it wasn’t spent judging, assessing, exhibit simultaneously explores the themselves, “What do I feel called to understanding, analyzing and trying to significance of Ganesh and his place do? What new life would reveal itself to overcome everything that I perceived as in the Hindu pantheon of deities and me if I could see through the perceived an obstacle? What would I feel called to encourages viewers to ponder these mess called my life?” I hope this project do if I had no obstacles? What new life questions whether through a cultural, not only informs the public about India’s would reveal itself to me? religious, or personal lens. religious and cultural contributions–

26 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 using Ganesh as the entry point–but also engages them in planting seeds of their own inquiry. I hope this is the real discovery in Discovering Ganesh.

Shana Dressler is founder of Swimming Elephant, exploring world cultures and religions through multi-media presentations.

To find out more information about Discovering Ganesh please visit: www.discoveringganesh.com

August & September 2008 27 28 Issue 08 VolumeH.H. 02 & 3 Sri Swami Sivananda 1887 - 1963 DURGA PUJA or NAVARATRI H.H. SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA © The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, India

alutations to the Divine Mother, There is no other aim. This is being the Goddess with a mother’s love and SDurga, who exists in all beings in the effected consciously or unconsciously. sends away the image on the last day, form of intelligence, mercy, beauty; who Everyone is blessed with Her loving with every ceremony associated with a is the consort of Lord , who creates, mercy and is protected by Her. daughter’s departure to her husband’s sustains and destroys the universe. home and with motherly tears in her This festival is observed twice a year, urga Puja or Navaratri comm- eyes. This signifies the parting of Durga once in the month of Chaitra and then Dences on the first and ends on from Her beloved mother. in Aswayuja. It lasts for nine days in the tenth day of the bright half of honor of the nine manifestations of Aswayuja (September-October). It is urga Puja is the greatest Hindu Durga. During Navaratri (the word held in commemoration of the victory Dfestival in which God is adored as literally means “nine nights”) devotees of Durga over Mahishasura, the buffalo- Mother. Hinduism is the only religion of Durga observe a fast. headed demon. In Bengal Her image in the world which has emphasized to are fed and prayers are offered for the is worshipped for nine days and then such an extent the motherhood of God. protection of health and property. cast into water. The tenth day is called One’s relationship with one’s mother The beginning of summer and Vijaya Dasami or Dussera (the “tenth is the dearest and the sweetest of all the beginning of winter are two very day”). Processions with Her image are human relations. Hence, it is proper to important junctions of climatic and taken out along the streets of villages look upon God as mother. solar influence. These two periods are and cities. Durga represents the Divine taken as sacred opportunities for the The mother of Durga (that is, the wife Mother. She is the energy aspect of the worship of the Divine Mother. They of the King of the Himalayas) longed to Lord. Without Durga, Shiva has no are indicated respectively by the - see her daughter. Durga was permitted expression and without Shiva, Durga Navaratri in Chaitra (April-May) by Lord Shiva to visit her beloved has no existence. Shiva is the soul of and the Durga Navaratri in Aswayuja mother only for nine days in the year. Durga; Durga is identical with Shiva. (September-October). The bodies and The festival of Durga Puja marks this Lord Shiva is only the silent witness. He minds of people undergo a considerable brief visit and ends with the Vijaya is motionless, absolutely changeless. He change on account of the changes in Dasami day, when Goddess Durga is not affected by the cosmic play. It is Nature. Sri Rama is worshipped during leaves for Her return to Mount Kailas. Durga who does everything. Ramnavmi, and Mother Durga during This is the view of some devotees. is the omnipotent power of Navaratri. In Bengal, Durga Puja is a great the Lord, or the Cosmic Energy. The The Durga Puja is celebrated in various festival. All who live away from home Divine Mother is represented as having parts of India in different styles. But the return during the Puja days. Mothers ten different weapons in Her hands. She one basic aim of this celebration is to reunite with their sons and daughters, sits on a lion. She keeps up the play of propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her and wives with their husbands. the Lord through the three attributes aspect as Power, to bestow upon man The potter shows his skill in making of Nature, namely, Sattwa, Rajas and all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, images, the painter in drawing pic- Tamas. Knowledge, peace, lust, anger, knowledge (both sacred and secular), tures, the songster in playing on his greed, egoism and pride, are all Her and all other potent powers. Whatever instrument, and the priest in reciting the forms. be the particular or special request that sacred books. The Bengalis save money You will find in the Devi Sukta everyone may put before the Goddess, throughout the year only to spend of the Rig Veda Samhita that Vak, whatever boon may be asked of Her, the everything during the Puja days. Cloth symbolizing speech, the daughter of one thing behind all these is propitiation, is freely distributed to the Brahmins. the sage Anbhirna, realized her identity worship and linking oneself with Her. The woman of Bengal welcomes with the Divine Mother, the Power of

August & September 2008 29 the Supreme Lord, which manifests mother than with the father, because the day. It was on this day that Arjuna throughout the universe among the mother is very kind, loving, tender and worshipped Devi, before starting the gods, among men and beasts and among affectionate and looks after the needs of battle against the Kauravas on the field the creatures of the deep ocean. the child. In the spiritual field also, the of Kurukshetra. In the Kena Upanishad, you will find aspirant or the devotee – the spiritual Sri Rama worshipped Durga at the that the Divine Mother shed wisdom child – has an intimate relationship with time of the fight with Ravana, to invoke on Indra and the gods and said that the the Mother Durga, more than with the Her aid in the war. This was on the days gods were able to defeat the demons Father Shiva. Therefore, it behoves the preceding the Vijaya Dasami day. He only with the help of the power of the aspirant to approach the Mother first, fought and won through Her Grace. Supreme Lord. who then introduces Her spiritual child In days of yore, kings used to The worship of Devi, the universal to the Father for his illumination. undertake ambitious expeditions on the Mother, leads to the attainment of The Mother’s Grace is boundless. Her day of the Vijaya Dasami. Those kings knowledge of the Self. The story in the mercy is illimitable; Her knowledge who did not go on such expeditions Kena Upanishad known as the “ infinite; Her power immeasurable; used to go out hunting in the deep Prasna,” supports this view. It tells how Her glory ineffable; and Her splendor forests. In Rajputana, India, even up to Uma, the Divine Mother, taught the indescribable. She gives you material this date, people arrange mock attacks Truth to the gods. Goddess Shakti thus prosperity as well as spiritual freedom. on some fort on Vijaya Dasami. sheds wisdom on Her devotees. Approach Her with an open heart. This day, however, has much to do Devi worship is, therefore, worship Lay bare your heart to Her with with the life of Sri Rama. Nowhere in of God’s glory, of God’s greatness frankness and humility. Be as simple the history of the world can we find a and supremacy. It is adoration of the as a child. Kill ruthlessly the enemies parallel to the character of Sri Rama as Almighty. It is unfortunate that Devi of egoism, cunning, selfishness and a man, son, brother, husband, father or is ignorantly understood by many as crookedness. Make a total, unreserved, king. Maharishi has exhausted a mere blood-thirsty Hindu Goddess. and ungrudging self-surrender to Her. the entire language in describing the No! Devi is not a vicious demoness nor Sing Her praise. Repeat Her Name. glory of Sri Rama. And we shall be is She the property of the alone. Worship Her with faith and unflinching rightly celebrating the Dussera if we Devi does not belong to any religion. devotion. Perform special worship on make honest efforts to destroy the Devi is that conscious power of God. the Navaratri days. Navaratri is the demon of our ego, and radiate peace The words Devi, Shakti, etc., and the most suitable occasion for doing intense and love wherever we go. Let us all ideas of different forms connected with spiritual practices. These nine days resolve to become people of sterling these names are concessions granted by are very sacred to the Divine Mother. character. Let us resolve and act. The the sages due to the limitations of the Plunge yourself into Her worship. story of Sri Rama is known in almost all human intellect; they are by no means Practice intense repetition of the Divine parts of the globe, and if we but succeed the ultimate definitions of Shakti. Name, having a regular “quota” of in following even a hundredth part of repetitions per day, and of the number His teachings, we shall make our lives he original or Adi Shakti is be- of hours spent on it. more fragrant than the rose and more Tyond human comprehension. lustrous than gold! Bhagavan says in the Gita: “This evi fought with Bhandasura and Dussera can also be interpreted as is only My lower nature. Beyond this Dhis forces for nine days and nine “Dasa-Hara,” which means the cutting is My higher nature, the life-principle nights. This Bhandasura had a wonderful of the ten heads of Ravana. So, let us which sustains the universe.” birth and life. When Lord Shiva burnt resolve today to cut the ten heads – The Upanishad also says: “The Cupid with the fire of His “third eye,” passion, pride, anger, greed, infatuation, supreme power of God is manifested in Sri Ganesha playfully moulded a figure lust, hatred, jealousy, selfishness and various ways. This power is of the nature out of the ashes, and the Lord breathed crookedness – of the demon, Ego, and of God, manifesting as knowledge, life into it! This was the terrible demon thus justify the celebration of Dussera. strength and activity.” Bhandasura. He engaged himself in great Religious observances, traditional Truly speaking, all beings in the penance and on account of it obtained worship and observances at times have universe are Shakti worshippers, whether a boon from Lord Shiva. With the more than one significance. Apart from they are aware of it or not, for there is help of that boon, he began harassing being the adoration of the Divine, they no one who does not love and long for the worlds. The Divine Mother fought commemorate stirring events in history, power in some form or other. Physicists with him for nine nights (the demons they are allegoric when interpreted and scientists have now proved that have extraordinary strength during the from the occult standpoint and, lastly, everything is pure, imperishable energy. night), and killed him on the evening they are deeply significant pointers and This energy is only a form of divine of the tenth day, known as the Vijaya revealing guides to the individual on his Shakti which exists in every form. Dasami. The learning of any science path to God-realization. A child is more familiar with the is begun on this highly auspicious

Durga astride Her lion. Uttarkashi, N. India April 2008. 30 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 Photograph by Robert Moses.. August & September 2008 31 utwardly, the nine-day worship first three days, which mark the first knowledge of the Self as represented by Oof Devi is a celebration of stage or the destruction of impurity, and Her pure, dazzling snow-white apparel. triumph. This nine days’ celebration is determined effort and struggle to root out Therefore, to propitiate Saraswathi, the offered to the Mother for Her successful the evil tendencies in your mind, are set giver of knowledge, is the third stage. struggle with the formidable demons apart for the worship of the destructive The tenth day, Vijaya Dasami, marks led by Mahishasura. But, to the sincere aspect of the Mother. the triumphant ovation of the soul at spiritual aspirant, the particular division Once you have accomplished your having attained liberation while living of the Navaratri into sets of three task on the negative side, that of in this world, through the descent of days to adore different aspects of the breaking down the impure propensities knowledge by the Grace of Goddess Supreme Goddess has a very sublime, and old vicious habits, the next step is to Saraswathi. The soul rests in his yet thoroughly practical truth to reveal. build up a sublime spiritual personality, own Supreme Self or Satchidananda In its cosmic aspect, it epitomizes to acquire positive qualities in place of Brahman. This day celebrates the the stages of the evolution of man the eliminated demoniacal qualities. victory, the achievement of the goal. into God, from Jivahood (the state of The divine qualities that Lord Krishna The banner of victory flies aloft. Lo! I individualization) to Shivahood (the enumerates in the Gita have to be am He! I am He! state of Self-realization). In its individual acquired. The aspirant must cultivate This arrangement also has a special import, it shows the course that one’s and develop all the auspicious qualities. significance in the aspirant’s spiritual spiritual practice should take. He has to earn immense spiritual wealth evolution. It marks the indispensable to enable him to pay the price for the stages of evolution through which et us, therefore, examine in rare gem of divine wisdom. If this everyone has to pass. One naturally leads Ldetail the spiritual significance of development of the opposite qualities to the other; to short-circuit this would Navaratri. is not undertaken in right earnest, the inevitably result in a miserable failure. The central purpose of existence is to old demoniacal nature will raise its head Nowadays many ignorant seekers aim recognize your eternal identity with the again and again. Hence, this stage is as straight at the cultivation of knowledge supreme Spirit. It is to grow into the image important in an aspirant’s career as the without the preliminaries of purification of the Divine. The supreme One embodies previous one. The essential difference and acquisition of the divine qualities. the highest perfection. It is spotless purity. is: the former is a ruthless, determined They then complain that they are not To recognize your identity with That, to annihilation of the filthy egoistic lower progressing on the path. How can they? attain union with That, is verily to grow self; the latter is an orderly, steady, calm Knowledge will not descend until the into the very likeness of the Divine. The and serene effort to develop purity. This impurities have been washed out, and aspirant, therefore, as his initial step, has more pleasant side of the aspirant’s purity is developed. How can the pure to get rid of all the countless impurities, is depicted by the worship plant grow in impure soil? and the demoniacal elements that have of Mother . She bestows on Therefore adhere to this arrangement; come to cling to him in his embodied Her devotees the inexhaustible divine your efforts will be crowned with sure state. Then he has to acquire lofty virtues wealth or Deivi Sampath. Lakshmi is success. This is your path. As you and auspicious, divine qualities. Thus the wealth-giving aspect of God. She destroy one evil quality, develop the purified, knowledge flashes upon him is purity itself. Thus the worship of virtue opposite to it. By this process like the brilliant rays of the sun upon the Goddess Lakshmi is performed during you will soon bring yourself up to crystal waters of a perfectly calm lake. the second set of three days. that perfection which will culminate This process demands a resolute will, Once the aspirant succeeds in routing in identity with the Self which is your determined effort, and arduous struggle. out the evil propensities, and develops goal. Then all knowledge will be yours: In other words, strength and infinite Sattwic or pure, divine qualities, he you will be omniscient, omnipotent and power are the prime necessity. Thus it is becomes competent to attain wisdom. you will feel your omnipresence. You the Divine Mother who has to operate He is now ready to receive the light will see your Self in all. You will have through the aspirant. of supreme wisdom. He is fit to achieved eternal victory over the wheel Let us now consider how, on the receive divine knowledge. At this stage of births and deaths, over the demon first three days, the Mother is adored as comes the devout worship of Mother of worldliness. No more pain, no more supreme power and force, as Durga the Saraswathi, who is divine knowledge misery, no more birth, no more death! Terrible. You pray to Mother Durga to personified, the embodiment of Victory, victory be yours! destroy all your impurities, your vices, knowledge of the Absolute. The sound your defects. She is to fight with and of Her celestial veena awakens the lory to the Divine Mother! annihilate the baser animal qualities in notes of the sublime utterances of the GLet Her take you, step by step, to the spiritual aspirant, the lower, diabolical which reveal the Truth, the top of the spiritual ladder and unite nature in him. Also, She is the power and the sacred monosyllable, Om. She you with the Lord! that protects your spiritual practice from bestows the knowledge of the supreme, its many dangers and pitfalls. Thus the mystic sound and then gives full

32 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 EVERYTHING IS TRUE A story HOOMAN MAJD ©2008

In much of ancient and post-ancient history, particularly of religions and from oral traditions, there are numerous tales and accounts, often contradictory, of which we simply have no proof. The early history of Islam is no exception. What is generally accepted as fact, though, is that the between Sunni and Shia (originally Shi’at Ali–followers or party of Ali), began as a disagreement over the prophet’s succession (and the right to lead the Muslim Ummah, or nation), with the minority Shias insisting that the Caliphate be restricted to direct descendants of the prophet Mohammad. The majority of Shias revere twelve Imams, from Ali who was both the prophet’s cousin and son-in- law to his twelfth descendant, the Mahdi, who is believed to be in occultation. For Shias, the seminal, defining moment in their history is the Battle of Karbala. The story of that battle which pitted Imam Hossein, the prophet’s grandson, and his ragtag army against the overwhelmingly superior forces of the Caliph Yazid and ended with Hossein’s martyrdom, is told in many ways; the battle itself is commemorated every year throughout the Shia world, including by Shias in India (and even by some Sunnis who revere the prophet’s family, or the ahl’ul Bayt). What is less known is that there are also Hindus in India who commemorate the Battle of Karbala, and furthermore, that there are Hindus in India, in the western Punjab, who claim descent from a who fought alongside Imam Hossein at the Battle of Karbala some fourteen hundred years ago. They call themselves “Hosseini Brahmins,” and although Shia texts and history make no reference to Hindus at Karbala, the Hosseini Brahmins (in dwindling numbers) insist that their history is true. Unlike other Brahmin clans, the Hosseini Brahmins boast a martial tradition that they trace back to the Battle of Karbala, and it is even said that some Hosseini Brahmin families used to cut the foreheads of their newborns, leaving a permanent scar as a testament to their devotion to their ancestor’s sacrifice and to Imam Hossein. The Hosseini Brahmins, who will perhaps vanish one day under continuing sectarian pressure to conform to one religion or another, believe it is possible to be Hindu and Muslim at once. I cannot argue that, nor can I argue that written history’s neglect of their story means it is untrue. My story is fiction and from my imagination, an imagination colored by the stories I’ve heard since childhood; the Battle of Karbala may or may not have happened as I write it, and there may or may not have been Hindu devotees of Hossein fighting alongside him. But how does it matter?

I am one of the few male survivors of us, maybe a thousand and more. his head now reunited with his body of the Battle of Karbala. Me and three Even the astrologer Yavanacharya, from (and that was my doing!), and mark my of my sons. What, you say? Oh, I’m not whom the Arabs learnt much, was there. words, one day he will have a shrine, and proud, for I was willing, no, eager, to And we worshiped Shiva and Makreesha I will return there, in another body to be lay my life down, but that was not to and no one bothered us. Least of all the sure, maybe not even human, but I will be my fate. Seven of my sons, yes, but prophet or his family, peace be upon return, right to the spot where he fell. not me. Seven sons I gave for Hossein, them forever and ever. I was engaged And where my sons fell. The arrows that seven. Their heads separated from their in trade at the time, the occupation of the armies of the caliph had promised bodies, a cruel fate but an easy death, the prophet himself! before he received they would not use, not against women and I will see them every day of my his wisdom, as were many other Hindis, and children and only seventy-two (!) life, this one and the next and the one for whom long travels were no ordeals. thirsty men, those arrows felled them, after that, impaled on the grimy spears I never met the prophet, peace be upon and the sword of Shemr, that inhuman of Yazid’s army. How, you wonder, did him and his family, please, but I knew incarnation, that deev in human form, it come to pass that this Brahmin and his family and his grandsons, Hassan sliced their beautiful faces from their his ten Brahmin sons, fought and died and Hossein, both wise and good. It was necks. I know what you’re thinking for Hossein? We were not the only ones, Hossein for whom I was willing to die right now, you’re thinking that I am a you know. I am Hindu, but I am in (and for whom my sons happily gave mercenary. But what mercenary, I ask Shi’at Ali. their precious lives). But of course it was you, what mercenary gives his sons’ lives My name is Rahib, Rahib Sidh Dutt. he, instead, who died; a sad, tragic death for treasure? What amount of gold or I am a warrior, a warrior by trade and by at Karbala, that infernally hot and dusty silver does it take to have a man watch sentiment, and I once lived in Medina. town on the plains of Mesapotamia that his sons, Sahas Rai, Haras Rai, Shir And why not? Why should there not will now forever be covered with clouds Khan, Rai Pun, Ram Singh, Dharoo and be Hindus in Arabia? There were many of infamy. He is buried there, you know, Poroo, bloodied by arrows and spears,

August & September 2008 33 beheaded? Yes, I am a warrior, but I have business to interfere with Islam, and meet us! Us, a few hundred, women and never done battle for gold. But give me certainly not my business to take sides children included! But this will tell you a moment and let me tell you my tale. in a struggle for the caliphate. But let something of the caliph Yazid, and you I was in Medina when Persia fell, when me tell you something: do you know decide whether you think he was a man Yazdegerd, that last Sassanid king (king that the Lord Krishna foretold Imam of God or not (and I’m not referring to of kings! ha!) was defeated, and when Hossein’s martyrdom in the Bhagavad his wine drinking habits, for who am I, a his daughters were brought to my city Gita? Yes he did. I am a Brahmin, I Hindu, to judge that?). Omar ibn Sa’ad, in chains. Sell them, they said, sell them know the Gita, and I should know the his commander, immediately had five to the highest bidder! But Ali, Imam Ali, truth. The Kalanki Purana, the last of hundred horsemen cut us off from the or Om Murti as we Hindus called him, the eighteen , and the fourth Euphrates. Now can you imagine that? said no. I loved Ali, as I loved his sons, Veda, the Atharva Veda, refer to Hossein What kind of man gives such orders, I for he was a beautiful man. No, he said, as the incarnation for the Yug, the ask? They dared not attack us, but they no! They must be free, free to choose present age. What do you think of that? were going to deny us water! An army whichever husband they want. And Shah ast Hossein! King is he! I joined to prevent the family of their prophet, Shahrbanu, the prettier one if you ask Hossein, as did all of my sons who are mind you, their messenger of God, from me, chose Hossein. And who wouldn’t? also, by the way, versed in the Gita, in drinking water in the desert! She may not have known she was his rightful claim. I was a warrior, after But Abbas ibn’Ali, Hossein’s half- choosing the grandson of Mohammad, all, and what else would a warrior do? brother and he too a righteous man, was peace be upon him and his family for Fighting a just cause, the cause of a not to be deterred, and he said he would eternity, but believe me, she chose him friend, is the highest honor, is it not? get us water. Allah made the Euphrates willingly and she converted to Islam So, when Hossein made his decision flow, and Allah would provide, he voluntarily. I was there. Yes, I felt for to challenge the Ummayads, he proclaimed. Hossein was worried, of her, for she had Indian blood, too, but gathered his family, his baby son even, course, but he let Abbas carry out his I tell you, I did not see her unhappy. It and we set off for Kufa. His brothers plan. I wanted to send my sons with is the truth. And then she gave birth to and half-brothers and cousins and him, although Abbas wouldn’t hear of Zein-ol-Abedin, the half-Persian great- sisters, the Ahl’ul Bayt–the family of the it. “Do not worry,” he said. “We will grandson of the prophet of Islam, may prophet!–were on the march. Seventy- go quietly with my men and if we do he live forever, but that’s another story. two men, thirty-two horsemen and forty battle, we will be victorious, for Allah I’ll come to that later (for the Persians infantrymen, along with the women and is with us.” Allah yes, I thought, and always manage to figure into every story, children, and of course me, my sons, a please, Shiva too! Abbas left with don’t they? Ha!) dozen or so other Hindu Brahmins, and thirty men and twenty infantry and he a smattering of tribesmen who knew returned that very night, having indeed I was friends with Hossein, and and understood the righteousness of our done battle but without suffering a Hossein was friends with me. Yes, good cause. We were perhaps two hundred, single casualty. “See!” he exclaimed, “It friends, and I miss him so. And why but yes, I know, everyone likes to think is the will of Allah! Five hundred men should the grandson of the prophet of of the seventy-two. It’s a good number, we destroyed, and not one of us hurt!” Islam, peace be upon him, not have a I’ll admit, and for the Moslems it has Now I don’t know how they counted Hindu friend? Exactly. You don’t know its peculiar significance, so who am I to the five hundred, but there were many the prophet’s family, do you? Hossein’s argue? Seventy two it is, if you prefer. dead from Omar’s army, and we saw father Ali, cousin and son-in-law of Everything is true. We first went to reinforcements by the thousands come the prophet, was a great man; he did Mecca so that Hossein could perform in to guard the Euphrates. By the not deserve to die as he did, and all of a pilgrimage, for his piety was never in thousands! Everything is true. So Omar us Hindus had great respect for him. doubt (and how could it be?), and then knew he had lost many men, and he And he for us. But I already told you we turned and set out for Kufa, the city knew we were not to be taken lightly. about him. Om Murti. Yes. Hossein, his Om Murti had used as his capital. Kufa, But poor Hossein, my dear Hossein, fell son, as beautiful as he, was my friend. not too far from Karbala, a city with into a gloom when he saw the armies And when the caliph, that Ummayad many followers of his father, those in the of Yazid gathering by the river, and he usurper Yazid ensconced himself away in Shi’at Ali, from where Hossein would knew then that he could not defeat Damascus, when Yazid diverted from the legitimize his rule. After a journey of them. path, my friend claimed the caliphate. eighteen days (and I will not bore you “I and my sons are with you, Hossein He had to, didn’t he? And right he was. with the mundane details, and believe ibn’Ali!” I said, “As is every man here. He was the grandson of the prophet! He me, they are mundane), it was the second Let’s do battle now, for there is no more was the son of Ali! He would have made of Moharram by the Arab calendar glorious death than this! I will come a just ruler, I know, because I tell you, when we pitched camp on parched land back to this earth, surely, and you will a Brahmin does not choose his friends in Karbala. Yazid must surely have been have your paradise!” lightly. Now, I also know it was not my panicking, for he sent an entire army to “No,” he said. “We have no water, we

34 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 have little food, and we have few men. I think that Brahmins mustn’t be warriors, me that, right before an arrow pierced his am not afraid of dying, and I know you or that Brahmins never do battle, but heart, his hands had been chopped off as are not, but we have to devise another let me tell you, these Brahmins fought he tried to carry the water skin, but even plan.” He huddled with his family and gloriously. Who are you? And Zuljena, that did not dissuade him, for he carried then sent an emissary to Omar, offering the steed that had bowed to Hossein it with his teeth until his death moments to return to Arabia if the siege were when he had been a mere child, who had later. Yes, his teeth! And what did Abbas lifted. Now I was not a witness to any lowered himself to the ground so that the scream as he fell off his horse? What were of the conversations, but I heard that tiny Hossein could mount him, pranced his last words? “Hossein!’ That’s right, “Surrender or die” was the response, all about, charging every now and then as he screamed for his brother. How can the way from Damacus. I knew then, as if he was doing battle too! Hossein had you not be moved? Hossein Shah ast! I’m sure my friend Hossein did, that, told me the story of his horse on the And I cried for Abbas, and for my sons naturally, we were going to die. road to Kufa, of how his grandfather who were dying with the Bani Hashem. It was night, you see, on Tasua, the had cried when Zuljena had lowered Hossein, who sensed the end was near, ninth day of Moharram as the Arabs himself for him, and how Mohammad, commanded me and my remaining sons calculate, and what I am about to say peace upon him and his household, had to guard the women’s tents, and believe will tell you why I was willing to die then foretold that the horse would one me, I resisted, but he roared at me. with Hossein. He turned to the men, day once again lower himself to allow an “Will you not defend the children of the all of us, and said, “Under the cover injured and dying Hossein an easy and prophet?” And I fell to the ground, tears of night, you may escape. Omar has graceful dismount. And the Arabs deny streaming down my cheeks. Tell me, promised to allow us the night for our reincarnation! Zuljena will one day be what would you have done? prayers, and any or all of you can and human; anyone who took one glance at And then Hossein let out an anguished should take this opportunity to leave.” him could surely see that! cry. “Who will help me?” he screamed. Hossein turned to pray. “Go,” he said, But the battle wore on and our men Even Yazid in Damascus had to have but no one moved. “Go!” he said to me, perished; I remained with my sons by heard him! The women and children “you are not Bani Hashem, go and live Hossein’s side, hoping to protect him began to cry, a great sobbing that a long life!” Instead, we all joined him until the end. You want details? Why? carried their grief across the desert floor in his prayers. Yes, me too, the Hindu What is there to be said about war that and over the bodies of their fallen men. Brahmin. And I performed a puja, and I hasn’t been said before? Men kill other Inside a tent, Hossein’s six-month old saw Hossein’s tears. Little do you know men, with whatever implement they infant son, Ali Asghar, had fallen from of Hindu belief! have, sometimes with their bare hands, his crib at exactly the moment Hossein sometimes with a stone. Animals die had spoken, and Hossein, upon hearing In the morning, on Ashura, the a more dignified death at the hands of this, ran to his tent, picked up the tenth day of Moharram, and after humans, I tell you, even a Brahmin infant, and made for the enemy’s camp. praying all night, thirty-two of our men knows that! There are others who will, no He put the child down on the hot sand under Zuhair formed our right flank doubt, tell you stories of this battle, and and shouted, “Who will give me water and did battle with thousands from they may want to relive the gore and the for my child?” And do you know what Omar’s army. You do not believe me? destruction, so I leave it to them. They happened next? Yes, an arrow, right I swear thousands died at the hands of are honorable too. Everything is true. So through the baby’s throat. These were Zuhair and his thirty-two! It is not with let me tell you this: at the midday, zohr, the men that we were facing. And you glee that I say this, for what Brahmin prayer, Saiid and Zuhayr stood in front of wondered why a Brahmin would fight rejoices in death? But I saw the dead Hossein, and Saiid was immediately killed for a Moslem! Hossein charged into men with my own eyes, and they died in a rain of arrows. Yes, we continued our the enemy lines, killing many, many an ignoble death. Everything is true. prayers, over the body of the martyr. And of the Syrian soldiers, but he finally And when Omar saw this, the arrows as our regular soldiers were picked off succumbed to his wounds–from arrows, rained down, arrows and lances that he one by one, Hossein’s immediate family, lances, swords and yes, even stones. had said he would not use. So much the Bani Hashem, went to join the battle. Zuljena returned to the tents, his white for honorable men! Hossein mounted His son, Ali Akbar, along with sons of his coat red with the blood of prophet, his Zuljena, the magnificent white stallion brother and his cousins, were all killed son, and his grandson, and Shahrbanu that his grandfather (peace be upon him instantly. My sons and I followed Hossein wept. Oh, how she wept! She jumped and his family) had given him, and to as we advanced towards the Euphrates on Zuljena’s back and they rode off at prevent the indiscriminate arrows of the with Abbas, his half-brother, who was a gallop heading east, never to be seen enemy from falling on the women and intent on filling a water skin to quench again. I later heard that she made it all children, we made for battle one by one. our thirst (for we had not had a drop to the way back to Persia, all the way to the One by one! I myself cut down a great drink!) but he never made it back from north and the town of Rayy, where she number of Syrians, and I can tell you the river after he split off from us. Ram and the horse were swallowed up by a that I thought nothing of it. You might Singh, who had accompanied him told mountain. (Now if you can believe that,

August & September 2008 35 I can’t see why you wouldn’t believe they Brahmins will come with me, those who ancestors’ slit throats, to their loyalty will be reincarnated.) Everything is true. knew Hossein and those whose families to an Arab named Hossein. But we will But back to Hossein. My poor friend fought by his side. Thousands of years not return to Hind yet. Not before we Hossein! His head was cut off by Shemr, from now, men and women will still avenge the death of Hossein, not before his body trampled by horses. Soldiers weep on Ashura, I tell you. They will hit we see the end of Yazid, Omar, and the came to our tents to take us captive. I themselves, just as I saw the prophet’s butcher of Kufa who kept my Hossein’s was ready to defend, to stand and die, family do that day in Karbala, and they head, and who I will personally dispatch but doing so, I knew, would mean they will feel the sting of injustice. Hindus to meet his creator and who will return would kill the prophet’s family. And so in a pitna dalna and Moslems in their to this earth as the lowliest insect. We I dropped my sword, and watched as own mourning ceremonies, I am certain are Hosseini Brahmins, you see, Hindu Yazid’s army took away the women and of it. The Shi’at Ali will endure, in ka dharm, Musalman ka iman: with the children, parading them in the front of Baghdad and Basra and Kufa, in Persia religion of the Hindu, and the faith of the spears holding the heads of their and Arabia. There will be more battles, the Moslem. Yes. The faith of the Shia. husbands, brothers, and fathers. And I am sure, but the truth always wins. Everything is true. How else can you my seven sons. There was nothing for We Brahmins, we Hosseini Brahmins, explain my story? me and my surviving sons to do. We will keep alive the story of Hossein were left alone by the Arab army from and the Battle of Karbala in India and Hooman Majd is an Iranian born, New Damascus, I don’t know why, and we set beyond. Everything is true. Yes, our York based writer and music executive off for Kufa as they set all the tents on children and our children’s children whose book on Iran, The Ayatollah Begs fire with their torches. Yes, we hurried and their children will bear scars across To Differ, will be published by Doubleday off, before they might change their their throats, scars that attest to their in 2008. minds, even though I wanted to stay and protect the family of the prophet, peace be upon them.

Hossein’s head, along with the heads of his brethren soldiers, was taken to Kufa, and the prisoners to Kufa and then on to Damascus. Everywhere the prophet’s family gave speeches, even as prisoners, honoring Hossein and denouncing Yazid, and I tell you, they were affecting speeches. The Shi’at Ali grew in numbers, and Yazid feared them, for he knew that he had displeased God. (And a year later he ordered the family of the prophet freed and returned to Medina. Ha!) And Hossein’s head? He was my friend, and I could not rest until it was reunited with his body. Soon after the Battle of Karbala, my sons and I recovered it one night from the household of Obayd’ullah ibn Ziyad, the brutal commander of Kufa and Basra, that butcher! and we made our escape to Damascus. I bathed the head myself, I cleansed it, I looked into its eyes, and then I wrapped it carefully in muslin. We returned to Kufa, and then to Karbala, where I placed it carefully in the grave with Hossein’s body. And it is there today. As for me, I have no more desire to live in Arabia. Medina is a great city, but I have lost my friends. I shall return to India, to Hind, where I will tell this tale to men, women, and children, and where Hossein’s name will live on. Other

36 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT BEER January 9, 2008, Oxford, United Kingdom DR. ROBERT E. SVOBODA

Dr. Robert E. Svoboda with Robert Beer.

obert Beer has studied Tibetan her death. Two days after she died, I had become a Buddhist monk, because that Rthangka painting for more than a dream in which my sister and I were seemed the brightest option. thirty years. One of the first Westerners flying through the sky together, and But in Istanbul I was turned onto to become actively involved in this art she was no longer deformed; she was LSD, and LSD became the center of form, he initially studied for a period of actually perfect in form; it was so real. my life for the next three years or so. five years in India and Nepal with several As we were flying together through a It was during this period that I really of the finest Tibetan artists living at the very beautiful clear sky I heard a church started painting, after I had returned to time. Since 1975, he has lived in England, bell ringing, and then I woke up to our the UK. Then I became very involved working consistently on developing doorbell ringing; it was my mother and with Hindu and Buddhist imagery the artistic skills, vision, patience, and father just coming back from church. and symbolism, Indian music (sitar), understanding of this highly complex When my sister died, her face had an and Gnostic Christianity. The mid and subject as well as the historical and cultural agonized expression, but when I actually late ’60s were a very creative period in contexts within which it arises. He is the went into the front room to look at her my life, as they were for many others, author and illustrator of The Encyclopedia in her coffin that morning, she had the when the transmission of the language of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs and The same expression that she had had in the of symbolism became very potent and Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. dream. Her face was smiling and very meaningful for me. His work has appeared in numerous beautiful, so I realized that something But when I was twenty-two I flipped publications around the world. actually survives death. From then on I out on acid, and that’s when I left for Robert Svoboda was introduced to essentially became somewhat obsessed India and really became deeply involved Robert Beer’s work in the mid-eighties, with death, and trying to understand with Tibetan art and Indian music, when Robert Beer provided the artwork what life is all about. because I was quite honestly no longer for the cover of Svoboda’s book Aghora. I spent a couple of years living able to function on any other level. The Shortly thereafter, they met in the homeless and on the road after this, vehicle of Tibetan art and its imagery isolated Scottish village where Robert because I didn’t really have a home became a way for me to identify strongly Beer and his family were then living and anymore. This was the period of the with my own internal process. It was an have since remained in regular contact. beatnik generation in Britain, but there aboriginal or primeval instinct, rather were few of them on the road then. I than an intellectual impetus, that Robert Svoboda: If you could start began to meet people involved with actually propelled me into this world. off just by speaking a little about your , people who were older Its reality resonated very deeply, and background and what brought you to than me who were looking into Eastern in time I began to find a valid sense where you are. religions. From the time I was sixteen of understanding through the drawing Robert Beer: What brought me to years old I strongly gravitated toward and painting of Buddhist deities. The where I am? Going back right to the Hinduism and Buddhism. In 1965 I imagery resonated with what was taking beginning? set out for the East with the romantic place inside of my psyche; some kind RS: Far enough back as seems useful. notion of becoming a Buddhist monk. I of transmission was taking place. That’s RB: Basically the strongest event of was eighteen years old at that time. basically how I started on this path. my childhood was the death of my sister, who died when I was fourteen. RS: Did you finish school? RS: So there you were in India, at She died of hydrocephalus when she RB: No, I left school at sixteen. I was twenty-two. was three years old; her head grew to basically not in school much from age RB: Yes. I spent five years in India, the an enormous size and was filled with fifteen onwards, and I was living in friends’ winters in studying Indian cerebrospinal fluid. She was kind of the houses because I didn’t have a home. From music, and the summers in the Kangra center of the family, and because of this age sixteen to eighteen, I was more or less and Kulu Valleys studying Tibetan our whole family broke up soon after on the road until I set out for the East to art. I also spent a year in Kathmandu,

August & September 2008 37 Detail of the Face of Bhairava, an oil painting by Samundra Man Singh Shrestha. 2005

38 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 where I studied Indian music with taken place between the seventh and produce something that carries real a lovely blind sarod player named twelfth centuries, and the main route peace, tranquility, beauty, grace–to me Mohan Sundar Shrestha. I also became of this transmission passed through the that’s art, that’s really art. For me art is involved with Newar art in Kathmandu. Kathmandu Valley. The Kingdom of uplifting, art is spiritual. Although my main discipline was Indo- Nepal thus became the main staging Tibetan Buddhist art, I have always post for the transmission of Buddhism RS: Is there any part of modern art that been fascinated with Newar art (the between Eastern India and Tibet. you find uplifting or artistic? indigenous Hindu-Buddhist art of the A vibrant renaissance in Buddhist art RB: Artistic? Oh yeah, I think it’s Kathmandu Valley). It was during this had developed during the late dynasty artistic. I wouldn’t necessarily say that time, 1973-74, that I met the Newar of the Pala Kings of Eastern India, it is uplifting though. I think modern artist Siddhimuni Shakya (1933-2001) who patronized many of the Buddhist or conceptual art is extremely overrated. who was my greatest inspiration. The monasteries and Hindu Temples of As an artist myself I’ve only met a small work that he was producing at that time Bengal and Bihar. With the demise of number of people who I believe can was unbelievable and exquisite; it was the Pala Dynasty, Nepal became the really see paintings; almost everybody quite revolutionary for me. direct inheritor of this ancient and can read books, but very few people can highly evolved artistic tradition. And see—can actually absorb essence with RS: It’s probably fair to say few the Newars, who were the indigenous their own eyes and interpret. Really, it’s Westerners have heard of Newar art, inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, a handful of people I’ve met in my life, even among those who have heard of essentially became the Buddhist artists a very small number. When you have Tibetan Buddhist art... and artisans who actually instigated a very fine Newar or Tibetan painting, RB: Yes, Tibetan Buddhist art has become much of what we now recognize as Early people will often say, “I could look at very popular. When I came back to the Tibetan Buddhist Art. The influence of this for hours.” But after maybe two West in 1976 not many people had heard the Newars, particularly on early Central or three minutes their attention lapses. of Tibetan Buddhist art. But the Tibetans Tibetan art, was simply enormous, These big exhibitions that take place now are very good travelers through time and with the three great cities of the Nepal in the West, of the famous artists of the space. They came to the West and have Valley, Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon), Patan last century; people go there and they now established many monasteries and (Lalitpur) and Kathmandu (Kantipur), try to see, but I think most people don’t centers. They are very good at being a race respectively being known for their really see that much. They try to educate in exile; as nomads and traders they have technical skills in woodcarving, bronze themselves in a way of seeing perhaps, been able to take care of themselves. While casting and painting. but it is usually more of a cultural event, Tibetan Buddhism has been taking firm Many Newar artisans and merchants something that they believe they should root in the West, Newar art has remained maintained a presence in Central Tibet see. At most gallery openings people somewhat neglected in Nepal. Like Tibet, until the Chinese invasion of the ’50s, tend to pay more attention to the wine Nepal was also a closed country for many even though Buddhism in Nepal had and the snacks than the paintings. For years, until the early ’50s in fact. A friend declined greatly since the three cities me art comes from the inside, from of mine was there in 1965, when it first of the Valley had been conquered by within, if that makes sense; but I think started to open to foreign tourists; and the Gorkhas in the late eighteenth this may sound somewhat arrogant. the British consul in Kathmandu invited century, when the country became every Westerner in the city to Christmas predominantly a Hindu nation. RS: When you look at a piece of art dinner in the embassy. what do you see? RS: How would you define art? RB: I actually see it. I see what’s really RS: When did Newar art originate? RB: Art is outside and heart is inside. there; certainly in terms of the art I’m RB: Buddhism originated in India. RS: Very good. familiar with. But I wouldn’t say this The Buddha lived in the heartland of RB: Art is the outward expression of the about abstract art, because like most Magadha (now Bihar), and from here his inner heart. To me art should convey people, I can’t often see its point. I don’t teachings spread eastward into Bengal, beauty and devotion, and skill and think you can see something in it until westward into Gandhara, southward to time, and all of the things that are fine; somebody explains what you’re supposed Sri Lanka, and northward into Central art should be spiritually uplifting. The to see, which may be conceptual or Asia. But the final flowering of Indian Western trend is often for art to portray conjectural. and Buddhism neurosis. In the West art is often a You remember Richard Buhler? remained vital in Bengal and Bihar product of neurosis; the artist somehow When I visited him in Las Vegas a until its great monastic academies were has to be tormented or demented. It’s couple of years ago he showed me a finally destroyed by Muslim invaders at all become too conceptual–conceptual Tibetan painting he had bought, and the end of the twelfth century. art–just thoughts that flash in the he wanted me to tell him what it was The great transmission of these mind. Thoughts and ideas are so easy about. So I explained it to him and he teachings from India into Tibet had to come by. But to portray beauty, to said, “My god, it’s like you are reading

August & September 2008 39 Manjuśrī, an oil painting by Samundra Man Singh Shrestha. 2003

40 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 hieroglyphics! You read it as though you is a specific deity offering, they don’t trying to nourish that creative energy are reading some strange language.” really understand what that offering and talent, because it is a very, very And I said, “Yes, that’s what its like. My should contain, because they don’t hold beautiful legacy. kind of visual awareness is basically like that tradition anymore. So there are Tibetan Buddhist art is meditative; I have learned an ancient language.” facets of their art that are sometimes people want thangkas because they are I’ve learned a language of line and I’ve inaccurate or weak, like a right-hand doing a meditational practice of Tara or learned a language of symbols, but attribute erroneously appearing in the the Medicine Buddha, or some similar these are very specific. I have a very left hand of a deity; or a deity sitting deity. I would define Newar art as good understanding of Tibetan art, on a golden sun disc, when he or she devotional, not meditative; it kindles a and if I look at a thangka I can usually should appear upon a white moon disc. strong devotional feeling, which is why explain or understand everything in it. They can usually replicate perfectly, I say heart is inside and art is outside. It I may not be able to identify historical and innovate to an astonishing degree, resonates very strongly with the human characters, but as regards most of the but a sophisticated understanding of ideal of the divine, of something that’s deities, I understand what they are iconography is rare amongst the artistic much more potent in its initial impact holding, why they are holding them, community. than it is in any symbolic meaning or why they are this, why they are that, it’s To me these artists are very beautiful esoteric sense. all pretty clear on this level. people, and I love them dearly. They are But Newar art is somewhat different usually very humble and intelligent; but RS: The modern world is not a from Tibetan art; it’s a different not highly educated, not highly trained; particularly devotional place. Do you tradition—so now I’m exploring Newar a lot of their tradition knowledge has think that it is more difficult today than art. But unlike Tibetan art, there are been lost over the last few centuries. it might have been earlier for people very few people left who are able to Most of the artists are quite young, who are involved in Newar art, which understand and convey the actual and it is easy for me to identify with is, as you put it, more devotional than meanings within Newar art. So I’m them. As an artist myself I had a very meditative, to tap into a devotional kind of trying to decode Newar art at tough life financially, but I chose to do reality? the present time, trying to understand what I wanted to do, what I felt I was RB: It’s still possible; I find this ability it, and to help the artist in Nepal to destined to do. And it is easy for me to in most of the good young artists, the understand what they are painting, and recognize my younger self in many of ones in their twenties and thirties. You to make the art known. This too sounds these artists, to inspire them with an know, forty years old is quite old for a a bit arrogant, but really it is like this. ability to really ‘see’ and appreciate their painter; after forty, your eyes begin to work, and sometimes to dazzle them go. When you get to forty years old you RS: Have you found that at least some with an iconographical description of are considered to be a senior Newar people are becoming able to understand every aspect of a deity that they have artist, and there is a great respect from it? just painted. the younger artists toward those whom RB: Yes, in Nepal, are we talking about More than anything I can recognize they consider their seniors, the ones who Newar art? what their skills and talents are, and blazed the trail. We don’t seem to have RS: Yes. how, given the opportunity to paint this in the West, where it’s much more RB: The Newars themselves, they what they really want to paint, they can competitive. There’s often a little jealousy have this unique skill of being able to create really incredible masterpieces. among these young Newar artists, but reproduce most anything. You walk This they would love to do, but they you don’t have the kind of gross, “This is around Kathmandu City and many have been held in bondage by the me, I’m a great artist attitude” that you restaurants are now making hummus, need to produce works for the market, often find in the West. There is instead salads and pizzas. They’ve learned how especially to reproduce deity images that a strong humility. to prepare and cook such things. And have become very popular. So in the past Newar society is quite difficult to when they play rock music, they’ve they have often kept making versions penetrate; it has its own language learned all the riffs from Eric Clapton, or of popular images, but this stifles the (Newari), castes, annual festivals and Pink Floyd, or whoever. They have this artists’ creative talents. Given the chance complex rituals. And as the artists have perfect ability to replicate things. Newar to paint what they would like to paint, come to know me over the past ten years artists likewise have this innate ability in and paying them adequately for their or so, I’ve on occasion been in a situation casting bronzes, in woodcarving, mask work, so that instead of spending three with a couple of them where they have making, in painting, to basically get it weeks on a painting they could spend made a painting that they ask me to right. It’s an innate thing they grow up four months, their work will reach a appraise, and I talk about the quality of with in their culture; it’s in their unique much higher standard. This also gives the art, and then I start to talk about the genetic codes. They basically get it right. them a greater sense of meaning and symbolism, and they can’t believe how But artistically there are some things inspiration—of hope really. So that’s I know all of those things. Then they’ll they don’t get right; like when there what I’m involved with at the moment: find a reproduction in a book, and I’ll

August & September 2008 41 Black and white photograph of Siddhimuni Shakya’s last painting of Padmāpāņī Lokeśvara. 1998

42 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 explain everything in the painting, and the originals of. It’s becoming much things on that level. They work mainly they can’t believe that anybody carries more popular. from copies, you know; they copy copies. this knowledge anymore. So on that RS: From what you’ve seen does any of These young Tamang boys are making level they have begun to respect me, not the art they carry in the shops have any copies of photographs, photocopies, or just for what I know but also for who artistic merit to it? sketches made by other artists. They I am. I self-identify with them because RB: There are often some good artists’ keep copying and then they begin to I know how hard it was for me at that paintings in the shops of Thamel; the lose details. What is held in one hand time in my own life, and how little help I skill of the Tamang artists who copy of a deity–maybe it is a vajra, or a club– actually had, and how little I still actually most of the Tibetan thangkas is often suddenly becomes a trident, and then have. The painters of Newar paubhas very good. Unfortunately, virtually all next time it is copied as a trident, and and Tibetan thangkas have traditionally of the shopkeepers in Kathmandu have it goes on like this. It is a bit like coins always been anonymous, and rarely very little knowledge whatsoever about that were made in the Roman Empire: ever accorded the respect of a scholar, Buddhist or Newar art, even though the farther away from Rome they were lama or pandit. I can identify with them some of them have been in the business minted, the more abstract the image of because they also have had so little help, for thirty years. When I was there the emperor became on the coin. but times are changing and the artists of recently I went to visit a shopkeeper I There is no real source of knowledge, Nepal now commonly sign their own know who has been selling Buddhist as such. Even among the young Tibetan works. So I’m there to help them on art for the last thirty years and is now lamas who go to buy thangkas there, these levels. I think the best thing I can selling pashmina shawls–and it’s no they often really don’t understand the do in the latter part of my life is to help different for him, he said–shawls are iconography themselves. And amongst nourish these artists, both in terms of better business. So none of the art had their students there are probably very patronage, of giving them the freedom any real meaning for him although he few who really understand the art to create what they want to create, and is a very sweet man; it’s an industry, well. It’s such a complicated subject: of helping them understand their own essentially. And customers go to the the iconography, the imagery, it’s just art form better and learn more about shops and they obviously think that too much for people to learn or even their own Newar tradition themselves. the shopkeepers know something about attempt to learn–unless you’re a painter And they facilitate that now, so if I’m what they sell, but they don’t. And you yourself. Then there’s a real need to learn with some of the more knowledgeable should know that most of the Buddhist these things. artists—and there are only a few that I art in commercial shops in Kathmandu This is a complex discussion of course. consider really knowledgeable—then an is never actually painted by ‘Buddhist RS: Of course. incredible transmission of information monks,’ so there are often many mistakes takes place between us. And that’s real in these Buddhist paintings, particularly transmission for me, that’s real guru- with the more complex wrathful deities disciple transmission, whoever is the and their mandalas. guru in that relationship. Sometimes it’s RS: Given how many mistakes are being me, sometimes it’s somebody else, but it made now in this industry, do you think Robert Beer is the author and illustrator does takes place and I bow to its beauty. there will always be a separation between of The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols There is a life force behind everything; the more commercial art and the actual and Motifs. He has studied Tibetan and this world is very alive and dynamic art that maintains the symbolism and thangka painting for more than thirty from my perspective. the accuracy of the symbols? years. One of the first Westerners to RS: Yes, it does sound like this sort of RB: Yes. I think it’s very hard to influence become actively involved in this art art is alive, and that the tradition behind the Tamang artists. There are various form, he initially studied for a period of it is alive. The art itself comes alive in things I’ve said to no avail to some of five years in India and Nepal with several the artist, then it manifests externally the people who own these shops. One of of the finest Tibetan artists living at the and has the potential to live outside. the biggest sellers of art in Kathmandu time. He resides in Oxford, England. RB: And this is reflected in the thangka has several hundred Tamang artists shops in Kathmandu, which now have working for him. But just by telling the Dr. Robert E. Svoboda While in Newar art in them, whereas four or five shop owner “You should change this,” India, received a degree in Äyurvedic years ago you wouldn’t see Newar art or “Make Amitabha a much darker medicine and was tutored by the there, only Tibetan art. Now you see red,” it will never happen, because that Vimalánanda in Äyurveda, Yoga, Jyotiü, Newar art everywhere, including many advice will never penetrate from him to , and other forms of classical copies of paintings that I have bought the working artist. So I can’t influence Indian lore.

August & September 2008 43 44 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3 DOUBLETAKE DURGA PUJA PANDAL G.K.2 NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 2007 DINESH KHANNA www.dineshkhanna.com

August & September 2008 45 46 Issue 08 Volume 02 & 3

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