The Bhagavad Gita: a Thread Through the Eighteen Gems Online

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Bhagavad Gita: a Thread Through the Eighteen Gems Online 7jbEd [Free] The Bhagavad Gita: A Thread through the Eighteen Gems Online [7jbEd.ebook] The Bhagavad Gita: A Thread through the Eighteen Gems Pdf Free Dr. A.V. Srinivasan ePub | *DOC | audiobook | ebooks | Download PDF Download Now Free Download Here Download eBook #2471802 in eBooks 2016-06-27 2016-06-27File Name: B01HOWD11Q | File size: 62.Mb Dr. A.V. Srinivasan : The Bhagavad Gita: A Thread through the Eighteen Gems before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised The Bhagavad Gita: A Thread through the Eighteen Gems: 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An Excellent IntroductionBy ksLike some of his earlier works Dr. A.V. Srinivasanrsquo;s The Bhagavad Gita, A Thread Through the Eighteen Gems provides a clear and concise introduction to a complex subject. He achieves this through the careful selection of some profound verses from this great Hindu classic and interpreting them in a way that should enlighten and delight even the casual reader on a train journey. As for the more serious reader who has encountered nothing but frustration in grasping the essence of the Gita this book provides a friendly introduction and encouragement for further study. With Dr. Srinivasan as your guide you will be well on your way to understanding and enjoying this great work which, in this reviewerrsquo;s opinion, is a worthwhile undertaking.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It will help any student in their quest for truth through this poetic love song to GodBy Eileen MuirSrinivasan's Bhagavad Gita is a very friendly user's guide to one of the most significant books of Indian philosophy. It makes it accessible to the contemporary reader, and has been lovingly and dedicatedly written by Sheenu. This treatise will help us grow spiritually, as he humbly places us at the feet of the masters. I am using it with my Yoga Teacher Training students. It will help any student in their quest for truth through this poetic love song to God. I highly recommend this.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A portable GitaBy Dr, Roger N. BuckleyThis latest work by A.V. Srinivasan, which deals with the timelessness of the Gita, should be required reading of all public officials. The general public, including students, should also read it. Its pocket size means you can take it anywhere with you: on a train or airplane. A must read for anyone interested in life, wisdom and truth. A re-reading of the Hindu classic, the Bhagavad Gita, a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and his charioteer Lord Krishna. This episode which occurs in the Sanskrit epic, The Mahabharata, is often read for its own sake and given the status of a holy scripture by Hindus. Reviews: ldquo;This is a brilliant book that I recommend wholeheartedly. It picks a central thought from each of the Bhagavad Gita's 18 chapters and uses that to communicate deep insights about life and meaning. People who wish to understand the Gita or other Vedic texts will love it, and it will also be useful to those who are experts.rdquo;Professor Subhash Kak, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK ldquo;hellip; Srinivasanrsquo;s commentary is itself a gem. It combines an accessible, easy style of writing with a rigorous translation by a master of the Sanskrit language (and also includes the original Sanskrit text itself, for those with the ability to follow along and to come to their own conclusions regarding its meaning and import). Including references to earlier interpretations within the Hindu tradition, this work stands in a distinguished lineage of scriptural commentary.hellip; I recommend it highly!rdquo;Professor Jeffery Long, Elizabethtown College, PA ldquo;This modest volume succeeds admirably in raising the right questions and pointing to insightful answers.rdquo; Swami Tyagananda, Sri Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston and Hindu Chaplain at MIT and Harvard.ldquo;Readers will surely benefit from a study of the book. There is an appendix to the book, containing the text of some earlier publications of the author. The book should certainly be prescribed reading for students, especially the children of non- resident Indians living outside India.rdquo; Vedanta Kesari; May 2016 by Professor Jeffery Longnbsp;With this work, The Bhagavad Gita-A Thread through the Eighteen Gems: A Re- reading, my friend A.V. (Sheenu) Srinivasan makes yet another fine contribution to the spread of Hindu wisdom.nbsp; His previous works have included several excellent books on performing a Hindu (Vedic) wedding, an introduction to Hindu thought and spirituality for beginners (Hinduism for Dummies), a both exciting and informative episode from the Mahabharata (A Hindu Primer: Yaksha Prashna), and a number of articles (such as his provocative piece for Vedanta Kesari on the meaning of varna-most widely translated as "caste"-and its implications for modern society).nbsp; The current work is a bhashya, or commentary, on the Bhagavad Gita.nbsp; Also known simply as "the Gita," this text is easily the most famous of Hindu sacred writings.nbsp;The "eighteen gems" to which the title refers are the eighteen chapters that make up this work.nbsp; The "thread" that runs through these gems is a clever play on words with two referents.nbsp; The Sanskrit word for "thread" (Sanskrit being the language in which this sacred work was composed) is sutra (cognate with the English word"suture"), and sutra is also a term meaning "sacred text."nbsp; A sutra is traditionally the basic root text upon which a comment is made by a teacher or interpreter who is instructing students as to the text's meaning.nbsp; In addition to the text itself, this title can also be seen as a reference to Bhagavad Gita 7:7, where the voice of divinity itself, speaking in the person of Lord Krishna, declares, "The beings that make up this world are strung upon me like pearls upon a thread."nbsp; The thread can therefore be the text of the Gita; but it can also be the Lord Himself, to whom the text points.nbsp;Srinivasan's commentary is itself a gem.nbsp; It combines an accessible, easy style of writing with a rigorous translation by a master of the Sanskrit language (and also includes the original Sanskrit text itself, for those with the ability to follow along and to come to their own conclusions regarding its meaning and import). Including references to earlier interpretations within the Hindu tradition, this work stands in a distinguished lineage of scriptural commentary.nbsp;Rooted in the original text and the work of earlier commenters, this work shows that a tradition is at its strongest when it is both rooted in the past and can show relevance to contemporary concerns and issues.With this work, A.V. Srinivasan shows us that the Hindu tradition, and the tradition of Gita commentary, is alive and well.nbsp; It can serve both as a guide to the text for beginners and as a springboard for conversation and reflection for advanced practitioners who already know the Gita well.nbsp; I recommend it highly!----Jeffery D. LongProfessor of Religion and Asian Studies, Elizabethtown CollegeSeptember 1, 2014 ***********************************************************************The author of this book, originally from Karnataka, is right nownbsp; living in the state of Connecticut innbsp; the US.In view of his training in Samskritam, he is engaging in the performance of worships as wellnbsp; as giving lectures onnbsp; Hindu Philosophy.nbsp; He has already published several monographs, andnbsp; the current book on thenbsp;Gita is his latest. The book carries anbsp; foreword by Swami Tyagananda, a former editor of Vedanta Kesari.nbsp;The Gitanbsp; has been a text of perennial inspiration ever since the time it was uttered by Sri Krishna onnbsp; the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Innumerable commentaries have been written on it since the time ofnbsp; Adinbsp; Sankaracharya. But, the interesting feature about these commentaries is that till recent times all of them have been written by Sannyasis, who used the text to establish their own school of thought. The emphasis in these commentaries is on the way of life of Sannyasis. This is strange because the main teaching of the Gita is to redirect the mind of Arjuna from Sannyas to his duty to fight the battle. It is only in recent times that this fact has been recognized and the emphasis has shifted to the duties of the common individual.nbsp;The first such interpretation was by Swami Vivekananda, who called the Gita 'Practical Vedanta'. Since that time, several more authors like Tilak,nbsp;Sri Aurobindo,Vinobha Bhave, etc., have interpreted the Gita from the common man's point ofnbsp; view. The current book is such a commentary written basically for ordinary individuals.nbsp;The book under review has, like the Gita, eighteen chapters, each one ofnbsp; them sequentially corresponding to one chapter of the Gita. The author has selected from each Gita chapter a few verses and used them to explain the message of the text. He calls the basic ideas of the text as the string connecting all the chapters. There is an advantage in this procedure that one gets a good bird's eye view. But, there is one disadvantage also. It demands of the reader apriori knowledge of the essence of the text. In this sense, the book is of use to those who are already familiar with the text. It is, however, of equal use to beginners also, since it gives them a good entry point for further studies.nbsp; Readers will surely benefit from a study of the book.
Recommended publications
  • Complete List of Books in Library Acc No Author Title of Book Subject Publisher Year R.No
    Complete List of Books in Library Acc No Author Title of book Subject Publisher Year R.No. 1 Satkari Mookerjee The Jaina Philosophy of PHIL Bharat Jaina Parisat 8/A1 Non-Absolutism 3 Swami Nikilananda Ramakrishna PER/BIO Rider & Co. 17/B2 4 Selwyn Gurney Champion Readings From World ECO `Watts & Co., London 14/B2 & Dorothy Short Religion 6 Bhupendra Datta Swami Vivekananda PER/BIO Nababharat Pub., 17/A3 Calcutta 7 H.D. Lewis The Principal Upanisads PHIL George Allen & Unwin 8/A1 14 Jawaherlal Nehru Buddhist Texts PHIL Bruno Cassirer 8/A1 15 Bhagwat Saran Women In Rgveda PHIL Nada Kishore & Bros., 8/A1 Benares. 15 Bhagwat Saran Upadhya Women in Rgveda LIT 9/B1 16 A.P. Karmarkar The Religions of India PHIL Mira Publishing Lonavla 8/A1 House 17 Shri Krishna Menon Atma-Darshan PHIL Sri Vidya Samiti 8/A1 Atmananda 20 Henri de Lubac S.J. Aspects of Budhism PHIL sheed & ward 8/A1 21 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad Bhagabatam PHIL Dhirendra Nath Bose 8/A2 22 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 Bhagabatam VolI 23 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 Bhagabatam Vo.l III 24 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad Bhagabatam PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 25 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 Bhagabatam Vol.V 26 Mahadev Desai The Gospel of Selfless G/REL Navijvan Press 14/B2 Action 28 Shankar Shankar's Children Art FIC/NOV Yamuna Shankar 2/A2 Number Volume 28 29 Nil The Adyar Library Bulletin LIT The Adyar Library and 9/B2 Research Centre 30 Fraser & Edwards Life And Teaching of PER/BIO Christian Literature 17/A3 Tukaram Society for India 40 Monier Williams Hinduism PHIL Susil Gupta (India) Ltd.
    [Show full text]
  • MAEL-203.Pdf
    CONTENTS BLOCK 1 Selections from Ancient Texts Page No. Unit 1 Rigveda: Purusha Sukta 1-13 Unit 2 Isha Upanishad 14-30 Unit 3 The Mahabharata: The Yaksha-Yudhishthira Dialogue I 31-45 Unit 4 The Mahabharata: The Yaksha-Yudhishthira Dialogue II 46-76 BLOCK 2 Poetry in Translation Unit 5 Selections from Songs of Kabir 96-109 Unit 6 Selections from Ghalib 110-119 Unit 7 Rabindranath Tagore: Songs from Gitanjali 120-131 BLOCK 3 Poetry in English Unit 8 Sri Aurobindo and his Savitri 132-147 Unit 9 Savitri , Book Four: The Book of Birth and Quest 148-161 Unit 10 Nissim Ezekiel: “Philosophy”, “Enterprise” 162-173 Unit 11 Kamla Das: “Freaks”, “A Hot Noon in Malabar” 167-178 BLOCK 4 Fiction Unit 12 Somdev: Selections from Kathasaritsagar 174-184 Unit 13 Raja Rao: Kanthapura –I 185-191 Unit 14 Raja Rao: Kanthapura –II 192-200 BLOCK 5 Drama Unit 15 Kalidasa: Abhijnanashakuntalam –I 201-207 Unit 16 Kalidasa: Abhijnanashakuntalam –II 208-231 Unit 17 Vijay Tendulkar: Ghasiram Kotwal –I 232-240 Unit 18 Vijay Tendulkar: Ghasiram Kotwal –II 241-257 Indian Writing in English and in English Translation MAEL-203 UNIT ONE RIGVEDA: PURUSHA-SUKTA 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Objectives 1.3. A Background to Purusha-Sukta 1.4. Analysing the Text 1.4.1. The Purusha 1.4.2. Verse by verse commentary 1.4.3. The Yajna 1.5. Summing Up 1.6. Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1.7. References 1.8. Terminal and Model Questions Uttarakhand Open University 1 Indian Writing in English and in English Translation MAEL-203 1.1 INTRODUCTION The Block: Block One explores the foundations of Indian Literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Mahabharata Tatparnirnaya
    Mahabharatha Tatparya Nirnaya Chapter XIX The episodes of Lakshagriha, Bhimasena's marriage with Hidimba, Killing Bakasura, Draupadi svayamwara, Pandavas settling down in Indraprastha are described in this chapter. The details of these episodes are well-known. Therefore the special points of religious and moral conduct highlights in Tatparya Nirnaya and its commentaries will be briefly stated here. Kanika's wrong advice to Duryodhana This chapter starts with instructions of Kanika an expert in the evil policies of politics to Duryodhana. This Kanika was also known as Kalinga. Probably he hailed from Kalinga region. He was a person if Bharadvaja gotra and an adviser to Shatrujna the king of Sauvira. He told Duryodhana that when the close relatives like brothers, parents, teachers, and friends are our enemies, we should talk sweet outwardly and plan for destroying them. Heretics, robbers, theives and poor persons should be employed to kill them by poison. Outwardly we should pretend to be religiously.Rituals, sacrifices etc should be performed. Taking people into confidence by these means we should hit our enemy when the time is ripe. In this way Kanika secretly advised Duryodhana to plan against Pandavas. Duryodhana approached his father Dhritarashtra and appealed to him to send out Pandavas to some other place. Initially Dhritarashtra said Pandavas are also my sons, they are well behaved, brave, they will add to the wealth and the reputation of our kingdom, and therefore, it is not proper to send them out. However, Duryodhana insisted that they should be sent out. He said he has mastered one hundred and thirty powerful hymns that will protect him from the enemies.
    [Show full text]
  • Dharma in the Mahabharata As a Response to Ecological Crises: a Speculation
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The Trumpeter - Journal of Ecosophy (Athabasca University) Dharma in the Mahabharata as a response to Ecological Crises: A speculation By Kamesh Aiyer Abstract Without doing violence to Vyaasa, the Mahabharata (Vyaasa, The Mahabharata 1933-1966) can be properly viewed through an ecological prism, as a story of how “Dharma” came to be established as a result of a conflict over social policies in response to on-going environmental/ecological crises. In this version, the first to recognize the crises and to attempt to address them was Santanu, King of Hastinapur (a town established on the banks of the Ganges). His initial proposals evoked much opposition because draconian and oppressive, and were rescinded after his death. Subsequently, one of Santanu’s grandsons, Pandu, and his children, the Pandavas, agreed with Santanu that the crises had to be addressed and proposed more acceptable social policies and practices. Santanu’s other grandson, Dhritarashtra, and his children, the Kauravas, disagreed, believing that nothing needed to be done and opposed the proposed policies. The fight to establish these policies culminated in the extended and widespread “Great War” (the “Mahaa-Bhaarata”) that was won by the Pandavas. Some of the proposed practices/social policies became core elements of "Hinduism" (such as cow protection and caste), while others became accepted elements of the cultural landscape (acceptance of the rights of tribes to forests as “commons”). Still other proposals may have been implied but never became widespread (polyandry) or may have been deemed unacceptable and immoral (infanticide).
    [Show full text]
  • Dharma in the Mahabharata As a Response to Ecological Crises: a Speculation
    Dharma in the Mahabharata as a response to Ecological Crises: A speculation By Kamesh Aiyer Abstract Without doing violence to Vyaasa, the Mahabharata (Vyaasa 3102 B.C.E.) can be properly viewed through an ecological prism, as a story of how “Dharma” came to be established as a result of a conflict over social policies in response to on-going environmental/ecological crises. In this version, the first to rec- ognize the crises and to attempt to address them was Santanu, King of Hastinapur (a town established on the banks of the Ganges). His initial proposals evoked much opposition because Aerin Caley Tuesday, 12:49 PM they were draconian and oppressive, and were rescinded after his Added Text death. Subsequently, one of Santanu’s grandsons, Pandu, and his children, the Pandavas, agreed with Santanu that the crises had to be addressed and proposed more acceptable social policies and practices. Santanu’s other grandson, Dhritarashtra, and his chil- dren, the Kauravas, disagreed, believing that nothing needed to be done and opposed the proposed policies. The fight to establish these policies culminated in the extended and widespread “Great War” (the “Mahaa-Bhaarata”) that was won by the Pandavas. Some of the proposed practices/social policies became core ele- ments of "Hinduism" (such as cow protection and caste), while others became accepted elements of the cultural landscape (ac- ceptance of the rights of tribes to forests as “commons”). Still other proposals may have been implied but never became wide- spread (polyandry) or may have been deemed unacceptable and immoral (infanticide). The Pandavas’ proposals helped the cul- ture survive and became the "Dharma" for the new age that fol- lowed the war.
    [Show full text]
  • Well-Being and Self-Transformation in Indian Psychology Sangeetha Menon National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
    International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Volume 37 | Issue 1 Article 4 9-1-2018 Well-being and Self-transformation in Indian Psychology Sangeetha Menon National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India Shankar Rajaraman National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India Lakshmi Kuchibotla Private Practice, Bangalore, India Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies Part of the Philosophy Commons, Psychology Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Menon, S., Rajaraman, S., & Kuchibotla, L. (2018). Well-being and self-transformation in Indian psychology. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 37 (1). http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2018.37.1.13 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals and Newsletters at Digital Commons @ CIIS. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Journal of Transpersonal Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ CIIS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Well-being and Self-Transformation in Indian Psychology Sangeetha Menon Shankar Rajaraman Lakshmi Kuchibotla National Institute of Advanced Studies Private Practice Bangalore, India Bangalore, India This paper uses instances from literature covering a broad spectrum of Indian philosophies, art, medicine and practices—attempts to offer the components of a psychology that is rooted in transformative and transpersonal consciousness. Psychology, in this instance, refers to a systematic study of mind, behavior, and relationship, rather than the formal Western discipline as such. In the Indian approach to understanding consciousness, primary importance is given to the possibility of well-being.
    [Show full text]
  • Yaksha Prashna, the Story of the Righteous Crane
    Yaksha Prashna य न The Story of the Righteous Crane Mahabharata, Aranya Parva, 311–12 Vaisampayana said, ‘Yudhishthira saw his brothers, each possessed of the glory of Indra himself, lying dead like the Regents of the world dropped from their spheres at the end of the Yuga. And beholding Arjuna lying dead, with his bow and arrows dropped on the ground, and also Bhimasena and the twins motionless and deprived of life, the king breathed a hot and long sigh, and was bathed in tears of grief. And beholding his brothers lying dead, the mighty armed son of Dharma with heart racked in anxiety, began to lament profusely, saying, “Thou hadst, O mighty-armed Vrikodara, vowed, saying,—I shall with mace smash the thighs of Duryodhana in battle! O enhancer of the glory of the Kurus, in thy death, O mighty-armed and high-souled one, all that hath become fruitless now! The promises of men may be ineffectual; but why have the words of the gods uttered in respect of thee been thus fruitless? O Dhananjaya, while thou wert in thy mother’s lying-in-room, the gods had said,—O Kunti, this thy son shall not be inferior to him of a thousand eyes! And in the northern Paripatra mountains, all beings had sung, saying,—The prosperity of this race, robbed by foes will be recovered by this one without delay. No one will be able to vanquish him in battle, while there will be none whom he will not be able to vanquish. Why then hath that Jishnu endued with great strength been subject to death? Oh, why doth that Dhananjaya, relying on whom we had hitherto endured all
    [Show full text]
  • Essence of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
    1 ESSENCE OF BHAGAVAD GITA Translated and interpreted byV.D.N.Rao, former General Manager, India Trade Promotion Organization, Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, now at Chennai 1 2 Other Scripts by the same Author: Essence of Puranas:-Maha Bhagavata, Vishnu Purana, Matsya Purana, Varaha Purana, Kurma Purana, Vamana Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana; Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Devi Bhagavata;Brahma Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Agni Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Nilamata Purana; Shri Kamakshi Vilasa Dwadasha Divya Sahasranaama: a) Devi Chaturvidha Sahasra naama: Lakshmi, Lalitha, Saraswati, Gayatri; b) Chaturvidha Shiva Sahasra naama-Linga-Shiva-Brahma Puranas and Maha Bhagavata; c) Trividha Vishnu and Yugala Radha-Krishna Sahasra naama-Padma-Skanda- Maha Bharata and Narada Purana. Stotra Kavacha- A Shield of Prayers -Purana Saaraamsha; Select Stories from Puranas Essence of Dharma Sindhu - Dharma Bindu - Shiva Sahasra Lingarchana-Essence of Paraashara Smriti- Essence of Pradhana Tirtha Mahima Essence of Upanishads : Brihadaranyaka , Katha, Tittiriya, Isha, Svetashwara of Yajur Veda- Chhandogya and Kena of Saama Veda-Atreya and Kausheetaki of Rig Veda-Mundaka, Mandukya and Prashna of Atharva Veda ; Also ‘Upanishad Saaraamsa’ -Essence of Maha Narayanopanishad; Essence of Maitri Upanishad Essence of Virat Parva of Maha Bharata- Essence of Bharat Yatra Smriti Essence of Brahma Sutras Essence of Sankhya Parijnaana- Essence of Knowledge of Numbers for students Essence of Narada
    [Show full text]
  • Business / Entrepreneurship Development Through Tourism Promotion in Punjab
    Final Report Public Disclosure Authorized Business / Entrepreneurship Development through Tourism Promotion in Punjab Assessment and Improvement of Women Participation in Economic Activities Around Selected Sites February, 2018 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Submitted to The World Bank Submitted By: SEBCON Socio-Economic and Business Consultants Public Disclosure Authorized Contents List of Acronyms v Women’s Participation in Tourism Development 1 1 Introduction and Background 1 1.1 Institutional Arrangements of Tourism Development, Archaeology and Religious Sites in Pakistan 2 1.2 Geographical Profile 4 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4 Punjab 5 1.3 Review Background 7 Surveys on Business and Employment 8 Scope of Work and Objectives 8 1.4 Methodology 9 Sample Size 10 Findings from Selected Sites 11 2 Historical Sites 12 2.1 Katas Raj 12 Location & Historical Background 12 Significance as a Tourist Site 13 Total Number of Tourists (Monthly/Weekly/Daily Cycle) 14 Profile of the Tourists (gender, age, socioeconomic characteristics) 14 Access to the Site and Availability of Basic Facilities 14 Current Business Environment and Involvement of Women 14 Issues and Constraints for Women Employment/Business 15 Potential Business Environment & Scope of Employment for Women 15 Issues and Constraints for Women Employment/Business 15 Recommendations 15 2.2 Lahore Museum 17 History 17 Significance as a Tourist Site 17 Tourism at Site 18 Total Number of Tourists (Monthly/Weekly/Daily Cycle) 18 Profile of the Tourists (gender, age, socioeconomic
    [Show full text]
  • Yaksha Prashna: the Riverbank Episode Raqs Media Collective 2010
    Yaksha Prashna: The Riverbank Episode Raqs Media Collective 2010 Yakshi: What distinguishes a current from currency? Raqs: A current, or whirlpool, or any force at all, acting to agitate a river or any massed body of water is a manifestation of how the push and pull of distant objects affects a liquid. The moon can cause a tidal bore to rush into a river's mouth, agitating it with turbulent currents that flow upstream. Currency, on the other hand, is the name we give to value in its most liquid and volatile form. It circulates in the bloodstream of nightmares and the vortices of hallucinations. Sometimes, a currency too encounters a strong current. Tidings of remote sentiments, wars, oil leaks and volcanic eruptions cause the sudden appearance of downdrafts of panic or despair. Then, money flows like water. Yakshi: Why do cities forget rivers? Raqs: Because when money begins to flow like water, cities – oblivious of how thirsty it makes them, or how parched it makes the ground on which they stand – forsake currents for currency and riverbanks for banks. Yaksha: What is the difference between the Reserve Bank and the riverbank? Raqs: The Reserve Bank, at the gates of which you normally stand guard, underwrites each promise to pay the bearer, issues loans, stands guarantee and settles interest- rates. The riverbank, to which, with our complicity, you make haste in dreams, underwrites the promissory note that only water can make to dry land, accounts for deposits of loam and computes an interest on the time you spend watching waves ebb and flow as you float.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 World Order and Vedanta by Dr. A. V. (Sheenu) Srinivasan* on January 14, 2017, When the Sun Rises on the Banks of the Hoogly R
    World Order and Vedanta by Dr. A. V. (Sheenu) Srinivasan* On January 14, 2017, when the sun rises on the banks of the Hoogly River in Kolkata, it will be Makara Sankranti in India. Special worships will be offered to the river Ganga by millions of devotees. This is the day when the gods awake after a night of sleep as the Sun God seems to change a generally southern direction and charts a course for a generally northern direction. Hindus consider this change in the Sun's direction of travel which ends dakshinayana and heralds the beginning of uttarayana as an auspicious occasion. This is also the day that the old wounded warrior of the Mahabharata, Bhishmacharya, was waiting for so that he could relinquish his body and pass on during uttarayana. Another reason why Makara Sankranti is so special to Hindus is that it was on this day January 12, 1863 just a few minutes after sunrise, that great rejuvenator of my faith, my spiritual hero, (and of millions around the world) the future Vivekananda first drew breath when "the air above the sacred river not far from the house was reverberating with the prayers, worship and religious music of thousands of Hindu men and women." (See Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works by Swami Nikhilananda, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center, New York, 1953). Why bring up all this now? The obvious reason is we will be celebrating the birth day of this great saint of India but also because he is truly the need of the hour! Let me explain: Kaliyuga seems to be in full swing.
    [Show full text]
  • Hinduism for Dummies
    Index amrita (nectar), 211 • Numerics • Amritamanthana (churning the milky 3 worlds, 109–110 ocean), 98, 116–117, 123 5 differences (pancha bheda), 314 ananda in name of swamis, 14 7 cities, 279 Angaraka (Mars), 107 7 Sages (Saptarshi or Sapta Rishi), 115, 134 Annaprashana (fi rst solid food), 256, 261 10 incarnations of Vishnu. See Dashavatara Anthyeshti (rites upon death), 257, 268 14 worlds, 110 Aranya Kanda (Ramayana book), 175 16 ceremonies (samskaras). See life-cycle rites Aranya Parva (Mahabarata book), 186–189 16 offerings (shodasha upacharas), Aranyakas (section of Vedas), 149 55, 218–219 arati (camphor fl ame), 219–220 108 names of God, 233 architecture of temples, 222–226 Arjuna (Bhagavad Gita protagonist), 194–195, 196–199, 307 • A • Arjuna Vishaada Yoga, 200 Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (Saylorsburg, ablutions (ritual cleansing), 17, 54 PA), 130 achamana (procedures using water), artha, as personal aim of life, 40–41 208–209, 214 Aryaman (deity), 109 acharyas (revered teachers), 23, 135–137 Aryan invasion theory, 24, 25–27 Adi Parva (Mahabarata book), 182–185 Aryan people, 23–24 Adi Shankara. See Shankaracharya ascetic (form of Shiva), 101 Advaita (Nondualism). See also Vedanta Ashoka (emperor), 29 basic beliefs (table), 311 ashrams, 128–131 described, 310 Ashtanga Yoga, 321. See also Raja Yoga devotion in, 314 Ashtoththara Shata Namavali (chanting the introduced by Shankaracharya, 14, 63 108 names), 233 on knowledge as inherent, 313 Ashwins (deities), 109 levels of reality in, 313 Atharva Veda. See also Vedas meaning of the term,
    [Show full text]