tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83262992849745378252024-03-19T08:39:39.511+05:30Decode Hindu MythologyDr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-39080967784502250282017-12-01T05:00:00.002+05:302022-08-03T19:17:46.222+05:30Zero Hour: The Last Avatar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On this first day of the last month of the year, I am glad to share with you all the final post on this blog. Zero Hour, as am sure you all know, is<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that final moment of time when something momentous is about to happen. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It also signals the final countdown and in both ways, this seems to me the perfect title for my last article in this series that quite fittingly deals with the Final Avatar of this Yuga - </span><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kalki</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had started this blog six years ago, when there was so much data swirling in my head that I just <i>had</i> to share it with the world in one way or another. I started putting down my thoughts in an alphabetical order and consequently, you can find 26 articles on this blog right from <i>A</i> (<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2011/08/big-bang-and-bhagvatam.html"><b>Astronomy in Hinduism</b></a>) to <i>Y </i>(<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2016/04/yuga-of-misery-yuga-of-mercy.html"><b>Yuga of Misery</b></a>) with this being the last one. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I may start yet another series right from the beginning but for now, this is the final article in a long series of topics that touch upon various so called 'myths' from Indic traditions & try to decode them using different scientific disciplines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Coming back to the topic, let us begin our exploration of the Final Avatar of Lord <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Vishnu</span></b>. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">For the uninitiated, let me quickly recount the Ten major incarnations, better known as the Dashavatar:</span><br />
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<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Matsya" title="Matsya">Matsya</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">the Fish</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kurma" title="Kurma">Kurma</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">the Turtle</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Varaha" title="Varaha">Varah</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">the Boar</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Narasimha" title="Narasimha">Narasimha</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">the Half-man/Half-lion being</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vamana" title="Vamana">Vaman</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">the Dwarf</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Parashurama" title="Parashurama">Parashurama</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">Rama with the axe</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Rama" title="Rama">Rama</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">Ramachandra, the ideal man</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Krishna" title="Krishna">Krishna</a></b>, <span style="color: white;">the Man-god</span></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha"><b>Buddha</b></a>, <span style="color: white;">the Spiritual Master, and lastly,</span></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kalki" title="Kalki">Kalki</a></b>,<span style="color: white;"> expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While most of you may be familiar with the nine incarnations that have taken place till now, the subject of interest today is the tenth and the final Avatar who shall appear at the end of the current Kaliyug. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of you may remember from the previous article the story of how Kali began but for those who do not, let me refresh your memory a bit to give a background for what's to follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">The Advent of Kali</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shrimad Bhagavatam</span></b> states that Kaliyug began on earth after Shri Krishna left the planet. While the god-incarnate walked this earth, darkness had no power and it is only after His departure to His abode Vaikunth that this current Age of Kali could begin.<br />
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Krishna left the responsibility of civilization in the hands of the Pandavs and in due course it was the turn of Arjun's grandson Parikshit to become the ruler of the known world. One day when the new emperor was on his rounds about the kingdom, he encountered the demon Kali (NOT related to Ma Kaali in any way) as a richly attired goon who was beating an ox mercilessly.<br />
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Parikshit stopped his chariot and immediately headed towards the spot but the man continued till three of the four legs of the poor animal were broken. Enraged by this display of barbarism when Parikshit lifted his sword to punish the brute, he fell down on his knees and begged to spare his life. He told the emperor that he was none other than <i>Kali</i>, the embodiment of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kaliyuga</span></b> and his time on Earth had begun. In order to spread his rule, Kali had to break the pillars of Dharma that the ox represented and accordingly, he had destroyed three of his legs representing austerity, cleanliness and mercy.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Parikshit knew he could not halt the progress of Kali but he could stop him from completely maiming Dharma. He allowed the demon to reside in FOUR places - gambling houses and taverns, people with unbridled sexual desires, slaughter-houses where innocent animals are killed and in riches and gold. It is believed that the very first thing that the demon did after getting clemency was to enter into Parikshit's crown thereby leading him to do an act that ultimately led to his death!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have heard from a lot of people that there is no concept of a devil in Hinduism but </span>Kali appears to be a pretty good candidate! His truants are similar to that of the<i> Satan</i> of Christianity and <i>Shaitan</i> of Islam & we also encounter him in the Nal-Damyanti story in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span></b>. King Nal is believed to have finally trapped him in the Vibhidak tree, whose fruit was used to create dice in ancient times. It is therefore no coincidence that the end of Dvapar Yuga was brought about by a game of dice made of that same tree played by the Kauravs and the Pandavs!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kalki - The Nemesis of Kali</span></u></b></div>
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Now that we know what Kali stands for, it isn't hard to imagine why this Yug that is ruled by him is so miserable. We have discussed it in length in the previous post so here we shall stay focused on the deliverer from this dreaded Yuga - KALKI.<br />
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The <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Kalki Puran</span></b> descibes the astrological conjunctions that would occur at the time of Kalki's birth:<br />
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<i>The moon shall be in Dhanishtha nakshatra (Aquarius),</i></div>
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<i>Thus he will be wealthy, acclaimed and swift in action & thought.</i></div>
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<i>The Sun will be in Swati, the nakshatra of the sword.</i></div>
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<i>Jupiter will be in Purva Ashadha nakshatra (Sagittarius).</i></div>
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<i>The Ascendant Lord will also be in Sagittarius, giving him invincibility and early victory.</i></div>
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<i>Saturn will be exalted in Libra, providing a balance between justice and sword.</i></div>
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<i>Ketu, lord of horse-headed Ashwini, will be exalted in Scorpio,</i></div>
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<i>suggesting he will descend atop a great white steed.</i></div>
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<i>He shall come at a time when darkness is the order of the day, and he shall be the saviour to rid the world of its sufferings.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kalki Puran [1.2.15]</span></b> predicts the date of his birth as the 12th day of the waxing moon in month of Madhav - </div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">द्वादश्यां शुक्ल-पक्षस्य माधवे मासि माधवम्।</b></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><b style="background-color: white;">जातं ददृशतुः पुत्रं पितरौ हृष्ट-मानसौ।।</b></b></div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni Puran [10.31]</span></b> states -<br />
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<i>Towards the end of the Kali era, all people will </i><i>be dastardly. </i></div>
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<i>They will oppose the Vedas, become robbers and will be concerned only with wealth. </i></div>
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<i>The </i><i>disbelievers will then become kings and these kings will also become cannibals.</i></div>
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<i>Kalki will be born on earth as the son of Vishnuyasha. </i></div>
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<i>He will take up arms to destroy the </i><i>disbelievers. </i></div>
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<i>It will then be time for the dawn of a new satya yuga, a golden period of </i><i>righteousness.</i><i><br /></i><br />
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shrimad Bhagavatam [1.3.25]</span></b> adds -<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">शम्भल ग्राम मुख्यस्य ब्राह्मणस्य महात्मनः।</b></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><b style="background-color: white;">भवने विष्णुयशसः कल्किः प्रादुर्भविष्यति॥</b></b></div>
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<i>Thereafter, at the conjunction of two Yugas,</i><br />
<i>The Lord of the creation will take his birth as Kalki,</i><br />
<i>And become the son of Vishnuyasha,</i><br />
<i>At this time, the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Last Avatar Arrives</span></div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu Puran [4.24]</span></b> also mentions -<br />
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<i>When the practices taught in the Vedas have nearly ceased,</i><br />
<i>and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh,</i><br />
<i>a portion of that Divine Being who exists of His own spiritual nature,</i><br />
<i>and who is the beginning and the end, who comprehends all,</i><br />
<i>shall descend on earth, born in the family of Vishnuyasha,</i><br />
<i>an eminent Brahmin of Shambhala,</i><br />
<i>as Kalki, endowed with the eight superhuman faculties.</i><br />
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So here for the first time, we have a mention of the PLACE where Kalki shall take birth that can perhaps help us unravel the mystery a little further. Let us explore this place a little more.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shambhala - the location of Kalki's Birth</span></u></b></div>
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If you ask an ordinary Hindu about Shambhala, you would most likely be greeted with a blank stare. Hindu texts do not give a lot of information about this place, perhaps because they do not want to give out the location where the future savior shall be born. But for thousands of years, Buddhist texts have preserved the knowledge of Shambhala, a Utopian paradise, that is believed to be nestled somewhere high in the Himalayas.</div>
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The Kalchakra Tantra of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tibetan Buddhism</span></b> as well as the ancient scriptures of Zhang Zhung and the indigenous<span style="color: #ffd966;"> <b>Bon</b></span> religions of Tibet mention Shambhala as a pure land high in the mountains, that only those who have a pure heart can find. It is a place where people are immune to all types of suffering and where peace and wisdom thrive. It is such a pleasant coincidence that I began writing this article in Bhutan, one of the last remaining centers of Tibetan Budhhism!<br />
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Shambhala, nestled high in the Himalayas</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-left;">Just like the Hindu texts mentioned above, Kalchakra also prophesies the gradual deterioration of mankind as materialism spreads its tentacles. When the barbarians are united under an evil king (Kali?) and there is nothing left to conquer, the last king of Shambhala shall emerge with a huge army in order to vanquish the dark forces and usher a new Golden Age. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-left;">Did you notice the similarities with the Hindu belief of Kalki? Let us delve a little deeper into them before returning to Hindu texts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-left;"><b><u>Kalki in other religions</u></b></span></div>
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There are a total of 32 kings mentioned in the Tibetan texts, the first seven of whom are called Dharma Rajas and the next 25 as Kalkis or Kulikas (Tibetan - Rigden). </div>
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The first of these 32 kings - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Suchandra</span></b> - is believed to have taken initiation from <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Buddha</span></b> himself and the last one - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Raudra Chakrin</span></b> or Dakpo Khorlocen - would be the real focus of our attention as he corresponds to the Hindu concept of Kalki. The list implies that the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu would be born in a place that has been preparing for his arrival ever since the departure of his previous incarnation - Buddha!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">In fact, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Padma Purana</span></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> [6.242.8-12]</span></b> says that Kalki's father Vishnuyasha, shall be a re-incarnation of the</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">FIRST MAN - Svayambhu Manu </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(You can read more about Manu, the father of Mankind, here</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/04/manu-first-man.html" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Manu - The First Man</b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The story goes that Svayambhu Manu performed austerities at Naimish Aranya on the bank of Gomati River, for acquiring the privilege of having Lord Vishnu as his son in three lifetimes. Thus, he appeared first as Dashrath (father of Shri <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Raam</span></b>), then as Vasudev (father of Shri <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna</span></b>), and in the last boon shall appear as Vishnuyasha. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While Hindu texts place the appearance of Kalki at the end of Kaliyug close to 4,27,000 years from now, according to Tibetan texts, the last Kalki shall arrive in the year 2424 CE to establish a planet-wide Golden Age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kalki Rudra Chakrin - Dakpo Khorlocen</span></div>
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We have already seen the prediction of Kalki in Vajrayana Buddhism let us now check what the other school of thought - the Mahayana Buddhism has to say about him. The Mahayana belief also mentions the coming of Buddha again in a future age as Maitreya Buddha and you see statues of the future Buddha at many places in the world including our very own Ladakh.</div>
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Statue of Maitreya, the Future Buddha in Ladakh</div>
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Even <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Chrisitianity</span></b> has a similar concept of return of Christ on the Judgement Day when the world as we know it shall come to an end. The Book of Revelations [19.11-16 & 19.21] describe the coming of a horse-rider much like Kalki in quite vivid terms:</div>
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<i>And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse;</i></div>
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<i>and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True,</i></div>
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<i>and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.</i></div>
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<i>His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crown;</i></div>
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<i>and he had a name written, but no man knew but he him;</i></div>
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<i>And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood</i></div>
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<i>and his name is called the Word of God.</i></div>
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<i>And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,</i></div>
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<i>clothed in fine linen, white and clean.</i></div>
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<i>And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations</i></div>
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<i>and he shall rule them with a rod of iron</i>:</div>
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<i>and he tradeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.</i></div>
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<i>And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,</i></div>
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<i>KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.</i></div>
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<i>And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies,</i></div>
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<i>gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and aginst his army.</i></div>
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A similar concept can also be found in <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Islam</span></b> where Hazrath Mahdi is expected to return just before the judgement day to re-establish religion to its original glory.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #f1c232;">The Stage is set for Kalki</span></u></b></div>
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The <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Kalki Puran</span></b> mentions that Parshu-Raam, the 6th Avatar of Lord Vishnu, the hero of my second book, and a Chiranjeevi or Immortal, shall be the martial guru of Kalki! In verse [3.9.10] he tells his protege the following words:<br />
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<i>You have learned the art of discharging arrows from me,</i></div>
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<i>You will imbibe transcendental knowledge from Shukadeva Goswami,</i></div>
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<i>And you will be awarded a powerful weapon by Lord Shiva.</i></div>
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<i>Thereafter, you will marry Padma, from the island of Sinhala.</i></div>
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<i>Your mission is to re-establish Sanatan Dharma.</i></div>
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Parshu-Raam, the future Guru of the Last Avatar<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is quite apt since Parshu-Raam himself performed a similar function in a previous era and he would be perfectly suited to coach KALKI in the hard task that lays before him. Another one of the Seven Immortals or Sapta-Chiranjeevi, Lord <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hanuman</span></b>, the incarnation of Shiva, shall also be assisting Kalki in his endeavor! Shrimad Bhagvatam states that Hanuman still resides in Kimpurush Varsha (modern Tibet) singing the glories of his Lord and this quite neatly fits with our theory of the Tibetan belief in Kalki since both the Savior and his helper shall arise from the same region!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">Hanuman waits in the Himalayas to help Kalki in his fight against Evil</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Additional information on Kalki is found in the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Ling Puran</span></b><i style="color: black;"> </i>[40.50-92], the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Brahmand Puran</span></b><i> </i>[1.2.31.76-106 & 2.3.73.104-126], and the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Vayu Puran</span></b> [58.75-110]. Kalki shall wander over the planet without being seen by any living being. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then he will start His campaign in His thirty-second year and roam the earth for twenty years. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu Puran [4.24] </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">continues to explain his activities: </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>By His irresistible might he will destroy all the mlecchas and thieves, </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>He will reestablish righteousness upon earth, </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>and the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened, </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>and shall be as clear as crystal. </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The men who are thus changed by virtue of that time shall be as the seeds of human beings, </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>and shall give birth to a race who will follow the laws of the Krita age [Satya-yuga], </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>As it is said, 'When the sun and moon, and the lunar asterism Tishya, </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>and the planet Jupiter, are in one mansion, </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>the Krita age shall return.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Beginning of a New Golden Age</u></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Talking of the men who shall become the seeds of new civilization, </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shrimad Bhagvatam [12.2.37-38]</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> informs us that there are two persons who shall perform this task. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We mentioned them earlier when we were talkng about Parshu-Raam and they are - Devapi of the Chandravanshi or Lunar Dynasty and Maru, of the Solar or Suryavanshi Dynasty. These two dynasties have been at the forefront of human civilization since time immemorial and it shall again be their </span>progenitors<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that usher in the golden age once again.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They will be great kings and will help in the process of re-establishing the proper principles in society. They have lived through all four of the <i>yugas</i> and reside in the village of Kalapa which BTW is another connection with Tibetan Buddhism. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the beginning of Satyug, they will return to society and establish the eternal religion of humanity, S<i>anatan-dharma</i>, and the institutions of <i>Varna-Ashram Dharma.</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Well-planted gardens, sacrificial grounds, large tanks, Vedic schools and colleges, ponds and temples, will reappear. Vedic sacrifices will also begin to be performed at the appearance of the Krita age. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Brahmins will be honest and good. Being devoted to asceticism, they will be wise sages. Kings shall rule virtuously. Every kind of crop will grow in every season. Men will devotedly practice charity, vows, and religious rites. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The cycle of Yugas shall continue its never-ending loop and the souls that have stayed true to god shall attain salvation. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Supreme Lord Vishnu</span></b> shall once again help humanity establish Dharma and route out Evil, the way he has done multiple times before, bringing in prosperity or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lakshmi</span></b> to the world. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I close this final article on this auspicious thought and hope to see you again in a new series in a new form where we can continue our journey once again just like the Yuga cycle.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">Let There be Peace & Prosperity in the world!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></span></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com68Paro, Bhutan27.428684 89.41636540000001827.3152955 89.25431690000002 27.5420725 89.578413900000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-3102308643493734392016-04-16T16:51:00.000+05:302017-03-25T23:31:59.036+05:30Yuga of Misery Yuga of Mercy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Ghor Kaliyug hai</i></b> - you may have heard this expression when someone is exasperated by the way things are happening.. ever pondered what it implies?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>The Age of</b> </span><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Kali</span> - <span style="color: #f1c232;">Kaliyug</span></b> is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of Mahayugas. According to Hindu cosmology, time is cyclical and you can consider the four Yugas to be similar to the four seasons that keep recurring in perpetual eternity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In each successive yuga (Satya to Treta to Dvapar to Kali), all human virtues keep getting diminished including mankind's intellect, age, honesty, values etc. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In this post I'll talk not just about the moral devaluation of humanity which is self-evident, but also try to highlight something that's generally missed in the narrative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="color: #f1c232;">Beginning of Kaliyuga</span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By the calculations of </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Aryabhatta</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the most celebrated mathematician of ancient India, Kaliyug began between the 18th to 20th of February 3102 BCE which tells us that we are currently in the 5118th year of this Era. in India we</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> recently celebrated <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Ugadi</span></b>/<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Gudi-Padwa</span></b>/<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Navreh</span></b>/<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Cheti-Chand </span></b></span> and the reason why it is called <b><i>Yug-aadi</i></b> is because this is the day Kaliyug began (BTW its also the day when Brahma began creation).</div>
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Brahma began Creation<span style="text-align: justify;"> on the day of Ugadi</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Srimad Bhagavatam</span></b> [12.2.31] records Kali-yuga as having begun when the constellation of the seven sages or Big Dipper passed through the Nakshatra of Magh. This took place roughly 36 years after the battle of Mahabharat that wiped out millions off the face of the Earth. You may ask why it didn't start immediately after the war but according to Vaishnav tradition, the demon Kali could not step on the planet till the time <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Krishna</span></b>, the Supreme Lord was present on it. It was only after Krishna's departure that Kaliyuga could descend.</div>
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Kali could not appear till Krishna remained on Earth</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I always do in each post, I am going to share with you inputs not just from Hindu mythology but also beliefs from other parts of the world that may match ours. You would be surprised to know that the last cycle of the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mayan</span></b> calendar </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">started in 3113-14 BCE, very close to the Hindu dates of beginning of Kaliyuga! Without any connection between the two civilizations, </span>their calendars begin with onl<span style="font-family: inherit;">y a difference of 11 years. What is also interesting is that in both these calendars, this is the last stage of the cycle.</span></div>
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Two civilizations at opposite ends come up with similar calendars</div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><b><u>Scientific Basis of Yugas?</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The length of Kali Yuga, the smallest of the four Yugas is believed to be<b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> 432,000</span></b> years which is the basic unit of Yuga calculation. The Dvapar-Yuga is twice this time, Treta is thrice and Satyuga is four times this period with the total adding up to 4.32 Million years. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">That is a staggering period and none of us would be alive to see the end but we can certainly see if such a huge number holds any significance in science.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We know that Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle but is elliptical in shape. Here I need to introduce you to the concept of ORBITAL ECCENTRICITY which states that the shape of Earth's orbit</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> changes over time and can vary between nearly circular (low eccentricity) to more elliptical (high eccentricity). While the change is a part of nature's process, what is important from our point of view is that these variations occur over a period of <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">413,000 </span></b>years - quite close to the basic unit of a Yuga!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Earth's orbit changes from circular to elliptical over one Yuga Unit of Time</span></div>
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This change in orbital eccentricity has a profound effect on the conditions prevailing on Earth including massive temperature changes but this is not all. Each Yuga is supposed to have a period of dawn and dusk that takes about 10% of its time ~ <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">43,000</span></b> years. Is there a scientific phenomenon that repeats during this duration? The answer is YES and that is the change in the angle of Earth's axis known as the AXIAL TILT - <span style="font-family: inherit;">Earth does not rotate in space like a perfect sphere but tilts just like a spinning top giving rise to seasons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is interesting is that the angle of the tilt</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> does not stay constant rather takes approximately <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">41,000</span></b> years to shift between a tilt of 22.1° and 24.5° and back which again leads to massive climate change on the planet. </span>These two phenomenon combined with PRECESSION of Equinoxes mentioned in the article {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2011/07/hola-amigos-was-too-caught-up-with-sri.html" target="_blank"><b>Black Holes & Bhagavatam</b></a>} together form the basis of something known as <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Milankovitch Cycles </span></b>that give rise to rapid changes in Earth's temperature heralding amongst other catastrophes, the Ice-Ages.</div>
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Milankovitch Cycles </div>
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We saw in the post titled {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/05/pralaya-end-of-days.html" target="_blank"><b>Pralaya - the End of Days</b></a>} the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Great Deluge</span></b> mentioned in various world mythologies may actually be the memory of the meltdown after the Ice-Age ends. You would remember that pralaya marks the transitions between Yugas and I believe the Milankovitch Cycles fit in quite nicely with the timelines of Yuga cycles as described in our Puranas.</div>
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On a side note, let me just mention something related to Astrology (which BTW I don't really understand too well myself). Scientists say that if Earth had been the only planet around Sun, the eccentricity of its orbit wouldn't be too much. The real reason for the huge difference is due to the effect of the gravitational fields of Jupiter and Saturn! Similarly, precession is seen due to the tidal forces exerted by the Sun and the Moon on Earth's equator. No wonder then that so much importance is given to the effect of planets especially <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Surya </span></b>and <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Shani</span></b> in Indian Astrology!</div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><b><u>Descriptions of Kaliyug</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hindu scriptures mention that during the 432,000 years of Kali, humanity shall deteriorate and fall into barbarism. </span>The world teems with fanatics and extremists and religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, physical strength and memory diminish with each passing day.<br />
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Shrimad Bhagavatam says that the demon of Kali descended as soon as Krishna had left the planet. Arjun's grandson <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Parikshit</span></b> who was the ruler of the known world then encountered him in the form of a richly attired goon who was beating an ox mercilessly. The emperor stopped his chariot and immediately headed towards the spot to stop him but the man continued till three of the four legs of the animal were broken.<br />
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As Parikshit lifted his sword to kill the brute, he fell on his knees and begged to spare his life. He told the emperor that he was none other than Kali, the embodiment of Kaliyuga and his time on Earth had begun. In order to spread his rule he had to break the pillars of Dharma that the ox represented!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The emperor knew he could not halt the progress of Kali but he stopped him from completely maiming Dharma. The demon was allowed to reside in FOUR places - gambling houses and taverns, people with unbridled sexual desires, slaughter-houses where innocent animals are killed and in riches and gold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">No wonder then that most of the crimes we see today happen either in a state of intoxication or involve the misuse of natural resources due to excessive greed for money or take place due to uncontrolled lust and desire!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">To make it easier to understand the effect of Kali, let me share with you some bang-on descriptions about this age from <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Shrimad Bhagavatam, Ling Puraan, Vishnu Puraan</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mahabharat</span></b>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">LEADERSHIP</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kings take to seizing property, rather than protecting the citizenry. Rogues and criminals become leaders to exploit and enslave their people. </span>In this age, merely possessing wealth is considered a sign of good birth, proper behavior, and fine qualities. Law and justice are determined by one's prestige and power.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>LOVE<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Marriage ceases to exist as a holy union - men and women simply live together on the basis of bodily attraction and sexual pleasure. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Women wander from one man to another. </span>One's beauty is thought to depend on one's hairstyle. Monks break their vows of celibacy. Women, children, and cows - always protected in an enlightened society - are abused and killed during this age.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Men no longer look after their parents in their old age, and fail to provide for their own children. Filling the belly is said to be the only purpose in life. Cows are killed once their milk production drops. </span>Humans give in to intoxication, fornication and killing of animals without any restraint; family structure breaks up and children are abused and abandoned.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>Thieves are numerous and rapes are frequent. Everyone uses vulgar language.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Farmers abandon living close to nature. They become unskilled laborers in congested cities. Many dress in rags, or are unemployed, and sleep on the streets. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">RELIGION</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Atheism flourishes. Religious observances are performed solely for the sake of reputation. </span>False doctrines and misleading religions spread across the globe. <span style="font-family: inherit;">People prefer false ideas and do not hesitate to persecute religious preachers. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Interestingly, not just Hindu but Buddhist texts also predict a decline in religion. </span>Buddhism is prophesized to completely disappear during the Kali Yuga, and it will be virtually impossible for a person to find any opportunity for spiritual realization.<br />
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These descriptions are so apt for our society that they leave you wondering whether the authors had undertaken time-travel to visit the current age! Not only is this the exact current scenario but the accuracy of these predictions also fills one with a sense of hopelessness. However, one ray of sunshine exists in this gloom.</div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><b><u>The Silver Lining</u></b></span></div>
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The <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Brahma-Vaivarta Puraan</span></b> [4.129] records a coversation between Lord Krishna as He is preparing to leave Earth at the end of Dvapar Yuga and Goddess Ganga. Krishna tells the goddess who is distraught by the knowledge of Kaliyug's imminent arrival that she would be instrumental in delivering the souls of humans for the first five thousand years of this era and also mentions - </div>
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Kaler <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">dasa-sahsrani</span></b></div>
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madbhaktah samti bhu-tale</div>
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ekavarna bhavishyamti </div>
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madbhakteshu gateshu cha</div>
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In Kaliyuga, for <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">ten thousand</span></b> years</div>
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My devotees shall remain on this planet</div>
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Only one varna shall remain</div>
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After their departure</div>
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This thus, is the 10,000 year Golden Period of Kaliyuga. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Is there any scientific relevance of this 10,000 year period? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The answer again is in the affirmative. Currently the Earth is tilted at 23.44 degrees from its orbital plane, roughly halfway between its extreme values. The tilt is in the decreasing phase of its cycle, and will reach its minimum value around the year 10,000 CE. Besides, Earth's Precession shall make the Pole Star change from Polaris or </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Dhruv</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to Vega in the next 12000 years and I am not sure what kind of changes that would bring.</span></div>
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Some spiritual Gurus like <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Yukteshwar</span></b> use the 24,000 period of Precession to describe Yugas as ascending or descending but based on the scriptures I don't believe this is mentioned in any of the religious scriptures! The Yugas follow a cyclical pattern of Satya-Treta-Dvapar-Kali and at the end of Kali, the golden age of Satyuga returns again in a continuous cycle. There is no swinging back through Dvapar and Treta as believed by certain western followers of the Yogi.<br />
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The proof in support of this assessment is that ancient Hindu astronomical text <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Surya-Siddhanta</span></b> mentions precession as <b><i>Ayanamsa</i></b> with its current value while simultaneously mentioning the correct duration of the Yugas with the basic unit of 432000 years.</div>
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Incorrect interpretation of Yugas based on Precession</div>
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The actual cycle of Yugas would be as shown below<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though we are born in this Age of Darkness, we are fortunate to have been born in a time when devotion to Krishna still exists on Earth! The scriptures also mention that it has never been simpler to achieve God than it is in Kaliyug for unlike Satyug where thousands of years penance was required to even get a glimpse of God, in Kaliyug, ALL you need to do is remember His NAME!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even in the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Judaeo-Christian</span></b> tradition lot of importance is given to the name of God, ever heard this statement - Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name? The sentiment is echoed by the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Sikh Guru Arjan Dev Ji</span></b> in the following verse:</span><br />
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In Treta one had to do elaborate rituals like the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Ashwamedh Yagnya</span></b> and in Dvapar the mode of worship was through huge temples but in Kaliyug, just by remembering the name of the Lord one can get deliverance from the cycle of birth and death. 5000 years have passed and five thousand more remain of this period so let us make the most of it by following good Dharma and ensuring that THIS life is the last of an infinite cycle of births and deaths.<br />
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I end this post with an invocation from the Brihan-Naradiya Puraan -</div>
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Harer naam Harer naam Harer naamaiva kevalam</div>
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Kalau na asti eva na asti eva na asti eva gatir anyatha</div>
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In this Age of Kali,</div>
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There is no other Deliverance, No other Deliverance, No other Deliverance,</div>
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Than the name of Hari!</div>
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May the Lord have mercy on all :)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com154Kiev, Ukraine, 0200050.4501 30.52340000000003849.798847 29.227013500000037 51.101352999999996 31.819786500000038tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-9992347374715883012015-11-03T00:29:00.000+05:302019-06-02T11:40:22.006+05:30X Man from Ancient India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Legends,
they say, are hyperbolic versions of historical events. Yet, they remain
immensely more popular than authentic verifiable history. Throughout the world,
stories of legends occupy more mind-share than the lives of historically
documented people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
exploits of Robin Hood and King Arthur are arguably more popular than those of Churchill
or Thatcher from Great Britain and the labours of Hercules and Hanuman excite
more children in Greece and India respectively than those of Alexander or
Chandragupta. As the title of my next book suggests, this as well is an effort to
bring to my readers one such powerful legend - the Axe-Man</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - Parshu-Raam, who is not just a weilder of Shiva's divine Axe but also in many ways a protoype X-Man as well!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parshu-Raam
is recognized, and even dreaded as the man who decimated the entire ruling
class in a bygone age, not once, but twenty-one times! </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">I refer to him as the original X-Man since he was perhaps the first person in world literature to show such superhuman strength, that only someone blessed with other-wordly powers could have exhibited. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In fact the </span><b style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Bhaagvat Puraan</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> mentions him as a </span><i style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shaktyavesh Avatar</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of Lord Vishnu – a human invested with special powers of the
Supreme Lord.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He is so much like the X-Man's <span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Wolverin</b>e</span>, with the furious temper and no nonsense attitude that I immediately related the two while thinking of a title for this post with just the metal claws having been replaced by the divine axe of Shiva.<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>You may have heard of him from your grandparents or
seen a brief glimpse in some television mythological but seldom is his life
story detailed to an extent that it could become an epic in itself. That is the reason I chose to write my second book on Parshu-Raam, the Man who changed the face of ancient Indian society.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The purpose
of this book is not to harp about his later achievements that many are aware
of, but to bring in front of readers the events from before his birth that
slowly but surely lead this simple Brahmin boy to become the legend that we know him as. His footsteps have marked the length and the breadth of the country from <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Arunachal Pradesh</span></b> in the East to <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Maharashtra</span></b> in the West and <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Himachal</span></b> in the North to <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Kerala</span></b> in the South!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Since a protagonist’s story does not get a complete
perspective till it is compared with that of the antagonist or the anti-hero, this
book shall also </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">be incomplete without the inclusion of the travels and
travails of his arch enemy, the man who, according to scriptures, was an</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">
incarnation of <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Lord Vishnu</span></b>’s <i>Sudarshan
Chakra</i> himself! </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Hardly anyone would have heard of him before, but I must
mention that this extra-ordinary man is considered </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">one of the very first humans to rule over a Global Empire - a dream many
colonial powers dreamed of in a previous century and few harbor even today.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The
struggle between the two is a reflection of the tussle between two differing
ideologies believed by two different classes. The fight for supremacy between
two powerful classes of ancient India – <b><i>Brahmins</i></b> and <b><i>Kshatriyas</i></b>,</span><span lang="EN-IN"> is </span><span lang="EN">reflected even today </span><span lang="EN-IN">especially in countries where the
intelligentsia and military exist at loggerheads. Even as you read this, some
military leader somewhere in the world is surely planning a coup to snatch
power from the bureaucrats while somewhere else, the literati is preparing for
a protest against the authoritarian regime in their country.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN">The
struggle has played itself many a different times in many a different ways and
this book shall introduce you to the clash that completely transformed India’s
social structure in a bygone age. I have merged some true stories about the
Lord of Lanka taken from the <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Ramayan</span></b> to help me arrive at this sequence of
events and you may be surprised to know that Ravan was also defeated by someone
other than <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Shri Raam</span></b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">Like
the demon king Ravan and his own grand-uncle <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Vishwamitra</span></b>, Parshu-Raam also
makes appearance in that grand epic although for a brief instance. When Shri
Raam breaks Shiva’s bow in the Swayamvar for Sita, Parshu-Raam arrives at the
scene like a storm and challenges the prince for a duel. As far as I am aware,
this is the only instance where two different incarnations of Lord Vishnu have
come face to face as adversaries!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">Parshu-Raam
also finds mention in <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Mahabharat</span></b> as the guru of Kuru patriarch Bhishma-Pitamah
as well as the ill-fated Karna. Since he was opposed to <b><i>Kshatriyas</i></b>, Karna had
to lie about his identity in order to receive martial training from Parshu-Raam,
a subterfuge that ultimately led him to be cursed to forget the very knowledge
he had learnt when he needed it the most. In Kerala, Parshu-Raam is believed to
have imparted similar training to</span><span lang="EN-IN"> <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Swami Ayyappan</span></b>, the
Lord of Shabrimala and developed the martial art of <i><b>Kalaripayattu</b></i> along with Rishi Agastya. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">His influence though is not
restricted to great personalities of the past and he is still believed to
reside on earth waiting for the arrival of <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Kalki</span></b>, the tenth Avatar of Lord
Vishnu who would be trained in the martial knowledge Parshu-Raam has gained and
distilled in order to help the final incarnation of this Yuga fulfill his
purpose of appearance. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-IN">Till that time, he is supposed to reside in the Mahendra mountains of <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Odisha</span></b> worshiping Lord<b><span style="color: #e69138;"> Shiva</span></b>, but on my recent visit to the Kingdom of <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Cambodia</span></b>, </span>I came across a mountain that was called with the same name and has a river running through it that has a <b><span style="color: #e69138;">1000 Lingas</span></b> carved on its river-bed! Perhaps then, the Lord may have found residence there rather than the hills of eastern India..<br />
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The 1000 Linga River in Cambodia</div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">You may wonder how one man’s life-span could transcend
that of three different incarnations of Vishnu but then, as the scriptures tell
us, the gods grant special powers to humans who are needed to carry on their
work. The mission of Parshu-Raam’s life is to help humanity find its way
whenever it gets lost and thus he is counted as one of the Seven Immortals or <i><b>Chiranjeevis</b></i>. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">Besides all these military accomplishments,
he is also destined to become one of the Saptarishis in the next Manvantar
along with Vishwamitra who is related to him by not just ties of blood but also
a powerful bond of magic. This book is my attempt to bring to you the legend of
the most popular <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Brahma-kshatriya</span></b> known in
the history of India, and a fitting counterpart to the saga of Vishwamitra, the
only Kshatriya in history who became a <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Brahma-rishi</span></b>.
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And this is what the book is about..<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fmp_YzFq3Ik/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fmp_YzFq3Ik?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Od8cNUXu1ms/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Od8cNUXu1ms?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">It is the story of the boy who
was forced to take difficult decisions in order to fulfill his duties not just
to his parents but also to the idea of a fair and just society. It is the story
of the man who rose to the level of divinity, the story of the making of a
legend - <b><span style="color: #e69138;">The Legend of Parshu-Raam</span></b></span><br />
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Available at Amazon India: <a href="http://amzn.to/1OyLcE3">http://amzn.to/1NuXub6</a></div>
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Amazon International - <a href="https://amzn.to/2MQxYmV" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/2MQxYmV</a></div>
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& Flipkart: <a href="http://bit.ly/1TvGo0z">http://bit.ly/1TvGo0z</a></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</b></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com30Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia13.3670968 103.8448134000000213.1185603 103.52071690000002 13.6156333 104.16890990000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-60444919504854645492015-04-11T01:40:00.001+05:302016-11-07T23:51:20.811+05:30War of the Worlds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It has been a long time coming for a new post and I apologize for my absence caused by the severe diversion of all my free time towards the book I was working on which is finally out in the market. However, now that things have settled down a little, I did manage to come up with a new post on a hitherto untouched topic and am more than glad to share it with you :)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My effort in the blog has always been to pick up a new topic in every post and try to relate it with a different branch of science and this time we would talk about the Art of Warfare. Mythological tales especially in India, have immense importance, so much so, that they still continue to shape and
reshape values that we hold dear. For precisely this reason, the clash
between forces of good and evil that forms such an important part of mythology, also offers the opportunity for an interesting scientific analysis.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">With
numerous gods, anti-gods, heroes and anti-heroes, the scriptures are full of
epic battles of massive proportions. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">These could be in the form
of younger gods replacing the older decadent ones viz </span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Titanomachy</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
between Greek Olympians and Titans or may take the form of a clash between two civilizations such
as the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Deva-Asura</span></b> conflicts mentioned
in the Vedas. Sometimes, members of the same family might indulge in a
battle of supremacy such as the fraternal rivalry between Pandavs and Kauravs
of the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mahabharat</span></b> and the </span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Theomachy</span></span></b><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">among the Olympians.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Titanomachy and Mahabharat</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCwqK_RdZGzreYETatOxFS-fAPCM6_eWzLiUga-FgDiEfXeafQX83_0aijRowvh81JODglQEGlmyUgZPbAO1J-k2XCmCic8IC64rvbrGsK4z-NIgH-68bNumkELAWAnJnv2d7S4K9NIM/s1600/GOW_PIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCwqK_RdZGzreYETatOxFS-fAPCM6_eWzLiUga-FgDiEfXeafQX83_0aijRowvh81JODglQEGlmyUgZPbAO1J-k2XCmCic8IC64rvbrGsK4z-NIgH-68bNumkELAWAnJnv2d7S4K9NIM/s1600/GOW_PIC.jpg" width="640" /></a> {Image courtesy - Gods of war}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv3dIA7SpOkGULvqtJi2e68NhrEhb7YiCKMsiuIHlNj0GvtdD7yzgIZmFEgGlWnJjVwajxFg311u3x5e75X2S7DX4nycfb9ktJl3kvzbWoENZoC-FW_AkDcCPS4nKvMh95T6SJRPTV_0/s1600/Deva-Asur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv3dIA7SpOkGULvqtJi2e68NhrEhb7YiCKMsiuIHlNj0GvtdD7yzgIZmFEgGlWnJjVwajxFg311u3x5e75X2S7DX4nycfb9ktJl3kvzbWoENZoC-FW_AkDcCPS4nKvMh95T6SJRPTV_0/s1600/Deva-Asur.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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{Image courtesy - 18 Days}</div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Since
these wars involve beings with superhuman powers, they also speak of weapons
with unparalleled potential to cause devastation. The descriptions of celestial
weapons that can crack thunder and consume entire cities with their power,
bring to mind modern weapons of mass destruction or WMDs. It comes as no
surprise that <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Robert J. Oppenheimer</span></b>,
the father of the Atomic bomb, thought of the now famous quote from the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Bhagavad Geeta</span></b> on witnessing its first
successful detonation - </span><span class="unicode"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">kālo'smi lokakṣayakṛtpravṛddho lokānsamāhartumiha pravṛttaḥ</span></i></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> [<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">B.G. XI, 32</span></b>]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to ancient Hindu scriptures, it is indeed the greatest </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kshatriya </i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">desire to possess a magical
weapon of the gods and it was considered feasible as well since </span><span class="A5" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">the gods themselves
were willing to support one side or the other most of the times. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Warriors would undertake pilgrimages and perform strict penance to fulfill this desire and Arjun,
the hero of Mahabharat does much the same.</span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Divya
Astras in Mahabharat</span></span></u></b><span class="ya-q-full-text"><b><u><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the
Pandavs are thrown out of their kingdom through cheating in the game of dice, Rishi
Ved</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Vyas advises Arjun to utilize this
time and procure Divine WMDs from the gods for they would surely need them at
the end of the exile. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Accordingly, Arjun walks away from the group reaching
Indrakeel (modern day Sikkim) and manages to please Lord Shiv gaining access to
his fabled <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Pashupat Astra</span></b> followed
by the weapons of <i>Ashta-digpals</i> or guardian
gods. The entire episode is mentioned in V</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">anaparva</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> as the <i>Kirātārjunīyam</i> episode of the third
book and you can read the details here: {<a href="http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03038.htm">http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03038.htm</a>}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mahabharat 5.166</span></b>, Pitamah Bhishma
describes to Duryodhan the might of Arjun and enumerates the weapons he has
gained access to –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">‘Arjuna’s
again, is that celestial bow called Gandiv,
he owneth those steeds fleet as the wind; his coat of mail is
impenetrable and of celestial make; his two large quivers are inexhaustible;
his arms have been obtained from the great Indra, Rudra, Kuver, Yama and Varun;
and upon his car, again, are those maces of frightful mien, and diverse other
great weapons having the thunderbolt amongst them!’<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Pitamah Bhishma announces the beginning of Mahabharat</div>
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{Image courtesy - 18 Days}</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Anyone who has read or watched the Mahabharat on television would remember the power of Arjun’s
legendary bow </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Gandiv</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Arjun faced and defeated huge number of enemies alone
with it and even dared to face Lord Shiv in a case of mistaken identity that I
would share later. But was this precious Gandiv just a bow or something more advanced?</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Book
9 Section 16</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> also mentions another weapon in possession of the
eldest Pandav – <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">‘King
Yudhishthir the just, took up a dart whose handle was adorned with gold and
gems and whose effulgence was as bright as that of gold. The illustrious chief
of the Kurus then hurled with great force at the king of Madra that blazing
dart of beautiful and fierce handle and effulgent with gems and corals. All the
Kauravs beheld that blazing dart emitting sparks of fire as it coursed through
the welkin after having been hurled with great force, even like a large meteor
falling from the skies at the end of the Yuga.</span></i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So what do we make of this? Poetic license or ancient science-fiction or maybe... just maybe... pointer to a scientifically more advanced civilization?</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><u><span style="color: #f1c232;">Divya Astras in Ramayan</span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Valmiki Ramayan contains what is perhaps the oldest description of Divya Astras in world mythology. When Brahma-rishi Vishwamitra takes the young princes of Ayodhya to the jungle to help him get rid of the Asuras disturbing his penance, he shares his own knowledge of Divine weapons with the two sons of King Dashrath that help them destroy many demons in their sojourn. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">I myself have used this description in <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Adhyaye 19</span></b> of my book </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">where Vishwamitra first comes in possession of these weapons </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">(Check out here - <b><a href="http://www.amazon.in/Vishwamitra-Vineet-Aggarwal/dp/0143423444/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476286655&sr=8-1&keywords=vishwamitra" target="_blank">Vishwamitra - The Man who dared to challenge the Gods</a></b></span><b style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">)</b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It was actually in the course of researching for my book that I came across these descriptions and thought of putting them down in a detailed article. These include weapons such as the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Narayan-Astra, Agneyastra, Brahmashira, Vayavastra, Tejprabha, Shishira, Shiteshu, Varshana</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> etc. that were variously capable of setting inexhaustible fire to everything, reducing cities to rubble, creating cyclones, freezing the enemy, drowning it in torrential rain and other such calamities. Shri Raam ultimately applies this knowledge learnt from Vishwamitra to get rid of the demon Ravan.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Shri Raam destroys the arrogant Ravan using Divya Astras</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq0sHesPiNpPJAf0y5rcbVUQMjHSuKbIQ_g4GC0ZUKRtlz3dF4AQYcyRPn5RmlOBOXwofThSTJ5LGNVFe3UCOTifVXuP0kppQDnqqjTAI2yw3f9TjAp1vwoTR3sPXXaSxdeGF6OsuKZo/s1600/grant-morrison-18-days-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq0sHesPiNpPJAf0y5rcbVUQMjHSuKbIQ_g4GC0ZUKRtlz3dF4AQYcyRPn5RmlOBOXwofThSTJ5LGNVFe3UCOTifVXuP0kppQDnqqjTAI2yw3f9TjAp1vwoTR3sPXXaSxdeGF6OsuKZo/s1600/grant-morrison-18-days-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">While <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">C</span></b></span><span class="ya-q-full-text" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">hapter 27 of the Baal Kand</span></b> lists out these missiles while the next one gives an account of some counter-attack missiles, called <i>Upasamhara astras</i> that could nullify the enemy’s missiles much like our very own <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Prithvi</span> </b>and<b> <span style="color: #f1c232;">Ashwin</span></b> that are a part of the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Indian Ballistic Missile Defense System</span></b>! </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even
though there is a mention of many such weapons in mythology, what is lacking in
the descriptions is objective precision since these
are, by definition, weapons of a bygone era. Yet, just picturing these with our
own modest knowledge of science today, can help understand them better and perhaps
even inspire the invention of ultra-modern weaponry. Let us delve deeper into
this world of ancient weaponry and get introduced to some fascinating designs
of primordial artillery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Some popular Divya Astras</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let
us see how some of these celestial weapons could look if we compare it with
today’s technology:</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>1.</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Agneyastra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> –
set fire to everything in front of it. Perhaps the simplest of the celestial
weapons that contained the essence of the Fire-god and could set fire to the
target immediately; could be similar to current gun-powder based artillery
which may be as powerful as the bazookas of today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">2.</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></b> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Varunastra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> –
counters the Agneyastra and releases torrential rains hence could be used in
two ways – one, to drown the enemy army and second, to extinguish the wide
fires set alight by Agneyastra. Sounds somewhat similar to artificial
rain-creation methods or cloud-seeding done in drought situations which is done
using planes or ground generators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The most common chemicals used for cloud seeding
include silver iodide, potassium iodide and dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) and
i</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">t is most likely that this particular Astra used some such material to
induce rains though it has to be shot to a high level using rockets and has
been done by many countries including <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>China, US</b></span> and <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>UAE</b></span>. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Needless
to say, this weapon would not be a simple arrow but a massive rocket or ion
launcher that could do the job effectively and am sharing the image of a
Chinese cloud-splitter to give the idea.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>3.</b></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Vayu-Astra</span></span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> –
Harnessing the power of wind, it would bring about a gale capable of lifting
armies off the ground. This would have to be something similar to our
storm-troopers above. </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Most of us know
that tornadoes are unpredictable, uncontrollable, and dangerous but what if we
could actually generate one at will?</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Scientists believe we can harness a lot of
electricity from such artificially generated storms and turn it into an
alternative source of power for our planet and a</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Canadian electrical engineer <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Louis Michaud</span></b>, is developing what he has branded the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Atmospheric Vortex Engine
</span></b>(AVE), that promises to be literally a tornado in a bottle with the top uncorked.</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Michaud has built a prototype of what he calls a vortex
engine--a plywood contraption just 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide that is capable
of whipping up tiny vortexes and scaled up versions of these would enable
creation of bigger tornadoes! {</span><span lang="EN-IN"><a href="http://www.21stcentech.com/energy-update-artificial-tornado-to-generate-electricity/"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">http://www.21stcentech.com/energy-update-artificial-tornado-to-generate-electricity/</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">}</span><br />
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<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">4.</span> <span style="color: #f1c232;">Parvatastra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> -
Would cause a Parvata/mountain to fall on the target from the skies which sound
so sci-fi that just reading the description makes me think of movies like
Armageddon! I assume such a weapon would cause a rain of meteors or asteroids
or remotely triggering an object stationed high in the atmosphere (not
necessarily a satellite) to drop heavy duty load on the head of the enemy. Man
I could use some of this stuff on certain people I know ;o)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">5. Manavastra</span></b></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> – The weapon
created by Manu, the first man which could overcome supernatural protections
and carry the target hundreds of miles away. It was used by Shri Raam with the help of Brahma-rishi
Vishwamitra to tackle Ravan’s uncle Mareech who was thrown thousands of
kilometres away into the sea like a projectile.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Shaurya missile</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> we have today is a canister
launched surface-to-surface ballistic missile used by the Indian Army. Capable
of hypersonic speeds, it has a range of 600 km and is capable of carrying a
payload of one-tonne conventional or nuclear warhead and I assume that would be
somewhat equivalent to the weight of a giant Asura! The <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Agni Missiles</span></b> can also
do the job quite well and take the target further ahead and I am sharing the
range of different versions here.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">S</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">adly none of the modern weapons possess
the ability to keep the target alive since they focus more on destroying rather
than preserving - says something about the current state of <i>Manavta </i>or Humanity!</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">6.</span></b> <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Naagastra/Naagpash</span></b></span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> –
binds the victim like a serpent and releases slow poison into his system. I
don’t see any modern weapon of combat come close to this ingenious device for
it immobilizes the quarry and makes them sitting ducks while you go about
having your way with them! It was used in the Mahabharat by <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Arjun</span></b> to bind an entire division of
Kaurav army to disastrous effects and even used by Ravan’s son <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Meghnaad</span></b> to bind Shri Raam and
Lakshman.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uGkNGNXFmhRt7CY8XObvGivNggfIf-L0MPt67FYBIja_qVTraCvm9vBqCr4p43CLIWVjZzIYTme2v2g9YO39VDlgWmL60IOkjTgWke_ehItd3DXnmr4zng2HDhXmIZ1HOsInJ_L-Plg/s1600/ScannedImage-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uGkNGNXFmhRt7CY8XObvGivNggfIf-L0MPt67FYBIja_qVTraCvm9vBqCr4p43CLIWVjZzIYTme2v2g9YO39VDlgWmL60IOkjTgWke_ehItd3DXnmr4zng2HDhXmIZ1HOsInJ_L-Plg/s1600/ScannedImage-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">7.</span></b> </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Garudastra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> – counter to
the Naag pash and could dissolve or release the bonds. It was probably named so
because of the historical enmity that Garud, the avian vehicle of Lord Vishnu
had with the serpents whose mother Kadru had enslaved his mother Vinta. But
that’s a story for another time! </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">8.</span></b> </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Vajra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> – Equivalent to
Thor’s hammer or Zeus’ thunderbolt, it is one of the most powerful weapons
known to the demigods. Made of Rishi Dadhichi’s bones and shaped like a double
ended mace, it was supposed to have been made by the divine architect <span class="A5">Tvaṣṭar
or Vishwakarma for Indra to fight the dragon Vṛitra.</span></span></div>
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Indra riding the Airavat with Vajra in his right hand</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-7cOdhTtipLZ-wJ5Q_xq63xsu2y1wQfkqcWjgFbo7FLxNgBcqg5mAw6Wy7yH0xieN2u9_KK1FMw1mNJdq9sj-9B_Ce7V4Jf4hlk3HBC_e_uh44jsLcx2hZbjoyqMGWEkY4KsncwYgo4/s1600/indra-on-elephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-7cOdhTtipLZ-wJ5Q_xq63xsu2y1wQfkqcWjgFbo7FLxNgBcqg5mAw6Wy7yH0xieN2u9_KK1FMw1mNJdq9sj-9B_Ce7V4Jf4hlk3HBC_e_uh44jsLcx2hZbjoyqMGWEkY4KsncwYgo4/s1600/indra-on-elephant.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Closeup of the Vajra</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thunder and lightning may occur without rain, but they
never occur without each other and significantly both of them are associated
with Indra. <span class="ya-q-full-text">Scientifically, a <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Van De Graaf generator</span></b> is capable of generating up to two million
volts of potential between two metal spheres. This results in an arc up to
about 15 feet long between the two spheres. Such a generator is on display at
the Museum of Science in Boston. </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Check this image out and you will see why a Vajra is described as a club!</span><br />
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Van de Graaf lightning generator</div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That
the modern scientific instrument to create lightning bolts is also shaped like
a club or rather two clubs, I am inclined to believe that the description of
Vajra in Hindu scriptures could be more accurate than the zigzag bolts of
lightning shown in the hands of Zeus!</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">9. Vasavi
Shakti</span></b></span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
– Infallible dart of Indra that once fired would come back only after seeking
its target sort of like a laser-guided missile but the flip side was that it
could be used only once. The same was used by Karna to dispose of <i>Ghatotkach</i> in
the battle of Mahabharat.</span></div>
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{Image courtesy - 18 Days}</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Supposed to be
shaped like a spear or javelin, it resounds very well with the modern weapons
of similar nature. Even the Indian Army uses the indigenously developed </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Sudarshan</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> laser-guided bomb today.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">10. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Paashupat
Astra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
– is the much-guarded favorite weapon of Shiva which could destroy target
completely, irrespective of target's nature. It had to be obtained from Shiva
directly. Infallible, though can be nullified only by any other astra of Lord
Shiva or by an astra of Lord Vishnu.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mahabharat 3.41.7–10</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Arjun requests
Shiva to grant him the weapon thus –</span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“O illustrious god having the bull for
thy sign, if thou wilt grant me my desire, I ask of thee, lord that fierce celestial weapon wielded by
thee – that weapon of terrible prowess which destroyeth, at the end of the Yuga the entire universe – that
weapon by the help of which, O god of gods, I may under thy grace, obtain
victory in the terrible conflict which shall take place – that weapon by which
I may consume in battle Danavs and Rakshasas and evil spirits and Pishachs and
Gandharvs and Naags – that weapon which when hurled with Mantras produceth darts by thousands
and fierce-looking maces and arrows like snakes of virulent poison.”</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From the above
fragment it is evident that Pāśupat is not an ordinary weapon, but one that
could cause catastrophic effects much like the planet killer <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Death Star</span></b> from Star Wars </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">or the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Tessaract</span>
</b>or <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Cube</span> </b>from Comic lore. Scientifically, I would assume it corresponds to </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">a
Hydrogen bomb which is perfectly capable
of destroying a fairly large chunk of area!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The U.S. tested
a <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Hydrogen bomb</span></b> on November 1st, 1952 in
the Bikini Atoll and all people had to be evacuated 40 miles away. The explosion
produced an equivalent of 10.4 million tons of TNT, vaporized the island of Elugelab and a .5 mile deep
crater which was 2 miles wide was left in its' place!</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">11. Narayan
Astra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
– This astra fires a powerful tirade of millions of deadly missiles
simultaneously and the intensity of the shower increases with resistance. It is
considered one of the most dangerous weapons of Mahabharat and was used by
Ashwatthama to wipe out an entire section of Pandav Army when he learn that his
father Dronacharya had been killed by Dhristadyumna [<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Narayanastramokshaparvan MBh.7.166.44</span></b>]. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">It is said that the </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Eleven Rudras</span> </b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">(gods
of destruction) appear when this weapon is launched implying </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">that it wreaks
havoc on the enemy and is most likely to be a thermonuclear weapon. In the
Bhagvat </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Puraan it is mentioned that </span><span class="ya-q-full-text" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Dhruv Maharaj
had used it against the Yakshas who had killed his brother </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">and the astra
multiplied from 1 to 2 to 4 to 8 to 16 etc just like a nuclear fission
reaction!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1IAWD7mvSPJgpD-GekpAearAUwWHJtLOO2ImUibuT0BxeZbx4zp1N0DkB6SANurMAbw1k5IxxdkdCKhZJbkfK8TqkLxGc0ZAYgL2yD0pLYcKFhWRHmyQ8nRnzMZzV4D9L-wFKYXluI/s1600/Hydrogen+bomb+cut+section.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1IAWD7mvSPJgpD-GekpAearAUwWHJtLOO2ImUibuT0BxeZbx4zp1N0DkB6SANurMAbw1k5IxxdkdCKhZJbkfK8TqkLxGc0ZAYgL2yD0pLYcKFhWRHmyQ8nRnzMZzV4D9L-wFKYXluI/s1600/Hydrogen+bomb+cut+section.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pandavs
were able to withstand it only because of the presence of Krishna who Himself
is a Vishnu Tattva.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">12. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Brahmastra</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> –
One of the most potent Divine WMDs that could also counter most other astras.
In the Mahabharat, it is said that the weapon manifest with the single head of
Lord Brahma as its tip and is the only weapon capable of piercing the <i>Brahma
Kavach</i> (invincible armour of Lord Brahma) which suggests that even the
strongest of defenses could be breached by this particular missile!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
Ramayan, <i>Atikaya</i>, one of Ravan's sons possessed the invincible armour of Lord
Brahma that could only be pierced by a Brahmastra and hence was killed by Lakshman
using the same. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is said that when a Brahmastra is discharged, there
is neither a counter attack nor a defense that may stop it and it is believed
that this missile never misses its mark and must be used with very specific
intent since the target will face definite and complete annihilation!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Yvmh1NI_PdD3nxrEzCBknu2jSPa2EU4q8Rf_kqhfm5fvMbJRFXEw91cY127z8M-ixo-alUMj_0XYKzLjWuE_Ne8uBxPehlzLxxtCsxUQT0V1FjmOWUroTwXe86aIR55yTGwtxgoQIZA/s1600/Karna-Vs-Ghatotkach-Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Yvmh1NI_PdD3nxrEzCBknu2jSPa2EU4q8Rf_kqhfm5fvMbJRFXEw91cY127z8M-ixo-alUMj_0XYKzLjWuE_Ne8uBxPehlzLxxtCsxUQT0V1FjmOWUroTwXe86aIR55yTGwtxgoQIZA/s1600/Karna-Vs-Ghatotkach-Final.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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{Image courtesy - 18 Days}</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Valmiki</b></span>
has described the strong vibration created from the tightened string tied to
the bow of Ram, causing great fear and disturbance among living and non
livings, in these words: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>‘When Ram could not find any means to make a path
through the ocean to reach to Lanka with his whole army, he decided to do so by
drying the ocean. In order to do this ‘he fixed Brahmadand charged with
Brahmastra on the string of his great bow and stretched it with full force for
its final operation. This created so much fear all over that heaven and earth
started shaking with its mountains and rivers. Lakes and rivers agitated. Sun
and moon changed their way. The ocean, with the mass of its water and waves
surged beyond its confines to the extent of about eight miles. Finally on the
request of the ocean he turned the direction of his arrow and released it,
causing a huge part of ocean turned into a desert.’</i></span></div>
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If this isn't the classic description of the power of an Atomic weapon I don't know what is!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE0abooJdD4ZkLmpHuRDURnlzNdSANzLr_2LcHAgyW1neXo3mM9kY9rwXgSHfyZbu7nh1wTELwIBFzUoeh20GljQKlVCJM13tokkJektxmbUv5pRWuZm4PpJUDOncVLr_Q3Pv_yv2tVo/s1600/rama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE0abooJdD4ZkLmpHuRDURnlzNdSANzLr_2LcHAgyW1neXo3mM9kY9rwXgSHfyZbu7nh1wTELwIBFzUoeh20GljQKlVCJM13tokkJektxmbUv5pRWuZm4PpJUDOncVLr_Q3Pv_yv2tVo/s1600/rama2.jpg" /></a></div>
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{Image courtesy - Ramayana 3392 A.D.}</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">13. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Brahmashira</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> - It
is thought that the Brahmashira is the evolution of the Brahmastra and is 4 times
stronger than Brahmastra. Consequently, it manifests with the four heads of Lord Brahma as its tip. Brahmaśiras and Brahmāstra were both given to Agastya by Lord Shiv. Later Agastya gave it to
Agnivesh who passed it to Droṇacharya who finally handed it to Arjun and his own son Ashvatthama instructing them about its use (<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">MBh 1.128.18</span></b>).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Both Brahmastra and Brhamshira contain the essence of Brahma</div>
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{Image courtesy - Molee Art}</div>
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<u><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">You got missiles, but how do you launch them?</span></b></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now
that we have seen some of the missiles, let us also look at some of their
launching technologies.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Pinaka/Pinaak</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> –
Also called as Shiva Dhanush, was the bow of Lord Shiva, which he used to
launch all these missiles and killed countless Asuras in battle. The same had
been passed down to King Janak, the father of Devi Sita, and was later broken
by Lord Ram in her <i>Swayamvar</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Could any bow in reality be that heavy that it would
require 5000 able-bodied men to move it from its place as described in the
Ramayan that too on an eight-wheeled carriage? </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">{<a href="http://www.valmikiramayan.net/bala/sarga67/bala_67_prose.htm">http://www.valmikiramayan.net/bala/sarga67/bala_67_prose.htm</a>}. Isn't it more likely that it was a mobile
weapon-launcher for many of these missiles we have read about above?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not surprisingly, in today’s day, our naval forces
use the term</span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">Dhanush</span></span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> to denote a system
consisting of a stabilization platform (Bow) and the Missile (Arrow). It is
intended for the Indian Navy, to be fired from ships against other ships or
land targets and can fire modified versions of Prithvi-II or Prithvi-III.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Vijaya</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> -
was another bow of Lord Shiv and scriptures say that its string could not be
broken by any kind of astra (weapon) or divya astra (divine weapon) probably
implying that it was well-armored and it was supposed to be so heavy that a
normal person in any yuga cannot not lift it. It was passed on from Lord Shiv
to Parshuraam and from him to Karna who used it to counter Arjun’s Gandiv in
the Mahabharat War. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Every
time an arrow is released from this bow, it created a terrible twang, which is
said to be loud as thunder causing terrible fear in enemies and produced flashes of light as brilliant as lightning, which blinded the enemy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If this is
not the description of a rocket or missile launcher pray tell me what it is!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs77hL32UfiHgx3v3lobqmYQXpc6TzuMWSCvgFV0qYf0RGp3jtHgBb2YNIuxlB5U_w0E9v_PgRwx5Jk__IuVJYbWDLXmST5ddzn7YP9XmPKMO-h_tQzbkQjJBEIhE2oJgAS-mB-xXFigw/s1600/Missile+launcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs77hL32UfiHgx3v3lobqmYQXpc6TzuMWSCvgFV0qYf0RGp3jtHgBb2YNIuxlB5U_w0E9v_PgRwx5Jk__IuVJYbWDLXmST5ddzn7YP9XmPKMO-h_tQzbkQjJBEIhE2oJgAS-mB-xXFigw/s1600/Missile+launcher.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Gandiv</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> – The most famous bow of Mahabharat is actually
extra-terrestrial in origin! The scripture mentions that in olden times Brahma
carried it for one thousand years and then for five hundred and thee years it
was with Prajapati. Indra kept it for eighty-five years, and after him it was
with the moon-god Chandra for five hundred years. Lord-of-water, Varun carried
it for one hundred years before he gifted it to Arjun on Agni’s recommendation.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was coupled with two quivers that would never get
empty and according to </span><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mahabharat,
Viraatparva: Chapter 43, Verse 5-6</span></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> it also needed special chariot to carry in the war-
field which had also been gifted by the benevolent demigod. Needless to say the descriptions
turn more and more towards a specialized missile launcher than a simple wooden
longbow!</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">What is most interesting is that just like modern nuclear weaponry, each of these required a specific code for activation in the form of a Mantra! Each w</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">eapon was used with its specific mantra which in turn had a definite set of frequencies for recitation that produced the intended effect. Those mantras were never written for the sake that they never get into wrong hands. The mantras were just passed on orally from a teacher to a student. </span><br />
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<b><u><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Activation Codes for Divine WMDs</span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So it was a culmination of the
mental powers along with the art of Spiritual warfare that decided who would be
the winner in the end. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Jarrod Whitaker</span></b> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">in his paper titled </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Divine Weapons and Tejas in the Two Indian Epics </i>(</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Indo-Iranian Journal 43: 87–113, 2000) talks about the differences between </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mahatejas and Alpatejas vs. Brahmatejas against Kshatriyatejas each being different spiritual advancement levels of an individual but we wont get into its details here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">What we should remember though is that the person endowed with the responsibility of bearing these weapons had an obligation NOT to use them indiscriminately and was required to remember both the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Activation </span></b>as well as <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Deactivation codes</b></span> for these otherwise the entire
creation could be in jeopardy. </span>A paper titled ‘<i>The glimpses of
chemistry and technology in Vedic literature</i>’ was presented in the National
Conference on Emerging trends in Nuclear and Chemical technology in 2012 by <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Mr
K.V. Murali Krishna</b></span>, chemistry lecturer at Silver Jubilee Govt. College, Kurnool in which he mentions -</div>
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<i>“Though <span style="font-style: inherit; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">it
is evident that a knowledge in nuclear science existed in ancient India</span></span>,
people should also realise that their use was bound by high values of ethics.
(It) calls for only ‘favourable’ and ‘protectional’ use of such extreme
energy,” </i>[<span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Source - Deccan Chronicle, April 4, 2012</b></span>]</div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This point is abundantly evident from the tale of Ashwatthama, the son of
Dronacharya who had hurled the Brahmashira at the unborn fetus in the womb
of Abhimanyu’s widow. He was unable to recall the weapon once it was discharged
and it could ultimately be stopped only by the intervention of Krishna who cursed him for this reckless act to wander on the earth for all eternity covered in boils
and sores. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
incident from an ancient epic, shows that even for those bygone generations,
these weapons were not meant to be used lightly - a lesson our modern day
decision makers would do well to remember!! Hope you liked my latest offering covering yet another aspect of mythology from a scientific perspective and l</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">et us hope that drawing from the vast mythologies of the world, contemporary scientists find inspiration not only for the conduct, purpose, and carriage of their wars but also the quest for peace.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com142Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.139003 101.686854999999922.8839550000000003 101.36275849999993 3.394051 102.01095149999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-68242779703966391632014-11-22T20:51:00.000+05:302019-06-02T12:21:11.915+05:30Vishwamitra - The Man who dared to challenge the Gods!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Alright so a lot of people have been asking why I haven't been active on the blog since more than a year and I am glad to say that finally I can share the answer with you guys. As you might know I have a full-time job and whatever spare time I got was being used for my book which is coming out by the end of this month!</div>
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So I thank all of you who have been posting comments and sharing ideas all this while and I have made sure I replied to your comments and suggestions even if I couldn't devote enough time for a new article! Here's the cover of my soon-to-be-launched book which is a fictional account of the story of <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Brahmarishi Vishwamitra</b></span>.</div>
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For any writer, his first book holds special value since it is as much a labor of love and sweat as an exercise in discovering one’s own latent potential and this book is my labor of love and sweat in more ways than one.<br />
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Vishwamitra isn’t a religious book, nor a book on spirituality.<span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span>It’s neither completely fiction nor entirely based on reality. Yet, it holds an important message, for it is the life story of an ordinary human who rose above the confines of his physical and mental boundaries to fight fate and take charge of his own destiny.</div>
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Unlike the <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Devas, Gandharvas, Vidyadhars, Siddhas, Arihants, Bodhisattvas</b></span> and other assorted divine beings from our scriptures, we, the ordinary <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Manavs</span></b> (the Sanskrit term for Man) are considered to have limited capabilities. Yet, we see people in a variety of disciplines seeking to breach that barrier every day. These are the people who challenge the norms set by the society and set new milestones for the rest of mankind. This story is an ode to one such man.</div>
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Vishwamitra’s life is the perfect example of how far a man can go in order to obtain what he truly desires. Many may know of him as one of the greatest rishis of Vedic times and some may even remember the role he plays in the Ramayan. But even those who are familiar with his name may not know that Vishwamitra was born a prince and became a Brahmarishi purely by virtue of his own efforts. You may be further surprised to know that he is also the discoverer of the <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Gayatri Mantra</b></span>, the most popular hymn chanted by millions of Hindus all over the globe every day.</div>
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Born into a Kshatriya family, divine providence blessed him with a potent spiritual streak that fuelled his quest to become the highest of the high priests of ancient India. History identifies him as the only Kshatriya king to have achieved the impossible task of becoming a Brahmarishi and recognizes him as the human architect of no less than a star system!<br />
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Why I chose to write my first book on Viswhamitra </div>
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This book is a chronicle of the trials and tribulations faced by a man torn between duty and desire, and the vicissitudes and failings of human condition. Yet, at its heart, it is a story of HOPE - hope that makes a human being challenge his destiny with random acts of free will; hope that makes a king leave all his possessions and turn into a hermit; hope that fuels the desire for being remembered in spirit, even after the body has perished in dust.</div>
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This, thus, is the narrative of a brave king of Aryavarta, who not only
attained fame through his military conquests but, through his intense
spiritual quest, also became one of the most well-known sages of all
time. It is the story of a man who dared to challenge the gods.<br />
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I also hope to bring more such hidden stories from our mythologies to my dedicated audience and I sincerely HOPE you guys like the book! Sharing the flipkart and amazon links for your convenience:</div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2hHn04k">FLIPKART - http://bit.ly/2hHn04k</a></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2hr74aw" target="_blank">AMAZON India - http://amzn.to/2hr74aw</a></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2hHnpnx">AMAZON International - http://amzn.to/2hHnpnx</a></div>
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May Brahma-rishi Vishwamitra's blessings be with us all!</div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</b></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com61Chandigarh, Chandigarh 160017, India30.7333148 76.779417930.513670299999998 76.4553214 30.9529593 77.1035144tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-18400827189955150752013-06-01T22:20:00.000+05:302020-04-11T21:59:44.982+05:30U.F.Os and Vimanas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>O Rama of unequaled prowess,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This aerial car shining like the sun, </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Moves as
one pleases, w</i><i>onderful and excellent;</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This Pushpak of Kuber, </i><i>robbed by
Ravan in battle,</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Is retained here for your
sake;</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The yonder aerial car, looking like a cloud, </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Stands here and by which transport, </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>You can reach Ayodhya without any trouble.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><i>May prosperity attend you! </i></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Valmiki Ramayan [6.121.9-11]</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The above verse describes the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pushpak Vimaan</span></b>, perhaps the most famous airship mentioned in the ancient Hindu literature. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Many Sanskrit epics contain references to such flying machines called the <i>Vimaans/Vimanas</i>. These Vimaans were said to be able to
travel into space between different planets and were used by various denizens of the higher Lokas.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> In this post, we shall analyze the evidence in favor of such flying machines being available to the ancients and their similarities to the modern aircrafts.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;"><u>Vimaans in literature</u></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">T</span><span style="font-size: small;">here are
many descriptions of flying machines th</span><span style="font-size: small;">at broadly</span><span style="font-size: small;"> fall into two categories: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">(1) <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manmade aircrafts</span></b> that
resemble our modern airplanes, and </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">(2) <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Alien structures</span></b> that are
generally built by either the architects of Devas or Asurs and resemble the modern perception of UFOs. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The FIRST of this category are
described mainly in medieval Sanskrit literature dealing with
architecture, siege engines, and other mechanical
contrivances. Those in the SECOND category are described in ancient works such
as the <i>Rig Veda</i>, the <i>Mahabharat, Ramayan</i>, and various <i>Puraans</i>, and have many features reminiscent of UFOs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We will deal with the second category first as their references are more in number, and seem to be more authentic as well. Perhaps everyone who knows anything about Hinduism, or has heard/read the Ramayan, would know about <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pushpak Vimaan</span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;">, the aircraft which belonged to Ravan, the king of Lanka. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;"><u>The Pushpak Vimaan</u></span></span></b></div>
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Pushpak was originally designed by Vishwakarma, the architect cum engineer of the gods, for <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kuber</span></b>, the lord-of-wealth. But it was usurped by his half-brother, Ravan along with the island city of Lanka. There are various passages in the Ramayan that talk about the wonderful qualities of this aerial vehicle:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">कांचनम् रथम् आस्थाय कामगम् रत्न भूषितम् |</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">मेघ प्रतिम नादेन स तेन धनद अनुजः |</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">राक्षसाधिपतिः श्रीमान् ययौ नद नदी पतिम् || ३-३५-७</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>That chariot which is decorated with golden ornaments, yoked with monster-faced mules that have gem studded trappings is ride-able by the wish of the rider, and sitting in such a chariot which is wholly golden and which rides with a sound like the pealing of thunder, that celebrated Ravan, the brother of Kuber and the lord of demons, traveled towards the lord of rivers and rivulets, namely the ocean. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, the Pushpak was an aerial vehicle, navigable by thought, shimmering like the Sun, with a thunderous noise and could travel anywhere across the globe. Sounds like a cross between a UFO and one of our modern supersonic planes!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">An alleged UFO sighting in Mexico</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSmgBHrpAbJe-VokPtCLITOgfj20a1MRKQGG_6jyq-bOe0tho3o_yZVOAZH0EuWTmLOGTRT5IH7aiE8DEJdaxP8YYOKCRgdu6yhWU0brpQqG8xX5jClS9sdJh361FYVC890ir6uqE1Go/s1600/tepoztlan1992large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSmgBHrpAbJe-VokPtCLITOgfj20a1MRKQGG_6jyq-bOe0tho3o_yZVOAZH0EuWTmLOGTRT5IH7aiE8DEJdaxP8YYOKCRgdu6yhWU0brpQqG8xX5jClS9sdJh361FYVC890ir6uqE1Go/s1600/tepoztlan1992large.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The special characteristic of this vehicle seems to be that whatever may be the number of people sitting inside the plane, there would always be one seat vacant! In other words, if N number of people want to board the plane, there would still be (N+1) seats available. This prodigious capacity is mentioned to in the following verses:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">प्रियाअत्प्रियतरं लब्धं यदहं ससुहृज्जनः || ६-१२२-२२</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">सर्वैर्भवद्भिः सहितः प्रीतिं लप्स्ये पुरीं गतः |</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Raam</span></b> said - <i>Something more dearer than everything dear will be achieved by me, if I reach Ayodhya with the host of my friends along with all of you, for, I shall feel delighted.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is when <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vibhishan</span></b>, the brother of Ravan and the newly crowned king of Lanka tells the Lord, that the aircraft can carry as many people as the Lord would want to accomodate!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">ततह् स पुष्पकं दिव्यं सुग्रीवः सह वानरैः || ६-१२२-२४</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">आरुरोह मुदा युक्तः समात्यश्च विभीषणः |</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Thereupon, that Sugreeva along with the monkeys gladly ascended that wonderful Pushpaka, the aerial car. Vibhishan together with his counselors also ascended it.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">तेष्वारूढेषु सर्वेषु कौबेरम् परमासनम् || ६-१२२-२५</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">राघवेणाभ्यनुज्ञातमुत्पपात विहायसम् |</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>When all of them ascended, that excellent aerial car, belonging to Kuber, flew into the sky, after having been duly authorized by Rama.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Pushpak Vimaan - Pahari miniature painting<i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScPqyB4gS_I9OcHv9CcGmzBo9z1o_x6OvyBocab5Lyn3YOn9tcGICczYoqwZdeUGpViOqiSxkYWQfxQXS1HAGf0mOHBmfGCsrmfcK2_ArEdEjV-KP6eKzqsINjLMHTyeRB07yO9uzXw4/s1600/pushpaka3a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScPqyB4gS_I9OcHv9CcGmzBo9z1o_x6OvyBocab5Lyn3YOn9tcGICczYoqwZdeUGpViOqiSxkYWQfxQXS1HAGf0mOHBmfGCsrmfcK2_ArEdEjV-KP6eKzqsINjLMHTyeRB07yO9uzXw4/s640/pushpaka3a.jpg" width="484" /></a> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">खगतेन मिवानेन हंसयुक्तेन भास्वता || ६-१२२-२६</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">प्रहृष्टश्चप्रतीतश्च बभौ रामः कुबेरवत् |</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Feeling greatly rejoiced and satisfied while travelling in that splendid aerial car, which was now in the air and was provided with the image of a swan, Rama shone like Kuber.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">ते सर्वे वानरर्क्षश्च राक्षसाश्च महाबलाः || ६-१२२-२७</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">यथासुखमसंबाधं दिव्ये तस्मिन्नुपाविशन् |</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>All those mighty Vanars, bears and demons sat comfortably and spaciously in that wonderful aerial car.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another such description is found in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ayodhya Kand [XVI, pp. 235-236]</span></b>-</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The splendid chariot, made of silver, and bright like the fire itself, making a noise like the roaring of the clouds; defying all obstacles, adorned with jewels and gold, dazzling to the eyesight and bright, went speedily on, making space resound like unto the muttering cloud in the sky. He issued out of his abode like the beautiful moon passing through a huge cloud.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As mentioned in the post {<b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Rama%20-%20The%20Historical%20Perspective">Rama - The Historical Perspective</a></b>}, in Sri Lanka, the Pushpak Viman is referred to as the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dhandu Monara </span>or the<span style="font-style: italic;"> Flying-Peacock </span>and even today there exists a place called <i>Weragantota</i> in Lanka whose name implies 'The-Landing-Place-of-Aircraft'!! Not far from there is another place called <i>Gurulupotha</i> (parts-of-birds) where he is supposed to have the aircraft-repair center! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the 6 airports of Ravan - Weragantota </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithsUW9JLC69EsYUhKmLHTxjEIedM1-DpzvqXMelo4_f9B-BprHYqc6Smf3eomMBb8NF8XtIor5SV3X2lVqgIMn2g-bOKbQIPslt8q3ZZEMHxrJDI4R5hXto3W4-LZ-m4GQcfzhWEum3c/s1600/get_map.php.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithsUW9JLC69EsYUhKmLHTxjEIedM1-DpzvqXMelo4_f9B-BprHYqc6Smf3eomMBb8NF8XtIor5SV3X2lVqgIMn2g-bOKbQIPslt8q3ZZEMHxrJDI4R5hXto3W4-LZ-m4GQcfzhWEum3c/s400/get_map.php.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_l1RwLlRG3SIZF3nFW8VHKwgK85bJVjrfpenizY25YIZEzEjSv4VKJwhPosi-dgsMr1ZEiuvNFrRTlmFhXY5eKaiCFaFPlsYIkEfUJeMuqcHUzSmtCW-xxceH9J8VfINDXTF_PSCqlo/s1600/airports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_l1RwLlRG3SIZF3nFW8VHKwgK85bJVjrfpenizY25YIZEzEjSv4VKJwhPosi-dgsMr1ZEiuvNFrRTlmFhXY5eKaiCFaFPlsYIkEfUJeMuqcHUzSmtCW-xxceH9J8VfINDXTF_PSCqlo/s1600/airports.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This implies that it is more than likely that the Pushpak Vimaan DID actually exist and was perhaps the last aircraft of its kind before the advent of our so called modern age.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><u>Other References to Vimaans</u></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8326299284974537825" id="Verse8" name="Verse8"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8326299284974537825" id="Verse9" name="Verse9"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8326299284974537825" id="Verse10" name="Verse10"></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Pushpak is not the only aircraft mentioned in so much detail. The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat </span></b>mentions such celestial crafts in many passages as well!</span></span><br />
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During his quest for celestial weapons before the Mahabharat War, Arjun was invited by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra</span></b> to spend some time in Amravati. Indra's charioteer Matali came to pick him up and this is how the description goes:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And on this sunlike, divine, wonderful chariot the wise disciple of Kuru flew joyously upward. When becoming invisible to the mortals who walk the earth, he saw wondrous airborne chariots by the thousands.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And the celebrated Arjun, having passed through successive regions of the heavens, at last beheld the city of Indra. And there he beheld celestial cars by thousands stationed in their respective places and capable of going everywhere at will, and he saw tens of thousands of such cars moving in every direction!</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>- </i><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahabharat <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03042.htm">Indralokgamana Parv</a></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">While in heaven, Arjun helped Indra curb the Asur menace and assisted his father in a few battles:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>When the Daityas were being slaughtered they again took to their vimana and, employing the Danava science, flew up into the sky . . . I (Arjuna) assaulted their vimana . . . Wounded by the flight of deadly-accurate iron missiles, the Asura vimana fell broken to the earth . . . Matali swiftly descended earthward, as in a steep dive, on our divinely effulgent car.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Deva-Asur celestial war<i> </i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQaArVDlEvMuLWlfL00XTAiytQ3X-UWrh9JT8A3Yel-qgcPfqebBSJCBqxVRQGj8IbB8DnWQu55qD2C-9Kvn5ZnFDPk7FWN58ikdNaD0_9pgH18pUdnHhRDKRXtFjj9atF6HH3c31ZPE/s1600/deva-asur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQaArVDlEvMuLWlfL00XTAiytQ3X-UWrh9JT8A3Yel-qgcPfqebBSJCBqxVRQGj8IbB8DnWQu55qD2C-9Kvn5ZnFDPk7FWN58ikdNaD0_9pgH18pUdnHhRDKRXtFjj9atF6HH3c31ZPE/s640/deva-asur.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Swargaohan Parv</span></b>, when Indra's spacecraft comes to pick up Yudhhishthir, this is the description given:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Then Dharma and Indra and the other
deities, causing Yudhishthira to ascend on a car, went to the celestial
region. Those beings capable of going
everywhere at will, rode their respective aerial cars. King Yudhishthira,
riding on his car, ascended quickly, causing the entire sky to blaze
with his effulgence.</i> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">If these passages do not talk about aircrafts or space-ships, what do else do they refer to??</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Further support for the Vimaans comes from the Puraans like <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shrimad Bhagvat Puraan</span></b>.
There is an entire battle that rages at the port city of Dwarka which
is caused by a disgruntled king called Salva and his out-of-the-world
airplane:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Lord Siva said, "So be it." On his order, Maya Danava, who conquers his enemies' cities, constructed a flying iron city named <b><a href="http://vedabase.net/s/saubha">Saubha</a> </b>and presented it to Salva. </i></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/10/76/7/en1">[SB 10.76.7</a>]</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This
unassailable vehicle was filled with darkness and could go anywhere.
Upon obtaining it, Salva went to Dvaraka, remembering the Vrishnis'
enmity toward him.</i></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/10/76/8/en1">SB 10.76.8</a>] </span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>At
one moment the magic airship built by Maya appeared in many identical
forms, and the next moment it was again only one. Sometimes it was
visible, and sometimes not. Thus Salva's opponents could never be sure
where it was.</i></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/10/76/21/en1">SB 10.76.21</a>] </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>From one moment to the next the <b><a href="http://vedabase.net/s/saubha">Saubha</a></b> airship
appeared on the earth, in the sky, on a mountain peak or in the water.
Like a whirling, flaming baton, it never remained in any one place</i>.</span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/10/76/22/en1">SB 10.76.22</a>] </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are other such passages too concerning other characters from the Puranic history:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Having spoken thus, Maharaja Nriga circumambulated Lord Krishna and touched his crown to the Lord's feet. Granted permission to depart, King Nriga then boarded a wonderful celestial airplane as all the people present looked on.</i></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/10/64/30/en1">SB 10.64.30</a>]</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>As soon as the symptoms of his liberation were manifest, he saw a very
beautiful airplane coming down from the sky, as if the brilliant full
moon were coming down, illuminating all the ten directions.</i></span></span> <br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/4/12/19/en1">SB 4.12.19</a>]</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A spacecraft Out-of-this World </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZ_Xw7UXbLnpwBP6GVVVeRe_X922OuNcf31Mhq8jTUljt4UspemVBWDi3TpmW6GOyLuCd0ROLSaZaeiT3nnxDvQ5oXIikpeOzP-s9UyCsseAF6jH8U8VMeXJspPMcQPSojGIg0w_H8bQ/s1600/KA2_091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZ_Xw7UXbLnpwBP6GVVVeRe_X922OuNcf31Mhq8jTUljt4UspemVBWDi3TpmW6GOyLuCd0ROLSaZaeiT3nnxDvQ5oXIikpeOzP-s9UyCsseAF6jH8U8VMeXJspPMcQPSojGIg0w_H8bQ/s640/KA2_091.jpg" width="517" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Dear King Dhruv,
neither your forefathers nor anyone else before you ever achieved such a
transcendental planet. The planet known as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Vishnuloka</b></span>, where Lord Vishnu
personally resides, is the highest of all. It is worshipable by the
inhabitants of all other planets within the universe. Please come with
us and live there eternally.</i></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/4/12/26/en1">SB 4.12.26</a>] </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>O immortal one, this unique airplane has been sent by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by selected prayers and who is
the chief of all living entities. You are quite worthy to board such a
plane.</i></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">[<a class="i" href="http://vedabase.net/sb/4/12/27/en1">SB 4.12.27</a>] </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It may be difficult for us to believe that such technology existed in those ancient times because we have been conditioned to believe that modern time is the 'Golden age of science'. But, what if our ancients were more advanced than us?? </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Were the ancients more advanced? </u></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The natural question that comes up is that if this were so, where did all that technology vanish? My guess would be that the Mahabharat War was NUCLEAR in nature and the use of all those divine <i>Astras</i> (aka Nuclear weapons) led to the decimation of not only a large portion of the world population but also the technology and civilizational progress that mankind had achieved till then.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrP_8njy1ffjN3Nz0-7dAHibRnvMXoyeDM1AGdhBYm4ahrvPHF8O7Y4J0gA02rd_M5HifDWOgpo-Y1uohBkHgxbjP2xsT8_OXGelnwBjyCcs1OyPf4MK0uYa5vb2s2QsAoWD8piF9tWo/s1600/nuclear-explosion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrP_8njy1ffjN3Nz0-7dAHibRnvMXoyeDM1AGdhBYm4ahrvPHF8O7Y4J0gA02rd_M5HifDWOgpo-Y1uohBkHgxbjP2xsT8_OXGelnwBjyCcs1OyPf4MK0uYa5vb2s2QsAoWD8piF9tWo/s400/nuclear-explosion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Imagine if such a war breaks out today, what would be the condition of humanity in the decades to come? Granted that unlike pre-historic times, humans now exist at all possible latitudes on the planet, it might not lead to a complete loss of development but the scientists at the cutting edge of technology, living and working in the US or Europe or China would suffer a great loss. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The people remaining behind would remember the 'supersonic planes' and 'patriot missiles' and 'submarine rocket launchers' but may not necessarily have the technology to build them! And to someone from a future generation, these technological advances would then seem like fables; stories passed down from one generation to another, just as the Pushpak Vimaan or the Divine Astras seem to us now!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">One such criticism of the Vimaans is that they were said
to be drawn through the sky by “celestial steeds” (whether horses,
swans, asses, or elephants). But the answer to that lies in this sentence from a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sanskrit text called <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">S</span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span lang="EN">amarangana Sutradhara</span></span></b><span lang="EN"> </span>which states quite unequivocally - '<i>Manufacturing details of these machines are withheld for the sake of secrecy, not out of ignorance</i>!'</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;">Probably, the
propulsion units were deliberately constructed to resemble these
animals! </span>This particular book</span><span lang="EN"> is an encyclopedic work on classical Indian architecture (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vastu_Shastra" target="_blank" title="Vastu Shastra">Vastu Shastra</a></span></b>) written by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Raja Bhoj</span> </b>of Dhar
(1000-1055 AD). In 83 chapters, he covers subjects ranging from town planning,
house architecture, temple architecture, sculptural arts, painting, and a chapter on the art of
mechanical contrivances, called the YANTRAS.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAIMS47UNGvSu3WST3IxFjtIN-oFGTfKxuBQQDllH0UCrymA0SbZGJ1NNLnxu-snt0SjHc5keMPCGAUYJgm6Jj2kJwtjYQkCJ2ITbQq5PcbAXRFajtp_GO68aTqnc-gh6uodEU0FzD8I/s1600/samarangana_sutradhara_of_bhojadeva_an_ancient_idj479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAIMS47UNGvSu3WST3IxFjtIN-oFGTfKxuBQQDllH0UCrymA0SbZGJ1NNLnxu-snt0SjHc5keMPCGAUYJgm6Jj2kJwtjYQkCJ2ITbQq5PcbAXRFajtp_GO68aTqnc-gh6uodEU0FzD8I/s400/samarangana_sutradhara_of_bhojadeva_an_ancient_idj479.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">The chapter on yantras is most intriguing as its verses 95-100 mention bird-shaped aerial cars (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vimana" target="_blank" title="Vimana">Vimanas</a></span></b>), and verses 101-107 mention a sort of robots acting as guards!!</span><span lang="EN-GB"> It
contains 230 stanzas that are devoted to flight. It describes in
detail, every possible aspect of flying. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sample some excerpts - </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">'The
aircraft which can go by its own force like a bird - on the earth or
water or through the air - is called a Vimana. That which can travel in
the sky from place to place is called a Vimana by the sage of old.'</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">'The
body must be strong and durable and built of a light wood [Lagha-daru],
shaped like a bird in flight with wings outstretched [mahavinhanga].
Within it must be placed the mercury engine, with its heating apparatus
made of iron underneath'.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">'The iron engine must have
properly welded joints to be filled with mercury, and when the fire is
conducted to the upper parts, it develops power with the roar of a lion.
By means of the energy latent in mercury, the driving whirlwind is set
in motion, and the traveler sitting inside the Vimana may travel in the
air, to such a distance as to look like a pearl in the sky'.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Either this guy was the precursor of<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Jules Verne</span> </b>and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">H.G. Wells</span></b> or what he wrote did make some sense even in those times! It may be that the book was not actually written by the king himself but was compiled by the experts from each discipline and given his name as a show of courtesy. Even so, the person who wrote about the aircrafts would at the least have had a very fertile imagination!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another popular book for the study of Vimaans is the <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Vyamanika/Vaimanika Shastra</span></b>. It is an early 20th century Sanskrit text about the science
involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of fly-able
machines and flying them. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4QOLWrybxZkJy3nO7KKfPU6CzTTSDTpHF1IvsWEwaCBXPeEwMOMuexWz9f1tzzLjgWaTBoQyXN6TJwZzj1spUkdJPGoE-oG26Rhue2fZunFU7D4lUaxDFUxL2MWW7wN8Wl_GTl9-nCQ/s1600/Vaimanika_Shastra_title_page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4QOLWrybxZkJy3nO7KKfPU6CzTTSDTpHF1IvsWEwaCBXPeEwMOMuexWz9f1tzzLjgWaTBoQyXN6TJwZzj1spUkdJPGoE-oG26Rhue2fZunFU7D4lUaxDFUxL2MWW7wN8Wl_GTl9-nCQ/s400/Vaimanika_Shastra_title_page.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The text was translated in 1952 by G. R. Josyer,
according to whom it's credit goes to<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Pandit Subbaraya Shastry</span></b>, who
dictated it in 1918-1923. It has 3000 shlokas
in 8 chapters and under the direction of Pandit Shastry, illustrations were drawn for Vaimanika Shastra by a certain T. K. Ellapa. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Illustrations based on Vaimanika Shastra</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6pgJvu5GEy6YndF_0fQK65Vmg8bGZRooska4Gt0qGUZodNoKyAjUkgcn7y3asy4HGk7p7GRQzKNWUo0mdatEnv03E6Btl2ahrAZbZnlgzTnRie_5z7LNm8UPx3oq5qcPvXHOHJXW7vE/s1600/tripura_perspective2+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECbZ-RfOktiKBjgK-C7MVzhlZ2yaSH6ndonrusbUhjnjYq6_Q5RM_pt_EaRJcdceXWul5W094m5MiL5wMgb5vRa1uME2BeEGA9dbHPufxWSDeO9uwuuyzGT5ndIlDhHE28l7F_pks610/s320/space_craft.jpg" width="293" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6pgJvu5GEy6YndF_0fQK65Vmg8bGZRooska4Gt0qGUZodNoKyAjUkgcn7y3asy4HGk7p7GRQzKNWUo0mdatEnv03E6Btl2ahrAZbZnlgzTnRie_5z7LNm8UPx3oq5qcPvXHOHJXW7vE/s320/tripura_perspective2+(1).jpg" width="225" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCnUddGq-zRmxq5ISrO51y7xqgoktZqBirs1bJIYALzuZZLzqGTQJVsqgYzA4_8MYCwqGZbEJ_GCNZ9p77jNfAJPgskW_h528SpjZjpK5yg-U2NUZt-rj-4Bjio7Y-Jva45vsULCN440/s1600/Vimanas-Ancient-UFO-India.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCnUddGq-zRmxq5ISrO51y7xqgoktZqBirs1bJIYALzuZZLzqGTQJVsqgYzA4_8MYCwqGZbEJ_GCNZ9p77jNfAJPgskW_h528SpjZjpK5yg-U2NUZt-rj-4Bjio7Y-Jva45vsULCN440/s320/Vimanas-Ancient-UFO-India.jpg" width="272" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The text was then published in
Hindi in 1959 and then in 1973 into English by G.R. Josyer while
Ellappa’s illustrations were added only in the 1973 edition and were not
included in 1959 publication.<i> </i>Here is a list of some topics shared in the Vaimanika Shastra:</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">secrets for the construction of airplanes, how to avoid break them, cut them, set them on fire and destroy them;</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">secret to immobilize the airplane;</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">secret cloaking technology for the airplane;</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">secret to ascertain the direction of an aircraft approaching enemy;</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">secret of destroying enemy planes.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are many websites and blogs dealing with this particular treatise and you can find plenty of details about the same quite easily. What you may not find is the mention of the FIRST INDIAN MAN to create an unmanned aircraft based on this book, and the recording of this event 8 years before the Wright brothers!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The man, </span></span><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shivkar Bāpuji Talpade</span></b>, was a friend and disciple of Pandit Subbaraya Shastry and is believed to have constructed and flown India's first unmanned airplane in the year 1895 to a height of 1500 feet based on the principles in the Vaimanika Shastra! <br />
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Talpade's airplane was named <i>Marutsakhā</i>, literally, 'Friend-of-the-air' and the machine flew upto a certain height before crashing down at Chowpatty. Lack of funds halted further research into the improvement of this machine by Talpade but its fateful flight was recorded by <i>Kesari</i>, the newspaper run by<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak</span></b> in 1895!<br />
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One of Talpade’s students, P. Satwelkar, is believed to have recorded that the unmanned plane flew a few minutes and then crashed. The veracity of these claims is difficult to prove today but since the event was witnessed by none less than a Maharaja (of Baroda), the issue remains inconclusive at best.<br />
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A London Times article discussing the issue</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">More than these relatively recent developments however, my focus is on the ancient texts such as the ones shared earlier for they corroborate what we have already discussed and reasonably concluded in an older post titled {<b><a href="http://www.decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Lokas%20or%20Alien%20Planets%3F">Lokas or Planets of Advanced Aliens</a></b>}.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Could the multi-limbed gods and goddesses with super-human abilities, space-crafts and atomic weaponry, actually be ALIENS with a keen interest in our world? If that were true, the existence of this technology at a time when human science was not that advanced would make sense. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another aspect that would be covered is the mention of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Maya Danav</span></b> as the designer and manufacturer of these planes since the Danavs are supposed to live on the planetary system called Bila-swarga which is even more advanced than the Swarga of Indra.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whether we consider them advanced aliens or demi-gods, these beings are
far superior to us in scientific as well as spiritual pursuits and the goal of sharing this knowledge is to follow the path of <i>Gyaan-yoga</i> and detach oneself from attachment to this mortal body and its entrapments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">All planets, star-systems, nebulae, galaxies, black-holes, universes, multiverse etc. are nothing but emanations from Shri Hari Vishnu. Eternity manifests itself in endless ways and Arjun got a rare glimpse of this vision in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Virat Roop</span></b> of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Krishna</span></b>
at Kurukshetra when he witnessed the entire 14 planetary
dimensions composed of numerous
Suns, Moons, Planets and Galaxies from Past, Present as well as the Future </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">encompassed in the body of the Lord</span></span>! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Supreme Lord's Virat Swaroop </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Zillions of Universes emerging from Lord Maha-Vishnu's body pores</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6zDFk7aTsvvrWRLcWwrOIjHXy-45ceYZAMXb1bcSBOzRRvcQ9uQjk9fxOPaCdnIoD5jYNQsrROWv5RzRia57XnbIRur4pEavPaHRuEJNWj5LvHgd81xPtVOU6x_qw9ZotrVJgd0v0RE/s1600/vishnu-multiple-universes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6zDFk7aTsvvrWRLcWwrOIjHXy-45ceYZAMXb1bcSBOzRRvcQ9uQjk9fxOPaCdnIoD5jYNQsrROWv5RzRia57XnbIRur4pEavPaHRuEJNWj5LvHgd81xPtVOU6x_qw9ZotrVJgd0v0RE/s640/vishnu-multiple-universes.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
conclude this post remembering the same Virat Roop of the Supreme Lord
and joining hands in supplication for deliverance from this never-ending
cycle of Birth and Death.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Isvarah paramah krishna sac-cid-anand vigrahah
</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>
anadir aaadir govindah sarva kaaran kaaranam </i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></span>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;">. </span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></span></b>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;">. </span></span><br />
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com108Sri Lanka7.8730539999999989 80.7717969999999923.8280039999999991 75.586249999999993 11.918104 85.957343999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-25480284581418625672013-03-08T00:23:00.000+05:302016-09-28T23:00:48.476+05:30The Dance of Shiva<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">Om tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt</span></i></div>
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The above verse from <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigveda" title="Rigveda">Rigveda</a></b></span> <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>[7.59.12</b></span>], known as the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahamritunjaya </b></span> or the Death-conquering Mantra is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Ironically, it is <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shiva</b></span> Himself who is revered as the harbinger of the final Destruction of the World!<br />
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Who is Shiva? What are the origins of this mighty god in Hindu religion
and what are the different facets of His personality? In this post, let
us try to analyze this enigmatic god and learn what it means to be the
Lord of Destruction.. </div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><u><b>Shiva, the Destroyer</b></u></span></div>
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As mentioned in the Page {<b><a href="http://www.decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/p/suryavansham.html">33 Devas</a></b>} of this blog,<b style="color: #ffd966;"> Lord Shiv</b>, along with Prajapati Brahma and Shri Hari Vishnu, forms a part of
the highest echelons of the hierarchy amongst Gods known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimurti"><b>Trimurti</b></a>. All three fit into the scheme of things perfectly with their respective roles being coplimentary to each other.
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<li><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma">Brahma</a></b>, the First in the Trinity, is the Creator and Master of all Divine Ceremonies. </li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu"><b>Vishnu</b></a>, the
Preserver god who incarnates to help mankind face the challenges posed
whenever Evil forces become too dominant in the Universe. </li>
<li><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva">Shiva</a></b>, destroys at the End of Time and thus sustains the endless rhythm of the Universe ensuring a continuous cycle of renewal and growth.</li>
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Mahadev-Shiv-Pashupati-Rudra<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriWVZVN1KbUzGKCXAqb_BXZbXjuSZfrSJm_h1lqHBnrQVBC76efquz3WGsdAPJBb-CWjyPirQnDiW87XNWAOT7z27if118KAJgLp3wr-p8qDso94P7llX6R28BjjiIASBoKyS0C_6XlA/s1600/lord-shiv-god-shiva-hindu-bhagwan-wallpapers-images-pics2-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriWVZVN1KbUzGKCXAqb_BXZbXjuSZfrSJm_h1lqHBnrQVBC76efquz3WGsdAPJBb-CWjyPirQnDiW87XNWAOT7z27if118KAJgLp3wr-p8qDso94P7llX6R28BjjiIASBoKyS0C_6XlA/s320/lord-shiv-god-shiva-hindu-bhagwan-wallpapers-images-pics2-001.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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In their mistaken belief, some scholars argue that Shiva had a pre-Aryan
origin because he was worshiped in the Indus Valley. But, as mentioned
in the page {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/p/beginning.html"><b>Hindu History</b></a>}
of the blog, the Aryan Civilization, if not earlier, was
at the very least contemporary to the Indus-Saraswati Civilization and Vedic scriptures, more likely than not, reflect the literally aspect of the same.<br />
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That the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahabharat</b></span> follows
the Indus perception of Shiva again shows that the two developed same imagery and that this
penultimate battle between Good and Evil occurred around the same time
as the Indus-Saraswati Civilization! In an article titled {<a href="http://micheldanino.voiceofdharma.com/riddle.html"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">The Riddle of India's Ancient Past</span></b></a>}<b>, </b>the French proto-historian <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Michel Danino</span> </b>believes there are strong links between Vedas and the Harappan culture. <br />
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<i>'We
find statues and seals depicting yogis and yogic postures, we find a
Shiva-like deity, worship of a mother-goddess, fire altars, all of which
are suggestive of Vedic culture. Harappan symbols include the <b>Trishul</b>, the <b>Swastika</b>, the Conch shell, the <b>Peepal </b>tree,
all of which are central to Indian culture. The Rig-Veda itself
is full of references to fortified cities and towns, to oceans, sailing,
trade and industry, all of which are found in the Harappan
civilization.'</i><br />
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Pashupati Seal from Indus-Saraswati excavations</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63dShV9xGTWKQassylUHAFCVfwtZK9m7lwJ0nuyYktI0DtRzeoyouGrZsRX0Z0UjSg0DD85kHumyWKouz4ojiMD6gZ1i0zkGC9gpUW-SJkNW4WDNEBTO24uCaUfJDRHsVLbckp6O44t8/s1600/indusseal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63dShV9xGTWKQassylUHAFCVfwtZK9m7lwJ0nuyYktI0DtRzeoyouGrZsRX0Z0UjSg0DD85kHumyWKouz4ojiMD6gZ1i0zkGC9gpUW-SJkNW4WDNEBTO24uCaUfJDRHsVLbckp6O44t8/s1600/indusseal.jpg" /></a></div>
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The <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Pashupati</b></span> seal (2700 BCE) shows a three-headed figure sitting in a Yogic posture surrounded by animals, sometimes with an erect phallus, and more likely than not is an iconic representation of Shiva-Rudra. Exactly similar description arises in the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahabharat</b></span>, where the Lord is referred to as
<i><b>Trishira</b></i> (having three
heads); <i><b>Digvasas</b></i> (without clothes); <i><b>Urddh-linga</b></i> (with upward erect phallus),
and <i><b>Yogadhyaksha</b></i>, or the Lord of Yoga.<br />
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As you probably know from my other posts, I love to find out the similarities between the mythologies from different parts of the world. Keeping up with the tradition, I here share with you the image of the horned god <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Cernunnos</b></span> worshiped in Europe around 1st century CE.<br />
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The Horned Gods - Pashupati & Cernunnos</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsP-T18RISXhARKWlUS7eQ92c5BmoEbpGxbzUFIpFvuTMTVqrlBvisFmYyMRDvB5d0UnLBL8cWTcSZG4NyomEXsB5LYCMKBqiwr-qLCKSv4ozAo3N6nUNyGrg8hgXqOMZujUOE3FqSf4/s1600/cernunnos+pashupati.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsP-T18RISXhARKWlUS7eQ92c5BmoEbpGxbzUFIpFvuTMTVqrlBvisFmYyMRDvB5d0UnLBL8cWTcSZG4NyomEXsB5LYCMKBqiwr-qLCKSv4ozAo3N6nUNyGrg8hgXqOMZujUOE3FqSf4/s1600/cernunnos+pashupati.jpg" /></a></div>
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Just like Shiva, Cernunnos is believed to be the god of Nature and Fertililty and is still revered in Celtic mythology as the<b><i> 'Lord of Animals' </i></b>(quite similar to the Indus <i><b>Pashupati</b></i>!). Whatever the connection between the two, it is not easy to understand Shiva completely as he is described variously at various places with completely opposite attributes. <br />
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In <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajurveda" title="Yajurveda">Yajurveda</a></b></span>, the contrary attributes are referred to as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rudra</b></span>, the terrifying and <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shiva</b></span>, the auspicious (Sanskrit <b><i>Shiv = Shubh</i></b>). Some scholars believe Rudra to be the older form which was merged later with a 'Non-Aryan' god Shiva or Pashupati in later times. But do the
scriptures support such a hypothesis? <br />
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Shiva, the Consummate Yogi <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxctT-yhQXa_LCKesZVN1e5zMHicoe7Z0oI2J5r6EYuNnDLSVTlQj6wHZ5lEHuOw1oqR08ccfAbQ4MZg1711KbMoWM18XNVNvnPFRj7tWLRROyMZ-3PcxMJdUqaZW0P0_7tgioEubw2pA/s1600/247983_10150613963210375_215886190374_18685273_2357985_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxctT-yhQXa_LCKesZVN1e5zMHicoe7Z0oI2J5r6EYuNnDLSVTlQj6wHZ5lEHuOw1oqR08ccfAbQ4MZg1711KbMoWM18XNVNvnPFRj7tWLRROyMZ-3PcxMJdUqaZW0P0_7tgioEubw2pA/s400/247983_10150613963210375_215886190374_18685273_2357985_n.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
Rudra, the Destroyer of Creation<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNGIJVHEiOXWNwESQ2lEoswm3lyHiESRo8qbfmFKyrD0oyYIMj58GhVE_bMcrdJD25E5M8jKi_gMqx3EQElZCxFyOV5t2xy-XKh5ADJ52jZnIWp_nJh19wPTl5cPnQxhoEj4Ua5wur1o/s1600/Mahadev+Rudra-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNGIJVHEiOXWNwESQ2lEoswm3lyHiESRo8qbfmFKyrD0oyYIMj58GhVE_bMcrdJD25E5M8jKi_gMqx3EQElZCxFyOV5t2xy-XKh5ADJ52jZnIWp_nJh19wPTl5cPnQxhoEj4Ua5wur1o/s400/Mahadev+Rudra-002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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{Image courtesy - Devon ke dev, Mahadev}</div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><u><b>Shiva or Rudra? </b></u></span></div>
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The story of Rudra's birth is very interesting and is identically revealed in many Puranas.<br />
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As I had earlier mentioned in the post {<b><a href="http://www.decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Creation%20by%20Brahma">Creation by Brahma</a></b>},<b><i> </i></b>inspite of Brahma's efforts at populating the world, the early sons of Brahma chose to follow the path of
Spirituality instead of
procreation and Brahma was sorely disappointed. His first creations, the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Sanat Kumars</b></span>, in fact abhorred entering the <i><b>Samsar Chakra </b></i>so much that they continue living the form of 5 year old kids and never attain puberty!<br />
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This, however,
frustrated Brahma so much that from his forehead, (the region of the
third eye) emerged a dark red/blue child bawling at the top of his
voice. This angry baby was named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudra" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rudra</b></a> (The Howler)! </div>
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Rudra born from Brahma's Frown</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQ0UwVZULAnuLP1-2WlnjURrw-JEKJ72a7EXUe9rqVC1VWR8uxU8HmF7XdExTNnY4lRFLzMIL0_O2RpKZhWG7bsreIh6_LBj65ZWUx-1Rv-NgQO8tmvHuf6aM6tSR3-Z1eFx3vHUEMNE/s1600/Rudra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQ0UwVZULAnuLP1-2WlnjURrw-JEKJ72a7EXUe9rqVC1VWR8uxU8HmF7XdExTNnY4lRFLzMIL0_O2RpKZhWG7bsreIh6_LBj65ZWUx-1Rv-NgQO8tmvHuf6aM6tSR3-Z1eFx3vHUEMNE/s640/Rudra.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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However, <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rudra</b></span>, was more spiritually inclined than Brahma, and decided to follow the path of <i><b>Tapas</b></i>
or Penance and thus entered samadhi in the <i><b>Garbhodak Ocean</b></i>. It was only after a lot of cajoling and praying
by Brahma, that He agreed to help in procreation and manifested 10 more beings with the
same appearance as him (Binary Fission?!?). These are the 11
Rudras, and <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rig Veda [2.33]</b></span>, describes <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shiv </b></span>as the Father-of-All-Rudras.<br />
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<b>Thus,
we see, that the scriptures find NO difference between Rudra and Shiva except that the
first term encompasses eleven gods, the First and Foremost of whom is
Lord Shiv. Therefore, the hypothesis that Shiva was a non-Aryan god who was merged with Rudra is baseless.</b></div>
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Lord Shiv with the Rudras<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglNrlQVKuqKFUuKLpyVQG0tok5Wkxm38t8Ekz8ReTwBX8i2eJ5myTOym_9nb3_amuM1sqmh6QYXDIc8fD_We_mXgCPBM5O3lYs1aNgP1YSjuBAePRO8hYRaEaPa7VhqwU4tOdDAkn8PI/s1600/rudras.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglNrlQVKuqKFUuKLpyVQG0tok5Wkxm38t8Ekz8ReTwBX8i2eJ5myTOym_9nb3_amuM1sqmh6QYXDIc8fD_We_mXgCPBM5O3lYs1aNgP1YSjuBAePRO8hYRaEaPa7VhqwU4tOdDAkn8PI/s640/rudras.jpg" width="518" /></a></div>
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As regards the three-eyes, it is interesting to note that the <i><b>Pineal gland</b></i> in Human beings is located at the region of the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Third-Eye</b></span> and has tissue similar to that of the normal functioning eye. Indeed the gland in many vertebrates has cells similar to the photoreceptors of eye used for vision! Could it then be another vestigial organ that we humans possessed earlier but now has a very limited value??</div>
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The Deep Seated Third Eye</div>
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Shiva, the only being with a Completely functional Pineal Gland?</div>
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Lord Shiv, then would be the most ancient progenitor of our race in whom the organ functions as it should. But Brahma got terrified of these three-eyed fierce forms and requested Lord Shiva to create a more benign aspect of Himself and that is how Shakti was given a form!</div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><u><b>Shiva and Shakti</b></u></span></div>
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Rudra, thus took the form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanari"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ardhanarishwar</span></b></a> and generated a female principle from His left half who was the <b><i>Rudrani</i></b>. Each of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudras"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">11 Rudras</span></b></a> similarly obtained a consort thus providing Brahma some satisfaction of
seeing his creations multiply. Shiva's consort <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Uma</b></span> or <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shakti</b></span> is the primeval Goddess who also represents the <i><b>Yogmaya</b></i> of Lord <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Vishnu</b></span>.</div>
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Lord as Ardha-naarishwar </div>
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The festival of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahashivaratri</b></span> marks the night when Lord Shiv was married to <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Parvati</b></span>, the final form of Uma who was earlier born as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Daksha</b></span>'s daughter <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Sati</b></span><i><b></b></i>.<br />
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Shiva with His beloved Sati in happier times<br />
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The union of Shiva and Shakti is represented symbolically in the form of the <i><b>Lingam</b></i> and the <i><b>Yoni</b></i>. It symbolizes <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Hieros-gamos </b></span>or
the 'Sacred Union' between God and the Goddess that gives birth to
creation. It is yet another tribute to the ancient Indians' acceptance
of the sexual act as a natural phenomenon and one that needs to be
worshiped and not abhorred.<br />
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The same union is celebrated in <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Tibetan Tantrism</b></span> where it is referred to as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Yab-Yum</b></span> (Father-Mother). Shiva is depicted here as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Yamantaka</b></span> or <i><b>End-of-Yama</b></i> revealing the episode when He rescued <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rishi Markandeya</b></span> from Yamdev's noose literally at gun-point (Trident point if you please!).<br />
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Yamantaka Shiva in Yab-Yum formation<br />
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While both Shiva and Shakti represent the Male and Female forms, their vehicles also represent their innate attributes. Shiva's vehicle <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Nandi</b></span>, the bull, represents magnificence, virility and proud masculinity while Parvati's vehicle, the mountain Lion or<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> Singh</b></span> represents her Power or <b><i>Shakti</i></b> and the taming of animal instincts by the Mother Goddess.<br />
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Archaeologically, we find this reflected in the Zebu bull seals of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Indus-Saraswati</b></span> Civilization (which may represent <i><b>Nandi</b></i>) and surprise, surprise, in a far-off valley in Turkey known as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Yazili Kaya</b></span>! The rock-cut friezes in these caves belong to 16th-17th century BCE and show a God <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Teshav</b></span> riding a bull, while the accompanying Goddess <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Hakat</b></span> rides a Lion and is accompanied by a young boy <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Kumarbi</b></span> (Kumar Kartikeya?).<br />
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Zebu Bull from Harrapan seals</div>
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Yazili Kaya rock-cut frieze with God on Bull and Goddess on Lion</div>
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The worship of Shiva and Shakti thus represents an ancient rite of recognizing the Universe as a balance of the Male and the Female, the Doer and the Energy, the Yin and the Yang and the Yab and the Yum. The night of their union or <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahashivratri </b></span>is also believed to be the night when Shiva appeared in the form of a <i><b>Lingam of Fire </b></i>and challenged the gods Brahma and Vishnu's contest for supremacy. That was the night <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Lord Vishnu</b></span>'s magnanimity came to fore while <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Brahma</b></span>'s cheating led to Shiva putting the curse that he would never be worshiped. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somnath" target="_blank"><b>Somnath Temple</b></a> in Gujarat commemorates this very occasion!<br />
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My visit to the Somnath Temple</div>
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We see now a reason why Shiva would have invoked belligerence in his father-in-law<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> Daksha Prajapati</b></span>. After all, Daksha was the eldest <i><b>Manas-putra</b></i> of Brahma and could not have taken kindly to this denigration of his father's position from the Head-of-the-Trinity to its bottom! Perhaps, that was also the reason, that he balked at the idea of his most favored daughter<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> Sati</b></span>, falling in love with the man he so heartily despised!!<br />
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Sati did eventually marry Lord Shiv against her father's wishes and ultimately sacrificed herself in the <i><b>Yagnya</b></i> fire at <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Kankhal, Haridwar</b></span>
to protect her husband's honor. Shiva carries the corpse of Sati on His shoulder lamenting His loss till <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Lord Vishnu</b></span> uses His <i><b>Chakra</b></i> to disintegrate the body. Each part of the body falling on Earth provides a Divine foundation and thus are formed the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>51 Shaktipeeths</b></span> (Seats-of-Energy)!<br />
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This incident shows that Shiva and Vishnu work in tandem too and their Oneness-in-Duality is also seen in the combined form of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Vishnu (Hari) </b></span>and <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shiva (Har)</b></span> that depicts both deities as two faces of the same coin working hand-in-hand to ensure smooth functioning of the Universe.<br />
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Hari-Hara the Divine combination of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva<br />
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The story shows a completely new side
of Shiva where the Supreme Master-of-Senses loses control and decides to
take revenge by beheading Daksha!</div>
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Virbhadra, born from Shiva's locks beheads Daksha </div>
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Virbhadra statue carved out of rock at Kailash Temple, Ellora</div>
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<b>This is what makes Shiva more relatable to humans.. it shows that even
at the highest level of spirituality, the bonds of affection may cause a
person to slip and plunge into gloom or anger. </b><br />
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><u><b>Kailash, the Abode of Shiva</b></u></span></div>
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Talking about Kailash, the holy mountain is believed to be the abode of Shiv and Parvati. There are many mentions of it in the various Puranas and other scriptures like Ramayan and Mahabharat. The mountain is sacred for not only Hindus but also Buddhists, Jains and followers of Bon religion.<br />
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Satellite Image of Mt. Kailash with Mansarovar and Rakshas Taal</div>
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Catching a glimpse of the Holy Mountain</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGd5EBEM-0DPFQtg3WiWnn4w2jc-zYszzTCvhEkCzgrBJE69wVgl6Wb_tqYr-NEZTGWkIzkWRaa8Ups2Vqsxfx1yK0seWGEjLUz5HQMFUcNu6iPh-eB2Q52yfCSaBqzIWG-c1hw7jMXY/s1600/Adi-Kailash-Trek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGd5EBEM-0DPFQtg3WiWnn4w2jc-zYszzTCvhEkCzgrBJE69wVgl6Wb_tqYr-NEZTGWkIzkWRaa8Ups2Vqsxfx1yK0seWGEjLUz5HQMFUcNu6iPh-eB2Q52yfCSaBqzIWG-c1hw7jMXY/s1600/Adi-Kailash-Trek.jpg" /></a></div>
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Jains worship the region as their First Tirthankar, <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rishabhdev</b></span> attained Nirvana here (Check the post {<b><a href="http://www.decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/India%20and%20Bharat">India and Bharat</a></b>} for more on Adinath Rishabhdev). Tibetan Buddhists worship Mount Kailash as the home of the Buddha <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakrasamvara" title="Chakrasamvara">Demchok</a></b></span> or <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakrasamvara" title="Chakrasamvara">Chakrasamvara</a></b></span>,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kailash#cite_note-13"></a></sup> who represents supreme bliss.<br />
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The followers of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6n" title="Bön">Bön</a></b></span> religion credit the entire region, especially Kailash, as the seat of all spiritual power. Indeed the area gives one a feeling of entering a more spiritual plane especially when you see mountain peaks like that of the Om Parvat.<br />
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View of the Om Parvat en route to Mount Kailash<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlvkxfcE6R1hokv_FQ_GWdVecoxz48zQFlwM4ZB4mEZ_sEOt0Z-WRV-GqiEm5h9c1gi8RZcdiMzPvg07Bd4cCaK_GiXIQYlrYKj3otJHz4wFsz9VwPan5m6JLcn3FcmUNklttNhWWxao/s1600/om+parvat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlvkxfcE6R1hokv_FQ_GWdVecoxz48zQFlwM4ZB4mEZ_sEOt0Z-WRV-GqiEm5h9c1gi8RZcdiMzPvg07Bd4cCaK_GiXIQYlrYKj3otJHz4wFsz9VwPan5m6JLcn3FcmUNklttNhWWxao/s400/om+parvat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Inspite of numerous references to it, the readers might be surprised to know, that Kailash was not always the home of Shiva! Infact, some passages of the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shrimad Bhagvat Puraan</b></span> state that the original abode of Sadashiv is at the boundary of this Universe at the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Loka-aloka</b></span> border!<br />
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The Original Abode of Lord Shiv</div>
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These verses in the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Vayu Puraan, Chapter 39 </b></span>shed more light on the details of this place:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">[230]
</span></b><i>Beyond Brahmaloka and beneath the upper crust of the Cosmic Egg – in
between these two is Shiva’s city, his divine abode called MANOMAYA.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>[238]</b></span> <i>The city shines with scattered diamond dust. These
worlds are lit from within, meaning their reality does not consist of
reflected light, as does our material world.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>[264-266]</b></span>
<i>Lord Mahesh<span style="font-size: small;">w</span>ar [the transcendent Lord Shiv] of ten arms sports therei<span style="font-size: small;">n</span>… He is respected and diligently worshiped by the people moving about in
aerial chariots. </i></span></div>
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This, then is the Original and Supreme abode of Shiva where He resides till the end of Creation and is visited by the other gods in their space-crafts {Check the post <b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/04/lokas-planets-of-advanced-aliens.html">Lokas or Alien Planets</a></b> for more on this topic}. Kailash may actually be the temporary home where the Lord comes for a small time, maybe as a summer-retreat!<br />
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Shiva Family on Mount Kailash </div>
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<b>This would also make sense, since geologically, the Himalayas (of
which Mount Kailash is a part), did not rise up till about 5o million
years ago! </b><br />
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Since Hindu Timelines begin close to 155 Trillion years (the present age of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Brahma</b></span>), hence, obviously Lord Shiv would have had to live somewhere else before finally making Kailash His home!! Also, the Himalayas wont stay forever as the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Pralaya</b></span> or the End-of-the-World would destroy the World as we know it and Brahma would then remould it into a new shape.<br />
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At that time, Shiva would probably return to the abode known as Manomaya with His family and Kailash may or may not come into being again. </div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><u><b>Naimittik Pralaya</b></u></span></div>
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The
destruction that takes place at the end of a daytime of Brahma is
referred to as <i><b>Naimittik</b></i>, implying incidental or occasional opposed to Prakritik Pralaya that takes place at the end of Brahma's lifetime. {Check the post - <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/05/pralaya-end-of-days.html"><b>Pralaya, the End of Days</b></a> for more on this}<br />
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The
characteristic of this destruction is that the three worlds (Bhur<b>, </b>Bhuvah and Swarga) continue to
exist but are made uninhabitable. The souls of individuals also
continue to exist to be reincarnated in the next daytime of Brahma.<br />
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shiv Purana [2.3.20.14-19]</span></b>
states that the fall off of the energy residing in the THIRD EYE of
Shiva fell like lightning and Brahma had to take it to the ocean and
keep it under check there else it could burn the entire creation!<br />
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The energy thus released was stored underwater in the shape of a mare and is known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vadava</span></b> {Check this link for details - <b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/05/on-wings-of-fire.html" target="_blank">On Wings of Fire</a></b>}. The
fire-mare resides under the ocean (Molten Earth's core?)
and one of the myths calls her wife of <i><b>Yama</b></i> and hence a
harbinger of Death.<br />
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Vadava Fire hidden below the Oceans</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Swayambhu</span></b>
Manu alludes to this fire from Shiva's eye stating that in two cases Fire
is born out of Water. One, at the time of Lightening and secondly, in
the case of the under-water Vadava Mare. <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brihadaranyak Upanishad</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>[1.1.2]</b></span> states that the open mouth of this mare keeps releasing fire in
the Sea from time to time, perhaps alluding to submarine eruptions common in
the ocean floor!</div>
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Submarine Volcanoes - Flames of the Vadava Fire?<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hmMlspNoZMs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> <br />
Eruption of an Underwater Volcano</div>
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Normally, the fire is kept in check with the waters of the Global Ocean. But as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span></b>
verses <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>[12.248.13-17]</b></span> state, the end of the Day of Brahma is nigh that
Rudra sparks off the fire again and this explosion from the
mare's mouth in the Southern Ocean begins the process of Pralaya. <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Vishnu Purana [1.7.24-40]</b></span> also agrees that this
destruction would begin with an underwater explosion and shall be succeeded by a 100 year drought during which the seas, rivers, and streams will all be drained of water. The sun would be replaced by seven suns (will our Sun increase in size?), and the three worlds as well as the underworlds shall be burned bare of life. This then, is the Final Destiny of our planet and this is what we call <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Tandav, the Final Dance of Shiva</b></span>. As each atom is created, another is destroyed and this continues forever in a cyclical manner. </div>
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Shiva dancing the Dance of Destruction at Elephanta Caves</div>
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Shiva drinks poison to save Life yet also annihilates at the End of Time</div>
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I conclude this post with the invocation I started the post with as there is nothing better to pray for except getting out of this <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Samsara Chakra</b></span>. This <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahashivratri</b></span>, let us remember the Lord with our hearts and minds and pray for deliverance:<br />
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<dl><dd style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">Om tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam</span></i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt</span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">OM, We worship Shiva, the Three-eyed fragrant Lord,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">Who nourishes and nurtures all beings,</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">As is the ripened cucumber freed from its bondage (to the creeper),</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">May He liberate us from Death and take us to Immortality. </span></i></dd></dl>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</b></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com114Somnath, Gujarat, India20.9060022 70.38437210000006420.8463472 70.303348100000065 20.9656572 70.465396100000063tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-87552907447697523522013-01-12T11:25:00.003+05:302023-01-15T11:43:34.166+05:30Seventh Horse of the Sun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Suraj ka saatvaan ghoda..</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Still remember this title from an obscure movie I had watched on Doordarshan as a kid. The movie by Shyam Benegal </b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>went on to become a classic</b></span></span> and the phras<span style="font-family: inherit;">e</span> stayed put in some corner of my mind.. What could it have meant, the '7th Horse of the Sun'?? For that matter, why have seven horses in the first place?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Hindu mythology, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya</span> travels through the sky on a seven-horse, twelve-spoked chariot, driven by <span style="color: #ffd966;">Arun</span> (the brother of Garud), with its arrival heralded by <span style="color: #ffd966;">Usha,</span> </b><b>As the Sun begins its apparent journey <span style="font-family: inherit;">towards</span> the Northern Hemisphere (<span style="color: #ffd966;">Uttarayan</span>) again, lets try to decode the mysteries of Surya and his chariot in the current post.</b></span><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Surya on his chariot</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO-H74K-iy1PbH543kQpFQfNKvFlq4ranVCJk6SlXWKoyaFGLYwlPV4q6-CZK5rGW62BxBhAhOSgw4PnI6dh0Q0VhvkQAY3U7pIkR2-goD1Cw8OrN88imx2ytwzfwUwbFNOfAyGgTyQA/s1600/surya04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO-H74K-iy1PbH543kQpFQfNKvFlq4ranVCJk6SlXWKoyaFGLYwlPV4q6-CZK5rGW62BxBhAhOSgw4PnI6dh0Q0VhvkQAY3U7pIkR2-goD1Cw8OrN88imx2ytwzfwUwbFNOfAyGgTyQA/s400/surya04.jpg" width="287" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A lot of people might think that this motion of the Sun mentioned in the scriptures refers to the apparent movement of Sun from East to West, but that's not the case<span style="color: white;">. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scriptures</span> clearly mention that the Sun revolves NOT around the Earth but around <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mount Meru</span>!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>If you check the post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2011/12/heaven-at-north-pole.html">Heaven at the North Pole</a>} you will understand what it means.. Mount Meru points towards the Pole Star which, at the time scriptures were written, was a Star near the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Galactic Center</span> so effectively, scriptures indicate that our Sun revolves around the Galactic Center and NOT the Earth.. <span style="color: #ffd966;"> <span style="color: white;">What an amazing insight!!</span></span> </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Uttarayan reflects the apparent movement of the Sun towards the Northern Hemisphere heralding the decline of winter while causing the opposite effect in the Southern Hemisphere. </b><b>Earth revolves around the Sun with a tilt of 23.45 degrees and because of this tilt, it
appears that the Sun travels north and south of the equator. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sankrant reflects the change of Season</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinYmHOGK2J7AV4ul_XuVAx0P67q9lWpfTERgwhbPQlYQqDcd5YeHJvb4pjxNzwyoTOwQKHwAfWgXkWTR5eOV5IqT4gW9uV43ebOJyAId08RgzeEFtrWT85Vvt45kfa3M-VCQNzDN0Lqo/s1600/Rotating_Earth_Animation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinYmHOGK2J7AV4ul_XuVAx0P67q9lWpfTERgwhbPQlYQqDcd5YeHJvb4pjxNzwyoTOwQKHwAfWgXkWTR5eOV5IqT4gW9uV43ebOJyAId08RgzeEFtrWT85Vvt45kfa3M-VCQNzDN0Lqo/s1600/Rotating_Earth_Animation.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lk_BPLvz-Ho-5yBSWNKMJxKi-PrQTembF6b0ly8CqTcz24JCxTL0Qgclb2OV10EJTgjBCBmvrYVQoHxxBF3v4OLXL9Btoq6SLaIvpSp2bplGENUX7X1QtVPmeTc6pdJFskGaClkfV-4/s1600/Winter+solistice.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lk_BPLvz-Ho-5yBSWNKMJxKi-PrQTembF6b0ly8CqTcz24JCxTL0Qgclb2OV10EJTgjBCBmvrYVQoHxxBF3v4OLXL9Btoq6SLaIvpSp2bplGENUX7X1QtVPmeTc6pdJFskGaClkfV-4/s400/Winter+solistice.png" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This in turn causes seasons which are thus dependent on equinoxes and solstices and the festival of Makar Sankranti heralds the onset of a glorious Sun and end of the harsh winters. In many parts of the country, it is also harvest time so the celebrations take form of the regional variants like Lohri, Bihu and Pongal. </b></span></span><br />
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<b>It is interesting to note that the Indian calendar calculations began around 3rd century when Uttarayan & Makar Sankranti actually fell on the same day but since then a difference of 24 days has come in between! Today while Makar Sankranti still falls on the 14th of January the Uttarayan actually begins around 22nd of December, after the winter solstice.</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Adityas - The 12 Solar gods</u></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b>Oldest Vedic texts describe
Surya alongwith 11 other brothers collectively known as the Adityas. </b>Adityas form a group of solar deities and are so named because they are the sons of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Kashyap</span> and <span style="color: #ffd966;">Aditi</span>. They form the main body of the Hindu pantheon and are comprised of:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ansh</span> (Due share),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aryaman</span> (Nobility),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhaag </span>(Due inheritance),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Daksh</span><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span>(Ritual skill),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dhatri/Tvashtar</span> (Skill in crafting),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mitra</span><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span>(Friendship),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pushan/Ravi</span> (Prosperity), </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Savitra/Parjanya</span> (Power of word),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya/Vivasvan</span> (Social law),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Varun</span> (Cosmic fate),</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaman</span> (Cosmic law).</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Earliest scriptures actually mention 8 or 9 of them
but later in the<i> Brahmanas</i> the number is given as 12. It isn't difficult to understand that the 12 Adityas correspond to 12
months of the year! </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>According to
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak's masterpiece called {<a href="http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CEwQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpyramidal-foundational-information.com%2Ffile_download%2F58%2Fvedic%2Barctic%2Bhome.pdf&ei=02boUIfEMImErQeqqoHQAg&usg=AFQjCNH-W15P0U6dotwXzs7me7zLNwSaIQ&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.bmk">Arctic Home of the Vedas</a>},
the change in their number reflects the gradual migration of Arya rishis from near the Pole
to the tropics after the Ice Age! As they migrated closer to the tropics, the number of months when Sun was up kept on increasing till they reached the Indian sub-continent.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Interestingly, in <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology" title="Chinese mythology">Chinese mythology</a></span> as well, there were originally ten suns in the sky, who were
brothers and were supposed to emerge one at a time as commanded by the
Jade Emperor. </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The 12 Adityas were also adopted into Japanese Buddhism as guardians of the monasteries covering the
four main directions, four semi-directions, above, below and the Sun
and Moon. They are known as Devas or Ten 天 in Japan (which literally
means Heaven or Celestial).</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The 12 Japanese Adityas</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HkW2zVXhem1CsG4BACpT3QJTGDgAPZzoV3SXvP-yurUMNTH0atJxsuaNcQjwwnOsIQ1JdV6hrPdQd3ZXIhjHB7NyiIWQpSjOZ487tqVsyyBTxyKzlNGQd87tRzsAXwscex7o8QONy0M/s1600/Japanese-Hindu+Devas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HkW2zVXhem1CsG4BACpT3QJTGDgAPZzoV3SXvP-yurUMNTH0atJxsuaNcQjwwnOsIQ1JdV6hrPdQd3ZXIhjHB7NyiIWQpSjOZ487tqVsyyBTxyKzlNGQd87tRzsAXwscex7o8QONy0M/s1600/Japanese-Hindu+Devas.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A similar depiction is found on a rock-cut cave far away in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Yazili Kaya</span>
in Turkey! This rock-cave has multiple depictions of Gods and Goddesses
that resemble Hindu gods. The lower chamber in this cave shows a frieze
with 12 gods carved onto it who </b><b><b>were worshiped by the people known as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Hittites</span></b>.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The 12 Adityas from Turkey</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8nncrzbdoR0xTZcFe1hcLfzrkwlr31NEgj8VQrhgM-n_BrUvtQyQTiuaRzHOHg0g7C0ThFEExwRRMwt-028892FiVpOTp7N9iXeQzQTUVPFl3NwettDmHggN9qBTjKlCJHHbCfCZzP0/s1600/yazi+kaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8nncrzbdoR0xTZcFe1hcLfzrkwlr31NEgj8VQrhgM-n_BrUvtQyQTiuaRzHOHg0g7C0ThFEExwRRMwt-028892FiVpOTp7N9iXeQzQTUVPFl3NwettDmHggN9qBTjKlCJHHbCfCZzP0/s640/yazi+kaya.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Moving westwards, it is also worthwhile to note that in most Indo-European religions, the gods worshiped were more or
less the same. Thus, the Greeks called their Sun-god <span style="color: #ffd966;">Helios</span> while others named him <span style="color: #ffd966;">Apollo</span>.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Greek Sun-god Helios/Apollo</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqsjalfEuntefBzrhh2NortAY1DxqD2-1tllfCEwNhWuLV2PHE-BRb3nnYfhX7KGkCPZ3fkyd_BvPcwUdggecF9SX2D8kZCSdgJZq3wQjEejbsPZg-KKfu9kTI-JbPvcWb1BWsIeIuRM/s1600/GirardonApolloThetis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqsjalfEuntefBzrhh2NortAY1DxqD2-1tllfCEwNhWuLV2PHE-BRb3nnYfhX7KGkCPZ3fkyd_BvPcwUdggecF9SX2D8kZCSdgJZq3wQjEejbsPZg-KKfu9kTI-JbPvcWb1BWsIeIuRM/s400/GirardonApolloThetis.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>For the Romans, the cult of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_invictus">Sol Invictus</a>
or 'Undefeated Sun' was supreme. Roman Emperor Constantine adhered to it so much that
even when he embraced Christianity, he changed the day of Sabbath from Friday
to SUN-day!!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sol Invictus </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI_u18iYKjFHuuo4kFz8eucOCaZ3ulZHMscbFRt9QEG2OsDFfeTVTYSkOm3cWvqqKvi1-qiE6TmVaYAKGDcw6xgQF74oDBLT8POulMmFa1SynE2BgFQKvota_C8gB6vvUE_jDDAQZrIE/s1600/mi-sol_invictus-vatican-museum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI_u18iYKjFHuuo4kFz8eucOCaZ3ulZHMscbFRt9QEG2OsDFfeTVTYSkOm3cWvqqKvi1-qiE6TmVaYAKGDcw6xgQF74oDBLT8POulMmFa1SynE2BgFQKvota_C8gB6vvUE_jDDAQZrIE/s320/mi-sol_invictus-vatican-museum.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>During the heyday of the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire" title="Roman Empire">Roman Empire</a></span>, there was also a grand festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun (<i>Dies Natalis Solis Invicti</i>) held on the Winter solstice on December 25th. This was a sort of 'Rebirth of the Sun' and the same date was later transferred to the 'Birth of Christ' even though Jesus was actually born on the 4th of January!!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The worship of Surya was prevalent in other ancient civilizations of the world as well. Mayans (who scared the World with their 2012 Doomsday prophecy) called him <span style="color: #ffd966;">Hunahpu</span>. The Aztecs named him <span style="color: #ffd966;">Tonatiuh</span>, Japanese revered him as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Chupkamui</span>, and the Babylonians called him <span style="color: #ffd966;">Aja</span>.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Egyptians worshiped Sun in the form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra">Re/Ra</a>. </b><b>In Egyptian myths of the afterlife, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ra</span> rides in an underground channel
from west to east every night so that he can rise in the east the next
morning.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Egyptian Sun-god Re</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqMfuhCqBSsT_OT4lgAXfEKyYJ-VrgvEhTj9NgRmSvxBEyy-Ke-Xcp-S6jiOD9bFNcnjt8Oz8lTkoHmHh9Fg3hd1GfeRI-Ni9M8RUUzl9fTrJHqKPNLp2wpHyprUtzSNewFPuAXpD4zo/s400/Sol+Ra.jpg" width="342px" /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Vedas, Surya is considered in high esteem and is referred to as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya Narayan </span>and at various times, as the eye of Mitra or
Varuna, the cosmic law-keepers. The same is reflected in Zoroastrianism where the Sun is described as the <span style="color: #ffd966;">'Eye of Ahura'</span>. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In India of course different dynasties trace their
lineages from the Sun with <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama" title="Rama">Shri Raam</a></span> as a descendant of Surya, thus belonging to the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Suryavansh</span> or the Solar Dynasty. The Ramayan also declares Surya as the father of the Vanar King <i>Sugriv</i> just as the Mahabharat describes <i>Karna</i>, as the son of Kunti and Surya. Perhaps, amongst the Aryans, the blonde, blue-eyed lineages migrating from the Steppes represented the Descendants-of-the-Golden-Sun!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hindu Sun-god Surya</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><img border="0" hda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIbJR5DxWvkEoBu3RCdL0fY600V-pTUppktdmTAtuw58u8omqosJ17y4k79WBW7vsnXu4GnDDPV0E81zv_FofAG-Q8OmYpAibAi7N0Hxy_y7jZQ69mYhKD7srzf6GtPJiHzvb73cOszo/s640/Sun_God___Surya_by_DevaShard.jpg" width="420px" /> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Surya has two wives <span style="color: #ffd966;">Sangya</span> and <span style="color: #ffd966;">Chhaya</span> (literally the shadow) and through them has the folowing children: <span style="color: #ffd966;">Shani</span> (Saturn), <span style="color: #ffd966;">Yamraj</span> (Lord-of-Death), <span style="color: #ffd966;">Yamuna</span>, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Tapti</span>, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ashwini Twins</span> and the eldest of these <span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaivasvat Manu</span>, the First Man in the current Age or Manvantar. {For more on the First Man Manu/Adam check the following post - <a href="http://www.decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Manu%20-%20The%20First%20Man">Manu, the First Man</a>}</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>However, this is NOT TO SAY that the ancient Indians thought of the Star called SUN as a demigod and did not understand its true significance! Various Hindu astronomical treatise describe the heavenly bodies as planets or Lokas ruled by different deities. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Surya-Loka, abode of the Sun-God</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtXDwW07oz24r6yDVfr17zIq4FIkypuywQeFJjU1-AS9D6b6kZrVCUoU9xqI1rsooExwMnhzmrGPn5YKdNBawAgb9-y76Sialc6J5rOF6m1wSwsUGSjjz5jZyuaGdyQ65dqVaLkENsj4/s1600/sun_animation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtXDwW07oz24r6yDVfr17zIq4FIkypuywQeFJjU1-AS9D6b6kZrVCUoU9xqI1rsooExwMnhzmrGPn5YKdNBawAgb9-y76Sialc6J5rOF6m1wSwsUGSjjz5jZyuaGdyQ65dqVaLkENsj4/s1600/sun_animation.gif" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Shatapath Brahman [7.1.1.37]</span>
states that - This World (Earth) is verily spherical and while
installing the Garhapataya altar the ritualists meditate on the same.
Similarly, the shlokas [7.4.1.10] and [9.1.2.40] describe the Sun as
spherical. The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya-Siddhant [12.12-29]</span> expressly states that the Universe itself is shaped like an oblong sphere!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The references to Surya's chariot, in a similar manner, can provide us not only information about the ancient Hindus' religious and cosmological beliefs but also about their Science and Astronomical acumen! (You can find the Sanskrit version at this link {<a href="http://is1.mum.edu/vedicreserve/jyotish/surya_siddhanta.pdf">Surya Siddhanta.pdf</a>} and the English version here {<a href="http://www.wilbourhall.org/pdfs/suryaEnglish.pdf">Surya-Siddhanta English.pdf</a>}). </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Chariot of the Sun-God</u></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Various scriptures describe the Celestial chariot of the Sun. <span style="color: #ffd966;">Rig Veda [1.35]</span> says: </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: white;">आ कृष्णेन् रजसा वर्तमानो निवेशयन्न अमृतं मर्त्यं च ।<br />
हिरण्ययेन सविता रथेना देवो याति भुवनानि पश्यन ॥</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: white;">Throughout the dusky
firmament advancing, </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: white;">Laying to rest the immortal and the mortal, </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: white;">Borne
in his golden chariot he cometh, </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: white;">Savitar, God who looks on every
creature.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;"> </span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>While the Greek Apollo used to ride four-horse chariot, Vedic texts clearly mention Seven horses of Surya who are called - <i>Gayatri, Brhati, Usnik, Jagati,
Tristup, Anustup</i> and <i>Pankti</i>. The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Rig Veda [1.164.1-5]</span> says: </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A seven-named horse draws the three naved wheel,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Seven steeds draw the seven-wheeled chariot,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Wise poets have spun a seven-strand tale,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And glorified this Heavenly calf, the Sun. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The immediate question that comes to mind is why SEVEN?? It was rare for Vedic chariots to have more than four horses. Even the chariot of Arjun driven by Krishna Himself had only four horses so why would the Chariot of the Sun have more than four?</b></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Most scholars believe the seven horses represent <span style="color: #ffd966;">S</span><span style="color: #ffd966;">even days of the week</span>. Ancient Indians were great astronomers and this could very well be true. However, I believe, the seven horses probably also represent the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Seven colors of Sunl</span><span style="color: #ffd966;">ight</span>! </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>There are two reasons I believe this is the case - One, the seven horses/mares of Surya's chariot are ALL of DIFFERENT Colors; Secondly, many times, they are represented as One horse/mare with SEVEN HEADS! If this is not an allegory to White light splitting into seven colors, I don't know what is :o)</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> The seven horses of Surya?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qGhUHRthtUKzNR9agLlpmGj7XetErpLX4AE-Jf-lTF-morZQtlK6VPB2uluaDJA5F1LUQPGm4vfDrXHRAlEVAd66TmhPBfkp_dkVdwadZxAG0MvI1F37_1fUs9jSgu8NyHBZNlP0wJU/s1600/prism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qGhUHRthtUKzNR9agLlpmGj7XetErpLX4AE-Jf-lTF-morZQtlK6VPB2uluaDJA5F1LUQPGm4vfDrXHRAlEVAd66TmhPBfkp_dkVdwadZxAG0MvI1F37_1fUs9jSgu8NyHBZNlP0wJU/s400/prism.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Other scriptures talk in a similar vein and describe the chariot of the Sun-god in much detail. Although <span style="color: #ffd966;">
Arun-deva</span> sits in front of the sun-god and is engaged in driving the chariot, he looks backward toward the sun-god. The chariot has a SINGLE wheel with 12 spokes and is yoked to seven horses. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sixty
thousand saintly persons named <span style="color: #ffd966;">Valkhilyas</span>, each the size of a thumb, are
located in front of the sun-god and offer him prayers. The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Gandharvs</span> and <span style="color: #ffd966;">Pannags</span> sing in front of him, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Apsaras</span>
dance before the chariot while <span style="color: #ffd966;">Nishachars</span> and <span style="color: #ffd966;">Yakshas</span> f</b><b><b>ollow and guard it.</b> These seven groups of fourteen associates
arrange the proper times for regular snow, heat and rain throughout the universe and are responsible for maintaining the Seasons on Earth!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> Chariot of the Sun from a Tanjore painting</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKWN6q2cMaGHu8ZETYrAXX8ZQeo6Sa-cOKZqqzaNzf9fREGbeYy9_9vN63eY7iXHK8cvoOKiAipQIXTS8LDhYcyiw5wfRgLHzJhQs-6ra04MFsVhhwTfQDJW3B4mKGwwm7XfIHtdxwEk/s1600/Suryatanjore-FILTE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKWN6q2cMaGHu8ZETYrAXX8ZQeo6Sa-cOKZqqzaNzf9fREGbeYy9_9vN63eY7iXHK8cvoOKiAipQIXTS8LDhYcyiw5wfRgLHzJhQs-6ra04MFsVhhwTfQDJW3B4mKGwwm7XfIHtdxwEk/s400/Suryatanjore-FILTE.jpg" width="345" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Not
surprisingly, a similar description is found in the description of
Greek/Roman Sun God Apollo's journey across the sky and I found a very
similar picture depicting this journey through the Heavens.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_KJ-ZCS1amt5N_cNLGVGrw4FN0eHN7fh8FGlGLr6DMJwWQLolP1Jh_WQrMV74aQBuzT331OVFHk_XkjkVMXZ3Jwd2nf4Nsq2-WqaBO5QhkcuH_Yf8IzavLE0_rHELwGf0Sq6EzGdm-k/s1600/404a.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_KJ-ZCS1amt5N_cNLGVGrw4FN0eHN7fh8FGlGLr6DMJwWQLolP1Jh_WQrMV74aQBuzT331OVFHk_XkjkVMXZ3Jwd2nf4Nsq2-WqaBO5QhkcuH_Yf8IzavLE0_rHELwGf0Sq6EzGdm-k/s640/404a.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya Siddhant</span> further states:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>'The carriage of the sun-god’s chariot is estimated to be 3,600,000 yojans [1 Yojan = 14.6 Km] long and one-fourth as wide. In
his orbit, the sun-god traverses a distance of 95,100,000
yojans at the speed of 2,000 yojans and two krosas in a moment.'</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Scholars have used such references to calculate the speed of rotation of the Sun as well as its revolution! The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devi_Bhagawatam"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devi Bhagawat Puraan</span></a> elaborates further in a description of Mount Meru and its surroundings:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>O
Nârad! Mont Meru is situated towards the north of all the Dvîpas
and Varshas. So whenever any person sees the Sun rise he calls that side
“east.” If
the Sun travels in 15 (fifteen) Ghatikâs, the distance from Indrapurî to
Yamapurî, He is said to travel within that time a distance equal to 2¼
Kotis, 12½ lakhs and 25000 Yojans (22695000 Yojans). </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Here, we also find the relevance of other aspects of the Sun's chariot. The SINGLE WHEEL of the chariot represents ONE YEAR or the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Samvatsar</span><i> </i>while the 12 spokes represent 12 months! The THREE-naves of the wheel more likely than not represent the three points of an elliptical orbit!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>All these poetic allegories thus give a glimpse into the scientific acumen that the ancients had. The reference to Saturn (<span style="color: #ffd966;">Shani</span>) being the Son-of-Surya could even be a reference to the planet having been formed from a chunk of the gases escaped from Sun's own body mass! (Just like the Sun, Saturn and Jupiter are also gaseous giants unlike other planets of the Solar System).</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Formation of the Solar System</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Formation of Planets</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Without the Sun, we wouldn't have existed.. not only because of the Solar energy it provides but the planets including Earth wouldn't have taken form without the gravitational power of the Sun!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Earth is really tiny compared to the Sun and to share another interesting allegory, you would be surprised to know that the Sun-Earth distance is roughly <span style="color: #ffd966;">108</span> Sun diameters and the diameter of the Sun itself is <span style="color: #ffd966;">108</span> times that of Earth. The ancient Rishis and Magi of Hinduism quite possibly knew this relationship as most Gods/Goddesses have 108 names ascribed to them!!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This Sankrant, let us bow to the sages of yore and their (literally) out-of-the-world insight while sending a prayer of thanks to the Sun-God who maintains our Solar System.</b>
<b>Wishing everyone a <span style="color: #ffd966;">Happy Uttarayan & a very Happy Lohri/Bihu/Maghi/Pongal and Makar Sankranti :o)</span> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</b></span></span></span><br />
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com103Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.856743699999925-11.069936199999997 32.548149699999925 48.1107968 115.16533769999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-59754286645813988312012-11-06T00:13:00.000+05:302018-03-25T08:31:22.334+05:30Rama - History behind the Legend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Aum Namah Raghukul-shiromani Kaushalya-nandan Dashrath-putra Shri Raam</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">{I bow to Lord Rama, The Son-of Dashrath, Born-of-Kaushalya, Scion-of-the-Raghu clan} </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3LssyriUQC-jVau9AOuNuu49IaUMntaDq79wpKhcG_A1KBi6Cpk0ORiGcSWI6zSY86qU0NmFrCVoRroLoROBMkzWl5ND1ioAGI3ILeGSYtFfBSe0J00ZLHCf_DbhyphenhyphenZH0SOj2jsIh8mE/s1600/Rama-Sita-Hanuman-Lakshman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3LssyriUQC-jVau9AOuNuu49IaUMntaDq79wpKhcG_A1KBi6Cpk0ORiGcSWI6zSY86qU0NmFrCVoRroLoROBMkzWl5ND1ioAGI3ILeGSYtFfBSe0J00ZLHCf_DbhyphenhyphenZH0SOj2jsIh8mE/s400/Rama-Sita-Hanuman-Lakshman.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Since the auspicious home-coming of Shri Raam is here, I thought of writing a post on my favorite Lord. As recognized by the Supreme Court of India, the existence of Shri Raam can not be decided only by historical or scientific evidence, it is a matter of faith to millions of people.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br />Yet, it is my effort in this post to analyze the historical and literary evidence pertaining to Lord Raam just as we did in the post on Lord Krishna {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Krishna%20-%20The%20Historical%20Enigma">Krishna - The Historical Enigma</a>}.</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The primary source of life and journey of Shri Raam is the epic <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ramayana</span> composed by <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishi" title="Rishi">Maharishi</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmiki" title="Valmiki">Valmiki</a></span>. The learned sage wanted to write an epic that would serve as an inspiration for generations to come, and highlight the ideals of human behavior in <span style="font-size: small;">various</span> roles assigne<span style="font-size: small;">d</span> by the society. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devarishi Narad</span>, the spiritual mendicant of the Heavens<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> suggested to him to write about the life and times of Shri Raam, the doyen of the Suryavanshi clan and the most beneficient ruler the land had ever seen. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This acknowledgement is mentioned in the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Valmiki Ramayan </span>itself and is our first suggestion that the story was based on an actual historical figure. Ramayan itself declares that it belongs to the genre of <i>Itihasa</i> (History) and the only other two sacred books in that genre are the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span> and the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Harivamsha</span>.</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Other Literary Evidence for Rama</u></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Besides Valmiki Ramayan (4th century BCE), many other scriptures also attest to Shri Raam's existence.<span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu_Purana" title="Vishnu Purana">Vishnu Puraan</a> </span>declares Rama as Lord Vishnu's seventh incarnation, and the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavata_Purana" title="Bhagavata Purana">Bhagavat Puraan</a></span>, recounts the story of Lord Rama in the 9th Skanda and counts him amongst the 24 major incarnations of the Vishnu Tattva. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Th<span style="font-size: small;">e</span> Epic Battle between Forces of Good and Evil </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4kxowUivEAHIfyeqKhlG6iJ0O5Ocmfk6DdyDXJO6YL_xog33bgrrPxj-z7EG334KO_2nnwBL807xidviBilQE5noVCj3769ctIcoh-ph-c-o99O_7Wm5cIR41OgnPDL_gV1VLV7WDaY/s1600/grant-morrison-18-days-Rama.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4kxowUivEAHIfyeqKhlG6iJ0O5Ocmfk6DdyDXJO6YL_xog33bgrrPxj-z7EG334KO_2nnwBL807xidviBilQE5noVCj3769ctIcoh-ph-c-o99O_7Wm5cIR41OgnPDL_gV1VLV7WDaY/s640/grant-morrison-18-days-Rama.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> {Image courtesy - Grant Morrison's 18 Days}</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span> also mentions the story of Rama in the <i>Aranyak Parva, Dron Parva</i> and the <i>Raam-opakhyan </i>where its is narrated to the eldest Pandav,
Yuddhishthir. </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Shri Raam Avatar <span style="font-size: small;">also finds place</span> in the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Harivansh</span></b><b> and the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni Puraan</span>. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Not only <span style="font-size: small;">these scriptures from Hindu literature</span>,
but Buddhist and Jain texts also record the story of Rama and mention it in
their own respective styles:</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a>, Ramayan is present in the form of <i>Dasarath Jatak, Dasrath Kathanak </i>and<i> Anamak Jatak</i>, the first of which was composed in the 2nd century BCE. This version talks of Rama and Sita
as siblings (which is a common symbolic
imagery in early Buddhist literature to denote purity of a dynasty). </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jain" title="Jain">Jain</a></span> literature, Ramayan exists as the <i>Padma Charita, Charitra Puran, Padmachariyam </i>etc. where, Rama, Lakshman and Ravan represent the Baladev, Vasudev and
Prati-vasudev concepts of Jain mythology respectively. Keepin with the Jain tradition of non-violence, it is Lakshman who kills
Ravan and due to the use of violence, both go to hell
while Lord Rama (known as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Padma</span>) goes back to heaven.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>All
these unrelated sources chronicling the life of Rama can not be false or
fake.. There has to be <span style="font-size: small;">SOME</span> reason that <span style="font-size: small;">ALL</span> these diverse traditions
decided to write about Shri Raam and share His life story! </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>However, even with all this literary evidence, </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>we do not have much archaeologically to help us in our endeavor </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>like we did for Krishna in the post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Krishna%20-%20The%20Historical%20Enigma">Krishna - The Historical Enigma</a>}, and the reason for
that will be clear soon enough!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>To illustrate my point, I share the following excerpts <span style="font-size: small;">declaring</span> the time of arrival of the 7th Avatar of lord Vishnu on our Planet:</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>T</i><i>reta yuge chaturvinshe ravane tapseh shakshyat |</i><br />
<i>Ram dashrtathi prapiye sagane shakyamiyeewan</i><b><i> || </i> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>[Vayu Puraan 70.88]</b></span></span></div>
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</b><i>Chaturvinshe yuge chapi vishwamitra pure sare |</i><br />
<i>Loke ram iti khyate tejsah bhaskaropam</i><b><i> || </i> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>[Harivansh 22.104]</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b><i>Chaturvinshe yuge vats tretayaam raghuvanshaje |</i>
<br /><i>Ramo naam bhavishyami chaturvhayu sanatane</i><b><i> </i>
|| </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>[Brahmand Puraan 2.2.36.30] </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>On the basis of the
given references it can be inferred that Shri Raam lived in the <span style="color: #ffd966;">24th Treta Yug</span>. The Mahabharat further elaborates <span style="font-size: small;">the exact timeline to</span> the juncture of the Treta and the Dvapar Yugs:</b></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sandho tu samanupraptre tretayaam dwaparisya cha |</span></span></i><br />
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<i>Ramo daasrathirbhutva bhavishami jagatpati</i><b><i> || </i> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>[Mahabharat 348.19]</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Now this is ground-breaking information people and I will tell you why! </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>We are currently in the Kaliyuga of the <span style="color: #ffd966;">28th Y</span><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;">UGA CYCLE</span><span style="color: #ffd966;"> of the 51 st Day of Brahma</span>. Hence Lord Rama was born not just Two Yugs ago but TWO YUGS plus THREE CHATUR-YUGS before present!!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>T<span style="font-size: small;">HIS</span> is why digging for archaeological data to corroborate the existence of Shri Raam would be futile. There is no way we could find any man-made artifacts after <span style="font-size: small;">millenia</span></b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> as the scriptures put Shri Raam's period <span style="font-size: small;">to be</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">18 million years</span> ago!<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Even if we <span style="font-size: small;">consider</span> th<span style="font-size: small;">is</span> duration to be in Deva Years, it <span style="font-size: small;">comes to more than <span style="color: #ffd966;">40,000 years</span>. {<span style="font-size: small;">For relation between Deva and Human Years,<span style="font-size: small;"> check</span></span> the <span style="font-size: small;">page <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/p/mythology.html">Kalchakra</a> of this blog</span>}</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>For the same reason,<span style="font-size: small;"> 7323 </span>BCE or 5114 BCE as the birth years of Shri Raam can not be correct. Even though the dates were arrived at through a thorough analysis of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Rama's birth charts</span> and have a very sound basis but based on what scriptures say, we have to make a correction in them. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>These analys<span style="font-size: small;">e</span>s done by <span style="color: #ffd966;">Prof. Vartak</span> and <span style="color: #ffd966;">Pushkar Bhatnagar</span> show that at a certain point in time<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> the planetary configuration mentioned<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>at the time of Lord Rama's birth <span style="font-size: small;">DID</span> indeed exist and thus, the numerous astrological references in the Ramayan are not imaginary but refer to <span style="font-size: small;">ACTUAL</span> points in time.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Alignment of Stars at the time of Lord Rama's birth</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EkpC2SNuCQQUYB0JfcqmS7StmOqv6XimALOhmKr9KYNhrZLtV1QMYM6-V3n0ftkt3GXJnBuQfzYhfW2RN_6Np-ULFHwoGdcmHt2jfyy-3_vTVz9pyxXdsJXlEfUOGgwjVZvjuDPEvN8/s1600/stars+on+rama%27s+bday-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EkpC2SNuCQQUYB0JfcqmS7StmOqv6XimALOhmKr9KYNhrZLtV1QMYM6-V3n0ftkt3GXJnBuQfzYhfW2RN_6Np-ULFHwoGdcmHt2jfyy-3_vTVz9pyxXdsJXlEfUOGgwjVZvjuDPEvN8/s400/stars+on+rama's+bday-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A solution to the apparent mismatch of dates can be found if we realize that because of a phenomenon known as the <span style="color: #ffd966;">'Precession of Equinoxes'</span>, stars as visualized from <span style="font-size: small;">Earth,</span> regain the same positions every 26,000 years! </b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Hence, this particular permutation of stars could belong to 5114 BCE + 26,000 or 26,000 years before that or the similar period before that or the one before and so on and so forth.. </b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is amazing is that even today the places related to Lord Rama, the
stories, the Geographical co-ordinates of the cities mentioned etc. are
still remembered in the Hindu tradition! Therefore, what we can still do is track and analyze this GEOGRAPHICAL evidence in the literary masterpiece of Ramayan and find out if they help us in our cause.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Ramayan - The Adi-kavya </u></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Numerous versions of Ramayan exist throughout the length and the breadth of the country and even outside its boundaries but the oldest of these is the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Valmiki Ramayan</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>and for our analysis, we will stick to the original as it is the most ancient and accurate one.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">L</span>et me begin with a very interesting anachronism mentioned in th<span style="font-size: small;">is version of the</span> Ramayan<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sundar Kanda [4.27.12]</span> states that Hanuman, on entering Lanka, sees FOUR-TUSKED elephants guarding the palaces of Ravan. These elephants are tall and imposing and have been trained to protect Lanka from invaders. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">A similar account is given by <i>Trijata</i>, the ogress guarding Sita ji in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Chapter 27 </span> of the same Kanda when she dreams of Lord Rama coming to Sita's rescue riding an elephant high as a hill and bearing four-tusks.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>So what is so special about th<span style="font-size: small;">ese accounts?</span>? Well, fossil remains show that there were many steps in the evolution of the <span style="font-size: small;">'M</span>odern <span style="font-size: small;">E</span>lephant' and there DID exist four-tusked ancestors of elephants in various shapes and sizes such as <i>Trilophodon, Tetralophodon, Gomphotherium </i>etc that survived from roughly</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> 20 million years ago to 4 million years before present</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>! </b></span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">How in the world could Rishi Valmiki have known about the four-tusked ancestors of the modern elephant unless he had seen them himself or was told about them by Narad???</b><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Four-tusked elephants mentioned in Ramayan lived millions of years ago!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNbszEP1vf_BdF3VvvLYPg3lblon2OuP_6Br9zMTTIvyxYiFufdaCKOy08unyJFLJ6CnbAjmlGhXg1xV80MuRz2ZiPVj2txCwPEXyIOvr-77TvTWr3CCxJHBG_9SP53tMOvw2W_FU7zs/s1600/elephant-four+tusked-815p.grid-8x2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNbszEP1vf_BdF3VvvLYPg3lblon2OuP_6Br9zMTTIvyxYiFufdaCKOy08unyJFLJ6CnbAjmlGhXg1xV80MuRz2ZiPVj2txCwPEXyIOvr-77TvTWr3CCxJHBG_9SP53tMOvw2W_FU7zs/s1600/elephant-four+tusked-815p.grid-8x2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH3RNvrj4GuHQ1FWeJICvnFhsHNLJKJXxxobr8jYkPzlTnRpLiYcvg0VIGMhLQXbV6n2MrEATUb3q2H1EgOF_Tmx_7AN7EjxHHt39XpslVH9qgk8AyOvwi8Jt1-gcwkwMt2-tQfblmd8/s1600/E-Stegodon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">This <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">apparent</span> anachronism</span>, though not rock-solid <span style="font-size: small;">evidence</span>, is yet another point that puts us in a time frame closer to what the scriptures say. Another such account comes from the <span style="color: #e69138;">Yuddha Kaand of Ramayan</span> [Verse 4.114] that mentions the moat around Lankapuri to be teeming with crocodiles, <i>Makars</i>, whales and <i>Timingilas</i>.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This last mentioned animal's name literary means - Whale-gulper which means this particular aquatic being was big enough to gulp down even large whales. Is such an animal even possible?? You would be surprised to know that the answer is yes! </b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">A giant shark known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon" target="_blank">Megalodon</a> did exist on the planet 16 to 2.6 million years ago quite close to our envisioned time period.</b><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Timingila/Megalodon mentioned in the Ramayan</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVLKKJ5Qpr00bN4LwiU3BXWhFVq3vdvCnJa6ReqcKPQvZDPOKbWhSyWRYywaIcr_9Do_NshwU2J90Oi2zaqSg1Bg6R8HRRLyuEtsRq13EGZPx63F21dLtAv3nzPd7Niv514M9pK7MBfk/s1600/timingila.story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVLKKJ5Qpr00bN4LwiU3BXWhFVq3vdvCnJa6ReqcKPQvZDPOKbWhSyWRYywaIcr_9Do_NshwU2J90Oi2zaqSg1Bg6R8HRRLyuEtsRq13EGZPx63F21dLtAv3nzPd7Niv514M9pK7MBfk/s1600/timingila.story.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Let us now see what geographical evidence we can glean out of the masterpiece of Valmiki Ramayan that forms the foundation of cultural traditions right from India to the Far East and <span style="font-size: small;">check whether</span> the Ramayan <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">contains</span> accurate information or describes a make<span style="font-size: small;">-believe land</span></span>.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Geographical Evidence from Valmiki Ramayan</span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ramayan (Travels of Rama) itself indicates a Geographical journey. T<span style="font-size: small;">he</span> story begins in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ayodhya</span> (The<span style="font-size: small;">-</span>Unconquerable<span style="font-size: small;">-</span>City), the center of power for the ruling Suryavanshi/Solar Dynasty kings.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Shri Raam's mother <i>Kaushalya</i> was from the kingdom called <span style="color: #ffd966;">Koshala</span>, which corresponds to the state of Chattisgarh of today. <i>Sumitra</i> was from <span style="color: #ffd966;">Magadh</span> (Bihar) while Kaikeyi was from above Gandhar, the kingdom called <span style="color: #ffd966;">Kaikeya</span> which is today's Waziristan. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The journey of Lord Rama to recover Sita ji covers the length and breadth
of the country and Valmiki Ramayan is extremely correct
Geographically.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Major Kingdoms of the sub-continent in Ramayan Times</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qfZkq9sMemzk0rf9jeL0yb2Pbt9onYazVv795cgj9nPsEN0Foljdbi6BiT-pAnF21EwYXWDXMKiPdQvmusN2uvFwUVGDCfgHbREREGeQUXabA6LO3AwW4OjUoYx9SJa4HDIiuexXpao/s1600/FIG18-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qfZkq9sMemzk0rf9jeL0yb2Pbt9onYazVv795cgj9nPsEN0Foljdbi6BiT-pAnF21EwYXWDXMKiPdQvmusN2uvFwUVGDCfgHbREREGeQUXabA6LO3AwW4OjUoYx9SJa4HDIiuexXpao/s1600/FIG18-001.jpg" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The authenticity of Geography right from Gandhar to Sri Lanka can not be the result of imagination! </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Before being judgmental, we should remember that this was in a time when the modern means of transport/communication/internet etc. were not available.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>It has to be based on actual witnessing of these places by either the
author or the one narrating the story to him, who in this case was <i>Devarishi Narad</i>.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Sites within India </u></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Let us begin with Shri Raam's birthplace <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ayodhya</span> which although in dispute because of the political battle centered around it, can still yield a lot of information. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>To begin with, we have to answer the million dollar question - did an ancient temple exist at the disputed site in Ayodhya? Indeed, before the demolition of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Babri Masjid</span>, there had been excavations around the temple precinct which gave indications of not one but many older temple foundations existing there.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">The Imperial Gazetteer of Faizabad</span><i> </i>(1881)
confirms the construction of three Moghul mosques at Ayodhya on the site of
three celebrated shrines: <i>Janmasthan, Swargadwar</i> and <i>Treta-ka-Thakur</i>.
Archaeological Survey of India tells us that Mir Khan (on Babar's orders) built
the mosque at Janmasthan using many of its columns. The other two
mosques were built later by Aurangzeb who was one step ahead of Babar in his zealotry. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>From 1975 to 1980, the Archaeological Survey of India had under the guidance of Prof. B.B. Lal, unearthed (literally) as many as 20 black stone pillars, 16 of which formed the base of the <i>'Janmasthan Masjid'</i> as it was called colloquially even then. The pillars were much bigger in size than those of the mosque and clearly belonged to a much more grand structure.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Check out the man on the left as reference for the size of the pillars </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkS-ELNa_WbrkAcvSiFJhxmmGMW99GInsp6Yqht1ncHx_WDR7kI4aE60nYtmFdIStiXuweBWIAfQTHSjDD10Ji_u9GNdnhJP8sCtiGZQbPasXFE8VKS2ZPm0NJKQR9kUOgbzJvHpUOxg/s1600/ayodhya+comwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkS-ELNa_WbrkAcvSiFJhxmmGMW99GInsp6Yqht1ncHx_WDR7kI4aE60nYtmFdIStiXuweBWIAfQTHSjDD10Ji_u9GNdnhJP8sCtiGZQbPasXFE8VKS2ZPm0NJKQR9kUOgbzJvHpUOxg/s1600/ayodhya+comwall.jpg" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>On further stratigraphic and other evidence, Prof. Lal also found a door-jamb carved with Hindu icons and
decorative motifs of <i>yakshas, yakshis, kirtimukhas, purnaghattas, </i>double lotus flowers
etc.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Excavation was resumed on July 2, 1992 by <span style="color: #ffd966;">S.P. Gupta, Y.D. Sharma, K.M.
Srivastava</span> and other senior archaeologists barely six months before
the demolition. Prof.
Lal's southern trenches had missed a huge pit
with 40 and odd sculptures just by 10 to 12 feet discovered by the team even though he DID get the pillar
bases which others did not get later. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Excavations at Ram Janmabhoomi Sthal</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vlM_ziImNB_dA5TtRt6i92ViA1XPRoMw3Jb860e2VQR1UTn_NtKA-Kjy5o2l8ITtFH7nzaMLh5B2CHggZ4IrzxGzq8tR9-pjE0WYajJtGc1mkm5WQNy7_uoypu0S6VG_KPB3N2-ynAA/s1600/ayodhya_excavation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vlM_ziImNB_dA5TtRt6i92ViA1XPRoMw3Jb860e2VQR1UTn_NtKA-Kjy5o2l8ITtFH7nzaMLh5B2CHggZ4IrzxGzq8tR9-pjE0WYajJtGc1mkm5WQNy7_uoypu0S6VG_KPB3N2-ynAA/s1600/ayodhya_excavation.jpg" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The
team found artifacts ranging from the 1st
through the 12th century CE! These findings included religious sculpture, terracotta images from the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushan" title="Kushan">Kushan</a></span> period (100-300 CE) and a statue of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Lord Vishnu</a></span><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span> They concluded that these and other fragments such as the<i> </i><i>amakalas, </i>or
the cogged-wheel crown of the spire belonged to a temple of the North Indian <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagara" title="Nagara">Nagara</a></span> style of Temple architecture (900-1200 CE).</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The most important finding is what is known as the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Hari-Vishnu Inscription</span> written in 12th
century CE Devanagari script. Line 15 of this inscription clearly tells us that
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A beautiful temple of Vishnu-Hari, was built with heaps of stones and
beautified with a golden spire unparalleled by any other temple built by
earlier kings... This wonderful temple was built in the temple-city of
Ayodhya situated in Saketamandala</i>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Line 19 describes god Vishnu<i> </i></b><i>as
destroying king Bali</i> <i>and the ten
headed </i><i>Dashanan</i><b>, i.e., Ravan.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> Hari-Vishnu Inscription from Babri Masjid excavation</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhdLFFF9w4fdM7tztfdr18ZOp4ECnlWjeGkprMTJmMiQ3bQPhqpQA-BRY8IHPozCy6dz8PcBttvL_vg4h8-3g9s3vMu0PA1VlqLHS0h5cCIoBJ7hlT8Zl8udGscgTOSa2sqM-Dnb5tmU/s1600/ayodhya+HARI-VISHNU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhdLFFF9w4fdM7tztfdr18ZOp4ECnlWjeGkprMTJmMiQ3bQPhqpQA-BRY8IHPozCy6dz8PcBttvL_vg4h8-3g9s3vMu0PA1VlqLHS0h5cCIoBJ7hlT8Zl8udGscgTOSa2sqM-Dnb5tmU/s1600/ayodhya+HARI-VISHNU.jpg" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Archaeology records at least two destructions: the FIRST in the 12th-13th
century; the SECOND in the 16th. This agrees well
with history and tradition that temple destructions followed the <i>Ghori
invasions</i> (after 1192 AD) and again in 1528 by Babar
who replaced temples at major Hindu pilgrimage sites with mosques.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Moving on, Sita ji was discovered by Janak in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mithila </span>which now lies in Nepal. It forms a region shared by both India and Nepal and gives birth to the language known as <i>Maithili</i>. The place where the Goddess was found by Raja Janak </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>in a furrow </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> is known as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Sitamarhi</span>, and is still revered along with the nearby pond called the <i>Janaki kund</i>. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>After their wedding, Shri Raam and Sita ji left for Ayodhya via <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lumbini</span> where we have an Ashoka Pillar from 249 BCE, with an inscription referring to the visits by both
Rama and Buddha to Lumbini. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>When they were exiled, Lord Rama, Lakshman and Sita went to <span style="color: #ffd966;">Shringverpur</span> in Uttar Pradesh where they crossed the River Ganga. They lived on the
<span style="color: #ffd966;">Chitrakut</span><i> </i>hill where Bharat met and pleaded for their return. Thereafter, the three wandered through
<span style="color: #ffd966;">Dandakaranya</span> in Central India, described as a land of Rakshasas and tribals. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Journey of Lord Rama </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5yy1lvnYyZOInEeP7mf7q_VT8NErVf37r5eObIXu3Rhlfgo6IgFsDKZPJ0wsWhozIjVVFclpIl2SFwSniKhIU7Kv7kVechlTASkdB19347mB51JehcvZ3XBdOSBgRyGKFlSW9SnszCo/s1600/rama_map-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5yy1lvnYyZOInEeP7mf7q_VT8NErVf37r5eObIXu3Rhlfgo6IgFsDKZPJ0wsWhozIjVVFclpIl2SFwSniKhIU7Kv7kVechlTASkdB19347mB51JehcvZ3XBdOSBgRyGKFlSW9SnszCo/s640/rama_map-001.jpg" width="509" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>After spending some time there, they reached <span style="color: #ffd966;">Nashik</span>, near river Godavari, and the region
throbs with sites related to the three Ayodhya-vasis. There is the place where they built their cottage known as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Tapovan</span>; <i>Ramkund</i> where Rama and Sita used to bathe,<i> Lakshmankund</i>, for the younger brother's
bathing area, and several other caves associated with their lives in the
forest.</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Shri Raam, Lakshman and Sita ji inTapovan</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtQNzajDi-wTaYDf18y5MNICHnRaU91ZoYogoZOantuYC66zUTwfvTgqut2l8n75ARUoN3dPxjd2xK4T7pRcjRgkz7OUP_A6htrQfky7gf-8ulOUXAWCCv2PlOEmlFv-wZi5eDHuw_SY/s1600/Lord+Rama+%283%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtQNzajDi-wTaYDf18y5MNICHnRaU91ZoYogoZOantuYC66zUTwfvTgqut2l8n75ARUoN3dPxjd2xK4T7pRcjRgkz7OUP_A6htrQfky7gf-8ulOUXAWCCv2PlOEmlFv-wZi5eDHuw_SY/s1600/Lord+Rama+(3).jpg" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The three then moved to <span style="color: #ffd966;">Panchavati</span>, near Nashik in Maharashtra, from where Ravan, with the help of his uncle<i> Mareech</i>, was successful in abducting
Sita ji. On the way to Lanka from Panchavati, Ravan was attacked by <i>Jatayu</i> but died a martyr's death. The place where this happened is in Andhra Pradesh and has a beautiful temple dedicated to Shiva and Jatayu's sacrifice is recorded in the name of the place - <span style="color: #f1c232;">Lepakshi</span> which in Telugu means '<i>Rise, bird</i>' referring to his soul leaving the body when he breathed his last in the lap of Shri Raam.</b></span></span><br />
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<b>Me at Lepakshi temple in Andhra Pradesh</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLiWCl3cE-ro8HD_T1_0PJcIWKnnhxf0UDG8maUXyqFe7SMKbYbKG74QpcP6wv05YbJuwAIBl1MSmfJMzuwdOgeGavldHAb-kGvCJPH6ApR5qMbq77P9OMAu2Xkp57UG2-vQWt9CnGuo/s1600/DSC08957..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLiWCl3cE-ro8HD_T1_0PJcIWKnnhxf0UDG8maUXyqFe7SMKbYbKG74QpcP6wv05YbJuwAIBl1MSmfJMzuwdOgeGavldHAb-kGvCJPH6ApR5qMbq77P9OMAu2Xkp57UG2-vQWt9CnGuo/s640/DSC08957..jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sita ji dropped her valuables all along the way that were gathered by the <i>Vanars</i> below and </b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Shri Raam and Lakshman found those when they reached <span style="color: #ffd966;">Kishkindha</span>, near modern Hampi, where they first met Hanuman and then Sugriv, the exiled King of the Vanars. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Sugriv is described to have lived at Mount Rishyamukha on the banks of river <span style="color: #ffd966;">Pampa</span> (Tungabhadra). <span style="color: #ffd966;">Anjanadri</span>, near Hospet, is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman (Anjaneya).</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Kishkindha, modern Hampi </b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0edVMB4w627cDNb9102GbRsm0MB_Xebccrc0WaoeYW2dBNhlkr6T_SubBQOlTZpK6iNb-tFhvKiuwLWMSKHMg6H_qMyLeyXxy4HKCdfdb6939P7E17G0rHmC5BtsRXiQofPfTdbZOhk/s1600/Hampi++Rath++3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0edVMB4w627cDNb9102GbRsm0MB_Xebccrc0WaoeYW2dBNhlkr6T_SubBQOlTZpK6iNb-tFhvKiuwLWMSKHMg6H_qMyLeyXxy4HKCdfdb6939P7E17G0rHmC5BtsRXiQofPfTdbZOhk/s640/Hampi++Rath++3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Vanar army led by Shri Raam, Sugreev, and Jambvant then reached
<span style="color: #ffd966;">Rameshwaram</span>, where they built a bridge to Lanka from <i>Dhanushkodi </i>on
the Rameshwaram Island to <i>Talaimannar</i> in Sri Lanka. While parts of the RAMA-SETU are still visible, NASA had in the early part of this millenium photographed an
underwater man-made bridge of shoals in the Palk Straits, connecting India to Lanka. </b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Shri Rama Setu connecting Shri Lanka to the Indian mainland</b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwJkEnjXAdxXuyiYZpvRqkotCt4-AKYVrnUEDfcIp11_WOlbhA4xQwhvHOjEofQgq3lotHbVJvXYEs1lMmVFduiKXtFSp52UWaS48fKTIbIts0F0KqWipqkJr3oOxOWCksqyCHdbbzlg/s1600/rama-setu-bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwJkEnjXAdxXuyiYZpvRqkotCt4-AKYVrnUEDfcIp11_WOlbhA4xQwhvHOjEofQgq3lotHbVJvXYEs1lMmVFduiKXtFSp52UWaS48fKTIbIts0F0KqWipqkJr3oOxOWCksqyCHdbbzlg/s400/rama-setu-bridge.jpg" width="400" /></a> </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The
existence of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Rama Setu</span> had already been confirmed by several foreign travelers
including the Venetian traveller <span style="color: #ffd966;">Marco Polo</span> (1254-1324), and British cartographers who prepared maps of the area in 1747,
1788 and 1804. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">The then Manual of the Administration of Madras
Presidency mentions both the names <i>Adam’s Bridge </i>and <i>Rama Setu</i>. It also says that
the Setu was used for pedestrian traffic between India and Sri Lanka
right until 1480 when a major cyclone destroyed it!!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Bridge of Rama</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtD_D5gDHpe9WntbJMCZ9gb0GLmwb2SHHNgQA-MNn0ttrdnnIJ2iKdhkCaTaQQ3urmdxRrh6CM6RGXdsZ93yz2uTjDt0Prkz_Gfr2-uqzmWc89ARiPp_eRmRiMnRxfOA268op7BKccnc/s1600/ram-setu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtD_D5gDHpe9WntbJMCZ9gb0GLmwb2SHHNgQA-MNn0ttrdnnIJ2iKdhkCaTaQQ3urmdxRrh6CM6RGXdsZ93yz2uTjDt0Prkz_Gfr2-uqzmWc89ARiPp_eRmRiMnRxfOA268op7BKccnc/s400/ram-setu.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-M7sDa2LsgRjvzbmz5hXoTqI6JeocBIQHptrQiecCu_CRrmN1YYLkA0W6wAjsGHXbEqh20gcv8n_6mNc0IkO00vKcTC9dgsRa3IKQLT9HrBcqKzQTUY6-JgUTKLKkfizoOurOnkbNskU/s1600/rama_setu_image_by_Landsat_7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-M7sDa2LsgRjvzbmz5hXoTqI6JeocBIQHptrQiecCu_CRrmN1YYLkA0W6wAjsGHXbEqh20gcv8n_6mNc0IkO00vKcTC9dgsRa3IKQLT9HrBcqKzQTUY6-JgUTKLKkfizoOurOnkbNskU/s400/rama_setu_image_by_Landsat_7.png" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FS7Zmme-F3EovBvFoXYI-g9l_XruLXH0Okrjn2-DjSKAWGXgqEKKIyIFlyKnu95sKYlHFfUtHxf3fDPXfEgcBxY9NSwmY0ftgXCve43u4G7NQSIvDILXg1K5kYMVMLh2CFWR0X2n-W0/s1600/setu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Accurate dating of this bridge can help us in finding an answer but since different studies have come up with different dates, I prefer not to mention them here. Let us now shift our focus to Lanka and try to find out whether there is any geographical location matching with the descriptions in Valmiki Ramayan. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Sites in Sri Lanka </u></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Once Ravan had captured Sita ji, he brought her to the place today known as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Weragantota</span> in
Lanka close to <i>Mahiyangana</i> town<span style="font-size: small;">; and surprise surprise </span>the meaning of this name in the Sinhalese language<i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: small;">is</span> a<span style="font-size: small;"> '</span>landing place for aircrafts'<span style="font-size: small;">!!</span> </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>According to the depiction of <i>Pushpak Viman</i> (which Ravan had snatched from his half-brother Kuber), it resembled a
huge peacock. In Sinhala it is called the <i>Dhandu Monara</i> (flying peacock) and it is believed that Ravan had an aircraft repair
center at <span style="color: #ffd966;">Gurulupotha</span> where Sita ji was first brought and quite fittingly, the name means
"parts of birds". Right next to it is the <i>Sita Kottuwa </i>jungle in which once stood the city of Lankapura.</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ramayan sites in Sri Lanka </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPWAW9ySVbINKdugGqgOdaL6ROrisbxUqnVUqVoQGNJrpQtsTcetTBA87RnLwFOUAHwEttsiGCr0GEOYGBphD0MEjhMpCGuolqL6bOyFwB0Mw2PJnZNAbnPoKYDlZWsB12QEvqsiwNrI/s1600/The_Ramayana_Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPWAW9ySVbINKdugGqgOdaL6ROrisbxUqnVUqVoQGNJrpQtsTcetTBA87RnLwFOUAHwEttsiGCr0GEOYGBphD0MEjhMpCGuolqL6bOyFwB0Mw2PJnZNAbnPoKYDlZWsB12QEvqsiwNrI/s640/The_Ramayana_Trail.jpg" width="448" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ashok Vatika</span> is the garden where Ravan is supposed to have held Sita ji captive and this is in the
area of <i>Sita Eliya</i>, close to the popular hill station <span style="color: #ffd966;">Nuwara Eliya</span>. The <i>Sita Pokuna</i> is a
barren area atop the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Hakgala Rock</span> Jungle where Sita ji was kept captive and the <i>
Sita Amman Kovil </i>(Temple) is located <span style="font-size: small;">here</span> and I was fortunate enough to have paid it a visit last year :o)</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> The Sita Amman Temple near Nuwara Eliya</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDzt6NpxPYomP8-edoW0ezJg_HK2NzhXfWbw2B-Wq6Uj77s6_Dg5hjDqw9ZMmR9AjLG_woXMtiksBjByR_6F2FeIgDgQHBfRShZbxgQSc0QMfFH4cKW8OCn-rBvIkVNrOFeXhAYPRWe0/s1600/sita+amman+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDzt6NpxPYomP8-edoW0ezJg_HK2NzhXfWbw2B-Wq6Uj77s6_Dg5hjDqw9ZMmR9AjLG_woXMtiksBjByR_6F2FeIgDgQHBfRShZbxgQSc0QMfFH4cKW8OCn-rBvIkVNrOFeXhAYPRWe0/s400/sita+amman+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>About 50 Km from here is the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Divrumpola Temple </span>which is thought to be the place where Sita ji performed her <i>‘Agni Pariksha’<span style="font-size: small;">. </span></i><span style="font-size: small;">t</span>he name means 'a place for making a vow'<span style="font-size: small;"> and</span> is
seen inscribed in the moonstone guarding the Temple.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The summit of the mountain next to the<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Frotoft Tea
Estate in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Pussallawa</span> is the place where Hanuman is believed to have first set his foot on Lanka<span style="font-size: small;">!</span> This mountain known as <i>Pawala Malai</i> stands between Ravan’s capital city and
the Ashok Vatika. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>
The <i>Sita tear pond </i>is found en route by the chariot route, and is believed to
have been formed by the tears of Sita devi. The forest is also colored with the famed <i>Sita Flowers</i> which are endemic to this area. The peculiarity of these flowers
is the configuration of the petal’s, stamen and pistils, which resemble a human
figure carrying a bow, and is said to represent Lord Rama.</b></span></span><br />
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</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sita flowers </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi8QU3WDdTx2ocySChA5uDCi7GO8zv5T5jTnb_UXnvEgUYymhlE6Sy2rV1Jv6AxV-LBgl71Z4NOElZYuNQ7EW2nynGQOD8ULQa42on-E0UQGe3OnWbPqOUeWBWvdAzMphdEEFhl2MfS0/s1600/Sita-Ashok_(Saraca_asoca)_flower_buds_&_flowers_in_Kolkata_W_IMG_3449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi8QU3WDdTx2ocySChA5uDCi7GO8zv5T5jTnb_UXnvEgUYymhlE6Sy2rV1Jv6AxV-LBgl71Z4NOElZYuNQ7EW2nynGQOD8ULQa42on-E0UQGe3OnWbPqOUeWBWvdAzMphdEEFhl2MfS0/s320/Sita-Ashok_(Saraca_asoca)_flower_buds_&_flowers_in_Kolkata_W_IMG_3449.jpg" width="282" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ella, a small mountain near <span style="color: #ffd966;">Bandarawela</span>, boasts of three locations
linked to the Ramayan where, local legend dictates, Ravana hid Sita.
First there is the <i>Ravana Ella Cave</i> situated in the massive Ella Rock.
Then there is <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ravana Ella Falls</span> and a nearby pool bored out of the rock
by the gushing waters. The tunnels in
the Ravan cave believed to have served as a quick means of transport through the
hills and also as secret passages. </b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ravana Falls in Lanka </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZkY7SLmmgbU2hRGJXb0VvYlWOE5EvamzPZY5QzAiOgInQp9Toijl_IGeVFls8hp2Z7kgL6L4cN8ZelHPBKhjX6TzdzHjFqiXmTGKBrZGVheKN0yFD1kQE_x5qVLQPR68uF2xt7-SZiY/s1600/rawana_falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZkY7SLmmgbU2hRGJXb0VvYlWOE5EvamzPZY5QzAiOgInQp9Toijl_IGeVFls8hp2Z7kgL6L4cN8ZelHPBKhjX6TzdzHjFqiXmTGKBrZGVheKN0yFD1kQE_x5qVLQPR68uF2xt7-SZiY/s1600/rawana_falls.jpg" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Kelani River</span> is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan<i> </i>and
Vibhishan’s palace was said to be on the banks of this river. Vibhishan is still considered one of the
four guardian deities of Sri Lanka, and temples for Vibishan are found
throughout Sri Lanka unlike that of Ravan. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br />There are many more spots connected to the Legend of Shri Raam and a complete list can be found at the following link - {<a href="http://www.stephen-knapp.com/ramayana_sites_in_sri_lanka.htm">Ramayana_sites_in_sri_lanka</a>}.</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ravan, t</span>he Lord of Lanka<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> a mighty warrior, a learned <i>pandit</i>, the master of Three Worlds, the posessor of <i>Amrit</i>, was ultimately defeated by the hands of Shri Raam because in his hubris, he desired what belonged to the Supreme Lord Vishnu Himself. </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>He sacrificed the lives of his brother, his sons and his entire army just to pander to his ego. Despite all his knowledge and erudition, he was not able to get a grip on his desires and lust which ultimately led to his downfall.</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Lord Rama ready to unleash the final arrow on Ravan</b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmEB0W9LzrTehMC4uJ2D80TvWAj4YpXcgFoTZFKtA1FCAvtm6Qw_s8JUnjlesET3FyAmPyH7C2sYXe1qM__cjy_4fc9v-tZdFGvvQHZnrhZnGq4KkQY96i749Sgh8snEQzpvTK38DIRY/s1600/rama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmEB0W9LzrTehMC4uJ2D80TvWAj4YpXcgFoTZFKtA1FCAvtm6Qw_s8JUnjlesET3FyAmPyH7C2sYXe1qM__cjy_4fc9v-tZdFGvvQHZnrhZnGq4KkQY96i749Sgh8snEQzpvTK38DIRY/s1600/rama2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> {Image courtesy - Ramayana 3392 A.D.}</b></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br />
Outside
India, the millenia old story of Rama is still sung by people all over
Asia. While traveling to different countries in this part of the world, I
have come across versions that are even older than the regional ones in
India!!</b></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In <span style="color: #ffd966;">China</span>, collection of Jatak
stories relating to various events of Ramayana, belonging to 251 AD were
compiled by Kang Seng Hua based on the Buddhist texts mentioned earlier.</b></span></span> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Kumardasa, who ruled <span style="color: #ffd966;">Srilanka</span> in 617 <span style="font-size: small;">BCE</span> wrote the text cal<span style="font-size: small;">led</span> <i>‘Janakiharan’</i> which is the
oldest Sanskrit literature available in Sri <span style="font-size: small;">l</span>anka. </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Oldest written version of Ramayana, in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Nepal</span> is from 1075 <span style="font-size: small;">BC<span style="font-size: small;">E</span></span>. </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama_Zatdaw" title="Yama Zatdaw">Yama Zatdaw</a> in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Myanmar</span>
is considered the National epic and is a Burmese version of the story
of Rama which has again given theme to dance and art forms including
tapestries and puppets.(In fact my Burmese friends even stressed that it
is the true history of their land).</b></span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The retelling of Ramayana in Myanmar's National Epic </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGdBcnW-uuiTA-0ahkoxFMfvkSKWeEu1SZdBWMa8Pb0XAIiC1XVW4gf06mRcsjMGSQZVKGZ0nTMYiU-wsPnDuoVFSEFeJGeyvZC1K2p3Quf2MdDvfkfBEKZrDD-57TgLJMV7NQrVOkKQ/s1600/burmesea+ramayan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGdBcnW-uuiTA-0ahkoxFMfvkSKWeEu1SZdBWMa8Pb0XAIiC1XVW4gf06mRcsjMGSQZVKGZ0nTMYiU-wsPnDuoVFSEFeJGeyvZC1K2p3Quf2MdDvfkfBEKZrDD-57TgLJMV7NQrVOkKQ/s400/burmesea+ramayan.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgE3WzSrpkx3C1K4x7QaGVYJwBDjOeyOXlAJmFmdZqbmdm5UZslyZghd8QQ0GbwbAjXnvUS4Ddf8qYq814bGwpp8K-yzCRF0eMTywWoDcJwOV0Y3WrHs0svotRJ8t-ue5-I860Tpn5u94/s1600/myanmar+ramayan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hikayat Seri Rama</span>
in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Malaysia</span> makes Dashrath the great-grandson of Adam, the first man!
(which is not too far from the truth as both
<i>Dashrath</i> and <i>Manu, the First Man</i> were from the Suryavanshi/Solar dynasty!), </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phra_Lak_Phra_Lam" title="Phra Lak Phra Lam">Phra Lak Phra Lam</a></span> of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Laos</span>,
Buddha is regarded as an incarnation of Rama (again<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>not
completely false as both are incarnations of Lord Vishnu!).</b></span></span> </li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reamker" title="Reamker">Reamker</a>, is the most famous story of Khmer Literature of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Cambodia</span> and is the source of classical dance, theater, poetry and of course the famous sculptures of Angkor Wat. Various
rock inscriptions belonging to about 700 <span style="font-size: small;">CE</span> are also found in the Khmer region of
Cambodia. </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> Ramayana depictions from Angkor Wat, Cambodia</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1L0rOWddtoN0dBqTkcGg5D2Aq2hOp9ECywsqDT_ACrrjf7B5hTSmZblEle489jkhI1f4f8zRZfqEeXcCyAF2s1-UuASzQR0TRsMPwux1YJOjhhyphenhyphen5CH3i3LzuHkX6sNwMA3zFFdenl04/s1600/IMG_1547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1L0rOWddtoN0dBqTkcGg5D2Aq2hOp9ECywsqDT_ACrrjf7B5hTSmZblEle489jkhI1f4f8zRZfqEeXcCyAF2s1-UuASzQR0TRsMPwux1YJOjhhyphenhyphen5CH3i3LzuHkX6sNwMA3zFFdenl04/s640/IMG_1547.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Maradia Lawana</span> in the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Phillipines</span> is based on the Ramayana, </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ramakavaca</span>
in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Bali</span> is a major source of moral and spiritual guidance for the
island and forms the basic story line of Balinese traditional dance, </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakawin_Ramayana" title="Kakawin Ramayana">Kakawin Ramayana</a> </span>in
Java, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Indonesia </span>(9th century CE) is a mixture of Sanskrit and Kawi
languages and is the basis of traditional Indonesian ballet and
performances that are famous the world over. </b></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Indonesian Ramayan Ballet</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQPfn3hkWk8A3Feu3M8wi33mBT5KMTjQeWYI4v-s6PjAxqrpCNmVfN191vXmgshlMTJeiOfMBwZGMdCeVt941cuFQxLpRE7I5A7KE2EMDyMY_IqYpO7B6ADwdFSNyvnPFUbp9FNUHet8/s1600/indonesiaramayana.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQPfn3hkWk8A3Feu3M8wi33mBT5KMTjQeWYI4v-s6PjAxqrpCNmVfN191vXmgshlMTJeiOfMBwZGMdCeVt941cuFQxLpRE7I5A7KE2EMDyMY_IqYpO7B6ADwdFSNyvnPFUbp9FNUHet8/s400/indonesiaramayana.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq71nACVfccpEp9y3qnf7rR4-c52lLaF9mO_Uix5KQGfwZlWcy3lYBmFvPBvNdzHI7ZE6nCPdrkohetN5KvEkVpC_xU-y9Lz5C_kdtq_etNZYwv4URQ_Jgk_Kb3ya1YlaG3X3GwWm26Rs/s1600/indonesia+ramayan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq71nACVfccpEp9y3qnf7rR4-c52lLaF9mO_Uix5KQGfwZlWcy3lYBmFvPBvNdzHI7ZE6nCPdrkohetN5KvEkVpC_xU-y9Lz5C_kdtq_etNZYwv4URQ_Jgk_Kb3ya1YlaG3X3GwWm26Rs/s400/indonesia+ramayan1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawNC15bASjZk9MGF7qYI8tILGomekUlNcrop5S7frIXtzNYATMsL2-_OAvBBWwnaTDl0JGs_gvS-60X9ULNy9GkHoLNPSKU1e0ttDHNStV0c8hC9GXH-OFJySbmTHDvEeiAMuT1Dh4fM/s1600/thairamayananov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramakien" title="Ramakien">Ramakien</a></span> in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Thailand</span>
is again considered the National epic and adds an element of incest to
the story by making Sita the daughter of Ravan and Mandodari who is
thrown away in the Sea as she is prophesied to bring destruction to
Ravan's Kingdom!! </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>However, the abandoned baby Sita is
found by Janak and grows up as his daughter only to be later abducted by
Ravan and ultimately lead to the end of Ravan and his supremacy. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Thai Khon Dance based on the Ramayana</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawNC15bASjZk9MGF7qYI8tILGomekUlNcrop5S7frIXtzNYATMsL2-_OAvBBWwnaTDl0JGs_gvS-60X9ULNy9GkHoLNPSKU1e0ttDHNStV0c8hC9GXH-OFJySbmTHDvEeiAMuT1Dh4fM/s1600/thairamayananov.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawNC15bASjZk9MGF7qYI8tILGomekUlNcrop5S7frIXtzNYATMsL2-_OAvBBWwnaTDl0JGs_gvS-60X9ULNy9GkHoLNPSKU1e0ttDHNStV0c8hC9GXH-OFJySbmTHDvEeiAMuT1Dh4fM/s400/thairamayananov.jpg" width="400" /></a> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj7OCZc33ao6WNM7O2DswiV2DJjp3fKptsizipjiU5iWO5Zu7VJnMZIgqXpT_CjDAiJQAD1chGvSYqwtV1e0pQUFXbtX8i8JszkwsFgYrkLA3ipYoAxOm5dU91KIbRIeKzK5mIiLVA_Y/s1600/Thaikhon2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj7OCZc33ao6WNM7O2DswiV2DJjp3fKptsizipjiU5iWO5Zu7VJnMZIgqXpT_CjDAiJQAD1chGvSYqwtV1e0pQUFXbtX8i8JszkwsFgYrkLA3ipYoAxOm5dU91KIbRIeKzK5mIiLVA_Y/s400/Thaikhon2.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Notably, the capital of the Thai kings was also referred to as <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ayutthaya</span>
the Thai version of Ayodhya! Even <span style="font-size: small;">the current king<span style="font-size: small;"> in Thailand has the title of Rama IX..</span></span> never imagined travel to these parts of
the world would open my eyes to the richness of our own heritage. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This Diwali, let us once again remember the story of the great personality that has influenced generations of humans and has survived over millions of years. I conclude this Deepawali post with the closing lines of <span style="font-size: small;">the</span> poetic rendition of Ramayan by <span style="color: #ffd966;">Romesh C. Dutta</span>:</b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></span><br />
<div align="center">
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Mark
my love," Rama <span style="font-size: small;">told Sita</span>, on the Pushpak car,<br />
As the home-<span style="font-size: small;">bound</span> <span style="font-size: small;">couple,</span> left behind the field of war,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Watch Lanka's
proud city below on <span style="font-size: small;">the</span> triple crest,<br />
Like peaks of Kailash mansions where Immortals rest<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark
the gory fields, where Vanars in their might,<br />
Fought the charging Rakshasas, in the <span style="font-size: small;">gory</span> fight,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where Indrajit
and Kumbha-karna, Ravan and chieftains,<br />
Fell <span style="font-size: small;">down in</span> battle <span style="font-size: small;">with their</span> blood soak<span style="font-size: small;">ing</span> the plains.</span></span></i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">See
my love, around <span style="font-size: small;">the</span> island how the oceans roar,<br />
Hiding pearls <span style="font-size: small;">among </span>corals, strewing shells upon the shore,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And
the causeway <span style="font-size: small;">mighty, </span>monument of our fame,<br />
'Rama's Bridge' to distant ages shall our deeds proclaim!</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">See
the rock<span style="font-size: small;">y</span> Kishkindha and her mountain-girdled town,<br />
Where I slayed Vali, and placed Sugriv on the throne,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Watch t</span>h</span>e hill of Rishyamuk<span style="font-size: small;">h,</span> where<span style="font-size: small;"> the Vanars</span> first I met, </span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gave<span style="font-size: small;"> them</span> word<span style="font-size: small;"> - Sugriv</span> w<span style="font-size: small;">ill be king</span> <span style="font-size: small;">ere the </span>Sun had set.</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watch the sacred Pampa by whose wild and echoing shore,<br />
I poured lamentations, when I saw my wife no more,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And
the woods of Janasthan where Jatayu fought and bled,<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">From where </span>the deceitful Ravan, with my trusting Sita fled.</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dost
thou mark, <span style="font-size: small;">doe-eyed</span> Sita, the cottage on river<span style="font-size: small;"> bank</span>,<br />
Where in righteous penance, we l<span style="font-size: small;">aid down every plank</span>,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And the <span style="font-size: small;">mighty</span> Godavari, with Saint Agastya's home of love,<br />
Where holy men <span style="font-size: small;">through</span> holy duties sanctify the grove<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dost
thou, o'er the Dandak forest, view the Chitrakut hill.<br />
Where the<span style="font-size: small;"> d</span>eathless bard Valmiki, <span style="font-size: small;">lives in the</span> crystal rill,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thither
came the righteous Bharat and my<span style="font-size: small;"> army</span> came,<br />
Longing to take us back to <span style="font-size: small;">Suryavanshi's</span> town of fame,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dost
thou,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>devoted Sita, see the Yamuna in her might,<br />
Where in Bharadwaj's ashram passed we, a happy night,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And
the broad and ruddy Ganga sweeping in regal pride,<br />
Where forest-dweller Guha crossed us to the southern side.</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Joy!
joy! gentle Sita! Fair Ayodhya looms above,<br />
Ancient seat of Ragh<span style="font-size: small;">uvansh</span>, <span style="font-size: small;">O</span>ur <span style="font-size: small;">H</span>ope and our <span style="font-size: small;">L</span>ove,</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bow,
bow, to bright Ayodhya! Dark did <span style="font-size: small;">our exile</span> roam,<br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">B</span>ut t</span>onight our weary toil ends, in <span style="font-size: small;">Suryavansh<span style="font-size: small;">'</span>s</span> ancient home!"</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jai Shri Raam and </span></b></span></span>Happy Diwali :o)</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpYy8_UX3ec7CEJk1b2M-q_HC_QGcGTyaedD5wU1XxAnXonw30CQxgNNwoRA3ujQslZUCY2bOBNp6c-WLjablK_ZdDm-mQGJOc4dUUlHVGzau23jTUGJmQfVZfrM_h7DpGFWsTfHesLw/s1600/Rama-returns-to-Ayodhya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpYy8_UX3ec7CEJk1b2M-q_HC_QGcGTyaedD5wU1XxAnXonw30CQxgNNwoRA3ujQslZUCY2bOBNp6c-WLjablK_ZdDm-mQGJOc4dUUlHVGzau23jTUGJmQfVZfrM_h7DpGFWsTfHesLw/s640/Rama-returns-to-Ayodhya.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Let there be Light</span></b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknO5up1Hx00l3MY4f8m7xRXdehO3aqPOe_nFFqTgCzDvRopiaRegc0h5mlkoiJt6DMbVlfklQmZoL9p6MRAwwtY_drerLQISEHjdv1PkvOrqwBG1Hs1I3C7YFQ6POPmYeaTv48UT2p3o/s1600/diya-hands.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknO5up1Hx00l3MY4f8m7xRXdehO3aqPOe_nFFqTgCzDvRopiaRegc0h5mlkoiJt6DMbVlfklQmZoL9p6MRAwwtY_drerLQISEHjdv1PkvOrqwBG1Hs1I3C7YFQ6POPmYeaTv48UT2p3o/s320/diya-hands.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">. </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">. </span><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com238Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh 515331, India13.8040549 77.60492180000005613.7730484 77.56440980000005 13.8350614 77.645433800000063tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-60442846772533696872012-10-02T01:23:00.000+05:302016-01-30T23:44:51.391+05:30Quest for Dwarka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The sea, that had been beating against the shores, </i></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>broke the boundaries </i><i>imposed by nature..</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>It rushed into the beautiful city,</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>and swallowed everything in its path.. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I saw the grand buildings submerge one by one, </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In just a few moments it was all over..</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The sea had now become as placid as a lake,</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>There was no trace of the city anymore, </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Dwarka was just a name; just a memory..</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What a terrible end to witness, the submergence of an entire metropolis in front of one's own eyes.. Yet, this is what happened to the golden city of Dwarka and according to</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat's Musal Parva</span>,</span></span></b> Pandav <span style="color: #ffd966;">Arjun </span>was eyewitness to this destruction!</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In continuation of my previous post {<span style="color: #e06666;"><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/05/pralaya-end-of-days.html" target="_blank">Pralaya - The end of Days</a></span>}, I decided to explore the topic further and assess its impact on Indian history. It leads me to believe that civilization hubs on the shores of our vast peninsula have succumbed to these calamities time and again, and Dwarka, was one of the most promising candidates for such a catastrophe.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What exactly was Dwarka? We know
from ancient texts that the city was located on the western shore of Indian mainland; we know it was the capital of Yadavs after they
migrated from Mathura; we know <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Krishna</span>
made the city His capital and ruled the kingdom from there; and we also
know, that this fabled city was submerged under huge Tsunamis as soon
as Krishna left the Earth.</span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us now dig a little deeper and find out more about the rise and fall of Dwarka.</span></span></b> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Dwarka, the Golden City</u></span></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Dwarka or Dwarawati (The-city-of-Doors) finds mention in many Sanskrit epics including the <i>Mahabharat, Harivansha, Bhagvat Puraan, Skanda Puraan</i> and the <i>Vishnu Puraan</i>.<i> </i>It is one of the sacred quartet that forms <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Char_Dham" title="Char Dham">Char Dham</a></span> of Lord Vishnu along with Shri Badrinath, Shri Jagannath Puri and Shri Rameshwaram.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shri Dwarkadhish Temple in the modern city of Dwarka </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EtXFQoaa52M63QLNHzJo-NCaqUeQxUrq-Ghyphenhyphenm9M_vEUFNnJuoMZGaly7z9UoGB6GBw7TmYCLgMC2acY-ygToK3VOVJcbrFvxBEqkq7EngK9CKTwwKMweDMUgox_-a1kusdQyWYOYLzM/s1600/Dwarkadheesh_temple.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EtXFQoaa52M63QLNHzJo-NCaqUeQxUrq-Ghyphenhyphenm9M_vEUFNnJuoMZGaly7z9UoGB6GBw7TmYCLgMC2acY-ygToK3VOVJcbrFvxBEqkq7EngK9CKTwwKMweDMUgox_-a1kusdQyWYOYLzM/s400/Dwarkadheesh_temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">My visit to the ancient temple</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1STYNY3QTZHt-lZGlHMqIBC5Xj0egkZFFRYR2FP6CxLKZaR1QciGT0mIU64aTPUKPOPYOxuLSrX8gYtO3zvAUtXmZuQ4bi3cO1N_otIEl3lEsE_XFY4LDJD1EH_gbKs2xAFL_OMcQ1kI/s1600/DSC09183..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1STYNY3QTZHt-lZGlHMqIBC5Xj0egkZFFRYR2FP6CxLKZaR1QciGT0mIU64aTPUKPOPYOxuLSrX8gYtO3zvAUtXmZuQ4bi3cO1N_otIEl3lEsE_XFY4LDJD1EH_gbKs2xAFL_OMcQ1kI/s640/DSC09183..jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Legend says that the city was built by none other than <span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishwakarma</span>, the architect of demigods on the order of Lord Krishna at a site
selected by the Divine Eagle<i> Garud</i>. </span></span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Krishna's Golden City from a Mughal miniature painting </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTK2RvYhESNkRgVNyF19y81b-7aT42kWbxz-bUnooye0pMbg5lPF5JUsM2FBlSoK_deCgxBYCQA9EPtsLP0_YEnl5XLqxIinLczbTEZSjeM7pr2jGZJ6vHtWM3UbwLOfzPfSr-hAq6kY/s1600/Dwarka-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTK2RvYhESNkRgVNyF19y81b-7aT42kWbxz-bUnooye0pMbg5lPF5JUsM2FBlSoK_deCgxBYCQA9EPtsLP0_YEnl5XLqxIinLczbTEZSjeM7pr2jGZJ6vHtWM3UbwLOfzPfSr-hAq6kY/s1600/Dwarka-001.jpg" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In order to know more about the creation of Dwarka, we would first have to understand the geo-political realities of the time. Let us take a look at the political dynamics in the country at the end of Dvapar Yuga.</span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Socio-political Condition in Mahabharat Times</u></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The end of a Yuga is always a phase of tumultuous transition. We are talking about the period from the Dusk-of-Dvapar to the Dawn-of-Kaliyuga and there was a lot of political upheaval at this time in the civilized world.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Jarasandh</i>, the king of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a class="glossarLink" href="http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=75739" id="" name="75739" title="">Magadh</a></span> had emerged as the most powerful and ambitious king of the time, aspiring to become the Lord of the entire land. He had entered into alliance with other tyrant kings like<i> Kamsa</i> and the <i>Kauravs</i> through matrimony and military deterrence and most other rulers were his vassals. </span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yadavs were settled on the banks of Yamuna and the cities of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a class="glossarLink" href="http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=87312" id="" name="87312" title="">Mathura</a></span> and Shauripuri in present Uttar Pradesh were their major centers. Mathura, the main hub of Chandravanshis was ruled by<i> Kamsa</i> who had dethroned his father <i>Ugrasen</i> and usurped the kingdom. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another Yadav prince <i>Samudravijay</i> was ruling over Shauripuri, while his younger brother <i>Vasudev</i> (the father of Krishna) was the captive of Kamsa along with his wife <i>Devaki</i>. When <span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna</span> grew up, He liberated His parents from the dungeons of Kamsa, killed the despot and ended his reign of tyranny but Jarasandh (Kamsa's father-in-law), vowed to take revenge.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since Krishna was too strong an adversary, Jarasandh, who was a master strategist, decided to target the Yadav subjects and launched a series of raids against the denizens of Mathura. Krishna, being a statesman par excellence, decided to wait for the right time (aka the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat War</span>) and meanwhile thought of a way to secure His countrymen.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He decided to move the entire population of Yadav kingdom to a place far beyond the reach of Jarasandh and<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> picked the western
coast of India.</span></span></b> The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Sabha Parva</span> of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span> gives a
detailed account of Krishna's emigration to
Dwarka in order to save
the lives of His subjects from unwanted attacks.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Migration routes of various clans due to Jarasandh's attacks </span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AAOQuimIPiJYW6gh7T_-PRfcZndOa9XSwZA3-zpJ4JBh4-HawXejhzKZXMddsivPHlrsqiuCsNHKuuTmob2zFLH3IcXiZhbgoxNCexHNM0f6_Vxzc4LzHwHS2PAaAbcccykomRW8VH0/s1600/400px-ImpactOfJarasandha.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AAOQuimIPiJYW6gh7T_-PRfcZndOa9XSwZA3-zpJ4JBh4-HawXejhzKZXMddsivPHlrsqiuCsNHKuuTmob2zFLH3IcXiZhbgoxNCexHNM0f6_Vxzc4LzHwHS2PAaAbcccykomRW8VH0/s640/400px-ImpactOfJarasandha.JPG" width="640" /></a><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Krishna summoned <span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishwakarma</span>, the divine architect of the demigods, and commissioned a city that would be the
envy of the civilized world. However, the architect wanted to reclaim some land from the sea and the task could be completed only if <span style="color: #ffd966;">Varundeva</span>,
the Lord of the sea, acquiesced to this proposal. Sri Krishna worshiped Samudra-dev,
who gave them land measuring 12 yojans and Vishwakarma
then built the magnificent Dwaraka, a city in gold. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is what we know from the Mahbharat, let us see what other literary evidence we can gather from other sources. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Historicity of Dwarka - Literary Evidence</u></span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Garuda_Purana" title="Garuda Purana">Garuḍa Purāṇ</a> </span>[1.16.14], <b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dwarka was one of the seven ancient cities in the country that are believed to lead one to Nirvana.</span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Ayodhyā Mathurā Māyā Kāsi Kāñchī Avantikā </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Purī Dvārāvatī chaiva saptaitā moksadāyikāh </i></span></span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Inclusion
of Dwarka in this list gives reason that it would have been a
historical city as the other six cities mentioned in the verse are very
much alive and thriving even today.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Other scriptures record that the city was built on the sunken remains of a previous kingdom,
<span style="color: #ffd966;">Kushasthali</span>, which itself was built on older ruins. The modern city of Dwarka is located in the westernmost part of India at the confluence of the Gomati river with the sea. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Western region of the Indian mainland</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK3O6Jg5KUIvcR8ZDltLe42-4ihHq15JqcmaR5_SaxwDJCJUUc39bUlDByzKDcYn1Kj83hYIevhyphenhyphenKd6gf7DTpknx5m9uvJdS3fJVbJjan2huwGOs7in99TO6AQp9dqW2e5sgb3z1j8y8/s1600/Gulf+of+Cambay.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK3O6Jg5KUIvcR8ZDltLe42-4ihHq15JqcmaR5_SaxwDJCJUUc39bUlDByzKDcYn1Kj83hYIevhyphenhyphenKd6gf7DTpknx5m9uvJdS3fJVbJjan2huwGOs7in99TO6AQp9dqW2e5sgb3z1j8y8/s400/Gulf+of+Cambay.gif" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHZQ3Nbx_jfGlfIYRhDtw1utAIyiMl3zGWT3j7db9Iu7NV2LVD_vBqfa-SC4bD50nc-KU44Ww2Rr1gmseo35bHR6UO4Nj4O0CSkSmPhaoF25GpvaAbCCOn9GoNPNr-Jnkc6oUrWp8xRQ/s1600/krishna-temple-location-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHZQ3Nbx_jfGlfIYRhDtw1utAIyiMl3zGWT3j7db9Iu7NV2LVD_vBqfa-SC4bD50nc-KU44Ww2Rr1gmseo35bHR6UO4Nj4O0CSkSmPhaoF25GpvaAbCCOn9GoNPNr-Jnkc6oUrWp8xRQ/s400/krishna-temple-location-map.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishi Ved Vyas</span> has described Dwarka in great detail and calls it 'A city so golden
that it cast its radiance on the ocean for miles around it'.</span></span></b> The city<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> extended over 104 Kms and was divided into six well-organized sectors, residential and commercial zones, wide
roads, plazas, palaces and many public utilities. </span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It had a special hall
called <i>Sudharma Sabha</i> to hold public meetings and<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the city had beautiful gardens filled with flowers of all
seasons and beautiful lakes.</span></span></b> It was well fortified and
surrounded by a moat, spanned by bridges, boasted of a good sea harbor
and had an incredible number of 700,000 palaces made of gold, silver and other precious stones!</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The city of Dwarka</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEcdplSRiJBGuYxmHSnM2s_Lk3jnsoAd4iUcPHv8473CZeuqLnOV8oyj2_Zgt5JgaIE9awdm6F892_EQ_vTb5578RpgUbasek2szVd-4QNClilrRb1RZFFFr1ewlwwL9Epb037r-7qN8/s1600/Dwarika.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEcdplSRiJBGuYxmHSnM2s_Lk3jnsoAd4iUcPHv8473CZeuqLnOV8oyj2_Zgt5JgaIE9awdm6F892_EQ_vTb5578RpgUbasek2szVd-4QNClilrRb1RZFFFr1ewlwwL9Epb037r-7qN8/s1600/Dwarika.jpg" /></a></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Narad Muni's visit to Dwarka</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwloDUs5I3nc0zy7nbc75fvNpQjNvU17UQ1UTaaaOP97Xl3uWFaiz4Mwr8srDyO79PQ9-Q07qI4BNfCQOBOD_91GbMwqxcFPyLP85QNaBl8M_0-7NoQKRrz0R8ofSZH639Jb9VxB61C0k/s1600/Krishna+Dwarka.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwloDUs5I3nc0zy7nbc75fvNpQjNvU17UQ1UTaaaOP97Xl3uWFaiz4Mwr8srDyO79PQ9-Q07qI4BNfCQOBOD_91GbMwqxcFPyLP85QNaBl8M_0-7NoQKRrz0R8ofSZH639Jb9VxB61C0k/s1600/Krishna+Dwarka.jpg" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After Krishna departed from Earth, about 36 years after the Mahabharat War (3102 BCE), <span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Arjuna" title="Arjuna">Arjun</a></span> went to Dwarka to bring Krishna's grandsons and remaining Yadavs to safety. As soon as they left, the city was submerged into the sea and the eye-witness account is mentioned in the beginning of the post.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The <span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu Puran </span>also mentions the submersion of Dwarka, stating-</span></span></b>
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<blockquote class="templatequote" style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>On the same day that Krishna departed from the earth, the dark-bodied Kali Yuga descended. The oceans rose and submerged the whole of Dwarka.</i></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Besides Dwarka,
there are mentions in the scriptures of many renowned cities which were washed away by the rivers on whose
banks they were situated. <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span> mentions that <i>Hastinapura</i> was
washed away by the Ganga and consequently the Pandavas had to migrate to
<i>Kaudambi</i>. </span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Similar was the case with <i>Pataliputra</i> which, even though the premier city of the land,
later became the worst victim of inundation according to <i>Dandin</i>, the author of the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Dashakumaracarita</span>. </span></span></b></span></span></b> </span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The question in front of
historians now is, whether these cities ever really existed or were they just a
figment of poet's imagination? Let us try to understand where
archaeology stands on this question.</span></span></b></span></span></b></span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Archaeological Evidence</u></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pargiter</span>, a noted historian in British India, was the first to suggest that Dwarka was located near the <i>Raivataka (Girnar) </i>mountain and also mentioned that it was constructed on the remains of an earlier city known as the <i>Kushasthali</i>.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The Girnar mountain is considered holy not only by Hindus but is also a major site of pilgrimage for the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Jain</span> community. It is the place where the 22nd Jain Tirthankar, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Neminath</span> (who BTW was a paternal cousin of Lord Krishna), attained liberation.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Girnar Mountain</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00AGILqTuU3N2nhr0RUuSUeIr3ouT_aBDNR0UcTWnJUO36-Nl-MBE7FXY3n4fNxdOV-NKHJvcRlYGQqk9_RlNpVt4A2GBlAJgV8hDyN2_8KeHwlzBUnP84FB5kHMY98c0geIAi11puQ0/s1600/Girnar_Full_View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00AGILqTuU3N2nhr0RUuSUeIr3ouT_aBDNR0UcTWnJUO36-Nl-MBE7FXY3n4fNxdOV-NKHJvcRlYGQqk9_RlNpVt4A2GBlAJgV8hDyN2_8KeHwlzBUnP84FB5kHMY98c0geIAi11puQ0/s400/Girnar_Full_View.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Jain Temples on top of Mount Girnar</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ld2NfAHOlhObq0EHwi1A7uSYHuNyb3vA3UFs4PuwFhhhXwvP40mQevcxCrcm_JRdUP-VOe6cZYtfntsP_IaTE69g-bw9sVdPLe03VvEdZavfweio5RfECnCUXAmndCAKJddpFzH9QNU/s1600/Girnar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ld2NfAHOlhObq0EHwi1A7uSYHuNyb3vA3UFs4PuwFhhhXwvP40mQevcxCrcm_JRdUP-VOe6cZYtfntsP_IaTE69g-bw9sVdPLe03VvEdZavfweio5RfECnCUXAmndCAKJddpFzH9QNU/s400/Girnar.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jain legends</span> tell many stories of both the brothers and acknowledge the presence of the Metropolis of Dwarka as being close to the <i>Girnar</i> mountains.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />According to Jain texts,<span style="color: #ffd966;"> Shri <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna" title="Krishna">Krishna</a></span>
negotiated Neminath's marriage with Rajamati, (the sister of Kamsa), but
Neminath, empathizing with the animals that were to be slaughtered for
the marriage feast, left the procession and renounced the
world!</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Interestingly, Jain tradition also recognizes Krishna as <i>Vasudev</i> and Jarasandh as the <i>prati-Vasudev</i> (similar to the Christ & anti-Christ belief) showing how important the rivalry between the two was.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The Yadav kingdom at that time spread around Junagadh district and the nearby Gir Forest (which is the last sanctuary for the Asiatic Lions today). The first excavations at the site were conducted by Deccan College, Pune and the Department of Archaeology, Govt. of Gujarat, in 1963 under the direction of <span style="color: #ffd966;">H.D. Sankalia</span>. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These and other archaeological excavations unearthed artifacts that prove that
modern Dwarka is the sixth settlement of the name on this site. The
earlier cities have been, at various times, swallowed by the sea. The
waves of the sea still lap the shores of this famous town, lending
scenic beauty to this important pilgrimage destination. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The sea adjacent to Shri Krishna Temple </span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LU6Or67pt-Ut3xgTpPkC0eM75sXsFxavFsf2w6VQDidb_q3WvNRyiBl-tVYMLi1Ldq8bI2Ep8ZS2nTDI8rgqBPsLlyiWPh597Rvj-xWvQ92ei65TUs7mQ4MDvfw4zlnyqB0vhEa4aSU/s1600/dwarka_dwarka_beach_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LU6Or67pt-Ut3xgTpPkC0eM75sXsFxavFsf2w6VQDidb_q3WvNRyiBl-tVYMLi1Ldq8bI2Ep8ZS2nTDI8rgqBPsLlyiWPh597Rvj-xWvQ92ei65TUs7mQ4MDvfw4zlnyqB0vhEa4aSU/s640/dwarka_dwarka_beach_006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gradually, the myth of Dwarka was coming alive, but the final breakthrough came with the discovery of submerged remains of Dwarka by the Marine Archaeology Unit (MAU) jointly formed by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)<span style="color: #ffd966;"></span>.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Underwater Exploration of Dwarka</u></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This exploration was undertaken </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">under the guidance of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Dr. S.R. Rao</span></span></span></b>. Dr. Rao is widely considered widely the Grand-father of Indian Archaeology and has served the ASI for over 32
years. He is credited with the discovery of a large number of Indus-Saraswati sites
including the port city of <i>Lothal</i> in Gujarat.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Dr. S. R. Rao</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://deshgujarat.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/srrao.jpg" height="240" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />Before the underwater ruins were discovered, most scholars were of the view that the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat<i> </i></span>was just a mythological epic and it would be futile to look for the remains of Dwarka. However, </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Rao and his team, undertook
an extensive search of this city along the coast from 1984-88 and finally succeeded in finding
the submerged city off the Gujarat coast.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The use of advanced techniques of geophysical survey combined with <i>echo-sounders, mud-penetrators, sub-bottom profilers</i> and <i>underwater metal detectors</i> helped uncover this missing link in our history! </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Between 1983 to 1990, the well-fortified township of Dwaraka was
discovered, extending more than half a mile from the shore. <b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In his work, <span style="color: #ffd966;">The Lost City of Dwaraka</span>, Dr. Rao has given scientific details of these discoveries and artifacts. </span></span></b> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can find a similar report report on the link - {<span style="color: #e06666;"><a href="http://drs.nio.org/drs/bitstream/2264/479/1/Man_Environ_25_67.pdf" target="_blank">Recent underwater exploration at Bet Dwarka and Okha Mandal </a></span>}</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Excavations at Dwarka</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrruD1ptUW10svk0Cm3eLiIzGxTvxxMXRbTiFXYJHPw6KMUaway4-YRHp-2m9PseMy8YlAk9vfuruZmIGd4Heg4Vjcpj6yum4ejKDZC4keXBvl0frWa3UySgB8ypaz0wm_3pa__d3oGw/s1600/1327413834_d635629d49_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrruD1ptUW10svk0Cm3eLiIzGxTvxxMXRbTiFXYJHPw6KMUaway4-YRHp-2m9PseMy8YlAk9vfuruZmIGd4Heg4Vjcpj6yum4ejKDZC4keXBvl0frWa3UySgB8ypaz0wm_3pa__d3oGw/s400/1327413834_d635629d49_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvO8lLok64by-tJKATXYRMqws4lYSEzsI90bafkMwYnWouDP52GHWZjkPkeEYz3G3F6-wtPJ_hQfAZiS0LoZq06r2S2JA6Ri-Oa224ir0EeO6pxcm852tQVhXdCUQ6aokHuIXa-D7vvXU/s1600/2007050401361301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvO8lLok64by-tJKATXYRMqws4lYSEzsI90bafkMwYnWouDP52GHWZjkPkeEYz3G3F6-wtPJ_hQfAZiS0LoZq06r2S2JA6Ri-Oa224ir0EeO6pxcm852tQVhXdCUQ6aokHuIXa-D7vvXU/s400/2007050401361301.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><br />Offshore exploration of the legendary city was resumed in 1988 and continued through 1990, further seaward of the Temple of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Samudranarayana</span> (Sea God) with a view to trace the plan and extent of the port-city and
the purpose of the massive stone walls built on the banks of ancient
Gomati. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From the structural remains in <span style="color: #ffd966;">Dwaraka</span> and<span style="color: #ffd966;"> Bet Dwaraka</span> waters, it is
possible to visualise that the city-ports were large and well planned.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
findings of Bet Dwarka can actually be divided into two broad periods:
<i>Protohistoric</i> period which includes seal, two inscriptions, a copper
fishhook and late Harappan pottery; and the <i>Historical</i> period which
consists of coins, ship anchors and pottery. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Underwater exploration of Dwarka</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj527H4mj90lGeIgY6Lza3ho61UrKrjULPbaqaV1_eSM1zcUfc6XzGhfsqEV5jC32z6N1J6s8EomwYaLGl_uZGtlPCnkc7q3efE-My-mb5O5ovoimp9uAq9uZMwtCOooYVTv16KBXe4Uos/s1600/2007022301242201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj527H4mj90lGeIgY6Lza3ho61UrKrjULPbaqaV1_eSM1zcUfc6XzGhfsqEV5jC32z6N1J6s8EomwYaLGl_uZGtlPCnkc7q3efE-My-mb5O5ovoimp9uAq9uZMwtCOooYVTv16KBXe4Uos/s400/2007022301242201.jpg" width="362" /></a> </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />JUST AS DESCRIBED in the scriptures, the township was built in SIX sectors along the banks of a river. The foundation of boulders on which the city's walls were erected proves that the land was reclaimed from the sea. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The general layout of the city described in ancient texts agrees with that of the submerged city discovered by MAU. <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span> mentions a <i>Prasada</i> which corresponds to the high fort wall of Dwarka, a part of which is extant. The epic says that flags were flying in the city of Dwarka which can again be
corroborated by the stone bases of flag posts found in the sea bed
excavation. </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ruins of the Fort walls in Dwarka</span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnRjH-XJGpQV-zlZ-gExT-9QsDmaFpM86NP6GIPlOhROCvA7hDzr-MnxwmUsM9oncep4HaCAvJfDmCBSf5rPNe5rE1PCmZOuIaYxhlCTKldeNZCgQlEfX48kfBHstWaTTlj-qSTJAJT4/s1600/dwaraka4..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnRjH-XJGpQV-zlZ-gExT-9QsDmaFpM86NP6GIPlOhROCvA7hDzr-MnxwmUsM9oncep4HaCAvJfDmCBSf5rPNe5rE1PCmZOuIaYxhlCTKldeNZCgQlEfX48kfBHstWaTTlj-qSTJAJT4/s640/dwaraka4..jpg" width="421" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3rF90Nniz8YYSbhEt9d-XKOF6xS3FeyhPBoMM78YyP703DktEQWAnnlKvA64kEFDxQDoeZ2GMdWHHn9xn-fbC_YlVi8bQAvhGGSljXvpYILA2mSyRuW5QPryd4BrUkDuY45n1XWarsY/s1600/dwaraka7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></b> </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A significant antiquity that further corroborates a statement of the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Harivamsha</span>
is the SEAL bearing the motif of a three-headed animal representing the
bull, unicorn and goat. The text states that every citizen of Dwarka
had to carry a seal as a mark of identification and the seal recovered
from the sea-bed matches with the scriptural description!</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The seal of Dwarka</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDNETdb85Vq39TJGZnhDu36UsMrTv1-zv2b1Q_EE0YBPxEbNu8BWdM4I8EbRslHE7sJEXaoG1LbDsD_We2DwXiQ4YzvXN5QVOOJRXHawT4DVY4OHgg1o_9s2C9Mjdyi3RTR6_XqNRgHA/s1600/BDK-seal..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDNETdb85Vq39TJGZnhDu36UsMrTv1-zv2b1Q_EE0YBPxEbNu8BWdM4I8EbRslHE7sJEXaoG1LbDsD_We2DwXiQ4YzvXN5QVOOJRXHawT4DVY4OHgg1o_9s2C9Mjdyi3RTR6_XqNRgHA/s200/BDK-seal..jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A
large number of rectangular blocks of various sizes are also scattered
in a large area in the vicinity and are evidently part of a single
structure. These blocks are lying on a rocky seabed and a few of them
are buried in sand.</span></span></b></span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiov9N4IDKtNJGMGy_TJj4Qp8Mzg3B9qzKMHtWy0GwC4YOjAaXBYnHFtZPKU4mjjo_NIFtZxISyKEAoyezY8-fJq40ObwjKa14GmQGdz3vW3w6PDjkYPqqhR68Rc4cwpDEmteDriCo7Qc/s1600/dj4f27e9b8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiov9N4IDKtNJGMGy_TJj4Qp8Mzg3B9qzKMHtWy0GwC4YOjAaXBYnHFtZPKU4mjjo_NIFtZxISyKEAoyezY8-fJq40ObwjKa14GmQGdz3vW3w6PDjkYPqqhR68Rc4cwpDEmteDriCo7Qc/s1600/dj4f27e9b8.jpg" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The UAW began excavations at
Dwarka again from January 2007. The objective of the excavation was to
know the antiquity of the site, based on material evidence. In the
offshore excavation, the ASI's trained underwater archaeologists and the
divers of the Navy searched the sunken structural remains. </span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to the news releases made by the Govt. of India, the radiocarbon testing on a
piece of wood from the underwater site has yielded an age of
9,500 years which would place it near the end of the last Ice Age. </span></span></b></span></span></b></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As discussed in the previous post <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Pralaya%2FQayamat%2FEnd%20of%20Days">{Pralaya - The End of Days}, </a>the last melt-down was responsible for drowning a large number of civilizations all over the globe leading to the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Flood Myths</span>. <b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This piece of wood could very well be a remnant of the same lost ante-diluvian civilization on the remains of which Dwarka was created.</span></span></b> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Offshore explorations near Bet Dwarka jetty also brought to light a
number of stone anchors of different types that include triangular,
Indo-Arabian and ring stones. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are made of locally available
rocks and their period may also be similar to those found at Dwarka and
other places. Recent findings have also shown evidence of active
Indo-Roman trade from the
fourth century BCE to 4th century CE. </span></span></b>
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<b>Other artifacts recovered from the sea</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wiKuPPz0Ht-bv-2iOaFtib8hsqP_OChJ04ZK4zx_1t6XL8LQJdLmQcNTxjN_-8H3nQHrc7dzt7FVF7oUrmhiw0ipu4C-6EZ-Bw7PIg23ULOmPm0K1qPgmR322tsBM47yGigqbVu3V1Y/s1600/dwaraka5-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wiKuPPz0Ht-bv-2iOaFtib8hsqP_OChJ04ZK4zx_1t6XL8LQJdLmQcNTxjN_-8H3nQHrc7dzt7FVF7oUrmhiw0ipu4C-6EZ-Bw7PIg23ULOmPm0K1qPgmR322tsBM47yGigqbVu3V1Y/s400/dwaraka5-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X8PsvZLyZBzqBULL6zz-_fYV6qfxORnUHm-I3ZV34cq_XPp_8NTQ5rOVvYfYK7Kk-rMCvvmkdCg-Lujk3sUfdBAoWtLvIwSPKVpvg6oiIizEzNNJF3DOIbgTVnJ7AKJJl6ZPrngreg0/s1600/dwaraka5.-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X8PsvZLyZBzqBULL6zz-_fYV6qfxORnUHm-I3ZV34cq_XPp_8NTQ5rOVvYfYK7Kk-rMCvvmkdCg-Lujk3sUfdBAoWtLvIwSPKVpvg6oiIizEzNNJF3DOIbgTVnJ7AKJJl6ZPrngreg0/s400/dwaraka5.-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7BhLV7ot7oVBUBxv4l0-wCAEj0jkuPqpQ3A6XiyW6fYzahVSXrBNBytUhseNPLMl9wnMBiyQvpgNeWZS0i1Q-HYrMXtWZSSfzhKU7uDW-l96KyHZlATpTo7cEzkbGGAyAlHG2g_JGVs/s1600/BDK-seal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All these findings should be able to build our faith in the belief that there indeed existed a port-city on the westernmost fringe of the Indian mainland which was into international maritime trade and hence would have been a popular and prosperous metropolis before its submergence.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The obvious next question is, what led to submergence of this massive trading city?</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>So what happened??? </u></span></span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The answer lies in the progressive rise in sea-levels witnessed over thousands of years and tectonic upheavals taking place in the womb of the planet. These two combine like a potion being brewed in a witch's cauldron, and stir up giant Tsunamis capable of wiping out entire civilizations in one go!</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In one of the major studies of its kind, scientists at <span style="color: #ffd966;">National Institute of Oceanography </span>have developed sea level variation history of the last ~14,500 years B.P. (Before Present), for the western coast of India. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To generate the sea level variation curve for these past 16,000 years, they had to compile all the data of past shore line indicators available between 21°N to 14°N latitude (till south of Saurashtra Peninsula). These dates ranging from 14,500 to 1,500 yr B.P. were then plotted against height/depth from which the dated material was recovered. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The sea level curve was then drawn based on geological reasoning and other supporting evidence such as the presence of terraces, nature of samples and inferences of sea-level rise from other stable areas.</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrDvUvndsqtQNeypcZSFtDciIh6Wz5PSE3Mw9MXLOEvK6aadr70BuRjda4QF2dp1hh5gPCB4SzSMSfdtiMBoGifbs62AkqkK2kVZQ10FQQ6CU2imZBmS1BjS6i9MCdjSlXKpJ2Q5Kax0/s1600/sea+levels+in+india.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrDvUvndsqtQNeypcZSFtDciIh6Wz5PSE3Mw9MXLOEvK6aadr70BuRjda4QF2dp1hh5gPCB4SzSMSfdtiMBoGifbs62AkqkK2kVZQ10FQQ6CU2imZBmS1BjS6i9MCdjSlXKpJ2Q5Kax0/s1600/sea+levels+in+india.jpg" /></a></span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />The curve shows that 14,500 years ago, sea level along the west coast of India was about 100m lower as compared to the present, and rose to 80m depth around 12,500 years ago with a rate of ~10m/1,000 years. </span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />It was followed by a quiet period when the level remained unchanged for about 2,500 years<span lang="EN-GB">, thus providing time for civilization to flourish before being
engulfed by the sea again.</span> From 10,000 to 7,000 years ago, sea level rose at a very high rate (~20m/1000 years) and after approximately 7,000 years B.P. it has fluctuated to more or less the present level. <span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Animation depicting the shrinking of the Indian coast in years Before Present</span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01xw8jWQGT4i4ppnd2k0UYtNdiSdTa8kcIjvBlGruLo_yhqeJf8coilTeT10dabG1800Y7T2kl9FifCoUbrtYMaeG2s89W6gzBi-YmCqR8xeNRhdMpVTDCYsA3Cn5yqwI_lBexfxqchc/s1600/AshCF1_india_innundation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01xw8jWQGT4i4ppnd2k0UYtNdiSdTa8kcIjvBlGruLo_yhqeJf8coilTeT10dabG1800Y7T2kl9FifCoUbrtYMaeG2s89W6gzBi-YmCqR8xeNRhdMpVTDCYsA3Cn5yqwI_lBexfxqchc/s400/AshCF1_india_innundation.gif" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">The animation above shows how the shoreline has changed over thousands of years, and how much land has been lost to the sea. All along the peninsula, we have most certainly lost civilizations at various stages of development and out of these, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Dwarka</span> was one of the most prominent ones.</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">In another study conducted on the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Seismic activity in the Western region</span>, work in peripheral land
areas of the Gulf of Cambay like <i>Kathana, Lothal</i> and <i>Motibaur</i> gave
evidences of major earthquakes in the following
periods -</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">(1) 2780 ± 150 years BP</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">(2) 3983 ± 150 BP and </span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">(3) 7540 ± 130 BP </span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">In the first major event at
about 7,600 BCE, the <span style="color: #ffd966;">FIRST metropolis </span>found in the underwater ruins appears to have succumbed to the tectonic forces and the sea appears to have inundated it. </span></span></span></b>Because of
this catastrophe, people would have proceeded north to the higher sea level and established the <span style="color: #ffd966;">SECOND metropolis</span>. </span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">This
also got affected by faulting due to earth quakes around 4,000 BP and
was destroyed by the second or the last Earthquake around 2780 ± 150 BP, when the
sea transgressed to completely submerge it.</span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">We have experienced in the recent years how catastrophic submarine earthquakes can be. They do not affect the land directly but lead to huge waves that are meters tall and are capable of wiping out cities in minutes just as described by <span style="color: #ffd966;">Arjun</span> in the beginning of the post!</span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Giant Tsunamis generated by Submarine Earthquakes </span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span lang="EN-GB">From our point of view, the older site of 7600 BCE could very well correspond to <span style="color: #ffd966;">Kushasthali</span>, the foundation of Shri Krishna's Dwarka and the second settlement of 4000-2800 BCE would then be the tentative time-frame of existence of the <span style="color: #ffd966;">Golden City of the Lord</span>. </span> </span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />This also matches very well with Shri Krishna's historical dates that we arrived at in the post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Krishna%20-%20The%20Historical%20Enigma" target="_blank">Krishna - The Historical Enigma</a>} and again proves that our scriptures are not mere figments of fertile imaginations but have a historical basis.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dr. S.R. Rao</span> after his careful research made the following statement: "The
findings in Dwarka and archeological evidence found are compatible with
the Mahabharat tradition and removes the lingering doubt about the
historicity of the Mahabharat. We would say that Krishna definitely
existed".</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Krishna, the Great Statesman and King was indeed a historical figure who ruled from the city of Dwarka until the day He departed from the mortal realm. He lived the life of a householder and raised His family in the city of Dwarka.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Krishna, the Yadav king of Dwarka</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If Dwarka excavations can throw light on the historicity of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Krishna</span>, sea-bed excavations at <i>Ayodhya</i>
situated on the banks of <i>Sarayu</i> might yield equally valuable
information about the historicity of <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Rama</span>.</span></span></b> <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We, the youth of the country should participate more in spreading the knowledge of our ancient heritage and endeavor to be a part of a further exploration of its origins. Only then, we would be able to unearth the true history of our own civilization as well as that of Mankind.</span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></span></span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com90Dwarka, Gujarat, India22.2441975 68.96845619999999122.214644999999997 68.927944199999985 22.27375 69.0089682tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-31176989099259779712012-08-31T17:07:00.001+05:302022-09-15T11:40:25.418+05:30Pralaya - The 'End of Days'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span closure_uid_2xnfj0="441" closure_uid_8ewd3l="110" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Some say the world will end in Fire; </i></span><span closure_uid_2xnfj0="441" closure_uid_8ewd3l="110" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Some say in Ice,<br />
From what I've tasted of desire, </i></span><span closure_uid_2xnfj0="441" closure_uid_8ewd3l="110" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I hold with those who favor Fire.<br />
But if it had to perish twice, </i></span><span closure_uid_2xnfj0="441" closure_uid_8ewd3l="110" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I think I know enough of hate,<br />
To say that for destruction, </i></span><span closure_uid_2xnfj0="441" closure_uid_8ewd3l="110" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Ice is also great!</i></span></div>
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<span closure_uid_2xnfj0="441" closure_uid_8ewd3l="110" style="font-family: inherit;">End of the World - How does the term sound? </span><br />
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<span closure_uid_2xnfj0="441" closure_uid_8ewd3l="110" style="font-family: inherit;">For me it conjures up something abstract.. an inconclusive conclusion fashioned from the catastrophe-centric best-sellers churned out of Hollywood and the Doomsday predictions of a few ancient mythologies.</span></div>
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God decides to End our Days</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1XkBLiTENSR24zr5D6aT_r7ekxgF8WKjpJ8lrQPqphqplh3xYTfaFMA-s3AYfO_Vd10AyzaZXNjiVOD89YtEB5IA58qP40iiG2YuilazmOBIyCYIokOg0iaV04ABIfIEHQexKPlREPA/s1600/end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1XkBLiTENSR24zr5D6aT_r7ekxgF8WKjpJ8lrQPqphqplh3xYTfaFMA-s3AYfO_Vd10AyzaZXNjiVOD89YtEB5IA58qP40iiG2YuilazmOBIyCYIokOg0iaV04ABIfIEHQexKPlREPA/s400/end.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Assuming that it happens within our lifetimes, how would the world end indeed? A lot of people believe, it would happen because of a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_war">Nuclear War</a> </span></b><span style="text-align: center;">- a very plausible scenario a decade ago but currently the chances of that seem a little less. It may still come to pass as we have varying degrees of religious fanatics running around the globe with secret stashes of atomic-missiles obtained through illegitimate means.</span><br />
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A Nuclear Cloud obliterating Life</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYaTMy_bae5lkONNG9xsmJfa9nvdglhS59kAnWNwNHASh71Mno34VxaYNldL9rwAuuaeAFWtgYleFC4HSDFQEoCOFFjuYm_qxpHFWaAXbGoj8It_p6BTUj9muJqrnWdDli1mxsL0Nyd4/s1600/Endoftheworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYaTMy_bae5lkONNG9xsmJfa9nvdglhS59kAnWNwNHASh71Mno34VxaYNldL9rwAuuaeAFWtgYleFC4HSDFQEoCOFFjuYm_qxpHFWaAXbGoj8It_p6BTUj9muJqrnWdDli1mxsL0Nyd4/s400/Endoftheworld.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Others believe, the world would end because of a <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armageddon_%281998_film%29"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Meteor</span></a></b> crash - t<span style="text-align: center;">his again is a possibility as there are loads of meteors hurtling past Earth everyday in their journey around the Sun. From time to time, one or the other of these meteors keeps scaring the scientists with its proximity to Earth. It has happened in the past (when the Dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago) so the chance of that happening again can not be ruled out!</span></div>
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Armageddon Arrives</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdK0xsFlnHFolX4FmMEPAKlAkqO1kZxOD_3H4-TOvV1drlq-GEFYjGLEdcvPt5E5FO75iVHhpx4rEUiEviNWxTJ8qYuDwoaJg-nNatvV176bQDHe303Qf-zyci_1oYJRAHUzY-JsIDjc/s1600/end-of-the-world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdK0xsFlnHFolX4FmMEPAKlAkqO1kZxOD_3H4-TOvV1drlq-GEFYjGLEdcvPt5E5FO75iVHhpx4rEUiEviNWxTJ8qYuDwoaJg-nNatvV176bQDHe303Qf-zyci_1oYJRAHUzY-JsIDjc/s400/end-of-the-world.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Others, believe in Global Warming or Earthquakes triggering a <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Deluge"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Great Deluge</span></a></b> that would submerge the entire landmass and drown everything in its colossal Tsunamis. <span style="text-align: center;">This again is a decent possibility since we have been observing the melting of Antarctic Ice sheets and frequent Earthquakes in the sea-bed. The Tsunamis that hit south-east Asia few years back reminded us of how fragile our relationship with nature is!</span></div>
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Drowning of the Earth</div>
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All these, I must confess, are possible and extremely PROBABLE events that may happen anytime in our future. <span style="text-align: center;">Yet, as mentioned by </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Robert Frost</span></a></b><span style="text-align: center;"> in the beginning of this post, I believe its </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ice</span></a></b><span style="text-align: center;"> that is destined to wipe out the entire civilizational progress of Humanity and that too in a not too distant future!!</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">There is a reason why MY preferred Modus Operandi (if you can call it that) of Destruction is ICE and in the current post, I'll share with you descriptions from ancient scriptures to support the argument.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">End of the World in Hindu Mythology</span></u></b></div>
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Strictly speaking, Hindu Mythology does not believe in a SINGLE event of destruction of the World, or even a SINGLE event of creation for that matter. <br />
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As discussed in the Page {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/p/mythology.html"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Kalchakra</span></b></a>} of this blog, Time in Hinduism, is not Linear i.e. it doesn't start and end at specific points, rather, it is Cyclical and never-ending. This eternal cycle of Life and Death; Birth and Re-birth; Formation and Dissolution is called the<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Kaal-chakra</span><i> </i></b>or the <b><i>Wheel of Time</i></b>.<br />
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The Cyclical Destruction of the World as we know it, occurs in events singularly known as a <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pralaya"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pralaya</span></a></b> that takes place at the end of a <b><i>Kalpa</i></b>.
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Ancient Puranas detail this concept further and describe two major types of Pralayas:<br />
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<li><b>Naimittik</b><span style="color: black;"> </span><b>Pralaya</b></span> at the end of the Day of Brahma (4.32 Billion Solar Years) and lastly, </li>
<li><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Prakritik</b><span style="color: black;"> </span><b>Maha Pralaya</b></span> at the end of Brahma's Lifetime (311.4 Trillion Solar Years)</li>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Description of Pralaya</span></u></b><br />
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In various Puranas, the description of Pralaya is quite applicable to what is referred to as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Deluge" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Great Deluge</b></a> in Biblical and Koranic references.<br />
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In these as well as the Hindu legends of Manu, entire Earth was inundated by Water which swallowed up the land and gobbled up most living as well as non-living things surviving on it. In all the three traditions, ONE Man was chosen by God to continue the legacy of Human race.<br />
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In Hinduism, this man is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sraddhadeva_Manu" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Vaivasvat Manu</b></a> and in Biblical references he is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Noah</b></a>. We have learnt more about him already in a previous post {<b style="color: #e06666;"><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Manu%20-%20The%20First%20Man" target="_blank">Manu - The First Man</a></b>}.</div>
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The belief in a Great Deluge is not limited to the three above mentioned religions alone.. it was widely believed by a lot of ancient mythologies as well viz:</div>
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<li>In <u style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Sumer and Babylonia</b></u> Atrahasis, Ziusudra, Xisuthrus and Utnapishtim are the different heroes credited with the same feat as Manu. Each of these is credited hoarding with cattle, wild animals and birds on the boat to constitute “the seed of all living creatures” in the next Eon. </li>
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<li>According to <b style="color: #ffd966;">Tibetan legends</b>, Tibet was almost totally inundated, until the god <b><i>Gya </i></b>drew off the waters through Bengal, and sent teachers to civilize the people, who repopulated the land.</li>
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<li>In the<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Ifugaos</span></b> of Philippines and the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Kammu </b>of Thailand, a brother and sister were the only survivors after the flood and they were responsible for populating the Earth with different races.</li>
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<li>For the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Batak</b> of Sumatra, the giant snake on whose head Earth rests, Naga-Padoha (Hindu<i><b> Shesh-Naag?</b></i>), grew tired of its burden and shook it off into the sea. But the god <i><b>Batara-Guru</b></i> caused a mountain to fall into the water to preserve his daughter and the human race is descended from her. </li>
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<li>In <b style="color: #ffd966;">Egyptian mythology</b>, <i><b>Set</b></i> sent forth the deluge to destroy the evil Sebau, the Sami, the Apap-dragon ( Hindu <i><b>Vrtra</b></i>) and the long-armed ones. There is another story, about <i><b>Horus </b></i>steering his ark across the cosmic ocean as six poles are capsized leaving only the seventh one as dry land, upon which he rested. </li>
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Egyptian god Horus in his ship </div>
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<li>In the<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Greek</span></b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> myths</span>, Zeus sends a flood to destroy all of humanity but Prometheus warns his son, <i><b> Deucalion</b></i>, about the coming deluge, and advises him to build an ark. </li>
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<li>In <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Norse mythology</span></b>, the flood occurred at the dawn of time before the world was formed. Ymir, the first giant, was killed by the god Odin and his brothers and his blood drowned almost the entire race of giants with the exception of the frost giant <b><i>Bergelmir</i></b> and his wife. They escaped in a ship and survived, becoming the progenitors of a new race of giants. </li>
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The Frost giant Bergelmir</div>
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<li>According to the<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Quechua</span></b> Native Americans, a llama tells his human owner about an impending flood and saves him; for the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Mayans</b>, the gods used a flood to destroy the wooden people, an early imperfect version of humanity.</li>
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<li> Similar beliefs are echoed by the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Shaur</b> of Andes, the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Caddo</b> of Texas, and the<b style="color: #ffd966;"> Hopi</b>. </li>
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<li>The<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Michoacan</span> </b>of Mexico have the same story as Manu and the hero here is a guy called <b><i>Tezpi</i></b>. The <b style="color: #ffd966;">Tarahumara</b> and the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Toltecs</b> of Mexico also have their own versions of the flood myth.</li>
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<li>The<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Nahua</span></b> of central Mexico talk about a man known as <i><b>Nata</b></i> (“Our Father”) and his consort <i><b>Nene</b></i> who were protected by their God at the time of flood while the<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Mixtec</span></b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span> of northern Oaxaca, Mexico believed that the earth was once well populated, when mankind committed a magical fault for which they were punished by a great deluge. </li>
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A Native American survivor of the flood</div>
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<li>In <b style="color: #ffd966;">New Guinea</b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span>legends, <i><b> Lohero</b></i> and his brother were angry with their neighbors, so they put a human bone into a small stream. Soon a great flood came forth, and the people had to retreat to the highest peaks until the sea receded. </li>
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<li>In Africa, the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Kwaya </b>residing around Lake Victoria believed that the ocean was once enclosed in a small pot kept by a man and his wife which was by mistake shattered by their daughter-in-law, and the resulting flood drowned everything.</li>
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<li>The <b style="color: #ffd966;">Yoruba</b> of southwest Nigeria talk about an adro-gynous god <i><b>Olokun</b></i> who in a fit of rage, destroyed nearly everybody in a great flood. </li>
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Olkun, the Orisha who flooded Earth </div>
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<li>For the<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Vogul</span></b> after seven years of drought, the<i><b> Great Man </b></i>counseled the other giants to make boats from cut poplars, anchor them with ropes of willow roots 500 fathoms long, and provide them with seven days of food and with pots of melted butter to grease the ropes. Those who did not make all the preparations perished when the waters came. </li>
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<li>In North-central Siberia,<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Yenisey-Ostyak</span></b> believe that during the seven day flood some people and animals were saved by climbing on floating logs and rafters. A strong north wind blew for seven days and scattered the people, which is why there are now different peoples speaking different languages.</li>
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<li>According to<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Tuvinian</span></b> tails of Mongolia, the giant frog (or turtle) which supported the earth moved, which caused the cosmic ocean to begin flooding the earth. An old man who had guessed something like this would happen built an iron-reinforced raft, boarded it with his family, and was saved. </li>
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There are hundreds more from around the world, from various tribes and cultures, and so this is just a handful. What could have caused these Geographically separate civilizations to form such a common belief?</div>
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The answer according to me, rests in Ice, or more specifically, the <b style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age">Ice-Age</a></b>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It is MORE than likely that all the above myths refer to the same phenomenon, one which we scientifically KNOW to have taken place - that of the Ice Age. </span><br />
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There have been at least five major ice ages in the Earth's past. The earliest well established ice age, called the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Huronian" title="Huronian"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Huronian</span></b></a>, formed around 2.4 to 2.1 Billion years ago and the latest one started about 2.58 million years ago when the spread of ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere began! </div>
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Since then, the world has seen cycles of glaciation with ice sheets advancing and retreating on 40,000 and 100,000 year time scales called <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Glacial_period" title="Glacial period"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Glacial periods</span></b></a>, and Glacial retreats called the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Interglacial" title="Interglacial"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Interglacials</b></span></a>. We are currently in an interglacial, and the last glacial period ended about 10,000 years ago.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We saw in the post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Heaven%20at%20the%20North%20Pole%3F" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Heaven at the North Pole</span></b></a>} that the Arctic region had a temperate climate, quite conducive to the growth of plant and animal life before the Ice-Age set in. In the same post, I also mentioned the possibility that at least some of the Vedic seers and magi had lived in the Arctic area in close proximity to their Gods who dwell on Mount Meru.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But everything changed 20,000 years ago when extensive ice sheets covered large swaths of Northern and Southern Hemispheres.</span><b> </b>Consequently, whatever civilizations were existing before, were forced to migrate to warmer places or perish.</div>
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North Pole during the last Ice Age </div>
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<b>But that was not all, the real trouble would have begun when ALL this Ice began to MELT!</b></div>
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During Ice-Age, water was taken from the oceans to form the ice, thus Global Sea-levels must have dropped, forming bridges between land-masses for animals to migrate. However, during <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Deglaciation" title="Deglaciation"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Deglaciation</span></b></a>, or Meltdown, the ice-water returned to the oceans, causing the SEA-LEVEL to rise by as much as 110-120 meters!! </div>
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Pre-glacial US coastline<br />
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Pre-glacial coastlines in Australia<br />
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Pre-glacial India and S-E Asia<br />
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In fact, Tamil Sangams talk about a sunken land extending right from Kanyakumari to Madagascar in the West and Australia in the East that got sunk in the deluge!<br />
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Kumari-Kaandam </div>
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And what can be the result of such a meltdown?? Of course we get what is theologically labeled as The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Deluge"><b>Great Deluge</b></a>!! Throughout our history, the busiest cities have been located either on the banks of mighty rivers or near busy coastlines. All the melted ice lead to a RISE in sea-levels, inundating huge chunks of land and ALTERING the shape of the planetary landmass.<br />
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Consequently, there would have been wide-spread displacement of people and populations leading to probably the BIGGEST catastrophe in the History of Human civilization<b>. </b>No wonder then, that mythologies from such different parts of the World narrate the same story.</div>
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The existing hubs of civilization were inundated and the tracts of land connecting different continents too got submerged altering the course of our history. A case in point is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_Strait"><b>Bering Bridge</b></a> which was the landmass connecting Russia to America. This small tract of land performed a vital function as numerous species
of animals, as well as the ancient humans migrated to and populated
the American continent through the same bridge!</div>
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The Bering Strait replaced the bridge of land connecting Russia to America</div>
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The Migration route of Homo sapiens into America </div>
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If the inundation of such a tiny piece of land could have such immense effect, imagine the condition when major civilizational hubs on the planet would have undergone submersion under the super-massive TSUNAMIS. As such a catastrophe would lead to major uprooting of people and populations all over the world, it can very well explain the presence of the SAME LEGEND in widely differing Geographical locations! </div>
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Water reclaiming Land during the recent Tsunami</div>
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The flood waters would wipe clear all evidence of civilization from the face of Earth leaving only a few stranded pockets at the highest altitudes of the Planet! One such place is <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manali,_Himachal_Pradesh">Manali</a></b> high in the Northern Himalayas where the Ark of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sraddhadeva_Manu"><b>Vaivasvat Manu</b></a> is believed to have docked.</div>
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There are other explanations given by the scientific community for the Great floods, ranging from Meteor crashes to Volcanic eruptions.. However, it is the CYCLICAL nature of the Ice Ages along with their capacity to generate GLOBAL FLOODS that prompts me to co-relate them with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pralaya"><b>Pralaya</b></a> myths from Hindu Mythology!<br />
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And as far as cyclicity goes, already, many scientists predict a coming of the next Ice Age as we may have reached the end of the current period of Interglacial interval. The predictions have created a lot of debate and not surprisingly, there have been major movies based on the same theme.<br />
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>2012 Predictions in Hindu Mythology? </b></span></div>
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By ancient Hindu calculations,
there are still close to 4 lakh 30 thousand years left in this
Kaliyuga!! How does the Mayan prophecy of the 'End of Days' fit in with this
long timeline?<br />
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By Aryabhatta's calculations, Kaliyuga
began between 18th to 20th February 3102 BCE which would mean we have
utilized about 5270 lunar years or 5113 Solar years from the time when
the Kali Yuga started
until 20 Dec 2012.<br />
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Interestingly, the Mayan calendar started close to this date in 3114 BCE. The only other connection I could find with this
time period in Hindu mythology is an excerpt from the Brahma Vaivarta
Puraan where<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> Shri Krishna</b></span> tells <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Goddess Ganga</b></span> that she would be the
source of cleaning mankind' sins in the first 5000 years of Kaliyug -</div>
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<i>Shri-bhagvaan uvaach -</i><i></i></div>
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<i>Kaleh pancasahasrani</i> <i>varshani tishtha bhutale</i><i>, </i></div>
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<i>Paapani paapino yani</i><i> tubhyam dashyanti snanatah!</i></div>
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After that, it would be only the name of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Hari</b> </span>and the association of His devotees that can purify impure souls and take them back to Godhead. In verse 59, the Lord also says,<br />
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<i>Kaler dash-sahasraani </i></div>
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<i>madbhaktaah samti bhu-tale </i></div>
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<i>ekavarna bhavishyamti </i></div>
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<i>madbhakteshu gateshu ca </i><br />
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<i>For
10,000 years of Kali,</i></div>
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<i> such devotees of Mine will fill the whole planet. </i></div>
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<i>After the departure of My devotees there will be only one varna."</i></div>
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This would imply that the Kaliyug will last at least 5000 years more!<i> </i>Interestingly, many scholars also claim that the end of the Mayan
calendar in 2012 could reflect the Mayan's inability to calculate the
calendar any further instead of a literal END of days. It could also
mean that the Mayans probably got bored of this astronomy and were not
interested in calculating calendars further ahead :o)<br />
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<b>This would mean that 2012 does not mark the End-of-Time but the End-of-an-Age thereby signifying a phase of transition and nothing more or less than that. </b></div>
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The conversation from the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Brahma Vaivarta Puraan</b></span> mentioned above could indicate that river Ganges will cease to be the Purifying Agent it currently is, which BTW, is very believable since we have been dumping collective wastes amounting to tons into it every single day and there's only so much the river's Bacteriophages can take care of!<br />
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The Ganga may lose its sanctity because of our actions</div>
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BUT it could ALSO mean something more sinister! As our violent earthquake-prone history has proved, Ganges might go through some major tectonic change and disappear like Saraswati {Check the post - <b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Finding%20River%20Saraswati">Finding River Saraswati</a></b> for more details}. If that happens it would be catastrophic for millions of people living on the banks of the river! <br />
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Irrespective of whether that happens or not, we should realize the RELATIVITY of this concept. What does the 'End of the World' mean to a person killed in a terrorist attack? What does it mean for a mother who has lost her firstborn? What does it mean for a child kidnapped or sold into slavery and prostitution? When does the World end for a black-buck in the jaws of a leopard or a rat in the coils of a serpent?<br />
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Every grain of Time brings with it either Creation or Destruction. The eminent Austrian Physicist <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Fritjof Capra</span></b>, in his monumental work {<b><a href="http://dgswilson.com/pdf/taophysics.pdf"><span style="color: #e06666;">Tao of Physics</span></a></b>}, calls it the <b><i>Dance of Shiva</i></b>. As each atom is created, another is destroyed and this continues forever in a cyclical manner.</div>
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Tandav - the Cosmic Dance of Shiva</div>
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Everything we amass in this life will all be taken away one day by the hands of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Time</b></span>. The same thought must have inspired <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Oppenheimer</span></b>, Father of the Atomic Bomb to quote Lord Krishna, from the Bhagvad Gita - <i>Time, I am, the Destroyer of All</i>.<br />
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The sooner we realize the transient nature of all existence and start on the Path of Spirituality, the easier it would become to deal with that 'Final Moment' in the End. I conclude this post with the same sentiment expressed in the words of a 6th Century Sanskrit Poet <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhartrhari</span></b>: <br />
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<i>A Hundred Years complete our span,</i></div>
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<i>And Half of that is passed in Night,</i></div>
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<i>Childhood and Old-age devour the Half,</i></div>
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<i>Of what belongs to Light.</i></div>
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<i>The rest is torn with parting pangs,</i></div>
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<i>Of ceaseless toil the Slave,</i></div>
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<i>What profit is our Human Life,</i><br />
<i>Unstable as a Wave.</i><br />
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<i>Our Bloom of Youth decays,</i><br />
<i>Our Joys are brief as lightning flash,</i><br />
<i>And in Summer's cloudy days,</i><br />
<i>Our riches fly away and crash.</i><br />
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<i>Faith in the One Supreme,</i><br />
<i>Alone will bear us over the Chasm,</i><br />
<i>Of Existence's </i><i>Stormy Stream,</i><br />
<i>And Maya's elaborate Phantasm.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com154Juhu, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.098821 72.83207170000002919.081473000000003 72.822164200000032 19.116169 72.841979200000026tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-69487621510011165622012-06-21T13:57:00.033+05:302018-09-25T21:02:52.933+05:30On Wings of Fire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>The fire in a Hearth, that cackles and burns,</i></div>
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<i>Is a remnant of Life, of Ashes and Urns,</i></div>
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<i>Stored in trees, by breaths of the Sun,</i></div>
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<i>Life giving Life, the Wood bakes the Bun..</i></div>
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Fire, one of the FIVE essential elements or the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Panch-Mahabhoot</span></b> of Hinduism; the element that brings fold images of immense energy; the element that gave humanity the chance to survive; the element that would ultimately destroy everything at the end of Time.<br />
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Even though it may appear predominantly Destructive, Fire is a Constructive force which has quite literally ignited the development and growth of Human species. Almost single-handedly, the taming of this devastating force of Nature, led Humanity away from its dark origins and helped in the development of Culture and Civilization.<br />
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From Darkness to Light</div>
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In this post, I would take you through the origins of the use of Fire by early man and the role it played in the development of Civilization as we know it. We will also take a look at the role it plays in various World mythologies including our own.<br />
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><u>Agni, the First god of Rigveda</u></b></span><br />
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The Sanskrit word for Fire is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni</span></b> and this consequently, is the name of the Fire-god as well.<br />
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Most of you would be aware that fire-lamps forms an integral part of Hindu rituals. We see fire being offered to the deity at prayer time; oblations being put in the sacrificial fire of a <b><i>Yagnya</i></b>; the seven promises of a marriage ceremony being made circum-ambulating the witness fire; diyas being lit for Diwali and so on...<br />
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Rig-Veda, places <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni </span></b>second only to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Indra" title="Indra"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra</span></b></a> in importance and we find 1/5th of Rig Vedic Hymns dedicated to the Fire-god! In fact, the very 1st verse of the Rig-veda is dedicated to Agni:</div>
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<span lang="sa">अग्नि॒म् ई॑ळे पुरो॒हि॑तं यज्ञ॒स्य॑ देव॒म् ऋत्वि॒ज॑म्। होता॑रं रत्नधा॒त॑मम्॥</span></div>
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<span lang="sa">Agni I laud, the High-priest, Invoker, Minister of Sacrifice, Deva and Bestower of Wealth</span><br />
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Agni is represented with TWO faces, suggesting his destructive as well as beneficent qualities. He has THREE legs which represent the three worlds that it is present in and FIVE or SEVEN arms that represent the directions that he covers. He rides a ram, or a chariot pulled by goats which probably is a reference to the use of these animals for sacrifice. Interestingly, most forms of fire-worship in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Graeco-Roman</span></b> religions also involved burning the sacrificed animal on a fire-altar in front of the temple. </div>
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Agni, the First god worshiped in Rig Veda<br />
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{Art by Mukesh Singh}<br />
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Before we know more about the fire-god, let us understand why the element of Fire could have been considered so important so as to be worshiped as a god.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Life before Fire</span></u></b></div>
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A report published in 2010, in the <a href="http://www.theresilientearth.com/?q=content/when-humans-almost-went-extinct" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</span></b></a>, shows that there was a very real risk of extinction for our ancestors.<br />
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The study declares that the effective population of humans living 1.2 million years ago was just about 18,500. This implies a really really tiny population size, especially if you compare with the population sizes of chimpanzees (21,000) and gorillas (25,000) during the same time period!!<br />
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Man was in fact quite vulnerable - he was poorly insulated because of no fur; had nails and teeth unsuitable for defense or hunting; and was completely ill-equipped to tolerate the fluctuating extremes of the Climate. Left on our own, we might have PERISHED like numerous other species in the history of our planet! What changed our fate was the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">'Discovery of Fire'</span></b>. <br />
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Early Man probably first encountered bush-fires in summers or lightening strikes that set fire to tall trees. It would have taken him some time to actually get control of it and even more time to actually PRODUCE fire on his own.<br />
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Forest Fire, probably the First form of Fire encountered by Early Man</div>
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Claims for the evidence of use of fire by various species of <b><i>Hominids</i></b> are made from almost 1.5 million years ago (mya) however, most historians believe that the controlled use of fire started with<b><i> Homo erectus</i></b> some 400,000 years ago. Once tamed, Fire helped early man ward off the DARKNESS that tormented him at night. It provided him security and let him survive in the harshest WINTERS especially during the ICE-AGEs.<br />
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Fire provided PROTECTION from dangerous predators and kept them at bay. It facilitated the conversion of forests into FIELDS and helped bake UTENSILS and forge TOOLS. Fire let human-beings COOK food and make it more edible, a feat which most scholars agree led to various modifications including some in our anatomy. <br />
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As human diet became easier to chew and swallow, the tooth size decreased and the jaws became less <b><i>prognathic</i></b> or ape like. There was also the shift from eating-in-the wild to eating-in-the-kitchen which further strengthened the community bond and led to the appearance of the first rudimentary <b style="color: #ffd966;">Hearths and Homes</b>.<br />
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Communities evolved by eating together</div>
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The <b><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbr/sbe12/sbe1217.htm#fr_297">Shatapatha Brahmana</a></b> has an interesting story that mentions how fire helped in setting up of kingdoms to the east of river Gandiki in the early days by helping clear the jungle and taming the marshy land. Humans could now stop worrying about defense and safety and use their
brains for development of new ideas. Both directly as well as
indirectly, Fire initiated INDUSTRY and has led mankind to the
EXPLORATION of Space, the Final Frontier. <br />
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Therefore, it is not surprising, that the Early Man developed deep reverence for this Primal force of Nature. In fact, some World Mythologies worship Fire as the Supreme God Himself. Let us explore some of these beliefs and understand the importance it held in the life of the ancients.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Coming back to Agni the Fire-god</span></u></b><br />
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Agni is described as the son of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Dyaus_Pita" title="Dyaus Pita"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dyaus Pita</span></b></a> and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Prthivi" title="Prthivi"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Prithvi Mata</span></b></a> and hence Indra's twin, both of them performing complimentary functions. While INDRA transmits energy to the Earth in the form of his thunderbolt, AGNI takes energy from the Earth to the Heavens in its swirling smoke.</div>
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Rigveda surprisingly, also mentions that <b><i>'Agni dwells in the waters'</i></b> and may even be born from it! This may appear confounding till we think of fire arising from lightening-strikes, natural gas surfacing through water, or even the under-water volcanic eruptions! Because of the same reason, the Persians therefore referred to him as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Apam-Napat</b></span>.<br />
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Accordingly, there are said to be Ten different forms of Agni : </div>
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<li><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Regular Fire</b></span><span style="color: black;">,</span></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sacrificial Fire</span></b> produced by rubbing the fire-sticks (<b><i>Arani </i></b>or <b><i>Idhma</i></b>),</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Initiation Fire</span></b> at Upanayana ceremony of a child coming of age,</li>
<li>Fire kept in the house for <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Domestic rituals</b></span><span style="color: black;">,</span></li>
<li>Fire spread by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lightening</span></b>,</li>
<li>Fire in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sun</span></b>,</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Southern Fire</span></b> for ancestors,</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Funeral Fire</span></b> used for cremation,</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Digestive Fire</span></b> (<b><i>Jatharagni</i></b>), and the last but most potent of all,</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Destructive Fire</span></b> or <b><i>Davagani</i></b> that initiates the process of Maha-pralaya.</li>
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In <b><i>Ayurveda</i></b>, Agni is the first guardian of health and manifests through “Jatharagni”, the digestive fire. Each time we eat, we are in a sense making an offering to the digestive fire and these offerings are transformed into nutrition or <b><i>Prana</i></b> for the body.<br />
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Agni is also appointed as one of the <b><i>Ashta-digpals</i></b> and is the guardian of the South-East direction. His wife is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Svaha</span></b> and his sons are <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pavak, Pavaman,</span></b> and <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shuchi</b></span>, who according to the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vayu_Purana" title="Vayu Purana"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vayu Puraan</span></b></a>, stand for Electric fire, the fire produced by Friction, and the Solar fire respectively. <b><i>Svaha</i></b>'s name is mentioned each time an offering is poured into the sacrificial-fire. This suggests that the husband-wife duo is to be appeased together and reflects a rarely researched proximity between the two.</div>
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Agni and Svaha from a Mughal miniature painting</div>
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The legends talk about a messenger of Surya, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Matarishwan</span></b> (identified in the Upanishads as <b><i>Vayu</i></b>) who brought the secret of controlling Fire down from the Heavens and gave it to the ancient <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Bhrigus" title="Bhrigus"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhrigus</span></b></a> for safe-keeping. This reminds me of the Greek myth of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Prometheus</span></b> where fire was stolen from the King of Gods Zeus and given to Man. As a punishment, Zeus chained the Titan to a rock on the Caucasus mountains where the giant eagle Ethon would eat at his Liver everyday!</div>
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Prometheus being punished for bringing Fire to Man</div>
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It is in stark contrast to the Hindu legend where Gods themselves send Fire for the benefit of Humans, but probably highlights the gods' concern that Humans probably can not handle such immense power. I, for one, wouldn't blame them for such a thought ;o) <br />
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At this point, let us take a look at Fire-worship in the other World Mythologies as well.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Fire-worship in different mythologies</span></u></b><br />
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Did other civilizations also venerate Agni to the extent that the Vedas do? Indeed there appear to be numerous references linking fire to God in various world traditions. <br />
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In <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Native American</span></b> traditions, Fire is the eldest family member and ancient dwelling of Spirit. </div>
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<li><b><i>Aztecs</i></b> worshiped the turquoise-colored god <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Xiuhtecuhtli</span></b>, as the 1st Lord of Creation and the god of Fire, Day and Heat.</li>
<li>The <b><i>Incas</i></b> venerated a fire-god known as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manco Capac</span></b>, who was created by the Sun-god Inti and was the first king of the Incas.</li>
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The Aztec Fire-God Xiuhtecuhtli</div>
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In <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Norse_mythology" title="Norse mythology"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Norse mythology</span></b></a>, there exists a World of Eternal Flame called <i><b>Muspelheim</b></i>, which is ruled by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Surtr" title="Surtr"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surtr</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span></b>the fire-giant who is the personification of Fire. </div>
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In <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Slavic_mythology" title="Slavic mythology"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Slavic mythology</span></b></a>, the spirit of fire is known as <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Svarog" title="Svarog"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Svarog</span></b></a>. </div>
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Surtr, the Norse Fire-giant</div>
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In <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jewism</span></b> the Supreme God <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yahweh</span></b> Himself manifested as a pillar of fire to guide the Israelites out of the Pharaoh's land (reminds me of the story where Shiva appeared as a pillar of Fire). </div>
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<b><i>Moses</i></b> got the Ten commandments from a burning bush, <b><i>Elijah</i></b> ascended to the heavens in a chariot of fire and the <b><i>Menorah</i></b> or the seven-branched ancient lampstand made of gold has been the symbol of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Judaism</span></b></a> since ancient times.</div>
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Yahweh guides Moses and his people in the form of a pillar of Light</div>
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In the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Roman/Greek</span></b> traditions, Fire had two separate forms: one of the 'Hearth' and the other of the 'Forge'. </div>
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Hearth worship was dedicated to Goddess <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vesta_%28mythology%29" title="Vesta (mythology)"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vesta</span></b></a>, protector of the home, who had an eternal sacred flame tended to by Vestal Virgins in the city of Rome.</div>
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Vesta, the Roman goddess of Hearth and Home</div>
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<li>Closer home, <b style="color: #ffd966;">Atar</b> is the Parsi concept of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">H</span></b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Fire_worship" title="Fire worship"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">oly fire</span></b></a>. In <i><b>Yasna</b></i> 17.11, Atar is the Master of the house, and it is only with its assistance, the other six creations can begin their work (<i><b>Bundahishn</b></i> 3.7–8; and <i><b>Zatspram</b></i> 3.77–83). </li>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Zoroastrianism" title="Zoroastrianism"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Zoroastrians</span></b></a> evidence of fire-worship exists from around 1500 BCE, together with the first evidence of cremation. The tradition is still followed in the Indo-Iranian branch of Hindus where Agni is considered an agent of purity. <br />
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The Greeks also used to cremate their dead like the Hindus instead of burying them in graves. Probably the Biblical statement <i><b>'Ashes to Ashes; Dust to Dust'</b></i> also stems from the same tradition.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni, the First Priest</span></u></b></div>
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Agni, is called the First and Foremost of the Priests. He is a friend of the humans and always within reach. The <b><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbr/sbe12/sbe1218.htm">Shatapatha Brahmana</a></b> mentions that the gods chose Agni as their messenger as well as priest and tells us how the rules of the Yagnya came into play.<br />
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But without getting into those specifics let us understand that fire-sacrifices hold a very important place in Hinduism. The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhagavat Puraan</span></b> declares <b><i>Yagneshwara</i></b> (Lord of yagya) to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dakshina</span></b> (donation), the embodiment of Goddess Lakshmi as his consort. Thus, performing a Yagnya is equivalent to appeasing Lord Vishnu.</div>
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A Vedic Yagnya in progress</div>
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Agni is worshiped in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rig Vedic verse 5.3.1</span><span style="color: #ffd966;">-</span></b><span style="color: #ffd966;">2</span> as the embodiment of all gods. He is the priest who prays to other demigods on behalf of humans; he is the officating priest of a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yagnya</span></b>; and lastly, he is the bestower of the gifts of gods to us humans. <br />
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Accordingly, the human priests are also classified into three categories based on the roles they play in a Yagnya - <b><i>Hotri, Adhvaryu</i></b> and <b><i>Udgatri</i></b>. The Sacrifices performed could be of various types depending on the intended beneficiary. This is quite similar to how the Zoroastrians perform the fire ceremony called <i><b>Yasna</b></i> with two priests where the chief-priest is called <i><b>Zaotar</b></i>.<br />
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For example, a <b><i>Brahma-yagnya</i></b> is performed to please the Supreme Brahman, while a <b><i>Dev-yagnya</i></b> aims to appease the Devas. A <b><i>Pitri-yagnya</i></b> is performed for the benefit of the Ancestors, <b><i>Manushya-yagnya</i></b> for that of men and a <b><i>Bhuta-yagnya</i></b> for the benefit of all life forms. The most common offering to the gods however was the <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Soma</b></span> which again is similat to the Haoma that is still offered to the gods by the Parsis.</div>
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A Deva-Yagnya being performed to appease the Devas</div>
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There are numerous instances of special Yagnyas being performed by the Kings and Emperors of yore in order to fulfill their desires. Some examples are the <b><i>Putra-kameshthi Yagnya</i></b> performed by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dashrath</span></b> and Yuvanashva; the <b><i>Ashwamedh Yagnya</i></b> performed by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Rama</span></b> and the <b><i>Rajasuya Yagnya</i></b> undertaken by the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pandavs</span></b>. <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishi Kashyap</span></b> obtained <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Garuda</span></b>, a son stronger-than-Indra through a Yagnya while Draupadi, the nemesis of the Kuru family, and her twin brother Dhristadyumna also emerged from the sacrificial fires of Drupad's Yagnya.</div>
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Agni is also chronicled as the bestower of advanced weaponry and he gifted <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Krishna</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Arjuna</span></b> the Sudarshan Chakra and Gandiva bow respectively after they helped Agni get back his glory. Similarly, the demon-king <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bali Maharaj</span></b> obtained invincible armour and chariots by means of a Yagnya and was able to defeat Indra with their help.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni, the Celestial Witness</span></u></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shukla Yajur Veda 21.3 </span></b>refers to Agni as the 'Master of all branches of Knowledge'. He is believed to be the symbol of righteousness and truth and hence appointed the witness and the priest for all Vedic ceremonies.<br />
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This position he attains by virtue of being present in all the Three Worlds at all times, in all the dwellings of the sentient beings. Because of this unique presence in all spheres of life, Agni is the ideal witness in case of disputes. Therefore, in ancient India, promises were made and agreements solemnized in front of a sacred fire. For the same reason, Agni is also the witness of a Hindu Marriage Ceremony.<br />
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Hindu marriage ceremony performed with Agni as the witness<br />
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{Image courtesy - Imagesbazaar}</div>
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Because of this omniscience, Agni was also made the arbitrator of disputes that couldn't be settled by human intellect. The most important example is that of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni-Pariksha</span></b> of Lady Sita - many people today criticize the incident giving it a chauvinistic tinge, but let me clear one misunderstanding here - Rama never asked Sita to jump into the fire, it was Sita's own decision to give an Agni Pariksha!<br />
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It may sound surprising but the truth is that in ancient times, Agni was the Highest Judge (somewhat like the Chief-justice of our Supreme Court today!). Those were the times when <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devas</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Asurs</span></b> freely intermingled with humans and it was not uncommon for a man (or in this case a woman) of good standing to call upon Agni as his witness.<br />
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The process is more elaborately detailed in Zoroastrian texts which describe Fire as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Atar</span></b> and a medium through which judgement is passed. This ordeal-by-heat is known in Avesta as <i><b>Garmo-varah.</b></i><br />
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An individual who has passed the fiery test, has attained physical and spiritual strength, wisdom, truth and love with serenity <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yasna [30.7].</span></b> Atar is spoken of in the third person masculine singular: "He detects sinners by hand-grasping" <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yasna [34.4] </span></b>and altogether, there are said to have been 30 kinds of fiery tests in all!<br />
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<u style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Fire as the Destructive Force</b></u></div>
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The most potent representation of the destructive poweres of Agni is seen in the Rudra manifestation of Shiva when the Third Eye of Shiva opens to release a laser beam of destrucion.<br />
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Legend has it that Parvati, the daughter of Himalayas fell in love with Shiva. She performed severe penance to obtain the Lord as her husband and was unknowingly supported by the demigods in this endeavor. <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Kama</b></span>, the god-of-love, and his consort <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rati</span></b> tried to draw Shiva into the charm of Parvati's beauty but Shiva was in no mood to be swayed from his penance and in His anger, he opened his Third Eye and incinerated Kama to ashes!</div>
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Kamadev is reduced to ashes by Shiva's glare<br />
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{Image courtesy - India Authentic Issue - Uma}</div>
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Therefore, one of the epithets of Kamdev is <b><i>Anang</i></b> or bodiless. By destroying his body but letting his soul remain, Lord Shiva highlighted the supremacy of spiritual LOVE over physical LUST. (The story later had a Happy ending when Shiva was finally united with Parvati and Kama reborn as Krishna's son <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pradyumna</span></b> was re-united with Rati.)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shiv Purana [2.3.20.14-19]</span></b> states that the fall off of this energy fell like lightning from Shiva’s third eye and Brahma had to take it to the ocean and keep it safe there else it would have burnt the entire creation. This mare shaped sub-marine fire at the bottom of the ocean, is known as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vadava</span></b>. </div>
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Normally, the fire is kept in check with the waters of the Global Ocean. But as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span></b> verse 12.248.13-17 state, the end of the Day of Brahma is nigh that Rudra sparks off the fire again and this explosion of fire from the mare's mouth in the Southern Ocean will begin the process of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pralaya</span></b>.<br />
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Could this sub-marine fire actually refer to underwater volcanoes that keep spewing out magma from the Earth's core. Maybe the end of our days will be initiated by an under-water volcanic eruption that sets a chain of events in motion leading to the annihilation of life as we know it!<br />
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Under-water volcano eruption</div>
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Interesting possibility and we shall dwell on it in a later post. For now, let us thank Agni, the catalyst of our development and conclude this post with a homage to him by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Chinmoy</span></b>.</div>
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Agni, the god of beginnings and end</div>
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O Light of the Supreme!</div>
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Kindle the flame of Liberation within me,<br />
Pour down the ocean of Compassion,<br />
Into my heart,<br />
You are my Immortality,<br />
Accept my Darkness, Bondage, Ignorance, Death;<br />
And release me from this Mortal frame.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com48Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India31.0886523 77.17977960000007431.047630299999998 77.121994600000079 31.1296743 77.23756460000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-90395153844946885902012-05-27T13:56:00.022+05:302018-06-05T20:19:33.796+05:30Nature in Hinduism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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How refreshing it is to walk bare-foot on fresh grass or lounge on the beach with waves lapping at your feet watching the sea-gulls return home.. What freshness the fragrance of a rose brings and the immense comfort one gets petting a dog in your lap is indescribable.. The flora and fauna existing today are a result of billions of years of Evolutionary process and are extremely valuable for the sustenance of our Ecology. </div>
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Our Planet, Our Home</div>
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Anyone, with a logical mind knows that Man alone can not survive on this planet - Trees and shrubs provide us valuable <b style="color: #ffd966;">Oxygen</b> and <b style="color: #ffd966;">Food</b>; Birds and Bees pollinate the flowers to form <b style="color: #ffd966;">Fruits </b>and later disperse their <b style="color: #ffd966;">Seeds</b> spreading the green cover; Terrestrial and Aquatic animals provide numerous products used by mankind since time immemorial.<br />
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Yet, in his greed for more and more resources, Man has managed to cut-down millions of hectares of forests and wipe out innumerable species off the face of this planet!!<br />
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Ancient Sages of Hinduism, recognized the importance of this diversity and with their immense fore-sight and ingenuity, included them in the popular Mythology. This, undoubtedly, helped pass on the message of INCLUSIVENESS and even today, you see Hindus worshiping the Holy-cow, the <i><b>Shaligram</b></i> and the Banyan tree without giving it a second thought!<br />
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Krishna and Radha tending to and worshipping cows like simple cowherds</div>
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In fact, growing up in an Indian household, you can't help but pick up certain concepts of this rich tradition and I am sharing some examples from my own childhood - </div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tulsi</span></b> (<i>Ocimum sanctum</i>) herb is anti-infective and sacred and should be worshiped every morning; the Cow (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gau-Mata</span></b>) is compared to a Mother as it provides nourishment and its milk is an essential supplement to the vegan diet; plants should not be disturbed at night coz they are asleep (shows the knowledge of <b><i>Nyctinasty</i></b>!!); the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Prasadam</span></b> offered to God can not include articles obtained from killing animals etc..</div>
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The scriptures contain innumerable references to plants/animals/birds and marine life and consider each living being on this planet essential for a holistic growth and an Indian kid would generally imbibe and keep following these basic principles even after he grows up.<br />
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Even the oldest archaeological civilization of the Indian sub-continent, the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati Culture</b> had elements of animal worship as evidenced by the Zebu Bull, the Unicorn Seals and numerous mythical powerful animals depicted in their artwork. <br />
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The Zebu Bull from an Indus-Saraswati Seal</div>
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Sitting on the banks of the Irrawaddy in <b style="color: #ffd966;">Myanmar</b>, in the backyard of a <b style="color: #ffd966;">Rama-Janaki</b> Temple, I see elements of this tradition scattered throughout the Indian sub-continent.. Such remarkable ecological insight should definitely be explored and learnt from.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ecology in Hinduism</span></u></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">1.</span></b> The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">FIRST</span></b> and the Most Important Concept in Hinduism, is the belief of being related to every living being on the planet.<br />
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Mythologically, it finds mention in the legend of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishi Kashyap</span></b> who is considered the Father of not only the Living beings on this planet, but ALL other life forms in our Universe!<br />
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All living-beings including the demigods are siblings!</div>
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This great Prajapati and progenitor of Life is supposed to have lived in the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Kashmir Valley </b>which, BTW derives its name from that of the Rishi. He was married to 14 daughters of Daksh Prajapati for the purpose of expanding creation. <br />
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They are the Great-Grand Maters of ALL Life today and it would perhaps be nice to at least know their names :o)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Daksha's Daughters Progeny</span></b><br />
Aditi 12 Adityas or Demigods</div>
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Krodhavasha Pishachas or Vampires</div>
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Kala Asurs and Rakshasas</div>
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Diti Daityas or Demons</div>
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Danu Danavs or Giants</div>
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Ira All Vegetation</div>
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Tamra All Birds</div>
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Khasa Yakshas</div>
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Muni Apsaras</div>
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Arishta Gandharvs</div>
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Vinta Arun and Garud</div>
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Kadru Nagas or Serpents</div>
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Sursa Uragas or Dragons</div>
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Surbhi Kamdhenu and other cattle</div>
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The principle behind this thought is known as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam</span></b>. As a kid, I wasn't too sure what the words meant, but as I grew up, I realized how great and all-encompassing the nature of this thought is. It doesn't limit itself to describing one's community/religious clique/country or even Mankind as one's family but considers the ENTIRE world and ALL the species living in it as ONE BIG extended family!! <br />
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Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam - All World is my Family<br />
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The world can surely do with such a broad encompassing philosophy in current times :o)<br />
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<b style="color: #ffd966;">2.</b> The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">SECOND</span></b> concept is sort of a corollary of the above but has a deeper ramification - It is the belief that God exists in EVERY living thing. </div>
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The <i><b>Bhagvat Puraan</b></i> declares <a closure_uid_sjqn02="287" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ksirodakasayi_Vishnu"><b closure_uid_kaogtl="331"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Kshirodak-shayi Vishnu</span></b></a> to be present in each atom of the creation as<b closure_uid_kaogtl="345"> '<i closure_uid_2xnfj0="509" closure_uid_kaogtl="344">Paramatma'</i> </b>or the Super-soul and various <b><i>Upanishads</i></b> agree that every living being has a spark of divinity within itself.</div>
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Since various plants and animals are revered in Hinduism to ensure the message of their divinity is not lost in our daily life. Some examples are: - the Sacred Basil or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tulsi</span><i> </i></b>mentioned earlier (<i>Ocimum sanctum</i>), the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Peepal</b> tree (<i>Ficus religiosa</i>), the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Vat Vriksh </b>or Banyan tree (<i>Ficus bengalensis</i>); <b style="color: #ffd966;">Nandi</b>, the Bull; <b style="color: #ffd966;">Airavat</b>, the Elephant; <b style="color: #ffd966;">Garud</b>, the Avian King and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Ammonite" title="Ammonite"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ammonite</span></b></a> fossils known as the <b><i>Shaligram</i></b>. </div>
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Worship of Banyan Tree on Vat-Savitri Purnima</div>
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Nandi, the Bull with a Shiva-lingam </div>
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Worship of Tulsi on Kartik Purnima</div>
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Since all living-beings are extensions of God Himself, it is imperative that we refrain from hurting an insect, animal, bird, reptile or even a plant. This is the first step in developing respect for each and every living-species on this planet and consequently, VEGETARIANISM which involves less blood-shed is given a preference over non-vegetarian food habits.<br />
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It is therefore no surprise that the first scientist to demonstrate consciousness and emotion in plants was an Indian -<b style="color: #ffd966;">Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose</b>.<br />
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Even the poisonous serpents or <b><i>Nagas</i></b> are recognized as divine species and worshiped in temples and some of them are given munificent properties -<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Shesha</span></b>, the eldest of the Nagas spends his considerable lifetime entirely in the service of Lord Vishnu; <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vasuki</span></b>, the younger brother of Shesha helped churn the ocean to obtain the Nectar of Immortality but did not touch even a drop of it and is content adorning the neck of Lord Shiva. <br />
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Shesha always guards Lord Vishnu <br />
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Other serpents like <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Karkotak</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Takshak</span></b> play important roles in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythologies. The Naga king <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Muchilinda</span></b> even protected Buddha from wind and rain for seven days while He was meditating.<br />
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Buddhist legends prevalent as far away as Japan and China, also mention Eight Dragon-kings derived from the Hindu Nagas - <b style="color: #ffd966;">Vasuki, Takshak, Nanda, Upananda, Sagar, Balvan, Anavatapta</b> and <b style="color: #ffd966;">Utpal</b> who attended Buddha's discourse on the <i><b>Lotus Sutra</b></i>. Clearly, seeing the silver-lining in even the most poisonous of creatures was an art the ancient Indians had mastered!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">3.</span> </b>The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">THIRD</span></b> concept is the association of different animals and birds with various Gods and Goddesses as their vehicles or <i><b>Vahan</b></i>.</div>
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I always wondered why divinities used animals and birds to travel around when they have access to <b><i>Vimanas </i></b>(space-crafts). For example, if we take the Holy Trinity, Lord Vishnu travels on the Golden-Eagle <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Garuda</span></b>, Brahma travels on a humongous swan <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hamsa</span></b>, and the vehicle of Lord Shiva is the Divine Bull <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nandi</span></b>.</div>
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Lord Vishnu on Garuda</div>
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Lord Brahma riding a swan</div>
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Lord Shiva on Nandi, the Bull</div>
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But with time, I have realized that the ancient <b style="color: #ffd966;">Rishis</b>, in their immense wisdom, coupled the most important animal/bird species with the important divinities so that, in time, the masses would develop as much reverence for them as for the Gods!! </div>
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Thus, we find various gods/goddesses associated with different animals and birds that signify or enhance one or the other qualities that the Divinity represents for example<b style="color: #ffd966;"></b>:</div>
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<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Shiva</b>'s bull <i><b>Nandi</b></i> represents strength and virility; </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ganesha</span></b>, the God of Wisdom riding <b><i>Mushak</i></b> (Rat), the symbol of Ignorance;</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kartikeya/Murugan</span></b>, rides <b><i>Parvani</i></b>, the splendid peacock and reigns its vanity;</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ganga</span></b>, rides a <b><i>Makar</i></b> or Alligator signifying the most dominant species of its waters;</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shani-deva</span></b> represses the thieving tendencies symbolized by a Raven or <i><b>Kak</b></i>;</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lakshmi</span></b>, the Goddess of Fortune has an Owl <b><i>Pecheka</i></b> as her vehicle to remind people of using wealth wisely.</li>
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Indra on White Elephant, the sign of Royalty</div>
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Durga on a Lion, the symbol of Power and Bravery</div>
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Kartikeya and Ganesha enjoying a joyride on their Peacock</div>
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Similarly, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya</span></b>'s chariot is pulled by Seven steeds,<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Chandra</span> </b>rides an antelope, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswati</span> </b>rides a swan, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kaushik Muni</span></b> is associated with the Heron and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Dattatreya</span></b> is always surrounded by cute little doggies :o)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">4.</span> </b>The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">FOURTH</span></b> concept is that of ascribing Direct Divinity to certain forms where the animal or hybrid form is worshiped as a god.<br />
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<li>The first and the most striking example of course is of the Elephant-headed god <b style="color: #ffd966;">Ganesha </b>and the Vanar god <b style="color: #ffd966;">Hanuman</b>. Both of them are a favorite all over the sub-continent with devotees right from Afghanistan to China.</li>
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Ganesha from a Mongolian painting</div>
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Both of them are a big hit with people from all age-groups and all sections of the society. <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ganesha</span></b> is the 'Lord-of-Auspicious-beginnings' and no new project starts without worshiping the cute cuddly Lord.<b style="color: #ffd966;"> Hanuman</b>, on the other hand is the role model for devotional service and an example of how one can overcome his animal instincts and reach the highest pinnacle of devotion to the Supreme Lord.<br />
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Hanuman from a popular animation movie</div>
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<li>The second example is the phenomenon called <b><i>Dashavatar</i></b> which we have already encountered in two previous posts {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Evolution%20in%20Dashavatar" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Evolution in Dashavatar</span></b></a>} and {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/04/manu-first-man.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Manu - The First Man</span></b></a>}. It portrays the ascribing of Divinity to even lowest of life forms and elevating them to the level of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Supreme Lord Vishnu</span></b> Himself.</li>
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The 10 incarnations actually form a sub-set of the original 24 Incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Of these, three are animal forms generally considered too low in the hierarchy of life - a Fish (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Matsya</span></b>), Turtle (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kurma</span></b>) and Wild-boar (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Varah</span></b>). <br />
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Matsya Avatar of Lord Vishnu</div>
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Kurma Avatar</div>
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Varah Avatar</div>
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Of the rest, two more are hybrids between a beast and a Man viz. the Half-man-Half-Lion <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Narsimha</span></b> and the Matsya-Horse-Human hybrid <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hayagreeva</span></b>.<br />
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Lord Narsingh Deva with Prahlad on his lap</div>
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Hayagriva Avatar of Lord Vishnu blessing the demon Hayagriva before killing him </div>
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Image courtesy Vimanika Comics</div>
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{Dashavatar Volume 1}</div>
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This way, the ancient Hindu sages raised even the lowest of life forms up to a pedestal and made them worthy of reverence and therefore protection.<br />
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<b style="color: #ffd966;">5.</b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span>The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">FIFTH</span></b> and Final concept, is the integration and acknowledgement of Animals into everyday life as shown by GOD HIMSELF by means of His incarnations that lived as Human beings amongst us. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Rama</span></b> developed a special symbiotic relationship with various animals and Humanoid species. The <b><i>Vanars</i></b> especially <b><i>Hanuman</i></b> and <b><i>Sugriv</i></b> became his close allies. Bear-men like <b><i>Jambavant </i></b> and birds like <b><i>Jatayu</i></b> and <b><i>Sampaati</i></b> were irreplaceable in his search for Sita.<br />
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Bears and Apes helped Lord Rama get Lady Sita back to Ayodhya</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Krishna</span></b> too was a big-time animal lover! He was the favorite of cows and tended to them with great care. He grew up learning the traits of a cowherd and therefore exhibited deep affection to the animals around Him.<br />
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Nand baba and Yashoda maiya's Kanha with his cow</div>
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Krishna's all childhood pranks involved animals in one form or another. As a kid, He would steal butter from His mother's kitchen and distribute it amongst the monkeys around. This by the way, was my favorite <i><b>Leela</b></i> from Krishna's story during childhood :o)</div>
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Makhan-chor Krishna with his monkeys</div>
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When Indra opened up the heavens to submerge Vraja-mandal, Krishna lifted Mount <b style="color: #ffd966;">Govardhan</b> to keep all his friends and animals safe.He could easily be the poster boy for PETA today! His flute mesmerized not only human-beings but the entire flora and fauna of <i><b>Vrindavan</b></i> and <i><b>Vraja</b></i> area. The trees gave bigger fruits, crops yielded healthier crops, cows produced more milk, flowers blossomed everywhere and everyone was at peace with their environment.<br />
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Krishna's flute mesmerized every living-soul</div>
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<b style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat </b>states that even in the midst of fierce battle, Krishna told Arjun that He would stop their chariot to give the horses a breather! He asked Arjun to construct an enclosure with his arrows where Krishna could tend to the horses and refresh them before continuing with the battle!!<br />
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It is hard to imagine the biggest (and possibly Nuclear) War of ancient World being put on hold by Krishna because He wanted to take care of the poor bleeding horses! This is the LOVE and COMPASSION showed to us humans by Lord and this is what we have to emulate.<br />
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If we just follow the above mentioned concepts in practice, it can create a world so much MORE peaceful than the one we have today. I conclude this post with the beautiful verse of the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Ishopanishad </b>that succinctly and beautifully summarizes the equality of all species in the World and puts the Human species back in its place:<br />
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<i>Ishaavasyam idam sarvam, </i></div>
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<i>Yat kincha jagatyaam jagat, </i></div>
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<i>Tein tyaktein bhunjitha,</i> </div>
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<i>Ma gridhah kasya svid dhanam.</i></div>
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Everything within the Universe,</div>
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Is owned by the Lord alone,</div>
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One should only accept things necessary, </div>
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And not lust after other's quota, </div>
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Knowing well to Whom they belong.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b><br />
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com49Yangon, Burma16.8 96.14999999999997716.680668 96.027849499999974 16.919332 96.272150499999981tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-87657467515427529942012-04-30T01:30:00.020+05:302020-06-22T13:36:13.264+05:30Manu - The First Man<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Early man, tell me if you can,</i></div>
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<i>When did you come to Earth,</i></div>
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<i>Opened your eyes, </i><i>And took your first steps,</i></div>
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<i>What era was that, </i><i>Unknown, Unnamed,</i></div>
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<i>When the rising sun, </i><i>K</i><i>issed your forehead,</i></div>
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<i>When you were ignited, </i><i>And you were born</i><i>..</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In these verses, Kalpana Singh Chitnis beautifully conveys the enigma that the First Human-Beings are. WHO indeed was the first man? HOW did he appear? WHERE did he come from? WHAT gave birth to him and WHEN was he born?</span><br />
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Peering out the window, looking at Versova beach, I can still see people mulling around even at this late hour.. after all it's Mumbai, the city that never sleeps. There is a sea of Humanity wherever you turn to and sometimes it feels as if the city is literally bursting at its seams! <br />
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I started wondering how so many people came to be and my thoughts turned towards the legend of the First Man on this planet. Hindu Scriptures call this Man -<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Manu</span></b> and make him the Indian counterpart of western Adam, the First Human-being created by God. <br />
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The <a href="http://www.bharatadesam.com/spiritual/brahma_purana.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Brahma Puraan</b></span></a> declares :</div>
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<i>"To continue with Creation, Brahma gave form to a Man and a Woman. The man was Swayambhu Manu and the Woman was named Shatrupa. Humans are descended from Manu, that is the reason they are known as Manavs."</i><br />
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Indeed MANU is the root-word for both the Sanskrit <b><i>'Manushya'</i></b> and the English <b><i>'Man' </i></b>that derives origin from the Germanic <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Mannus" title="Mannus"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mannus</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span></b>which stems from the same root as Manu.<br />
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The First Man - Manu</div>
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As explained in the third post (<b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Creation%20by%20Brahma" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Creation by Brahma</span></a></b>), after creating the <b><i>Devas, Asurs, Pitras etc.</i></b> Lord Brahma was completely exhausted and decided to take a break. He sat ruminating about the direction his work had taken till now, when suddenly, from his body, emerged a creature who looked a lot like him.</div>
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This was the First Man, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_%28Hinduism%29" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Swayambhu Manu</b></a><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span>(Born-on-his-Own) who was born with the <b><i>Kaya</i></b> of his father Brahma (<b>Ka</b>-Brahma, <b>ya</b>-form). Interestingly, the same incident is noted in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible" style="color: #ffd966;"><b closure_uid_biig3="67">Bible</b></a> as - <b>'Man was created in the Image of His Maker!' </b></div>
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Son and Father - Adam and God - Manu and Brahma</div>
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Alongwith Manu, there appears the feminine principle in the form of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shatrupa</span></b>, the counterpart to Biblical Eve. Norse Mythology uses the terms<b> </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ask_and_Embla" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ask and Embla</span></b></a><b> </b>for Manu and Shatrupa, while the Zoroastrians called them <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashya_and_Mashyana" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mashya and Mashyana</span></b></a>.</div>
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However, there are certain fundamental differences between the Western and Hindu concepts of the Creation of Man. </div>
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<li>While in the former, God deliberately created Adam, in the Latter, Manu emerged ON HIS OWN from the body of Lord Brahma.</li>
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<li>In the Western concept, woman was created from the rib of Man(u) but in Hindu tradition, both emerged on their own from the body of Brahma thus, there is an Equality of Sexes.</li>
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<li>Again, unlike the Biblical and Islamic accounts, there is no mention of the First Couple being thrown out of the Garden-of-Eden and NO concept of the ORIGINAL SIN. </li>
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<li>Neither is there a mention of the DEVIL disguised as a serpent who asked Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit which she passes on to Adam resulting in their expulsion.</li>
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Instead, Lord Brahma, quite willingly, asks <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shatrupa</span></b> to establish their dominion on the Planet Earth. Here, the Biblical record matches with the Puranic story wherein Manu/Adam is made the Lord of all beings on Earth.<br />
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Manu and Shatrupa asked to establish their dominion on Earth</div>
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In Western Theology, the belief that Adam and Eve were created fully grown, has led to the depiction of the first human couple WITHOUT navels and is propounded in the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Omphalos_%28theology%29" title="Omphalos (theology)"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Omphalos theory</span></b></a>. <br />
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The idea is that they did not develop in a womb, therefore could not have been connected to an Umbilical Cord like other Humans. This again matches with the Hindu conception of Manu and Shatrupa emerging full-grown from the body of Brahma without any BIOLOGICAL parents.<br />
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Interestingly, Hindu scriptures do not stop at one Manu but mention MORE than ten different Manus! To clear the confusion, I should mention that <b>Manu is NOT the name of a person but a TITLE</b>, and refers to different people in different spans of Time just like Indra!!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">So How many Manus are there?</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To understand this, we shall first have to go through the basic calculation of time for Lord Brahma. As mentioned in various other posts, just like our own division of time, each day of Brahma (known as a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kalpa</span></b>) is divided into <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">14 Manvantars</span></b> (~ our 12 Hours) and each Manvantar is composed of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">72 Chatur Yugas</span></b> ( ~ our 60 Minutes). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you can observe from the chart above, the Chatur-yuga and Manvantar periods run into huge time spans. For the smooth functioning of such long intervals of time, each of these has a different set of Gods and Guardians.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For example, the post of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra</span></b> passes to the most deserving of the Devas every Manvantar and alongwith him, the groups of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devas</span></b>, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saptarishis</span></b> etc. also change posts and so does the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu</span></b>. </span><br />
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<b>Thus, there are a total of 14 Manus in EACH day of Brahma and it is in deference to Manu that the division of time is called a Manvantar!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Right now, we are nearing the Noon of the 1st year of the 51st day of our Brahma's life. This implies there have already been a total of {14x360x50 = 252000 Manus for previous Years + 7 for this day} = <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">252007 Manus</span></b> till now!</span> Mercifully, our scriptures do not give us the details of the previous years of Brahma's life and only talk about the CURRENT day known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Varah Kalpa</span></b> :o)<br />
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<u><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>The Current Day of Brahma</b></span></u></div>
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At the end of the 50th Year of Brahma, there was the usual flooding and destruction. Brahma rested for the night and at the break of the First Dawn of his 51st Year, started the process once again {For details check the post - <b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Creation%20by%20Brahma" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Creation by Brahma</span></a></b>}.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shrimad Bhagvatam</b></span> gives the names of all the past, present and future Manus for the current day of Brahma.</span></span></div>
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Fourteen Manus and corresponding Indras</div>
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Now, our <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Swayambhu Manu</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shatrupa</span></b> were all set to take their place in the scheme of things and populate the Earth with their progeny. But, when they tried to locate their future home, the planet Earth was not to be found anywhere!<br />
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This is what had happened - While Brahma was busy with the creative process, a demon called <b><i>Hiranyaksh</i></b> (the Golden-Eyed), had abducted the Earth-goddess <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhumi</span></b> from her central position in Bhu-loka and imprisoned her in the Lower planetary system of <b><i>Rasaatal</i></b>. Consequently, Manu and Shatrupa did not have a planet of their own anymore. <br />
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I used to be quite confused as a kid as to what ocean could be so huge that an entire planet can drown and get submerged in it! Shrimad Bhagavatam clarifies that this ISN'T an earthly water-body we are talking about, but the Cosmic Ocean known as Garbhodak that forms the base of our Universe. {For details check the previous post - <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/04/lokas-planets-of-advanced-aliens.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Lokas or Alien Planets?</span></b></a>}.<br />
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Earth trapped at the bottom of the Garbhodak Ocean <br />
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Brahma was dismayed and started praying to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Vishnu</span></b> for help. The benevolent Lord then adopted the form of a huge boar (<b><i>Varaha</i></b>) to perform the dual task of releasing Bhumi-devi from imprisonment and vanquishing the demon Hiranyaksh. <br />
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One may wonder why Lord Vishnu took this particular form at that time. The reason for it is pretty simple and is related to what I call the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>'Boon of Conditional Immortality'</b></span><span style="color: black;">.</span> What I am referring to is the practice where an Asura would perform great penance directed towards Brahma in order to obtain Immortality and Brahma would grant him the boon BUT with an inherent condition. <br />
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An Asura praying to Brahma for Immortality </div>
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Image courtsey India Authentic Comics</div>
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{Issue - Uma}</div>
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We saw in the Post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Devi%20-%20God%20as%20a%20Female" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Devi - God as a Female</span></b></a>}, the Minotaur Mahish, who had conquered the Three Worlds, had to be killed by a <b><i>Female warrior</i></b> because he had the Boon of Conditional Immortality against Males of any species. Hence Devi Durga had to be created from the combined energy of all Gods.<br />
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Similarly, Hiranyaksh asked for a boon of invincibility against ALL known species of Men, Animals, Birds and Divine Beings (male as well as female), but FORGOT to enumerate the Wild-Boar or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Varah</span></b>. Hence, Lord Vishnu had to incarnate in this particular form to put an end to the demon's life. <br />
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The gigantic Varah entered the cosmic waters and began to search for the captive planet. He found the submerged Earth and raised it on His tusks up to the top of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Garbhodak Ocean</span></b>, after which He proceeded to kill the evil demon Hiranyaksh.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Since</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> this Kalpa started with the appearance of Lord Vishnu, it is known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Varah Kalpa</span></b> and because of the First Man - Manu, the First Manvantar is known as the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Swayambhu Manvantar</span></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></span><br />
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Lord Varah heralding the present 51st Day of Brahma</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thus Varah-avatar was the FIRST Avatar of Lord Vishnu in the present day of Brahma and this incident took place 6 Manvantars = <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">1.8 Billion Solar Years</span></b> ago!! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After the Earth was restored to its proper position, Manu and Shatrupa took charge of its affairs. They had two sons <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Priyavrat</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Uttanpad</span></b> and two daughters <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devahuti</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Akuti</span></b>. The two sons were married to daughters of the rishis while the two daughters of Manu were married to the <b><i>Manas-Putras</i></b>. </span></span><br />
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The sons of Priyavrat were the ones who established dominion over the Mortal Realm. Priyavrat and his wife Kamya had 2 daughters and 10 sons, 7 of whom became the rulers of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Seven Mortal Realms</span></b>. We have touched upon these realms in the previous post {<b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/04/lokas-planets-of-advanced-aliens.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Lokas, the Planets of Advanced Aliens</span></a></b>} and I am sharing with you the names of the seven sons of Agnidhra who established their kingdoms in these planets.<br />
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7 rulers of 7 Mortal Dvipas</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><b>Saval</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;">Pushkardvipa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><b>Bhavya</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;">Shakadvipa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><b>Dyutimat</b> Kraunchdvipa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><b>Vapushmat</b> Shalmalidvipa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><b>Jyotishmat</b> Kushadvipa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><b>Medhatithi</b> Plakshdvipa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><b>Agnidhra</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;">Jambudvipa</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Emperor Agnidhra</span></b> became the monarch of our own planet Earth (<b><i>Jambudvipa</i></b>) and when the time was opportune, he divided his kingdom into 9 different continents for his 9 sons. The details of this division can be obtained from my earlier post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Jambudweep%20or%20Pangea" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Jambudweep - The Global Island</span></b></a>}.<br />
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Manu's other son, <i><b>Uttanpad</b></i> also begot extremely virtuous sons and three of them viz, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Uttam, Raivat</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tamas</span></b> became the Manus for 3rd, 4th and the 5th Manvantar respectively. The fourth son <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dhruva</span></b>, because of his undying devotion to Lord Vishnu, became the guardian of the ONLY Spiritual Abode in this Material Universe, the <b><i>Dhruva Loka</i></b>.<br />
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There is also an interesting story that mentions Swayambhu Manu to have performed austerities at Naimish Aranya for acquiring the privilege of having Lord Vishnu as his son in three lifetimes. Consequently, the Lord fulfilled his wishes when Manu was reborn as Dashrath, then as Vasudev and finally as Vishnuyash who would sire the next avatar Kalki.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Other Past Manvantars of the VARAH KALPA</span></u></b></div>
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(2). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Swarochish Manvantar</span></b> - <b><i>Swarochi</i></b> was the Manu for the second Manvantar and the son of fire-god <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agni</span></b>. He had sons named Dyumana, Sushen and Rochisman. <br />
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During that Manvantar, Indra’s post was occuppied by <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rochan</b></span> and instead of the present Adityas, <b><i>Tushitas</i></b> were the gods.<br />
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These Tushitas are better detailed in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Buddhist Cosmology</span></b> where they are described as superior Devas dwelling in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tushita Heaven</span></b> led by their ruler <b><i>Santushita</i></b>. This is where all Bodhisattvas destined to reach full enlightenment in their next life dwell before descending to Earth.<br />
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Tushita gods bidding Buddha adieu on his descent from Heaven</div>
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Another noteworthy detail mentioned for this Manvantar, is the story of a virtuous king <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surath</span></b>, who had worshiped Goddess Durga and obtained the boon of having an unbroken empire on earth. Consequently, this king would be born as the son of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sun-god Surya</span></b> and would become the eighth Manu!<br />
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Ma Bhagvati blesses King Surath to attain Manu-hood</div>
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{Image courtesy Vimanika Comics}</div>
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(3). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Uttam Manvantar</span></b> - The third Manu <b><i>Uttam</i></b> was the younger son of Priyavrat and hence the grandson of Swayambhu Manu. In this Manvantar, seven sons of <b><i>Vasishth</i></b> were the Saptarishis. Indra’s name was <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Satyajit</span></b> and Satya, Vedshrut and Bhadra were the main courtiers. <br />
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(4). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tamas Manvantar</span></b> - <b><i>Tamas</i></b>, the fourth Manu was the younger brother of Uttam. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Trishikh/Shibi</span></b> was Indra then, and Satyak, Hari, Veer etc. were his main courtiers. There were four categories of demigods namely <b><i>Supar, Hari, Satya</i></b> and <b><i>Sudhi</i></b>, each of them with 27 members each. <br />
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During this Manvantar, Lord Vishnu had saved the King of elephants <i><b>Gajendra</b></i> from the jaws of a cursed Gandharva who had turned into a <i><b>Makar</b></i>. By slaying the crocodile with His <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sudarshan Chakra</span></b>, Lord Vishnu liberated him from his curse and also saved the King of the Jungle.<br />
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Gajendra praying to Lord Vishnu for rescue</div>
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(5). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Raiwat Manvantar</span></b> - <b><i>Raiwat</i></b> was the fifth Manu and the brother of Uttam and Tamas, the previous two Manus.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vibhu</span></b> was the name of Indra and there were four categories of demigods namely <b><i>Amitabh, Bhootrath, Vaikunth</i></b> and <b><i>Sumedha</i></b> with 14 deities each. Lord Vishnu had then appeared in the incarnation of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaikunth</span></b>, the son of RIshi Shubh and his wife Vikuntha.<br />
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(6).<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Chakshush Manvantar</span></b> - The sixth Manu was <b><i>Chakshush</i></b> and during his Manvantar, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mantradruma</span></b> was the Indra. <br />
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<b><i>Apya, Prasoot, Bhavya, Prithuk</i></b> and <b><i>Lekh</i></b> were the categories of gods each with 8 demigods. During this Manvantar, Lord had appeared in the partial incarnation as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ajit</span></b>, the son of Vanraj and his wife Sambhuti. <br />
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In His complete incarnation, Lord Vishnu supported mount Mandrachal on his back as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kurma</span></b> when the <b><i>Samudra-Manthan</i></b> took place. Thus, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Cosmic Churning of the Ocean</span></b> occurred in the 6th Manvantar when the leader of the Gods was MANTRADRUMA and that of the Demons was Maharaj BALI, the grandson of Prahlad Maharaj. <br />
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This was the time when Devas obtained the Nectar of Immortality - <b><i>Amrit</i></b> from the ocean alongwith riches like the wish-fulfilling <b><i>Kamdhenu</i></b> cow; <b><i>Parijaat</i></b> tree; <b><i>Airavat</i></b>, the white elephant and<b><i> Uchhaishrava</i></b>, the flying horse.</div>
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Kamdhenu emerging from the Samudra Manthan</div>
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Airavat, the King of Elephants</div>
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Ajit expansion of the Lord on top of Mandar Parvat<br />
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At the end of this Manvantar, when the Great Deluge was to occur, another one of Lord's incarnations took place and for a very specific purpose.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Surya's son Satyavrat</span></b> ruled the Dravid-desha in that period. When it was time for him to retire to the forest, he handed over the kingdom to his eldest son <i><b>Ikshvaku</b></i> (who gave rise to the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Solar Dynasty</b>). He then went to the foothills of Mount Malaya and started to perform meditation.<br />
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After a long time, Brahma appeared to him and granted him a boon. Satuyavrat knew the time was nigh for the end of the <i><b>Chatur-Yuga</b></i>, hence he asked the boon that he be allowed to carry on the role of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu</span></b> in the NEXT Manvantar and Brahma readily granted this boon. <br />
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One mornin, Satyavrat was performing ablutions in a pond and immersed his hands in the water so that he might offer some water to his ancestors. When he raised his cupped hands, he was amazed to find a tiny minnow (<b><i>shafari</i></b>) in his hands and that too, a talking one!<br />
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Satyavrat finds a tiny talking fish in his hands<br />
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Image courtsey Vimanika Comics</div>
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{Dashavatar Volume 1}</div>
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The tiny fish requested for shelter and Satyavrat obliged the creature. But, during the night, the fish grew too large for the small pot it was in, so in the morning, the King had to transfer it to a small pond and then move it to a still bigger one.<br />
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King gets the fish moved from one pond to another<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZU5dNxd5e6RqafevF4yh4djvkTJ9cEN_-9f_EXv3ab1vBU6Ft2uxvt-yuuHxqRx2K_5omxDJwJwkGWz_74-MF5KPiTDBz9rLQfgnTIHFoQt10vYQyk6yBmcoFovV_ukrdoBHi3c7U3M/s1600/Matsya+with+Ship+Vimanika+Comics..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412px" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZU5dNxd5e6RqafevF4yh4djvkTJ9cEN_-9f_EXv3ab1vBU6Ft2uxvt-yuuHxqRx2K_5omxDJwJwkGWz_74-MF5KPiTDBz9rLQfgnTIHFoQt10vYQyk6yBmcoFovV_ukrdoBHi3c7U3M/s640/Matsya+with+Ship+Vimanika+Comics..jpg" width="640px" /></a><br />
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{Dashavatar Volume 1}</div>
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However, the tiny fish continued to grow over the next day while Satyavrat took the fish from one pond to another and finally to the ocean, but soon it grew as large as the ocean itself! It was then, that the significance of what had happened struck the King, and he realized that the fish was none other that the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Supreme Lord Vishnu</span></b> Himself and immediately bowed down to pay his respects. <br />
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Satyavrat realizes the magical creature is Lord Vishnu Himself!</div>
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The Lord, pleased with his humility, told him that he was to be the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu for the next Manvantar</span></b>. The responsibility of saving all species of life for their continuation in the next eon also lay with him. The Lord told him that exactly seven days after that day, <b><i>Pralaya</i></b> or the Great Deluge will come and everything will be swallowed by the mighty ocean waves. <br />
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Lord Vishnu told Satyavrat that the demigods themselves would construct a ship and he was to take with him the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saptarishis </span></b>and a pair each of all species of living beings worth saving, and wait at the same spot for the Lord to come there. <br />
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All species of Life collected for the next Yuga</div>
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The appointed day came, and clouds completely filled the sky. The torrential rains caused by Seven classes of clouds, known as <i><b>Samvarta, Bhimananda, Drona, Chanda, Valahaka, Vidyutapataka</b></i> and <b>Kona</b> began and entire land mass was flooded.<br />
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However, as instructed by Vishnu, Manu, along with his consort Shradha, the Saptarishis, chosen animals and plants was safe aboard the ship being buffeted by waves as large as mountains. As promised, at the predicted time, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Matsya</span></b> appeared. His body had a golden effulgence and now He had a horn on His head. </div>
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Matsya Avatar of Lord Vishnu</div>
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The boat was tied by means of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nag-raj Vasuki</span></b>, to the horn on the head of Matsya and thus, the virtuous devotees of Lord were saved to take life ahead to the next Eon. During the period of Deluge, Vaivasvat Manu asked Lord Vishnu several questions and this conversation is recorded in the form of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Matsya Puraan</span></b>.<br />
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Matsya Avatar saving Manu and Life for the Present Manvantar</div>
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At last the rain stopped, the water took some more time to subside, and the land peeped out from under its watery prison. As promised, <b style="color: #ffd966;">Satyavrat Vaivasvat Manu</b> and his associates had been saved, and began the task of settling in the new world. </div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">The PRESENT Manvantar</span></u></b><br />
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(7). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaivasvat Manvantar</span></b> - As mentioned above, in the present era, the seventh Manu, Shardhdev or Vaivasvat is the son of Surya. The <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Mahabharata" title="Mahabharata"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahabharat</b></span></a> declares: <br />
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<i>"Manu was imbued with great wisdom and became the progenitor of a line. And in Manu's race have been born all human beings, who have, therefore, been called Manavs."</i></div>
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This implies that the Earth was repopulated by the progeny of Manu and all the Human-beings existing today are descendants of Manu.<br />
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Comparing with the western mythologies, Vaivasvat Manu is the counterpart of<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Noah</span></b>, whom the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Hebrew_Bible" title="Hebrew Bible"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hebrew Bible</span></b></a>, declares to be the tenth and last of the ante-diluvian Patriarchs. <br />
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The <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Qur%27an" title="Qur'an"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Qur'an</span></b></a> contains 43 references to Noah and declares that he received a revelation to build an Ark, after his people refused to believe in his message and hear the warning.<br />
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Noah's Ark from a Biblical description</div>
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The Ark's occupants from a Koranic depiction</div>
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There are so many myths in different World Mythologies regarding the DELUGE that it certainly seems to have been a historical phenomenon of Global proportions!<br />
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In Greek Mythology, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Deucalion" title="Deucalion"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Deucalion</span></b></a> is forewarned of the flood and he builds an ark and staffs it with creatures. Similar legends exist in Norse Mythology, African legends and the foundational myths of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/K%27iche%27_people" title="K'iche' people"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Quiché</span></b></a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Maya_peoples" title="Maya peoples"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mayas</b></span></a>, and the story of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Utnapishtim" title="Utnapishtim"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Utnapishtim</span></b></a> in the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh.<br />
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<b>It is MORE than likely that all the above myths refer to the same phenomenon, one which we scientifically KNOW to have taken place - that of the Ice Age!! </b><br />
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The Ark carrying <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu/Noah/Utnapishtim/Deucalion</span></b> and other survivors would have been guided by the global currents generated by the melting waters. The Quran claims that this Ark rested atop <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Mount_Judi" title="Mount Judi"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mount Judi</span></b></a>. However, Hindu records identify the site with <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manali</span></b> in the Himalays, which was obviously the highest land available on the planet. In fact, on my visit to Himachal Pradesh, I discovered that the ONLY temple to Manu in the entire World is located at Manali, and the name of the place itself commemorates Manu's landing!!<br />
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Temple of Manu at Manali</div>
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The last glacial period ended about 10,000 years ago and this would have been the time-period of our current Manu. <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu</span></b> and his wife <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shradha</span></b> are believed to have ushered in the New Age through their 10 sons- <i><b>Ikshvaku, Drisht, Sharyati, Narishyanta, Nabhag, Disht, Karush, Prishadhra, Vasumana </b></i>and<i><b> Sudyumna/Ila</b></i>. </div>
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As mentioned earlier, the eldest one IKSHVAKU gave rise to the illustrious <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Suryavansh</span></b> in which was born Lord Rama, while from ILA, came the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chandravansh</span></b>, in which Lord Krishna took birth. For details of these two genealogies, please check the following links: {<a href="http://www.hindu-mythology.faithweb.com/index_4.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Suryavansh - The Solar Dynasty</span></b></a> and <a href="http://www.hindu-mythology.faithweb.com/index_5.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Chandravansh - The Lunar Dynasty</span></b></a>}.</div>
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Genetically speaking, our Manu would probably have been brown-skinned in order to cover all color variations from fair to the dark! Also, medically, the Blood-groups for <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shradha </span></b>would probably have been A-ve for Manu and B+ve for Shradha in order to to cover all the groups from the ABO series!! Would be interesting to find some archaeological evidence for this hypothesis.<br />
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All different races of Mankind are derived from Manu and Shradha</div>
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In <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Theosophy" title="Theosophy"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Theosophy</span></b></a>, Vaivasvat Manu is one of the most important beings at the highest levels of Initiation of the 'Masters of Ancient Wisdom', along with Sanat Kumar, Gautam Buddha and others. These beings act as the 'ROOT' for the Human race in the New Eon. <br />
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Coming to the divinities, our present Indra is <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shakra</b></span>, also known as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Purandar</span></b> and his courtiers are the <b><i>Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Vishvadevas, Marudgana,</i></b> and the <b><i>Ashwini Kumars</i></b>. Kashyapa, Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautam, Yamdagni and Bhardwaj are the Saptarishis. During this Manvantar, Lord Vishnu has incarnated as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaman</span></b>, the son of Kashyap and Aditi. </div>
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Vaman Avatar of Lord Vishnu</div>
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It is interesting to note, that while the Indra had changed from one Manvantar to the other, the ruler of the Asurs was STILL Maharaj Bali.<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Maharaj Bali</span></b> was a benevolent king but he was ambitious and urged by his rakshas subjects, attacked and wrested control of the Heavens from Indra. The Devas were thus rendered homeless and to help them regain control of their planet, Lord Vishnu incarnated as the dwarf Vaman. <br />
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The Lord thus took back the THREE WORLDS from Bali and sent him to rule the Underworld. We saw in the previous post{<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/04/lokas-planets-of-advanced-aliens.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Lokas, the Abodes of Advanced Aliens</span></b></a>}, that Bali Maharaj right now resides in the lower planetary system of <b><i>Sutal</i></b>. <br />
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However, there's more to this story and we shall see what happens to Bali Maharaj ahead. Till now, we have discussed the Six Eons which have passed and the one that is going on. You would be surprised to know, that the Puranic descriptions do not stop at this! </div>
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<b>The SEVEN Manvantars of the FUTURE are equally well detailed in the Bhagavaatm complete with the list of the Indras, Manus, Saptarishis, other gods, their sons and the incarnations of Lord Vishnu!!</b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">The FUTURE Manvantars of Varah Kalpa</span></u></b><br />
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(8). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Savarni Manvantar</span></b> - King Surath, whom we encountered in the Second Manvantar, would be born as the son of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya</span></b> and Chhaya and because of Goddess Durga's blessings, would become the eighth Manu - <b><i>Savarni</i></b>.</div>
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We saw in the previous Manvantar that <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Vaman</span></b> had wrested control of the Three-Worlds from Bali Maharaj. However, because of his goodness of heart and spiritual nature, the Lord blessed him to become the Indra in the next Manvanatar! <br />
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<b>Hence, <span style="color: #ffd966;">Vairochan Bali</span>, the pious Asura who was the King of Demons for two Manvantars, would become the King of Gods in the next Manvantar!!</b> <br />
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Bali arrives in Amravati to claim his right from Purandar<br />
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Image courtsey Grant Morrison's 18 Days</div>
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{Artist - Mukesh Singh}</div>
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This shows that even if you are born a demon, with the Lord in your heart, you can even obtain the highest position in the Swarga-Loka, that of Indra himself! However, it seems our present Indra would not be too willing to let go of his throne (quite similar to our modern politicians eh!) and Bali will need help from the next incarnation of Lord Vishnu - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sarvabhaum</span></b>, (the son of Devguhya and Saraswati) to obtain the title of Indra.<br />
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In this incarnation, Lord Vishnu would snatch the kingdom of <b><i>Swarga-loka</i></b> from Purandar and give the crown to King Bali. <b><i>Sutap, Amitabh</i></b> and <b><i>Mukhya</i></b> will be the categories of demigods with 20 deities each and Galav, Diptiman, Parashuram, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, Rishyashring and Vyas would be the Saptarishis. <br />
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(9). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ninth Manvantar</span></b> - <b><i>Daksha-savarni</i></b>, the son of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Varun</span></b>, the Lord of the Ocean would be the ninth Manu.<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Adbhut</span></b> would be the Indra and during that Manvantar, <b><i>Para, Marichgarva</i></b> and <b><i>Sudharma</i></b> will be the three categories of gods with 12 deities each. </div>
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(10). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tenth Manvantar</span></b> - Upashloka’s son <b><i>Brahma-savarni</i></b> would be the tenth Manu. He would be very pious in nature and have sons like Bhurishen etc. <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shambhu</span></b> would be the Indra, with Suvasana, Viruddh etc. as his main courtiers. <br />
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Lord Vishnu would appear in the incarnation of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishwasen</span></b> as the son of Vishwasrij and his wife Vishuchi and would be a friend of Indra. <b><i>Sudhama</i></b> and <b><i>Vishuddh</i></b> will be the two categories of gods with 100 deities each. <br />
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(11). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Eleventh Manvantar</span></b> - In the eleventh hour of Brahma's Kalpa,<b><i> Dharma-savarni</i></b> would be the eleventh Manu and would have ten sons. <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaidhrit </span></b>would be the Indra with Vihangam, Kamagam, etc. as main courtiers. </div>
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(12). <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Twelfth Manvantar</span></b> - <i><b>Rudra-savarni</b></i> would be the twelfth Manu whose sons would be led by Devavan. The demigods would be called <b><i>Haritas</i></b>, Indra would be <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ritadhama</span></b>, and the seven sages would be led by Tapomurti. The incarnation of Lord Vishnu in this manvantara is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Svadhama</span></b>, born to Satyasaha and Sunrita.<br />
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(13) <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Thirteenth Manvantar</span></b> - In the period of the thirteenth Manu, the Manvantar would be led by <b><i>Deva-savarni</i></b>. Among his sons the famous one would be Chitrasena, the demigods would be called <b><i>Sukarmas</i></b>, Indra would be <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Divaspati</span></b>, and Nirmoka would lead the Sapta-rishis. Lord Vishnu's manvantar-avatar is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yogeshvar</span></b>, who would be born of Devahotra and Brihati.<br />
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(14) <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">FINAL Manvantar</span></b> - In the final period of this Kalpa, the Manu would be <b><i>Indra-savarni</i></b> and among his sons would be Uru and Gambhira. The demigods would be known as <b><i>Pavitras</i></b>, Indra's name would be <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shuchi</span></b>, and among the sages would be Agni and Bahu. The incarnation for this manvantar would be <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brihadbhanu</span></b>, born of Shatrayana from the womb of Vitana.</div>
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Exhausting as it has been, I have shared with you a summary of all 14 Manvantars of the Present Kalpa of Brahma. We have read about the Avataras, Indras, Sapta-rishis, Devatas, and of course the various Manus of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Present Kalpa of Brahma. </span></b><br />
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If you have noted Lord Vishnu's incarnations, you would have observed one startling fact - <span style="font-size: small;">The ten incarnations or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dashavatar </span></b>are not in the order generally mentioned. </span><span style="font-size: small;">For example, the 1st incarnation <b><i>Matsya</i></b>, took place just BEFORE the onset of present Manvantar while the 3rd one, that of <b><i>Varah</i></b>, occurred LONG AGO at the beginning of the Kalpa!!</span><br />
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As stated in an earlier post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Evolution%20in%20Dashavatar" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Evolution in Dashavatar</span></b></a>}, the artifical order of the Ten Incarnations actually represents the development of Life on this planet and gives support to the Organic Evolution Theory as propunded by Charles Darwin.<br />
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What is more amazing to me is that since<b> </b>EACH Manvantar is ~307 Million Years long, all these predictions cover a period of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">4.32 Billion Years</span></b> between them! Nostradamus and his elk could not even make proper predictions for the 2nd Millenium and here we have predictions lasting the entire lifespan of our Earth!!<br />
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Yet, even with the mind-boggling numbers, this period is just ONE DAY in the Life of Brahma; One day of Brahma is just 1/720th of his YEAR; One Year of Brahma is just 1/100th of his LIFETIME; and the lifetime of One Brahma and his Universe is just a SINGLE BREATH of Lord Maha-Vishnu.<br />
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Lifetime of Our Universe is just a single Breath of Shri Maha Vishnu!</div>
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We keep fighting over petty issues all our life yet, this life, is not even a fraction of a second of Lord <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Maha-Vishnu's Breath</span></b>. What is important, is to understand the ephemeral nature of all existence and strive to get out of this Material Creation.</div>
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Even with mankind descending from such an illustrious ancestor and making remarkable progress with each decade, we have somewhere lost our purpose of Life. We owe it to our ancestor Manu, to try and follow the path of the most ancient Dharma - Sanatan Dharma. </div>
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To conclude, I'll leave you with some verses inspired by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatapatha_Brahmana"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shatapatha Brahmana</span></b></a>'s account of events that transpired at the Twilight of the Present Manavantar.</div>
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<i>One morning Manu went to the river,</i></div>
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<i>To offer oblations along the sands,</i></div>
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<i>But when he took a palmful of water,</i></div>
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<i>He found a fish between his hands!</i></div>
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<i>"Save me O King and I'll save Thee!"</i></div>
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<i>"Save me?" asked Manu, "How can that be?"</i></div>
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<i>"A great flood will destroy all you know;</i></div>
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<i>But I can save you and help you go."</i></div>
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<i>Manu asked, "What must I do?"</i></div>
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<i>Save me from the monsters<i> it said,</i></i></div>
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<i>"Its the Jungle Law - Fish eat Fish,</i></div>
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<i>So keep me safe and let me grow."</i></div>
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<i>"When I grow too big in size, </i></div>
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<i>Dig a pond and keep me in;</i></div>
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<i>When I get too big for that, </i></div>
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<i>Take me down to sea for a swim."</i></div>
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<i>When the fish reached the Ocean,</i></div>
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<i>It told the King, "The flood is coming;</i></div>
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<i>I know the time when it is due.</i></div>
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<i>So listen to me and start planning."</i></div>
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<i>When Deluge comes I'll send a ship,</i></div>
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<i>This shall happen in Seven days,</i></div>
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<i>Keep all species and Saptarishis with you,</i></div>
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<i>And I will save you from drowning waves."</i></div>
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<i>The flood came, but Manu was safe,</i></div>
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<i>They tied the ship to Matsya's horn,</i><br />
<i>For an endless night, the waters poured,</i><br />
<i>Till there appeared the rainbow of Morn.</i><br />
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<i>Matsya said: "Now you're saved.</i></div>
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<i>Mind the water going down,</i></div>
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<i>Come out slowly, as the level drops,</i></div>
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<i>And let free your ship's entire town".</i></div>
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<i>Manu did all that he was told,</i></div>
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<i>And became the Lord of present Manvantar,</i></div>
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<i>The flood destroyed every living thing,</i></div>
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<i>But the pious were saved from going under.</i><br />
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<i>This is the way Kaalchakra works,</i><br />
<i>For each Morn there is a Twilight,</i><br />
<i>Only the ones with faith in the Lord,</i><br />
<i>Can look out the tunnel and see the Light.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com234Versova Beach, Maharashtra, India19.13844 72.81218719.128082 72.803739499999992 19.148798 72.8206345tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-20391520188442969042012-03-31T14:40:00.015+05:302016-01-30T23:27:22.273+05:30Lokas, the Planets of Advanced Aliens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">All Creations of </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">God</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> stretch Infinitely,</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>All Times, Past, Present and Future, </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Worlds imagined and unimagined..</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Everything that Can be,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Everything that Cannot be, </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>All exist somewhere..</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Beyond this world are myriad worlds,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>And beyond all worlds,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Is the One that is Eternal..</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Hindu New Year has just started and <b><i>Chaitra Navratri</i></b> gets over today. Calculations tell us that we are in the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>5114th Year of the Era of Kaliyuga</b></span>, a thought that was enough to get me started on an exploration of the scriptures once again.</span><br />
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Hindu scriptures have always used mind-boggling numbers for the Age of the Universe and the Gods inhabiting it. For example,<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Brahma</span></b>, the Creator-God, has an impressive life span that runs into trillions of Solar Years!<br />
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The <i><b>'Chemical locha'</b> </i>in my brain makes me look for a scientific sub-text in every religious text that I read. How can it be, that the demi-gods and their Superior gods have such long time-spans that make them seem almost IMMORTAL to us??<br />
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For some time now, I have been nursing this notion<b>- COULD the multi-limbed gods and goddesses with super-human abilities, space-crafts and atomic-weaponry, be actually super-advanced ALIENS with a keen interest in our world??</b><br />
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Gods as Alien Benefactors of Human-kind<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0TdUA_cbQBsO6kOeioezeLi074Za_5TDf2vmnCJuQ_EOFiiGRFAXH1v7XFexu-KBjY9tuPZEZfYlR0YsrlvlXe2b1BBUHUtak0gk4s9V96EX12rAEkwN1hkgM0-PMTYhtNFwYpxd_fQ/s1600/Vishnu-Krishna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="343px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0TdUA_cbQBsO6kOeioezeLi074Za_5TDf2vmnCJuQ_EOFiiGRFAXH1v7XFexu-KBjY9tuPZEZfYlR0YsrlvlXe2b1BBUHUtak0gk4s9V96EX12rAEkwN1hkgM0-PMTYhtNFwYpxd_fQ/s400/Vishnu-Krishna.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div>
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I don't intend this statement to be blasphemous, as I myself am as much a man of Faith as of Science and completely believe in the Divinity of<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Supreme Lord</span> </b>and the<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Holy Trinity</span></b>. What I propose here is a new understanding of the DEMI-GODS as denizens of the same Universe living on different planets called LOKAS.<br />
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They have access to highly advanced Science (that we percieve as supernatural abilities) and a much better grasp of the Supreme Lord's Cosmic Plan! Of course, they are Spiritually more advanced too and perform their individual roles in running the Universe impeccably viz. <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra-</span></b>the Lord of Rain, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Varun-</span></b>the Lord of Oceans and <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Yamaraj-</b></span>the Lord of Death.<br />
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Could the Scientific advancement of these beings have resulted in their extended life-spans as well?? To us, the World seems to be ending, but our Brahma has JUST hit Middle-age, and is currently near the Noon of the 1st Day of the 51st year of his life!<br />
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By my calculation, Lord Brahma's current age of 50 Deva Years (~155 Trillion Human Years) + Half a Day (~1.85 Billion Years) amounts to the massive figure of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">155.521852 Trillion Solar Years</span></b> which would also be the Age of OUR Universe approximately!!<br />
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Brahma, the 150 Trillion Year old God!</div>
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{Artist-Anirudh Sainath}</div>
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It is noteworthy that unlike any other belief system in the World, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hindu Cosmology</span></b> talks about Time frames that are even FURTHER in the mists of time than the approximations arrived at by current Science (Age of Universe - 14 Billion years).<br />
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Whether we consider them advanced aliens or demi-gods, these beings would be FAR FAR Superior to us in Scientific as well as Spiritual pursuits and we should keep that in our mind while reading about their super-human feats in the ancient chronicles. Respecting the authority of these same sources, in this post, let us embark on a journey of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Scriptural Space-Exploration</span></b>. <br />
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Do Aliens Exist?</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our planet is the only KNOWN planet which has given birth to Life; h</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">owever, it does not follow that it is the ONLY one capable of supporting Life! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are Billions and Billions of Stars in each Galaxy; Billions of Galaxies in each Universe, and as we learnt in the 2nd post (<b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/08/big-bang-and-bhagvatam.html"><span style="color: #e06666;">Black Holes and Bhagavatam</span></a></b>), Billions of Universes in the Material Creation!!</span> It is more likely than not, that Life in its myriad forms exists in not just one but many other planets as yet undiscovered by the human race.</div>
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Billions of stars in our Galaxy Milky Way</div>
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Trillions of Galaxies in the Universe</div>
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Zillions of Universes emerging from Shri Maha-Vishnu</div>
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Scientifically, it is still undetermined whether the universe exists by itself or is just one of the countless trillions within a larger <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse" title="Multiverse"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Multiverse</span></b></a>, itself contained within the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omniverse" title="Omniverse"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Omniverse</span></b></a> that is the Material World.<br />
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Even if we forget the Multi-verse and Parallel Universes we encountered in a previous post, there are still enough planets within our OWN Universe, which could be inhabited by alien species. Here, I would quote my favorite author, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Arthur C. Clarke </span></b>to put a very valid point across-<br />
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<i>Almost certainly there is enough land in the sky to give every member of the human species, his own private world! But how many of those potentially habitable worlds are ALREADY inhabited, we have no way of knowing!</i><br />
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Yet, as he quite eloquently states, the barriers of distance are crumbling; one day SOON we may meet our Equals, or our Masters, among the stars. <br />
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Advanced Aliens from a Hollywood flick</div>
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Sadly, Human race today, is like the proverbial Frog-in-the-well. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have been cocooned by our Atmosphere and sheltered from the harsh realities of Universe for so long, that we just can't remember how things are outside of it.</span></span> But there are entire Solar Systems, Galaxies and even Universes that are inaccessible to us right now and it would be good to remember the plausability of Life existing somewhere out there.<br />
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Different Worlds in Our Universe</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us begin our journey with a brief insight into our current place in the Universe by means of this animation:</span><br />
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Zoom out from Earth to the Universe<br />
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It would be immediately clear from this video that we are an extremely tiny and insignificant part of this gigantic Universe and there are billions and zillions of worlds out there about which we have absolutely no clue even today. Fortunately for us, the Ancients were NOT as short-sighted or limited by Scientific Theories as we are today, and have described planets, galaxies and even multiple Universes in this Material Realm which would act like what Science calls an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omniverse" title="Omniverse"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Omniverse</span></b></a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <i><b>Puraans </b></i>give THREE different divisions of our Universe and label them as the:</span> </div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Urdhva-loka</span></b> (Highest abodes), </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Madhya or Bhu-loka</span></b> (Middle ones), and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Adho-loka</span></b> (the Lower realms). </span></li>
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Various scriptures talk about these different realms within Material Creation. In the Great War of Mahabharat, when Arjuna faltered in his duty, Lord Krishna gave him the Divine discourse of <a closure_uid_pdjhut="338" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta</span></b></a>, and let him have a glimpse of His Supreme <b><a closure_uid_pdjhut="173" href="http://gita-blog.blogspot.com/2008/12/virat-rupa-cosmic-or-universal-form-of.html"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Virat-Roop</span></a></b>. </div>
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In this Universal Form of the Lord, Arjun could see the entire cosmos. Eternity manifests itself in endless ways on endless planes of existence and from head to toe, Arjuna saw the body of Lord Krishna encompassing 14 different planetary dimensions!!</div>
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Virat Roop of Lord Vishnu</div>
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Let us try to understand what the fourteen planetary systems or Lokas refer to and what is their geographical and spatial arrangement.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lokas in Our Universe</span></u></b></div>
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Each Universe is shaped like an egg (<i><b>Brahmand</b></i>) and within it exist the three levels of Lokas. There are 14 planetary systems comprising the three Lokas and below them exist the 28 different Hells. It is interesting to note that various Puraans claim the original abode of Shiva to be at the boundary of this Universe and NOT Kailash.<br />
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Brahmand and its Lokas</div>
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The <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Vayu Puraan, Chapter 39 </b></span>sheds more light on the details of this place and says that<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> </b></span>beyond Brahmaloka and beneath the upper crust of the Cosmic Egg – in
between these two is the PURA (Shiva’s city), his divine abode MANOMAYA
(consisting of the mind).<br />
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This,
then is the Original and Supreme abode of Shiva where He resides till
the end of Creation and is visited by the other gods in their
space-crafts (aliens again?). This would also make sense, since geologically, the Himalayas (of
which Mount Kailash is a part), did not rise up till about 5o million
years ago! <br />
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hari-vamsha</span></b> says that Higher planetary systems are the realms of Devas, Angels, Spirits and Manes; Middle Planets (Bhu-Loka) the abode of mortal beings like Humans and animals; and the Lower planets are populated by the Demons and Nagas. Since the names in the Image above may not be very clear, I am jotting down the 14 systems here:</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Higher Lokas</span> - <span style="color: #ffd966;">Lower Lokas</span></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="2" class="is-indentpara" style="width: 183px;"><tbody>
<tr style="text-align: left;" valign="top"><td style="width: 81px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Satyaloka</div>
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1</div>
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Atal</div>
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Tapoloka</div>
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2</div>
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Vital</div>
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Janloka</div>
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3</div>
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Sutal</div>
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<tr style="text-align: left;" valign="top"><td style="width: 81px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Maharloka</div>
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4</div>
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Rasatal</div>
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<tr style="text-align: left;" valign="top"><td style="width: 81px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Swargaloka </div>
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5 </div>
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Talatal </div>
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<tr style="text-align: left;" valign="top"><td style="width: 81px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Bhuvarloka </div>
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6 </div>
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Mahatal </div>
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Bhuloka</div>
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7</div>
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Patal</div>
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All these planets are within the material world and under the control of Devi Durga, therefore the Material Creation is also known as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devi-dham.</span></b><br />
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Development of higher consciousness, starts with human beings, and further increases among the denizens of higher planetary systems. Our Earth is situated close to the middle of these planetary systems and represents the Mortal Realms known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhu Mandala</span></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jain Scriptures</span></b> also describe a similar form known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lok-purush </span></b>or the Cosmic Man. The torso and head of the Cosmic Man contain a series of heavenly realms where the inhabitants experience lives of pleasure. The legs represent a series of seven hells, which offer an endless variety of torments. <br />
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Lokas in Jain cosmology</div>
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For us, the most important part of the universe, is the disk at the Loka-purush's waist, representing the MIDDLE-WORLD, where humans live and great teachers can be born. In this post, I shall take you through the 14 planetary systems starting with the Top planets first and gradually progressing to the Lower ones.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">URDHVA-LOKA or The Higher Planets</span></u></b><br />
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The Higher Planets are abodes of super-intelligent, super-human, semi-divine and spiritually advanced beings. Loosely they may be understood as the Heavenly planets compared to the Middle Realm of Earth-like planets and the lower Hellish realms.<br />
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Comparative arrangement of Lokas<br />
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This group contains SIX planetary systems shown in the image above as the top six Lokas. The lowest of these, the Bhuvar-Loka, lies immediately above the Earthly Realm or <b><i>Bhu-Loka</i></b>.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">SATYA-LOKA</span></u></b></div>
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The HIGHEST planet in the Material Realm is the abode of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Brahma</span></b>, the progenitor of this universe. Along with him are present, his consort <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswati</span></b> and other spiritual entities who, after eons of spiritual penance have been able to transcend the bonds of Material world and reach this plane by traversing through the Milky Way.<br />
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Satya-Loka or Brahma-Loka</div>
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At the time of final dissolution of the material planets the residents here transform their subtle bodies into spiritual bodies and enter the eternal <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaikuntha</span></b> planets which begin 26,200,000 yojanas ABOVE the Satyaloka.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">TAPO-LOKA</span></u></b></div>
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This is the abode of the four Kumars named <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sanat, Sanak, Sanandan,</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sanatan</span></b> and is located 120,000,000 yojanas below the Satya-Loka.<br />
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They are the first incarnations of Lord Vishnu and represent the <i><b>Gyan-shakti</b></i> (power of knowledge) of the Lord. They are collectively referred to as the Kumars because they are immortal and live for the entire duration of universal time, yet retain their appearance of 5 year old kids! <br />
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The 4 Kumars preaching Supreme Knowledge<br />
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Because of their pure nature, they have easy access to the <b><i>Brahma-Loka</i></b> as well as the Spiritual Realm and regularly visit Lord Vishnu in the <b><i>Vaikuntha</i></b>.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">JANA-LOKA & MAHAR-LOKA</span></u></b></div>
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The next Loka lies 80,000,000 yojanas below the Tapaloka and is the abode of great rishis. 20,000,000 yojanas below Janaloka is the Maharloka which is another abode of great saints and sages.<br />
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These Lokas are populated by mystics who can move between any planets within the material universe at speeds unthinkable to modern Science and the greatest of sages, such as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhrigu Muni</span></b>, live in this place. The inhabitants have a life span of one whole day of Brahma (4.32 Billion years)!<br />
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Sages of Jana-Loka and Mahar-loka worshipping the Lord</div>
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When the fire of devastation reaches this planet the residents transport themselves to <b><i>Satyaloka</i></b> where they live further before the highest of planets is also destroyed. They then transform their subtle bodies to spiritual and enter the spiritual realms.<br />
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Here, by means of his <b><i>Karma</i></b>, a soul can either go higher, up to <i><b>Satyaloka </b></i>and become Brahma's associate, or down, to the level of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8326299284974537825&postID=2039152018844296904#6"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devas or demigods</span></b></a>.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">SWARGA-LOKA</span></u></b><br />
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<span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration">The abode of the 33 Vedic gods also known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Trayastriṃśa</span></b></span> in Buddhist cosmology is located on the peak of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumeru" title="Sumeru"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mount Meru</span></b></a>, the central mountain of the world, at a height of 80,000 yojans.<br />
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This Loka corresponds to the concept of Heaven as described in the Western sense of the term. Here the King of the Gods, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Aakra_%28Buddhism%29" title="Śakra (Buddhism)"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra</span></b></a> rules with his brothers and companions. His entourage comprises of Angels, <b><i>Gandharvas, Apsaras, Maruts, Vasus</i></b> and other divine beings.<br />
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The Heavenly Realm</div>
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This is one of the most opulent planetary system with unimaginable riches, wish-fulfilling trees, supersonic space-crafts, ability to travel in different dimensions, long life-spans, and freedom from disease and disability. The duty of these <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Demi-gods</span></b> is to manage the affairs of the universe, protecting its inhabitants against the demons.<br />
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The capital city of this world is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Amravati</span></b> - Abode of the Immortals. Indra and his fellow-residents obtain all the pleasures of life because of the wish-fulfilling cow <b><i>Kamdhenu</i></b>. This divine cow, the three-headed White Elephant <b><i>Airavat</i></b> as well as the Flying Horse <b><i>Uchhaihshrava</i></b> (~Greek Pegasus) were the riches Indra obtained after the Churning of the Cosmic Ocean.<br />
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Indra riding the winged-horse Ucchaihshrava</div>
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However, the 33 gods do not have a completely worry-free life here. In particular, they find themselves frequently challenged by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asuras" title="Asuras"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Asuras</span></b></a> who dwell at the foot of Sumeru, plotting for ways to overthrow the Devas and take over their kingdom. <br />
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Devas getting ready for a battle with Asuras<br />
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Image courtesy Grant Morrison's 18 Days</div>
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{Art by Mukesh Singh}</div>
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Scriptural references make it equivalent to the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Biblical Heaven</span></b> or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Islamic Jannat</span></b> where the good souls go after death to reap the benefits of their good <b><i>Karma</i></b>.<br />
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If they become advanced in devotional service, they can advance to one of the higher <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8326299284974537825&postID=2039152018844296904#5"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Munilokas</span></b></a> but if they become attached to material enjoyment, they will degrade into a lower position of a semi-divine being of even a Human again. <br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">BHUVAR-LOKA </span></u></b></div>
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This planetary system roughly corresponds to our Solar System and contains Five major planets plus the Sun-God. However, there are two planets outside the Solar System included in this - <b><i>Dhruva Loka</i></b> or Pole Star and the realm of the <b><i>Sapta-rishis</i></b> or Big Dipper.<br />
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These Lokas are the abodes of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Semi-divine</span></b> beings who are one notch higher than the Humans. They assist the demigods in various ways and sometimes interact with the humans. By advancement in their service they can become a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8326299284974537825&postID=2039152018844296904#6"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Demigod</span></b></a> or by indulging in enjoyment, be born as a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8326299284974537825&postID=2039152018844296904#8"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Human</span></b></a> on the Earthly Realms.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dhruv-Loka</span></u></b><br />
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It is the planetary complex revolving around the Polestar that <span style="font-family: "times new roman";">is said to be </span>10,000,000 yojans below the Maharloka. It is described as the center of a bright ring of stars identified with our galaxy, Milky Way.<br />
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In every material universe, there is one <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaikunth</span></b> planet with an ocean of milk where Lord Vishnu resides on an island called <b><i>Shvetadvipa</i></b>. In our Universe, this planet is situated in the Eastern side of Dhruvaloka and is the abode of Lord Kshirodakshayi Vishnu! <br />
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Brahma and the demigods meditating on Lord Vishnu at the Shvet-dvipa in Dhruv Loka</div>
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This transcendental island is 200,000 square miles and covered with desire trees for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord who resides here with Goddess Lakshmi and other pure, transcendental entities.<br />
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As it is a spiritual planet, it is eternal and therefore remains when all other planets within the material universes are destroyed. It is believed to be the pivot for all material stars and planets with even the Sun, revolving at the speed of 16,000 miles per second around the <i><b>Dhruvaloka</b></i>. <br />
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As mentioned in a previous post {<b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Black%20Holes%20and%20Bhagavatam" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Black Holes and Bhagavatam</span></a></b>}, this Loka is located at the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Galactic Center</span></b> which is formed by a Super-massive Black Hole which may act as a portal between the Physical and Spiritual Realms.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sapta-rishi Loka</span></u></b></div>
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The abode of the Seven Great Seers or the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sapta-rishis</span></b> located 100,000 Yojans below the Dhruva-Loka. <br />
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The seven rishis are the most advanced spiritual guides for Humanity and have been present at all major time periods of our History. Astronomically, their abode is recognized in the form of the Big Dipper or Ursa Major constellation and it always revolves around the <b><i>Dhruv-Loka</i></b> or Pole Star.<br />
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Sapta-rishi Loka revolves around the Pole Star</div>
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Rishi <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vasishth </span></b>was the preceptor of the Solar Dynasty or Suryavansh while <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishwamitra</span></b> was the guru of Lord Rama. There are numerous stories and legends in the ancient scriptures which relate the immense services these rishis have provided to different rulers on our planet since the beginning of time.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nakshtara-Loka</span></u></b><br />
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Nakshatra Mandala is the stellar neighborhood of the Solar System perceived as the starry night sky. It is generally equated with the Zodiac Map around the Earth and represents the different constellations visible to us from Earth.<br />
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Nakshatra-Mandal</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lokas of Solar Planets</span></u></b><br />
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The next Lokas are those of the major Solar planets viz. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn which are the abodes of the divine-beings called <b><i>Budh, Shukra, Mangal, Brihaspati</i></b> and <i><b>Shanaichar</b></i> respectively.<br />
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The Lokas of Solar Planets</div>
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An alternate view is that these are spherical shell regions in which the respective planet's orbits are situated and these shells contain one after the other in the order of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These are believed to be located at a respective distance of 2,00,000 Yojans each.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya-Loka</span></u></b><br />
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Similarly, the Surya-Loka refers to the sphere of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sun-god</span></b> and the Solar neighborhood. It is located at a height of 1,00,000 Yojans above the Earth.<br />
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The Most importnt thing about this Loka is that it is situated bang in the middle of the Bhuloka and Bhuvarloka, rotating through the time circle of the zodiac. Thus, it represents not only the center of the Solar System, but ALSO the center of the Universe!!<br />
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Surya-Loka represents the center of our Universe<br />
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Since all observable data has shown the Universe to be expanding all around us, it MAY in fact BE true that our Solar System occupies the central position in the Egg-shaped Universe that we exist in. Those interested in knowing more can go through this article by Dr. Russel Humphrey - {<a href="http://creation.com/our-galaxy-is-the-centre-of-the-universe-quantized-redshifts-show" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Our-galaxy-is-the-centre-of-the-universe-quantized-redshifts-show</span></b></a>}.<br />
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It is not so easy to determine the real space structure of the universe because there's no INDEPENDENT measure of distance in the universe. Hence, the astronomers have to look at a map of redshifts and directions in the sky from where the light has come. Then to get the distance to the source galaxy they have to <i>assume </i>the Hubble law.<br />
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Such observations have confirmed that numerical values of galaxy redshifts are ‘quantized’, tending to fall into distinct groups. According to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hubble’s Law</span></b>, redshifts are proportional to how far a Galaxy is from us and an analysis of these shifts shows that galaxies tend to be grouped into (conceptual) spherical shells concentric around our home galaxy, the Milky Way.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chandra-Loka</span></u></b><br />
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<b><i>Chandra/Soma</i></b> is the Sanskrit name of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Moon-god</span></b> and hence, this Loka includes the satellite of Moon as well as its orbital neighborhood. <br />
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It should be remembered that when the scriptures talk about the Sun or the Moon-gods, it does not imply that the Star and the Satellite themselves are revered as Gods! There are deities who have been given the responsibility of these Heavenly bodies and THEY are the ones referred to by these terms.<br />
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Chandra-Loka, abode of the Moon-god</div>
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Moon influences the tidal processions and growth of vegetation therefore it is considered the life-giver for all living beings on earth. Here the celestial, intoxicating beverage called <b><i>Soma</i></b> is also available which is consumed by Indra and other Devas especially when they are getting ready for a battle.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rahu</span></u></b><br />
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Rahu is the North node of the Moon's orbit while its counterpart Ketu is the southern one. It is said to be situated 80,000 miles above the three previous Lokas and is responsible for causing the Solar and Lunar eclipses.<br />
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Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu are identified with the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ascending and Descending Nodes</span></b> of the Moon which are the points where the orbits of Sun and Moon intersect and if the alignment is correct, either a Solar or Lunar eclipse may occur.<br />
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Rahu and Ketu as Nodes of the Lunar orbit</div>
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Thus, these are not imaginary entities which periodically swallow the Sun and the Moon to cause an eclipse but ACTUAL positions contributing to the eclipses. The ancients were after all NOT crazy and the myths actually have underlying science inherent in them.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Siddhaloka, Charanaloka, & Vidyadharaloka</span></u></b><br />
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These planets are spread from above the Antariksh to the orbit of the Moon. Their residents are born with all the mystic siddhis naturally, including the ability to travel to other planets without using mechanical contraptions. </div>
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Vidyadhars/Angels visit Earth as messengers</div>
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The <b><i>Vidyadhars</i></b> are winged-creatures corresponding to the western concept of Angels and <b><i>Siddhas</i></b> are advanced beings who do not need wings to fly on account of their mystic Yogic powers. <b><i>Chaarans </i></b>spend most of their time traveling between the different planetary systems, eulogizing the Lord.<br />
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To me, the above mentioned three dimensions seem to represent the DIVISIONS of ATMOSPHERE which is quite neatly divided into three bands as well!<br />
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The Layers of Atmosphere between Sun and Earth</div>
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It is quite possible, that the three Lokas mentioned here, actually refer to the Atmospheric layers of Thermosphere, Mesosphere and Stratosphere and these entities exist there in an ethereal form.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Antariksh</span></u></b></div>
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The sky called <b><i>Antariksh</i></b> is the lowest of the higher Lokas and exists immediately above the Earth realm. It extends as far as the wind blows and clouds float in the sky and within it are the residences of <b><i>Yakshas, Rakshashas, Pisachas</i></b>, Ghosts, and other etheral beings. </div>
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Now that we are done with the Higher planets, let's move on to the Middle level Earth-like worlds known as th <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mrityu-Loka</span></b> or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhu-Loka</span></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>MADHYA-LOKA or The Middle Planets</u></span></b></div>
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The <b><i>Bhumandala</i></b> comprises of SEVEN Planets giving rise to the Mortal Realm. These are:</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jambu-dvipa, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Plaksha-dvipa, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Salmali-dvipa, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kusha-dvipa, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krauncha-dvipa, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shaka-dvipa,</span></b> </div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pushkar-dvipa</span></b></div>
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We have already identified JAMBUDWEEP as our planet, in a previous post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Jambudweep%20-%20The%20Global%20Island"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Jambudvip - The Global Island</span></b></a>}. The other six planets are arranged in a concentric fashion around the central planet Earth. <br />
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Dvipas in their orbits with Earth in the Centre</div>
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I wouldn't go much into the details of the different planets here because the descriptions more or less follow the same pattern as those of the Earth. All these planets have land surrounded by huge oceans and comprise of Humanoid species.<br />
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However, the denizens here live longer and are more materially opulent than the denizens of our world becuase right from <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Plaksh-dvipa</span></b> to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shak-dvipa</span></b>, there is a perpetual <b><i>Treta-Yuga</i></b> which is a more conducive age than our present Kailyuga.<br />
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I hope most of you would have grasped the point to be noted here -<b> Besides Earth, there are SIX more planets which have Human-beings/Humanoids inhabiting them!</b><br />
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The significance of this information is huge!! If only we could identify these planets, we would be able to identify the location of OTHER intelligent species similar to us as well. I for one would be most eager to join if someone with access to astronomical resources needed for this endeavor decides to take the initiative..<br />
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Till then, let us do what we can and learn more about the other Lokas.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">ADHO-LOKA or The Lower Planets</span></u></b></span><br />
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About 70,000 Yojans below the earth begin the seven lower planetary systems. It should be remembered that these planets may be LOWER in spatial co-ordinates but are materially MORE opulent than even the Higher Planets hence they are known as the <b><i>Bila-Swarga</i></b>!<br />
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These geographically lower worlds are:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Atal </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vital</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sutal</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Talatal</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahataal </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rasaatal</span></b> </div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pataal</span></b></div>
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The residents here enjoy a standard of material comfort UNMATCHED by even the higher planets because the denizens of these worlds are concerned only with <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Material</span></b> enjoyment and have very loittle <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Spiritual</span></b> inclination. </div>
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These lower worlds are dark planets, devoid of any Sunshine and are hence<b><i> artificially-lit</i></b> by means of huge reflecting surfaces in the form of crystals and gems! Since time is not divided into days and nights due to no sunshine reaching these planets, they have no fear produced by time.<br />
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These planets are the residence of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Daityas, Danavas, Panis, Nivat-kavachs, Rakshasas, Kalkeyas,</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Nagas,</b><span style="color: black;"> </span><b>Uragas</b></span> who are all engaged in illusory material enjoyment with no thought of spiritual liberation. All residents bathe in elixirs which free them from any anxiety or physical disease, as well as any signs of physical aging. </div>
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Rakshas denizens enjoy all Material opulences</div>
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The visual beauty of these artificial heavens surpasses even that of the higher planets and hence they are known as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bila-Swarga</span></b>. There are incredible feats of architecture in their cities bedecked with valuable jewels.</div>
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This sensual atmosphere completely captures the mind, allowing no thoughts but those directed toward fulfillment of pleasure. Demon live in these lower planetary systems with their wives and children, always engaged in sense gratification and not fearing their next births. </div>
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There are some details which are worth mentioning here- </div>
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<li>The planet Sutal is the abode of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bali Maharaj</span></b>, the most benevoent and just king of the Asura race, who was blessed by Lord Vishnu to become the <b><i>Indra</i></b> for the next <b><i>Manvantar</i></b>.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">In the Lower planets of Mahataal and Pataal, reside the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nagas</span></b> or the semi-human serpent people. The Nagaloka is a splendid place with unimaginable riches. All darkness is banished here because of the brilliantly glowing jewels on the hoods of the huge serpents. The King of the Nagas, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vasuki</span></b> resides here in his capital <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhogavati</span></b>.</li>
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Naga city of Bhogavati</div>
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<li>Buddhist texts mention eight major kings of the Nagas - <b><i>Vasuki, Takshak, Nanda, Upananda, Sagar, Balvan, Anavatapta</i></b> and <b><i>Utpal</i></b>. The same are also referred to as the 'Eight Dragon Kings' in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chinese</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Japanese</span></b> legends.</li>
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Below the lowest planet of Pataal, is the planet of the Manes or ancestors who are known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pitras</span></b>. </div>
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Texts like the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat </span></b>repeatedly give incidents of Nagas emerging from under the ground (inspired probably by their tendency to live in burrows) and Naga princesses abducting handsome men deep down under water. Maybe a thorough underwater exploration can help shed some light on the possible existence of portals between these worlds and our Earth. </div>
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Till now, we have encountered planets with advanced beings having multiple limbs who can transport themselves from one place to another in a fraction of a second (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaikunth-Loka</span></b>). We saw planets where people travel on airplanes and space-crafts rather than ground-cars (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Swarga-Loka</span></b>) and also read about planets that do not need the Sun for survival (<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bila-Swarga</span></b>) </div>
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Beneath all these, and slightly above the <b><i>Garbhodak ocean</i></b>, are the <b><i>Naraklokas</i></b>, or the hellish planets. </div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">NARAK-LOKA or The Hellish Planets</span></u></b></div>
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Narak is the Hindu counterpart of Christian <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hell</span></b> and Islamic <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dozakh</span></b>. <br />
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This place acts as a purgatory for the souls who have commited the most abominable actions on the earthly plane. Unlike the Eternal Hell of Western religions though, this place is temporary and once the soul has learnt its lesson, it is free to move back into the regular dimension.<br />
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Lowest of all are the Planets of Hell</div>
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There are 28 different hells described in the Vedic literature and these planets are:<i> Raurav, Sukar, Rodha, Tal, Vishsan, Mahajwal, Taptakumbh, Lavan, Vilohit, Rudhiramabh, Vaitarni, Krimish, Krimibhojan, Asipatravana, <place><place w:st="on">Krishna</place></place>, Lalabhaksha, Darun, Puyuvah, Pap, Vahnijwal, Adhahshira, Sandansh, Kalsutra, Tamas, Avichi, Swabhojan, Apratishthit</i> and <i>Aprachi</i>. <br />
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The different Hells</div>
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The ancient sages have made provisions of expiation for those sinners who feel guilty in their conscience after committing their sins. Only those sinners who do not expiate for their sins fall into these hells. Although life here seems to go on for an eternity, in actual fact the duration of one's <b><i>Karmic sentence</i></b> here may be only seconds or moments. <br />
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All these Hells are under the domain of Surya-putra <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yamaraj</span></b> where he delivers judgement according to the record kept by his assistant Chitra-gupta.<br />
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Yamraj in his Court of Justice </div>
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Image courtesy Dominique Amendola</div>
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<place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on"></placetype></place><span id="bc_0_98b+seedUv5BD" kind="d">As I understand, the sins are
paid off in hell only when you have achieved the human form at the end
of the 84 lakh births you have taken.. at all other times, the soul is
immediately transferred to a new body as soon as it leaves the previous
one.</span><br />
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Below these planets is the <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Garbhodak</span></b></placename><b> <placetype w:st="on">Ocean</placetype></b> which forms the bottom of the <b><i>Universal Egg</i></b> or the <b><i>Brahm-and</i></b>.</place><br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Foundation of Our Universe</span></u></b><br />
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At the base of our Universe lies the immense Garbhodak Ocean on which reclines the second form of Lord Vishnu - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Garbhodakshayi Vishnu</span></b>, resting on the Eternal serpent, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ananta-Shesha</span></b>. {For details check this link - <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Creation%20by%20Brahma" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Creation by Brahma</span></b></a>}.<br />
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Final arrangement of the Lokas</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Anant-Shesh</span></b> has thousands of hoods and each of the hoods carries a bright gemstone that illuminates the azimuths. At the end of every <b><i>Kalpa</i></b>, Brahma goes to sleep and rests for the night.<br />
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The time has come now for the <b><i>Maha-pralaya</i></b> when fiery poison emanates from Ananta's thousands of hoods and destroys all Creation. This is the<b style="color: #ffd966;"> Sankarshan </b>form of the Lord from whose eyebrows appears the three-eyed <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rudra</b></span> who destroys the three worlds and dances the dance of destruction known as the Tandav.<br />
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Lord Sankarshan destroys the creation at the end of Brahma's day</div>
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From all that we have read about the different Lokas, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhu-Loka</span></b> or the Earth-Realm seems to be sort of a Launch-pad from where you can reach the other worlds based on your <b><i>Karma</i></b>.</div>
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Through <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">GOOD</span></b> Karma and right inclination, one can ascend to the Spiritually advanced Higher planets; through <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">OKAYish</span></b> Karma, indulgence of senses and unbridled desires, one can descend to the Spiritually deprived but Materially advanced Lower planets. And through really really really <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">BAD</span></b> Karma, one may have to suffer in one of the Hellish planets!<br />
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This, I believe is the central learning from all this knowledge. Even if you are a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Deva</span></b> or a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishi</span></b>, there's no guarantee that you won't be born as a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rakshas</span></b> or an ant or a bacteria in your next birth! There are numerous instances where a Divine being was cursed to be born as a Human or an animal because of his bad Karma.</div>
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<b>The only certain way to get out of this </b><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Samsara</span> or the Never-ending Cycle of Birth and Death is to keep the Lord in your heart in every action that you do, in every thought that comes to your mind, and in every breath that you take. </b><br />
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I conclude this post with a statement from the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brahma-Vaivarta Puraan</span></b> -</div>
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<i>Harer naam Harer naam Hare naam Kevalam,</i></div>
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<i>Kalau na asti eva na asti eva na asti eva gatih anyathha!</i></div>
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Only the name of Hari, Only the name of Hari, Only the name of Hari,</div>
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There's no other delieverance, no other deliverance, no other deliverance in this Age of Kali!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com385Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.0759837 72.87765590000003618.886130199999997 72.775280400000042 19.2658372 72.98003140000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-54967460087078036812012-02-29T12:13:00.007+05:302016-02-17T21:30:13.221+05:30Krishna - The Historical Perspective<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">, the all-attractive-one is arguably the most popular God of the sub-continent! He is </span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><i>Megh-varna</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">, the color-of-clouds; </span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><i>Go-pal</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">, the protector of cows; </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><b>Murli-manohar</b></i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">, who steals hearts by the melody of his flute; and </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><b>Madan-Mohan</b></i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"> who can mesmerize Cupid himself with His beauty..</span><br />
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Murli-Manohar Krishna</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, this post is not about <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna, the God</span></b>. Enough has been said and written in almost all languages of the world about Krishna's super-human personality. I kinda wanted to explore the historical origin of His enigmatic life and hence will try to steer clear of 'FAITH' and focus more on the 'FACTS'.</span><br />
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From Krishna the God TO Krishna the Man<br />
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Image courtesy Grant Morrison's 18 Days</div>
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{Art by Mukesh Singh}</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am definitely not the first or the last person to make this effort. More than a hundred years ago, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bankim Chandra Chatterjee</span></b> had written a remarkable book known as <b><i>Sri Krishna Charitra</i></b>,<i> </i>devoted to a scientific study of the life of Krishna<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></span></div>
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Over this century, however, there have been many more developments which have shattered the earlier theories (such as the <b><i>Aryan Invasion Theory</i></b>) and have pushed back the dates of Vedic literature to much before what was believed by the early historians. Let us examine all such evidence available to us today and try to unravel the Historical perspective of Krishna.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><u>Historical period of Krishna</u></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shrimad Bhagvatam</span></b> declares that Krishna arrives on Earth towards the end of the <b><i>Dwapar Yug</i></b> of the 7th <b><i>Manvantar</i></b> of the 1st <b><i>Kalpa</i></b> of the 51st year of the current Brahma.. rather precise timing there!! </span><br />
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Advent of Krishna<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu6VQbZc6AjGjU-YUr4U9KRjtB7Y41Bkc69pMfO4iAgkUaPBK7jcvrvhYJ7vUKIkBkOwHtLZx03fV52k-J1sWwJK0YAw4UG2Ij8V4DTyxEHxjao2dw7M0qAYdFDdPjaYaumR5psNg5H0/s1600/PTA41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu6VQbZc6AjGjU-YUr4U9KRjtB7Y41Bkc69pMfO4iAgkUaPBK7jcvrvhYJ7vUKIkBkOwHtLZx03fV52k-J1sWwJK0YAw4UG2Ij8V4DTyxEHxjao2dw7M0qAYdFDdPjaYaumR5psNg5H0/s640/PTA41.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
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For those who do not understand these terms let me enlighten you a little: Each <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brahma</span></b> lives a lifetime of 100 years; each year with 360 days called <i><b>Kalpas</b></i>; each day divided into 14<b><i> Manvantars</i></b>; and each Manvantar divided into 71<i><b> Maha-Yugas</b></i> with 4 <i><b>Yugas</b></i> each. {For details on the Hindu calculation of time, check this link - <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/p/mythology.html"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Kaalchakra, the Hindu Timeline</span></b></a>}.<br />
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Currently, we are in the last of the four Yugas called the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Kaliyuga</b> </span>which, according to astronomical calculations, began on the 20th of February 3102 BCE. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, this would place Krishna roughly around 3300-3200 BCE as the <b><i>Bhagvatam</i></b> states that <b><i>Kaliyuga</i></b> couldn't begin till Krishna was on the planet! </span></span><br />
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Annointing the Annointed One - Krishna's Birth Ceremony<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVezOFmx4ICZWNMxkl1LriBEFdwHXZgnz4FuSTglSTEiInb0o_MeUd3KnASTeaRaUBBSC2fFeDOO-I4XSu9uj7ip1lm98F1jDc1G6RLUkgxCc51PYNL_moG2Jvgb5w0vulzmk4UMIeOU/s1600/Krishna's+Birth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVezOFmx4ICZWNMxkl1LriBEFdwHXZgnz4FuSTglSTEiInb0o_MeUd3KnASTeaRaUBBSC2fFeDOO-I4XSu9uj7ip1lm98F1jDc1G6RLUkgxCc51PYNL_moG2Jvgb5w0vulzmk4UMIeOU/s1600/Krishna's+Birth.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fortunately, there is a large body of literary and archaeological evidence that can guide us towards an approximate time-period for His presence. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The earliest text to explicitly provide detailed descriptions of Krishna is of course the epic </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Mah%C4%81bh%C4%81rata" title="Mahābhārata"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Mahabharat</b></span></a>.<br />
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Mahabharat Manuscript</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqF8F1o8rIXBtZ76dG6PF18QXRVYKKGBSfYYqkkSKPb3sfaFNR0ojEkHvE_nQZQy-vBjzVvYSBiRs8V85T-oTTQPQTEvrr-UnulKJHdbf91IABEWSYV_B9QPJ1jCLTFhg8mUkH_rzOMY/s1600/kuruk..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqF8F1o8rIXBtZ76dG6PF18QXRVYKKGBSfYYqkkSKPb3sfaFNR0ojEkHvE_nQZQy-vBjzVvYSBiRs8V85T-oTTQPQTEvrr-UnulKJHdbf91IABEWSYV_B9QPJ1jCLTFhg8mUkH_rzOMY/s1600/kuruk..jpg" yda="true" /></a><br />
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S<span style="font-family: inherit;">ince it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is primarily the history of the <b><i>Kurus</i></b> (Pandavs and Kauravs), Mahabharat contains only that part of Krishna's life that had a bearing on the fate of Kurus. </span>However, its crown jewel is the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhagvad Geeta</span></b> which transforms Krishna from a much adored and cherished Princely diplomat to the Supreme God Himself.</div>
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Mahabharat gives Krishna prime importance</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Grant Morrison</span></b>, the visionary director of world-class Mahabharat-based animation succinctly puts - <br />
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<i>The Gita, with its direct, no-nonsense guide to living in the odd universe we all share, is at the very heart of the story; everything else revolves around the moment when Krishna lays it on the line for Arjuna. </i><i>T</i><i>he conflict is the war between desire and duty, the material and the spiritual, the war that is fought every day by every human being.</i></span><br />
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Krishna reveals the Geeta to a bewildered Arjuna</div>
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It is generally understood that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>Mahabharat,</b> </i>was not written at one go, but was compiled over some years. The<span class="st"> first section of the epic states that</span> <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishi Ved-Vyas</span></b> dictated the events of that age to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ganesha</span></b> over a considerable period of time. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This unfortunately, makes it difficult to put an exact date to the story and the time-period of Krishna. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">HOWEVER, the recent discovery of the dry river-bed of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswati </span></b>, can help us put some conclusive dates to the epic.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i><b>Mahabharat</b></i> describes Saraswati as a disappearing river, but also mentions Lord Balrama traveling on Saraswati from Dwarka to Mathura, to immerse the ashes of Yadav martyrs after the battle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This implies that the river was navigable at the time of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat War</span></b></a> and the Epic was written BEFORE it had dried up, which as French scientists have discovered, was at least before 3000 BCE {</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read the post <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2011/10/finding-saraswati.html"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Finding River Saraswati</span></b></a> for more clarity}.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another literary work known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Harivamsha</span></b> helps to fill the gaps in the account of Krishna's life that are missing from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>Mahabharat</b></i>. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu-puran</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhagvat-Puran</span></b> contain still more details about the life of Krishna with the latter AGAIN declaring Him - SWAYAM BHAGWAN, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. </span></span></div>
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Bhagvatam Manuscript from 1500 CE</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNWPh37W4nt_5Dy06-XfssXq6rn3qyapnzkFBntCGtybQEWW_8HIbUAjkESJSm-AaSN2zHEwYpT2KUr-S_G-oGlhVUuZnWqFyq0PNWOEhVgD2-j7TdW4r_CuROWW6bJ6wbHQEymEO7Fk/s1600/devanagari_manuscript.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNWPh37W4nt_5Dy06-XfssXq6rn3qyapnzkFBntCGtybQEWW_8HIbUAjkESJSm-AaSN2zHEwYpT2KUr-S_G-oGlhVUuZnWqFyq0PNWOEhVgD2-j7TdW4r_CuROWW6bJ6wbHQEymEO7Fk/s1600/devanagari_manuscript.jpg" uda="true" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Confoundingly though, there haven't been any authentic dates assigned to these literary works till now. </span></span>In ancient India, knowledge was transferred ORALLY from the <b><i>Guru</i></b> to the <b><i>Shishya</i></b>, hence it is difficult to date the texts in a definite manner.<br />
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Hence, for the purpose of our quest, we would need to take help of scriptures which are more or less conclusively dated (on the basis of their language, grammar, historical references etc.) so that we can arrive at a somewhat clearer picture.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Conclusive Literary Evidence for Krishna</span></u></b><br />
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References to Krishna can be found in almost all major scriptures, and there <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">are profuse references to the famous personalities of that age in Vedic, Jain and Buddhist literature. </span></span></span> </div>
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The earliest authentically dateable reference to Krishna is from the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Chandogya_Upanishad" title="Chandogya Upanishad"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Chandogya Upanishad</b></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (3.17.6). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Composed around 900 BCE, it<sup> </sup>mentions <i><b>Vasudeva-Krishna</b></i> as the son of Vasudev and Devaki and the disciple of Ghora Angirasa.</span></div>
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Me in the Ashram where Krishna and Balaram learnt from their Guru<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPmvahR5KawtW5AchpVEGT7qOoOolQPGDSbOX1FFuvos8s67y1YHpWPQTcfc-COqkCaGL4Wall7GiBGJ_UD6PoBrSZxyNWtXvGLWZKQbQKCfv8h6a6fp9Bs561hIAaZw9AHjEnrQ_o5Q/s1600/Krishna-Balram+with+Guru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPmvahR5KawtW5AchpVEGT7qOoOolQPGDSbOX1FFuvos8s67y1YHpWPQTcfc-COqkCaGL4Wall7GiBGJ_UD6PoBrSZxyNWtXvGLWZKQbQKCfv8h6a6fp9Bs561hIAaZw9AHjEnrQ_o5Q/s640/Krishna-Balram+with+Guru.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Jain and Buddhist literature also contains profuse references to Shri Krishna and Balaram! Since dating these literatures has been more or less accomplished accurately, they can be a valuable source of information for us..</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jain Tradition</span></b> from around 700 BCE, talks about <span style="font-family: inherit;">a <b><i>Vasudev</i></b> and his elder brother <b><i>Baladev</i></b> in each cycle time. They take birth to rid the world of eveil and kill the <b><i>Prati-vasudev </i></b>or<b><i> Anti-Krishna</i></b> (the Anti-Christ??). </span></div>
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Shri Krishna and Balrama are NINTH in this <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vasudeva-Baladeva</span></b> series and according to Jain predictions, Krishna is stated to become the 12th Tirthankar in the NEXT time-cycle. This shows that Krishna was quite popular in Non-Vedic traditions as well.<br />
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<li>Additionally, Krishna is also described as the cousin of the 22nd Tirthankar <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Neminath</span></b> whose historicity is believed by most Jains today. </li>
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The 24th Tirthankar <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Mahavir</span></b> was born in 599 BCE, and since there is a considerable time gap between subsequent Tirthankars (ranging from centuries to millenia), we can safely assume Neminath and his contemporary Lord Krishna to be born much before this time.</div>
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The cousins Neminath and Krishna from a Jain painting</div>
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<img border="0" height="299" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ard3ZS0_38QvWRYaRB86fvUqnpXVt0Of5vvp4yS4awlOWu8gVDIYzdioXGLSGqHkrmPo7Sg6Oop8WwQaYsj7W9wgxS1o_0QdAQMIxmlRAxnCdTXLubzHoWDY8Hp0LEaSODEFEquWFw8/s400/Lord+neminath.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Y%C4%81ska" title="Yāska"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Yāska</b></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">'s </span></b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Nirukta" title="Nirukta"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nirukta</span></b></a>, (600 BCE), one of the greatest etymological Sanskrit dictionaries, contains a reference to the <i><b>Syamantaka</b></i> jewel,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> from the well known Puranic story about Krishna.<sup> </sup></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/P%C4%81%E1%B9%87ini" title="Pāṇini"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Pāṇini</b></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the ancient grammarian and author of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Asthadhyayi </span></b>(6th century BCE) mentions <b><i>Vāsudev,</i></b> Kauravs and Pandavs and testifies to them being contemporaries of each other.</span></div>
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As a linguist unconcerned with religion, Panini's references are especially valuable as they have no sectarian purpose. He mentions <span style="font-family: inherit;">Vasudev Krishna and Arjun together as </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b> Vasudevarjunabhyam vun</b></i> in Sutra 4.3.98<i>.</i></span></div>
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The characters from Mahabharat were Historical figures<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheO-2rZS6MM2wlcX3TSE9HB7s87bFQJmoRLRpSiJiWQB8OPxFmuw_JI4Wd16_PRWYEBnJhMKbVOTHzykMo0rVJaCrDOnwOdxbM2l-Hx7Cxq2EPWd3pjaD9YbnQYmEi79aDgoEynrv_giU/s1600/grant-morrison-18-days-Pandavas..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheO-2rZS6MM2wlcX3TSE9HB7s87bFQJmoRLRpSiJiWQB8OPxFmuw_JI4Wd16_PRWYEBnJhMKbVOTHzykMo0rVJaCrDOnwOdxbM2l-Hx7Cxq2EPWd3pjaD9YbnQYmEi79aDgoEynrv_giU/s1600/grant-morrison-18-days-Pandavas..jpg" /></a></div>
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Image courtesy Grant Morrison's 18 Days</div>
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{Art by Mukesh Singh}</div>
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Similar to the Jain sources, Buddhist literature also contains numerous references to historical figures from the Mahabharata including, of course, Shri Krishna.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Buddhist literature</span></b> records Krishna earliest in the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Ghata-Jataka</b></span> (300 BCE) as an ancient ruler of India and gives an account of His exploits that corresponds quite well with the Hindu tradition. There's a good record of the presence of <b><i>Vasudev, Baladev,</i></b> killing of Kamsa and their cousins the Kurus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahaummagga Jataka</span></b> (around 3rd century BCE), states that <b><i>Jambavati</i></b> was one of the consorts of <b><i>Vasudeva Kanha</i></b> which matches with the description from the Bhagavatam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Around 150 BCE, </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Patanjali" title="Patanjali"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Patanjali</b></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in his <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Mahabhashya" title="Mahabhashya"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahabhashya</b></span></a> praises Krishna and Samkarshan (Balrama) and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> describes dramatic performances representing the killing of Kamsa by Vasudev (<b><i>Krishna-Kamsopacharam</i></b>).</span></div>
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Krishna liberates Kamsa<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHODFAlxJcsrmVqcT1vNO63HhyphenhyphenvIGfHLeutfQ0hhwAxDEaW9XUdv11BKCeFyt2c6eg7QGXHq4wIsqd6mjuI7-TyG4JgJ0QTGMbeNbud17ItzLzhH1YC-9vOvKZ2qE9c7jxsGY-FS5RIs/s1600/krishna-kamsa.JPG" /> </div>
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Surprisingly, we even have evidence provided by foreign travelers, such as the Greek scholars, who came to India during and after Alexander's campaign!!</div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Megasthenes" title="Megasthenes"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Megasthenes</b></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (350BCE), the Greek Ambassador to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chandragupta Maurya,</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the first unifier of Medieval India, identifies Krishna with the Greek <i><b>Herakles </b></i>or<i><b> Hercules </b></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in his famous work </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Indica_%28Megasthenes%29" title="Indica (Megasthenes)"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Indica</b></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">describes an Indian tribe called <b><i>Sourasenoi</i></b>, who worshiped Herakles in their land which had t</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">wo cities, <b><i>Methora</i></b> and <b><i>Kleisobora</i></b>, and a navigable river, the <b><i>Jobares</i></b>. </span></div>
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Inscription from the Indica</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUAbOPhSvmwiYw3Mm1c4RIfYe7OQfJiPK0gYPiTO28Qv45d9RF0lRCdTE3wNvK197dG1aVozQlw1FwrO4nlXJUMP1rz2MiBA9pkvEGoPjhIhyphenhyphen_wGivV1s8lCbU7jIatsc5cEepecGoF4/s1600/Indika+fragments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUAbOPhSvmwiYw3Mm1c4RIfYe7OQfJiPK0gYPiTO28Qv45d9RF0lRCdTE3wNvK197dG1aVozQlw1FwrO4nlXJUMP1rz2MiBA9pkvEGoPjhIhyphenhyphen_wGivV1s8lCbU7jIatsc5cEepecGoF4/s400/Indika+fragments.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The reasons for this mistaken identification are quite understandable: FIRST, the Greek historians tried to make sense of other religions' gods by equating them with their own divinities and SECONDLY, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">12 Labors of Hercules</span></b> have a lot of similarities with the acts Krishna performed as a kid! </div>
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For example, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna</span></b> subdues the monstrous serpent Kaliya whose very breath could kill someone with its poison; while <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hercules</span></b> kills the equally monstrous Hydra and also beheads the snake-headed Medusa whose single look could turn anyone into stone! </div>
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Krishna subduing the monstrous serpent Kaliya</div>
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Hercules defeating the serpentine Hydra</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaBsnj2ySJ8tu8rwH_QVfE_F4o_6_4XC0-yJnKmuwO-UVqKIvZ1sxUL_2N9th5TabElOM7oNK09wb36i2wlGQYOS7AbNRCunECAGL3hgy1Sdhgsx-XAxo-Rahyj_3lQ0AS2-dXP4brKs/s1600/hercules_hydra1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaBsnj2ySJ8tu8rwH_QVfE_F4o_6_4XC0-yJnKmuwO-UVqKIvZ1sxUL_2N9th5TabElOM7oNK09wb36i2wlGQYOS7AbNRCunECAGL3hgy1Sdhgsx-XAxo-Rahyj_3lQ0AS2-dXP4brKs/s400/hercules_hydra1.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From descriptions given in the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Indica</b>, there's little doubt that the <b><i>Sourasenoi</i></b> refers to Krishna's dynasty, the Shurasena Yadavs</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">; <b><i>Methora</i></b> to Mathura; <b><i>Kleisobora</i></b> to Krishnapura, and <b><i>Jobares</i></b> to Yamuna,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the river from Krishna's life-story.</span></div>
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<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Quintus_Curtius" title="Quintus Curtius"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Quintus Curtius</b></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> also mentions that when Alexander confronted Porus/Puru on the banks of the Indus, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Porus's soldiers were carrying an image of Herakles in their vanguard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The court scholar of Mauryas, states that the city <b><i>Polibrotha</i></b> (Pataliputra or Patna) was founded by Herakles, 138 generations before the reign of King Sandrocottas, the Greek name for <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chandragupta Maurya</span></b>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Here is one DIRECT piece of information, which can retrospectively help us calculate the tentative time period of Krishna!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most scholars have assumed the ruling span of each King in those times to be somewhere around 20-25 years based on life expectancy and frequency of coups and family-feuds. The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">138 generations</span></b> would then give us almost <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">3000 years</span></b> between Hercules and Chandragupta Maurya giving </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the time of Krishna somewhere close to 3300 BCE. </span><br />
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Krishna, the King, ruled at least 3000 years before Chandragupta Maurya<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This date, fortunately, tallies splendidly with our EARLIER Hypothesis and STRANGELY</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> enough, also coincides with the Early phase of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati Civilization</span></b>!! </span>Let us explore this connection a little before moving on to the Archaeological evidence in favor of Krishna.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati Evidence for Krishna</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati</span></b> artifacts, present an enchanting picture when we co-relate them with events or personalities mentioned in the Vedic scriptures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As discussed in previous posts, there are seals which have been identified with the <b><i>Yogi Shiva</i></b>, <b><i>Mother Goddess</i></b>, the <b><i>Holy Bull</i></b>, (maybe) <b><i>Emperor Bharat</i></b>, <b><i>Rishabh-dev</i></b> etc.. Let's see if there exist any relics that can point to a knowledge of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna </span></b>as well!</span><br />
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A steatite tablet which was unearthed from <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mohanjodaro</span></b> in 1931, depicts a young boy uprooting two trees from which are emerging two human figures. It has been considered an interesting archaeological finding for fixing the date of Krishna. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPeodnaHPD9Cc-4QjjJQuwC3N_QXOx2szW4-mKS80lggyBMICLJmbNScI6wb6n4YMwJXHy-t6H50MenJIisNoNe7-2u-1gSE8jS6nJ-6EedpJ-UGxSGeDGV2BmsEtrasCeYZXiiSrwi8/s1600/man+btw+two+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPeodnaHPD9Cc-4QjjJQuwC3N_QXOx2szW4-mKS80lggyBMICLJmbNScI6wb6n4YMwJXHy-t6H50MenJIisNoNe7-2u-1gSE8jS6nJ-6EedpJ-UGxSGeDGV2BmsEtrasCeYZXiiSrwi8/s400/man+btw+two+trees.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dr. E.J.H. Mackay</span></b>, who did the excavation at Mohanjodaro compares this image with the Yamalarjuna episode and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Prof. V.S. Agrawal</span></b> has also accepted this identification. In this image, the young boy depicted could very well be Krishna and two beings emerging out of the trees, the two cursed Gandharvs <b><i>Nalkubera</i></b> & <b><i>Manigriva</i></b>, who had turned into Arjuna trees due to a curse and were liberated by Krishna. <br />
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The Yamalarjuna episode</div>
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This shows that the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati</b> people probably knew about Krishna�s exploits and stories related to Krishna. This lone finding may not substantiate to the date of Krishna but at the same time it cannot be ignored<span style="font-family: inherit;"> especially when another indirect evidence can be found in a related find. </span><br />
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The <span style="font-family: inherit;">Indus-Valley seals show an abundance of animal forms ranging from Unicorns to Bulls to Horses to Fish; but what is missing is the depiction of Fauna or Trees! However, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">interestingly, there is one particular type of tree and its leaves invariably found in all Indus sites - the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Peepal</span></b> leaves. </span></div>
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Peepal Leaves on Indus-Saraswati seals</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, in the 10th chapter of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Srimad Bhagawad-Gita,</span></b> Krishna says that amongst the trees he represents the <b><i>Aswatha</i></b> or <b><i>Pipal. </i></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I believe, that the ONLY leaf to be represented on ANY Indus Seal - the Pipal leaf, could be the representation of Krishna in His Non-anthropomorphic form!</span><br />
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In the legend of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishi Markandeya</span></b>, there is even a mention of Krishna appearing in front of the rishi as a baby lying on a peepal leaf floating in the cosmic waters of dissolution of the World.<br />
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Baby Krishna on Pipal leaf from the Markandeya story<br />
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It would of course need a complete deciphering of the heiroglyphs on the numerous seals before we can conclusively prove any hypothesis but till now, there is at least nothing to disprove that they at least KNEW about Krishna. We now need to analyze other data avaialable to conclusively prove or disprove our estimate.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Evidence from Marine Archaeology</u></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recent marine archaeological discoveries in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gulf of Cambay</span></b>, off the coast of Gujarat have revealed an entire submerged civilization which has been carbon-dated to somewhere around 7500 BCE! {Check this link for more details -<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span></b><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1768109.stm"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Lost City could rewrite History! - BBC South-Asia report</span></b></a>}</span></span></div>
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Gulf of Cambay</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The likelihood of this civilization being OLDER to the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati Civilization</span></b> is huge and a possible link with the fabled kingdoms of yore, mentioned in Hindu scriptures, can not be denied. But let's not jump the gun and wait for more results before we link it to Krishna or any other ancient King.</span></span></div>
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What CAN be reasonably linked to Krishna is the discovery of another submerged city close to the present city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarka"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dwarka</span></b></a> which is believed to be the ORIGINAL city of Krishna because of a plethora of archaeological findings matching the scriptural descriptions!!</div>
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Graham Hancock's documentary on the discovery of Dwarka </div>
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According to the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span></b>, this city was built by the Architect-god <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishwakarma</span></b> for Lord Krishna by reclaiming 12 <b><i>Yojans</i></b> of land from sea, on the westernmost shore of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Saurashtra_%28region%29" title="Saurashtra (region)"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saurashtra</span></b></a>. The city had six well-organized sectors, residential and commercial zones, wide roads, plazas, palaces and many public utilities alongwith a magnificent sea harbour. </div>
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Dwaraka, the Magnificent City of Krishna<br />
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The general layout of the city discovered below the Sea agrees REMARKABLY with the descriptions from the texts!! The immense foundations of the walls also support the belief that land was reclaimed from the Sea. Interestingly, scriptures talk about a kind of a PASSPORT system in Dwarka. Its citizens were issued a clay seal with a mythical three-headed-animal (the Greek <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Cerberus</span></b></a>?!?) which had to be presented when they entered or left the massive gates. Interestingly, this seal of Dwarka has been found in the underwater ruins of the city!!</div>
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The seal of Dwarika</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENmDHIxQ6dCfZtaRynIcjFXF20AXw7m63dhgYGd_8mctgDKCqcF8Jk3qRU2F5xeZmUWwXXxeLg78SyyDSOgDzhke6fg_XGZGP-TURNWUZ-EPp1TKndV2ZLfU_ijH_f3Gq0kYzL9UZGNc/s1600/i_three_head_animal_seal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENmDHIxQ6dCfZtaRynIcjFXF20AXw7m63dhgYGd_8mctgDKCqcF8Jk3qRU2F5xeZmUWwXXxeLg78SyyDSOgDzhke6fg_XGZGP-TURNWUZ-EPp1TKndV2ZLfU_ijH_f3Gq0kYzL9UZGNc/s200/i_three_head_animal_seal.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gqy7ML3u__rveuQ_2E2wJl702qJ5N54ifrf75QzI9LkAhZtXAH5IG5YDhbjNblWxB7CAfXFM0AnSNkU2DCqO0oBdt9afzsc0l-iTwIAQiKpMWNIvz1mho_4lb5LTk44I5Uuv0OwYjYM/s1600/BDK-seal..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gqy7ML3u__rveuQ_2E2wJl702qJ5N54ifrf75QzI9LkAhZtXAH5IG5YDhbjNblWxB7CAfXFM0AnSNkU2DCqO0oBdt9afzsc0l-iTwIAQiKpMWNIvz1mho_4lb5LTk44I5Uuv0OwYjYM/s200/BDK-seal..jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The details of these discoveries would require a separate article altogether but what is important from our current perspective is the DATING of this find. This particular seal has been carbon-dated to around 1528 BCE bringing it at par with the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Late Harappan period</span></b>. Other artifacts such as <i>Brick walls, citadels, fortifications, Stone anchors for ships, Roman amphoras </i>etc. have been dated from 2500 BCE to the 4th century CE have been found proving that Dwarka was probably the busiest port in the western coast of India for a long, long time!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Other Archaeological Evidence</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are numerous other direct and indirect evidences supporting the knowledge and worship of Krishna around the 1st millennium BCE.</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A 800 BСE cave painting in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mirzapur</span></b>, Uttar Pradesh<span style="font-family: inherit;">, shows a horse-charioteer about to hurl a wheel on another figure. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This episode can potentially be identified as Krishna getting ready to hurl the chariot-wheel on <b><i>Bhishma-Pitamah</i></b> from the <b><i>Mahabharat War</i></b>!!</span> </span></span></li>
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Krishna ready to hurl a chariot-wheel on Bhishma Pitamah</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Worship of Krishna, in the form of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Krishna_Vasudeva" title="Krishna Vasudeva"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vasudev</span></b></a> can also be traced to as early as 4th century BCE surprisingly, with another Greek connection!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Greek emperor ALEXANDER�s career more or less came to a halt after his brief encounter with the king of the Indus region, PORUS/Parvateshwar. The Greeks however, had some success ruling as kings in north-western cities such as the one in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Taxila/Takshila</span></b>. </span>They exchanged ambassadors with Indian kings and one such ambassador was <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Heliodorus</span></b> who was sent from Taxila to the court of King <i><b>Bhagabhadra</b></i> at <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Videsha</span></b> (Besnagar, central India).</div>
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Greek Embassies in Ancient India</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Interestingly, this guy, has left the FIRST historical record of a Greek becoming the devotee of an Indian God, Shri Krishna!</b></span></div>
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On his visit to Vidisha, Heliodorus erected a <i><b>Garud-pillar</b></i> in the honor of his <i><b>'God of Gods'</b></i> Krishna which is one of the earliest direct archaeological evidence of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna-consciousness</span></b> in this part of the world!</div>
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The Heliodorus Pillar and Inscription</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSgmmuilR2b6vVx0SB1Auf3eSMArVzoJ0g2SMicSSUX58xcPRYruQA-h5ipHnx2ofVSE_Hy-y-lirvAQJsya7mJN29OXovJgFEC8KltJTHcFWDP8aHgQxtrkpoczzbSCmsVZre4TXmzE/s1600/heliodorous+pillar+-+vidisha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSgmmuilR2b6vVx0SB1Auf3eSMArVzoJ0g2SMicSSUX58xcPRYruQA-h5ipHnx2ofVSE_Hy-y-lirvAQJsya7mJN29OXovJgFEC8KltJTHcFWDP8aHgQxtrkpoczzbSCmsVZre4TXmzE/s400/heliodorous+pillar+-+vidisha.jpg" uda="true" width="298" /></a></div>
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This Garuda-column of Vasudev (Krishna), </div>
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The God of gods, </div>
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Was erected here by Heliodorus, </div>
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A worshipper of Vishnu, </div>
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The son of Dion, and Inhabitant of Taxila, </div>
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Who came as the Greek ambassador,</div>
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From the Great King Antialkidas,</div>
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To King Kashiputra Bhagabhadra, the Savior, </div>
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Then reigning prosperously in the fourteenth year of his kingship.<br />
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Vasudev Krishna, the God of Gods for Heliodorous <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Historians and scholars have recognized <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Heliodorus</span></b> as the first western convert to the principles of Vaishnavism!! </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Similarly, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ghosundi </span></b>and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hathibara</span></b> inscriptions of 2nd century BCE record the consruction of an enclosure around Narayana Vatika where lay a fossilised stone called the <b><i>Shaligram</i></b> for the divinities of <b><i>Samkarshana</i></b> & <b><i>Vasudeva</i></b> in the east of village Nagari in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. </span></li>
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Another discovery of the Indo-Greek period, are the gold coins of <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Agathocles</b></span> (200 BCE) bearing the images of Balaram holding his plow on one side and Vasudev Krishna holding the discus (<b><i>Sudarshan Chakra</i></b>) on the other!!</div>
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Agathocles coins depicting Balarama and Krishna </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQFQO3-OkjR6TNyWTRszlS4foZbJxIEqVyNqKuE3Lrt1x2VWJkq48ZkOYL0XGmNQ7jsQnCWcntMoJnhHIhiUTk1J_rUovSMQWgA-5r1yqkUkL2ql__KUmAWP3DkGcNsBn32E3pjcSGms/s1600/Bactrian+coins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQFQO3-OkjR6TNyWTRszlS4foZbJxIEqVyNqKuE3Lrt1x2VWJkq48ZkOYL0XGmNQ7jsQnCWcntMoJnhHIhiUTk1J_rUovSMQWgA-5r1yqkUkL2ql__KUmAWP3DkGcNsBn32E3pjcSGms/s400/Bactrian+coins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This coin was minted in the year 172 BCE and recovered from the Oxus valley at <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ai-Khanum</span></b> in Afghanistan. It happens to be a very important discovery showing the <i><b>Sudarshan</b></i> disc-bearer Vasudev and the plough-bearer Samkarshan (Balarama) on the two sides of the coin. </span></div>
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Krishna and Balaram together<br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The evidence for Krishna-Balaram worship can also be seen from the stone graffiti of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chilas cave</span></b> in Western Pakistan, paleographically datable to the 2nd century BCE again. Here, Krishna & Balaram are engraved on the rocks and the names engraved beneath the images are Vasudev and Samkarshan respectively. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Both the coin and the graffiti throw light on the hero worship in the northwestern region of the sub-continent. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the 1st century BCE, there is also evidence of worship of FIVE Vrishni heroes - <b><i>Krishna</i></b>, <b><i>Balaram, Pradyumna</i></b> (Krishna's son), <b><i>Samba</i></b> (Krishna's second son) and <b><i>Aniruddh</i></b> (Krishna's grandson).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An inscription from a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mora well</span></b>, 11 kms west of Mathura records the construction of a stone temple by a royal woman, named Tosho, in the honour of <i><b>Bhagavatam Panchaviranam</b></i> or Five heroes of the Vrishini clan. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Maues" title="Maues"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Maues</span></b></a> an Indo-Scythian king (85 BCE) was a worshipper of Balarama along with the Greek gods Zeus and Nike. Few of his coins depict a King in a cross-legged seated position and one of his coins minted in 1st century BCE depicts Balarama.</div>
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Coin of Maues depicting Balarama</div>
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The last great <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kushan" title="Kushan"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kushan</span></b></a> king of North India and Bactria, took the title of Vasudeva I (c. 200CE) and minted coins in honor of Hindu gods.</div>
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Coins of Indo-Bactrian king Vasudev I</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOXfBNE3kN6WPpmoIa7zkS3isNerd84hFkZxgPIvP1Vr4rWMHEqRUd6U3vkGByW6t4tUixFTHXw1E-jgbRLLSulOM1npLW-Hy3VtWiX9exaAQ95PfCGJ5P_NW_42oALszuSjz2ufJL6I/s1600/250px-VasudevaCoin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOXfBNE3kN6WPpmoIa7zkS3isNerd84hFkZxgPIvP1Vr4rWMHEqRUd6U3vkGByW6t4tUixFTHXw1E-jgbRLLSulOM1npLW-Hy3VtWiX9exaAQ95PfCGJ5P_NW_42oALszuSjz2ufJL6I/s320/250px-VasudevaCoin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last but certainly not the least, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aihole Inscription</span></b> of King Pulakesin II dated 634 CE states the Mahabharat War was fought 3735 years before the engraving of the inscription which gives the date of 3735-634=3101 BCE. </span></div>
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You may wonder what all this archaeological data means. The purpose here is to show that Krishna and Balarama were recognized and worshipped as divinities since very early times and all the evidence gathered till now, seems to converge at the same time period we started with, i.e. the 3rd Millenium BCE. There is now just one body of evidence remaining for us to analyze - Astrological Evidence from the scriptures.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Astrological Evidence for dating Krishna</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Based on the astrological details given in various scriptures, many scholars have tried to identify the birth year of Krishna. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dr Narhari Achar</span></b>, professor of physics at the University of Memphis, Tennessee, has dated the Mahabharat war using astronomy and calls it the most authentic historical document in human civilizational history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are more than 140 astronomical references in the Mahabharat which have been used by Dr. Achar to feed reference points into the path-breaking <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Planetarium software</span></b> (used by NASA to launch satellites for probe missions). Through the help of this software, he has placed the titanic clash between Pandavs and Kauravs in the year 3067 BCE.</span><br />
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Dr. Narahari Achar's presentation in Florida</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using the same software, Dr Achar places the year of Krishna�s birth at <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">3112 BCE</span></b>. The astrological references point to a situation so unique (such as three eclipses repeating after 36 years) that they have only occurred once in last 10,000 years!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Inspired by Dr. Achar's research, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dr. Manish Pandit</span></b>, a Nuclear Medicine Physician based in the UK proffers astronomical, archaeological, linguistic and oral evidence to support the case. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He has even prepared a documentary that showcases all this evidence in a ready to grasp manner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Manish Pandit's Documentary</span></div>
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Another professor, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dr. P.V. Vartak</span></b>, has however come up with the possible date of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">5561 BCE</span></b> based on his interpretation of astronomical <b><i>Tithis</i></b> and positions described for the <b><i>Nakshatras</i></b>.<br />
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The difference in their approach seems to be the reason for this differing time period e.g. While Dr. Vartak considers certain celestial bodies mentioned to be the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto; Dr. Achar considers them to be visiting comets. Also, there is the consideration of the Precession of Equinoxes we have already seen in the second post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2011/07/hola-amigos-was-too-caught-up-with-sri.html"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Black Holes and Bhagavatam</span></b></a>}. <br />
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Sanjay describes 3 eclipses to Dhritrashtra in Mahabharat<br />
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Since, the dates by Dr. Achar MATCH the dates we have obtained from the analysis of the Literary and Archaeological data, I am inclined to go with the same until some further evidence comes to light that can change this view of our History.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Historical veracity of Krishna </span></u></span></b></div>
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The Ancient Literature, Archaeological specimens (terrestrial as well as marine), and Astrological references all point towards a particular time period for the presence of Krishna. We may not have the exact date for Krishna's appearance on Earth, but these evidences narrow it down to at least a tangible time-frame in our history. Through the analysis of all the above data shared with you, the most probable period of Krishna's stay on Earth would be <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">3300-3100 BCE</span></b>.</div>
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Krishna, the Historical Enigma</div>
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<b>It gives me goose-bumps to think that the MOST popular figure of Indian Culture, Art, Philosophy, Music, Dance, Drama and Religion walked the Earth just about 5 millenia ago!</b> </div>
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And it is a credit to the remarkable resilience of the Oral and Cultural traditions of our country that even after 5000 years, the memory of Krishna is still alive and throbbing in the Hearts and Minds of a Billion people. Let us celebrate the same tradition this HOLI, remembering another Avatar of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu</span></b>, Lord <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Narsimha</span></b>'s slaying of <b><i>Hiranyakshipu</i></b> and the end of his evil sister <i><b>Holika</b></i>. </div>
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I dedicate the following compilation to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Krishna</span></b>, the Delight of Yashoda; the Pride of Gokul; Bliss of the Gopis; Savior of the Downtrodden; Friend of the Righteous; and perhaps most humanly, the Statesman par Excellence. </div>
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Happy Holi :o)</div>
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Let us embrace the vibrant colors of Spring and immerse ourselves in the Divine Love of Shri Radha and Krishna</div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Happy</span> <span style="color: yellow;">Holi</span> <span style="color: yellow;"><span style="color: magenta;">to</span></span><span style="color: blue;"> all</span><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">of</span> </span><span style="color: lime;">You</span> </span><span style="color: red;">:o)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com249New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249600000000128.405279999999998 76.9810245 28.865336 77.468895500000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-86579369248078885532012-01-29T13:01:00.006+05:302016-01-30T23:33:23.985+05:30Jambudweep - The Global Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Earth - The Blue Planet..</b><br />
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<i>Home to every Hunter and Forager,</i><br />
<i>Every Hero and Coward, </i><br />
<i>Every Creator and Destroyer,</i><br />
<i>Every King and Peasant, </i><br />
<i>Every Inventor and Explorer, </i><br />
<i>Every Mother, Father and Child, </i><br />
<i>Every teacher of Morals, </i><br />
<i>Every Corrupt politician, </i><br />
<i>Every Superstar, Saint and Sinner, </i><br />
<i>Aggregate of our Joy and Suffering,</i><br />
<i>This tiny mote of dust,</i><br />
<i>Suspended in a sunbeam,</i><br />
<i>This is Home, </i><i>This is Us!</i><br />
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Beautiful words by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Carl Sagan..</span></b> Everyone you love, Everyone you know, Everyone you have ever heard of, Every human being who ever was, has completed his existence on this planet. The planet, which is the only home Humanity has known in its history.<br />
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Our Home - The Blue Planet<br />
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</span>In the post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/search/label/Heaven%20at%20the%20North%20Pole%3F" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Heaven at the North Pole</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #e06666;">?</span></b>}, we saw a brief description of the containing landmass - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambudvipa"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Jambudvipa</b></span></a>. Geographical descriptions in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain texts repeatedly throw up this well-defined yet not-so-well-recognized term.<br />
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Different scholars consider it variously as either the 'Indian sub-continent' or the 'Asian continent'. However, as we shall see, none of them come even close to the TRUTH!! Let me share<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> some of the important scriptural references here with you:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Markandeya_Purana" title="Markandeya Purana"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Markandeya Puraan</span></b></a> describes <i><b>Jambu-dvip</b> </i>as being depressed above and below and broad in the middle just like a Globe. </span></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Srimad Bhagavatam</span></b> points out that on <b><i>Jambu-dvipa</i></b>, night prevails diametrically opposite to a point where it is day and Sun sets at a point opposite to where it rises.</li>
<li><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahabharat</b></span> describes the Universe as a series of shells divided in two by an earth plane called the <b><i>Bhu-mandala;</i></b> <b><i>Jambu-dwip </i></b>is the central landmark on this plane.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Jain_cosmology" title="Jain cosmology"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jain</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span></b>and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cosmology"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Buddhist</span></a> </b>cosmologies indicate <i><b>Jambū-dweep</b></i> at the centre of <b><i>Madhyaloka</i></b> or the middle part of the universe, the place where Human-beings reside.</li>
<li>And last but perhaps the most important for our current post, various assorted texts describe <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Bharat Varsha</b></span> or India as just ONE of the NINE divisions of <b><i>Jambu-dweep</i></b>.</li>
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Jambu-dvipa in the center of Bhu-mandala & Madhyaloka</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From the above descriptions, it would be clear that this landmass DOES NOT refer to India or even Asia.. The references in fact indicate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambudvipa"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Jambudvipa</b></span></a> to be NOT a small portion of our planet, but the ENTIRE Planet itself!!<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jambudvipa in Jain Cosmology</span></div>
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Alongwith <b><i>Jambu-dweep</i></b>, the scriptures describe various other Islands which some scholars tend to confuse with the different islands of our planet and hence get flabbergasted. Sitting at the southernmost tip of the island of <b style="color: #ffd966;">Lanka</b> right now, I can understand this is definitely NOT the case. <br />
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The staggering dimensions of these so called 'Islands' should be indication enough to negate that possibility completely. Moreover, these <b><i>Dvipas</i></b> are located around the central landmass of Jambudvipa in a concentric fashion which suggests each of them revolving in circular orbits.</div>
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Arrangement of Dvipas in a circular fashion</div>
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I believe the Dvipas refer to the different planetary systems of the Madhya Loka that are inhabited by Humans and is perhaps the FIRST reference in World literature to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Humanoid races</span></b> inhabiting MORE than ONE planet!! This interpretation seems to me most likely, especially if the planets being talked about exist in Parallel dimensions. However, for our current study, we shall focus only on the central island, and leave the analysis of others for a subsequent post.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jambudweep - the Global Island</span></u></b></div>
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Repeatedly, the entire landmass of <b><i>Jambu-dvipa</i></b> is described as a continuous stretch of land subdivided into different continents by means of various mountain ranges with each of these divisions being governed by the 9 sons of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Emperor Agnidhra</span></b>, the grandson of Adam/Manu.<br />
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This, however, is clearly NOT the current state of affairs! The present landmasses on Earth are quite spread out and no where are they close to forming a global island. Besides, instead of Mountain ranges, it is the water bodies that separate them from each other.</div>
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<b>So is the legend of this Global-Island a POETIC reference or does it refer to an ACTUAL hither-to-undeciphered fact??</b><br />
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Even preliminary research on this topic shows, that there indeed was a time in the history of our planet when the ENTIRE land on Earth was joined to form a<i><b> </b></i>SINGLE landmass! In Geology, such an entity is called a <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercontinent"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Super-continent</span></a></b> and quite suitably, the Scientists have labeled it as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pangea.</span></b></div>
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Super-continent Pangea<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Could it be, that the scriptural reference of </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambudvipa"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Jambudweep</b></span></a><b>, actually originated in a time when the Entire Earth was ONE whole Continent and not broken up into different landmasses!?!</b></span></span><br />
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The descriptions in scriptures clearly define an island of gigantic proportions covering this entire globe and it is more than likely that they refer to one of the super-continents that have existed in our pre-history! Let us try to understand, how in the World (pardon the pun) could the ENTIRE World have been joined as one. <br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jambudvipa as a Super-continent</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is a scientifically documented fact that <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Earth's Crust</span></b> floats on the hot, molten layer called <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Magma</span></b>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The solid crust not only moves on top of the fluid layer but is also broken into separate pieces called <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Plates</span></b> that move relative to each other. </span></span></span></span>This movement is referred to as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Plate-tectonics</span></b></a>.</div>
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The Tectonic Plates<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Plate-tectonics</i></b> can be used to explain the formation of many geological features on our planet right from the highest mountain ranges of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Himalayas</span></b> (which came up when the <i><b>Indian</b></i> plate collided with the <b><i>Eurasian</i></b> plate!!!), to the deepest ocean formations like the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Marina trench.</b></span></span></span></div>
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Scientists have observed that the different plates are in CONTINUOUS motion with respect to each other, and plotting their course in the past, they have realized that at some point of time, these plates were all TOGETHER giving rise to our Super-continents!!</div>
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Observe changing positions with focus on the Indian plate </div>
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Moreover, this process is still going on and our Earth is going to look quite different in the future as well!</div>
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Earth's crust changing shape over the past and future!</div>
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The presence of these super-continents has also been proved using <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Fossil studies</span></b> which shows a remarkable similarity amongst the distribution of wild-life in the southern continents. </div>
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Fossil co-relation found in Present Continents</div>
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The movement of these Plates has resulted in formation and disintegration of Super-continents in the 4.5 Billion year old history of our Planet MORE than ONCE!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The earliest known super-continent on our planet was formed 3.1 Billion Years Ago (!) and is called the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vaalbara" title="Vaalbara"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaalbara</span></b></a>. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since its break-up, a series of global islands have taken shape and disintegrated and the most important of these have been the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kenorland" title="Kenorland"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kenorland</span></b></a><span style="color: #ffd966;">, </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Columbia_%28supercontinent%29" title="Columbia (supercontinent)"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Columbia</span></b></a><span style="color: #ffd966;">,</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Rodinia" title="Rodinia"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rodinia</span></b></a> and the most recent one, the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Pangaea" title="Pangaea"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pangaea</span></b></a>. </span></span></div>
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Arrangement of current continents in past Super-continents</div>
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Now, which of these is the Earth-Island of our texts, would have to be ascertained through deeper study of the scriptures, (or maybe even Time-Travel!!). For our current purpose, it should be sufficient to understand that <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambudvipa"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jambudweep</span></b></a></b></span> refers to one of these Global Islands, perhaps like the Pangea. </div>
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Interestingly, this movement of tectonic-plates might have a parallel in mythology as well!!</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">The Cosmic Turtle</span></u></b></div>
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It is interesting to note, that Hindu texts talk about the Earth (land) being situated on the back of a Turtle which, to me, seems an allegorical representation of the slowly sliding Earth plates!!!</div>
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Earth plate on the back of a Cosmic Turtle<br />
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Tortoise-like slow movement of Earth's Plates</div>
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Animation showing the slow movement of Earth plates</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Shatapatha_Brahmana" title="Shatapatha Brahmana"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shatapatha Brahman</b></span></a> identifies Earth as the lower shell, the atmosphere as the body and the vault of heaven as the upper shell of this Cosmic Turtle. Also, the serpent around the world is similar to the one in <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Norse mythology </b></span>that binds <b><i>Midgard</i></b> or middle-earth together. S</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">imilar concepts can also be found in <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Chinese_mythology" title="Chinese mythology"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Chinese</b></span></a>, as well as <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Native_American_mythology" title="Native American mythology"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Native American mythology</b></span></a>. </span></span>In fact the <b><i>Mayan</i></b>, <b><i>Incan</i></b> and <b><i>Navajo</i></b> descriptions of the Earth closely mirror the descriptions of <b><i>Jambu-dvip</i></b> from ancient Indian texts!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Numerous other scriptures also give matching descriptions which, due to lack of correct understanding, were ridiculed by early European Historians. </span>There's nothing ridiculous about the descriptions from ancient scriptures; we only need the right INSIGHT to decipher their profound meaning!</b></div>
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Jambu-dvipa Map according to Native American and Indian texts</div>
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This might be a reflection of beliefs passed on by oral tradition remembering the common origins of mankind or perhaps the wisdom passed on by Gods, or who knows, maybe even Aliens ;o)<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Description of Jambu-dweep</span></u></b></div>
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Ancient texts describe 9 divisions of <b><i>Jambu-dweep</i></b> with precise locations ascribed to each of them. Also, bang in the center of this global-landmass is an enormous mountain called<span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Meru</span></b></a>. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, we have already discussed Mount Meru earlier {Check - <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/12/heaven-at-north-pole.html"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Heaven at the North Pole</span></b></a>} and have understood that it actually refers to the Earth's Axis. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also</span>, in the previous post {Check - <b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/01/india-and-bharat.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Naming a Nation</span></a></b>}, we have identified and studied the description of our own Indian sub-continent.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the basis of the last TWO posts, there are at least TWO things we can definitely state:</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>One, <span style="color: #ffd966;">BhArat Varsha</span></b> refers to the Indian sub-continent;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Second,</b> Mount Meru and therefore its containing continent <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Ilavrit Varsha</b></span>, is situated around the North pole.</span></span></li>
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To me, the descriptions of <b><i>Jambudvipa</i></b> seem like a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Polar projection</span></b> i.e. a view of the Earth as seen from above the North Pole. We will therefore try to extrapolate the continents based on these three reference points.<br />
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Polar Projection of the present landmass</div>
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Let us first understand the exact arrangement of continents in this Super-continent. Broadly, the four landmasses of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bharat, Ketumal, Bhadrashva</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kuru</span></b> are placed in the four directions, like petals of a lotus flower around the central pericarp of Meru (and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ilavrit Varsha</span></b>). Let's see how it appears diagramatically.<br />
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Central Meru with lotus like arrangement of continents</div>
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Going Southwards from Meru, we first come across <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kimpurush-varsha</span></b> followed by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hari-varsha</span></b> and finally <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharata_%28emperor%29"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bharat-varsh</span></b></a> which is the southernmost continent. In the North<place><placename></placename><placetype></placetype></place>, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ramyak</span></b> is the first landmass followed by <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hiranyamay</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Uttarkuru</span></b> divisions (As a corollary, we get <b><i>Kuru Varsha</i></b> on the exact opposite side of India when mapped on the globe). <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Towards the East<place><placename></placename><placetype></placetype></place> is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhadrashva</span><i> </i></b>which would today lie somewhere in the Pacific Ocean and towards the West is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ketumal</span> </b>which would probably be submerged under the Atlantic Ocean of today. </span>The image below has been taken from Hitxp forum and maps these descriptions onto the current World Geography.</div>
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Sub-divisions of Jambudweep</div>
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We should understand that owing to different arrangement of continents, most of Southern America, Afric and Australia were either located very different to their current positions OR probably submerged under water!</div>
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If this theory is correct, the reference to this Super-continent points to existence of an extremely ancient civilization that has retained the memories of a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Global-Island</span></b> or at the very least had the technical know-how to find out this pre-historic description ages before modern science!!</div>
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Repatedly, my research throws up such astonishing facts that I am forced to think twice before writing each article! But then, I think it is my duty to share my findings with whoever is interested in reading about such topics and let them form their own opinions. There is NO other agenda for me but to find out the HIDDEN science in the enormous religious data available in our country. Not only Hindu, even Jain and Buddhist texts are full of beautiful insights into the mysteries of the Universe.</div>
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Coming back to the mystery of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambudvipa"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jambudvipa</span></b></a>, most geologists claim that this is a cyclical process and in about 250 Million Years from now, all the continents would AGAIN come together to form a super-continent called the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pangea Proxima.</span></b></div>
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<b>Many models have tried to predict the future shape of this global-island but I would like to propose a new and more attractive one :o)</b></div>
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Jambu-dweep of Love</div>
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Just as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jambu-dweep</span></b> has split over the eons, so has the Human species and we are today divided into innumerable tribes, religions, races and nations. Whatever shape the landmasses take next I just hope and pray that by then, MANKIND has learnt to live in Love and Harmony!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com166Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka5.9447028 80.4591608000000635.9432352999999996 80.455400300000065 5.9461703 80.462921300000062tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-5019987497537788412012-01-13T00:00:00.024+05:302019-06-02T12:31:38.369+05:30India or Bharat or Nabhivarsh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India"><span style="color: #ffd966;">INDIA</span></a></b></div>
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The Land of a Million Contradictions,</div>
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The Land of a Billion representatives of Humanity,</div>
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The Land of the Oldest Existing Civilization on the Planet!</div>
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What is it about this land that fills one with a sense of enigma??? The very name conjures up vivid images of contrasting Geographies and colorful Traditions..</div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sub-continent</span></b> where some of the Greatest religions of the World originated,</div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nation</span></b> which created History by attaining Freedom through Non-Violent means,</div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Economy</span></b> which is the 4th largest in the world in terms of Purchasing Power Parity,</div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Land</span></b> supporting a Multi-lingual, Multi-ethnic, Multi-cultural and yet Functional Democracy!</div>
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Incredible India! </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rNWeBVBqo2c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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As the Sun God <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya </span></b>enters Northern Hemisphere (<i><b>Uttarayan</b></i>) today, it Inspires us all to move away from darkness and towards light. In different parts of the country, we are celebrating Lohri/Makar Sankrant/Pongal and Bihu -One festival, many names- Just like our nation.. <br />
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In a previous post, (<b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/09/genetics-of-wandering-indian.html"><span style="color: #e06666;">Genetics of the Wandering Indian</span></a></b>), I talked about the morphological distinctness of Indians hiding Genetically identical constitutions. The same plurality has been preserved in the variety of names that we posess and I am suddenly inclined to explore the history behind them.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Naming a Nation</span></u></b></div>
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Our country has two official names - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">India</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bharat.</span></b> The Persians and Arabs used yet another name for the country - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hindustan/Al Hind</span></b> and since Persian has played a big part in the development of our National language Hindi, the term <i><b>Hindustan</b></i> is also used in common parlance today.<br />
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Both <b><i>Hindustan</i></b> and <b><i>India</i></b> however, are derived from the name of the river <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus</span></b> which marked the Western boundary of India for travelers. Indus again is derived from the Sanskrit name <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sindhu </span></b>and both the terms have been in use since at least 5th century BC. However, these are the names given to us by travelers and traders.. What did the indigenous people of ancient India refer to their country as??</div>
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India/Bharat/Hindustan/Al Hind<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5594wbkigB-jqdAp4uaVD3j1Qb553_P0hW9BO75CHSjnlDNWcmv6cDpjeugoCpSWfXu9M0SQ8NBqFoyBc2vXS1FdIsm04o72uuX3car77p1E3LW4RV4ybiuRa51rlRhLSeUeW2zYrPA/s1600/India+satellite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="605" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5594wbkigB-jqdAp4uaVD3j1Qb553_P0hW9BO75CHSjnlDNWcmv6cDpjeugoCpSWfXu9M0SQ8NBqFoyBc2vXS1FdIsm04o72uuX3car77p1E3LW4RV4ybiuRa51rlRhLSeUeW2zYrPA/s400/India+satellite.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
{Image courtesy Google Maps}</div>
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I was fascinated by this question and tried to look into all the scriptural data I could lay my paws on. NOT surprisingly, I found plurality here as well :o)<br />
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati</span></b> people extended in the West from Afghanistan-Pakistan border right upto Yamuna in the East and Gujarat in the South. This region, especially the land between Saraswati and Ganga rivers was known as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aryavarta</span></b> or the Land-of-the-Noble. <br />
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The Mesopotamians with whom ancient Indians ahd extensive trade relations, referred to this region as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Meluha</span></b>. The same name has been popularized by one of my favorite authors Amish Tripathi in his best-seller - <i><b>'The Immortals of Meluha'.</b></i> But again, this was an apellation for a particular region of the country and not the entire Indian sub-continent..<br />
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Aryavarta/Meluha/Northern India</div>
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Delving further into the research, I quite literaly stumbled onto an ancient ruler, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Emperor Agnidhra,</span></b> the grand-son of the FIRST MAN - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Swayambhu Manu</span></b> who is believed to have ruled over the ENTIRE globe, then known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jambu-dweep</span></b>.{For more details, click on this link - <a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.in/2012/02/jambudweep-global-island.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>Jambudweep - The Global Island</b></span></a>}<br />
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While retiring, <b><i>Agnidhra </i></b>divided his kingdom (aka the entire planet) into 9 Continents or Divisions handing them over to his 9 sons to rule. Thus, the peninsular stretch spreading from Himalayas to the Ocean, came under the supervision of his eldest son <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nabhi</span></b>, thereby giving us the oldest appellation of our land - the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">NABHI-VARSHA.</span></b></div>
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As most of you would know, the term <i><b>Nabhi</b></i> refers to the 'Navel' in Sanskrit and thus <i><b>Nabhi-varsha</b></i> could easily be translated as the 'Central Region'. Interestingly, the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Japanese_language" title="Japanese language"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Japanese</b></span></a> name for India was <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Tenjiku" title="Tenjiku"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Tenjiku</b></span></a>. <i><b>Tian</b></i>, the root word, means "Heaven", while, <i><b>jiku</b>,</i> means: "The center of", translating it to "The Heavenly Center of the World".</div>
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Nabhi Varsha/Tenjiku/Navel of the World<br />
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So I managed to find the oldest name of our sub-continent as per the scriptures. But then, I wondered, where and how did the name BHARAT come from??<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>India and BhArat</u></span></b></div>
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According to at least half a dozen different scriptures, our country is called BhArat as a mark of respect to the legendary Emperor, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharata_%28emperor%29"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chakravarti Raja Bharat</span></a></b>. </div>
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This fact has been attested by the <b><i>Vishnu Puran</i></b> (2,1,31), <b><i>Vayu Puran </i></b>(33,52), <b><i>Ling Puran </i></b>(1,47,23), <b><i>Brahmand Puran</i></b> (14,5,62), <b><i>Agni Puran</i></b> ( 107,11-12), <i><b>Skanda Puran</b></i> (37,57) and <b><i>Markandeya Puran</i></b> (50,41)!! For example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu_Purana"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu Puraan</span></b></a> states-</div>
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उत्तरं यत्समुद्रस्य हिमाद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम् ।<br />
वर्षं तद् भारतं नाम भारती यत्र संततिः ।।</blockquote>
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The country lying North of the Ocean and South of the snowy mountains is called <i><b>Bhārat</b></i>; There dwell the descendants of Bharat.</blockquote>
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BhArat Varsha extending from Himalayas to the Ocean</div>
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<b>Now, there are again TWO very interesting stories about this ONE name and I'm gonna share both of them with you today..</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>The Legends of Bharat</u></span></b></div>
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The FIRST legend begins with <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Emperor Nabhi</span></b>, the great-grandson of Manu, whom we encountered above. According to Hindu as well as Jain scriptures, Nabhi-dev was married to Meru-devi, the daughter of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra</span></b>, and their eldest son was the Saint-King <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Rishabha"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishabh Dev</span></a></b>.</div>
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Now, RISHABH Dev was the first <b><i>Tirthankar</i></b> according to the Jain tradition and I should mention here that <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Srimad Bhāgavatam </span></b>also counts Him as 8th of the 24 Incarnations of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord </span></b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vishnu" title="Vishnu"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu</span></b></a>. According to the <b><i>Bhagavatam</i></b>, He was born to show the people of this world the path of salvation. It was He who laid down the foundations of Civilization and advised people to follow the path of spiritual bliss, instead of indulging in a life of worldly pleasures and enjoyment.</div>
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Adinath Rishabdev</div>
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Rishabh Dev had many sons, and the eldest two from his two wives were <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bharat</span></b> and <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Bahubali</b></span>. The two sons were competing for the illusive title of <b><i>Chakravarti</i></b> (Emperor-of-Entire-World) but <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharata_%28Bhagavata%29"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bharat</span></a></b> was the natural winner and as per the scriptures, it is THIS Bharat after whom our country is named.</div>
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In Hymns 2.1.31 and 2.1.32, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu Puraan</span></b> states-</div>
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<i>Rishabh was born to Merudevi, Bharat was born to Rishabh,</i></div>
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<i>Bharatvarsha was named from Bharat, and Sumati arose from Bharat.</i> [2.1.31]</div>
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<i>This country is known as Bharatavarsha, </i></div>
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<i>Since the time the father entrusted the Kingdom to the son,</i></div>
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<i>And himself went to the forest for ascetic practices.</i> [2.1.32]</div>
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Talking of Ascetic practices, it has been observed, that a lot of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati Civilization</span></b> seals and figurines depict Yogic postures on them, which BTW highlights the continuity of Yogic practice in India since at least 5000 years ago. <br />
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Yogic postures in Indus-Saraswati figurines</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_gfY5jlReLTko98owTqRhORAVpUkQzViBN9cTs_yMsPAf5juQmLSbpgB6uJv-6Fk7VXKMRsJjSxMUTrQKA9vT1ME6vSvNvEns4876Lo6jRPUITZDgLMpAGs_banFBmO9waMJHmzUrhA/s1600/indusyogicpostures..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_gfY5jlReLTko98owTqRhORAVpUkQzViBN9cTs_yMsPAf5juQmLSbpgB6uJv-6Fk7VXKMRsJjSxMUTrQKA9vT1ME6vSvNvEns4876Lo6jRPUITZDgLMpAGs_banFBmO9waMJHmzUrhA/s320/indusyogicpostures..JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Three-faced Pashupatinath seal</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WJlIxLHH_3H9gCkJdNEpdEcVbMrl8lGAZfWGKG9lFqwL0bR216j-2C7hAst50QTq7Lvu24z6myk71EaFCGt-JjJCY6p7-bRpsX01FCkYZoeJ2vIv3GRAupBKa-V73DV21-wOxgqPQrM/s1600/indusseal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WJlIxLHH_3H9gCkJdNEpdEcVbMrl8lGAZfWGKG9lFqwL0bR216j-2C7hAst50QTq7Lvu24z6myk71EaFCGt-JjJCY6p7-bRpsX01FCkYZoeJ2vIv3GRAupBKa-V73DV21-wOxgqPQrM/s320/indusseal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are certain seals that depict the Yogic position called <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kayotsarga" title="Kayotsarga"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kayotsarga</span></b></a>, traditionally described in connection with the penance of Rishabh-dev. It may very well be that the seals record the histories of Jain Tirthankars as much as the Hindu Gods as ultimately both belong to the same Spiritual Tradition.<br />
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Before I share with you the second story, I must tell you that many Puranas describe Bharat as the ruler of the whole world. In that sense then, Bharat-varsha would actually refer to the entire globe and not just the country.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>The Second Legend of Bharat</u></span></b><br />
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The SECOND legend of Bharat, brings us into more familiar territory, probably due to the wider reach and popularity of the Epic containing it, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat</span></b>. </div>
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The story begins with <a href="https://amzn.to/313M78Q" title="Vishvamitra"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brahma-rishi Vishwamitra</span></b></a>, one of the Seven Great Seers of Hindu Mythology. The rishis's penance worried Indra sufficiently enough to make him send <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Menaka" title="Menaka"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Menaka</b></span></a>, the most beautiful <i><b>Apsara</b></i> in heaven, to distract the sage. The result of their dalliance was Shakuntala who got married to King Dushyant of the ruling Lunar Dynasty. Their story is the stuff of a typical Bollywood movie and has been immortalized in Sanskrit in <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81lid%C4%81sa"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kalidasa</span></a></b>'s poetic rendition and in art by one of the most celebrated Indian artists <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Ravi_Varma"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Raja Ravi Varma</span></a></b>.</div>
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Shakuntala by Raja Ravi Varma</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOCcrMsa2v1O6eoa6YlaCuEnevS0xv4RSZXowHwWj1NOXf6-8lM0P9nyoC2K6MGGnC2JWGgcOqSKMWBKRd2BmJbT8Ls5PmRQcCDfmkbm59IwXiAU61V1YYGSf3GBD8JHatlFfglAqRvs/s1600/Raja_Ravi_Varma_-Mahabharata_-_Shakuntala..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOCcrMsa2v1O6eoa6YlaCuEnevS0xv4RSZXowHwWj1NOXf6-8lM0P9nyoC2K6MGGnC2JWGgcOqSKMWBKRd2BmJbT8Ls5PmRQcCDfmkbm59IwXiAU61V1YYGSf3GBD8JHatlFfglAqRvs/s400/Raja_Ravi_Varma_-Mahabharata_-_Shakuntala..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dushyant and Shakuntala's son was called <b><i>Sarvadaman,</i></b> the subduer-of-all by the caretakers in the ashram where he grew up. Even as a kid, he would play with lions and other ferocious animals of the jungle. By the time he was six, he could subjugate lions and tigers with his bare hands, a feat which is remarkable and is mentioned MORE than once in various scriptures. Nevertheless, this subduing child of Shakuntala was later renamed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharata_%28emperor"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bharat</span></b></a> as he was <i><b>'cherished by all'</b></i> in his father's kingdom.<br />
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Shakuntala introduces Bharat to Dushyant</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnvUuoBw-OrGqFfMdttKdSt04A3RzRTr77G-jU0cy-9Fl1qRG4XpBp6VT5-s4987E_46osyhjY1k6dsQ52uZpeNNMBOBQShWnVKQkykmWqZchwUXuceHTpkZ9nTvMNGWYSbSmtFJI94k/s1600/5972_223520140374_215886190374_7985201_5736802_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnvUuoBw-OrGqFfMdttKdSt04A3RzRTr77G-jU0cy-9Fl1qRG4XpBp6VT5-s4987E_46osyhjY1k6dsQ52uZpeNNMBOBQShWnVKQkykmWqZchwUXuceHTpkZ9nTvMNGWYSbSmtFJI94k/s1600/5972_223520140374_215886190374_7985201_5736802_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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Interestingly, there's again an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati</span></b></a> Seal that matches the description of Bharat subduing two tigers with his bare hands! The scene may or may not refer to Shakuntala's son, but its iconography is certainly suggestive.. These seals when deciphered, would be an extremely valuable and AUTHENTIC source of our ancient History</div>
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Indus Valley Seals probably depicting Bharat</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJ8kkiIlB5Q3hMa43WR0ApwhUes9v0BjzvNSqVCQ0dwmU0kKqjgdvGWoUlOpszNwIo3NNtR6i4DjMLA7vmsbWuwyjNe_Zgq7tuRbR_b_tV966akmEmpKV6PIv0YJ6tHeQEyB1qThj1R4/s1600/Bharat+Indus+Valley+Seals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJ8kkiIlB5Q3hMa43WR0ApwhUes9v0BjzvNSqVCQ0dwmU0kKqjgdvGWoUlOpszNwIo3NNtR6i4DjMLA7vmsbWuwyjNe_Zgq7tuRbR_b_tV966akmEmpKV6PIv0YJ6tHeQEyB1qThj1R4/s640/Bharat+Indus+Valley+Seals.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bharat grew up to be a great warrior and a <b><i>Chakravarti Raja </i></b>who conquered and united the entire continent of India again, spreading right from the Ocean to the Himalayas, thus giving the country his name. This re-making of BhArat is captured in my book on this legendary character from our history.<br />
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Who was Chakravarti Raja Bharat?<br />
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/027XyTpsGwk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/027XyTpsGwk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDLip_o0NWOxezO3kddjpJExb8UJSx4DxD0MhyDtUFNA062r74sZo8qr6sy_qC2IfAEOMSCJjvIaAL4YwQ__nqpLxnkMNdQLtFOlHOIAdcAcoy7vPBmMmymYzmPghU8jJvUDPa9FL8Z0/s1600/IMG_20180126_112242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="902" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDLip_o0NWOxezO3kddjpJExb8UJSx4DxD0MhyDtUFNA062r74sZo8qr6sy_qC2IfAEOMSCJjvIaAL4YwQ__nqpLxnkMNdQLtFOlHOIAdcAcoy7vPBmMmymYzmPghU8jJvUDPa9FL8Z0/s640/IMG_20180126_112242.jpg" width="470" /></a><br />
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This appellation for the country was well noted in the ancient world as well. From the perspective of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Malay_Archipelago" title="Malay Archipelago"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Malaysians</span></b></a>, Indians were the most common visitors from the West, therefore the word <b><i>Barat</i></b> was absorbed into Malay language meaning "West".<br />
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For the Middle Eastern traders, particularly <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Arab" title="Arab"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Arabs</span></b></a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Turkish_people" title="Turkish people"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Turks</span></b></a>, spices were the most common materials coming from the East. Therefore, some scholars believe, the term <b><i>Bharat </i></b>was borrowed first into Arabic as <i><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="DIN 31635 Arabic"><b>Baharāt</b></span></i> (meaning - spices); and then into the Turkish as <i><b>Baharat</b></i> with the same meaning.</div>
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It is fortunate that the two BHARATs of our History who gave their name to the Nation were called the same, otherwise one of them could have quite easily been forgotten like the <b><i>Emperor Nabhi.</i></b> We should therefore understand BhArat to mean not just the 'Land-of-Bharat' but the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">'Land-of-BharatS'</span></b> instead.<br />
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Many people have this misconception that it was the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">British</span></b> who actually turned us into a nation and to the supporters of this belief, I would urge to read their scriptures and understand their own heritage. There is no Future for any nation, if we do not remember our Past. I hope I was able to share with
you some interesting facts about our Origin as a Country and I guess
should conclude here with one of the most optimistic poems ever by<b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur</span></a></b>-</div>
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<i>Where the Mind is without Fear,<br />
And the Head is held High,</i></div>
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<i>Where Knowledge is Free,<br />
Where the World has not been broken i</i><i>nto fragments</i><br />
<i>by narrow domestic walls;</i></div>
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<i>Where words come out from the depth of Truth,</i></div>
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<i>Where tireless striving stretches its arms </i><br />
<i>towards Perfection;</i></div>
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<i>Where the clear stream of Reason has not lost its Way </i><br />
<i>into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;</i></div>
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<i>W</i><i>here the mind is led forward by Thee,<br />
into ever-widening </i><i>Thought </i><i>and Action,<br />
Into that Heaven of freedom, </i><br />
<i>My Father,<br />
Let my Country awake.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b><br />
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com66Lokhandwala, Mumbai19.1445682 72.82348350000006619.1398537 72.81929800000006 19.149282699999997 72.827669000000071tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-67356343486556397072011-12-20T23:06:00.002+05:302018-12-25T00:37:01.157+05:30Heaven at the North Pole?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>May Indra, whose hands Thunder wield,<br />
Be in the East thy guard and shield;</i><br />
<i>May Yama's care the South befriend,<br />
And Varun's arm the West defend;</i><br />
<i>And let Kuvera, the Lord of gold,<br />
The North with firm protection hold!</i></div>
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The above prayer is for the Four Guardians of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mount Meru</span></b></a> - the Holiest mountain in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cosmologies and Indian equivalent of the Greek <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olympus"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mount Olympus</span></b></a>. Meru is believed to be the abode of Gods and with Christmas in the air, I'm gonna try and find out its location as well as connection with the legend of Santa Claus.</div>
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Mount Meru/Olympus</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeEYvjs16y0gpkLgBY4MTLxib-qpNpUT1u6qLp1CRvF-xO6rbS5tbiHWzQb_udCA6ka7uu92P4nP5mvs__jOB9k-pZAQ1v2vtxoLli1nhMYJc-RCpZdeLtjPvwxW-Ic9BSpjQqnIZh0A/s1600/mount_olympus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeEYvjs16y0gpkLgBY4MTLxib-qpNpUT1u6qLp1CRvF-xO6rbS5tbiHWzQb_udCA6ka7uu92P4nP5mvs__jOB9k-pZAQ1v2vtxoLli1nhMYJc-RCpZdeLtjPvwxW-Ic9BSpjQqnIZh0A/s400/mount_olympus.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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The <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurma_Purana"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kurma Puraan</span></a></b> states that-</div>
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<i>Jambudvipa lies in the middle of all Mortal Realms and in its center is the lofty Mt. Meru, bright as gold. Its height is 84,000 yojanas, and it extends 16,000 yojanas below the earth; its width at the top is 32,000 and at the base is 16,000 yojanas.</i></div>
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Most other ancient scriptures also describe <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Meru</span></b> as a colossal mountain with staggering dimensions; situated bang in the middle of the planet; inversely coned; expanding upwards; stretching beyond the skies at one end; and penetrating deep into the bowels of Earth at the other.<br />
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Mount Meru jutting out of Earth's surface</div>
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The ancient Hindu astronomical text known as the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Suryasiddhanta" title="Suryasiddhanta"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Suryasiddhant</span></b></a>, locates Meru at the <b>'Navel of the Earth'</b> and describes it as <i>'Passing through middle of the earth-globe, and protruding on either side'</i>. Further ahead, it mentions a Meru<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b></b></span> in the middle of Earth, a <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sumeru</span></b> at the North Pole and a <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Kumeru</b></span> at the South pole (which may lead us to believe that this structure stretches from pole-to-pole)!</div>
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<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhism"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tibetan Buddhism</span></a></b> regards Meru as the Center of the Universe and believes it to be beyond the physical plane, in a realm of perfection and transcendence. Symbolic representations of Meru are frequently found in Tibetan and Bhutanese mandalas designed to aid in meditation.</div>
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Meru from a Buddhist Thanka with Brahma seated on top</div>
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Another ancient Sanskrit text, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Narpatijayacharya</span></b> mentions Sumeru as being present in the middle of the Earth, but not seen there.<br />
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Interestingly, on my not-so-distant trip to AFRICA, I happened to come across a Mount <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru_%28Tanzania%29"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Meru</span></a></b> in Tanzania, which roughly corresponds to the geographic <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Center of the Earth. </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Mountain is even worshipped by the local tribes as an abode of Gods!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the neighbouring country Kenya, we also find a town with the same name. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Relation of these places in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">East Africa</span></b> to the Meru from our Hindu texts is not clear, however it may very well be a remnant of the common legends of Humanity from early times when entire globe was a single continent <b><i>Jambudveep</i></b> (Details in a subsequent post).</span><br />
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Ancient scriptures describe Meru as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Central Pivot</span></b> of the Universe, sort of like an <b><i>Axis mundi</i></b>, and claim that the ENTIRE COSMOS revolves around it, with the Sun, Moon and Stars paying obeisance while circum-ambulating the Holy Mountain.<br />
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Mount Meru as per the Jain Agams</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">So what exactly is Meru then?</span></u></b></div>
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Many scholars, presuming Meru to be a mountain, argue for the mountains of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kashmir</span></b> or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pamirs</span></b> as its location. But no mountain on the face of Earth can grow to such monstrous proportions as well as fit the vivid descriptions of the scriptures. <br />
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Is Meru really a mountain or a reference to one of the legendary <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pillars of Heaven</span></b>? Is it located at the Pole or at the Center of the Earth?? For that matter, is it even a physical structure or just a POETIC allegory for something else???<br />
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I had my mind twisted around this question for a long time and had to comb through a lot of material to get some sense out of the descriptions.. After a thoroughly challenging (though invigorating) analysis of various scriptural sources, I am now inclined to believe, that Meru does NOT refer to a mountain at all but instead is an allegory for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_rotation"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Earth's Axis of Rotation</span></b></a><span style="color: #ffd966;">!!</span></div>
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Meru as Earth's Axis</div>
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<img border="0" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LrFbZ_FuuMwb9LcHmr8OYlXVOr6iMKUvRURpwdNEAFc9X8rKOSd_EXBwFS3C3ZKDQvg0R8dwPLNeWhVRVGdmzip5PIdsEikJaOeNNWobh7_lXp2cT3hQpm9KqId0IutEDGy80Cie-7c/s1600/axis2.jpg" /></div>
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Just as described in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">'Legend of Meru'</span></b>, Earth's Axis extends THROUGH both ends of the Globe (Sumeru-Meru-Kumeru); is NOT visible to the naked eye (beyond the Physical plain), protrudes at the POLAR regions (covers North Pole and South Pole), and from the perspective of a man standing at the Pole, the entire cosmos quite literally revolves around it as well!!</div>
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Thinking logically, either of the TWO poles could then be the right location.. However, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vārāh Mihir</span></b>, the most famous Indian astronomer from ancient times, identified North Pole as the location of Meru in his celebrated work <b><i>Panch-siddhāntikā</i></b>.<br />
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I will give you more references clinching the Northern location, but for now, if we accept the Polar location and combine it with the description as the '<b>Abode of Gods'</b>, it would imply, that - <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">North Pole is also the location of HEAVEN!!</span></b></div>
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God's City at the North Pole</div>
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Surprised??? Don't be.. at least half a dozen World Mythologies locate their sacred lands at the North Pole!</div>
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<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Japanese</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chinese</span></b> Mythologies describe the Palaces of their Gods directly below the Pole Star and at the same time in the middle of the Earth (just like Meru). They talk of Meru as SHUMISEN and believe it connects the three realms of Heaven, Earth and Hell.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Norse_mythology" title="Norse mythology"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Norse</span></b></a> myths place their <i>'Land of Immortality'</i> at the North Pole and their legends talk about a World Tree called YGGDRASIL<b> </b>that connects Heaven, Earth and Hell just like Meru.</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Greeks</span></b> believed in a fabled perfect land which they called HYPERBOREA (above the North-wind), where the sun shines twenty-four hours a day, indicating a location within the Arctic Circle. </li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_language"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Lettish</b></span></a> tales describe many dawns in their Heaven, a phenomenon observed only at the Poles.</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_mythology"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Celtic</b></span></a> Mythology talks of a Heaven with more than 6 months of continuous winter again suggesting a polar location.</li>
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Closer home, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avesta"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Zoroastrian Avesta</b></span></a> revered by the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Persians</span></b> (Parsis), mentions the<b> <i>Aryanam Vaijah </i></b>the ancient land of Aryans<b> </b>as the Best-of-all-places and situated up in the North, above the other six world zones. At the beginning of the current age, the god <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahura_Mazda"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ahura Mazda</span></b></a><b> </b>warned of an impending fierce winter (Ice Age?!?) and advised its denizens to migrate to other locations.</div>
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<b>Is it just me or is someone else thinking of the North Pole as well ;o)</b><br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">The Denizens of Meru</span></u></b></div>
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The belief in the divinity of Meru was so much ingrained in the ancient minds that it was given architectural form as well. Today, this is evident in the construction of all <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hindu</span></b>, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Buddhist</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Jain</span></b> temples that mirror the towering spikes of Meru.</div>
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Hindu Temples at Cambodia reflecting the Towers of Meru</div>
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Sumeru and its surroundings are home not just of deities, but also other beings of popular mythology who rarely intrude on the human world. </div>
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<li>Above Meru is <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brahmalok</span></b> or the <i>'Abode of Brahma'</i> and on its various levels are present various other demi-gods. </li>
<li>The Highest Physical Heaven, <span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration"><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Trayastrimsa" title="Trayastrimsa"><span class="Unicode" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Trāyastriṃśa</span></b></span></a> </span>or the <i>'Abode of 33 Devas'</i>, lies on its peak and is the dwelling place of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indra"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra</span></a></b>, the Lord of Demi-gods.</li>
<li>The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Chaturmahārājikāyika</span></b> or the <i>'Four-Guardians-of-Directions'</i> (mentioned in the prayer in the beginning), live on its slopes. </li>
<li>Below them, is the dwelling space of other magical species such as the <i>Apsaras, Gandharvs, Nagas, Yakshas, Siddhas, Vidyadhars</i> and the <i>Kumbhandas</i>.</li>
<li>Below all these, in and around the ocean, at the base of Meru, dwell the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Asuras.</span></b></li>
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Since <span class="Unicode" style="color: #ffd966; text-decoration: none; white-space: normal;" title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trayastrimsa"><b>Tavatimsa Heaven</b></a></span> is physically connected to the world through Sumeru, the demi-gods are unable to avoid getting entangled in worldly affairs. They frequently find themselves in quarrels with the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asura"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Asuras</span></a></b>, who were expelled by the present <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indra"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indra</span></a></b> and hence, keep plotting for ways to recover their lost kingdom. <br />
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This conflict is very similar to that observed in Greek Mythology between the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Titans</span></b> and the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Olympians</span></b>.</div>
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Indra and other divinities on top of Meru</div>
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<b>However, for me, it was difficult to envision the Arctic frigidness of North Pole supporting the 'Heaven' of our ancients..</b></div>
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The Arctic region today, comprises of kilometers thick sheets of Ice spread for miles together, with hardly any land or vegetation on it.. But, what if the North Pole, at some time in its history, did support land as well as vegetation??? </div>
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My research, turned up evidence that North Pole INDEED boasted of a continent right until the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miocene"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Miocene Period</span></a></b> which however, got submerged during the subsequent Ice-Ages (!!). According to latest geological evidence, the last Glacial period closed about 10,000 years ago and the geographical distribution of land then, was radically DIFFERENT from what it is at present.. <br />
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Pre-glacial coastline of the West coast of USA</div>
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This land supported a temperate climate, extremely conducive for the sustenance of various species of plants and animals and of course Humans and semi-divine beings. In fact, in the early geological ages, the high mountains of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Alps" title="Alps"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Alps</span></b></a> were low, the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Himalayas" title="Himalayas"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Himalayas</span></b></a> had not yet heaved, and an equable climate had prevailed over the ENTIRE globe! <br />
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The onset of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ice-Age</span></a></b> destroyed this genial climate and rendered polar regions unsuitable for habitation of tropical plants and animals. </div>
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Temperate climate of North Pole before the Ice-Age</div>
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The same conclusion was arrived at by the late Indian Historian and Freedom-fighter, Lokmanya <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_Gangadhar_Tilak"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bal Gangadhar Tilak</span></a></b>. </div>
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In his phenomenal work titled, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arctic_Home_in_the_Vedas"><span style="color: #e06666;">'The Arctic Home of the Vedas'</span></a></b>, written in late 1800s, Lokmanya Tilak gives an extremely detailed as well as convincing account based on the literary evidence of various <b><i>Shlokas</i></b> from <b><i>Rig Veda</i></b> and the Zoroastrian <b><i>Avesta</i></b> that point to an Arctic Home of the ancient Aryans!!!</div>
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Lokmanya Tilak's Masterpiece</div>
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<b>The book places the original home of Aryans at the North Pole, from which they had to emigrate due to the Ice deluge 10,000 years ago!!</b></div>
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Around 8000 BCE, the age of migration from the original home began when the survivors roamed over the northern parts of Europe and Asia in search of lands suitable for new settlements. If we accept this scenario, we can easily understand the legends of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Noah</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manu</span></b>, the progenitors of mankind in this current age. {For more on Manu, the First Man, check out the post - <b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/09/ganpati-bappa-morya-couldnt-have-better.html"><span style="color: #e06666;">Creation by Brahma</span></a></b>}. </div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ancient Map of the North Pole</span></u></b></div>
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In my quest for knowing everything possible about Mount Meru and the North Pole, I stumbled upon yet ANOTHER startling find.. <br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerardus_Mercator"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gerardus Mercator</span></b></a>, a Belgian Geographer and Cartographer, had prepared a <b>'Map of the Arctic'</b> in 1569 which actually shows a continent at the North Pole with a mountain in its center!!</div>
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Mercator's Map of the North Pole</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRNokaOMkyEj6RasENTRl3fz88I5p4B_ua9LNQUc1IqZoZ4xMPkieRgnAGgpRuwPCoAgHPeJPvCi-uTNZwss1CvrVL3EdBWfXOklz5x2MM6UxOPhgbuKeiy15pcHVfEQp1m_VZXaP3s8/s1600/Meru+%252811%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRNokaOMkyEj6RasENTRl3fz88I5p4B_ua9LNQUc1IqZoZ4xMPkieRgnAGgpRuwPCoAgHPeJPvCi-uTNZwss1CvrVL3EdBWfXOklz5x2MM6UxOPhgbuKeiy15pcHVfEQp1m_VZXaP3s8/s400/Meru+%252811%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Compare the map with this interesting detail from <b><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp059.htm"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnu Puraan </span></b></a></b>-<br />
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<i>"The Akash Ganga, flowing from the feet of Vishnu, falls around the city of Brahma, on top of Meru. O twice-born ones, she then subdivides into FOUR rivers, dividing the land into FOUR continents.." </i></div>
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Is it another one of those incredible co-incidences that keep cropping up in my research or was the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Map of Mercator</span></b> actually based on the descriptions of Meru??? </div>
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Mercator couldn't have had direct access to the descriptions as the <i><b>Puranas</b></i> weren't even translated from Sanskrit till that time. Probably the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Legend of Meru</span></b></a> </b>was prevalent in some of the Pagan religions of Europe before the Church became more rigid in its approach. </div>
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Mercator, in a letter to a friend, mentions a gentleman responsible for passing him the information for this map, but stops short of naming him. I'm sharing the magnified version for all to appreciate the similarities again.. </div>
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North Pole according to Mercator<br />
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For me, the most interesting part is the CENTRAL mountain which may very well represent our own Meru and the FOUR rivers running outwards from it which fit the description from <i><b>Vishnu Puraan</b></i>. I find the similarity quite intriguing and would like to believe that Early Europeans were more accepting of other religions' beliefs than those from the 'Witch-hunting' eras.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>The Christmas Conundrum</u></span></b></div>
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With Christmas fast approaching, another CRAZZZZY thought has come to my INSAAANE mind! </div>
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Could it be, that <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mount Meru</span></a></b>, with its mystical significance, North Pole location, and Inexhaustible riches, was also the ORIGINAL inspiration for the legend of SANTA CLAUS!!??!!</div>
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Since around early 1800s, the tradition of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_claus"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Santa Claus</span></a></b> has been prevalent in the Western World and North Pole is considered to be his fabled home where he dwells with his magical Elves. Santa is typically depicted as a pot-bellied, bearded, jovial benefactor accompanied by polar animals like Rudolph the reindeer.</div>
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Santa with his Polar companions<br />
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However, both the location and the description, bring to my mind, the legend of KUBER, the Hindu Lord-of-Riches and the Guardian-of-the-North-Pole!!</div>
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Just like Santa, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubera"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kuber</span></a></b> is traditionally shown as a fair-complexioned, bearded, pot-bellied man with abundant wealth that he shares only with the deserving.. Like Santa again, he is accompanied by magical beings called <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakshas"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yakshas</span></a></b> and is considered the Lord of mythical animals and semi-divine beings!<br />
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The reference to anthropomorphic forms could easily cover the POLAR fauna as animals like reindeer, Polar bears, Seals etc. are not found in other parts of the world and may actually seem mythical to a person seeing them for the first time!!</div>
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Kuber, the Lord of North Pole</div>
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In the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vishnudharmottara_Purana" title="Vishnudharmottara Purana"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishnudharmottara Purana</span></b></a>, Kuber is described as <i><b>Dhanadhipati</b></i><b> </b>or the<i> </i>Lord-of-Wealth and <i><b>Dhanada</b> </i>or the Giver-of-Wealth. Buddhist and Jain mythologies also know him as <i><b>Vaishravan</b></i> and <i><b>Panchanubhuti</b></i>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ramayan</span></b><i> </i>states that Lord Brahma, pleased with Kuber's penance, conferred upon him the riches of the world; inclusion into the <b><i>Deva</i></b> Pantheon; and the famous flying chariot known as <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Pushpaka_Vimana" title="Pushpaka Vimana"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pushpak Viman</span></b></a>. Kuber then ruled in the golden isle of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Lanka" title="Lanka"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lanka</span></b></a> (which BTW is the cut top of Mount Meru!) till his step-brother <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ravan</span></b> usurped his throne and took away all his riches.<br />
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<b>The mention of the flying chariot <i>Pushpak Viman</i> is again interesting as Santa also travels on a flying sleigh!</b><br />
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Santa's sleigh or Pushpak Viman??</div>
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Whatever the relationship between these ancient legends, I believe the similarities deserve MORE than a passing thought. The mysteries of Meru are not easy to unfold, yet, I have tried my best to clear some cobwebs from this topic, and I hope I was able to present to my readers something new and thought-provoking..</div>
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For now, let us enjoy the CHRISTMAS revelry and stuff ourselves silly with puddings and cakes, awaiting the beginning of a New Year.. May the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Heavenly Glow of Meru</span></b> and the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Northern Lights</span></b>, keep us all warm in the coming winters :o)</div>
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I wish you all a very Happy upcoming New Year and conclude this post with a Christmas poem remembering the magical city at the North Pole which somehow seems quite fitting here-</div>
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<i>Follow the North, as far as it will go, </i><br />
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<i>To a city built on the Earth’s pole,</i></div>
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<i>A chilly city with frost that bites,</i></div>
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<i>It glitters in snow, day and night.</i></div>
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<i>Gingerbread houses, peppermint trees, </i><br />
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<i>Cotton candy clouds and symphonies,</i></div>
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<i>Rat-a-tat-tat with lollipop sticks,</i></div>
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<i>Rooty-toot-toot horns and puckered lips.</i></div>
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<i>Into a garden of Love and Peace, </i><br />
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<i>Where Time began and will never cease,</i></div>
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<i>God’s heavenly kingdom of endless Joy,</i></div>
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<i>Better than even the City of Troy.</i></div>
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<i>This night is blessed for children of Peace, </i><br />
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<i>For Love, Family, Angels and Trees,</i></div>
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<i>For Hope for Nations; For You and for Me,</i></div>
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<i>For North is further, than our eyes can see!</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com237Mulund West, Maharashtra, India19.1746739 72.94310380000001719.158707399999997 72.927897300000012 19.1906404 72.958310300000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-23269511443694871392011-11-25T09:21:00.073+05:302016-05-15T23:28:39.751+05:30Genetics of the Wandering Indian<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>We have 99 % same genes as any other Human,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>And 96 % same as a Chimpanzee..</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Howz that for Perspective ;o)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since I started writing this blog, my endeavor has been to explore our rich ancient heritage utilizing as many different Scientific disciplines as I could. In the current post, I'm gonna use </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_genetics"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Genetics</span></a></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to help us understand the Genetic make-up of the various populations inhabiting India today and try to understand our origins.</span><br />
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<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Genes" title="Genes"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Genes</span></b></a> are the Storehouse of all our Information, the Heritage of our Ancestors and the Inheritance of our Future generations. There is no way that genetic studies can be questioned and the study of Genetics can perhaps be the only conclusive way to define the movement of human beings on this planet.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though I won't go deep into mythology this time, yet the inspiration of this topic has been a verse from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurma_Purana"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kurma Puraan</span></b></a> -<i> In Bharatavarsha women and men display diverse colors, worship various gods and perform many different duties. The full length of their lives is said to be a hundred years, and live their lives according to virtue or vice.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ancient literature mentions many different races inhabiting this planet and<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> </b></span>Archaeological sites such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimbetka_rock_shelters"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bhimbetka Rock Caves</span></b></a> testify to the presence of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Homo sapiens</b></span></a> in India by at least 80,000 BCE - much before they were documented anywhere else in the world (besides Africa of course).</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bhimbetka Caves, Madhya Pradesh, India</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">But WHEN and HOW did Early Man reach India from Africa? </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We learnt in a previous post (<b><a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/09/darwins-evolution-in-dashavtar.html"><span style="color: #e06666;">Evolution in Dashavtar</span></a></b>) how modern Human-beings evolved from Primate ancestors. The currently accepted scientific belief is that this development took place in the African continent from where <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Homo-sapiens</span></b> started spreading outwards.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans" title="Recent African origin of modern humans"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Out of Africa</span></b></a> migration theory states that beginning around 100,000-70,000 years BP (Before Present), Modern Humans started spreading to different parts of the globe replacing the earlier local hominids like <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Homo_neanderthalensis" title="Homo neanderthalensis"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nenderthal Man</span></b></a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Homo_erectus" title="Homo erectus"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Homo erectus</span></b></a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The study of Genetic markers shows us that irrespective of <b><i>Region/Religion/Color</i></b> and <b><i>Caste</i></b>, <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Indians</b></span> are the closest to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Africans</span></b>, more than ANY other population in the World! This genetic relatedness sugests that India was the FIRST stop for human beings coming out of Africa!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For me the significance
lies in this understanding that modern Humans coming out of
Africa, spread to the rest of the World via India. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was from the sub-continent that waves of people migrated to other parts of Europe, Asia, Australia, and even the Americas. Indeed MODERN Human-being had reached India at least by 80,000 years BP; Europe by 40,000 years BP; and the Americas just about 14,500 years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Out of Africa Migration</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLSp2ep72FCUT4nnTVxXPLrBhkZxGAC380r7X-QjgkbvAJ1DqwTCcKmDI67ZkXYkY4Yxqkz7nOfJghTrIjNMz9FU2JYbdkOEkQksmbzm7BhFKIoEqV3l9l7iHhwcGj2oveKnYkLvAVWI/s640/migration.jpg" width="640" /> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For those who have a background in Biology, I'm sharing a tidbit of technical information. Most Genetic studies involve tracing two types of DNA - the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Human_Y-chromosome_DNA_haplogroups" title="Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Y-chromosome or Y-DNA</span></b></a> and the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Human_mitochondrial_DNA_haplogroups" title="Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mitochondrial or mtDNA</span></b></a>. While, Y-DNA is passed solely from a father to his sons, the mtDNA is passed from a mother to all her offspring.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Y-DNA mtDNA</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50wQcFIiJ-E49K-4ZkLZvRMqemNyyaaypwfO7Q5ODu0sc4B7EJCWZpK0VbrFgfLDitPBTAcpD7AATcDLkHmFs_iLCLYOZcusoZjj_f4A2DHwDKUTw526WRJfVMEPYd4CUsSM2pOFiW28/s1600/mitochondrialdna2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50wQcFIiJ-E49K-4ZkLZvRMqemNyyaaypwfO7Q5ODu0sc4B7EJCWZpK0VbrFgfLDitPBTAcpD7AATcDLkHmFs_iLCLYOZcusoZjj_f4A2DHwDKUTw526WRJfVMEPYd4CUsSM2pOFiW28/s400/mitochondrialdna2.bmp" width="400" /></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since mother's DNA is passed to ALL her children, it can be traced backwards by studying the chromosomal make-up of one's mothers' mother and so on right into the past until all lines converge on one person. Using this technique, Geneticists have actually been able to trace the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">First Maternal Ancestor of Mankind</span></b> to Africa and call her the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mitochondrial Eve.</span></a></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Mother of Mankind traced to Africa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmYNVtWQ6V3J0rcmTtplWugq1iUlAWXiECiUZD-i8ZDM4qPll9FJRahtTV4r8IcoFs2slEzfOGYHZczsNC56wPweBzstPEENs51R1W09tN7hl48SdnVLsN9eiJLnXICDjUEiJl56pHMg/s1600/mitochondrialeve_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmYNVtWQ6V3J0rcmTtplWugq1iUlAWXiECiUZD-i8ZDM4qPll9FJRahtTV4r8IcoFs2slEzfOGYHZczsNC56wPweBzstPEENs51R1W09tN7hl48SdnVLsN9eiJLnXICDjUEiJl56pHMg/s320/mitochondrialeve_3.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scholars like <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Thangaraj et al</b>.; <b>Macauley et al</b></span> have conducted series of studies on the Mt DNA of indigenous people of <b style="color: #ffd966;">Malaysia </b>and <b style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">A</span>ndaman islands</b> and these corroborate the notion that our African ancestors took a coastal route along the Indian Ocean around 65,000 BP to populate these regions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to <b style="color: #ffd966;">Forster</b> and <b style="color: #ffd966;">Matsumura</b>'s assessment of the genetic evidence, ENTIRE continents of Asia, Europe, and the Americas were colonized by descendants of this initial group which perhaps included as little as four-five hundred women!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coastal Route Out of Africa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9nSNyL1Md8VYpobjGoVwKgX5ybN54Cjs6EBDBJy3noiKpabLBM9jlqjXmMpYZ4zGMnWZzTzEimKxjTk4QHBq-8u1zMYFxf_KOUQgRXNLlJVNzf0M0qIHIYwAANt7zQXf_N_wHqpct04/s640/EarlyHumanMigration.gif" width="640" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to a study conducted by <b style="color: #ffd966;">Macauley et al</b> in 2005, the entire landmass of Europe and Middle East was settled from an early offshoot of this migration that moved in once the Ice melted and climate in these regions improved. Another interesting study with a comprehensive analysis can be read here: {<b><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC379225/">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC379225/</a></b>}.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">British Geneticist, </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Stephen_Oppenheimer" style="font-family: inherit;" title="Stephen Oppenheimer"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Stephen Oppenheimer</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> believes India to be the origin of all the </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Eurasia" style="font-family: inherit;" title="Eurasia"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Eurasian</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Eves and he claims that the ENTIRE populations of Central Asia, Middle East and Europe present today, have actually descended from four mtDNA lines that originated in the Indian sub-continent 50,000-100,000 years ago!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZIk2l3V2fmU8bpLPDXUNaxxcPteEAD5tMilo085IxiijJr53srAa4KMtAYz44QMZI9fvpMX5yIdKEfft8c5RrJ9y2xcLiOGso1za-eR1MonbOaW3rpwJXuzdYMMwu3hnTic2bAdT7jM/s1600/article-2057546-0EAB5A3D00000578-148.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZIk2l3V2fmU8bpLPDXUNaxxcPteEAD5tMilo085IxiijJr53srAa4KMtAYz44QMZI9fvpMX5yIdKEfft8c5RrJ9y2xcLiOGso1za-eR1MonbOaW3rpwJXuzdYMMwu3hnTic2bAdT7jM/s1600/article-2057546-0EAB5A3D00000578-148.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not to say that human beings coming out of Africa only settled in India. Of course there were other populations coming
out of Africa as well but presumably, we were the ONLY ones to survive
and propagate throughout the WORLD.<b> </b>Another research regarding <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Haplogroup W</span></b> also comes to the same conclusion as is evident from the image below:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spread of Haplogroup W from Africa to India to the World</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAVrAXFqMRSUWF_Nb4wVqP89vDNBaPqzUN8LJ_R6sH130OKpVvvyS0PGg9W7THSFv_MU7TIYqbsqtYBodNzsjmosa5ll0XuRlROCCRxo5bQoCzOfsYZ49lxh95Nh45fgtMMPvQbimChw/s400/migration+haplogrp+W.gif" width="392" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQrLhMUKTG8Z2loAKhH5AyHj03vr_Rp9TP9Qp2lQm4v_BNoREefn3PnnTrBC0jW3580oGRhcQs__-9SOfroqo80sQzLPUvXpb37CvYJO_JpQGNy60lEmblmeKw5CFiwMPrsGbIhVxxWM/s1600/Haplogroup_F_(Y-DNA).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason for that is quite eloquently expressed by the famous sci-fi author <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Arthur C. Clarke</span></b> in one of his bestsellers -<i> In four great waves, with 200,000 years between their crests, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ice Ages</span></b> swept by, leaving their mark on the ENTIRE globe. Outside the tropics, cold glaciers slew those who had prematurely left their ancestral home; and everywhere they winnowed out the creatures who could not adapt. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Presumably, WE were the only ones who survived this 'winnowing' and were left with the responsibility to POPULATE the World!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">DNA and Diversity</span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With this ancient DNA comes the ubiquitous DIVERSITY of our people.. Our scriptures record a plural society since time immemorial proving that we have always been a </span>potpourri<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of different colors, cultures and appearances. However, such a situation also makes it really difficult to understand our </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Genetic relatedness</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Different Morphological Races of India</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tArGQR8ozTlYbp9cL0bF0XgYw7z3nRkTJfgQD7VYb_2SNOSwswJXMj2iEX85LXU9nxbfOVBWSmXIoLCSlY690nk9w2sobB9amSSr7Xus_5kmcbfbNBeYFl9-sbEUtHyGyibP1meJIXc/s1600/Indian+languages.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tArGQR8ozTlYbp9cL0bF0XgYw7z3nRkTJfgQD7VYb_2SNOSwswJXMj2iEX85LXU9nxbfOVBWSmXIoLCSlY690nk9w2sobB9amSSr7Xus_5kmcbfbNBeYFl9-sbEUtHyGyibP1meJIXc/s640/Indian+languages.JPG" width="560" /></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The races differ in appearance but NOT in genetic parameters. Our present diversity evolved as waves of initial settlers moved both towards North as well as South of the country, all the time Intermixing and Migrating to OTHER countries. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the first studies linking India to Europe dates back to 1999 and was conducted by Estonian biologist <b><a href="http://mega.bioanth.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Toomas Kivisild</a>, </b>with 14 co-authors from various nationalities. It relied on 550 samples of mtDNA and identified <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Haplog</span></b></span></span><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">roup "U"</span></b> as indicating a deep connection between Indian and Western-Eurasian populations. Now this may lead you to the infamous and now debunked Aryan-Invasion Theory but wait, there's more :)<br />
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The same haplogroup "U" was also found in the Lodha and Santhal tribes of Eastern India by <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Susanta Roychoudhury</span></b>. According to Kivisild and his co-authors, the Indian and Western Eurasian haplogroup "U" varieties differ profoundly and their split has occurred as early as 50,000 years ago! In other words, yes there is genetic connection between India and Eurasia but a far more ancient one than what the Aryan Invasion presupposes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV9E1WzUfrI4sYYRUNQixtaw5pdQqoCg7Ux4GBn9uEpKMc1reMYNLbKXZpEcYNQhEPScAtaPywTlMJ9th3b9buYK7xNWyWKxOQo8RRTfyTwgMeUpkfGs8W2KgVuXJhJH4SxdSIbZft6Q/s1600/Haplogroup+U.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV9E1WzUfrI4sYYRUNQixtaw5pdQqoCg7Ux4GBn9uEpKMc1reMYNLbKXZpEcYNQhEPScAtaPywTlMJ9th3b9buYK7xNWyWKxOQo8RRTfyTwgMeUpkfGs8W2KgVuXJhJH4SxdSIbZft6Q/s1600/Haplogroup+U.jpg" /></a></div>
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Similar is the case with mtDNA <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Haplogroup "M"</span></b> which occurs in about 60% of Indians irrespective of geographical location, 40% in Central Asia and even in American Indians but only 0.6% of Europeans exhibit the same. In fact, the tribal populations in India have higher frequencies of this haplogroup indicating that they are one of the oldest populations in the world!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx7izkGGk07BZdFQAcnBJxDTwpYevIyhzXbv33GSCdH1NqokQIWII24Ecbbe216qqZuln5XJwrG2YosH2DClCcKKGHqHFgY_hyphenhyphenPL0TTnQ3xikgwq95Ie78IF769gLSU3qmJSbBL348Uo/s1600/m-maps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx7izkGGk07BZdFQAcnBJxDTwpYevIyhzXbv33GSCdH1NqokQIWII24Ecbbe216qqZuln5XJwrG2YosH2DClCcKKGHqHFgY_hyphenhyphenPL0TTnQ3xikgwq95Ie78IF769gLSU3qmJSbBL348Uo/s640/m-maps.png" width="476" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Haplogroup_M_%28mtDNA%29" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;" title="Haplogroup M (mtDNA)"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Macrohaplogroup M</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">, that represents more than 60% of Indian MtDNA shows following similarities in different populations of the country:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">M2</span></b> - Most common in Bengal and Tamil Nadu (East and South)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">M3</span></b> - Rajasthan and Karnataka (West and South-west)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">M6</span></b> - Kashmir and Assam (North and East)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">M18</span></b> - Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh (West and South-central)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">M25</span></b> - Punjab and Kerala!! (North and South)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The study has shown some Hindu caste groups to be genetically closer to Muslims in the same geographical region THAN to their own caste cousins elsewhere in India showing that our current RELIGIOUS differences are merely superficial and people in a specific region are more or less the same. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Genetically we all are the Same! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3q-uCcdaQFHPOs3KfasxwcXSz_AIHluEu_QDpqRKq3MjwupoezpLyjv16VsvgEvmvVVxcA4EiqFi0yot4cZPmP0cFOnHIbX3rxk2PRDwe55TLN5cKD_LUQp-hRrfEIwS1h2n-2zbB1M/s640/SM37307.jpg" width="640" /> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Image courtesy Imagesbazaar.com)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Similar findings have been observed in communities residing at diametrically opposite ends of the Nation-</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">R6</span></b> - Most common in Kashmir and Tamil Nadu (North and South)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">R1a1</span></b> - Punjab and Bengal (North and East)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">R2</span></b> - Bengal, U. P. and Andhra Pradesh (East, North-central and South-east)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">U2a</span></b> - Punjab and Karnataka (North and South-west)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">U2b</span></b> - Uttar Pradesh and Kerala (North-central and South)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">U7</span></b> - Punjab and Gujarat (North and West)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More details can be obtained from the following link {<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_and_archaeogenetics_of_South_Asia" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Genetics_and_archaeogenetics_of_South_Asia</span></b></a>}. N</span></span>ot just studies on Mitochondrial DNA but also the Y-chromosome studies done by Kivilid have revealed similar results. The Y-DNA <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Haplogroup "M17" or R1a1a </span></b>regarded till recently as a marker of Aryan Invasion has been found in Dravidian tribes especially Chenchu who also happened to be closely related to the higher caste populations! The diversity in fact deminishes as we move into Central Asia thereby contradicting any supposed 'Male Aryan Invasion' of India especially since these have been present in the population since about 51,000 years ago!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwHMfQARzNXhv4pm-0-Ja9C-pQ56dlTKavtfVczScoJc57Kav_fNjSB4LZJCG486wncqln92VZny3q2olvEt0QlQdmtIhAnqadRKXGtR76YIYdEj46mSDjglrpzuqoXz-xhFCl3k1vA8/s1600/Haplogroup+M17+Y+chromosome+map..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwHMfQARzNXhv4pm-0-Ja9C-pQ56dlTKavtfVczScoJc57Kav_fNjSB4LZJCG486wncqln92VZny3q2olvEt0QlQdmtIhAnqadRKXGtR76YIYdEj46mSDjglrpzuqoXz-xhFCl3k1vA8/s640/Haplogroup+M17+Y+chromosome+map..jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Genetic map</span></b>, thus obtained, shows a remarkable amount of heterogeneity within different Indian groups while bringing out even more remarkable RELATEDNESS between groups till now considered to be at the opposite ends of the spectrum. The differences in our appearance are broadly a result of the ADAPTATION to local weather conditions over thousands of years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b><u>Survival of the Fittest</u></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mankind first developed in <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Africa</span></a></b>, therefore, the first modern humans would have had large number of pigment producing <b><i>Melanocytes</i></b> and darker skin. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">People living in the tropics, directly under the Sun, produce increased quantities of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanin" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Melanin</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in their bodies to shield them from the harmful UV rays. Thus, their darker color is a PROTECTIVE mechanism of the body to prevent the incidence of Skin Cancer due to prolonged exposure to Sunlight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dark-skinned populations have greater protection
against other health problems related to exposure to strong Solar
Radiation, including the degradation of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">V</span></b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vitamin" title="Vitamin"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">itamins</span></b></a> such as Riboflavins, Carotenoids, Folic Acid etc. Melanin in the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Eyes</span></b>
is also protective and people with Gray, Blue and Green eyes are in
fact at a HIGHER risk of developing sun-related Ocular problems. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultraviolet B radiation leads to the synthesis of Vitamin D in our skin but can also destroy Folate that is essential for babies growing in the womb. Dark skin protects from Folate destruction allowing normal reproduction and since the UV levels are high year round, there is still enough for the body to produce Vitamin D!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Natural Selection Hypothesis</span></b> suggests that lighter skin color evolved to optimize Vitamin D production in extreme northern and southern latitudes. Gradually, as we started moving out of Africa, some groups migrated and settled into cooler climates of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Asia</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Europe</span></a></b>, and the selectivity for Melanin production decreased and mutations appeared, making the skin tone lighter. North or South of 46 degrees latitude, the dark-skin could not produce enough Vitamin D while light-skin could hence it thrived! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Indian skin color varies from Dark to Fair and everything inbetween</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kv029YJEkOXK7e9ffzeYnP6YALpiTpwbtPnE8Scc3yowTxCli3cdIaXHysCG7n8137NVKBSgO0T9RW-1Cqc0qrYXUgGwHodzHLJxnQ-082m95sKcsxbSVK23ZmU_lWV4qXNpIuOw7pQ/s640/IMG_2327.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Genetic variations of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Mc1r" title="Mc1r"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mc1r</span></b></a><b> </b>and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/SLC24A5" title="SLC24A5"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">SLC24A5</span></b></a> have been shown to be most common among pale-skinned populations. Similarly, tanning evolved so tht when UV - B radiation increases in early spring, the skin gradually darkens and keeps getting darker over the summer. During the winter, as UV radiation wanes, so does the tan allowing appropriate protection against folate destruction yet providing sufficient Vitamin D production.. <span style="color: white;"><span lang="EN">S</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another example of such adaptation is the smaller extremities observed in the Mountain-dwelling races. This adaptation is summed up in <b><a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/allen-s-law"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Allen's Law of Genetics</span></a></b> which states that the protruding parts of a warm-blooded animal's body (such as the tail, ears, and limbs), are SHORTER in animals of same species from colder regions. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In other words, people living in COOLER areas have smaller bodies and flatter features to conserve the precious body heat compared to those living in WARMER climates. </span><br />
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Over thousands of years, these traits became incorporated in our Genes and successive generations are now born with the same color and features as acquired by their parents. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The same is quite evident in the populations dwelling in our Himalayan states.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mountain dwellers show Allen's rule of Genetics</span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrwBcXWhU41MPMXhxNT5NK6XwyBHQhahbpwmU6fpXYM3aM3ZVZ2EsJ3UPlMUbmnBNLDmAkohPJtSpYYdzsRf227jxxM_Cf6bQEi8n81zbGCEvAywWBoPbkhDbVz3hcwInlCZNFiFJ4PE/s1600/1109909-0b98653c-0d1d-42de-9fed-305be6aa3c9e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrwBcXWhU41MPMXhxNT5NK6XwyBHQhahbpwmU6fpXYM3aM3ZVZ2EsJ3UPlMUbmnBNLDmAkohPJtSpYYdzsRf227jxxM_Cf6bQEi8n81zbGCEvAywWBoPbkhDbVz3hcwInlCZNFiFJ4PE/s400/1109909-0b98653c-0d1d-42de-9fed-305be6aa3c9e.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This doesn't make one race SUPERIOR to the other in any way except for the ability to SURVIVE in a particular environment! All our apparent differences are Nature's GIFTS to ensure survival in the respective climates we are born in and do NOT in any way make us different from each other from inside. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination#Racial_and_ethnic_discrimination"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Racial and Ethnic discrimination</span></a></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> prevalent in the world is based on such superficial issues that our future generations will laugh at us one day. The hatred being promoted world over today is as detrimental to Humanity as the Nuclear arms race was in the previous decade and the sooner we realize that, the better it is for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are the World</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="427" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOjhTEZEiudfmVsOSoNPLqKxji07rrup1lKEc1ydpcRauEYMNJXhmVbbqmFLx9p6YgxTYbkruFaAwvSjYotx8wogh1iuqw6e0vp6C5wohaGo1pQD9tb0a2TB8qDRnkHXCmmb1_nTFIh8/s640/UCB2.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The takeaway from this entire discussion seems to me to be three-pronged -</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">ONE</span></b>, of course, is that all the different so called 'races' are extensions of the SAME Species and reflect nature's way to mold us into different shapes just as a potter creates different works of art on his wheel.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">SECOND</span></b> and more pertinent for this blog is that the genetic studies clearly refute Aryan Invasion Theory and indicate that whatever admixture of genes happened in the Indian sub-continent took place very close to the original migrations of Homo sapiens out of Africa.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">THIRD</span></b> and perhaps most startling for me is that we, INDIANS are genetically the OLDEST<b> </b>human<b> </b>inhabitants of this planet outside of Africa. All non-African populations have descended from ancient Indians and therefore not just culturally, even demographically India is the Cradle of Civilization for the Entire World!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jai Ho India!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HPeJFjJ1SNs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgaZrOnVi0reuDqalk8Mq5DLyWNDiRFq-2NwTHPn2NQpeZwvp2hszPg3sKiANLG5MI_g2x-wfaRcAWy5NnQZXpLBtraZw6amaDNoZsGxBq5K3G_ySo0TUd5EetNz_BUCNuI9k_Uk4qgQ/s400/Ind5..jpg" width="400" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For those who still put faith in the old and outdated <b style="color: #ffd966;">'Aryan Invasion'</b> theory and try to divide the country on racial basis, plz know your roots before promoting political differences between the people of this nation. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I conclude this post sharing the poem </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.scotlandyoga.com/sahaja-yoga-news/2007/07/06/bharat-tirtha/"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bharat-tirtha</span></a></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> written by the Nobel Laureate, </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_tagore"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore</span></a></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> which beautifully defines the Unity in Diversity of our ancient land:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Oh! Mother, Let me be blessed on the sacred shore of the Sea,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Where the World has gathered t</i><i>o pay reverence to Thee,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>With outstretched hands we bow to Divinity, </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>With Supreme felicity Mother, W</i><i>e worship Thee..</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>No-one knows who invoked them all,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Who have gathered l</i><i>ike currents of mighty rivers,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>That dissolve themselves in the Divine Ocean,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Where Aryas-Dravids-Mongols-Pathans detach</i><i> their Individuality. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Where our heart-strings play a</i><i>n endless tune of Omkar, </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In search of the Supreme, we've penanced for ages,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>And oblated our Ego, in the Holy fire,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Throwing away differences, </i><i>We emerge into Universality. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Come Aryas, Non-Aryas; </i><i>Hindus and Muslims,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Come Englishmen; Come </i><i>Christians and Buddhists,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Purify your hearts, </i><i>Hold hands of the Out-castes. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>For the Coronation of our Mother, by this sacred shore of the Sea. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></i></span></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com90Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.0759837 72.87765590000003618.885180199999997 72.774818400000029 19.2667872 72.980493400000043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-77650807094103898722011-11-01T00:34:00.054+05:302019-02-10T13:57:48.872+05:30Finding River Saraswati<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A river is a Mystery;</i><i> of distance and</i><i> source,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Touch its flowing body a</i><i>nd you touch far off places..</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You touch a story t</i><i>hat</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> can't stop telling itself,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A story that's always just beginning..</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The song of a river e</i><i>nds not at her banks,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>But in the hearts of those, </i><i>Who have truly loved her.</i></span><br />
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Saraswati means the 'Flowing One', the one that flows like a river as well as the one through whom flows knowledge. <b></b><b><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch06.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer"> Devi Bhagvata Puran </a></b>mentions
that Goddess Saraswati in her full glory became Brahma's consort while a
part of her incarnated on earth as the river Saraswati. A part of the
goddess descended in Bhârat and is thus also known as Bhârati as well as
Brâhmî because she is dear to Brahmâ.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasvati_River" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Saraswati</b></a> is the most sung about river in the Vedas and is called the <i><b>Ambitame, Naditame, Devitame</b></i> - the Best of mothers, Best of rivers and Best of goddesses in the Rig Veda.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ancient </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sanskrit texts abound with references to the river:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kartikeya</span></b> was anointed the Commander of <i><b>Deva</b></i> forces on its banks,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pururava,</span><i> </i></b>the scion of Lunar Dynasty, met <b><i>Urvashi</i></b> while galloping along the Saraswati,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Parshu-Raam</span><i> </i></b>took bath in the purifying waters of the river after cleansing Earth of tyranny,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat War</span></b> that ended an Era, was also fought along the banks of Saraswati!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saraswati, the River Goddess of Arts & Learning</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKwadeZKbaIFdy6glOoZq7OND_8dlLf7G7eTNB-yS5pB4XILrdSDrKZRmp-qiamsRKN9o7ZTVbC4yUaz91gMTh8xw0M1AGEyN_PI3j-PQ9KZR_IIroKV3HemlUlNwrxCqgqMDQyD57A4/s1600/saraswati.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKwadeZKbaIFdy6glOoZq7OND_8dlLf7G7eTNB-yS5pB4XILrdSDrKZRmp-qiamsRKN9o7ZTVbC4yUaz91gMTh8xw0M1AGEyN_PI3j-PQ9KZR_IIroKV3HemlUlNwrxCqgqMDQyD57A4/s400/saraswati.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saraswati has the distinction of being the only river-goddess with entire hymns dedicated to it in <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rigveda</b></span> [6.61], [7.95] [7.96 ]. She gave birth to canonical literature, the most scientific language in the world and a vivid mythology. She is the river that gave birth to a Civilization. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, ironically, the existence of this same river has been under debate for a large part of our History! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><u><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scriptural References to River Saraswati</span></b></u></span><br />
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According to the 7th Mandala of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rigveda</span></b>,
Saraswati was a mighty river that flowed from the mountain to the sea
sustaining the lives of Vedic people. This very reference gives a
valuable pointer to Saraswati's geography and the search for the river
invariably begins from the Himalayas.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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Origin of Saraswati near Indo-Tibet border</div>
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The <b><a href="http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m09051.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Shalya Parva of Mahabharat</a></b>
quotes Rishi Dadhichi (the one whose bones were later used to make the
Vajra) give her a benediction in which he states that she had risen from
the Lake of Brahma in days of yore. This lake of Brahma is the <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Mansarovar Lake in Tibet</b></span> at
the base of Mt. Kailash which is indeed linked to many Indian rivers
such as the Brahmaputra and the Indus. So it would not be surprising
that Saraswati also originated somewhere in that region.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCnMFzIgZu_mrMBxbkQwkRHq_DHXgWe8FKMzbY6Spk7yjJyGL162Syl4mmK0h85hoX6mmvPlbF_RMTHZOAvbFKFjXxMV8s3uAvqPzW4M3x2ZKtwvmIolKHG2R7LBcKk9KNyFQ1xVXzyQ/s1600/Saraswati+origin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCnMFzIgZu_mrMBxbkQwkRHq_DHXgWe8FKMzbY6Spk7yjJyGL162Syl4mmK0h85hoX6mmvPlbF_RMTHZOAvbFKFjXxMV8s3uAvqPzW4M3x2ZKtwvmIolKHG2R7LBcKk9KNyFQ1xVXzyQ/s1600/Saraswati+origin.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10075.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Rigveda Book 10 Verse 75</a></b>
lists the prominent rivers of the Puru region and places Saraswati in
the vicinity of the various tributaries of Indus. The names of the
rivers are from east to west direction:<br />
<blockquote>
5 Favour ye this my laud, O Gan!gā, Yamunā, O Sutudri (Sutlej), Paruṣṇī (Ravi) and Sarasvatī:
With Asikni (Chenab), Vitasta (Jhelum), O Marudvrdha, O Ārjīkīya with Susoma hear my call.</blockquote>
The <b><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv07096.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hymn 96 of Book 7</a></b> mentions the region she waters:<br />
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<ol>
<li>I SING a lofty song, for she is mightiest, most divine of Streams.
Sarasvatī will I exalt with hymns and lauds, and, O Vasiṣṭha, Heaven and Earth.
2 When in the fulness of their strength <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>the Pūrus dwell</b></span>, Beauteous One, on thy two grassy banks,
Favour us thou who hast the Maruts for thy friends: stir up the bounty of our chiefs.</li>
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<b><a href="http://hinduonline.co/Scriptures/Puranas/VamanaPurana.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Vaman Puran</a></b> clearly mentions it as flowing through the region of Kurus or Kurukshetra.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbdxz8PbTkFoGfEwWVT8plKgb0IOY_2muo1Y4Z_eh536uEkUCxOuxTxXy_8fk4Ji3B1TZ7BUSb0_DLykjXdL5KmKkS8zq-4A7CAKV7uwVV0RtM6BDEOrG69Ifean6lSbe2IlKBhVTS28/s1600/Vedic+Saraswati.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbdxz8PbTkFoGfEwWVT8plKgb0IOY_2muo1Y4Z_eh536uEkUCxOuxTxXy_8fk4Ji3B1TZ7BUSb0_DLykjXdL5KmKkS8zq-4A7CAKV7uwVV0RtM6BDEOrG69Ifean6lSbe2IlKBhVTS28/s1600/Vedic+Saraswati.jpg" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Still more details are available in the <b><a href="https://archive.org/stream/67SkandaPurana.Vol.19/(67)%20Skanda%20Purana.%20Vol.%2019_djvu.txt" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Skanda Purana</a></b>
Section VII.1. 33. 11-100 & Chapter 34 detail the story of how
Saraswati was forced to arrive on earth in order to take a terrible
devastating fire to the ocean so that it would not destroy the whole
world. It moves to the west and even goes underground at places when it can't support the heat of the fire it is carrying!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>The next verses mention how she splits into five channels just before
entering the ocean. This is clearly the description of a delta formed
by the river before she joins the se<span style="font-family: inherit;">a and t</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">his place where it merges into the ocean is mentioned as the <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Prabhas Kshetra</b></span> which lies in modern day Gujarat. </span>The <b><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m09035.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Shalya Parva</a></b>
mentions many pilgrimage places linked to Saraswati that Balram travels
to. Since he lived in Dwarka which was near the coast of Gujarat, he
began his pilgrimage from the aforementioned Prabhas.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite all these references, Saraswati is currently not identifiable in the Indian sub-continent and numerous theories have been suggested to trace its route and origin.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> However, one man took the onus of compiling all this information and set about 'Finding' the Lost river. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This man is the</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> French proto-historian, </span><span style="color: #c0a248; font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Danino">Michel Danino</a></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and we will see what science has to say about Saraswati according to the research Mr. Danino has painstakingly conducted.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Finding the Lost River</u></span></b><br />
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<b style="color: #ffd966;">Michel Danino</b> has researched extensively about Indian history and is the author of numerous works of great scholarship<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span> Based on recent research in a wide range of scientific disciplines, Mr. Danino puts two and two together remarkably well and brings to life the VITAL role this river played in sowing the seeds of Indian civilization<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">The result of his stupendous efforts is the hugely popular and widely acclaimed book - <span style="color: #182c8a;"><a href="http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/category/Non_Fiction/The_Lost_River_9780143068648.aspx" style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">The Lost River</span></b></a>.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Michel Danino's Classic</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IsLmzZ-dbl8MTFObBsQJUaibtxCCvUlAn8lZMtEvaG6imcJtHlsKKxqDdqzNOK5nDHf7zn5S5kWGXHyrsUa6vsqZ2IQ174jkIrjuFGdYRkDj0NxZv5YHvuIdF8ALPLuXx-pxRGOwAV0/s1600/the%252520lost%252520river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IsLmzZ-dbl8MTFObBsQJUaibtxCCvUlAn8lZMtEvaG6imcJtHlsKKxqDdqzNOK5nDHf7zn5S5kWGXHyrsUa6vsqZ2IQ174jkIrjuFGdYRkDj0NxZv5YHvuIdF8ALPLuXx-pxRGOwAV0/s400/the%252520lost%252520river.jpg" width="271" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Danino begins his journey of discovery from a tiny seasonal river called <b style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghaggar-Hakra_river">Ghaggar</a></b>.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> As soon as I came across the name, I realized this is the river that passes through my hometown!! At most places, the river is just a stream expanding to its banks only if the monsoon is really heavy. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">However, the ancient riverbed is <b style="color: #ffd966;">3 to 10 kilometers </b>wide at places proving that it had indeed been a mighty river once!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Current arrangement of Northern Rivers </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsKBYoFJ_R-GjupVU4CLfIjjQAsk9nR8m24MekON4wOUJS6oG-ljYKIMZDy4veA7N-WWi34YyB69cBNnMx_Uj2JibG5vG9qfJlAkoMjRSRzH_C1uo-xuiWGwC6Tb_YFDVTq7SRZze4-I/s1600/saras3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsKBYoFJ_R-GjupVU4CLfIjjQAsk9nR8m24MekON4wOUJS6oG-ljYKIMZDy4veA7N-WWi34YyB69cBNnMx_Uj2JibG5vG9qfJlAkoMjRSRzH_C1uo-xuiWGwC6Tb_YFDVTq7SRZze4-I/s320/saras3.gif" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ghaggar flowing near my Home</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bKZBju9UllA37359a5dDvM_FTlY2IOBTc3MMcbxQFKGGqHrf1ooPzvSGNFm-39DTWd5DXM6zuquX6mdHU3Q42QNf68TniuyLyVl0u0Zz7fU6AUzLcoz15YKyTUo7P1M5NDJQrbi5vLg/s1600/saras.jpg" /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is corroborated by the presence of the only temple to River Saraswati that I have come across which is situated in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pehowa</span></b>,
a small town in Haryana about 45 kms from Chandigarh.There is a huge
water tank here which is supposed to contain the now stagnant waters of
the river and where thousands of people come every year to do the <b><i>Shraadh</i></b> or <b><i>Pind Daan</i></b> of their ancestors. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
is believed that Shri Krishna Himself came there with the Pandavs
before the war to get them the blessings of the goddess. Some legends
also say that this was the place where <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vishwamitra</span></b>, the Kshatriya king finally obtained the title of Brahma-rishi!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Danino"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Michel Danino</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> has painstakingly gathered data from a wide variety of sources - </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Study of Ancient literature; Recorded Historical accounts; Official reports from archives of the British Raj; Data from Archaeological Survey of India records; Pollen analysis from the lakes of Rajasthan; Studies of Oxygen-Isotope ratios; Remote sensing satellite etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These and other such techniques have helped present a pretty conclusive picture of the ORIGINAL course of the river and the factors leading to its disappearance. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Danino's research, about 5000 years ago, the flow of Saraswati</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was supplemented by the waters of <b style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamuna">Yamuna</a></b> and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satluj">Satluj</a></b> both of which are perennial rivers from Himalayan glaciers. When we envision the combined volume of these three, we can actually visualize the magnificence of Saraswati as extolled in the Vedas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another French scientist, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Henri-Paul_Francfort" title="Henri-Paul Francfort"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Henri-Paul Francfort</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, had discovered the dry river bed of Saraswati utilizing advanced imagery from the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/SPOT_%28satellites%29" title="SPOT (satellites)"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Satellite SPOT</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.
His studies led to the conclusion that the river bed was pre-Harappan
and had already started drying up by the middle of 4000 BCE. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It appears that the river </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">originated from the </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Har-ki-Dun</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> glacier in West Garhwal along with the river </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yamuna</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">. The two rivers flowed parallel for some distance and later joined, proceeding south as the Vedic Saraswati. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The seasonal rivers and rivulets, including </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ghaggar</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">, joined Saraswati as it followed the course of the present river through Punjab and Haryana. River </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sutlej </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Shatadru in Sanskrit), joined Saraswati as a tributary at Shatrana, approximately 25 km south of the modern city of Patiala.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saraswati then followed the course of Ghaggar through Rajasthan and Hakra in Bhawalpur before emptying into the Rann of Kutch via Nara in Sindh province, running parallel to the Indus River. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ISRO scientist<b style="color: #ffd966;"> A.K. Gupta</b>, found fresh-water in the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thar_desert"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Thar Desert</span></a></b> at places, where no sources of water exist.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saraswati flowing through the Thar Desert</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkMK6RQwM9IHPdD_3lzAf3M0vySer3TAsAquhPSlwysPvsMlHL-zGAT1sThuw_IKYY7LO_LhmSdlNyKIdlvUTrP7lcZN16GLEV4BF1uZlmCYWohEWnKs6QLbU5l0y-JpDi2T7pgd9g9k/s1600/Sarasvati.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="350" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkMK6RQwM9IHPdD_3lzAf3M0vySer3TAsAquhPSlwysPvsMlHL-zGAT1sThuw_IKYY7LO_LhmSdlNyKIdlvUTrP7lcZN16GLEV4BF1uZlmCYWohEWnKs6QLbU5l0y-JpDi2T7pgd9g9k/s400/Sarasvati.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Jaisalmer
district, even with very little rainfall (less that 150 mm) and extreme
weather conditions, groundwater is available at a depth of 50-60 m (!!!)
and wells in the vicinity do not dry up throughout the year.
Groundwater samples exhibit negligible <i>Tritium</i> content indicating ABSENCE of modern recharge. Independent Isotope analyses have also corroborated this fresh water stored UNDER the sand dunes </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and
Radiocarbon data suggests the groundwater is at least a few thousand
years old! Not surprisingly, these stores of fresh water are located on
the DRY river-bed of Saraswati!. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>So what went wrong?</u></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagine the might of Saraswati when you combine it with the waters of Yamuna and Satluj. Such a river would be the perfect water-way for trade and commerce and its fertile deltas and basins would support settlements all along its banks. However, some major earthquake in ancient time altered the topography of Northern India sufficiently enough to DIVERT the old courses of Saraswati's tributaries and while the Satluj changed direction to join <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus</span></b></a> in the West, river Yamuna turned East to align with the <place w:st="on"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganga"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ganga</span></b></a>.</place></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><place w:st="on"> </place></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tectonic shifts pushed Saraswati underground which BTW tallies quite well with the popular belief about the flow of the river</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Satellite images have confirmed the existence of a large number of Ground-Faults in the </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswati-Sindhu</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">
and have caused the seepage of Saraswati water to underground channels,
contributing to the legend of the Vedic Saraswati disappearing
underground. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>From a practical point of view, if we can
somehow revive this ancient source of water, it could become a LIFELINE
for the parched desert areas of Western and Northern Rajasthan!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Around </span>the same time, a global drought has been proven to have affected civilizations across an immense belt right from southern Europe to India. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sumerian</span></b> civilization of Mesopotamia was practically wiped out around 2200 BCE, while in <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Egypt</span></b>, the so-called Old-Empire collapsed because of this change in climate! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Incidentally, the Shrimad Bhagavatam holds <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Balrama</span></b>, the brother of Shri Krishna, responsible for the alteration of the course of river <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yamuna</span></b> which was originally a major tributary of Saraswati!</span></div>
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Balrama altering the course of Yamuna!</div>
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<b>In such a scenario, with BOTH its major tributaries gone, and a GLOBAL drought drying up the rivers, the results were catastrophic for our Saraswati, leading to the desertification of Rajasthan!</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>The Indus Valley Connection</u></span></b></div>
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If you carefully look at the course of the river plotted on the map of Indian sub-continent, you can not fail to grasp the proximity it shared with the course of the Indus. Interestingly, the time-frame of its existence ALSO coincides with what was till now known as the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Indus Valley</b> <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Civilization!</span></b></div>
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Now, some historians ask, could there be a possibility that this archaeologically OLDEST civilization of the Indian sub-continent was sustained NOT by Indus alone, but by Indus and Saraswati BOTH??? <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More than 300 sites have been discovered along the ancient course of the Saraswati</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyUmvf_ueEBCkLK1Dr4y47G1SQQ_bqqGDAGQJfFK4VPkhbY8ui4FbpWA1GvSyZLFwkDVVSURLJWVH2gvsCGhQt-Wu4Sq9hY-JyAK8SpjcBVpipsbIkH7X3B7Kjym8uHVc3na1S0Rrf9U/s1600/indusmap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyUmvf_ueEBCkLK1Dr4y47G1SQQ_bqqGDAGQJfFK4VPkhbY8ui4FbpWA1GvSyZLFwkDVVSURLJWVH2gvsCGhQt-Wu4Sq9hY-JyAK8SpjcBVpipsbIkH7X3B7Kjym8uHVc3na1S0Rrf9U/s640/indusmap.gif" width="636" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With the work of researchers like Danino, this conjecture has indeed been proven to be true! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the early part of the century, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurel_Stein"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aurel Stein</span></a></b>, a Hungarian archaeologist, had identified scores of Harappan sites in what is NOW recognized as the dry basin of the Saraswati</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> right from Haryana in India to Punjab in Pakistan!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact, there are MORE archaeological sites along the bed of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasvati_River"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><b>Saraswati</b></span></a> (around 360!!!) than those along the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus</span></b></a> (just about 3 dozen)!!<b> </b>Moreover, with the latest discoveries<b> </b>of sites like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhirrana" target="_blank"><b>Bhirrana</b></a> it is now conclusively proven that this civilization did not progress from west to East but in the opposite direction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Perhaps THIS is the reason why this river-goddess is also worshiped as the Goddess of Art, Culture, Literature & Knowledge!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For those who do not know what I am talking about, let me explain - Till recently the biggest and oldest (as per Carbon-dating) sites were found in Pakistan. But the efforts of the </span><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Archaeological</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> Survey of India</span></b> have helped discover many new sites on the Indian side of the border thereby bringing to light two major sites. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhirrana" target="_blank"><b>Bhirrana</b></a>, which is a small village in Haryana has been carbon dated to 7570 BCE, the oldest of any city in the ancient world! Similarly, <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhigarhi" target="_blank">Rakhigarhi</a></b> has been shown to be roughly 350 hectares, bigger than even Mohenjodaro which was considered the biggest Harrappan city earlier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
This could well turn out to be the turning point for re-defining our Actual History! <span style="font-family: inherit;">BOTH of them are located on the now-discovered dry bed of the Saraswati and clearly this is where the legend about the Goddess being the guardian of civilization emerged from. [Read more about these here -<b> <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Haryanas-Bhirrana-oldest-Harappan-site-Rakhigarhi-Asias-largest-ASI/articleshow/46926693.cms" target="_blank">Haryanas-Bhirrana-oldest-Harappan-site-Rakhigarhi-Asias-largest</a></b>]</span></div>
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Because of the above discovery, it becomes so easy to understand the reason for the decline of the Harappan Civilization! It was NOT because of an invading force from the North composed of <i>white-skinned, chariot-riding, horse-taming, iron-using</i> Aryans as the older archaeologists are fond of claiming. The most ancient civilization of the Indian sub-continent declined because of the MASSIVE change in topography of the region! </div>
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Another study titled {<b><a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/109/26/E1688.full">Fluvial Landscapes of the Harappan Civilization</a></b>} has come out after the writing of this article, which also supports this view and declares that waning of monsoons spurred both the rise and fall of the Harappans! The study was conducted by a team of scientists from US, UK,
India, Pakistan and Romania between 2003 and 2008. Using state-of-the-art <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Geoscience</b></span> technology, the researchers concluded that Harappans lived in a favorable climatic window which saw few floods and sufficient rains but things started changing around 4000 years ago.<br />
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
s monsoon drying subdued
devastating floods, the land nearby the rivers - still fed with water
and rich silt - was just right for agriculture. This lasted for almost
2,000 years, but continued aridification closed this favorable window in
the end<br />
<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp">http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp</a><br />
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
s monsoon drying subdued
devastating floods, the land nearby the rivers - still fed with water
and rich silt - was just right for agriculture. This lasted for almost
2,000 years, but continued aridification closed this favorable window in
the end<br />
<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp">http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp</a></div>
</div>
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
s monsoon drying subdued
devastating floods, the land nearby the rivers - still fed with water
and rich silt - was just right for agriculture. This lasted for almost
2,000 years, but continued aridification closed this favorable window in
the end<br />
<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp">http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp</a><br />
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
s monsoon drying subdued
devastating floods, the land nearby the rivers - still fed with water
and rich silt - was just right for agriculture. This lasted for almost
2,000 years, but continued aridification closed this favorable window in
the end<br />
<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp">http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-collapse-ancient-indus-civilization.html#jCp</a></div>
</div>
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The new findings serve to strengthen
the premise that what we refer to as the Indus Valley
Civilization was largely located on the banks of and in the proximity of
the Saraswati river which withered away due to climatic conditions. The sudden change in the course of a river as wide as the Saraswati,
would invariably lead to flooding in certain areas as its tributaries
change their course, and a drought in the long run as the waters of the
mighty river start dwindling and are unable to sustain the vast cities
built on its banks.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>From Saraswati to Ganga</u></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because of this dramatic turn of events, the denizens of the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus</span></a><span style="color: #ffd966;">-</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasvati_River"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Saraswati</span></b></a></b> had to relocate Northwards, Westwards and Eastwards. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The eastward movement formed the major chunk of migration and the sacred attributes of Saraswati were gradually transferred to the other major river of the sub-continent, the <place w:st="on"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganga"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ganga</span></a></b></place>.</span></div>
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Goddess Ganga takes over Saraswati's role<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most Early Harappan sites are located in the middle Ghaggar-Hakra river valley, and some on the Indus and the Saurashtra area of Gujarat. However, in the LATER period, the number of sites in the Ghaggar-Hakra and Indus diminish, while increasing in the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganga"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ganges</span></a></b> plain and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saurashtra"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Saurashtra</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><br />
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Indeed, the community of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saraswat_Brahmin"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswat Brahmins</span></b></a> still trace their origin from the banks of Saraswati and are today spread all over the country right from <i><b>Kashmir</b></i> in the north to <i><b>Kutch</b></i> in the West to the <i><b>Konkan</b></i> region in the South of the country!</span></span><br />
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As the senior Indian Archaeologist,<b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">S.R. Rao</span></b> observes -<i> </i><br />
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<i>In circa 1900 BCE most of the mature Harappa sites were wiped out forcing the inhabitants to seek new lands for settlement. They seem to have left in great hurry and in small groups, seeking shelter initially on the eastern flank of the Sutlej and the Ghaggar and gradually moving towards the Yamuna. </i><i>The refugees from Mohenjo-Daro and southern sites in Sind fled to Saurashtra and later occupied interior of the Peninsula.</i> </div>
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Supporting data is present in the literary evidence where the earliest texts like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rig_veda"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rig-Veda</span></b></a> mention Ganga only twice, but later literature like the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Upanishads</span></b>, mention the river repeatedly!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Indus-Saraswati Civilization and Vedic India</u></span></b></div>
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Interestingly, archaeological sites discovered on the banks of Saraswati, mirror the descriptions from ancient Vedic texts as well. According to <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat 1.90.25-26</span></b>, many great kings used to perform <b><i>Yagnya</i> </b>on Saraswati's banks<span style="font-family: inherit;">, which co-relates well with the abundance of fire-altars discovered at places like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalibangan"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kalibangan</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">, a major Harrapan town located on the southern banks of the Ghaggar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Fire-altars discovered at Kalibangan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Traditional historians had refused to put faith in the abundant descriptions of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasvati_River"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Saraswati</span></b></a> and had declared the date of arrival of the Aryans in India around 1500 BCE (Before Common Era). Also, they envisioned the Aryans as marauding forces who wiped out the resident Harrapans and branded them as Dasyus!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, the findings mentioned above throw up some very important questions viz.-</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saraswati is related to the Rig Veda and is worshiped by the Aryans, so how is it that more than 400 Harrapan sites co-relate so perfectly with its course??? </span></li>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If the river had dwindled to a stream around 3000 BCE, how does it fit in with the traditional dating of Aryans entering India around 1500 BCE??? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The artificial dating of Aryans in India is questioned in what is known as the <b><i>Frawley's Paradox</i></b> given by Professor <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Frawley"><span style="color: #ffd966;">David Frawley</span></a>, </b>the Founder-Director of American Institute of Vedic Studies at Santa Fe, New Mexico. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The paradox brings to fore an extremely pertinent point viz.- </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">On one hand we have the vast Vedic literature without any Archaeological evidence to support it, while on the other hand we have almost 2500 Archaeological sites associated with the Indus-Saraswati civilization without any literature associated with it.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For any sane person, the logical conclusion would be pretty obvious - <b>The Rig Veda was composed while the Saraswati was in full flow much before 3000 BCE and the Vedic AND Harrapan cultures belonged to the SAME civilization!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Th</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ere is NO need to assume that <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati</span></a></b> people were DIFFERENT from the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryans"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vedic Aryans</span></a></b>. This assumption was created out of thin air by early British historians who found it difficult to believe the existence of an Asian civilization pre-dating the Hellenistic civilizations of Europe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Indeed Harrapan Seals show a preponderance of Hindu motifs such as the Swastika, the Bull, and the Peepal leaf. Numerous figurines display Yogic postures and various seals have been identified with Shiva and the Goddess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Harrapan seal identified with Shiva</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl00f2bSZrRprmHgAapY56ho3qxmHtljDdZ-y9mA0zLEnmeD5ast2P9pLzzzFSauWPGq1MrMSM75di9Hm-Z5rkVFGXrvdIY0SIg3GHdXDBkK6oIS7B2MKB5Hb_KKcnDfp1LBqES_LvrAo/s1600/indus+images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl00f2bSZrRprmHgAapY56ho3qxmHtljDdZ-y9mA0zLEnmeD5ast2P9pLzzzFSauWPGq1MrMSM75di9Hm-Z5rkVFGXrvdIY0SIg3GHdXDBkK6oIS7B2MKB5Hb_KKcnDfp1LBqES_LvrAo/s320/indus+images.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seals with Trident, Bull and Peepal motifs</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_lK_aYadHVRLJMRrBM7yTnPv7JhjTOQQVnCFoKSVoFdVYqX69hNlcXoT5HbUo2xZPfm0HF-d47sTUIigqb9ZEmjP7wEbRqPcMHmQyBWftQq8dsBv34viP5w6VG4qs3C0SztmM5zwBZA/s1600/indus+shiva+signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="318" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_lK_aYadHVRLJMRrBM7yTnPv7JhjTOQQVnCFoKSVoFdVYqX69hNlcXoT5HbUo2xZPfm0HF-d47sTUIigqb9ZEmjP7wEbRqPcMHmQyBWftQq8dsBv34viP5w6VG4qs3C0SztmM5zwBZA/s320/indus+shiva+signs.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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As mentioned before, the Mahabharat states that Balram traveled from from <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarka"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dwarka</span></a></b> to <b style="color: #ffd966;">Mathura</b>, on river Saraswati, to immerse the ashes of the Yadavs after the battle.<span style="font-family: inherit;">This implies, the river was still navigable at the time of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahabharat War</span></b></a> and the Epic was written BEFORE it had dried up i.e. at least before 3000 BCE (instead of 300 BCE given by older historians). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Quite fittingly, this corresponds with the astrological dating of the War in 3rd Millenium BCE.</span></div>
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Krishna and Arjun on Battlefield Mahabharat</div>
<img border="0" height="438" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXCcKJTgOjOzrDKyOcGYG7PIDy59pnaerzrkqRReiel8f35jwfs6SXo4pQjZB4mMnlsLGxMakpPj1MWHt7iOk4uQCWkgP-pnd4Yqg97rNs5uz74VS3DPzEmD2d828D7Y9TsKdQA7LcBg/s640/198346_192492400790308_148384685201080_489377_1514820_n.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The discovery of vast number of sites on the banks of Saraswati, the co-relation with excerpts from Vedic scriptures, the revision of dates of these scriptures based on latest findings about the river, all these are tied to each other and lead to a common conclusion - The till now considered MYTHICAL Saraswati was HISTORICALLY present in the Indian sub-continent, sowing the seeds of Hindu religion and giving birth to the OLDEST Civilization in the World, that of Indus-Saraswati..</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswati Flows On</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The worship of Saraswati is not limited to India alone and she has a huge fan following in Japan where she is revered as <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">BENZAITEN</span></b> - the only goddess in a group of seven lucky gods! In fact many other Indian gods also find place in the Japanese pantheon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Benzaiten - Saraswati</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYkbOIJRQAqnEVuHZ2h14p_3lfHb6BFs6-qHoH2thsOdrzm7ZbFf_DinI9CsBkfYyCL-yN5PRHWtlCfu4YFG-ZXsRf7O72RpyzWT4joaVK6l1CPOPnhj2FwIKktYhs2HBDKkMZx2T_2A/s1600/Saraswati__benzaiten___by_losenko-d4nmpms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYkbOIJRQAqnEVuHZ2h14p_3lfHb6BFs6-qHoH2thsOdrzm7ZbFf_DinI9CsBkfYyCL-yN5PRHWtlCfu4YFG-ZXsRf7O72RpyzWT4joaVK6l1CPOPnhj2FwIKktYhs2HBDKkMZx2T_2A/s400/Saraswati__benzaiten___by_losenko-d4nmpms.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Benzaiten (Saraswati), Kangiten (Ganpati) and Bishamonten (Kuber) in Japan</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qmTIQHayARuXRmfUpFRUmKZRaD9N09NNi4EJSmO82FjhTYx2wbBPGoRkMCMSUOGQySwHd3xOB5MXojC-nn60kerN-IFVs5s-BISlIqZi1YVeFdEMZx0uK8e8JTJBLXaQF4ua68T-3kw/s1600/Ganesha_Japan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qmTIQHayARuXRmfUpFRUmKZRaD9N09NNi4EJSmO82FjhTYx2wbBPGoRkMCMSUOGQySwHd3xOB5MXojC-nn60kerN-IFVs5s-BISlIqZi1YVeFdEMZx0uK8e8JTJBLXaQF4ua68T-3kw/s640/Ganesha_Japan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our Scriptures were written on its banks, numerous <b><i>Yagnyas</i></b> performed in its vicinity, the very FOUNDATION of our religion was laid using the fertile kilns of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasvati_River"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Saraswati</span></b></a>. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No wonder then, that the river is worshiped as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saraswati"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Bharati</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the Mother of Bharatiya civilization and many old Indian script supports her appellation like the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sharada</span></b> that was used in Kashmir and the more widespread </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmi"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Brahmi</span></b></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span> </b></span></span></span><br />
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I consider myself lucky enough to have seen the river and touched its HOLY waters even before I knew of its real significance, and I was lucky enough to have also met the MAN who achieved the Himalayan task of tracing its origins :o)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>My fortunate meeting with Mr. Danino</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WzsxwibEOrE1jrEWpb2-u1HzsjKSX4yd6AWgiqRqcObsIjy5R4KcVKYux4Xtv_7fkgZ0YlZKvIX1mmpSDcNQpkX1ggrdDpga8IKMTT6FaHgG9OWtrHBkVqwzUY3ybt2qLb6mcz3UHFQ/s400/IMG_3503.JPG" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope I was able to kindle a spark of excitement in my readers about this brilliant phase of our Cvilizational history and for those interested in knowing more, I highly recommend the book by Mr. Danino. For all who believe in the divinity of the river, I'm sharing this image by the brilliant artist Swapnil Singh, depicting <b><a href="http://saraswati/"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Goddess Saraswati</span></a></b> in all her sublime glory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LgbU0rs-q_80vObBfcbXTOglLjw1QIgzqUDsqWxNWVaqNkFkXXHA3BmSXFJZEZsH0cnulKa8AnnKjlnvaDUMywl1Sn4tl7A5IKIa2VXEDI4VBlMQK81rimnqO1kMN69R__Xn7_GPtUk/s1600/ia14-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LgbU0rs-q_80vObBfcbXTOglLjw1QIgzqUDsqWxNWVaqNkFkXXHA3BmSXFJZEZsH0cnulKa8AnnKjlnvaDUMywl1Sn4tl7A5IKIa2VXEDI4VBlMQK81rimnqO1kMN69R__Xn7_GPtUk/s640/ia14-03.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I pay obeisance to<span style="color: #ffd966;"> <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saraswati"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswati</span></a></b></span>, the Fountainhead of Knowledge, for awakening my mind to this reality and helping me believe in what, at some level, I instinctively knew was the truth. May the river Saraswati re-attain her lost glory and find its True place in the History of our ancient land..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Goddess who is fair as the Jasmine flower,<br />
Whose hands are adorned by the Celestial Veena, <br />
Whose seat is the pure White Lotus;<br />
O Mother Goddess, remove our Ignorance! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The purifying Saraswati in All her forms of Plenty, <br />
Enriching all substance, the Creatrix of Word, <br />
May she desire the offered sacrifice;<br />
O Mother Goddess, remove our Ignorance!</i> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">She, the Impeller of all Auspicious Truths, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Inspirer of All the right Musings, <br />
May Saraswati, uphold the Sacrifice;</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">O Mother Goddess, remove our Ignorance!</span></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">She who Awakens the Consciousness,<br />
The awakener of the movement of Reet,<br />
And the Illuminator of our Thoughts;</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">O Mother Goddess, remove All our Ignorance!</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>.</b><b></b></span></span></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com160Ghaggar, Himachal Pradesh 173208, India31.11891 76.96790659999999231.1120765 76.9577786 31.1257435 76.978034599999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-68674368101063575302011-10-10T14:25:00.036+05:302021-02-07T01:22:56.045+05:30Evolution in Hinduism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>The reason why the Universe is Eternal, </i><br />
<i>Is that it does not live for Itself,</i><br />
<i>It gives life to others as it transforms,</i><br />
<i>And thereby lies the process of Evolution.</i></div>
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Change, they say, is the only thing Constant. All of us experience change in our life - our views take shape, thoughts mature, perceptions get molded, and if ever we sit and reflect, we wonder how it could be that we are so different from the way we were just a few years back! <br />
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Similar change in the life of our planet is evidenced by the process of Evolution. The current post deals with the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theories_of_evolution"><span style="color: #ffd966;">'Theory of Evolution'</span></a></b> as proposed by the Biologist Charles Darwin and compares it with similar thoughts in the Hindu tradition.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Origin of Species</u></span></b></div>
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As discussed in the 3rd post (<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/09/ganpati-bappa-morya-couldnt-have-better.html"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Creation by Brahma</span></b></a>), our Universe required at least ten billion years of Evolution before life was even possible. Even on our own planet, the process has only progressed by taking baby steps and it has taken millions of years of trial and error to provide us with the backbone!<br />
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Evolution by Carl Sagan </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/gZpsVSVRsZk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Evolution is clearly visible in the huge diversity of species on our planet and today most of us consider <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theories_of_evolution"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Evolution</span></a></b> to be an undisputed fact, yet there was a time when the concept was brand new and quite controversial.The controversy began with one man - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Charles Darwin</span></b></a>. Darwin (1809-1882), was an English Naturalist, who wrote the immensely popular thesis <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Origin_of_Species"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Origin of Species</span></b></a> in the year 1859 CE, thereby rocking the foundations of both scientific as well as religious world of that time.</div>
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Charles Darwin</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILP1rZl0kpPDApCapmGm6T9foOSoJWTYMYiAwl4lcuEoiJBrtrV4CQmpQN1oAShEUgbeN1F7G9PmGDnnlxSc7hrNanQaQIhW7lzF3wYnLytkz8_Y_MJomRqiDdH7LUuN4fArLMEJT6Vk/s1600/charlesdarwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILP1rZl0kpPDApCapmGm6T9foOSoJWTYMYiAwl4lcuEoiJBrtrV4CQmpQN1oAShEUgbeN1F7G9PmGDnnlxSc7hrNanQaQIhW7lzF3wYnLytkz8_Y_MJomRqiDdH7LUuN4fArLMEJT6Vk/s400/charlesdarwin.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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What was stated in his book, went totally against accepted beliefs of the Church and Darwin had to face a lot of criticism for his revolutionary theory. Yet, it is only because of this theory that we can understand the full purport of Evolution on our planet. The story of how Darwin came upon these conclusions is also quite fascinating as well and I was lucky to have visited the place where he came up with his theory.<br />
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Visitng Darwin's Home in Bromley, London</div>
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The spirit of adventure had gripped the imagination of most European nations at that time and there were expeditions from different countries to chart and explore the world around them. On one of these trips, our guy Charles Darwin landed at the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands">Galapagos Islands</a></b> off the coast of Ecuador. These are a group of 12 disjointed atolls with the sea separating all of them, so that the flora and fauna in each is isolated from outside intervention. </div>
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Darwin's Voyage<br />
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Darwin began to study the different species present there and to his surprise, observed huge variations in the species present in each of these islands!! In Darwin's own words -<i>"When on board H.M.S. Beagle, as a Naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent.</i></div>
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Darwin began to ask himself why some birds on these islands had beaks different from others, and why some turtles had upright necks while others had their necks pointed down! Could all these differences be a result of the ENVIRONMENT these animals lived in and the circumstances in which they had to obtain food?</div>
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A note from Darwin's Diary</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCsK-3y8Taaiw4GoJwBCwkRefV2lzkcKxmbOdACDuivHALkXKMyW0xlLNzYm7DYwK2vLzcg7gvbnQWSdZnNzyf0QW2DQj-Ts0pXJw4YcxGeJogUFIaR_IuhnFdNO8J5SSb8svCmYAvxo/s1600/darwin%252520secret%252520notebooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCsK-3y8Taaiw4GoJwBCwkRefV2lzkcKxmbOdACDuivHALkXKMyW0xlLNzYm7DYwK2vLzcg7gvbnQWSdZnNzyf0QW2DQj-Ts0pXJw4YcxGeJogUFIaR_IuhnFdNO8J5SSb8svCmYAvxo/s400/darwin%252520secret%252520notebooks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Despite suffering badly from sea-sickness, Darwin wrote copious notes while on board the ship. He found that the mockingbirds from different islands of the Galpagos group differed in shape and color and collected 12 different species of finches from each of them! <br />
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He traveled throughout the world and collected specimens wherever the ship docked. The same were handed over to experts when he landed in his mother country for further analysis. The research conducted on these specimens by various <b><i>Anatomists, Ornithologists, Zoologists</i></b> and <b><i>Geologists</i></b>, made the entire scientific world sit up and take notice of this radically NEW notion that Darwin had proposed. Inspired by the geographical differences in the wildlife (past and present), Darwin finally conceived of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Theory of </span></b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Natural Selection</b></a>. Today, the <b><i>'Origin of Species'</i></b> is a widely acknowledged classic, and Evolution is today accepted as a truth of life.</div>
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Stages of Evolution</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Evolution in Hinduism</u></span></b></div>
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Ancient Indians believed that Life comes from pre-existing Life. As discussed in the 3rd post (<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/09/ganpati-bappa-morya-couldnt-have-better.html" style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Creation by Brahma</span></b></a>), Hindu Creation closely follows actual appearance of elements in our Universe -<i>First appear the intangible substances followed by the tangible matter; followed by the immovable planets and landmasses; then the vegetation; birds, aquatics and animals; and finally the Higher species. </i></div>
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Taking an example from Hindu Philosophy, one of the most important concepts in Hinduism is of <a href="http://veda.wikidot.com/samsara" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Samsara</b></a>. All religions of Indian origin viz. <i><b>Jainism, Budhism, Sikhism</b></i> and the numerous other sects, believe in this concept and I'm sure most of you are aware of it as well. The concept is also known as the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Transmigration of Soul</span></a></b>, and refers to an endless cycle of re-incarnation that a soul must undergo in order to fulfill its <a href="http://www.ramakrishna.org/activities/message/message16.htm" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Karma</b></a>. <br />
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Transmigration of Soul through different Species</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyGBJPcgPNHET_HNOeJdVCEQ7fCgsaJ-5hBH5ne73xYoL-gFOQp1fv2fBDUwHBVqajnaCmbuxMdAMV8YjK3x5RS8J5fdEGBcBzwofFbVJZZZ4R6laEBDXJ_lFNAeIJg6qTBSDOtwzwpQ/s1600/samsare_harekrishna.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyGBJPcgPNHET_HNOeJdVCEQ7fCgsaJ-5hBH5ne73xYoL-gFOQp1fv2fBDUwHBVqajnaCmbuxMdAMV8YjK3x5RS8J5fdEGBcBzwofFbVJZZZ4R6laEBDXJ_lFNAeIJg6qTBSDOtwzwpQ/s640/samsare_harekrishna.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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A soul takes birth in different species of life until it attains the form of a Human-being that enables it to strive for <b style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Nirvana</span></a></b>. Compare this concept with the diagram above and you will immediately observe the similarity with Evolution!!<br />
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Another point to notice is the mention of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">84 Lakh (8.4 million)</span></b> different forms that a soul is obliged to take in order to reach a Human form which is remarkably close to the 8.7 million Eukaryotic species that scientists believe exist today!! <br />
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Different species are an evidence of Evolution </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKI47vbYjDezwUgus14rGkvyvZrmICAwTflX79ltyRD487EMIBe7cGyIp18P7692gZGjYhhWTkc05BFgh8kPyAaajPu4kvheSPaduQhc9K7Mbfy8bNXSEW-M5VXUnHHl5TlDQDbCI8rE/s1600/Pictures-of-wild-animals-for-kids-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKI47vbYjDezwUgus14rGkvyvZrmICAwTflX79ltyRD487EMIBe7cGyIp18P7692gZGjYhhWTkc05BFgh8kPyAaajPu4kvheSPaduQhc9K7Mbfy8bNXSEW-M5VXUnHHl5TlDQDbCI8rE/s640/Pictures-of-wild-animals-for-kids-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Woodroffe"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Sir John Woodroffe</span></a></b> (1865-1936), Advocate General of Bengal and Legal member of the erstwhile Govt. of India, had the same revelation after the study of Sanskrit texts. He said and I quote, <br />
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<i>"Ages before Lamarck and Darwin, it was held in India that man has passed through 84 lakhs births as plants, animals, inferior species and then came the ancestors of developed man existing today. The theory was an act of brilliant deduction in which observation may also have had played part!"</i><br />
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We all have heard of evolution and know that mammals are at its peak but is interesting to find the principles of Darwin's evolution in an old Hindu tect - the Shatpatha Brahman!
The scripture mentions that when Prajapati Brahma created living beings in the beginning, they kept dying. He created the birds & the crawling reptiles, but they passed away from want of food. Finally #Brahma created living beings who could store food to nourish their children in the from of milk and thus came the mammals who ultimately survived!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZcIAAyNg4O0Uq1-HB3wXODh53fAkvOsYh-laDGYhIi5oReHrV4xXzC0juLf8IF4iev8ngdVAgpioSrnlq6xuyTl8R5THTP3Qsce3UNlIixYhvqvR9sQtvCn6w4Shj1NFooKpq5IPzhI/s0/images+%252828%2529+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZcIAAyNg4O0Uq1-HB3wXODh53fAkvOsYh-laDGYhIi5oReHrV4xXzC0juLf8IF4iev8ngdVAgpioSrnlq6xuyTl8R5THTP3Qsce3UNlIixYhvqvR9sQtvCn6w4Shj1NFooKpq5IPzhI/s0/images+%252828%2529+%25281%2529.jpeg"/></a></div>
The verse 2:5:1:66 says: Now that milk is indeed food; for in the beginning Prajâpati produced it for food. But that food also means living beings (progeny), since it is by food that they exist: by resorting to the breasts of those who have milk, they continue to exist. And those who have no milk are nursed by the former as soon as they are born; and thus they exist by means of food, and hence food means progeny.
Is it just co-incidence or were the ancient <b><i>Rishis </i></b>actually aware of all the complexities of their environment around them?? While the above theory by itself may not be sufficient for some to believe in what I'm saying, I'll elucidate it further through an analysis of the order of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashavatar"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu</span></b></a>.</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashavatar"><b>The Dashavatar</b></a><br />
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For the sake of the neophytes who may not be aware of them, I am listing the Ten Avatars below:</div>
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<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Matsya" title="Matsya">Matsya</a></b>, the Fish</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kurma" title="Kurma">Kurma</a></b>, the Turtle</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Varaha" title="Varaha">Varah</a></b>, the Boar</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Narasimha" title="Narasimha">Narasimha</a></b>, the Half-man/Half-lion being</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vamana" title="Vamana">Vaman</a></b>, the Dwarf</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Parashurama" title="Parashurama">Parashurama</a></b>, Rama with the axe</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Rama" title="Rama">Rama</a></b>, Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Krishna" title="Krishna">Krishna</a></b>, the Man-god</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha"><b>Buddha</b></a>, the Spiritual Master, and lastly,</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kalki" title="Kalki">Kalki</a></b>, expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTctudGl-Pd5P33rEZRmSOYC75IP91NVgtLbUUAGI7R4hpqstfvanOOHdPiRCtcAjEFUCOqQn1BiRwCJgi-YelsTrdJcVgfarOdJip9gQVcrWa-imdw023RK7q8Rrg3uCjgnNiTyofpnM/s1600/dashavatara_ten_incarnations_of_vishnu_panel_rl20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTctudGl-Pd5P33rEZRmSOYC75IP91NVgtLbUUAGI7R4hpqstfvanOOHdPiRCtcAjEFUCOqQn1BiRwCJgi-YelsTrdJcVgfarOdJip9gQVcrWa-imdw023RK7q8Rrg3uCjgnNiTyofpnM/s1600/dashavatara_ten_incarnations_of_vishnu_panel_rl20.jpg" /></a> </div>
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It would be worthwhile to note that originally, there were 24 Avatars of the Lord listed in <a href="http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/"><b>Srimad Bhagvatam. </b></a>Why then, were only 10 selected by the <b><i>Rishis</i></b> for glorification? Furthermore, the order of the Avatars is NOT chronological! The actual order is as follows - Varah, Narsingh, Kurma, Vaman, Matsya, Parshu-Raam, Raam, Krishna/Balrama, Buddha and Kalki.<br />
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To a student of Biology, it may be quite apparent that these incarnations bear a startling resemblance to the Concept of Evolution - in the <b><i>Dashavatar</i></b>, we start with the aquatic <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Matsya" title="Matsya"><b>Matsya</b></a>, the Savior of the World; move on to the amphibian <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kurma" title="Kurma"><b>Kurma</b></a>, the Support of the World; and follow it up with the Protector of the World, the terrestrial <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Varaha" title="Varaha"><b>Varah</b></a>.Compare this with the diagram below to see how the current understanding of Evolution exactly matches this description. <br />
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Evolution of Amphibians and Terrestrials from Aquatics </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbE1hPWP8jJjbpUwQ0Qz3_olQQJFYimVB8CXFtwtVqTD0P7P97O0EzgKL_qGvM_AaTBeeVg2O7iHIl8efmrsqeHArCc3Mc28YczVgtysxI3cJDtJU4UsRDHY-k4KPaXnIc0vGkziuNPEI/s1600/Evo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbE1hPWP8jJjbpUwQ0Qz3_olQQJFYimVB8CXFtwtVqTD0P7P97O0EzgKL_qGvM_AaTBeeVg2O7iHIl8efmrsqeHArCc3Mc28YczVgtysxI3cJDtJU4UsRDHY-k4KPaXnIc0vGkziuNPEI/s1600/Evo1.JPG" /></a></div>
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(Images courtesy Rima Chadha)</div>
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The<b><i> </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eusthenopteron">Eusthenopteron</a></b> in the diagram above is a good example for demonstrating evolution. This particular animal looked and behaved like modern fish for all practical purpose, YET within its fins were precursors of arm and leg bones of the four-limbed land animals!To add weight to this Out-of-Water theory, we next have the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiktaalik">Tiktaalik</a></b><i>,</i> a half-fish, half-amphibian animal discovered in the Canadian Arctic in 2004. This animal was a further step towards TERRESTRIAL life with early wrists and finger bones that allowed it to prop itself up and poke its head above the water!<br />
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Evolution through animation</div>
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There are also indications that the animal breathed both through gills (like the earlier <i><b>Eusthenopteron</b></i>), as well as by means of a lung-like structure like the later amphibian <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyostega">Ichthyostega</a></b>! This is just one of the many example that confirm Paleontologists' theories about land-dwelling animals evolving from fish ancestors and co-relates well with the <b><i>Dashavatar</i></b> sequence of <b><i>Kurma </i></b>after <b><i>Matsya</i></b>. <br />
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Kurma Avatar of Lord Vishnu</div>
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<b>If you are intrigued by this similarity between science and religion, wait coz there's more to come :o)</b><br />
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After <i><b>Kurma</b></i>, we have the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Varah</b></span> and the story of this incarnation has many sub-layers. At one level, it signifies the next level of evolution moving from Water to Land while at a deeper level, it shows that Humans can not survive on the planet without the help of animals. <i><b>Lord Varah</b></i> is followed by the half-man-half-lion <b><i>Nar-singh</i></b> signifying the development of Man from the beasts. The victory of<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Narasimha </b></span>over Aasurik ambitions of Hiranyakshipu also signifies that Humanity can be born only if we manage to subdue our demonic tendencies.<br />
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Narsingh, the Man-beast who tames Asurik tendencies</div>
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Varaha, the savior of Earth<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3BnzuglNasvpAEsztc2p7KdoySGu9uEqHYdSCe7B_Rnxv1cZiR2Q6Gn7c91jGKKnYgS6FWNTncEr47bxMFW5QpNO6BpOhg9INzAroTMsfEUv2nqiADDcO1s7wKJav0ZlGQlU0Ljk7LU/s1600/varaha-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3BnzuglNasvpAEsztc2p7KdoySGu9uEqHYdSCe7B_Rnxv1cZiR2Q6Gn7c91jGKKnYgS6FWNTncEr47bxMFW5QpNO6BpOhg9INzAroTMsfEUv2nqiADDcO1s7wKJav0ZlGQlU0Ljk7LU/s400/varaha-001.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
{Image courtesy - Vimanika Comics}<br />
Dashavatar Volume 2</div>
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Scientifically, there are numerous specimens recording this development from 'Water to Land' and from 'Beasts to Man' and many so called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_fossil"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Missing Links</span></b></a> have been found to corroborate the same. However, for our purpose, let us shift focus to a new animal that was spreading slowly out from the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>African</b> </span>heartland about 120,000 years ago - the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Human-being</b></span>. Evolution of Humans from an ape ancestor is supported by DNA and fossil evidence of over 20 species of <b style="color: #ffd966;">Hominids</b> and the complete genomes of several primates provide ultimate proof of our relatedness to apes and other <b style="color: #ffd966;">Primates</b>. <br />
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Evolution of Early Man</div>
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<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryopithecus">Dryopithecus</a></b> in the image above, was a common ancestor to humans as well as other apes, and walked on all fours. The next guy in the image,<b> </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australopithecus_afarensis"><b>Australopithecus afarensis</b></a>, retained remnants from his quadrupedal past (such as hind toes suited for climbing and a wrist joint indicating it could knuckle-walk). However, its thigh bone, the femur, was shaped like that of the later <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_erectus">Homo erectus</a></b> to bear the stress of upright movement! In addition, both the proto-humans' femurs were also angled inward to help maintain balance on two legs, just like we do today.<br />
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Hindu mythology also finds the mention of these proto-humans in the form of the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanara">Vanars</a></b> but that's a topic for a future post so I'll leave it at that for now<i>. </i>Coming back to the Dashavatar sequence, we first have the pygmoid <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Vamana" title="Vamana"><b>Vaman</b></a><i><b> </b></i>followed by<b><i> </i></b>the fully developed but jungle-dwelling man represented by Lord <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Parashurama" title="Parashurama"><b>Parashu-Raam</b></a>. <br />
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As the famous sci-fi author <b style="color: #ffd966;">Arthur C. Clarke</b> describes - The <i>stone club</i>, the <i>toothed saw</i>, the <i>horn dagger</i>, the <i>bone scraper</i> - these were the inventions which the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Early Man</span></b> needed
in order to survive and hunt.No longer were they faced with starvation
when their teeth became damaged or worn; even the crudest tools could
add many years to their lives. And as their fangs diminished, the shape
of their face started to alter; the snout receded, the massive jaw
became more delicate, the mouth able to make more subtle sounds to
enable <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Speech</span></b>.<br />
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Video showing skull changes from primates to modern Humans </div>
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In using the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tools</span></b>,
their hands developed a dexterity found nowhere else in the animal
kingdom permitting them to make still BETTER tools, which in turn helped
develop their limbs and brains yet further. It was an accelerating,
cumulative process; and at its end was the Modern Man. This stage represents Early Man who had started using tools and weapons and quite fittingly, Parshu-Raam is the FIRST of the ten incarnations to posess primitve ARMS (Axe and Bow).<br />
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Parshuram represents forest-dwelling man who used tools<br />
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{Book Cover of The Legend of Parshu-Raam}</div>
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Soon, mankind discovered Fire and Agriculture, and civilization began. Hence, next in the list we have the civilized man with a strong moral code - <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Rama" style="color: #ffd966;" title="Rama"><b>Shri Rama</b></a><i><b> </b></i>followed by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Balarama" style="color: #ffd966;" title="Balarama"><b>Balrama</b></a>, the Man-who-can-tame-Nature. In the image below, we can see the modern human represented by Shri Rama accompanied by the proto-human <b><i>Vanars</i></b>.<br />
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Maryada Purushottam Shri Rama<br />
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Next in line, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha"><b>Buddha</b></a>, represents man with a spiritual drive and the need for infusing fresh thoughts in age-old traditions to keep religion and spirituality within the reach of the Masses. The final Avatar, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Kalki" title="Kalki"><b>Kalki</b></a>, refers to the techno-humanoid man of tomorrow wielding mechanical contraptions and riding the steed of fire perhaps hinting at the technological advancement yet to come, maybe somewhat similar to Arnold from one of my childhood favorites, the movie <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terminator">Terminator</a></b> :o)</div>
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The 10 Avatars certainly represent much more than just the incarnations of Lord Vishnu and as we saw above, are an allegory for the Process of Evolution which is evident in nature and within our own beings as well.<br />
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Lord Vishnu and the Ten Avatars</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzn9YUrlD47Cgzku6w0javFgrw4ETZ4MXkWiIiKJZG6IslxVFmxbLUOlLW8KTgfAP1mptVCOKI2MOOla_75BKRE-Hl-kNfd0Wv4k-eNOrlB2fEQkSL0Yz0CTjislSCdNUnbQs8MA9q-8/s1600/Aum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzn9YUrlD47Cgzku6w0javFgrw4ETZ4MXkWiIiKJZG6IslxVFmxbLUOlLW8KTgfAP1mptVCOKI2MOOla_75BKRE-Hl-kNfd0Wv4k-eNOrlB2fEQkSL0Yz0CTjislSCdNUnbQs8MA9q-8/s640/Aum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope I was able to suitably present before you another aspect of Science uncovered from the depths of the treasure trove of Hindu Mythology. I again bow down to the intellect of the ancient Rishis and culminate this post with the <b><a href="http://bhagavata.org/music/text/dasavatara.html">Dashavatar Stotra</a></b>, translated from the <i><b>Geet-Govind</b></i>, and dedicated to the 10 glorious Incarnations of Lord Vishnu:</div>
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<i>In the Great Deluge, </i><i>You kept Vedas safe,</i></div>
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<i>Like a ship undeflected, from its original course,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Matsya,</i></div>
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<i>Glories to Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>On Your expansive back, You let the Mountain rest,</i></div>
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<i>Like a Cosmic pivot, for churning the Ocean,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Kurma,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>In the depths of Garbhodak, You kept Bhu-Devi safe,</i></div>
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<i>Like a speck on Moon, she rested on Your tusks,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Varah,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>On your mighty knees, You let the demon rest,</i></div>
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<i>Like a leaf Hiranyakshipu lay, entire existence torn,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Narsingh,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>In three steps subduing Bali, You kept Three worlds safe, </i></div>
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<i>Like a mountain spring, Ma Ganga washed Your feet,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Vaman,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>On the land destroying tyranny; You let our anguish rest,</i></div>
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<i>Like the cleansing sunlight, You rid us of the wicked,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Parshurama,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>In the interest of Dharma; You kept All species safe,</i></div>
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<i>Like the ten directions, were Ravan's ten heads spread,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Shri Rama,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>On Your plough, wearing blue; You let the Yamuna rest,</i></div>
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<i>Like the celestial clouds, garments adorned Your form,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Balraam,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>In Kaliyug You opposed sacrifice; Keeping animals safe,</i></div>
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<i>Like Your compassion, Your fame too shone,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Buddha,</i></div>
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<i>Glories O Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<i>On Judgement day destroying Evil; You'll let their Souls rest, </i></div>
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<i>Like a comet, your sword trailing destruction,</i></div>
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<i>Hail Keshav in the form of Kalki,</i></div>
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<i>All Glories to Hari, Lord of the Universe!</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com113Dar es Salaam, Tanzania-6.792354 39.208328400000028-7.29965 38.56013490000003 -6.2850579999999994 39.856521900000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-4553043661439984452011-09-28T09:25:00.071+05:302016-09-28T23:28:06.828+05:30Devi - God as a Female<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body"><i>God may be in the details, </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body"><i>But the Goddess is in the questions..</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="body">Once we begin to ask them, </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="body">There's no turning back...</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body">Keeping in line with the above sentiment, I'll begin this Navratri post with a question- </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body"><b><i>God is Female.. Agree or Disagree?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body">For a follower of one of the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Abrahamic Religions</span></a></b>, the answer most likely would be 'NO', as Western religions are based on the premise of a Male God, generally envisioned with white robes and a flowing white beard, sitting high on a throne in a distant heaven. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body">For a person following one of the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_religions"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Eastern religions</span></a></b>, the answer could very well be 'YES' as most Eastern religions give equal emphasis to both Male and Female aspects of divinity. For example, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body">Hindu Theology, believes God to be a balance of the Male and the Female Powers, the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purusha"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Purush</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prakriti"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Prakriti</span></a></b>, otherwise referred to as Shiva and Shakti.</span></span><br />
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Shiva-Shakti</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body">Continuing in the same vein, I'll ask another question.. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://bible.cc/genesis/1-27.htm"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Bible, Genesis 1:27</span></a></b>, states that - </span>God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female. <br />
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<b>Now the question here is, if God is Male, how is a female in His image???</b><br />
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You may not have an outright answer to this one, but I hope the questions did begin a thought process in your mind! <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="body">In the current post, we will try and understand the cult of the Goddess, not only from an Indian perspective, but also from the point of view of various other world religions. </span></span></div>
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<b><u>The Historical Perspective</u></b></div>
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Historically, the cult of the <a href="http://www.mesacc.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/legacy/goddess/mothergoddess.html"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mother Goddess</span></b></a> was more widespread all over the globe than it is now. Older Western religions viz. the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Native American etc. included Goddess worship as a central part of their cultures. <br />
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In fact, more than 50 figurines of the Goddess have been found in excavations from all over Europe, dating more than 20,000 years ago, of which, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_willendorf"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Venus of Willendorf</span></b></a>, is the most famous. L<span style="font-family: inherit;">et us take a look at some of the goddesses worshiped in other ancient religions. Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Celts, Incas, Aztecs, all had their favorite goddesses viz.-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Celts had <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Abnoba" title="Abnoba"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Abnoba</span></b></a>- a goddess of rivers and forests and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Agrona" title="Agrona"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Agrona</span></b></a>- the goddess of war; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Greeks had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhea_%28mythology%29"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rhea</span></b></a>- the Mother of Gods; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aphrodite</span></b></a>- the goddess of Love and Beauty and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Athena</span></b></a>- the goddess of Wisdom and War. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Similarly, the Egyptians revered <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Bast" title="Bast"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Bast</span></b></a>- the protector of the pharaoh and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Isis" title="Isis"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Isis</span></b></a>- the goddess of magic, motherhood and fertility.</span></li>
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Goddesses in World religions</div>
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There are many more examples from <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Native American, Chinese, Japanese</span></b> and <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Polynesian</b></span> mythologies indicating that most ancient religions gave as much importance to the feminine aspect of God as the masculine. <span style="text-align: left;">It is also interesting to note that most of these depictions look at the Goddess as the Guardian of Nature and have a Maternal connotation just like the Mother Goddess in the Indian sub-continent. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Indeed, excavations from the </span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati Civilization,</span></b><span style="text-align: left;"> have thrown up abundance of seals and figurines that suggest goddess-worship. Sometimes its a male-god or tribal chief worshiping a goddess while on other seals there are seven attendants accompanying the central goddess.</span><br />
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Man bowing to Goddess</div>
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The female figurines in terracotta found at <b style="color: #ffd966;">Mohenjo-daro</b> are comparable to similar artifacts excavated from archaeological sites in Baluchistan, Elam, Mesopotamia, Transcaspia, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Cyprus, Crete, the Balkans and Egypt. <span style="text-align: left;">Famous Scottish anthropologist, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_George_Frazer" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">James George Frazer</span></b></a><span style="text-align: left;">, believes that all diverse goddesses worshiped in Europe were derived from a single concept originating from the Indo-European Neolithic cultures. The figurines also show an exaggerated fertility aspect suggesting the role of the goddess as a MOTHER-figure heralding a tradition that is still unbroken in Hinduism.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Goddess Worship in Hinduism</u></span></b></div>
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Throughout its millenia-old history, Hinduism provided its followers with the freedom of worshiping God in whichever form they want. While Vedas talk about the elemental gods, later scriptures especially the Agams and Puraans glorify three major aspects of God:<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaishnavism"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaishnavism</span></b></a><b>,</b> worship of Lord Vishnu and His Avatars </div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaivism"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shaivism</span></b></a><b>,</b> worship of Lord Shiva</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaktism"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shaktism</span></b></a><b>,</b> worship of the Goddess or <i><b>Devi</b></i></div>
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These different sects provide different concepts, rituals and spiritual exercises for different modes of Awareness of the soul. Thus, <i><b>Shaivism</b></i> and <b><i>Shaktism</i></b> identify the Goddess as the consort of Shiva but while the Goddess is one half of the Complete Whole in Shaivism, she is Supreme in the latter. <span style="text-align: left;">In </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Vaishnav</i> </b><span style="text-align: left;">tradition, Goddess is considered Lord Vishnu's </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogmaya#Legend"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Yogmaya</span></a></b><span style="text-align: left;"> who takes the form of </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mother Durga</span></a></b><span style="text-align: left;"> to look after the Material Creation as Her own child.</span><br />
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Goddess Durga as Lord Vishnu's Yogmaya</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The worship of Mother Goddess actually shows a FIVE-FOLD approach by the devotees. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">FIRST</span></b> approach is the one we have seen repeated in all ancient communities of the world - that personifies Divinity as the Mother Goddess.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigveda"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rigved</span></a></b> refers to Her as the <b><i>Mahimata</i></b>, or Earth-Mother; </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><b><i>Viraja</i></b>, the Universal-Mother; and <i><b>Aditi</b></i>, the Mother-of-Gods. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Verse 7.8i.4 while addressing the Dawn-goddess <i><b>Usha</b></i> states - </span><i style="text-align: left;">Vayam syama maturna sunavah</i><span style="text-align: left;"> - Let us be dear to you like sons to a mother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mahimata, the Mother of Creation</span><br />
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In the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">SECOND</span></b> approach, Goddess is visualized Mystically in the form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shakti</span></b></a>, the Cosmic Energy which is the Source of all Creation. All things, material and abstract are only the manifestations of the Divine Female. <span style="text-align: left;">Both the </span><i style="text-align: left;"><b>Puraans</b></i><span style="text-align: left;"> and </span><i style="text-align: left;"><b>Upanishads</b></i><span style="text-align: left;"> contain numerous references to Goddess as Shakti. The </span><i style="text-align: left;"><b>Mahabharat</b></i><span style="text-align: left;"> mentions Pradyumna’s worship of Goddess </span><b style="color: #ffd966; text-align: left;">Katyayani</b><span style="text-align: left;">, Aniruddha’s hymn to Goddess </span><b style="color: #ffd966; text-align: left;">Chandi</b><span style="text-align: left;"> and Yudhishthira’s hymn to Goddess </span><b style="color: #ffd966; text-align: left;">Durga</b><span style="text-align: left;">.</span><br />
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Aadi-Shakti, Cosmic Energy of the Universe<br />
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">THIRD </span></b>approach, identifies the Goddess in the form of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavidya"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dash-Mahavidyas</span></a></b> or the Ten Wisdom Goddesses, who represent a spectrum of feminine divinity, from horrific goddesses at one end, to the ravishingly beautiful at the other. <span style="text-align: left;">Worshiped by the followers of </span><i style="text-align: left;"><b>Tantrism</b></i><span style="text-align: left;">, they are led by the fiercest of all, Goddess </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Maha Kali</span></b></a><span style="text-align: left;">. The devotees understand them as different aspects of the same Great Goddess suited to the tastes, temperaments, and mental levels of spiritual aspirants</span><br />
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The ten goddesses are: <b><i>Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Matangi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagala,</i></b> and <i><b>Kamala</b></i>.<br />
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Dash Mahavidyas </div>
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The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">FOURTH</span></b> approach is again devotional in nature, but here the goddess is (surprisingly) worshiped as the patron of the warriors. <span style="text-align: left;">These warrior-goddesses are known as the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrikas" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saptamatrikas</span></b></a><span style="color: #ffd966; text-align: left;">,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> or the Seven Mothers. </span><span style="text-align: left;">This group comprises of the warrior avatars of even otherwise benign goddesses such as Saraswati and Lakshmi (!!). Thus in the Matrika cult, Brahma's consort in martial mode is </span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brahmani</span><i></i></b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saraswati" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b></b></span></a><b style="text-align: left;"><i>,</i></b><span style="text-align: left;"> Shiva's better half is </span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Maheshwari</span></b><span style="text-align: left;"> and Vishnu's consort is </span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vaishnavi</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div>
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The fierce Matrikas in battle mode<br />
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Image courtesy Grant Morrison's 18 Days<br />
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{Art by Mukesh Singh}</div>
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At this point, it may be worthwhile to remember the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Indus-Saraswati seal</span></b> shared earlier which depicted seven attendants of the central goddess. The seven may actually represent the Matrikas, especially since the depiction of these goddesses has remained almost unchanged even in later Art.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">FIFTH</span></b> approach is of the Puranas like the <i><b>Skanda Puraan</b></i>, <i><b>Brahmavaivarta Puraan</b></i>, <i><b>Devi Bhagwat Puraan</b></i>,<i><b> Prapancha-saratantra</b></i>, <i><b>Linga Puraan</b></i> etc. which describe various goddesses as consorts of the Male gods. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Thus, while </span><span style="color: #ffd966; text-align: left;"><b>Devi Durga</b></span><span style="text-align: left;"> is described as the Core Goddess, other goddesses are described as Her expansions who form the Vital Energy (</span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Shakti</i></b><span style="text-align: left;">) of the Gods without whom, it is impossible for them to vanquish the Demons.</span></div>
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This fifth approach also covers all assorted LOCAL goddesses as well as the Nav-durga worshiped in India's towns and villages and accords them the status of being one with the Supreme Goddess Durga. The principal THREE forms of the Devi according to the each of the three <i><b>gunas</b></i> of course are <b style="color: #ffd966;">Maha-Kali</b>, <b style="color: #ffd966;">Maha-Lakshmi</b> and <b style="color: #ffd966;">Maha-Saraswati</b>. <br />
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Female Hindu Holy Trinity</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>The Supreme Goddess DURGA</u></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of all texts related to goddess worship, </span><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Markandeya_Purana" title="Markandeya Purana">Markandeya Puraan</a></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> contains the most vivid description in the form of a</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> full book, known as <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Devi_Mahatmya" title="Devi Mahatmya"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devi Mahatmya</span></b></a> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">conceptualizing and adoring the Goddess and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is the first scripture to celebrate the Goddess as the Supreme Divinity.</span><br />
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Goddess Durga is referred to variously as</span> <b style="color: #ffd966;">Chandi</b>, the fierce goddess, who destroys the evil Asuras; as <b style="color: #ffd966;">Annapurna</b> or the giver of food; and as <b style="color: #ffd966;">Jagaddhatri</b>, one who upholds the world. In the <i><b>‘Devi Kavacha’</b></i> an auxiliary of the Mahatmya, Devi is conceived of in nine forms known as the Nava-durga.<br />
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These are:<br />
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<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Shailputri</b>, daughter of the mountains; </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Brahmacharini</b>, dwelling in Brahman; </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Chandraghanta</b>, who has the moon for her bell; </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Kushmanda</b>, the fertility goddess; </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Skandamata</b>, mother of the war god Skanda; </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Katyayani</b>, the daughter of Rishi Katyayana; </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Kalaratri</b>, the dark night of dissolution; </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Mahagauri</b>, the light of knowledge; and </li>
<li><b style="color: #ffd966;">Siddhidatri</b>, the bestower of success. </li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to the traditional story of appearance of the Goddess, <span style="font-family: inherit;">once a Buffalo-demon called </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Mahishasura" title="Mahishasura"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahishasur</span></a></b> (Greek Minotaur??)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> had conquered the Three Worlds. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Due to a boon from Brahma, he was invincible against any male, be it a beast or human or even a demigod.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mahishasur, the Minotaur</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mahish had subjugated the three realms and made them his slave. Tired of his tyranny, the Devas ran to Brahma for help and after Brahma disclosed his boon, the male gods decided to create a FEMALE warrior to eliminate the buffalo demon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They decided to pool all their creative as well as destructive powers for the process, and the COMBINED</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> energies of all the gods took shape of a beautiful Goddess who was the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devi Durga</span></b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Goddess Durga emerges from the Energy of Gods</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The goddess was gifted weapons by all the assembled gods and she set forth on her mission. As soon as the Minotaur saw <b><i>Durga</i></b>'s Divine form, he understood that the demigods had found a way around the boon granted to him by Brahma! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markandeya"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Rishi Markandeya</span></b></a>, gives a detailed account of Ma Durga's battle with the demonic forces, including the slaying of Mahish in about 700 verses, chanted religiously by ardent devotees of the Goddess especially during the current Nine Days of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga_puja"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Durga Puja</span></a></b>.</span></div>
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Durga, Kali and other Matrikas together killed scores of demons including the dreaded Asuras like <b><i>Shumbh, Nishumbh</i></b> and<i><b> Raktabeej</b></i>.<br />
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Ma Kali defeating Raktabeej<br />
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After a prolonged battle, the buffalo-demon was slain, and henceforth, Goddess Durga was given the epithet of <b><a href="http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/Newhomepage/shakti/mahishasuramardini.html"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahishasur Mardini</span></a></b>, the Slayer-of-Mahish. This is the most widely depicted representation of the Goddess in art and there's a lot of profound symbolism inherent in the depiction of the Goddess in battle mode.</div>
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<b>By vanquishing the buffalo-demon and reigning in a fierce Lion, Goddess Durga inspires us to tame our own ANIMAL INSTINCTS and rid ourselves of our Inner demons. </b><br />
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Goddess Durga slaying Mahishasur<br />
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<b>The depiction also reflects taming of the MALE EGO by the Feminine principle to bring back balance in Creation and prevent the annihilation of our World. </b><br />
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The FEMALE principle tames this animal urge of mankind to destroy itself and gives it a push towards the creative process of sustenance. Men have indeed been responsible for a lot of blunders in our history just to pander to our egos. <span style="text-align: left;">The development and deployment of the first </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki">Nuclear bomb</a></b><span style="text-align: left;">; Iraq's annexation of </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwait">Kuwait</a></b><span style="text-align: left;">; America's attack on </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a></b><span style="text-align: left;">; Pakistan's attempt to steal </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kargil_War">Kargil</a></b><span style="text-align: left;"> from India, all being very apt examples of the same.. By controlling our animal urges, Ma Durga prevents us from straying from the path of Spiritual growth and brings us back in line.</span><br />
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Not only Hinduism, other ancient Eastern religions also recognized and revered the Goddess for the same. In my travels, I found an unlikely temple dedicated to the Goddess in <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penang_Island"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Penang Island</span></a></b> of Malaysia! Even though the deity here is worshiped as a form of Buddha, its name and depiction clearly refers to Goddess Chandi, which is another name for Goddess Durga :o)<br />
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Chundi Bodhisattva in Penang, Malaysia<br />
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Even with the increasing opportunities available to women in civilized societies, a majority of women in the developing economies as well as certain fanatical societies do not have equal rights as their male counterparts. The many hands of the Goddess could easily represent the multi-tasking woman of today! <br />
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Traditional Goddess Modern Goddess </div>
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<b>The prerogative is on us, the Men of today to acknowledge and respect the Goddess in women</b> <b>around us and to accord them the same respect we reserve for the Goddess in our Temples. </b><br />
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Let this<span style="color: #ffd966;"> <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navratri"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Navratri</span></a></b></span> be a reminder to us to deal with our inner demons and re-establish the high status accorded to women in our ancient scriptures! I conclude this post with the ode to the Goddess, the <a href="http://www.celextel.org/stotras/devi/mahishasuramardinistotra.html"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Mahishasur-Mardini Stotra</span></b></a> compiled by <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shri </b></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_shankaracharya"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Adi Shankracharya</b></span></a><b>-</b><br />
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<i>O Daughter of Himalayas, Dwelling in the Vindhyas, </i></div>
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<i>O consort of Shiva, glorified</i><i> by Indra, </i></div>
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<i>Creatrix of the Universe</i><i>, S</i><i>layer of Mahisha,</i></div>
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<i>O Daughter of the Mountain, Victory to You!</i><i><br />
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<i>Arising from the Ocean, </i><i>Nourishing the Three worlds, </i></div>
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<i>Delight of Raas Dance, O consort of Vishnu,</i></div>
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<i>Remover of all sins, Destroyer of evil Pride, </i></div>
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<i>O Daughter of the Mountain, Victory to You!</i></div>
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<i>Conqueror of Daityas, Vanquisher of Danavs,</i></div>
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<i>Destroyer of Dhumralochan, </i><i>Slayer of Shumbh-Nishumbh, </i><br />
<i>You stemmed the spawn of Rakta-bija,</i></div>
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<i>O Daughter of the Mountain, Victory to You!</i></div>
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<i>You are Invincible, with your </i><i>Trident,</i></div>
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<i>You string your mighty bow, and weild your shiny sword,</i></div>
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<i>To remove the miseries, of all the Three worlds, </i></div>
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<i>O Daughter of the Mountain, Victory to You!<br />
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You are fond of battle, against worthy warriors,</i></div>
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<i>You are fond of dancing, with Shiva as Ardha-narishwar, </i></div>
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<i>Your beauty captivates even the heart of Cupid, </i></div>
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<i>O Daughter of the Mountain, Victory to You!</i><br />
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<i>You are all Auspicious, the Merciful Mother of All,</i></div>
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<i>You are my mother, and I too am Your son,</i></div>
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<i>Do not reject my prayer, even if its flawed,</i></div>
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<i>O Daughter of the Mountain, Victory of Victories to you!</i><i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com52Penang, Malaysia5.3316053705396556 100.253909809375055.0999673705396553 100.06629230937504 5.5632433705396558 100.44152730937505tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-25263895339617486602011-08-15T23:45:00.024+05:302023-12-10T11:25:31.076+05:30Creation by Brahma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There has always been an argument in the Scientific world - Whether an Intelligence created this World or, the World led to the creation of Intelligence. Sounds like a Chicken & Egg situation there! However in Hindu Cosmology, the process of creation is more purposeful than a random explosion in nothingness.</div>
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In the current post, I'm gonna share the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Creation Phenomenon</span></b> as per Hindu Scriptures and will take you through the Theological as well as Evolutionary details hidden in them.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Swami Vivekananda</span></b></a>, one of the most intellectual proponents of Hinduism says - Indian philosophy goes beyond both Intelligence as well as Matter and describes a Purush, or Self, of whom Intelligence is but the borrowed light - This <b><i>Adi-Purush</i></b> or Original Being is the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Supreme</span><i> </i></b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Lord Vishnu</b></span></a>.</div>
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Adi Purush, Shri Hari Vishnu</div>
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We saw in the first post {<a href="http://decodehindumythology.blogspot.com/2011/08/big-bang-and-bhagvatam.html" style="color: #ffd966;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">A for Astronomy</span></b></a>} that there exist two different Realms in this Creation - Spiritual and Material. While <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Spiritual Realm</span></b> is the abode of pure souls living on the Vaikunth Planets, the materialistic souls (like You & Me) take birth on different planets in different galaxies of different Universes of the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Material Realm</span></b>. <br />
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There is one important concept that we need to understand here - According to the Satvata Tantra, there exist, not One, not Two, but THREE different forms of Lord Vishnu in the Material Realm.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">The Three Forms of Lord Vishnu</span></u></b></div>
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The first and foremost form of Lord Vishnu in the Material Realm, is that of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavishnu" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Shri Karanodak-shayi Maha Vishnu</b></a> or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Narayan</span></b> (One-who-lies-on-Water). The Lord reclines on Cosmic waters of the Causal Ocean (That-Causes-Everything) known as <b><i>Karan-Odak</i></b> that emanates from His own body and fills the lower half of the Material Realm.</div>
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Shri Maha Vishnu, lying on the Causal Ocean generated from His own Self<br />
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(Images courtesy Sri Madhav Priya Dasi)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Maha Vishnu</span></b> is the ONLY Living entity present in the Material Creation right now and this form of the Lord has been called <b><i>Kaal-Swabhavah </i></b>or the foundation of the Space-Time Continuum. He forms the basis of Quantum Physics that runs this Universe at Sub-Atomic as well as Super-Galactic levels. <br />
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The as yet unmanifest stage of material nature is called <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pradhan </span></b>or <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Prakriti</span></b> - till this stage, there is no Words or Expression, no Mind or Elements, and the three modes of Goodness, Passion and Ignorance are in an equilibrium. There is no Life or Intelligence, no Pleasures or Pains and no Demons or Gods. There is no Ether, Water, Earth, Air, fire or Sun nor the different stages of Consciousness - sleep, wakefulness and deep sleep. Yet, this <b><i>Pradhan</i></b> is the original substance of Material Nature and the basis of all further Creation.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Creation Begins in the Material Realm</span></u></b> <br />
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1. The First Step in Creation is called the <b style="color: #ffd966;">FIRST Sarga:</b><br />
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Because of the Wish of <b style="color: #ffd966;">Maha Vishnu</b>, there arises a disturbance in equilibrium of the 3 qualities of <b><i>Satva, Rajas</i></b> and <b><i>Tamas</i></b> which results in the formation of subtle imperceptible matter called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattva" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Mahat Tattva</b></a>. This subtle matter can not be perceived by our material senses yet it forms the basis of all that follows - It is from this<b> </b>that <span style="text-align: left;">Intelligence or </span><span style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">‘Buddhi’ </i>arises further giving rise to<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i></span><b><i>‘Aham’</i></b> or Ego that further gives rise to <i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">‘</i><b><i>Manas</i></b><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">’ </i>or Mind<span style="text-align: left;">. </span><br />
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Mahat Tattva created by Shri Maha Vishnu's glance<br />
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2. In the </span><b style="color: #ffd966; text-align: justify;">SECOND Sarga</b><span style="text-align: justify;">, the Mind gives rise to the</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><i style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dash-Indriyan</b></i><span style="text-align: justify;"> which include 5 Sensory Perceptions - Ears, Skin, Eyes, Tongue and Nose as well as 5 Organs of Action - Mouth, Arms, Legs, Excretory and Reproductory. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">3. The </span><b style="color: #ffd966; text-align: justify;">THIRD Sarga</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> shows the formation of the FIVE <i><b>Tanmatras</b></i> or subtle elements of Sound, Touch, Taste, Form & Smell followed by the </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Basic Elements, the </span><b style="color: #ffd966; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabhuta"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Panch-Mahabhoot</span></a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> which, like the three Primary colors, give rise to Matter in its various forms through their permutations and combinations. These Famous Five are - Space, Air, Water, Fire & Earth.</span><br />
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The Panch Mahabhoot manifest</div>
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These THREE Phases of Creation are collectively are known as <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>PRAKRITIK Sarga</b></span> as they are NOT a creation of Brahma and come into being from the Natural Energy of the Lord, known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prakrti" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Prakriti</b></a>. After these basic building blocks, the stage was now set for the creation of our Universe (and indeed other Universes too!). Before we move ahead just a quick tabular shot of what we have learnt above:<br />
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All this detail may be too much to handle in the first instance but if you have managed to grasp the above, feel relieved for the difficult conceptual portion is out of the way :o)</div>
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<b><u>Creation of OUR Universe</u></b></div>
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As we learnt in the previous post, Multiple Universes emerge<i> </i>from the Infinite pores of<b> </b><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Maha Vishnu's</span></b> cosmic body each time He exhales. The Lord again enters EACH of these egg-shaped Universes in His SECOND form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbhodaksayi_Vishnu"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Garbhodak-shayi Vishnu</span></b></a>.<br />
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Each Universe emerging from Maha-Vishnu contains a Garbhodak-shayi Vishnu</div>
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This second form of the Lord reclines on the Great Serpent <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Anant</span></b> (Without-an-End) and is the Maintainer for His respective Universe. To use an analogy, consider Him sort of a Governor for His Province while Maha-Vishnu is like the Head of the Nation!
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Shri Garbhodakshayi Vishnu, First LIVING Being in EACH Universe</div>
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After a period of 1000 Maha-Yugas, a lotus bud emerges from the navel of the Lord, inside which is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Brahma or Ka</span></b></a>, the First MORTAL Being in each Universe. The stem of this cosmic lotus connecting Brahma to the Navel of the Lord, signifies the <b><i>Umbilical Cord</i></b> that binds a baby to its mother. In a sense, Lord Garbhodak-shayi Vishnu is the Father as well as Mother of ALL creation beginning first and foremost with Lord Brahma.<br />
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Lord Brahma, First MORTAL Living Being in EACH Universe<br />
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Imagine the plight of the Creator-god when he would have opened his eyes for the first time.. He must have been as lost and clueless as a new born baby coming into this world! <b style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Brahma</b> did not know the purpose of his being. Trying to look all around him simultaneously, he sprouted 5 heads to enable him to spot even a hint of an activity in any direction yet could not see anything except darkness all around him.<br />
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To clear his confusion, he then decided to explore the stem of the Lotus from which he had emerged but came to a dead-end. Thereafter, he went into meditation for a 100 Maha-Yugas and to clear his confusion and provide him guidance, <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Garbhodak-shayi Vishnu</span></b> made Himself VISIBLE to Brahma. </div>
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Shri Garbhodakshayi Vishnu becomes visible to Lord Brahma <img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r_stPJ8iGF8hp9Fp3peiITqbJtKelrLB8jkMC1WAFDF1x5u-O-oLkzUa_FrIIfXM1zn9yYP3qPWMNTx24MsShVm_qsYcqC0iLC7I3hOWGs_zSfbPQGjHN9k9eWyviLm66J7bGUsz_X0/s640/creation-07.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Lord Brahma was transfixed with the divine spectacle of the Supreme Lord resplendent in Blue and Gold, lying on the Great serpent with a thousand hoods on the mighty waters of the <b><i>Garbh</i></b>-Ocean! <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Hari Vishnu</span></b>, then told Brahma his purpose of existence and realizing the magnitude of work that lay ahead of him, Brahma was (quite understandably) left speechless! It's sort of like being asked by the Boss to create a new Business Model when you dont even know which industry you are working in :o)<br />
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Fortunately, the BIG-BOSS here was Lord Vishnu, the <b><i>Adi-Purush</i></b> who in the noblest of sacrifices asked Brahma to use portions of Lord's own body for beginning the process! It is from here that actual Creation by <b style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Brahma</span></a></b> begins.</div>
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<b><b><u>Creation within EACH Universe</u></b></b><br />
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We FINALLY begin with the Creation of our Universe. To give it some perspective, I should inform you that my calculations give the staggering number of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">155.524752 Trillion Solar Years</span></b> ago as the time of occurrence of this event! <br />
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Another point to be noted here, is that EACH Universe has a personal form of Lord Vishnu AND an Individual Brahma as well. Ergo, there are billions and billions of Brahmas in the Material Realm each taking care of Creation in his OWN Universe!!</div>
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Lord Brahma begins Creation</div>
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4. Brahma first creates the Immovable objects such as Planets, Land, Mountains, etc. which do not have any inherent power of Motion (Remember that Planets also move due to Gravity and do not have an intrinsic motion of their own). <span style="text-align: left;">This is the FOURTH phase of Creation known as the </span><b style="color: #ffd966; text-align: left;">Mukhya</b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: #ffd966; text-align: left;"><b>Sarga</b></span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div>
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5. <span style="text-align: justify;">In the next phase called the </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Tiryak Sarga</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;">, Brahma creates 6 different types of </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vegetation</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> covering trees/herbs/creepers etc., 12 different varieties of Birds and 28 different broad classifications of </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Animals</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> which I'm not detailing here to prevent a system overload and subsequent crash ;o)</span><br />
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6. The SIXTH Phase saw Creation of Demigods and other Advanced Species of life and is therefore known as the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Deva Sarga</b>.<b><i> </i></b>Most important Divinities were created in this Phase of Brahma's Creation.</div>
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First come the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanatkumara" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>4 Eternal Kumars</b></a>, the First Incarnations of Lord Vishnu. These cherubic kids remain the same in appearance throughout their lifetime which is as long as that of Brahma himself! But all of them chose to follow the path of Spirituality instead of following Brahma's command for beginning procreation.</div>
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This frustrated Brahma so much that from his forehead, (the region of the third eye) emerged a dark red and blue child bawling at the top of his voice! This crying baby was named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudra" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Rudra</b></a> (The Howler)!</div>
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Rudra born from Brahma's Forehead</div>
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However, Rudra too decided to follow the path of <i><b>Tapas</b></i> or Penance and Brahma was sorely disappointed. After a lot of cajoling by Brahma, Rudra agreed to help and manifested 10 more beings with the same appearance as him (Binary Fission?!?). These are known as the 11 Rudras, ONE of whom is Lord <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shiva</span></b></a>. </div>
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On Brahma's request again, Rudra appeared as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanari"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ardhanarishwar</span></b></a> and generated a female principle (Asexual Reproduction??) which was the <b><i>Rudrani</i></b>. </div>
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Each of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudras"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">11 Rudras</span></b></a> similarly obtained a consort thus providing Brahma some satisfaction of seeing his creations multiply. However, the Rudras were all fierce since they represented the Supreme Lord's power of Destruction!</div>
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The 11 Rudras<br />
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Realizing that the progeny of Rudra was not what he really wanted to populate the world with, Brahma then created <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_are_the_Sons_of_Brahma"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">10 Manas Putras</span></b></a> by just visualizing them in his mind! Neat, eh? I wish I could finish all my work by just thinking about it!! These Mind-born sons of Brahma are - <b><i>Atri, Angiras, Atharva, Bhrigu, Daksh, Marichi, Pulah, Pulatsya, Vasishtha</i></b> and the youngest one <b><i>Narad</i></b>.</div>
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The First Rishis - Brahma's Manasputras</div>
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Images courtesy Grant Morrison's 18 Days</div>
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<li>When all these sons preferred to follow footsteps of the Kumars, by refusing to get entangled in the process of procreation, Brahma again filled up with Negative energy - this resulted in the creation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asura"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Asurs</span></b></a>, who in common parlance are known as Demons. When Brahma let go of this <b><i>Tamsik</i></b> Dark aspect of his being, it resulted in the creation of Night-time.</li>
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Asuras or Demons<br />
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<li>Focusing his positive energy again, Brahma took a <b><i>Satvik</i></b> form and created the Deities or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_%28Hinduism%29"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Devas</span></b></a>. These are the illumined effulgent demi-gods who became the care-takers of different aspects of the Material Creation. This Bright aspect of Brahma's personality also led to the creation of Day-time. </li>
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Devas or Demigods <br />
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The next creation of Brahma was the <a href="http://eastlondontemple.com/rk/Services/Shradh.aspx"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Pitras</span></b></a> or Manes. It may be worthwhile to mention that the planet of the Pitras has one day and night equal to a fortnight each of the humans. (In a later post I'll discuss how this relates to <b><i>Einstein's Theory of Relativity</i></b>)</div>
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Pitras or Manes</div>
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Brahma now manifested other divinities such as the Goddesses <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%81k"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saraswati</span></b></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gayatri"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gayatri</span></b></a>; the Four <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Vedas</span></b></a>; the goddess of deliveries <i><b>Prasuti</b></i>; elements such as Emotions, Music and <b><i>Rishi</i></b> Kardama (<b>Ka</b>'s Shadow).</div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Prasuti</b> </span>became the consort of the eldest Mana-putra <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daksha"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Daksh</span></b></a>, and this is where Copulative creation began! It is interesting to note that the Sanskrit word for parturient labour is also <b><i>Prasuti</i></b>, probably a recognition of her being the FIRST woman to give birth to a child by normal delivery!!</div>
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Thus, Daksha became the Second <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajapati"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Prajapati </span></b></a>after Brahma; the Guardian and Custodian of All Creation. With this, the <b><i>Deva Sarga</i></b> came to a close and Lord Brahma, who must have been completely exhausted by now, decided to take a break. The point to be remembered here is that like the Greek Titans, the Asuras are older than the Devas who correspond quite well to the Olympians.<br />
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7. At the end of all this, Lord Brahma sat ruminating about the direction his work had taken till now, and took a body which was <b><i>Rajsik </i></b>or in the Mode-of-Passion. Thus from his right hand emerged a creature a lot like him - this was the First Man, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_%28Hinduism%29" style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Swayambhu Manu</b></a><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span>(Born-on-his-Own) who was born with the <b><i>Kaya</i></b> of his father Brahma (<b>Ka</b>-Brahma, <b>ya</b>-form). Interestingly, the same incident is noted in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible" style="color: #ffd966;"><b closure_uid_biig3="67">Bible</b></a> as well - <b>'Man was created in the Image of His Maker'.</b><br />
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Swayambhu Manu, the First Man</div>
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Along with Manu, emerged the female <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shatrupa</span></b> and Brahma assigned for them the planet Earth. Thus, Human-beings, the progeny of Manu and Shatrupa were given the sanction for populating the globe and till date we show ABSOLUTELY no sign of stopping! ;o) </div>
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Manu and Shatrupa - Hindu Adam and Eve</div>
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In this context, I wanna mention the beautiful similarity drawn by the character called Agent Smith in the super-hit movie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Matrix</span></b></a>, where he tells Neo - Humans are like viruses.. multiplying till they exhaust all resources of a particular place and then moving on to greener pastures.<i>.</i> Guess we and viruses have the same level of Evolution then!<br />
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It is also interesting to note that the Germanic tribes call their ancestor <i><b>Mannus</b></i> which is also the root of the English word - <b><i>Man</i></b> just as Manu is the root of the Hindi word <b><i>Manushya. </i></b>Since the SEVENTH Phase saw the creation of Human-beings, it is known as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Manushya Sarga.</span></b> </div>
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8. In the EIGHTH Phase called the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Anugrah Sarga</b>, other species with magical powers were created such as the <b><i>Yakshas, Gandharvs, Sarpas, Apsaras</i></b> etc. Some of these species are in the mode of goodness while others in the mode of darkness.<br />
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9. The NINTH and FINAL Phase of Brahma's Creation is called the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Kaumar Sarga</b> wherein the four Eternal Kumars considered re-appeared in this day of Brahma. With this ends the exhausting process of <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Creation</span></b>. If you as a reader and me as a chronicler are both boggled by the details and technicalities of this, imagine the condition of Lord Brahma!</div>
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Brahma looks at His creation with relief</div>
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Yet, in my personal opinion, it would be a golden opportunity for any artist to get the freedom to express his creativity without any restraints, utilizing no less than the sublime form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purusha"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Adi-Purush</span></b></a> Himself!! How noble the Sacrifice and how Liberating the experience! <br />
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It would be worthwhile to note that the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">4 Kumars</span></b> as well as the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">10 Manas Putras</span></b> are older than the Devas and Asurs both, therefore, they are held in deep respect by both the clans. Also, I can't help but notice that Brahma's Creation closely follows actual appearance of elements in our Universe - <br />
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<b>First to appear are the intangible elements like the protons, neutrons etc. followed by matter in gaseous form; followed by the immovable planets and landmasses; then the vegetation; birds, aquatics and animals; and finally the Higher species.</b><br />
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Also, the Mode of reproduction<i> </i>is clearly ASEXUAL in the beginning (as seen with the generation of <i><b>Rudras</b> </i>and <i><b>Rudranis</b>) </i>and becomes COPULATIVE only after the germination of <i><b>Daksha</b></i> and his consort <i><b>Prasuti!</b></i></div>
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Before winding up, let me just mention the Third and the Final form of Lord Vishnu in the Material Realm. This is <a closure_uid_sjqn02="287" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ksirodakasayi_Vishnu"><b closure_uid_kaogtl="331"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shri Kshirodak-shayi Vishnu</span></b></a> present in each atom of the creation as<b closure_uid_kaogtl="345"> '<i closure_uid_2xnfj0="509" closure_uid_kaogtl="344">Parmatma'</i> </b>or the Super-soul. His vehicle is the Golden-eagle <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Garuda</span></b></a> and it is from Him that all the <a closure_uid_2xnfj0="508" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Avatars</span></b></a> take origin! The Lord resides on planet <b><i>Shvet-dvip</i></b> in the <b><i>Dhruv-Loka</i></b>, reclining on the <b><i>Sheshnaag</i></b> (One-that-remains) with His consort <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakshmi"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lakshmi</span></b></a> and supervises this ENTIRE Creation that we discussed above!<br />
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Shri Kshirodakshayi Vishnu, the benefactor of all devotees<br />
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There are many more complexities involved in the Creation Process but I hope I was able to make it simple enough for your understanding! I'm gonna conclude this post with the verses of <a href="http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Purusha_Suktham"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Purush Sukta</span></b></a>, that extoll the Supreme Sacrifice of the Adi-Purush that resulted in the commencement of Creation:<br />
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<i>A Thousand heads has Purush, </i></div>
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<i>A thousand eyes, A thousand feet,</i></div>
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<i>Manifesting Earth and the World, </i></div>
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<i>He extends beyond countability.</i></div>
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<i>Purusha is all that Exists,</i></div>
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<i>What Was and What shall Be,</i></div>
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<i>He Consumes and is Consumed,</i></div>
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<i>The Hidden Lord of Immortality.</i></div>
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<i>What's visible is but One-quarter; </i></div>
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<i>Beyond destruction lies a Quarter and Three!</i></div>
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<i>From Purusha was born the Universe; </i></div>
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<i>Even the Creater was born of Thee!</i></div>
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<i>In this Srishti-Yagnya performed, </i></div>
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<i>Purusha Himself became the Havis,</i></div>
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<i>Summer lent the fire-wood, And </i></div>
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<i>Spring became the pouring Ghee.</i></div>
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<i>Birds that travel in the air, </i><br />
<i>Beasts of forest were thus born,</i></div>
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<i>Village dwellers, Humans came forth; </i></div>
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<i>Hymns of Vedas came from Thee.</i></div>
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<i>From His face the Brahmins rose, </i></div>
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<i>Men-of-arms from His arms,</i></div>
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<i>His thighs became the Trader creed, </i><br />
<i>Shudras rose from His Holy feet,</i></div>
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<i>From His Navel spread the Sky; </i></div>
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<i>From the Head, Heavens sprung,</i></div>
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<i>From His feet Earth was born; </i></div>
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<i>From the Ears, directions decree.</i></div>
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<i>From the Waters and the Earth,</i></div>
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<i>He forged Creation, the Divine smith,</i></div>
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<i closure_uid_biig3="76">Lord of Universe; Unborn; Omnipresent; </i></div>
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<i closure_uid_biig3="77">Lives within; Yet only the Wise can see.</i></div>
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<i closure_uid_biig3="78">Request we Lord, Greenery for Earth, </i></div>
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<i>Request we the good of Community,</i></div>
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<i>Request we the good of ALL living beings, </i></div>
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<i>May Peace Envelop our Destiny.</i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com207Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.0176147 72.856164418.7774257 72.5403074 19.2578037 73.172021399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326299284974537825.post-44479178509881981742011-07-31T16:03:00.010+05:302021-05-03T20:45:35.779+05:30Black Holes and Bhagavatam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the last post, I had shared the description of our Universe and the TWO different types of Creations. For easy understanding of the descriptions from our Scriptures, we'll now take each topic individually beginning with our Galaxy, the <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Milky Way</span></b>. As you are perhaps aware, ours is a <b><i closure_uid_tfw8v3="148">Spiral Galaxy</i></b> containing a Galactic Center, and various arms radiating outwards from it, in a spiral fashion. </div>
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Our Spiral Galaxy</div>
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As mentioned earlier, Puranic literature is full of Astronomical details and our Galaxy is quite vividly detailed in {<b><a closure_uid_pmaw52="159" closure_uid_q5qsx8="95" closure_uid_qrs2uz="99" closure_uid_us60xk="98" closure_uid_yew898="97" href="http://www.bhagavata.org/canto5/c5-contents.html"><span style="color: #e06666;">Chapter 23, Canto 5 of the Bhagvat Puraan</span></a>}</b>. <br />
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When I went through the descriptions, I was pleasantly surprised to know that the <b><i>Rishis</i></b> of yore have described our galaxy EXACTLY the way it is described now by modern Astronomers!! Bhagavatam compares it with the <b><a closure_uid_a1w2ln="95" closure_uid_h52e1c="97" href="http://www.siddhashram.org/kundalini.shtml"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Kundalini Chakra</span></a></b>, the energy source seated at the base of Human Spine like a coiled serpent. As a person's Yogic Powers advance, the Kundalini Energy moves upwards from one Chakra to another ultimately leading the Yogi to complete Enlightenment just as was achieved by <a closure_uid_hviobf="155" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha"><b closure_uid_bkvrg5="95" closure_uid_j30qij="95" closure_uid_ynzkfv="108"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gautam Buddha</span></b></a>.</div>
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Kundalini rising through the Chakras</div>
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<b>This celestial creature forming our Galaxy, is called <a closure_uid_rf7koe="98" closure_uid_tfw8v3="155" href="http://www.bhagavata.org/canto5/chapter23.html"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shishumar</span></a> and is supposed to rest with its body wound around itself in a right-handed coil with the center formed by its tail end.</b><br />
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To the students of Science, this shape may be familiar as that of the <b style="color: #ffd966;">Benzene Ring</b>, which resembles a Snake biting its own tail!! Incidentally the symbol is also known by the Greeks as <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Ouroboros</span></a></b> and by Chinese as the Dragon representing the never-ending cycle of Life and Death, the different Seasons, Time etc.</div>
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Shishumar/Ouroboros/Dragon</div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"><u>Scriptural description of the Galaxy</u></span></b></div>
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The Bhagvatam gives complete details of the various Lokas of the galaxy giving precise LOCATIONS of the various divine and semi-divine denizens of our Galaxy! Let us see what these locations are and try to find out a useful address or two from the descriptions ;o)<br />
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The Galactic Center, is the tail-end of the coiled serpent and is supposed to be a seat of Immense Power and Energy. According to the Bhagavatam, this Galactic Center is formed by the <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Dhruva Loka</b></span>.<br />
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It is important to note that according to modern Astronomy, Galactic Center is made up of very large mass and density which scientists believe to be a <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermassive_black_hole"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Supermassive Black Hole</span></a></b>. Black Holes are the evolutionary end-point of MASSIVE stars<b> </b>and pack within themselves the power of thousands of Nuclear bombs combined!<br />
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Supermassive Black Hole at the Galactic Center</div>
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Now, <b><a closure_uid_rf7koe="110" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhruva"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Dhruva</span></a> </b>as we know is the Pole Star and according to Bhagavatam, it is supposed to be situated right at the CENTER of our Galaxy. At present, the Northern pole star is <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaris" title="Polaris"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Polaris</span></a></b>, which lies close to the Celestial North Pole, and is visible at the end of the constellation Ursa Minor (Little Dipper)<b closure_uid_q8jzzd="98">. </b>However, after researching its location, I found that this particular
Star does not lie as far as the Center of the Galaxy and it dampened my
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Present Pole Star Polaris</div>
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But, as I kept trying to find out more, I came across a phenomenon known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_precession_%28astronomy%29" title="Axial precession (astronomy)"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Precession of Equinoxes</b></span></a>. Simply put, it states that the role of the North Star PASSES from one star to another. This means that <b><i>Other stars</i></b><i><b> </b></i><b><i>have occupied the position of the Pole Star before now!</i></b> </div>
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Precession of the Equinoxes is slow, taking about 25,770 years to complete a cycle, hence a single star typically holds that title for many CENTURIES, and since Hindu history measures time in billions of years, <i><b closure_uid_ilyfke="98">One of these stars could have been</b></i> located in the vicinity of the <a closure_uid_8ssqjo="173" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_Center"><b closure_uid_bkvrg5="148"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Galactic Center</span></b></a> at some point in our Ancient History!! <br />
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Pole Stars of Past and Future<br />
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Identifying that Star is beyond my current research capacity, but I believe if we can find it, it would help us date our Scriptures in a more authentic fashion as well as give us a proof that our civilization is INDEED very ancient.<br />
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The scripture further states that <i><b>Dhruv-loka</b></i> is supposed to be the Supreme Seat of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Vishnu</span></b></a> in the Mortal Realm where He reclines on the Divine Serpent <i><b>Sheshnaag</b></i> accompanied by Goddess <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lakshmi</span></b> in the Ocean-of-Milk called <b><i>Ksheer-Sagar</i></b>.</div>
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Demigods praying to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi seated on Sheshnaag</div>
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Now, Black Holes have always been conjectured to be portals between different Universes, sort of like Gateways to different dimensions. This makes me believe that our Supermassive-Galactic-Center-Black-Hole can fit the precondition of being the <a href="http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=953112"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Abode of Lord Vishnu</span></b></a> amazingly well, as it would connect Him with the Spiritual Realm outside as well as the Material realm contained within this Universe! <br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #ffd966;">Moving on from the Galactic Center</span></u></b></div>
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Near the central abode of Dhruva resides <i><b>Prajâpati</b></i>, worshiped by the demigods <i><b>Ag<u>n</u>i, Indra</b></i> and <i><b>Dharma</b></i> near the tail and the Holy <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saptarshi"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Saptarishi Mandal</span></a></b> at its waist. <br />
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On the right side of the Celestial Wheel are stationed the fourteen <b><i>Uttarayan Nakshatras</i></b> (Northern Zodiacs) from <i><b>Abhijit</b> </i>to <b><i>Punarvasu,</i></b> and on its left side are found fourteen <b><i>Dakshinayan Nakshatras</i></b> (Southern Zodiacs) starting from <b><i>Pushya</i></b> and ending with <b><i closure_uid_j30qij="219">Uttar-Aashadh</i></b>.</div>
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The back of Shishumar is formed by stars collectively called <b><i>Ajavithi</i></b> and its belly is formed by the Sacred Ganges reverently known as the <a closure_uid_j30qij="253" href="http://www.exploreuniverse.com/ic/milkyway.html"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Akash Ganga</b></span></a>.<br />
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If you look at the clear night sky, you'll observe a faint band of light stretching across the darkness, either through the middle or near the horizon which is considered it the symbolic representation of the <i><b>Descent of Heavenly Ganges</b></i> to the Mortal Realm of Earth.<br />
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Akash Ganga, the Milky Way </div>
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The stars called<b><i> Punarvasu</i></b> and <b><i>Pushya</i></b> form the right and left loins of the Shishumar; <b><i>Ardra</i></b> and <b><i>Ashlesha</i></b> form the right and left feet while <b><i>Abhijit</i></b> and <b><i>Uttar-Aashadh</i></b> form the right and left nostrils. <b><i> </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Shravana</i></b> and <b><i>Purv-Aashadh</i></b> form the right and left eyes respectively; while <b><i closure_uid_ynzkfv="170">Mula</i></b> and <i><b>Dhanishtha </b></i>form<i><b> </b></i>the<i><b> </b></i>two ears; <b><i>Magha</i></b>, the group of Eight Stars form its ribs on the left side while the Eight stars of <b><i>Mrigashirsha</i></b>, form the ribs on its right. The stars<b><i> Shatabhish</i></b> and <b><i>Jyeshtha</i></b> form the right and left shoulders, <b><i>Agasti</i></b> forms the upper jaw and <b><i>Yama</i></b>, the lower one. <br />
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The planet Mars forms its face; Saturn forms its organ of generation; Brihaspati forms the hump on the shoulders while<b><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Surya</span></a> </b>- The Lord of the planets, (which I have taken as the reference point for the Labelled image of Shishumar below) forms its breast. </div>
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The Supreme <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayana"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Narayan</span></a></b> remains seated in its heart and the Moon is situated in its mind. The two <b><i>Ashvins</i></b> form either sides of its chest; <b><i>Ushana</i></b> or Venus forms its navel; Mercury is its <b><i>Prana</i></b>; <i><b>Rahu</b> </i>is the neck and <b><i>Ketu</i></b> is all over its body in the form of different <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comets"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Comets</span></a></b>.<br />
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The innumerable other stars we see are the numerous pores of its body. I have tried to label the image of our Galaxy according to the descriptions I have shared in this post. Please find below the Image that has resulted from this exercise.</div>
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Our Galaxy Shishumar</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2oVTpYVwOYx45BoBEoNK687LyqoLRgK_shOoi_X9TI0PFxRKeOxVPBLV3W0KmJ5LYt7THqecQoPr0i6lp59MXh9VA8l70sumhxiWWW7VwLhvMCxzc7pz0ZQWxFQSTecuRCZ5JnFe54A/s1600/Shishumar+Galaxy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2oVTpYVwOYx45BoBEoNK687LyqoLRgK_shOoi_X9TI0PFxRKeOxVPBLV3W0KmJ5LYt7THqecQoPr0i6lp59MXh9VA8l70sumhxiWWW7VwLhvMCxzc7pz0ZQWxFQSTecuRCZ5JnFe54A/s640/Shishumar+Galaxy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What is astonishing for me is that without access to any form of modern technology like the <b><a closure_uid_ar1nc2="159" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hubble Space Telescope</span></a> </b>and its like, the <b><i>Rishis</i></b> of Yore could still fathom the extent and shape of our Galaxy in such a detailed fashion! <br />
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It was only in 1610, that Galileo used the first telescope and determined that Milky Way is formed of billions of dim stars that surround us. Before that, for centuries the astronomers had struggled with the basic questions about this band of light in the sky which were difficult to answer because of several reasons. </div>
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<li closure_uid_ilyfke="129" closure_uid_oyehdu="113" closure_uid_x79vi0="131" closure_uid_ynzkfv="180" closure_uid_yrft2b="98"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">One</span></b>, as we live within the Milky Way, trying to fathom its dimensions is like living in one tiny corner of a gigantic box and analyzing its composition and shape!</li>
<li closure_uid_bkmu06="95" closure_uid_i0y4t5="156" closure_uid_oyehdu="114" closure_uid_x79vi0="132" closure_uid_ynzkfv="181"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Second</span></b>, the early telescopes weren't large enough and hence did not have sufficient range to clearly view the galaxy around us. </li>
<li closure_uid_bkmu06="97" closure_uid_oyehdu="115" closure_uid_x79vi0="133" closure_uid_ynzkfv="182"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Finally</span></b>, the Milky Way contains large amounts of cosmic dust that obscures distant stars when we're using regular telescopes. </li>
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However, the 20th century brought great advancement in telescope technology and large <b style="color: #ffd966;">Optical, Radio, Infrared</b>, and <b style="color: #ffd966;">X-ray telescopes</b> allowed Astronomers to peer through the cosmic dust and look further into space. With these tools, they could piece together the puzzle of our Galaxy's shape but the point to be emphasized here is that all this became apparent only after the 20th Century!</div>
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Eye-of-God Nebula caught by Hubble Space Telescope</div>
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Yet, surprisingly, ancient Vedic rishis had not only described the shape of the Galaxy, they had also identified a huge POWER SOURCE at its Center; given descriptions of most of its major STAR SYSTEMS; as well as defined the relative positions of different Lokas in our ever-expanding Universe!!</div>
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Whether it was due to their <b style="color: #ffd966;">Superhuman Yogic Powers</b>, or a result of direct observation (Space Travel?!?), I do not know. But, I hope this post opens the eyes of my readers to a brand new perception of these religious texts and would encourage them to analyze our traditional culture and beliefs with a more open and scientific approach.<br />
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I will describe the various Lokas mentioned above in more detail in subsequent postsand will try to guide you through the structure of the Universe as per ancient Hindu Science. May <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Lord Vishnu</span></b></a></b> guide me through this journey that I have embarked upon and help me bring hidden truths from our ancient scriptures to fore.</div>
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Shri Hari Vishnu, help me cross this Cosmic Ocean<br />
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It is only fitting that I end the post with the traditional prayer to Supreme Lord Vishnu residing in this Coiled Galaxy <b><a href="http://www.bhagavata.org/canto5/chapter23.html"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Shishumar</span></a></b> and also pay my obeisance to the Ancients who were able to decipher its structure on the basis of their Yogic powers..</div>
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<i closure_uid_x79vi0="139">Thou art the Substratum of all Luminaries,</i><i closure_uid_x79vi0="139"> </i></div>
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<i>Thou Createst and Destroyest all,</i></div>
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<i>The Lord of all Celestials,</i></div>
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<i>We meditate fully on Thee,</i></div>
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<i>Planets, Galaxies and Stars are Thy body, </i></div>
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<i>Divinity is established in Thee alone,</i></div>
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<i>Thou art Âdipuru<u>s</u>h, the Foremost of all Beings,</i></div>
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<i>All sins are destroyed by remembering Thee.</i></div>
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<b closure_uid_a7ngyc="112"><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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<b closure_uid_a7ngyc="112" closure_uid_dckrpe="169" closure_uid_p9p590="106"><span style="color: #ffd966;"> Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966;">.</span></b></div>
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09693299545403378543noreply@blogger.com110Kandy, Sri Lanka7.284459 80.6374590000000357.248417 80.603572000000042 7.320501 80.671346000000028