DNYANESHWAR'S

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  • Hindu Dharma in Nutshell

    Hindu Dharma in Nutshell

    In our daily life, many of us interact with a Hindu in one way or another. Either your doctor, a coworker, a classmate, a close friend, a neighbor, a teacher, a business owner, or even a spouse. Some of us have witnessed a caricature of a Hindu in a TV serial or a cartoon. If you have ever wondered what the Hindu faith is, or you are curious to know more about your fellow Hindu Americans, Here is a subtle glimpse.

    Let me ask you a question. What do we all want? We all want to be happy. All our endeavors are in that direction. We seek material goods, pleasant experiences, power over others, suitable mates, and many other things which give us fleeting moments of happiness. But is it possible to have everlasting happiness? The ancient Hindu sages meditated on this question and came to this answer. Yes, it is possible. We can be permanently happy by discovering our true divine nature. How do we do that?

    Hindus believe that the entire creation is made of pure consciousness. Our true nature is pure consciousness. Unfortunately, we have forgotten our true nature. The entire purpose of Hinduism is to get back to our original selves and be permanently happy in our divine state.

    • The first step is to base our life on an ethical foundation which is called Dharma. To live ethically, there are a few qualities that are described in the Hindu scriptures. The main ones are Ahimsa, which is non-injury, Satya which is truth, and Brahmacharya which is a disciplined life of nonindulgence. These are not commandments but are nuanced guidelines. The guidelines are context-based. Our Dharma depends on our social situation. Dharma for a policeman will be different than that of a teacher. In the same person, the Dharma today is not the same as the Dharma tomorrow. It is different depending on our role at that moment. Our Dharma as a child is different than our dharma as a husband or as a parent. It is different when we are working at our job. Dharmic living is doing our duty at the present moment, thereby pouring our heart out every time we do something, all the time and without attachment. There are lots of Hindu scriptures that help us decide what is ethical in a given situation. Dharma is the internal nature of everything. On a more profound scale Dharma is what sustains everything, including us individually, our family, our community, our country, our earth as well as the cosmos. Dharma has a much more nuanced definition which the actual exhibition will illustrate.
    • The second step is Sewa which is selfless service. Also called karma yoga. For many of us, yoga equates to a contortion of body parts into postures. This aspect of yoga is just a small portion of the concept of yoga. The word yoga means union. It is the union of ourselves with our divine nature. Karma yoga is the action that unites us with our divine nature. We should do our duty because it is the right thing to do and not be result-oriented. Do everything as if it is an offering to the Divine. Hinduism understands that the path of connecting with divinity is difficult and has lots of steps. It needs mastery over oneself. It takes a long time which can span this life but also may need multiple lifetimes. In each life, you reach a particular point. In the next life, you begin where you left, and move forward or backward based on your action (karma) in the past birth. Everyone will get there at the end. How long it takes will depend on your actions. What you do now affects the future either in this life or in the next life. There is accountability and consequence for everything you do. The flip side is that I accept what happens to me, hence I am able to accept sorrows and calamities. What I do and how I deal with my calamities affect my future. This way we accept what is happening to us and do our best to handle it.
    • The third step is the choice of three spiritual paths. Hinduism is recognizing that all people are different so there are different paths suited for different people based on their different temperaments.

    · The first path is called Raj yoga. In this path, there are eight steps of which the first two deal with practicing ethical restrains, and ethical observations. The next three are physical postures and breathing exercises as well as control of senses., The rest of the steps deal with meditation. This path requires consistent practice and great discipline.

    · The second path is Dnyana yoga which is the study of scriptures. Hindus have a massive library of scriptures describing the different paths. This path is intellectually strenuous, and a seeker needs a subtle mind to grasp the concepts.

    · The third path is Bhakti yoga, which is the path of Devotion. Essentially, we rest our minds and hearts in God. Anybody can do that as there are no prerequisites.

    This raises the question, Which or what God? In Hinduism, there are varieties of ways in which divinity or God is conceptualized

    1) The first concept is pure consciousness which is described by the symbol pronounced as Om. Pure consciousness had no attribute and is infinite. For many people, this is a difficult concept to wrap their minds around it.

    2) The second concept is Ishwara which is divinity with attributes. The all-knowing, all-powerful all-controlling supreme being. This has no physical form, and our mind is open to the abstract.

    3) The third concept is the Divine in a personal form. People can connect much more easily to a personal form. With forms comes a personality and a story. If you know a story you felt intimate with that form. You develop a close personal connection with that particular form of God. This tangible form is called a murti. This is represented by statues, photos, and physical symbols or objects. The mind stays easily focused on the physical form away from distractions. Although there are many physical forms of God, there is only one supreme being. Hindus worship one supreme being who can appear in many forms. We can use whichever form of divinity that the divinity chooses to manifest itself.

    Choose any of these paths. Take part of this and part of that. Mix and match. Let’s find the divinity within ourselves and recognize it in the whole creation. Let us be happy.

  • A Yogathon for All

    A Yogathon for All

    My introduction to Surya Namaskar was at a very early age. Every morning I used to wake up hearing sounds of students reciting the thirteen names of the Sun on the primary school playground opposite my house, as they performed a series of yoga postures in a rhythmic fashion to the beats of a bass drum. My grandmother insisted that I learn to do the same sequence correctly and memorize the thirteen names of the Sun describing its various attributes. Over time, the simple sequence of yoga postures had become part of my regular morning routine. I was pleasantly surprised when in 2007, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) launched the Surya Namaskar Yagna (sun salutation offering yogathon) campaign to raise awareness of this effective but simple exercise sequence, for the benefit of the general masses, and correct the misperception of yoga in America being somewhat of an elitist activity.

    Every year, the period of fifteen days, starting from the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti (January 14th), when the sun enters the Sagittarius constellation, and ending on Ratha Saptami, the 7th day after the new moon, is selected for a concentrated effort to maximize the outreach and share the benefits of the regular practice of Surya Namaskar to the American masses. Community organizations, general places of gathering, places of employment, schools, and colleges have been involved in this activity. To make the promotion more interesting and participatory, the number of Surya Namaskar performed by individuals is maintained using a user-friendly SNY app. This year, 12,676 individuals logged a total of 728,795 Surya Namaskars into the SNY app. The project reached 34 schools with 3,004 students and teachers participating.

    A cursory search on the internet will unearth an extensive treasure trove of research on the benefit of Surya Namaskar for interested individuals, including benefits on the entire neuro glandular and neuromuscular systems of the body and the entire psychosomatic human constitution. An interesting perspective was given to me by a friend who said that given the paucity of time available for a busy individual like him, performing Surya Namaskar was an all-rounded efficient exercise that stretched and toned all the major muscle groups of the body, burned calories, and added a spiritual side to exercise. Performing Surya Namaskar daily in the morning, along with your spouse and children, also brings the entire family together at the start of the day, at least for a short duration of time.

    I was asked by a colleague whether Surya Namaskar was a religious activity. I explained that Surya Namaskar was a humanistic activity. Offering namaskar (which is more than just a simple salutation) to the sun was an expression of gratitude to the divine. In every religious tradition, the sense of Gratitude is looked upon as a very positive mental state. The term ‘Yagna’ in the name of the Surya Namaskar campaign also has a deep meaning. Yagna means sacrifice or offering. Instead of the exercise being a self-centered activity for our own betterment, performing Surya Namaskar with a mental state of offering it to the divine, in the form of the Sun, transforms it into a spiritual activity. The well-balanced movements, with an ordered breathing sequence facing the rising sun (whenever possible), contrast with my other exercise routines that are performed in the gym while staring at my own reflection or a television screen.

    Last few years, my wife taught Surya Namaskar at an underserved school in my hometown of Peoria before the interruption of the COVID epidemic. Every week different classes performed the yoga routine, followed by a spiritual breathing exercise called Pranayam. One beauty of Surya Namaskar was that it only requires small space of 3 feet by 6 feet, without the use of any equipment. The children at the school were greatly enthusiastic, and an anecdotal report suggested that many have continued the practice. This has been repeated over multiple years, which interestingly would be the first and possibly the only exposure of these children to the benefits of yoga. In the future, when the children grow up to be adults, they will have fond memories of Surya Namaskar and will continue to learn and practice it.

    My younger daughter’s high school JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) physical training team also performed Surya Namaskar as a warm-up routine at competitions, even after she graduated from the program. As the cadets stood in a long line, performing the series of movements and counting in unison, while other teams watched in curiosity, there was a sense of unity that energized the team and prepared them for the competition to come.

    This year, Health for Humanity Yogathon has been acknowledged by numerous elected representatives and has received 129 proclamations from American mayors, governors, US Congresspersons, and United States Senators. It was also recognized as a part of Congressional records in 2017. Acknowledging the benefit to the American community from this campaign, the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative of the then First Lady Michelle Obama declared HSS as a partner in 2012.

    Whether Surya Namaskar is used as a family activity, health initiative in underserved areas, or a warm-up for a sport, there are undoubtedly significant physical, mental, and spiritual benefits to the exercise, and we must share it for the benefit of society. The slogan yoga for health, health for humanity is aptly put in practice by the Surya Namaskar Yagna. I am sure Surya Namaskar will be a regular routine and one of the prime jewels offered as a gift by the ancient Hindu culture to the rest of humanity.

  • Memories of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakha during my formative years in India

    Memories of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakha during my formative years in India

    I vividly remember the time in my childhood when at an age of 10–12 years, my friends and I used to play cricket after school, in the space around my building in the suburb of Mumbai called Mulund East. A bunch of us barefoot kids running around in the limited space with an old cricket bat, a rubber ball, and instead of wooden stumps, chalk drawn stumps on the wall. At about 5:45 PM Mr. Sudhakar Kale, one of our neighbors who we affectionately called ‘kaka’ (Kale pronounced as Kaa-Ley, kaka is uncle), used to round us up and take us to a playground of the neighborhood school for something he called RSS (short form-Sangh) shakha (daily gathering of youth and adult RSS cadets- RSS cadets are only males. Women have a parallel but separate organization also called Rashtriya Sevika Samiti Short form Samiti). The first stop, however, was in the slums along the way where in one of the shanty houses was stored the flagpole which was a 6–7 ft, half inch diameter aluminum pipe, a wrought iron tripod for the pole, and the saffron colored bifurcated silken Hindu flag in a silken bag. All the boys wanted to carry them, and so we used to argue as to who carried the items yesterday, and whose turn it was to do it today. Kaka taught us the proper protocol for conducting the gathering, with proper intonation of vocalizing the commands. After reciting some scriptures and verses describing our ancient culture and great heroes, performing yoga and sun salutations, we finally got to do the activity for which we had all come. GAMES. The games were traditional Indian games, as well as many innovative games which could all be played without any equipment. The games inculcated physical strength, team building, leadership skills, as well as principle of taking everybody together so that even the weakest person was not left behind and was everybody’s responsibility. The playing of the games cut across any barriers that may have been in the minds of kids from affluent households and the slum dwellers. All the kids hollered patriotic slogans and played with great fervor. Some days even adults joined the games. The stratification of superior and inferior based on so many factors in the outside world was demolished or at least suspended during the games. Each of the boys learnt to tell stories from the books we borrowed from kaka and sang patriotic songs. The Shakha lasted for exactly one hour and ended with the prayer to Mother India. The last slogan was Bharat Mata ki Jai — Victory to Mother India.

    As few months passed, we got familiarized to the routine and each boy got to lead conducting some of the games, leading the scripture recital, leading the ending prayer. After a year or so when the boy became familiar with the running of the shakha, a boy was selected to lead the whole shakha every day. That boy was called Mukhya shikshak (lead teacher). My memory as a Mukhya shikshak was a day when few local dignitaries were visiting our shakha and socializing in small groups in the periphery of the playing kids. As the time for ending came, I give the command for everyone to form lines. All the dignitaries immediately stopped talking and promptly joined the different lines. I was amazed that the local dignitaries who were very influential and affluent people would listen the command given by a 13-year-old boy and promptly fell in line. Their discipline and shakha upbringing were manifest and the respect they showed to my role, etched in my brain that day.

    My lifelong sense of responsibility and sense of duty was molded in those early teen age years. In the monsoon season, the attendance in open air Shakha fell, sometimes to zero, since the parents feared that we could catch cold if we got wet playing in the rain, and the wet playground was unfit to play. However, the guiding principle was that the Shakha should go on every day come rain or sunshine. I seriously took this message to heart and regardless of weather, every day I would take the flag, the flagpole and tripod to the playground, hoist the flag under the shelter of a tiny overhang of the building roof, say the prayer, bring the flag down and return it to the place of storage. This sense of discipline, and adherence to performing my duty inculcated during my formative years have helped me during my higher education as well as throughout my career as an adult. Another learning from that time was toughness towards minor discomfort. During storytelling, we were told story of hero Karna when he was a student of Sage Parashuram. The old sage had taken a nap using Karna’s thigh as a pillow. At that time an insect started biting and digging into Karna’s thigh. But he did not move his leg to not to disturb the sleep of his guru. The guru woke up when his head got soaked with the blood from Karna’s thigh. During the ending prayers we all stood in position of attention with the greatest stillness. During the prayer there were lots of mosquitoes on the playground who used to feast on our hands and legs, as we used to wear shorts and half sleeve shirts. But the protocol was not to move during the prayer. The boys used to discuss that if Karna did not move when the insect was boring a hole in his thigh, we should resist the urge to scratch the itch. After the prayer we would break into frenzy of scratching.

    I always remembered the attention and respect to the uniform. Most of the kids who came to shakha were from extremely poor families. Due to rough and tumble games and overall rough usage the uniform would often get torn. But the discipline was never to wear tattered uniform. The boys learned to sew, so that they could repair the tears by themselves without waiting for their mothers, prior to coming to shakha.

    An issue on which Hindus are often maligned is caste-based discrimination. This discrimination is illegal in India, and has decreased in major parts of the country. My view on this topic is based on what I experienced as a child. In the months before the Ganpati puja festival, the local Sanghachalak (regional president) of our area, used to invite boys of few shakhas in my town to his house, where he used to teach us how to memorize and recite a scripture called Ganpati Atharvashirsha. Every day he would make us repeat the complicated Sanskrit scripture again and again patiently correcting us till we achieved the clarity of pronunciation and intonation identical to him, who was a very orthodox brahmin with secular as well as religious education. He was a wealthy real estate developer by profession. As I have described previously most of the shakha attending boys were from the very low socioeconomic class, living in the slums and spoke a language which was crude. But after his training of two to three months all of us learnt to recite the scripture like Sanskrit scholars. During the Ganpati puja our group of 8 to 10 boys (those who persisted through the rigorous training) were invited to the houses of all the local RSS functionaries, most or all in those days in my area were Brahmins, every evening where we sat cross legged in their living room in front of the Ganpati alter and recited the scripture. After recitation the hosts used to give us a glass of milk with fruits and other holy offerings., as well as a dakshina (traditional token fee to priest) of ₹1.25. Afterwards they also touched our feet to express reverence. We used to get excited by thinking of cricket equipment we could buy from pooling our money. As I grew older, I realized the significance of the so-called high caste brahmin family heads bowing in front of the kids from so called lower castes and social economic strata, because at that moment we were performing the actions of brahmins priests. Our Karma (action) elevated us, then and there- not in the next life or even distant future. That phenomenon caused a greatest impact on my psyche more than any stories by social reformers or lectures of great orators.

    The RSS uniform pants in my youth were an unusual looking khaki short which derisively called as Khaki knicker. People used to make fun of RSS workers and their khaki knickers which on the other hand was held in great reverence by us and as an object of pride. I am sure that at an age when teenage boys are very sensitive to their appearance, a shakha attending boy who had the fortitude to wear that khaki knicker despite teasing by other boys and snickering from neighborhood girls, that boy in future can withstand any peer pressure and firmly take a principled yet unpopular stand in his life.

    On some days neighborhood boys whose parents disapproved of our RSS as well as and the boys who did not like the discipline in the shakha would sit on the parapet around the playground and make rude comments. Kale kaka told us to ignore them although I had an urge and capability to thrash them. However, when the games used to start, those boys wanted to come and join the games. We used to tell them that they could play the games only if they attend the whole shakha. Over time many relented, joined and grew up to be dedicated cadres.

    Our teacher Sudhakar Kale was my neighbor, living on the same floor of my building. Whenever somebody in the building had a leaky faucet, broken toilet flush or other minor repairs, they would either borrow his tools or request him to help and repair. He immediately helped without expecting or getting any compensation, not even a cup of tea. However, the biggest impact on me was when someone died in the building, he was the person who made arrangement for the funeral. In India we do not have formal funeral homes and the family must take care of the ritual for the deceased person’s body with the help of the seniors in the family who hopefully had knowledge of the process. However, the family members are usually rendered helpless by grief, and other relatives may be travelling from far. Kale kaka would be the first person to arrive and essentially organize this extremely sensitive ritual giving support to the grieving family. Although as a child I must have not realized it’s significance, my remembrance as an adult, indicates that it must have impacted my mind at that time. Unfortunately, this special person passed away from lung cancer at a relatively early age.

    I remember a day when I was visiting Kale kaka’s home to pick up copy of a book. We heard strains of a patriotic song coming from the neighboring building. One of the boys in that building was singing in his house a patriotic song at the top of his voice. Usually, he used to sing bawdy Bollywood songs, but attending shakha changed his repertoire to include patriotic songs. Kaka just smiled. I was beside myself laughing.

    Besides important life lessons, I also learned skills like how to cross the railway tracks picking my bicycle with one arm and stabilizing the front wheel so that I could safely cross without tripping, carrying a small note book to jot down notes, contacts and to do lists (days before cell-phones), and picking trash from our playground everyday blown over from neighborhood buildings or dumped by unscrupulous passersby without complaining.

    I sincerely believe that attending RSS shakha in those formative years has helped my personal life, family life and professional career as well as aided me to become a socially conscious member of the American society.

    Featured image photo from from American Kahani

  • The evening of life (Vanaprasth-ashram)

    The evening of life (Vanaprasth-ashram)

    Late in the afternoon of life, as the shadows start getting longer, the mind starts contemplating the approaching evening of our life. Nowadays, due to the miracles of medicine, a healthy lifestyle, and a generous helping of good luck, our evenings are many times stretched long. This late afternoon-evening of life is the stage of life which the Hinduism calls Vanaprasth-ashram, the third stage of life.

    The first stage of life is living as a student and is called Brahmacharya-ashrama. The second householder stage, Gruhasta-ashram, describes being married with a family and being a sustainer of the society. The third stage is Vanaprasth-ashram, mentioned previously, where our children have hopefully settled and we have retired/retracted from active management of our household, profession, and material ambitions. Finally, for special people who devote themselves to seeking spiritual knowledge and abandoning material pursuits, irrespective of age, there is Sanyasa-ashram.

    I am currently transitioning into the Vanaprasth-ashram stage. Vanaprasth-ashram, in ancient times, literally meant handing over the household to your children and going outside (Vana = forest/garden, Prasth = to go). Going outside could be figurative or literal. Forest-living meant joining either a commune in the forest under the guidance of a spiritual teacher or going on a pilgrimage with no plan to return. In modern days, however, a retirement community is an option. Essentially, Vanaprasth-ashram is getting out of the hair of the descendants and seeking spiritual pursuits.

    All of us want to transit into the vanaprastha-ashram on our own terms, with careful preparation and deliberate, masterful strides. We do not want to be dragged, screaming, and protesting by the merciless time. We have spent our entire childhood and young adulthood deliberately, or accidentally, preparing for adulthood through studying, learning occupational skills, gaining societal behavior skills, and playing games in order to have the best possible adult life. Similarly, in our adult life we should dedicate a portion of our time to preparing for our retirement age, which for many of us may be quite long.

    In preparing for retirement, I read innumerable articles on a successful retirement. Many of these dealt with various financial aspects, including investing, smart spending, taxes, and charitable giving. There were other articles suggesting that I take up a part-time job for a social company or pursue intellectual stimulation. Some articles suggested picking up a new hobby or restarting an old hobby that had to be abandoned previously. These aspects are very well covered in many articles and websites.

    However, none of these sources included the most foundational preparation for retirement that is described by the Hindu word Vyragya, which roughly translates to non-attachment. This means not forming new material attachments (things and people), decreasing previous attachments (detachment), and letting go of ego, feelings of superiority or inferiority, revenge, fear, paranoia, and things that are beyond human control. This internal mental reset is a gradual process. We do not need to immediately leave our domicile and get rid of our possessions. We just have to start being constantly aware of the transitory (non-permanent) nature of people and things and be ready to surrender them at the appropriate time, including our life. Non-attachment also does not mean ‘not caring.’ In contrast, successful non-attachment involves unlimited caring. Instead of caring for just your family, friends, etc., your care circle increases drastically to include the entire creation. In this non-attached state, you put your best effort without any attachment to results.

    The practice of non-attachment is a gradual upwards staircase, with each step slippery and sloping upwards. Climbing is difficult, but it is possible by practicing the ability to enjoy without attachment those very things that were previously enjoyed with attachment.

    This means evolving from an inward-facing (self-centered) life to an outward-facing (universe-centered) life and outlook. This outward-facing lifestyle is best facilitated by getting involved in service activities. Not just a sporadic volunteer hour but actual, meaningful involvement in the entire process of the service project. Developing a service-centered mindset by participating in service projects, even when you are working, makes the transition to larger participation later in life easier. Performing service without any expectation of living or even posthumous gains is the true practice of non-attachment.

    By practicing non-attachment to our best possible ability, and also being present as a home safe haven if our own or others need us, our own evening will stay brightly lit for ourselves and the people around us, who may be starting their day in the earlier hours. Being a Hindu, I also know that successful non-attachment will make my next morning (rebirth) better.

    Featured image Photo by Derek Torsani on Unsplash

  • A Very Brief History of Hindus in United States

    A Very Brief History of Hindus in United States

    Many immigrant Hindus including me have stood outside US consulates in India hoping for the approval of their student Visa and consider it a heart-wrenching experience. After I started graduate school in the US, my life drastically changed. Instead of living in an upper-middle-class family household with servants in Mumbai, I was scavenging used furniture from student housing dumpsters, selecting kitchenware from donated items in church basements, and transporting secondhand mattresses to my apartment from the donation place by carrying it on top of our heads with three other friends. This was my introduction to the American Dream. However, this was a tremendous improvement compared to my cultural ancestors who came to the United States before me.

    Beginning in the 17th century, Indians were brought to the American colonies as servants by members of the East India Company. There were also some East Indian slaves in the United States during the American colonial era. The Naturalization Act of 1790 made Asians ineligible for citizenship, and the associated rights.

    In 1913, the Alien Land Act of California prevented non-citizens from owning land. However, Asian immigrants got around the system by having their Anglo friends or their U.S.-born children legally own the land that they worked on. But since Hindus were not permitted to bring women from India, procreation within the culture was not possible. In some states, laws even made it illegal for Indian men to marry white women. However, it was legal for “brown” races to mix. Hence, many Indian men married Hispanic women.

    All the discrimination ultimately culminated into large-scale violence. On Wednesday, September 4, 1907, a mob of more than 500 white men attacked the 250 Hindu (predominantly Sikh) lumber mill workers in Bellingham, Washington. As you know, occasional individual violence sadly persists to date.

    The contribution of expatriate Hindus in America towards India’s freedom struggle is immense but not well-known, neither in India nor in the US. Great revolutionaries like Vishnu Ganesh Pingle, Kartar Singh Sarabha, and many other Hindus who returned to the US tried to incite revolt among the Indian troops of the British Army, as well as start an armed revolution. They learned to shoot guns and manufacture explosive devices in the US. Their Ghadir Party, initially called the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association, was formed on July 15th, 1913, in San Francisco to support India’s freedom struggle. Many such heroes sacrificed their young lives in this struggle.

    On the educational front, Anandibai Joshi is believed to be the first Hindu woman to set foot on American soil, arriving in New York in June of 1883 at the age of 19. She graduated with an M.D. from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania on March 11, 1886. This tradition continues with American Universities now (2021) having 24,813 Indians at the undergraduate level, 90,333 in graduate programs, and 2,238 in non-degree courses.

    One of the first major discussions of Hinduism in the United States was Swami Vivekananda’s (B.A. in Fine Arts) address to the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. In 1902 Swami Rama Tirtha (Master’s Degree in Mathematics) visited the US for about two years lecturing on the philosophy of Vedanta. In 1920 Paramahansa Yogananda (B.A. in Arts) came and settled in the US. These great philosophic geniuses had a secular education in addition to their mastery of the Hindu ancient wisdom, which made them effective communicators to western audiences. On June 4, 2013, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami became the first Hindu monk and only the third Hindu in history to deliver the opening prayer before the US House of Representatives. I was fortunate to be a witness to that historic event in the visitors’ gallery on that day.

    The Vedanta Society was responsible for building the earliest temples in 1905 in San Francisco, but they were not considered formal temples. The earliest traditional Mandir (temple) in the United States is Shiva Murugan Temple in Concord, California, also known as Palanisamy Temple, and was built in 1957.

    In the political arena, the first Hindu Sikh Congressman Dalip Singh Saund was elected in 1955. We now have two Congressmen who are declared Hindus, and multiple politicians including the current Vice President raised in a Hindu household.

    Finally, the Immigration and Nationality Services (INS) Act of 1965 signed by Lyndon Johnson was passed. This opened the doors to Hindu immigrants who wished to work and start families in the United States. One of those, yours truly, arrived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa via JFK Airport New York on August 3rd, 1993 with an Indian medical degree, $500 in hard currency, and bright starry eyes at the age of 23 years. Today there are approximately four million Hindu Americans who make up 1.2% of the U.S. population. Their impact is felt when you step into a doctor’s clinic/hospital, enter an engineering department of any top-ranked University, stay in a motel, or buy a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. What you may not know is the slowly increasing number of Hindus in the armed forces, including my son, increasing charitable contribution in innumerable local communities, as well as the massive amount of volunteering and charitable contribution of Hindus in response to the Covid crisis.

    In 2016 the Diwali forever stamp was launched by USPS to commemorate the joyous Hindu festival of Deepavali celebrating the victory of good over evil.

    The philosophy of opportunity and the generous hearts of Americans has allowed Hindus to contribute to their betterment and the betterment of all Americans as well as lead a life according to the eternal Hindu principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the whole creation is a family.

  • Debate

    Debate

    As our next Presidential election looms closer, we are all listening to the media, the sheer barbarism of the public arena vocalization filled me with great anguish as to how far we have fallen. On the current political debate stages, behavior like blatant lying, interrupting the opponents, childish insults have become a norm for the people vying to hold offices of public trust. In stark contrast is the ancient Hindu technique of debate called Purva (prior) paksha (side)and Uttar (later) paksha (side).

    The aim of any honest debate is to conclude what is the truth. Each debater brings his or her relative truth to the table. Based on their past experiences either intellectual or physical, each debater tries to prove that their relative truth is as close as possible to an absolute truth. For this to occur each debater must debate based on his perspective, and not based on personal ego or an undisclosed agenda. Further, each should be willing to embrace the resultant conclusion of the debate. Prior to the debate the opponents make a wager on the result. The usual wager in ancient India was that the defeated debater and his followers becomes the disciples of the winner. Purva paksha phase of the debate starts when each of the opposing debaters, states in greatest possible detail the perspective of his opponent. For this to occur each debater must have the deepest understanding of the stated position of his opponent. The rival then agrees that the opponent has indeed expressed his position correctly. Then the process is repeated by the other debater. This exercises also forces each debater to realize any weakness in his own perspective. Once the rivals agree that they have demonstrated the clear understanding of each other’s position, then comes the next phase of Uttara paksha.

    The first part of Uttara paksha is Khandana, where each debater presents the rebuttal of the antagonist’s position. Then comes Siddhanta, which is the perspective of the debater. Finally, as one of the debaters fails to provide rebuttals, the judge declares the winner, and the defeated party accepts the perspective of the winner. A classic example of this kind of debate occurred in 7th or 8th century (around middle of 600 CE) between the great philosopher Shankaracharya who was a proponent of Advaita (Monoism- which states unity of God, soul and world — ‘everything is God’) and Mandana Mishra who was proponent of Mimansa (a more ritualistic school of philosophy). Since Shankaracharya was a young monk in his mid-twenties, Mandana who was much older and a well-established scholar gave him the opportunity to choose the judge.

    Shankaracharya chose Mandana’s wife Ubhaya Bharati who was a great scholar in her own accord. The wager was that the losing scholar would become a renunciate (monk) and accept the winner’s school of philosophy. After intense and long debate Mandana was defeated. Just as he was going to take the vow of renunciation, his wife who did not want to lose her husband, challenged Shankara, saying that a wife is one half of the husband. Therefore, Shankara must debate her too, prior to proclaiming his victory. Ubhaya being a clever woman in addition to being a scholar, debated Shankara with questions involving marital issues.

    Shankara being a celibate has no marital knowledge. Being a fair contestant, she gave him a weeks’ time to get the knowledge. Incidentally, a King of a neighboring kingdom died at that time. Shankara using his yogic powers transmigrates his soul into the dead Kings body and the body becomes alive. By living as the King with his many wives and discussing in depth the intricacies of marriage with one of the wise queens, Shankara gains the requisite knowledge and by the end of the week departs the Kings body and returns to his own. Next day he soundly defeats Ubhaya based on his new found knowledge augmenting his profound knowledge and wisdom. Both the husband and wife then become Shankaras disciples and after his death at the age of 32 years, carry on his school of philosophy.

    Imaging our Presidential candidates debating using Purva paksha and Uttara paksha technique. Even if the defeated does not accept the perspective of the opponent, the fact that he/she learns about the opponents position and the basis for holding that position, will make politics very civilized and through it the government will truly be OF the civilized people, FOR all the people and BY the reasonable people.

  • The Restoration of One of the Holiest Sites of Hindus: A Story of Loss and Recovery: Ram Janmabhoomi

    The Restoration of One of the Holiest Sites of Hindus: A Story of Loss and Recovery: Ram Janmabhoomi

    It is seldom that an event occurs in the history of a civilization which is a culmination of centuries of struggles, sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of people, and perseverance of belief in a system of law and order. On August 5th, 2020 the foundation stone was laid for the project to rebuild Lord Rama’s birthplace temple in Ayodhya, India.

    Lord Rama is believed by Hindus to be the 7th Avatar of the Divine (personified as Vishnu — the Sustainer in Hindu belief system). Hindus believe that whenever the balance between the good and evil is disturbed in the favor of evil, Divinity takes a tangible form called an Avatar, and appears on Earth to destroy the evil and restore the balance.

    Lord Rama was born around 5000 BC, precisely January 10, 5114 BC, a date derived based on the position of astronomical objects recorded in the epic Ramayan which describes the saga of his life. He is called Purushottam (foremost among humans) due to his qualities as an ideal son, husband, and king. His obedience to his father, his quest to rescue his wife kidnapped by the evil Ravana, his destruction of Ravana and the liberation of the people, and his ultimate sacrifice to abandon his beloved pregnant wife for maintaining the moral fiber of his kingdom, is the story which has inspired Hindus, and even non-Hindus, who have read the story over thousands of years. His designation as a ‘human being’ brings him closer to us ordinary humans, such that each one of us can aspire to inculcate some of his qualities in our daily existence.

    The temple at the site of his birth, which was in existence since time immemorable, was destroyed by Mir Baqi Tashkandi, a general of the invading Uzbek King Babur, a descendant of Genghis Khan. This was not an isolated incident, as hundreds of thousands of temples have been destroyed by religious fanatic Mughal rulers in India prior to the British takeover. The destructive activities were recorded with relish in their memoirs. On my last visit to New Delhi, it pained me to see easily recognizable pieces of the destroyed original Hindu temples in the so-called architectural marvels constructed by the invaders. The Lord Rama birth site, being one of the very sacred places for Hindus, had a total of 77 attempts made over centuries to reclaim it at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives of warriors and holy men, as well as ordinary men, women, and children.

    After the British left India, the former unbroken India was partitioned into Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Bangladesh, and Secular Republic of India, which does not have a state religion. After independence in 1947, Hindu organizations petitioned to the Indian judicial system that Lord Rama’s birthplace, which was called ‘dispute land’ and was off-limits to the public, be handed over for reconstruction of a grand temple consistent with its historical and religious significance. The movement to reclaim Lord Rama’s birthplace united all Hindus, regardless of innumerable divisions in the overall Hindu society. The Indian judicial system took a long time in this case due to political and antisocial interference. Finally, on November 9th, 2019, after the presentation of extensive archeological evidence, the Supreme Court of India ordered the 2.77 acres to be handed over to a trust to build the temple. The trust of the Hindu people in the judiciary system is something to reckon. It took 72 years post-independence for a site of immense Hindu religious significance, which was forcefully taken nearly 500 years ago, to be regained by the due process of law.

    The history of Hindus is rife with instances where due to their internal divisions, they could not put up a united front against the invading hordes, resulting in destruction of culture and forceful religious conversion of the locals into the faith of the invaders. Today, we Americans are now the most divided in living history. We need to find the common core values which make us all American and bring those to the forefront while putting our differences behind us. Our enemies are bleeding us to death with a thousand cuts, and we are not realizing their significance. Poisonous false propaganda is being infused, which is making fellow Americans hate each other with a ferocity previously reserved only for the vilest enemy. We need to unite soon before it is too late. As Benjamin Franklin rightly said, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

  • Freedom

    Freedom

    There is an ancient fable. One day a caravan of 100 camels and drivers is traveling in the desert. The caravan loses its way and ends up outside a village at dusk. The travelers put up their tents and start tying the camels. They realize that 99 camels have their ropes and stakes, but one of the stakes and rope set is missing. The drivers are worried that if not tied down, the camel will walk away and may join other herds, get lost, or worse. The camel drivers start looking around and go to a hut on the border of the village. An old man living in the hut does not have any rope or a stake to spare. However, he suggests that the drivers should tie the camel with an imaginary rope, given that darkness has fallen, and the camel will not see the rope. The camel drivers laugh at him and think that the old man is senile. But since they cannot find any rope or stakes, they reluctantly go back to the 100th camel and act as if they are tying a rope around his neck and hammering the stake into the ground. Afterwards, they pat the camel, order him to sit down and throw some fodder in front of him. The next morning, they get up and untie all the camels who then start walking, but the 100th camel tied with the imaginary rope does not stand up. Since there was no rope to untie, the camel drivers thought that the camel would be able to just get up and walk. However, after multiple attempts and even beating the camel with a stick, the 100th camel does not get up. Finally, the camel drivers perform the entire action of untying the imaginary rope and digging out the stake from the sand. The camel then immediately gets up and starts walking.

    Each of us has the 100th camel within us. If we think and make a mental list, there are many imaginary fears and nooses which we have hung around our neck, some by our own hands, while others are created and hung by smart merchants of everything. Depending on where we were born, to whom, among which group of people, at what particular time, and who we meet on our way through life, we allow ourselves to be tied down by these imaginary chains, borders, limitations, and expectations, which prevent us from exploring our true potential and experiencing the true freedom.

    A word of caution, though! Freedom of one sometimes ends up as bondage of another. Someone’s freedom of expression from the majority can end up muzzling the expression of the minority (by thought, color, orientation, origin and all other classifications), who experience fear of the effect of their own expression. Conversely, the unfettered freedom of the minority, which when taken over a limit, can also poke into the eyes of the majority. While these disruptive processes are sometimes needed, they should not be taken lightly.

    Similarly, complete freedom may not always be a good thing and sometimes may be very dangerous. A paper kite can only soar high in the sky only if it is tied to a string. As long as the string is long and gives the kite enough freedom, it can ride the winds of opportunities. But the moment the string breaks, the moral restraint or a bond of love breaks; after an ephemeral flight of freedom, the kite ends up in tatters on a branch of a tree or in a ditch.

    The last few weeks of isolation and furlough from employment have given me free time and freedom for the mind to explore and realize that freedom is good and enjoyable, as long as you have safe and voluntary confinement to return to when needed.

  • Hindu MANDIR (temple): Its MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE

    Hindu MANDIR (temple): Its MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE

    Why do we go to the temple? This question sometimes comes to our mind, especially after we have not gone to the temple for some time or when there are other interesting things that conflict with temple events. Sometimes children ask us that question either due to genuine self-introspection, part of teenage angst and rebellion, or an excuse to pursue other more alluring events. This write-up is not a sermon, but an attempt to provoke more thinking. Just as each one of us has his/her own relationship with our parents; no one can or has the right to censure others on their relationship with the divine parent.

    According to Hindu Philosophy if Bhagavan (God) is present everywhere, why do I have to go to the temple?

    I have used this allegory to explain the significance of mootis (consecrated statues) in the temple. Radio waves (like Bhagavan) are everywhere, but you need a fine-tuned radio receiver to listen to music. The fine-tuning is done by ‘prana pratishstan’ ceremony performed at the time of the consecration of the temple when we invoke the divine to reside in the moortis. The temple is the concert hall which is best suited to appreciate the music.

    Another way of thinking is that the temple is a giant super magnet charged by the divine and each of us is a tiny magnetic material that becomes magnetized when we visit the temple and spend some time there. The magnetism persists for some time after we leave. Hence, we must return periodically to recharge.

    Visiting the temple is also like visiting our favorite grandparents with a beautiful house whose advice and help we seek, who grant us gifts, and where we can be children again by eating sweet prasad (blessed sweets distributed in the temple), sing and occasionally dance.

    None of these allegories are perfect but based on our own situation may be more or less applicable.

    It is true that Bhagavan is present everywhere, and the miracle of manifestation can be seen everywhere, but have we attained the mental state to experience the ultimate cause of everything? Visiting a temple, experiencing the auspicious ambiance, and doing devotional services are processes that are designed to calm our senses, to guide them inwards, thereby helping us to prepare for experiencing our divine nature.

    Most of us are not self-aware of our true quest to realize our divinity. Occasionally, in fleeting moments we become aware and then quickly get immersed in our daily routines just like card-players in a train who occasionally glance out of the window to realize where they are and where they are going, but again get too engrossed in the card game, sometimes ending up traveling to wrong places. After many cycles of reincarnations based on our karma, we get more and more in-tune with our ultimate aim of moksha (merging with divinity). The serene surroundings of the temple are very conducive to bringing self-awareness.

    The moortis or consecrated statues in the sanctum of the temple have forms that were revealed to ancient seers during their state of deep meditation, while some represent artists’ interpretation of historic descriptions from scriptures narrating ancient history. Both human male, female forms as well as forms featuring a fusion of both human and animal morphology are present. These various Deity forms are worshipped in multiple ways according to the scriptural injunctions and depending upon one’s inclination and devotional attitude. The beauty of Hindu Dharma is that one is free to choose and worship any of these manifestations. This great diversity in the approach corroborates with the infinite variety of human attitudes and experiences and is valid as long as the underlying unity is understood.

    The temple is a giant collection of symbolism as well as spiritual aids which is available to all devotees to use based on the individual stage of their personal spiritual journey. To aid us in fostering is the attitude of contemplation, there is a statue of a tortoise that pulls in its head and four legs, representing our five senses which we should turn inwards when we concentrate on Bhagwan. There is also a statue of Nandi the bull vehicle of Lord Shiva who teaches us to be patient, as he has sat in front of Shiva motionless for eons, calm but alertly waiting for Shiva’s next order.

    After a recent adverse health event, I was fortunate to have our local temple and fellow temple devotees to help get my body and mind back on road to recovery and experience the Divine bliss through rekindling the relationship with Bhagavan.

  • Diwali: More than a Hindu Festival of Lights

    Diwali: More than a Hindu Festival of Lights

    Diwali, the Hindu festival, is nowadays simplified as “the festival of lights.” Unfortunately, it is reduced to the display of electric string lights, shopping at ‘Diwali sales,’ and indulging in sweets. However, Diwali is actually a multifaceted celebration to teach and remind us of important principles of being a noble human.

    Hindus are ancient people, who are distributed over a large geographical area and have a long history, in addition to varied local resources. Hence, there is extensive diversity in the way Diwali is celebrated. Diwali is celebrated in October/November on the dark fortnight of this period. It is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains in India and around the globe. There are approximately 1.3 billion self-identified Hindus in the world. There are 3.3 million Hindus in the USA, according to the 2016 census, which is 1% of the American population. The reason I say self-identified is that there are many people who follow Hindu principles but do not actually identify themselves as Hindus.

    Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word “Deepavali,” which means “row of lights.” Many historical events have occurred during Diwali, and these events are celebrated and remembered regionally or globally with varied stories and traditions. For example, Lord Ram, the 7th avatar (human manifestation of the divine), defeated the evil king Ravana who had abducted Ram’s wife Sita and was committing atrocities on people. Furthermore, the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind, who was imprisoned by the mogul emperor Jehangir, was released on this day, along with 52 other kings. Mahavir, the last Jain Tirthankar, also attained Nirvana during Diwali.

    So, how do we celebrate Diwali? Hindus clean and decorate their houses, draw Rangolis (floral designs on the ground made by colored powder or flowers), indulge in sweet and savory snacks, shop, exchange gifts and food with friends and neighbors, and light fireworks. We also visit the temple, make offerings to the deities of spiritual and material prosperity, donate to the needy, and light earthen oil lamps and other types of lights around the house. In fact, the lighting of the earthen lamp has great significance for Hindus. The earthen lamp represents the recyclable mortal body (dust to dust). The light symbolizes knowledge. The oil or ghee (clarified butter) in the lamp represents our negative tendencies, and the wick is our ego. When we light the lamp (body) with the flame (knowledge from our teacher), it slowly exhausts the oil (negative tendencies), and the wick (ego) perishes. The knowledge takes us to higher ideals, similar to how the flame burns upwards. One single person of knowledge can share knowledge with others without diminishing his own knowledge, just as a single lamp can light hundreds of lamps.

    Six days of Diwali

    Day 1: Vasu Baarus — 12th Day of Lunar Calendar

    Vasu means brilliance or wealth. Baarus means the 12th day. This day pays homage to the cow and calf, representing wealth, motherhood, fertility, and sustenance.

    Why is the cow considered sacred? Hindus see cows as particularly generous creatures. A cow gives lots to the human being but takes almost nothing from us, just like our biological mother and mother of all, the earth. Cow worship is acknowledgment and appreciation of these holy qualities. In every agrarian house, there is a cow whose milk is drunk from childhood and throughout life. The male cow plows the field and is a mode of transportation — the bullock cart. Thus, the cow is considered part of the human household family. Cows not only give milk and innumerable milk derivatives, which are used as food, but they also give cow urine with medicinal properties, and cow dung, which is used for its antimicrobial properties, as a fuel, and for bioremediation of environmental pollutants. Cows not only take care of us during their entire life but also after their death, through leather and making fertilizers from their bones. In addition, Hindus associate various animals with different gods and consider these animals sacred. These include monkeys-Lord Hanuman, elephants and mice-Lord Ganesha, and tigers-Goddess Durga, among others, but none is revered as much as the cow, who is associated with Lord Krishna.

    Day 2: Dhanteras — 13th Day of Lunar Calendar

    Dhan is the abbreviation for Lord Dhanvantari. the deity of health and medicine. Teras means the 13th day. This day is celebrated in India and around the world as National Ayurveda Day. Ayurveda is the world’s oldest holistic healing system developed in India and is now getting popular in America and around the world. Dhan also means wealth, representing both material and spiritual wealth, as well as health (health = wealth). Consequently, Dhanteras is a massive shopping day in India, in addition to other forms of celebrations.

    Day 3: Narak Chaturdashi — 14th Day of Lunar Calendar

    Narakasur was a tyrannical demon king who had a boon that he could not be killed by a man. Satyabhama, the wife of Lord Krishna — the 9th avatar, thus killed the demon and released the 16,000 women whom Narakasur had kidnapped. The lesson from this story is that women should not wait for a knight in shining armor. Women should don the armor themselves, pick up a weapon, and vanquish the offenders themselves, or use other legal ways as in modern society. The demon may be a politician, powerful celebrity, workplace colleague, a roadside ruffian, or even negative characteristics of oneself. For Hindus, the women are not damsels in distress or delicate flowers but goddesses of power and strength. The traditions of this day include special ritualistic baths and worship and lighting of lamps to eradicate the negative energies.

    Day 4 Laxmi Pujan — No Moon Day

    The worship of Laxmi, the deity of prosperity, is important because we should respect wealth and not misuse it for inappropriate and immoral purposes. During the dark winter months, you need material wealth to survive. Only the ‘haves’ can feed the ‘have nots.’ Wealth provides security for you and everyone else because Hindus believe that the entire creation is a family. The business community starts new account books on this day. In villages during olden times, grains were shared with the 12 guilds (balutedars) who served the village throughout the year as a part of a complex barter system. In the USA, Sewa Diwali (www.sewadiwali.org) is conducted, a collective initiative by a large number of Dharma-based organizations around the country, who hold food drives and other necessary drives to benefit underserved communities. Last year, more than 300,000 pounds of food were collected from 400 centers and distributed to 200 facilities.

    Day 5: Bali Pratipada/Padwa — 1st Day of Lunar Month

    This day commemorates the defeat of king Bali. He was originally a virtuous person who got corrupted by power and became too arrogant. The Supreme Being thus manifested as Vaman, a dwarf and the 5th Avatar of the divine, to carry out the task. This is a lesson for powerful people to behave righteously, since even an apparent weak person may cause their end. This day is also celebrated as a husband-wife festival in which the wife gives a ritualist bath to the husband with scented oils and perfumes stressing the romantic nature of the relationship, while the husband gives jewelry and gifts to the wife. These gifts belong only to the wife and are not family property.

    Day 6: Bhai Dooj — 2nd Day of Lunar Month

    This is the brother-sister festival. In ancient days and even now, many sisters are far away from brothers’ homes, and brothers do not get a chance to meet them throughout the year. However, on this day, it is the duty of the brother to visit the sister, regardless of how far she is located, or if impossible do so, at least make a virtual video call with her. The brother gives gifts to the sister, and the sister performs ceremonial rituals for the brother and feeds him. In my hometown of Peoria, IL, we conduct a food drive for The Center for Prevention of Abuse (https://www.centerforpreventionofabuse.org/), using the principle of brothers helping the local sisters in distress.

    To review in short:

    Day one — Animal protection and appreciation.

    Day two — Health awareness.

    Day three — Women empowerment.

    Day four — Well-being for all.

    Day five — Removal of arrogance and greed, and homage to the husband-wife relationship.

    Day six — Homage to the brother-sister relationship.

    Thus, Diwali is not just a festival for Hindus, but its principles are applicable to the entire humanity regardless of your mode of worship.

    Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. Om Peace Peace Peace.

  • The Hindu 300 (not the Spartans) — Battle of Paavan Khind

    The Hindu 300 (not the Spartans) — Battle of Paavan Khind

    There are times when the future of an entire dream of independence of an oppressed people rested on the mettle and sacrifice of few people. Few are fortunate to offer themselves as Ahuti (sacrificial offering) in these rare auspicious times in the yajna (sacrificial fire). One such momentous Ahuti was Baji Prabhu Deshpande (1615–1660) and his group of 300 Mavle soldiers.

    In the 17th century, then-contemporary India was ruled by foreign Muslim rulers who subjected the local Hindu populace to great atrocities and coerced conversion practices using brutal force and money. .Massive destruction of Hindu temples took place during these times, and mass conversion occurred of Hindus to Islam. Like a beam of light piercing these dark times was born King Shivaji, a son of local Chieftain whose intellect, cunning, and noble character inspired men of all faiths and varied strata of society to come together under the swallow-tailed Bhagwa flag (saffron flag) which represented the flames of sidewards turned sacrificial fire, and successfully resist the onslaught of foreign subjugation. His inspiration attracted extraordinary men or maybe turned ordinary men into extraordinary, who sacrificed everything for the noble cause.

    One of these extraordinary men was Baji Prabhu Deshpande. Baji was initially employed by a small-time enemy chieftain, who King Shivaji defeated. Shivaji was greatly impressed by this man’s valor and explained to him his life’s mission of freedom for the people from the oppressive foreign rulers, persuading Baji Prabhu to join his army. Baji Prabhu devoted himself to the common cause of Swarajya (self-rule). In 1660, Shivaji was trapped in the mountain Fort of Panhala by the Abyssinian general, Siddi Johar, who worked for Adil Shahi, the ruler of Persian origin in southern India. Multiple attempts by Shivaji’s men were made to break the four-month-long siege of the fort but did not succeed. As rations were getting exhausted, a daring plan was hatched to leave the fort from a hidden exit at night, breach the encirclement and escape from Fort Panhala to Fort Vishalgad, at a distance of 65 km. Fort Vishalgad was also surrounded by the enemy’s army but was the closest secure stronghold. The journey took 20 hours by foot over mountains and valleys. Shivaji’s look-alike servant Shiva Kashid dressed up as Shivaji and got down from the Fort with few soldiers, and fled in the direction opposite of Fort Vishalgad, knowing very well that they will be captured and put to death after being recognized. However, this sacrifice and the resultant distraction and disarray allowed Shivaji, Baji Prabhu, and 600 of their men to escape in the opposite direction towards Vishalgad, after fighting and breaking through the ring of encirclement.

    It was a full moon night of July 13th, 1660, with torrential rain, as Shivaji and the soldiers hurried on the mountainous rock-striven path, crossing flooded streams. The party hurried, knowing that they were only a few hours ahead of the enemy. Siddhi Johar realized that he had been fooled by the look-alike decoy and sent his son-in-law Siddi Masud with a vast army of close to ten-thousand soldiers chasing after Shivaji in the direction of Vishalgad. Baji Prabhu saw the flickering light of the torches of Siddi Masud’s army following them, who were gaining on them, being freshly rested while Shivaji’s men were tired from fighting while breaking the encirclement. As they approached Ghodkhind (Ghod-horse, Khind-mountainous pass) a very narrow pass through the mountains about 10 km from their destination, which was the only way to Fort Vishalgad, Baji Prabhu said to Shivaji, “Please take half of the people with you and continue towards Vishalgad, while myself and 300 others will hold back the enemy till you reach safety”. The 300 men with Shivaji were needed to attempt and break the siege of Fort Vishalgad and enter it. Shivaji could see from the number of flickering torches that the chasing army was in thousands and refused to let Baji stay behind. Baji realizing that if Shivaji was killed or captured, the dream of independence would be shattered. He uttered the famous sentence, “Even if hundred thousand die, the savior of a hundred thousand should be saved.” He begged Shivaji to go to Fort Vishalgad and continue with the dream of establishing Swarajya (self-rule) for all the people of the land. Baji requested Shivaji to fire 5 cannon shots, indicating that he had reached the safety of Vishalgad. With a heavy heart, Shivaji departed knowing the fate of these soldiers. Baji Prabhu arranged his soldiers along the extremely narrow path, which was the only way through which the enemy could follow Shivaji. With 50 people flanking the pass and multiple rows of men extending from the wider entrance leading to the narrowest portion, he positioned himself with dand pattas (gauntlet swords) in each hand. Shivaji’s soldiers were the Mavles, who were mostly agriculturists, many of them part-time farmers/soldiers, having families back in the villages. I cannot imagine what must be going through their mind as they faced the onslaught of professional soldiers from the Adil Shahi army, fully aware that they will not be returning to their families and farms. The Siddhis were Abyssinian soldiers. Many brought as slaves but given military ranks after proving their skills. The fact that they rose to such prominence in Adil Shah’s army indicated the fearsomeness of the Siddhis. With the huge mismatch in numbers, facing such an enemy gives us a glimpse of dedication to the cause of freedom. Baji Prabhu and his men held the pass for 11–12 hours. By the time the next afternoon arrived, only 40–50 of the original 300 were left. Baji Prabhu was grievously injured, but no enemy soldier could pass him and his fearsome skill at dand patta. Siddhi Masud observed Baji from the nearby hillock and summoned an Englishman accompanying his troops with a long musket gun. He ordered the Englishman to shoot Baji, as that was the only way anybody could get past him. It is said that the Englishman was looking for an area on his body to shoot so that he would know he hit his target, but Baji’s body was so covered in wounds that there was no clear area on his chest or head.

    The long gun musket shot Baji in the chest, and he collapsed. As the surrounding soldiers tried to drag him to safety and cover, Baji said, “I cannot let a single enemy pass through, till I hear Shivaji has reached safety. Death has to wait till the king has reached safety.” Baji knew that Shivaji had to fight the encirclement surrounding Vishalgad, before entering the fort and reaching safety. Baji stood up and again walked to the narrow pass and continued fighting. Suddenly, the cannon fires started in the distance. As the fifth cannon shot was heard, Baji collapsed and closed his eyes, smiling. The blood of Baji and 300 heroes consecrated the soil of Ghodkhind, which from that day onwards has been renamed as Paavan Khind (Sacred Pass).

    A forty-five-year-old man fighting for 11–12 hours after walking overnight indicates the strength, stamina, and devotion of Baji Prabhu to the cause of freedom and self-rule. . The sacrifice of the other 300 unknown soldiers most likely unknown to even their own descendants is profound. These ordinary soldiers surrounded and supported great heroes and individually did not get accolades or glory just like the particles of mortar holding together great rocks that form the citadel of freedom that protects us.

  • Swabhawa – True nature of things

    Swabhawa – True nature of things

    During adversity, a person’s true nature (Swa- self, bhaava- essence) gets exposed. In normalcy, many of us take on covering to fool others and sometimes ourselves. We take on roles to fit into what we believe is expected from us to be accepted as a member of the society around us. The current pandemic is acting as a cleaver, slicing the outer false shell and exposing the inner true nature.

    Some of us are hoarding food and other essentials in quantities far beyond our wildest imagined needs. From toilet paper and canned meat to protective masks, vast quantities of materials have disappeared from stores as well as online retailers. Some people have hoarded medicines like hydroxychloroquine due to unsubstantiated statements of its ability to cure Covid-19 infections, at the cost of causing shortage to people who really need it for their immunological disorders. Some of these hoarders have become black marketeers. There are others who have built a virtual moat and stockage system around them, with stockpiles of essentials hoping to survive the pandemic by complete isolation, binging on streaming online entertainment, oblivious to the suffering around them.

    At the same time, there are others who have seen the distress around them, and their true divinity gets manifest. These are the so called ‘ordinary’ people who become extraordinary. When disaster strikes, they blossom into true heroes. A few weeks ago, my youngest daughter and I had gone to Neighborhood House, a local charity in Peoria (nhpeoria.org), a life-line to many of Peoria’s most vulnerable population, to volunteer for making long shelf life food packages and delivering food to the elderly. On the delivery day, we arrived 5 minutes before the scheduled time. To our surprise, the whole parking lot was filled with volunteers, and in a few minutes all the deliveries were assigned. I was truly humbled by the spirit of service in Peoria.

    My first-hand knowledge is somewhat limited to my organization Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA and its sister organization Sewa International (sewausa.org) who have established help lines covering all the time zones of the country. Requests ranging from home bound elders for grocery delivery, hospitals requesting cloth masks, stranded travelers, immigration help to spousal abuse and emotional/mental support are being handled by the help lines. Feeding the homeless and supporting food banks by conducting food drives are being done. At some places fundraising is being done to order food from local restaurants for the charity free food organizations, so that the local restaurant owners will earn money since their restaurants are closed to public, and the hungry will get food, thereby achieving two good activities in one stroke.

    The medical community starting from the front door greeters/security personnel to the EMT to the doctors and nurses are the brave hearts, holding back the Tsunami of the pandemic, and hopefully soon overturning it. Fortunately, for us in central Illinois, the rampage of the virus is limited compared to New York and Louisiana. Some local children are sending thank you posters to the hospitals. Drawing these pictures of gratitude will encourage our heroes and also ingrain into the children the examples of service before self.

    In Hindu Dharma, God manifests on earth (Avatar) when the balance of good and evil tilts too much in the favor of evil, and God rectifies the situation by annihilating the evil. One particular form of Avatar is called ‘Aveshavatar,’ where for a brief time God manifests special powers through an individual soul and acts through that person. I sincerely believe that each of the people who are helping others whether for an instant or by giving up their life while fighting for humanity are manifesting Aveshavatars channeling the divine force through their thoughts and acts. Lets all close our eyes for a few minutes and listen to our individual divine, manifesting through ourselves or through a prophet/philosopher, and do more than we are already doing.

  • Charity

    Charity

    There is a story of a famous poet Māgha in the 6th century, who was carefree with his wealth and lived in poverty towards the end of his life. One day, a poor man came to his door asking for some money so that he could get his daughter married. Māgha saw that his sleeping wife was wearing two gold bangles. He quietly slipped off one of them from her wrist and donated it to the visitor. When his wife woke up, he hesitatingly told her why he had taken her bangle. His wife admonished him, “How can a father get his daughter married with just one gold bangle. Please take off my other gold bangle and give it to him!”

    Hindu literature is filled with anecdotes of ordinary people performing extraordinary charitable acts without giving it much thought. This originates from the understanding of shared Divinity among all life forms resulting in a feeling of oneness, so that helping someone is like a person’s hand feeding his own mouth. For simple understanding of the process of charity, the Hindu scripture, Bhagawad Gita (17.20-22), states three categories of giving.

    1)A gift that is given without any expectation of benefit or reward is greatly beneficial to both the giver and recipient.

    (2) A gift that is given with the expectation of some advantage is of lower value.

    (3) A gift that is given at the wrong place and at the wrong time, causing embarrassment to the recipient, is harmful to both the giver and recipient.

    Charity essentially is a gift of useful time and resources. Nowadays, it is easier for many people to give under category 2, with the most common expectation being name recognition and advertisement of their economic success. Although we should all strive for the category 1, my personal opinion is that display of wealth is not always bad depending on how you do it. I have been a beneficiary of ‘display of wealth.’ I have received treatment at a hospital which carried the name of the famous Tata family in Mumbai. I used a library which was named after a benefactor who bestowed a large sum on the charitable trust. I have played in a park constructed on a piece of land donated and named after an industrialist. Having donated a large sum of money to a charitable cause indicates that you are wealthy. Of course, I do understand that the above gifts to the public by the generous benefactors were for the betterment of the masses, not just display of wealth. But is it not a great way to let everybody know that you have made it by donating to worthy causes? My suggestion to people who want to display their wealth is to donate more. A name on a plaque on a wall of charitable organization or emblazoned on a hospital or school lasts longer than a latest model expensive car. Further, more people can see it. This display is more glaring than a rare timepiece or jewelry. A hot meal consumed by a hungry person is nutritious regardless of the intention of the donor. Educational material donated to an underserved area organization gives the same quality of knowledge and career boost to children regardless of the selfish reasons of the donor.

    Sense of charity is like a skill. For some it comes naturally. For others, there is a steep learning curve. Small steps till we are comfortable, then one fine day we soar. Initially, perform charitable acts for prestige, self-aggrandization, or display of wealth. When you experience the joy of alleviating the misery of a fellow life form, slowly it transforms you. The hubris of self-importance starts getting washed away by the realization of oneness of giver and receiver, and ultimately oneness of the creation.

    ‘Giving without expectation’ is an epitome of perfection which we should all try to achieve. But just because a rooster cannot fly as majestically like an eagle, it does not stop trying. Some fortunate beings are born eagles, but for many of us, doing small acts of charity will be the building blocks which one day will result into our metamorphosis into a truly selfless charitable being.

    Featured image credit: Lalesh Aldarwish