Friday, 30 November 2012

Debunking the misquoted and half quoted verses of Yajurveda by zakir naik.





Since last few years some groups of self proclaimed scholars have declared war against Hinduism in internet forum. This group consists of communist writers and missionaries of Islam and Christianity. Their goal is to make 1 billion hindus to lose believe in their faith and convert to their believes which they believe is the final message.

The defence of Sanatana Dharma in the internet forum is very weak. As Hindus are less versed in their scriptures they are easy prey to these faiths. As a Hindu it is our duty to defend our faith. Because we believe

"Dharmo Rakshati Rakshita"
In the protection of Dharma is our protection.

One of them is Zakir Abdul Karim Naik president of IRF ( Islamic Research Foundation).

This article describes how he used some quotes of Yajurveda in a wrong way.

Zakir Naik: "na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]5

The truth: “Na Tasya Pratima Asti, Yasya Nam Mahadyash
Hiranyagarbh Ityesha Ma Ma Hinsidityesha Yasmanna Jat Ityesha"

The supreme god who is described in verses like Hiranyagarbh, Yasmanna Jat, Ma Ma Hinsit, whose name and glory is extremely broad but he/she does not have any pattern - (which means, he does not have any specific pattern but by your meditational intellectual u can imagine his pattern) To be noted that the word Pratima here doesnt mean image but it means pattern
[Yajurveda 32:3]

Zakir Naik: "shudhama poapvidham"
"He is bodyless and pure."
[Yajurveda 40:8]6

The truth: "Sa Paryagaachukramkayamvranmasnaveer shuddhampapviddham
kavirmanishi paribhuh svayambhuryathatathyatorthan vyadghachaashwatibhyah samabhyah"

He (The Supreme) is pervasive, is magnificient. He is bodiless, nerveless and doesnt have pores.
He is pure and sinless. He is poet (here poet means he can create anything he imagines), he himself is language (ruler of mind, from where the words come), victorious and the onecreated by him/herself. He has managed since eternity for everyone all source as-qualified.
[Yajurveda 40:8]

Zakir Naik:: "Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste"
"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
[Yajurveda 40:9]7
Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc

The truth: "Andham tamah Pra Vishanti Yesambhutimupaste
Tato Bhuya Iva Te Tamo Ya Oo Sambhutyam rata"

Those people, who worship separation-destruction and are playing in such activities only, they enter darkness (here darkness is ignorance) and get surrounded by it and those who worship making organisation-creation only, they also enter the darkness of ignorance.

Here to note, worship means remain engaged in, and sambhuti is gathering and asambhuti means division, and engagement in such activities relates with, engaging in material life, forgetting the supreme to be worshipped equally and daily. Here it is nowhere mentioned about worship of natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.).
[Yajurveda 40:9]

Zakir Naik:: The Yajurveda contains the following prayer:
"Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander."
[Yajurveda 40:16]8

The Truth::
AGNE NAYA SUPATHA RAYE ASMANVISHWANI DEVVAYUNANI VIDWANA |
-------------(40/16,Yajurveda)

O Lord ! you are aware of all our deeds. Please enlighten us and lead us to the path of growth and spiritual development.

====================================================

Friends you can see in our previous post about the Upanishads and in this post zakir naik uses same verses i.e

"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]

and

"na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]5

In both the places neither he uses correct and full verses and also he same verses but interpreted differently.

Friends zakir naik is very clever he modify verses according to his need.

and for those who say it is right to use half verses, My dear Brothers If we use half of shahada that says "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah". If we use it as "There is no god" and spread it as in this religion there is no concept of God as it says "There is no god". Then this is wrong interpretation of shahada same as zakir naik's wrong interpretation of Vedas.

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Debunking the misquoted and half quoted verses of Upanishads by zakir naik.





Sanatana Dharma is by its very essence a term that is devoid of sectarian leanings or ideological divisions. Sanatana Dharma do not denote to a creed like Christianity or Islam, but represents a code of conduct and a value system that has spiritual freedom as its core. Any pathway or spiritual vision that accepts the spiritual freedom of others may be considered part of Sanatana Dharma.

Unfortunately, there are a set of people who criticise Sanatan Dharma by misquoting or half quoting the verses of Dharmic scriptures.

One of them is Zakir Abdul Karim Naik president of IRF ( Islamic Research Foundation).

This article describes how he used some quotes of Upanishad in a wrong way.

Starting with his definition of term “HINDU” by Zakir Naik::

Zakir Naik: ‘Hindu’ is actually a Persian word that stands for the inhabitants of the region beyond the Indus Valley.

The truth: The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, first mentioned in the Rig Veda, was the historic local appellation for the Indus River in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.
The Brihaspati Agama says:
“ हिमालयं समारभ्य यावदिंदुसरोवरम् ।
तं देवनिर्मितं देशं हिंदुस्थानं प्रचक्ष्यते ।।
The land created by the gods which stretched from the Himalayas to the Indu (i.e. Southern) ocean is called Hindusthan, with the हिंदु (Hindu) mentioned in word हिंदुस्थानं (Hindusthan).
Suggestion to Zakir Naik: Please read all the Hindu Scripture first.

Zakir Naik: . "Ekam evadvitiyam"
"He is One only without a second."
[Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1]

The truth: “ekam-evAdvitIyam brahma”
chAndogya-upanishad: (6 - 2 - 1): brahman is one, one oonly, without a second.

Suggestion to Zakir Naik: Yes He is one without a second we all believe it, But Please quote full and correct verses and yes call him “Brahman”




Zakir Naik: "Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah."
"Of Him there are neither parents nor lord."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]

The Truth: “na tasya kaścit patir asti loke na ceśitā naiva ca tasya liṅgaṃ /
sa kāraṇaṃ karaṇādhipādhipo na cāsya kaścij janitā na cādhipaḥ” // 6.9 //

He has no master in the world, no ruler, nor is there even a sign of Him by which He
can be inferred. He is the cause, the Lord of the lord of the organs; and He is
without progenitor or controller. [Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]

Suggestion to Zakir Naik: Again we say please quote full verses. And yes he has no sign please do not use any sign to represent Him.


And the most famous quote of Zakir Naik which he used many times:

Zakir Naik: "Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]

The truth: “nainam ūrdhvaṃ na tiryañcaṃ na madhye parijagrabhat /
na tasya pratimā asti yasya nāma mahad yaśaḥ” // 4.19 //

No one can catch hold of Him either from above, or across, or in the middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad Yasah).

Suggestion to Zakir Naik: How many times We remind you that please quote full verses and use the name Mahad Yasah as given in this verse.

Zakir Naik: "Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."

"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]

The Truth: “na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpam asya na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainaṃ /
hṛdā hṛdisthaṃ manasā ya enam evaṃ vidur amṛtās te bhavanti “ // 4.20 //

His form is not an object of vision; no one beholds Him with the eyes. They who, through pure intellect and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection, realize Him as abiding in the heart become immortal.
Suggestion to Zakir Naik: Please quote full verse to reveal the truth.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zakir Naik can not quote full verses because he know if he quote full verses he will lose support of his own followers because the whole verses can violate the tenets of his own religion.

Followers of Sanatan Dharma please don’t abuse Zakir Naik, he is doing his work(as what a man like him is suppose to do). What is our work to eradicate the false believes spreaded by him. Please read the Hindu scriptures to spread the awareness about such person and Sanatan Dharma.

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

When Allah accepts Rasagulla!!!!

 By Swami Abhayananda Tirtha



One look at Dr Zakir Naik’s fiery speech in the high-tech video, “Allah in the Vedas” and we are left wondering, “Is Allah really mentioned in Vedas?” Dr Naik emphatically claims that the four Vedas and the Upanishads that are sacred to the Hindus, are all glorifying Prophet Mohammed, the final prophet and messenger of God for mankind. I wondered if that was so, why didn’t the sages who wrote and spoke on the Vedas for millenniums, ever mention this. Were they ignorant or were they part of a greater plan of the Almighty Lord Allah for his great devotee Zakir Naik, to reveal to the ignorant Hindus? As I sat dumbfounded watching his presentation, he revealed the answer, “The sages didn’t know that Ahmed would come centuries later, and hence they misunderstood and translated ‘aham iti‘ as ‘I am that’ rather than ‘Ahmed’ which is the real intended meaning of aham iti. This is also prophesized, besides other Vedas, in the Samaveda (2.6.8)…” I immediately opened the Vedic texts and compared all the quotations cited by Dr Naik. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Vedas give a different picture than what Dr Zakir Naik claims.

Samaveda, for instance, is the third of the collection of the Vedic mantras. Samaveda is the earliest known systematic procedure for giving melody to a verse. It is unanimously accepted by all Vedic practitioners and scholars that Samaveda is especially known for its musical composition and is not an ad hoc improvisation; rather the verses follow a strict pattern of pronunciation1. Since the pronunciation is the key in Samaveda, if the Lord had intended ‘Ahmed’ He wouldn’t have revealed it as ‘aham iti‘. If He were to distort His revelations like this, it would raise a serious question about the credibility of the revelation and of God Himself. If what Dr Naik claims is true, then the scriptures are misleading and dangerous because the Vedas are replete with phrases of ‘aham iti‘. Is it reasonable to believe as he is suggesting that Vedas and great Rishis of the past are naive in subjects spiritual? Or is it more reasonable to infer that he is twisting the verses to mean what he wants them to mean? It is precisely to avoid this sort of distortions, the scriptures tell us how they are to be understood: it behooves one to be humble, and accept the teachings of the Vedas as it is, under the guidance of a spiritual master, or guru (Svetasvatra Upanishad, 6.23).

If ‘aham iti‘ can indeed be translated as ‘Ahmed’, a friend proposed an interesting translation of the common Muslim chant, “la-allah ill allah, mohammed ur rasullallah…” We can understand ‘la’ to mean ‘call or get’. ‘ill’ means ‘sickness’; we can appreciate that ‘ur’ basically refers to ‘fly’, as in ‘ud jaa’ or fly away; and rasulla certainly refers to the Bengali sweet rasagulla, the knowledge of which was unknown to the sixth century desert invaders in Arabia. Hence they pronounced ‘rasagulla’ as ‘rasullallah’. The whole verse then translates as, “Please call Allah, I am ill; let Mohammed fly away and let me have rasagulla”

Makes a lot of sense, isn’t it?

Monday, 26 November 2012

What is Sanatan Dharma?? A brief Introduction





Sanatan Dharma is not dated; it has been and is a dharma forever. The Hindus have received their dharma through revelation, the VEDAS. They hold that the VEDAS are without beginning and without end. It may sound ludicrous to the audience, how a book can be without end or beginning. But by the VEDAS no books are meant. They mean the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons at different times. Just as the law of gravitation existed before its discovery, and would continue to exist if all humanity forgot it, so is with the laws that govern the spiritual world. The moral, ethical and spiritual relations between soul and soul and between individual spirits and the father of all spirits, were there before their discovery, and would remain, even if we forgot them. Looking at it in one way, Hinduism is the relentless pursuit after the TRUTH. As such it is a religion forever. There is only one GOD and ONE TRUTH. The VEDAS proclaim "EKAM SAT, VIPRAH BAHUDHA VADANTI" - There is one TRUTH, only men describe it in different ways.


SANATAN DHARMA



The meaning of Sanatan is eternal. Vedic Dharma can aptly be defined as Sanatan Dharma. In English, Dharma is defined by the word 'religion'. But religion insufficiently describes the vast meaning of Dharma. In fact, the spirit of Dharma is so vast that it includes things related not only to our present incarnation but to the past and the future incarnations as well. According to the definition given in the scriptures:

DHAARNAAT DHARMA
Meaning - Dharma is something that should be borne all the time. Thus, it is the powerful means that saves us from catastrophe and leads to evolution. As for example, Vedas are not only the means to attain comfort in metaphysical world. In fact, Vedas show the path to all round development and prosperity.

MEANINGS OF SANATAN DHARMA

First Meaning:
SANAATANASYA DHARMA ITI SANAATAN DHARMAH ||

But Sanatan cannot be included in any of these two categories. It existed even before the birth of other religions and it exists even today. Sanatan shall exist in future also. Throughout the history, humanity has witnessed rise and fall of scores of religions and sects. But Sanatan has withstood all kinds of upheavals and opposition. Regarding the future of Sanatan, we have to keep in mind, a rule that states that one which has born shall come to an end also. There has never been an exception to this rule nor there shall be one. Even the divine embodiment of God in physical incarnations had to see their end. Thus, even the physical embodiment of the eternal God is not an exception to this rule.


Second meaning:
Sanatan has no beginning and no end. It exists right from the moment of creation of universe to the time of Pralaya (the great deluge). It is Sanatan not because it owes its inception to the eternal God but because it is eternal in itself. It shall exist up to Pralaya and shall not be destroyed even after Pralaya. Then it shall exist in clandestine form. With the beginning of creation afresh then, Sanatan shall again rise into action to protect and prosper the people. But all it doesn't mean to say that all the other religions are false. Every religion aids the human being to its ultimate goal. But since, a single person incepted most of the religions, hence sooner or later they meet an end.

Third meaning :
SADAA BHAVAHA SANAATANAHA, SANAATANAM KAROTI ITI SANAATAN YATI, SANAATAN YATITI SANAATANAHA | SANAATANASHCHASOU DHARMA ITI SANAATAN DHARMAHA ||

Meaning - Sanatan Dharma is eternal not because it owes its inception to the eternal God. It is eternal not because it is indestructible. Sanatan is eternal because all those who have a faith in it themselves become eternal. Sanatan makes its followers eternal. To get this point better, let us think a little more deeply and compare the different nations, which were once super powers in the dawn of history. Greece, Roman, Syrian, Persian, Macedonian, Babylonian, Phoenician, Egyptian were the powerful empires that once held the sway in human history; but none of them exists today. Those empires had everything- wealth, power and huge armies. But they did not had the capacity to make people endurable and hence eternal. And that lack of such a capacity became the cause of their extermination. But India did have such a capacity and hence its religion endured every onslaught and exists even today. No doubt, Sanatan played an important role in keeping our culture alive.Thus, Sanatan has three distinct features. The eternal supreme soul incepted it. It is eternal in itself. It makes its followers eternal. Now a question naturally arises as to the eternal appearance of the followers of Sanatan. Let's explore it in the fourth meaning.

Fourth meaning :
SANAATANAM PARAMATMASWARUPAM PRAAPYATI ITI ||

Meaning - The religion that helps us attain the appearance of eternal soul is Sanatan. Follower of Sanatan abides to the true and holy path and mingles with the eternal, holy, liberated, supreme joyful God. This is the real appearance of Sanatan adopting which ancient India could have progressed so much. But now, we are neglecting it and hence are falling to the path of relegation. Those who act in liberal manner discarding religious path are sure to fall. Even God has said regarding the people:

YAH SHASTRAVIDHIMRITASRINYA VARTATE KAAMKAARTAH | NA SA SIDDHIMVAARNOTI NA SUKHAM NA PARAAMGATIM || TASMAACHCHHASTRAM PRAMAANAM TE KARYAAKARYAVYAVASTATAU | GYAATVA SHAASTRA VIDHAANOKTAM PARM KARTUMIHAARHASI ||

Meaning - Those who neglect the scriptures and act in whimsical way neither attain perfection nor any comfort and salvation. O Arjun! Scriptures dictate the things worth your doing and unworthy of doing.
Even Manu says:

DHARMA EVA HATO HANTI, DHARMO RAKSHATI RAKSHITAH

Meaning - A killed religion kills the people ultimately and a protected religion protects its followers.

DHARM:-

Dharma is the spirit of humanity.
Dharma is the heart to feel humanity.
Dharma is the examiner and investigator of the spiritual faiths.
Dharma relates the reason for creation.
Dharma shows the relation between the regulations and regulator of the creation.
Dharma helps one for introspection.
Dharma is the culture. Dharma is knowledge.
Dharma is fortune and salvation.
Dharma provides eternity.

Jai Sanatan Dharm.

Sunday, 25 November 2012

Caste System most misrepresented aspects of Sanatan Dharma. Does it really belongs to Sanatan Dharma or this is just be glued by foreigners to Sanatan Dharma??




The Caste System has been one of the most misrepresented, misinformed, misunderstood, misused and the most maligned aspects of Sanatan Dharma. If one wants to understand the truth, the original purpose behind the caste system, one must go to antiquity to study the evolution of the caste system. Caste System, which is said to be the mainstay of the Hindu social order, has no sanction in the Vedas. The ancient culture of India was based upon a system of social diversification according to SPIRITUAL development, not by birth, but by his karma. This system became hereditary and over the course of many centuries degenerated as a result of exploitation by foreign invaders. 

Sanatan dharma  believes in "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family).

Sir Sidney Low (1857-1932) in his book, A Vision of India: with a frontispiece says:

“There is no doubt that it (caste) is the main cause of the fundamental stability and contentment by which Indian society has been braced for centuries against the shocks of politics and the cataclysms of Nature. It provides every man with his place, his career, his occupations, his circle of friends. It makes him, at the outset, a member of a corporate body; it protects him through life from the canker of social jealousy and unfulfilled aspirations; it ensures him companionship and a sense of community with others in like case with himself. The caste organization is to the Hindu his club, his trade union, his benefit society, his philanthropic society. There are no work houses in India, and none are as yet needed. The obligation to provide for kinsfolk and friends in distress is universally acknowledged; nor can it be questioned that this is due to the recognition of the strength of family ties and of the bonds created by associations and common pursuits which is fostered by the caste principle. An India without caste, as things stand at present, it is not quite easy to imagine.”

However, as Alain Danielou, son of French aristocracy, author of numerous books on philosophy, religion, history and arts of India, says: "Caste system has enabled Hindu civilization to survive all invasions and to develop without revolutions or important changes, throughout more than four millennia, with a continuity that is unique in history. Caste system may appear rigid to our eyes because for more than a thousand years Hindu society withdrew itself from successive domination by Muslims and Europeans. Yet, the greatest poets and the most venerated saints such as Sura Dasa, Kabir, Tukaram, Thiruvalluvar and Ram Dasa; came from the humblest class of society." In the words of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, " In spite of the divisions, there is an inner cohesion among the Hindu society from the Himalayas to the Cape Comorin."


Caste system has been exploited against the Hindus, for the last two centuries by the British, Christian Missionaries, Secular historians, Communists, Muslims, Pre and Post-Independence Indian politicians and Journalists for their own ends. One way to discredit any system is to highlight its excesses, and this only adds to the sense of inferiority that many Indians feel about their own culture. Caste system is often portrayed as the ultimate horror, in the media, yet social inequities continue to persist in theoretically Egalitarian Western Societies. The Caste system is judged offensive by the Western norms, yet racial groups have been isolated, crowded into reserves like the American Indians or Australian Aborigines, where they can only atrophy and disappear.
 Structure of Varnasrama Society: 

The practical application of the Varnasrama system is to divide the society according to four occupational and four spiritual orders of life.
The Varnasrama system recognizes the natural talents and abilities of each person and provides work according to a persons qualities. There are four qualities of work, thebrahmanas are the intellectual and priestly class, the ksatriyas are the government, the military and the administrative classes, the vaisyas are farmers and businessmen, and thesudras are workers.
There are also four spiritual divisions, brahmacary, student life, grhastha, married life,vanaprasta, retired life and sunnyasa, renounced life. If this system is properly implemented under the direction of qualified brahmanas the result will be peace and prosperity throughout the world.

The caste system was never a tenet of the Hindu faith.

"The universe is the outpouring of the majesty of God, the auspicious one, radiant love. Every face you see belongs to Him. He is present in everyone without exception." - Yajur Veda.

"The Lord (The Divine) is enshrined in the hearts of all." - says the Isha Upanishad 1 -1.

The Upanishads which are a pure, lofty, heady distillation of spiritual wisdom which come to us from the very dawn of time tell us:
"Reality (God) is our real Self, so that each of us is one with the power that created and sustains the universe."

In Sanskrit, Tat tvam asi, “You are That.”

"In the depths of meditation, sages (rishis)
Saw within themselves the Lord of Love,
Who dwells in the heart of every creature." Shvetashvatara Upanishad. 1 - 3.

O Lord! Provide enlightenment/ compassion to our Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Provide me also with the same enlightenment so that I can see the truth. Yajurved 18.48:

Whatever crime we have committed against my village, forest or committee; whatever crime we have committed through our organs, whatever crime we have committed against Shudras and Vaishyas, whatever crime we have done in matters of Dharma, kindly forgive us relieve us from the tendency of the same. Yajurved 20.17:

The way I gave this knowledge of Vedas for benefit of all humans, similarly you all also propagate the same for benefit of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Shudras, Vaishyas, Women and even most downtrodden. The scholars and the wealthy people should ensure that they not deviate from this message of mine. Yajurved 26.2:

O Lord! May I be loved by everyone – Brahmin, Kshatriya, Shudra or Vaishya. May I be admired by everyone. Atharvaved 19.32.8:

May all noble people admire me. May kings and Kshatriyas admire me. May all look at me with admiration. May the Shudras and Vaishyas admire me. Atharvaved 19.62.1:

In The Bhagawad Gita, sloka 20, Chapter 10, Lord Krishna says,
"I am the Self seated in the heart of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the very end of all beings". All beings have, therefore to be treated alike."

Again in the Bhagawad Gita, sloka 29, Chapter 9, Lord Krishna says,
“I look upon all creatures equally; none are less dear to me and none more dear. 
But those who worship me with love live in me, and I come to life in them.”

Lord Krishna as saying, in response to the question— "How is Varna (social order) determined?"

"Birth is not the cause, my friend; it is virtues which are the cause of auspiciousness. Even a chandala (lower caste) observing the vow is considered a Brahman by the gods."
“The four fold division of castes’ “was created by me according to the apportionment of qualities and duties.” “Not birth, not sacrament, not learning, make one dvija (twice-born), but righteous conduct alone causes it.” “Be he a Sudra or a member of any other class, says the Lord in the same epic, “he that serves as a raft on a raftless current , or helps to ford the unfordable, deserves respect in everyway.”

As the Varna system became increasingly rigid and based on inheritance, it was enveloped by another system known as the caste system. Thus, this varna system determined the social structure of ancient Hindu society. The caste system could not have been part of Hindu religious philosophy, since it violates fundamental Hindu doctrine, according to which there is no absolute distinction between individuals, since the atman dwells in the hearts of all beings. There is no religious sanction whatsoever to the concept of the caste system in Hinduism.

Swami Sivananda (The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh), in his commentary on Gita,Ch.18, verses 41,and 45 says:

"Mankind is organized into the four castes and each man's life is divided into four stages, according to the nature of the Gunas (traits) and the degree of growth or evolution. This is the division of labor for which each caste is fitted according to its own nature. The duty prescribed is your sole support, each devoted to his own duty in accordance with his own nature or caste, and the highest service you can render to the Supreme is to carry it out whole-heartedly, without expectation of fruits, with the attitude of dedication to the Lord. The caste system is, indeed, a splendid thing. It is quite flawless. But the defect came in from somewhere else. The classes gradually neglected their duties. The test of ability and character slowly vanished. Birth became the chief consideration in determining castes. All castes fell from their ideals and forgot all about their duties."

Writing of this varna-ashrama-dharma, Auguste Comte (1798-1857) the great French sociologist, wrote in his book Système de philosophie positive or Positive Society:

“No institution has ever shown itself more adopted to honor, ability to various kinds than this polytheistic organization…In a social view, the virtues of the system are not less conspicuous. Politically, its chief attribute was stability…As to the influence on mortals, this system was favorable to personal morality, and yet more to domestic, for the spirit of caste was a mere extension of the family spirit….As to social morals, the system was evidently favorable to respect for age and homage to ancestors.”
These principles formed the background of the Indian social organization; on them was built a superstructure of social institution, such as education, marriage, family and the state.
It was realized by the Indian sociologists that both the individual and the group could find self-expression and fulfillment only in and through a complex of social institutions, based on dharma, co-operation, mutual aid, integration, synthesis, the vision of the whole.

Balance, orderly progress of individual and group, harmonious relationship between both, was the ideal aimed at by the Indian sociologist.

Caste therefore was not only an institution which ought to be immune from the cheap second-hand denunciations so long in fashion, but a supreme necessity without which Hindu civilisation could not have developed its distinctive character or worked out its unique mission. But to recognize this is not to debar ourselves from pointing out its later perversions and desiring its transformation. It is the nature of human institutions to degenrate, to lose their vitality and decay, and the first sign of decay is the loss of flexibility and oblivion of the essential spirit in which they were conceived. The spirit is permanent, the body changes; and a body which refuses to change must die.

Saturday, 24 November 2012

Why there is MURTIPOOJA(Idol Worship) in Sanatan Dharma?? This is Right or wrong??





Sanatan Dharma cannot be described in words, which cannot be confined to any boundary and which cannot be kept stagnant. It comprises of the oldest scriptures of the world, which have been guiding and nurturing people since centuries, and which would continue to do so till the presence of the mankind, through their ever evolving philosophies.

Unfortunately, there are a set of people who criticise certain practises associated with Hinduism, under the influence of their prejudices and biased views, and also on the basis of their limited knowledge of Hinduism. Murti Puja, which is better known as idol worship is one such Hindu practise, which is heavily criticised.

Argument against Icon worship:

Many people argue that the scriptures of Hinduism do not support idol worship. They quote incomplete verses from Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita to prove their point, and to infuse confusion in the minds of the Hindus.

The most common verse used by the detractors of idol worship is :

"Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste"

The twisted explanation of this verse, which they give is as follows :

"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."

'Sambhuti', according to them means created things. For example table, chair, icon, etc. And hence, they claim that when Hindus worship icons, they go against their own scripture. However, truth is far from it. This is neither the correct verse nor the complete verse. Needless to say, one must never get judgemental on the basis of incorrect & incomplete information.

The correct and the complete verse from Isha Upanishad is as follows:

andham tamah pravisanti ye' sambhut imupasate,
tato bhuya iva te tamo ya u sambhutyam ratah.
(Isa Upanishad, verse no 12)

And the correct translation of the above mentioned verse is as follows:

Into blinding darkness enter those who worship the unmanifest (meaning hidden self, the non being , imagination etc), and into greater darkness those who worship manifest alone(meaning visible world,illusion,icons, material wealth etc) . He who understands both unmanifest and manifest together, crosses death through unmanifest and attains immortality through manifest.

Some other verses quoted by the detractors of idol worship to prove that god does not have any form, hence, he should not be worshipped in the form of idols, is as follows:

"Na tasya pratima asti"
There is no likeness of Him.
[Svetasvatara Upanishad; chapter 4:19]

"Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."
His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.
[Svetasvatara Upanishad; chapter 4:20]

"na tasya pratima asti"
There is no image of Him.
[Yajurveda; chapter 32:3]

"shudhama poapvidham"
He is bodyless and pure.
[Yajurveda; chapter 40:8]

The answer of this argument is quite simple. The Hindus do believe that god has no form. He is Nirakar (formless). However, we also believe that being the almighty, he is capable of taking any form. And he blesses his devotees through the form, in which the devotees worship him (Bhagwad Gita, Chapter 11). That is why we worship him in the form of idols. The verses from Svetavatara Upanishad to support this point:

"Subtler than the subtlest, stable in the midst of great confusion, the creator of all,bearing many forms, holding the entire universe in his embrace, when one knows him as the auspicious, a great peace shall descend upon him."
(Svetavatara Upanishad; chapter 4:14)

"You are woman. You are man. You are the son and also the daughter. As an old man you walk with a stick. being born you assume faces in many directions."
(Svetavatara Upanishad; chapter 4:3)

Thus, from the above mentioned verses we can conclude that god has no specific form, but he is capable of taking any form. Hence, there is nothing wrong in worshipping him in the form of idols.


Significance of idol worship:-

1.The idea behind idol worship is to promote harmony and brotherhood. Idols (murtis) are normally made of stone/iron or other hard objects, which is a reminder of the fact that, Hindus have such high respect for every creation of the god, that they worship even the hard objects created by him (such as stone, iron etc ) as the god himself. So one can just imagine the respect, which a Hindu will have for a human being, which is the supreme creation of the almighty.

2. Murti Puja is one of the core concepts of Sanatana Dharma. The literal meaning of murti is manifestation, something that has taken a concrete form. Murti without any prefix refers to devata murti or god-form. Thus murti is a representation (in a manifest, definite form) of god-form. Murti puja is worship of murti as a god-form, worship of god-form in the murti. The devotee worships the deity (or devata) who is requested to reside in the vigraha (murti) for the duration of the worship. A murti usually is a concrete shape, having features attributed to the god-form. These are usually the physical attributes of the deity as described by the theology for the Devata. The murti has as many hands/legs/heads as spoken of in theology. Features like wearing snakes/garlands/having moon as adornment, the weapons they hold, are also reflected in the murti.



References:
(1). Isa Upanishad, verse IX - XIV
(2). Svetavatara Upanishad, Chapter IV
(3). Bhagwad Gita, Chapter XI

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:: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev ji :: Give your 10-15 mins to read the whole story::




During the Guruship of Guru Arjan many thousands of the native people had began to follow the teachings of Sikhism and both the Hindus and those who had converted to or been born as Muslims were crowding into Govindwal (the centre of the Sikhs during the late 1500s) where they were soon becoming Sikhs.

Jahangir was a fundamentalist Muslim who soon was influenced with the idea of turning the whole of Hindustan (as the Mughals called their kingdom in Northwest India) into an Islamic State.

Jahangir, with his own jealousies, promptly obliged the enemies of Guru Sahib. Many baseless allegations were soon levelled against the Guru; the old claim that the Sikh Granth defamed the Muslim religions was leveled again; it was also claimed that the rebellious Khusrau, Jahangir's son who Akbar and many nobles of his Darbar (court) saw as a more fitting Emperor, worthy of ruling India, more than the wine loving, opium taking Jahangir, had been aided by Guru Arjan.

But in the war of succession Jahangir had won and Khusrau had managed to hold onto Punjab alone. Diwan Chandu Shah (who had finally warmed to a marriage of his daughter with Guru Arjan's son Hargobind, had lost no anger when his proposal had been refused by Guru Arun Dev ji) went to Jahangir and "filled his ear with poison against the Guru".


Jahangir, the tyrant::

This is what Emperor Jahangir had written in his diary the "Tuzuk-i-Jahagiri" ( "Memoirs of Jahangir"):

"In Govindwal, which is on the river Biyah (Beas), there was a Hindu named Arjun, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity, so much so that he had captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru, and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm. Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam.

At last when Khusrau passed along this road this insignificant fellow proposed to wait upon him. Khusrau happened to halt at the place where he was, and he came out and did homage to him. He behaved to Khusrau in certain special ways, and made on his forehead a finger-mark in saffron, which the Hinduwan (the people of India) call qashqa, (Tilak) and is considered propitious. When this came to my ears and I clearly understood his folly, I ordered them to produce him and handed over his houses, dwelling-places, and children to Murtaza Khan, and having confiscated his property commanded that he should be put to death."

Arrest of the Guru::

Accordingly in late May 1606, Guru Arjan Dev was arrested and brought to Lahore where He was subjected to severe torture. He was made to sit on a burning hot plate after which red hot sand was poured over his head and body. It is said that Mian Mir (a Muslim Sufi Saint and friend of Guru Sahib) tried to intercede on behalf of Guru Sahib, but Guru ji forbade him to interfere, as he is said, in the "Will of the Almighty". Guru Ji's body was blistered and burnt, as he was subjected to unrelenting torture. After several days, Guru Arjan Dev was allowed to take a cooling bath in the nearby river, Ravi.

As thousands watched the Guru, he entered the river never to be seen again. Thus Guru Sahib embraced martyrdom on Jeth Sudi 4th (1st Harh) Samvat 1663, (May 16, 1606).

The martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib radically changed the entire character of Sikhism from a passive people to courageous saint soldiers.


Acc. to some Historical Sources it is said that Guruji's 6 days of torture took place::

Day 1 of Torture::

Guru Jee was not given anything to eat or drink. He was not allowed to sleep at night. He was kept awake. Guru Sahib bore all this calmly. He remained immersed in Simran and repeated from his lips, "WaaheGuru, WaaheGuru, WaaheGuru..." and sang Shabads from Gurbani.

Day 2 of Torture::

On the following day, Chandu made the Guru sit in a red-hot caldron. He filled the vessel with water. He ordered his men to light a fire under the copper vessel. The water began to get hot. After a time, the water began to boil. It SCALDED the Guru Sahib's body. But Guru Jee sat calmly and quietly. He felt no pain, nor did he cry out or even sigh. He felt no anger against those who were torturing him. He remained absorbed in the sweet remembrance of Waheguru and repeated,
"All is happening, O Waheguru, according to Thy Will. Thy Will is ever sweet to me."
The boiling water made the Guru's flesh soft and left blisters all over the body.

Day 3 of Torture::

On the third day, Chandu ordered his men, "Make some sand red hot in iron pans. Seat the Guru in boiling Water. Then pour the red hot sand on his head and body". The water boiled Guru Sahib's flesh from below. The burning red hot sand burned Guru Jee's head and body from above. The persons engaged in torturing him were wet with sweat. They felt most uncomfortable because of the heat. It was the hottest summer month. But Guru Sahib kept calm and quiet. Again, Guru Jee felt no pain, nor did he cry out, sigh or feel anger. He kept thinking of Waheguru and doing Simran. Guru Jee repeated:
Teraa kee-aa meethaa laagai.
O Waheguru! Your actions seem so sweet to me.
Har naam padaarath naanak maaNgai.
Nanak begs for the treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord.

"I bear all this torture to set an example to the Teachers of True Name, that they may not lose patience or rail at God in affliction. The true test of faith is the hour of misery. Without examples to guide them, ordinary persons' minds quail in the midst of suffering."

Day 4 of Torture::

On the fourth day, Guru Ji was made to sit on a plate of iron that was heated from below until it became red hot. Then scalding hot sand was poured over his body. Guru Sahib sat calm and quite, without a cry or sigh, feeling no pain. He sat with his mind fixed on Waheguru, living the message of Gurbaani as he accepted the Will of Waheguru sweetly.

Day 5 of Torture::

On the fifth day, Chandu thought to suffocate him in a fresh cowhide, in which he was to be sewn up. Instead the Guru asked for a bath in Ravi river which flowed embracing the walls of Lahore city. Chandu revelled at the thought that the Guru's body full of blisters, would undergo greater pain when dipped in cold water and hepermitted him to bathe in the river. The soldiers were sent to escort the Guru. The Master's disciples saw him leaving. He looked at them still forbidding any action. He said,"Such is the Will of my God, submit to the Divine Will, move not, stand calm against ll woes."
Crowds watched the Master standing in the river and having a dip. The light blended with Light and the body was found nowhere. Hail to the Master! Thou art Wonderful- Martyr, the greatest. Thou art the Greatest!
Guru Arjan sowed the seed of martyrdom, which became the heritage.

Today Gurdwara Dehra Sahib Sri Guru Arjan Dev is present at lahore.

Sanatan Knowledge



Hindu Scriptures are full of detailed information about some of the new and advanced concepts in the field of Science, Mathematics, Medicines, weapons and many more of such advanced concepts which are totally new to Modern Science. Some of them are as follows..

Cosmology and Psychology, Medicine (Ayurveda), Aviation, Surgery, Paediatrics, Gynaecology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Embryology, Blood Circulation, Rhinoplasty, Amputation, Caesarian and Cranial surgeries, Anesthesia, Antibiotic herbs, Atomic theory, Chemistry Alchemical Metals, Astronomy and Mathematics, Geography, Constellation science, Botany and Animal science, Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry, Planetary positions, Eclipses, Cosmography, and mathematical techniques, Force of Gravity, The Decimal, Metallurgy.

From The Mahabharata we get information about Bacteria -Viruses, Physiology, Science of Speech.

Taxila University (The world's first university) explains Mathematics, Zero, the most powerful tool, Geometry, The value of Pi in India, Pythagorean Theorem or Baudhayana Theorem? Raising 10 to the power of 53, Astronomy, The Law of Gravity- 1200 years before Newton, Measurement of Time, Plastic surgery in India 2600 years old, 125 types of surgical instruments, 300 different operations, India's contributions acknowledged by historians and scholars.

Grammar, Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology Sanskrit was the classical literary language of the Indian Hindus and Panini is considered the founder of the 
language and literature. Vedic Mathematics.

The Kautiliya Arthasastra speaks about Minerals and Metals and Ethnobiological 
Information in Kautilya's Arthasastra. It is surprising that even in the I Millennium BC, they had developed an elaborate terminology for different metals, 
minerals and alloys. Brass (arakuta) was known, so also steel (vrattu), bronze (kamsa), bell-metal (tala) was an alloy of copper with arsenic, but tin-copper alloy was known as trapu. A bewildering variety of jewellery was 
also classified and given distinctive names.

Information and instructions about various other aspects 
of social life, including man's relationship with animals 
and plants. Ethnobiological Information contained in the Arthasastra. It deals with forests, plants, animals, animal husbandry including veterinary suggestions, agriculture medicinal-industrial commercial importance and application of flora 
and fauna, and the uses of plants and animals in biological and chemical warfare, besides weapon making and other military uses.

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From The Chhandogya Upanishad - XVIII. vii. 23-26

1. Narada approached Sanatkumara and said: “Sir, teach me.”
“Come and tell me what you know,” he replied, “and then I will teach you what is beyond that.”

2. “Sir, I know the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda and Atharvan the fourth; and also the Itihasa-Purana as the fifth. I know the Veda of the Vedas (viz., grammar), the rules for the propitiation of the Pitris (ancestors), the science of numbers, the science of portents, the science of time, the science of logic, ethics and politics, the science of the gods, the science of scriptural studies, the science of the elemental science, the science of weapons, the science of the stars, the science of snake-charming and the fine arts – all these, Sir, I know,”

3. “But, Sir, with all these I am only a knower of words, not a knower of the Self. I have heard from holy men like you that he who knows the Self crosses over sorrow. I am in sorrow. Do, Sir, help me to cross over to the other side of sorrow.”

4. To him he then said: “Verily, whatever you have learned here is only a name.
"That which is Infinite – that, indeed, is happiness. There is no happiness in anything that is finite. The Infinite alone is happiness. But this Infinite one must desire to understand.”
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This can be considered only an appendix to the vast ocean of Vedic Knowledge- Science and Mathematics and other concepts.... We will provide detailed information about Vedic Science in our upcoming posts...!

Oh My God....




Bhalchandra Gaikwad asked by message ::

Namaskar..
now a days every one is talking about hindi movie "O my God" some people saying.. at the end of the film hero says "If there is fear then person start praying to god.. if there is no fear then no need of God"

I trust this is wrong statement.
..but how to convince people don't pray for god only for fear. there is lot of things....

can you please guide me how to tell them we hindus pray to god not because of fear but for extreme happiness.

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Brother Bhalchandra Gaikwad !!

Most people who are atheists are arguing against a specific concept of God. They are pretty much all arguing straw men. Here are some examples:

--> They are arguing against religion, like Christopher Hitchens. "The Catholics exterminated the Cathars. Muslims forcibly converted their conquered enemies."

-->Or against stupid traditions that have been part of religion. "Religions have always been misogynistic."

--> They are arguing against specific beliefs. "If God is good, then why is there evil in the world?"

--> They are arguing against a particular concept of God. "If God is all pervading, why do you think of him in human terms?"

--> They are responding to poorly constructed defenses of theism. "Why should there be a cause of all causes, when infinite regression makes as much sense?"

--> And, of course, a real favorite: The concept of faith itself. Belief in revelation, etc.

Basically, they are all missing the basic point of Vedanta: Existence itself is proof of God. Not so much because God created it, but because there is no reason for there to be existence rather than non-existence. This is not a complicated idea. Existence exists. Existence itself is God. That is the minimum universal definition of God as sat.

This in turn leads to the idea of truth as God. Falsehood or Maya is the "not-God." These people should therefore be congratulated inasmuch as they present themselves as seekers of the Truth. But they are overenthusiastic and tend to miss the forest for the trees. The existence of falseness does not negate existence itself. The existence of darkness does not negate light, but the momentary presence of even the feeblest spark negates an infinite and eternal darkness.

But existence without consciousness is barely worth the name of existence. We stand distinct as conscious beings from the creation and can therefore reflect on it. We should reflect on reflection a little. The ability to reflect in itself poses a huge question. The atheist does not want to face this question above all--why? Why is there existence at all? And why am I able to reflect on it? Why am I even able to ask the question, "Why?" Ultimately, "Why?" is a more important question than "How?" But as long as I stand in relation to existence as a conscious being, the question imposes itself. It is the great elephant in the room of life, the one we try to sweep under the rug with an infinite number of rationales, all tottering on the shifting sands of agnosticism and doubt.

Cit, or consciousness, is the seat of the various versions of the ontological argument for the existence of God. Philosophers call this the most sophist of arguments, and yet it is the very consequence of being conscious itself. Consciousness means I as a subjectivity am distinct from an ultimately unapproachable and unknowable objective universe. The mystics therefore say, "Know yourself." And by knowing yourself in all your profundity, you will know that which appears to be not-self, not in terms of infinitely changing phenomena, but as One without a second.

And again, even a fragmentary, momentary spark of consciousness in infinity and all eternity, negates all unconsciousness for all time, in all places। What has been always is. And this is not in the slightest denied by the possibility that scientists may "one day" produce consciousness in a test tube or a super computer.

And then, there is joy. Love. But existence (the Other) and consciousness (the One) are barely worth the name without joyful response and interchange. It is the culmination of both the recognition of Oneness and the existence of Otherness. The synthesis of Unity and Distinction is the essence of love and joy.

And yet, atheists seem at their most confident when they debunk love and joy, seeing it as Evolution's invisible hand that exists only to promote the continued existence of the species, to confirm actions that are favorable to reproduction, etc.

Alright, but why is there an urge to seek pleasure in the first place? Some higher force (Nature) that is pushing us to reproduce or seek survival-friendly outcomes? And then we have to explain self-destructive actions in these terms also--Thanatos.

Love is the essence of joy. And in the awakened being, love is the gateway to God. "God is Love." If we are armed with this awareness, we will never be bewildered by arguments that point out the aberrations of religion (where there is a failure of Love) or those that rail against false concepts of God ("the angry, jealous or vengeful God") that are projections of the worst in Humankind. God is, in one sense, a projection, but a projection of the best in us; an instinctive ideal that becomes clearer with our evolution as individuals and as a species. It is the ideal that makes us grow as individuals and as a species as much as a lighthouse guides us to the harbor.

It seems that the Upanishads have given far better answers to these questions than the anti-religious, anti-God "Truth" seekers.

To say God is existence is really not different from saying existence comes from God. The multiplicity comes from One. And yet it is all One at the same time.

To say God is consciousness does not negate the fact that individual consciousness also exists. It is simply that we are capable of intuiting a universal basis of consciousness. Thus mystics from time immemorial have recognized that God exists primarily in the deepest subjectivity, which is found in meditation and self-reflection. If we disperse ourselves in externals, we become alienated from that deepest subjectivity, or what is called "knowledge of the Self."

But real joy comes from the synthesis of the the One and the Other. This goes far beyond mere survival and evolution. Yes, Love gives meaning to life, where mere survival and reproduction do not. But why should there be any meaning at all? Why should there be any satisfactions at all? Surely the satisfactions of the atheist are perceived as something more that mere tactics that Nature is using to reproduce the species?

And even if they were, what is this "Nature" or "Evolution" that is pushing the species to go on? And is there not an infinite regress of why's that are ultimately brushed under the rug of "we don't know and we will never know"?

And if that is the case, then why, oh why, do we neglect the obvious answer that the satisfactions--being, knowledge and love--are ends in themselves. Ends that ever-increasingly seek some form of infinity and eternity. Bhumaiva sukham. Svalpe sukham nāsti. "Happiness lies in the Great. There is no joy in the trivial."

So the search for God is the search to go beyond the trivial, to attain the Great. bṛṁhati bṛṁhayati ceti brahma. This is the true force of instinct, of Libido, and of evolution, and these cannot be separated from the search for God.

So you may concede that there is stupid religion, there are stupid concepts of God, but God and religion in themselves are not false concepts. These three, irreducible miracles are the unassailable attributes of God. They are the essence of spirituality. Religion is the social expression of Humankind's evolving attempt to approach this Truth.

The Bhāgavata thus says,
dharmaḥ projjhitaḥ kaitavo'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ.

Wednesday, 14 November 2012

Diwali : Christian Reflections on the Festival of Light





:: Diwali: Christian Reflections on the Festival of Light ::
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Diwali, the festival of light, is one with several stories attached to it. The most popular in the Hindu tradition is the story of the return of Rama, the king of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to his capital city after a 14-year exile and a war in which he defeated the demon-king Ravana, a story recorded in the epic poem, the Ramayana. It commemorates the people of Ayodhya, who lit oil lamps along the road to light the returning king's path in the darkness of a new moon night, and welcome them back, finally, to their home.

Given that Rama is very frequently identified with the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver, and his wife Sita with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, the holiday is as such devoted primarily to the worship of these deities. Of course, the Bible is unambiguous about the worship of other gods, so as a Christian, there are some parts of the holiday in which I will never be willing to take part. However, there is much in the imagery of Diwali that evokes the Bible's own imagery of light and darkness, and provides a fascinating and distinctly Indian frame for the master narrative of the Bible -- the story of God redeeming humanity through the life and work of Jesus.

Like other religious traditions , the Bible is awash with metaphors of light and darkness, starting right from the very beginning. The first recorded act of God in the creation of the heavens and earth was to say "Let there be light," and separate the light from the darkness. This is a uniquely appropriate beginning, as God created in order to show forth His own character and attributes (see Romans 1:20). First and foremost, light is a metaphor for God's own character. "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." He is pure, beautiful, and the source of knowledge and truth. In fact, this aspect of God's character is a source of a radically God-centered epistemology -- not "seeing is believing," but "In your light, we see light," in the words of Psalm 36:9.

Not only is light an expression of God's character, it also symbolizes the Word of God in its other forms, particularly its written form. The author of the Bible's longest Psalm expresses it this way: "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path." It is through the word that we learn to distinguish good and evil, wisdom and folly, reality and illusion, falsehood and truth.

Yet truth is uncomfortable, because it is not selective, and the purity of God and His Word have profound implications for us, who are measured according to that standard. In the words of Jesus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19). Isaiah poignantly lays out the bleak picture of a world without revelation: "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged, and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God. Then they will see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness." (Isaiah 8:20-22). In his own way, Isaiah captures the nihilistic despair of the early Sophist Gorgias, "Nothing exists; even if something exists, nothing can be known about it; and even if something can be known about it, knowledge about it can't be communicated to others."

But all is not lost. Even as Isaiah looks at this gloom, the following note is one of hope: "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. ... The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned." He prophesies a time of peace, brought on by a coming king, who "will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom," and bring honor to "Galilee of the Gentiles." And there the story lies dormant, for several hundred years -- a ray of hope in the darkness of a world gone awry -- "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)

It is after the exile, under Roman occupation, that Isaiah's theme resurfaces. In Matthew's account, it is Jesus, the teacher in Galilee who is the light dawning in the darkness (Matthew 4:13-16), the one who boldly claims, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 12:46). In the New Testament accounts, it is Jesus who unites the different strands of the metaphor of light. He is God with God from the beginning, (John 1:1-2) the Word of God made flesh (John 1:19), the perfect standard (Hebrews 4:15), and the bringer of hope out of despair by remaking us, who were in darkness, into light, commissioning us to be "children of the light" (Ephesians 5:8), and sending us to "Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

This then, is where it gets personal. The Enlightenment located both the problems of the world and their solutions in ignorance, and predicted that as we grew in knowledge, we could re-make society in the light of pure reason. Yet over the past several hundred years we have seen that knowledge can just as well cause suffering as relief. Our modernity gave us both the tools to eradicate disease, and the tools to make war on an unimaginable scale. By contrast, a famous Catholic thinker and author of the early 20th century had this to say in his letter to the editor:

"Dear Sir:
Regarding your article 'What's Wrong with the World?'
I am.
Yours truly,
G.K. Chesterton"

The Biblical account locates the source of the darkness of the world squarely in the souls of each and every one of us. No one of us has any room to judge, because we are all a part of the problem. Yet the Biblical message is one of hope: God, the source of light, did not abandon the world to its darkness, but came Himself as the light of the world, was rejected by a humanity that hated his light, yet through that rejection paid the price so that we could once again approach the throne of unapproachable light, have his light dwell inside us, and work out the consequences of that redemption in bringing light to the world.

And so tomorrow night, I will be lighting the candles outside my room. I light them as a celebration of the victory of Jesus, the light of the world, over the evil in the world. And I light them as lights along the path, an invitation for Gods's Spirit to come into my heart, and to bring about the victory of good over evil, of light over darkness in my life.

By:: David Sorge

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"" La Illah Illallah "":: There is no god but Allah.

"" The LORD thy God is one LORD "" Deuteronomy 6:4 Bible

"" Yekho Vishwasya bhuvanasya rajah "" Rig-Veda 6.36.4 :: The Lord of the entire universe is one and one only


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Who are we..


Namaskaar ! Welcome to Sanatan Sinhnaad Blog, Su-Swagatam


About Us :

Sanatan Sinhnaad: The Revival of Sanatan Sanskriti. Let All of Us Protect, Preserve and Follow our Eternal Dharm

We Believe:-
=========
श्लोक :
धर्म एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः ।
तस्माद्धर्मो न हन्तव्यः मानो धर्मो हतोवाधीत् ॥
- मनुस्मृति

English Transliteration:
Dharma Eva Hato Hanti Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha!
Tasmat Dharmo Na Hantavyo Mano Dharmo Hatho Vadid.
-Manu Smriti

Meaning:
Dharma, when destroyed, destroys; Dharma protects when it is protected.
Therefore Dharma must not be violated, Otherwise violated Dharma destroys us.
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As per Mahabharata, “Dharma eva hato hanti/ Dharmo rakshati rakshitah” (One who destroys Dharma is destroyed by Dharma/ One who protects Dharma is protected by Dharma). For thousands of years, Hindus protected Dharma, and Dharma in turn protected them. But now most Hindus have forsaken their Dharma. And Dharma too has forsaken them. Though as per Arnold Toynbee, “Civilizations die from suicide, not murder”, a unilateral war against Hinduism is being waged by anti-Hindu forces to wipe out Hinduism from earth the way other native cultures and religions have been obliterated from the world.
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Let us all return to the Eternal Truth Of Sanatan Dharm. Say it with Pride that we are Hindu's, 'Proud To Be A Hindu'. आओ हम सनातन पथ पर लौट चलें। हमें गर्व है अपने हिन्दू होने पर,गर्व से कहो 'हम हिन्दू हैं '।


Friends we don't believe in intolerence to other religion. We respect other community as ours. BUT What We believe, is our identity and respect of our own community. 

We believe in Sanatana Dharma as for in peace, tolerance, character and
 unity on foundations of truth and honesty.

we consider entire world as their own family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam).

Sanatana dharma is same for all humans regardless of their caste, creed, birth, gender, geography or even other belief systems.

We does not imply hatred. We are just here for to be united.

Respect all......