A Lovestory Like No Other

About 20 years ago, most people in India had not even heard, of of a thing called Valentines day.However, today I see advertisements everywhere, ranging from chocolates, diamonds, restaurants to kitchen appliances, computers.. you name it. Each one of them, asking us to celebrate the day of love, by gifting something to someone special. Personally, I find it a very commercial and materialistic way of expressing love. An intense love-story from medieval India, tell us what true love is.

Prithviraj Chauhan, was the last independent Hindu king, before Hemu, to sit upon the throne of Delhi. He succeeded to the throne in 1179 CE at the age of 13, and ruled from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi. Prithviraj Chauhan is a legend, known for his bravery, courage and proficient military skills and also his chivalry. Prithviraj had annexed vast regions of India to his kingdom, and his fame had spread all across the subcontinent and to Afghanistan. He was called as the Samraat,which means emperor.

Sanyukta, was the daughter of Raja Jaichand of Kannauj.She was known to be  breathtakingly beautiful.But she also a headstrong girl.She fell in love with Prithviraj as his reputation dazzled her. She desired nobody but him. Prithviraj had heard of Samyukta's beauty and seen her in a painting. He fell in love with her as well.

However, both belonged to rival Rajput clans !

On finding out about the affair, Raja Jaichand was outraged.He decided to insult Prithviraj and arranged a Swayamvara for his daughter. He invited royalty from far and wide to the ceremony, every eligible prince and king except Prithviraj.He then commissioned a clay statue of Prithviraj, which served as doorman (dwarpala) to Jaichand's court. Prithviraj, on hearing about the impending swayamvar, made a plan. On the day of the ceremony, Samyukta walked through the court holding the ceremonial garland, ignoring the gazes of her ardent suitors. She passed through the door and put the garland around the neck of Prithviraj's statue, declaring him her husband. Prithiviraj, who meanwhile was hiding behind the statue, caught Samyukta up in his arms, set her on his horse, and whisked her away to Delhi.

After a few years, Mohammad Ghori, the cruel ruler from Afganisthan, attacked the fortress of Bhatinda in East Punjab, which was on the frontier of Prithiviraj's kingdom. Ghori had a huge army. Prithviraj appealed to Kannauj for help, but was rejected. Undaunted, the brave warrior king of Delhi marched on to Bhatinda and met his enemy at Tarain.Prithiviraj won the battle there, and Mohammad Ghori was made his prisoner.Gohri begged for mercy. Prithviraj, who was renowned for his sense of honor and chivalry, respectfully released Ghori against the advice of his ministers.

Ghori rode to Afghanistan, and then returned to India with a stronger army. He have an ultimatem to Prithviraj to convert to Islam.When Prithviraj refused,Gohri attacked. Again, Kannauj did not come to Prithviraj's aid. In the second battle of Tarain,Prithviraj Chauhan lost and was taken to Afghanistan as a prisoner. Where he was tortured and blinded by Ghori. Maharani Samyukta, along with her ladies, committed Jauhar and ended their lives instead of surrendering the Afghan invader.

Prithviraj Raso, a folkloric poem written by Chand Bardai, says that the death of Ghor was caused by Prithviraj with the help of Chadravardai and that afterwards they both killed  each other. Even today Afghans vent their anger by stamping on the grave of Prithiraj Chauhan because he had killed Ghori.

The love-story of Prithviraj and Samyukta is one of India's most popular romantic tales, being told from generation to generation, for its bravery, valor, passion, sacrifice, courage, selfless and undying love. Something that is rare these days !

The Ancient Alchemist

Nagarjuna was born at Fort Daihak near the famous shrine of Somnath in Gujarat in 931 A.D. He was a chemist, or an alchemist, as his efforts had been concentrated on transforming the base metals into gold. He had acquired such a reputation, due to his activities, that the people believed that Nagarjuna was in communion with gods and goddesses who had blessed him with the power of changing base metals into gold and the extracting of 'elixir of life'.

Nagarjuna himself believed in the idea of his being looked upon as blessed by the gods. He added to this belief by writing his treatise, Rasaratnakara in the form of a dialogue between him and the gods. The treatise dealt with the preparation of rasa (liquids, mainly mercury). Nagarjuna has discussed various combinations of liquids in this volume. His treatise, the Rasaratnakara also gave a survey of the status of metallurgy and alchemy as it existed in India in those days.

Methods for the extraction of metals like gold, silver, tin and copper from their ores and their purification were also mentioned, in Rasaratnakara. In his attempt to prepare the 'elixir of life' from mercury, Nagarjuna made use of animal and vegetable products, apart from minerals and alkalis. For the dissolution of diamonds, metals and pearls, he suggested the use of vegetable acids like sour gruel and juices of fruits and bark.

In his treatise, he has also listed the apparatus that was used by earlier alchemists. The process of distillation, liquefaction, sublimation and roasting were also mentioned. Nagarjuna also discussed, in detail, the possibility of transmutation of base metals into gold. But although he could not produce gold, these techniques did yield metals with gold like yellowish brilliance. Till today these methods are being used to manufacture imitation jewelry.

Nagarjuna has also discussed methods for the preparation of mercury like calamine. Later Nagarjuna seems to have turned towards organic chemistry and medicine. He has written a text called Uttaratantra which is supposed to be a supplement to an earlier text the Shusruta Samahita which is written by Shusruta in the 8th century B.C.

Nagarjuna's Uttaratantra deals mainly with the preparation of medicinal drugs. He also wrote four Ayurvedic treatises named Arogyamanjari Kakshaputatantra, Yogasara and Yogasatak.

Thus Nagarjuna seems to have been a copious writer. As he lived in the 10th century his works incorporate the ideas of earlier chemists and physicians. Only a few decades after Nagarjuna, India was invaded by the Mohammedans: Mahmud of Ghazni had raided and plundered Nagarjuna's hometown of Somnath in 1020 A.D. It is possible that Nagarjuna's texts fell into the hands of the invaders.

While the invaders ruthlessly destroyed the architectural achievements of this country and imposed their despotic rule, they also transmitted Indian sciences to the outside world.

Along with Mahmud of Ghazni came scholars like Al Beruni who studied Indian texts and translated them into Arabic. Many Indian ideas of medicine were incorporated into the Unani system of medicine of the Arabs. Nagarjuna's works could not have escaped their attention. It is possible that the technique of alchemy was borrowed by the Arabs from India. In the ancient world there is no reference to alchemy. We first hear of it in the medieval Europe. The homeland of the Arabs is not rich in metals, thus alchemy and the smelting of metals could not have been indigenous to the Arabs.

Thus the Arabs seem to have borrowed the technique of transforming base metals info gold-like metals from India. The Arabs called the technique Al Kimia which according to the Oxford Dictionary literally means the 'transformation of metals'. Al means 'The' and Khimia which is derived from the Greek term Khemia means 'to transmute metals'.

But westerners did not appear to have had the knowledge of the technique of alchemy. This is borne out by the fact that the term Alchemy which the westerners use for describing this technique was borrowed from the Arabs. The word Alchemy is obviously a corruption of the term Al Kimia which the Arabs gave to the technique of converting base metals into gold like substances which they culled out from Indian texts on the subject.

I wish the people of India would realize, that the texts from ancient India are much much more valuable than their weight in gold !

Food Wise

My Grandmother always had a lot of dos and donts for our dietary habits. She would say -  " you just ate that, you cannot eat this immediately after ".I would get annoyed and ask her why ? She couldn't really explain the reason behind it, but she always said it with so much conviction, that I always complied. I think people from the previous generations were very food wise. They had a deep understanding of the effects different foods have on our body. As a grown up, I decided to study the science behind it all. The concept of incompatible food combinations in Ayurveda (called virudh aahar) took a while for me to grasp and understand .And I am still trying to incorporate it into my own diet.

Foods may be incompatible because they create a negative reaction in the body, generate additional water in the body that can lead to skin conditions, block the body’s channels, contribute to heart disease or simply lead to indigestion. And certain foods may be incompatible because they are simply not right for a particular season. So eating  chilies in the summer is not recommended as the added heat will lead to rashes, cold sores, acne, and heartburn. Incompatible foods lead to a lot of different types of allergies, which are largely in-explainable by modern medicine. Every food has its own taste, a heating or cooling energy and post-digestive effect. When two or three different food substances of different taste, energy and post-digestive effect are combined together our digestive tract can become overloaded, inhibiting the enzyme system and resulting in production of toxins in the system.

Here are a few examples of foods that dont go togather, most of us have heard it from our elders but we just didnt know why :

1) Milk and Fruits : milk and melons (or any fruit for that matter) are not to be consumed together because milk is a laxative and melon a diuretic. Also, the fruit is digested very quickly and milk takes longer for the body to process. During that processing time, the fruit curdles the milk potentially creating a sour stomach and lots of acidity.

2) Milk proien and meat protien : Milk should not be eaten with fish as the two foods are incompatible: milk is cold and fish is heating. Combining the two vitiates the blood and causes obstruction of the body’s channels. Salt and milk together is another combination that should be avoided due to antagonistic qualities in the two.

3) Milk and Bananas : Banana should not be eaten with milk, curds, or buttermilk because the combination can diminish digestion and produce toxins in the body. Eating this combination can lead to cold, cough, and allergies.

4) Honey : Always use raw, uncooked honey. Baking with honey or heating it in general turns it into a sticky glue that clogs the body’s channels and produces toxins. This includes having honey in your tea or drinking something hot after eating honey.

I cringe, at the sight of kids eating non-veg burgers with milk shakes in fast food joints. And I feel like telling at the parents " you cannot let them eat that ". But I get a hold of myself and hope that the food wisdom of our ancestors will dawn upon us someday !

The ancient diplomat

I was watching an interview recently, where Mr Arnab Goswami was constantly accusing Ms Kiran Bedi of being diplomatic. He made it sound like being diplomatic is somehow a bad thing. Something that one mustn't indulge in.

I'd like to ask Mr Goswami, do you know that Chanakya, the great thinker and was also a great diplomat of ancient India ? He was one of the earliest people who envisaged the united India spanning the entire subcontinent ! The diplomatic enclave in New Delhi is named Chanakyapuri in his honour.

So who was Chanakya ? And why is he remembered so often, even today ?

Chanakya was born in a Bhramin household in c370 BC. When Chanakya was born, he had a full set of teeth, during those days, it was considered a sign that he would become a king or an emperor. But since he was born in a Brahmin family, it was considered inappropriate. Thus, his teeth were broken and it was predicted that he would make another person a king and rule through him.Even as a child, Chanakya had the qualities of a born leader. His knowledge was beyond children of his age. He studied in Takshashila,an ancient centre of learning. Later, he became a professor of economics and political science at the same University. After acquiring vast knowledge in various branches of study he wanted everybody to get benefited. He believed in the broadcasting of knowledge and not in the storage of it. So famous was Chanakya in the vicinity of the university that he had many names. He was called Vishnugupta,Kautilya and Chanakya. The whole nation was bewildered by the cleverness and wit of this seemingly small boy who went on to single handedly unify the country with the sheer power of his character. He lived his life working to his capacity in pursuit of his vision of a happy strong and prosperous India.

The Europian invader Salukes, was readying his army to attach the republics of India and at the same time,the ruler of Patliputra, Mahanand was squeezing the common man of his wealth with an object of enriching his own exchequer. Chanakya was aware of the internal and external threats of the country.He envisioned his country clutched in the chains of slavery and defeated because of internal squabbles and differences. So he decided on the historical day, thus saying,

"Now the time has come to leave the university. The scrupulous rulers of the country must be uprooted and there is a need to strengthen the country politically and economically. My first and foremost duty is to save the country of the foreign invaders and salvage this dangerous proposition."

With these thoughts in mind, he left Taxila University for Patliputra which paved the way for watershed changes in the politics of India and Patliputra. Dhanananda, the ruler of Patliputra was unscrupulous and cruel by nature. He was always busy gathering money without thinking about consequences. He was always dissatisfied with the amount of money he had. Collecting taxes exorbitantly, he was a villain in the public eye.He also insulted Chanakya, and as revenge, Chanakya voved to dethrone him and distroy the Nanda kingdom.

Chanakya began to persuade his disciple Chandragupta of the need to build an empire that could protect Indian territories from foreign invasion.Chanakya had trained and guided Chandragupta and together they planned the destruction of Dhana Nanda. It is noted in the Chandraguptakatha that Chandragupta and Chanakya were initially rebuffed by the Nanda forces. Regardless, in the ensuing war, Chandragupta faced off against Bhadrasala, the commander of Dhana Nanda's armies. He was eventually able to defeat Bhadrasala and Dhana Nanda in a series of battles, culminating in the siege of the capital city Pataliputra and the conquest of the Nanda Empire around 321 BCE,thus founding the powerful Maurya Empire in Northern India by the time he was about 20 years old.

Chadragupta Maurya, along with Chanakya, rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India, taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's Hellenic armies. By 316 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander.Chandragupta then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Macedonian general from Alexander's army, gaining additional territory west of the Indus River.

The Maurya Empire was one of the world's largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent. At its greatest extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, to the east into Assam, to the west into Balochistan (south west Pakistan and south east Iran) and the Hindu Kush mountains of what is now Afghanistan.[5] The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Odisha), until it was conquered by Ashoka.

Under Chandragupta and his successors, internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities, all thrived and expanded across India thanks to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration, and security. Mauryan India also enjoyed an era of social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge.As Chanakya was the chief advisor to Chandragupta Maurya and his son Bindusara, a large part of the success is credit to him.

Chanakya authored two books - Arthasashtra and Chanakya Neeti. The Arthashastra is a treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in Sanskrit.The text was influential until the 12th century, when it disappeared. It was rediscovered in 1904. The Arthashastra sets out, with dispassionate clarity, a vision of how to establish and guard a state while neutralizing, subverting, and (when opportune conditions have been established) conquering its neighbors. The Arthashastra encompasses a world of practical statecraft, not philosophical disputation. For Kautilya, power was the dominant reality. It was multidimensional, and its factors were interdependent. All elements in a given situation were relevant, calculable, and amenable to manipulation toward a leader’s strategic aims. Geography, finance, military strength, diplomacy, espionage,law, agriculture, cultural traditions, morale and popular opinion, rumors and legends, and men’s vices and weaknesses needed to be shaped as a unit by a wise king to strengthen and expand his realm.

In October 2012, about two thousand years after its composition, India's National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon praised Arthashastra for its clear and precise rules which apply even today. Furthermore, he recommended reading of the book for broadening the vision on strategic issues.This is the wisdom of the ancient Indians !

Lets Look Back

A lot of times, people ask me, why do you bring up the past all the time ? What is the point of dwelling in the bygones ? Ancient India was great, but what about us now ? Why don't we focus on our present problems instead of obsessing about its past or lost glory.

Life unfolds in the presents and I completely believe in living in the moment.But I also think history is important. Ancient cultures devoted much time and effort to teaching their children family history. It was thought that the past helps a child understand who he is. Modern society, however, has turned its back on the past. We live in a time of rapid change, a time of progress. We prefer to define ourselves in terms of where we are going, not where we come from. Our ancestors hold no importance for us. They lived in times so different from our own that they are incapable of shedding light on our experience. Man is so much smarter now than he was even ten years ago that anything from the past is outdated and irrelevant to us. Therefore the past, even the relatively recent past, is, in the minds of most of us, enshrouded by mists and only very vaguely perceived. Our ignorance of the past is not the result of a lack of information, but of indifference. We do not believe that history matters.

But history does matter. It has been said that he who understands the past, controls the future. Our view of history shapes the way we view the present, and therefore it dictates what answers we offer for existing problems. History is important because it helps us figure out who we really are, understand - where did we go wrong ? And gives us a chance to learn from our mistakes.History is important because it helps us to understand the present. If we will listen to what history has to say, we can come to a sound understanding of the past that will tell us much about the problems we now face.

Our history books in school usually start from Ashoka - The great, the decline of the Hindu kings, the rise of the Mughals and it ends with India's independence from the British. And we all are pretty much aware about the last 60 years. It always made me wonder, so who exatly are we, as a nation.Are we this dirty, corrupt nation, which is incaple of fulfilling even the basic necessities of a vast majority of its people. Where people stuggle to get a meal, live in unhygrnic, inhuman conditions and cannot lead a life of dignity. Or are we these slaves, where our wealth was looted, temples were destroyed, women were violated and everything that mattered, is taken away from us. This is not who we really are.

When the Europeans came to India, they were divided between religion and science.The pre-scientific Europeans accepted whatever the priests preached on the pulpit. The post-scientific European demanded evidence for everything. However, both rejected our scared texts and history as myths and termed it mythology. The former did it for religious reasons: truth only comes from the Bible. The latter for scientific reasons: lack of measurable evidence. In the 17th century, for example, an Irish Archbishop called James Ussher, based on literal reading of the Bible concluded the world began on October 23, Sunday, 4004 BC.So naturally, the idea that there were people roaming around the world and painting on cave walls at least 10,000 years earlier did not go down well with the religious-minded.

It must be remembered that the formal system of education that we have today was started by the British.Infact it is they who have written our history. Until the Edicts of Emperor Ashoka were discovered, he was also just a part of Buddist mythology ! Till date Ramayan and Mahabharat are not a part of our history. We are victims of a colonial hangover. We are still trying to defend and apologize to our former masters. Even today Indians bear the burden of making Ramayan and Mahabharata historical and scientific. We still feel we are answerable to the West. We have to ‘prove’ the existence of Ram and Krishna in scientific terms in order to justify our faith.

Our history books do not tell us the complete history. They tell us about the prevelant untouchability, caste system etc in our society. But have we always been like this ? No ! The word 'Varna' literally means group in Sanskrit. The ancient Indian society was divided into four sections-Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra. The reference to the Varna System can be traced back to the religious texts of the land. In Mahabharata (Anusasana Parva, Chapter 163)it is said: "O Devi, if even a sudra is actually engaged in the occupation and pure behavior of a brahmana, he becomes a brahmana. Moreover, a Vaishya can become a Kshatriya. Therefore, neither the source of one's birth, nor his reformation, nor his education is the criterion of a brahmana.The vritti, or occupation, is the real standard by which one is known as a brahmana." Every individual had the freedom to choose his occupation and hence his 'Varna' or group, just like it is all modern societies of the world. Its very important to refect upon the vedic times to understand what the true essence of our civilization is and how we have corrupted it over a period of time.

We belong to the great Bharatvash also called as Aryavart.It is time, each one of takes a keen interest in our history, understand it and define it in our terms. We have to write our own history, because it is this history which will shape our nation and its future !

The Forgotten Mathematician

Bhaskaracharya II was an Indian mathematician and astronomer in the 12th century. He was born in Bijapur in modern Karnataka.He was the greatest mathematician of medieval India.Bhaskaracharya wrote Siddhanta Shiromani in 1150 AD. This is a mammoth work containing about 1450 verses. It is divided into four parts, Lilawati, Beejaganit, Ganitadhyaya and Goladhyaya. In fact each part can be considered as separate book. The numbers of verses in each part are as follows, Lilawati has 278, Beejaganit has 213,Ganitadhyaya has 451 and Goladhyaya has 501 verses.These four sections deal with arithmetic, algebra, mathematics of the planets,and spheres respectively.

One of the most important characteristic of Siddhanta Shiromani is, it consists of simple methods of calculations from Arithmetic to Astronomy. Essential knowledge of ancient Indian Astronomy can be acquired by reading only this book. Siddhanta Shiromani has surpassed all the ancient books on astronomy in India. After Bhaskaracharya nobody could write excellent books on mathematics and astronomy anywhere in the world !

Bhaskaracharya's work on calculus predates Newton and Leibniz by over half a millennium. He is particularly known in the discovery of the principles of differential calculus and its application to astronomical problems and computations. Bhaskaracharya was a pioneer in some of the principles of differential calculus. He was the first to conceive the differential coefficient and differential calculus.

Bhaskaracharya gives his date of birth, and date of composition of his major work, in a verse in the Arya metre:

rasa-guṇa-pūrṇa-mahīsama

śaka-nṛpa samaye 'bhavat mamotpattiḥ /

rasa-guṇa-varṣeṇa mayā

siddhānta-śiromaṇī racitaḥ //

This reveals that he was born in 1036 of the Śaka era (1114 CE), and that he composed the Siddhānta Śiromanī when he was 36 years old.He wrote Karana-kutūhala when he was 69 (in 1183)

Bhaskaracharya's work in Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry catapulted him to fame and immortality. His renowned mathematical works called Lilavati and Bijaganita are considered to be unparalleled and a memorial to his profound intelligence. Its translation in several languages of the world bear testimony to its eminence. In his treatise Siddhant Shiromani he writes on planetary positions, eclipses, cosmography, mathematical techniques and astronomical equipment. In the Surya Siddhant he makes a note on the force of gravity:

"Objects fall on earth due to a force of attraction by the earth. Therefore, the earth, planets, constellations, moon, and sun are held in orbit due to this attraction."

Bhaskaracharya was the first to discover gravity, 500 years before Isaac Newton. His contribution to mathematics is unmatched and incomparable. Here is a summary of a few of his contributions :

- A proof of the Pythagorean theorem by calculating the same area in two different ways and then canceling out terms to get a² + b² = c².

- In Lilavati, solutions of quadratic, cubic and quartic indeterminate equations.

- Solutions of indeterminate quadratic equations (of the type ax² + b = y²).

- Integer solutions of linear and quadratic indeterminate equations (Kuttaka). The rules he gives are (in effect) the same as those given by the Renaissance European mathematicians of the 17th century

- A cyclic Chakravala method for solving indeterminate equations of the form ax² + bx + c = y. The solution to this equation was traditionally attributed to William Brouncker in 1657, though his method was more difficult than the chakravala method.

- His method for finding the solutions of the problem x² − ny² = 1 (so-called "Pell's equation") is of considerable interest and importance.

- Solutions of Diophantine equations of the second order, such as 61x² + 1 = y².This very equation was posed as a problem in 1657 by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat, but its solution was unknown in Europe until the time of Euler in the18th century.

- Solved quadratic equations with more than one unknown, and found negative and irrational solutions.

- Preliminary concept of mathematical analysis.

- Preliminary concept of infinitesimal calculus, along with notable contributions towards integral calculus.

- Conceived differential calculus, after discovering the derivative and differential coefficient.

- Stated Rolle's theorem, a special case of one of the most important theorems in analysis, the mean value theorem. Traces of the general mean value theorem are also found in his works.

- Calculated the derivatives of trigonometric functions and formulae.

- In Siddhanta Shiromani, Bhaskara developed spherical trigonometry along with a number of other trigonometric results.

Astronomical achievements of Bhaskaracharya :

- The Earth is not flat, has no support and has a power of attraction.

- The north and south poles of the Earth experience six months of day and six months of night.

- One day of Moon is equivalent to 15 earth-days and one night is also equivalent to 15 earth-days.

- Earth’s atmosphere extends to 96 kilometers and has seven parts.

- There is a vacuum beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.

- He had knowledge of precession of equinoxes. He took the value of its shift from the first point of Aries as 11 degrees. However, at that time it was about 12 degrees.

- Ancient Indian Astronomers used to define a reference point called ‘Lanka’. It was defined as the point of intersection of the longitude passing through Ujjaini and the equator of the Earth. Bhaskara has considered three cardinal places with reference to Lanka, the Yavakoti at 90 degrees east of Lanka, the Romak at 90 degrees west of Lanka and Siddhapoor at 180 degrees from Lanka. He then accurately suggested that, when there is a noon at Lanka, there should be sunset at Yavkoti and sunrise at Romak and midnight at Siddhapoor.

- Bhaskaracharya had accurately calculated apparent orbital periods of the Sun and orbital periods of Mercury, Venus, and Mars.

Bhaskaracharya is one of the greatest mathematician ever to have lived, and yet he is forgotten. Lets bring him back by rediscovering all the knowledge that is already there, hidden, in our ancient texts.

The Tree of Life

When President Obama visited Rajghat, to pay tribute to Gandhiji, he planted a Peepal tree there. Though most of us know that the Peepal tree is considered sacred in our country, very few know the reason behind it. 

The Peepal tree is also known as "Ashvattha" in Sanskrit. In the Bhagwat Geeta, Lord Krishna says, amongst the trees, I am Ashvattha.The word 'Ashvattha' means "One which does not remain the same tomorrow" like the whole universe itself ! A seal discovered at Mohenjodaro, one of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation depicts the Peepal being worshiped. And we have been worshipping it ever since.

So what makes the tree so special ?

According to the Brahma Purana and the Padma Purana, when the demons defeated the gods, Lord Vishnu hid himself in the Peepal

Tree and that is why it is believed that the Peepal Tree is a symbol of Vishnu and is worshiped since a long period of time.There is another belief that the tree represents the Trimurti-the roots being Brahma, the trunk Vishnu and the leaves Shiva.Some says that Lord Krishna is believed to have died under this tree, after which the present Kali Yuga started.

The Peepal tree is used in traditional medicine for about 50 types of disorders including asthma, diabetes, diarrhea,epilepsy, gastric problems, inflammatory disorders, infectious and several other disorders. According to Ayurveda, Peepal leaves, fruits and bark are killers of diseases. The Peepal leaf has both sweet and bitter taste and has a cooling property. Licking honey placed on peepal leaves is believed to cure speech irregularities.Its leaves, when heated in ghee, are applied to cure wounds. Ingesting the bark, fruit and buds with different combination of things cures diseases related with phlegm, bile, inflammation swelling and indisposition etc.The powdered form of the fruit of this tree increases appetite and cures numerous diseases

Scientific research has proved that the Peepal is a unique tree. It is dangerous to sit or to sleep under any other tree in the night, except the Peepal.Trees exhale oxygen during the day – it is beneficial to be near them – and during the night they exhale carbon dioxide. It is only the Peepal tree which exhales oxygen for all of the twenty-four hours. You can be near it any time; it is beneficial to life. This is perhaps the reason Gautam Buddha choose to meditate under the Peepal. He attained enlightenment (bodhi) while meditating underneath the Bodhi tree or the Peepal tree. The site is in present day Bodh Gaya, northern India. The original tree was destroyed, and has been replaced several times. A branch of the original tree was rooted in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka in 288 BCE and is known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi; it is the oldest flowering plant (angiosperm) in the world.

There are several rituals around the sacred Peepal tree . Usually seven pradakshinas are done around the tree, early in the morning while chanting "Vriksha Rajaya Namah", meaning "salutation to the king of trees." It is believed to bring good luck !

The juice of the tree has an enzyme that can increase child bearing capacity. In olden days the tree used to be in the center of the village so the atmosphere will be clean. The tree emits oxygen at night time too. Peepal tree leaves absorb moisture from the atmosphere and regulates the hydrological cycle.The tree releases large quantity of Isoprene (volatile organic compound) which is needed for preventing of decreasing the ozone layer. The Tree is important for preserving the ozone layer.

Peepal tree is antidote for pollution like water, air and noise. It is recommended to plant the tree around water bodies. Calcium is high in the tree so it helps in the purification of water. Perhaps, the reason why Peepal trees are almost always found in temple premises.

The Peepal tree has very high tolerance to pollution and reduces it most effectively.The ancient Indians understood the importance of the tree and called it sacred, in order to discourage people from cutting it down. Lets learn something from the ancient wisdom and vow to plant, at least one Peepal tree, not just for us, but as a gift for generations to come !

http://www.thehindu.com/seta/2004/12/30/stories/2004123000231700.htm

http://www.ijp-online.com/article.asp?issn=0253-7613%3Byear%3D2011%3Bvolume%3D43%3Bissue%3D6%3Bspage%3D662%3Bepage%3D666%3Baulast%3DGulecha

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249921/

http://iasir.net/IJETCASpapers/IJETCAS13-541.pdf

The Land of Meluha

The Indus Valley civilization was entirely unknown until 1921, when excavations, revealed the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.This mysterious culture emerged nearly 9000 years ago and thrived for a thousands of years, on from the highly fertile lands of the Indus river.More than a thousand settlements are now known from the Indus valley civilization. The civilization is known to have had a unity of culture, art, script, and technology (even weights and measures). The largest city, Mohenjo Daro is thought to have reached a population of approximately 30,000, suggesting a total population of approximately 5 million people.It was the largest of the four ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. However, of all these civilizations the least is known about the Indus Valley people. This is because the Indus script has not yet been deciphered.

Mohenjo-daro built around 2600 B.C.E., located in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. The discovery of Mohenjo-daro led to tremendous excitement in the archaeological and historical worlds. Although the beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization predated the founding of Mohenjo-daro, and thousands of villages and towns had been discovered throughout the region occupied by the Indus Valley people, Mohenjo-daro represented the largest, most sophisticated city discovered. The city had a sophisticated sewage system with regular manhole covers. Public latrines for every block and sewers large enough to walk in.House drains, which were enclosed systems, were made of clay pipes and were connected to the sewers by open brick gutters.

One of the most spectacular structures at Mohenjo is the 'Great Bath', which is astonishingly well preserved and measures 180 feet north to south and 108 feet east to west. It is described as a vast hydropathic establishment and the most imposing of all the remains unearthed at Mohenjo-Daro.

Ancient Mesopotamian texts speak of trading with at least two seafaring civilizations - Makkan and Meluha - in the neighbourhood of India in the third millennium B.C. This trade was conducted with real financial sophistication in amounts that could involve tons of copper. The Mesopotamians speak of Meluha as an aquatic culture, where water and bathing played a central role.A number of Indus Valley objects have been found buried with Mesopotamians.

The ancient script of the Indus valley people has been found in another location, Easter Island (situated in the middle of the Pacific ocean) which is exactly diametrically opposed to Mohenjo daro. This curious coincidence has yet to be properly explained. The Indus Valley Culture was extant thousands of years before the Easter Island culture began, yet the similarity between the two scripts is uncanny.

Numerous objects found in excavation include seated and standing figures, copper and stone tools, carved seals, balance-scales and weights,gold and jasper jewelry, and children's toys. Many of which, are on display in the Harappan gallery in National Museum in New Delhi. The whole collection of this gallery represents the advanced technology and sophisticated lifestyle of the Harappan people.Most prominent among the objects are the Priest Head, the Dancing Girl made in Bronze and belongs to the early Harappan period, skeleton excavated from Rakhigarhi in Haryana, terracotta images of Mother Goddess and clay pottery. Apart from these, the gallery has sculptures in bronzes & terracotta, Bone objects, Ivory, Steatite, semi-precious Stones, painted pottery and jewelry items.Many seals have been discovered during numerous excavations. These seals were probably used for trading purposes. These seals depict bulls, elephants, unicorns, tigers, crocodiles,and other unknown symbols.

What a fine and well developed civilization it was, is evident from the following video.

http://vimeo.com/65393454

So, how did this ancient civilization vanish, some believe, that it was an ancient nuclear explosion that ended the civilization ! But it is yet to validated scientifically. The mystery is waiting to be solved.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/india/121116/indus-civilization-2000-years-old-archaeologists

KAMDHENU

' dhenunam asmi kamadhuk '

Among cows, I am the wish fulfilling cow
- Lord Krishna ( Bhagvat geeta, Chapter 10, verse 28 )

Kamdhenu, also called as Surabhi is described as the mother of all cows. She is a divine creature, who provides her owner everything he desires. She is depicted as a white cow with several deities in her body.

One of the most common questions from the West to us is - “Why do you worship cows?” Most of the times,there is a mocking undertone attached to the question. It is understandable, because predominant western religions or ideologies have conditioned people not to respect the so-called lower forms of life and to think that those who do so, are somehow primitive or superstitious.

In India, we not only worship cows, but also elephants, monkeys and lots of other animals too. Infact we have more than 33 million gods !

We believe, that each and everything, in the natural world, is a manifestation of the supreme god and hence it should be respected, revered and treated as god himself.Sanatan Dharma advocates a respect for all creatures and for our environment, because God’s presence is everywhere.In the history of our civilization, we have taken a lot from cows. The cow’s milk is taken to nourish ourselves.The milk was used to make 'Ghee', which is an essential part of almost all our rituals. Even the cows’ dung was extensively used, as fuel and a building material.It is often said, in the West, “a dog is a man’s best friend”. But if we look at the history of the human race, it is more true to say that cows are man’s best friend.They helped man settle down from thier nomadic lifestyles. Ancient Indians saw it as a mark of ingratitude to take so much from an animal, and then to kill and eat it. Such ungratefulness and lack of respect creates a negative and exploitative tendency in us as a species.

Today, some of the major crises facing our planet are due to unrestrained exploitation of nature, including other creatures. In our quest for more, humans have not hesitated to take so much, without any sense of balance. This has left many species on the verge of extinction and has caused seemingly irreversible environmental changes, such as global warming, ozone layer disruption and huge deforestation.We are constantly exploiting the same mother nature who is our provider.

What does reverence of the cow have to do with this? Not much you may think at first. But if the issue is examined with a deeper vision, we will find that cow protection stems from an outlook towards life and nature that could help prevent and overcome the current problems. Aspects of Vedic culture such as respect for the cow and other forms of life create and reinforce a mentality and outlook of gratefulness, appreciation and humility. Humanity has shamelessly exploited nature. The whole problem arises from a mistaken feeling that nature and other creatures are simply here at our disposal, and we owe nothing to the nature. If we strive to appreciate how much we receive, we would not have abused our planet and its inhabitants.

I was extremely happy to read in the papers recently, that Mr Manohar Lal Khattar, chief minister of Haryana, has promised to ban cow slaughter in his state. Finally, someone makes a beginning! We as a nation, have to not just respect, but more importantly, protect our divine mother cow.

The Legend of Agastya

Maharishi Agastya, also known as Agathiyar, was one of the great sages of ancient India. He was the son of MitraVaruna Rishi and the apsara Urvashi. He is also referred to as Kumbhasambhava or Kumbha Muni - meaning born from a pot. About a hundred years ago, the whole idea of someone being born from a pot or a vessel must have sounded extremely ridicules,unbelievable or even super natural romanticism. However, with so many in vitro fertilization methods and test tube babies, amongst us now, it doesn't sound all that unbelievable, does it ? There was a time, in 1600s, when Galileo an Italian physicist, mathematician claimed that the earth is not flat, but round and it revolves around the sun. He was dramatically persecuted by the Church and ridiculed upon. However, in Ancient India,Yajnavalkya (c. 9th–8th century BCE) recognized that the Earth is spherical in his astronomical text Shatapatha Brahmana. This is also recognized in another Vedic Sanskrit text Aitareya Brahmana composed around the same time, and in a later Sanskrit commentary Vishnu Purana.

So you see, science is a very relative thing !

Coming back to Rishi Agastya, the marriage of Lord Shiva to Uma, the daughter of the king of mountains Himavan was going to be conducted at Mount Kailas. All the people in the world and all the creatures began to flock to the north. The earth was in danger of toppling over, as the weights of North and South were not in balance. Upon beholding this the Lord said, "This cannot be allowed to happen. We need a suitable weight to counterbalance this northern tilt. Only Agastya can do this job." He then summoned Agastya and bade him to go south and use his yogic powers to balance the earth. Agastya was pleased with this honor, but was also saddened, because then he won't be able to witness this divine marriage. Perceiving the thoughts in the Rishi's mind, Shiva granted him a boon that himself and Uma will appear before Agastya, whenever the latter happened to think of them. Pleased, Agastya began his southward journey." He is one of the most revered sages of south India.

Siddhar were spiritual adepts who possessed the ashta siddhis, or the eight supernatural powers. Sage Agathiyar is considered the guru of all Siddhars, and the Siddha medicine system is believed to have been handed over to him by Lord Muruga, son of the Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. Siddhars are the followers of Lord Shiva. Agathiyar is the first Siddhar. His disciples and other siddhars contributed thousands of texts on Siddhar literature, including medicine and form the propounders of the system in this world.He is also considered as the Father of Tamil literature and compiled the first Tamil grammar called Agathiyam. He is regarded to have lived in the 6th or 7th century B.C and specialized in language, alchemy, medicine and spirituality (yogam and gnanam).There are 96 books in the name of Agathiyar. In Tamil language, the term 'Agam' means inside and 'iyar' means belong. One who belongs inside (soul) is Agathiyar.

There are several stories around Agastya Rishi's life, but I find this one very interesting.

IIvala and Vatapi were two demon brothers. Vatapi could changed himself into any form he desired, like a shape shifter. IIvala knew the Sanjivini Mantra.Hence, the demons used to trick people into eating Vatapi who would assume the form of a goat and then, IIlava would say the mantra, enabling Vatapi to tear the stomach and come out. Agastya wanted to put an end to their ways. Hence we met them and as expected Ilava offered Vatapi as food to the Sage. The Sage after eating simply said “Vatapi Jeerno Bhava " ( may Vatapi be digested ). By his yogic powers, he completely dissolved Vatapi. Enraged by his brother's death, Ilvala attacked the Rishi, who promptly reduced him to ashes !

A lot of people strongly object to mixing of mythology with science and spirituality. But I think there are no boundary walls separating the three. Where one begins and the other ends is for us to find out!

The Power of One

A little more than 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav "Molai" Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India's Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site so he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng planted — single-handedly.

It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.

"The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng, now 47.

While it's taken years for Payeng's remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn't take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deer, rhinos, tigers and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss.

Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng's project, forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they've come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough.

"We're amazed at Payeng," says Gunin Saikia, assistant conservator of Forests. "He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero."

THE GURU

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुरेव परंब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

Salutation to the noble Guru, who is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara, the direct Parabrahma, the Supreme Reality.

The teacher is like Lord Brahma as he generates the knowledge within us,like Lord Vishnu as he Operates the ideas/knowledge in our mind unto the right path, and like Lord Mahesh (Shiva) as he destroys the ignorance in our minds and leads us towards enlightenment.

Most of us can remember at least one teacher who had a profound effect on our early life, someone who had a positive impact on us and made us the person we are today.

A teacher's role in our lives and the society at large is very significant and invaluable. The ancient Indian understood this and hence had the great Guru-Shishya parampara. "Gu" means dark and "Ru" means light. So, "Guru" may be translated as darkness to light, or possibly one who leads from darkness to light. The Guru is a teacher who guides the Shishya. He is a mentor who leads the Shishya (student) from blindness or ignorance to bliss,wisdom, and enlightenment.

Guru Shishya Parampara has been the most ancient and is also known as the best system of eduction.The student while living in a Gurukul would help to the Guru with the household work and at the same time, living under a stringent discipline,spending moderate lifestyle and perpetually practicing whatever education has been given to the student by the Guru.Knowledge, whether it be Vedic studies, maths,science, architecture, music or spiritual, was imparted through the developing relationship between the guru and the disciple. It is considered that this relationship,based on the genuineness of the guru,and the respect, commitment, devotion and obedience of the student, is the best way for subtle or advanced knowledge to be conveyed. The student eventually masters the knowledge that the guru embodies.

The Britishers took away a lot from us. But amongst the worst things they did to our society was the destruction of the Gurukul form of education which in turn, eliminated the entire Guru-Shishya Parampara.It was one of the most wonderful system of education from the ancient India. In this day and age, there is rapid deterioration of education system, quality and morality of the teachers. At the same time, there is little respect for the teachers and the teaching profession at large. It is very important for us to revive the ancient system of education. It is the

need of the hour.

From early childhood itself, young minds should be driven towards seeking knowledge and blessed are those who get the guidance to move away from the darkness of ignorance towards illuminating wisdom !

Rudra Abhishek

There is a huge controversy surrounding the movie PK on different media like newspapers, television and social media. I haven't seen the movie, so I don't really want to comment on it, however, in several reports I have read that the movie attempts to remove "empty" and "bizarre/crazy " rituals followed by Hindus. One such ritual targeted by the movie is pouring of milk over the Shiva Ling. Yes, we have been doing it from time immemorial !

You see the ancient Indians were very wise people. They had absolutely sound,logical and scientific reason behind every ritual they performed. However, with time, the rituals have remained but the science is forgotten.

The Sanskrit word ‘Lingam’ means symbol. Thus the literal meaning of Shiva Lingam is the symbol of Shiva. The Shiva Lingam represents him, the Supreme Shiva¸ who is formless.

During the Samudra manthan, Lord Shiva drank the drank the poison,due to which, his throat turned blue. Hence, the name - Neelkanth. So essentially, the foods that are not meant for human consumption (considered poison) during a certain period of time were offered to Lord Shiva.For example, according to the science of Ayurveda,every person has 3 components in him: Vata(Air), Kapha (Cough) and Pitta(Acids).All the three components are necessary for the smooth functioning of the body.But when the proportion of these components becomes abnormal,lots of diseases come and make the person suffer.During the month of Shravan,the Vata component of a person becomes high in proportion.At such times,he must avoid foods that increase the Vata component. Milk is very difficult to digest during that period. In olden days it was probably difficult to educate everybody about the usefulness of a crop or about fruit and berries which had to be avoided. Thus this ritual showed people as to which food could be consumed and which was to be avoided.

Many believe that Shiva Lings, were ancient nuclear powerhouses. The shape of a Shiva Ling is identical to modern atomic reactors. A Shiva Ling is traditionally rooted in standing water below the ground level. Over the emblem also hangs a pitcher which constantly drips water over the Shiva Ling. It is meant to cool down the Lingam, which generates a lot of energy.

It is only in a Shiv temple that the water flowing from the Lingam is not consumed as holy water. The water from a Lingam is not drunk for precisely the same reason as the water from a nuclear reactor is not potable- it is charged water. Why are shiv temples always found near a source of water, say a river or lake? That is because shiv Lingams- just like modern day reactors need water for cooling the core. Do you know that no one is allowed to cross the spout of a Shiva Lingam during pradakshina- circumambulation of the Lingam during worship? People have to turn back as soon as they approach the spout because the spout represents irradiated water.

Devotees of Shiva complete only 3/4th round of the Shiva Ling. They must turn back from the water outlet. They are not supposed to cross that waste water channel. Priest’s say “the water coming out of Shiva Ling is “impure” and that one must not touch it at any cost’. Hence the waste water emerging from the Shiva Ling depicted radioactive waste and hence traditionally should not be crossed.

We put Bael leaves (bilipatra) on a Shiva Ling. These leaves are believed to have a capability to absorb radioactive radiation and hence protect vulnerable lives around a ling.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15204705

In a study carried out, ground water in Varanasi was found to have a much higher radioactive Uranium content than permissible limit. What is the reason for such a high Uranium content in Varanasi? We know that the Kashi Vishvanath Jyotirling is situated in Varanasi. Maybe, that is the reason. More scientific studies need to be performed in this field.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/uranium-in-groundwater-in-varanasi-study/article1296287.ece

Pouring of the milk also has spiritual significance. 'Abhishek' is a Sanskrit term which means ‘to cleanse.’ The term is used to describe the religious activity of giving holy bath to a deity. While performing the Abhishek, the Shiva Ling is cleansed with milk. The importance of the ritual being, milk is a sign of purity. And as we pour this milk over the Linga, we not only cleanse it, but also our self and hence wash our sins away. It is a way a devotee connects with his God.

In Sanatan Dharma, it is believed, that there are infinite ways for a person to be one with the infinite supreme God.Whether one chooses to do so, by devoting oneself to Lord Shiva or by feeding food and milk to the poor or any other way, is a personal decision. We should never forget that it is only in our great land, that we get to choose our own God and our own way to attain Moksha !

ॐ नमः शिवाय

The Real Pythagoras

Recently, at the inauguration of the 102nd edition of the Indian Science Congress, union minister of science and technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan, mentioned that it was our scientists, from ancient India who discovered the Pythagoras theorem and we have always shared our knowledge with the whole world selflessly. This is something that each of us should be proud of. Right ? To my utter shock, many people including several scientists, objected to and mocked the comment.

But Dr Harsh Vardhan is absolutely right !!

Ancient Indian mathematicians discovered the Pythagoras theorem. This might come as a surprise to many, but it’s true that Pythagoras theorem was known much before Pythagoras and it was Indians who actually discovered it at least 1000 years before Pythagoras was born!

It was Baudhayana who discovered the Pythagoras theorem. Baudhayana listed Pythagoras theorem in his book called Shulba Sutra (800 BCE). It is also one of the oldest books on advanced Mathematics. The word 'Shulba' in Sanskrit means rope or cord. Hence Shulba Sutra was a book of geometry. The actual shloka (verse) in Baudhayana Shulba Sutra that describes Pythagoras theorem is :

dīrghasyākṣaṇayā rajjuḥ pārśvamānī, tiryaḍam mānī,

cha yatpṛthagbhūte kurutastadubhayāṅ karoti.

The above shloka can be translated as – A rope stretched along the length of the diagonal produces an area which the vertical and horizontal sides make together.As you see, it becomes clear that this is perhaps the most intuitive way of understanding and visualizing Pythagoras theorem (and geometry in general) and Baudhāyana seems to have simplified the process of learning by encapsulating the mathematical result in a simple shloka in a layman’s language.

Though, Baudhayana was not the only Indian mathematician to have provided Pythagorean triplets and proof. Apastamba also provided the proof for Pythagoras theorem, which again is numerical in nature but again unfortunately this vital contribution has been ignored and Pythagoras was wrongly credited by Cicero and early Greek mathematicians for this theorem. Baudhayana presented geometrical proof using isosceles triangles so, to be more accurate, we attribute the geometrical proof to Baudhayana and numerical (using number theory and area computation) proof to Apastamba.

Apart from the two, another ancient Indian mathematician called Bhaskara later provided a unique geometrical as well as numerical proof of the Pythagoras theorem, which works for all types of triangles (not just isosceles as in some older proofs).

Mathematicians and scientists from all over the world are now acknowledging and accepting the accomplishments of ancient Indians in the fields of maths and science. Now its our turn to do the same !!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudhayana

http://www.math.ubc.ca/~cass/courses/m309-01a/kong/sulbasutra_geometry.htm

http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emt668/emt668.student.folders/headangela/essay1/pythagorean.html

http://www.mff.cuni.cz/veda/konference/wds/proc/pdf06/WDS06_101_m8_Sykorova.pdf

http://www.tifr.res.in/~archaeo/FOP/FoP%20papers/ancmathsources_Dani.pdf

http://www.researchgate.net/publication/239543134_The_Baudhyana_rautastra_critically_edited_and_translated

http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Projects/Pearce/Chapters/Ch4_2.html