Thriving Through Midlife: Wisdom from Ayurveda, Yoga, and Spirituality for Women

Ms. Aparna Sharma

In Vedic texts, women are depicted in multifaceted roles, each reflecting their profound significance in ancient Indian society. Revered as divine creators embodying the energies of goddesses such as Śakti and Sarasvatī, women are seen as the nurturing forces behind life’s creation and sustenance. Within the household, they serve as the cornerstone of stability, managing domestic affairs with grace and efficiency while nurturing familial bonds and social cohesion. Moreover, women are celebrated as educators, transmitting cultural traditions, values, and wisdom to future generations, thereby shaping the very fabric of society. In partnership with their husbands, they share mutual respect, companionship, and support, contributing to each other’s growth and well-being. Beyond the realm of the household, women are active participants in spiritual pursuits, engaging in religious rituals, prayers, and meditative practices, reflecting their spiritual autonomy and quest for higher consciousness. Throughout Vedic texts, women are accorded profound reverence and importance, embodying the foundational principles of respect, honor, and equality that continue to resonate within Indian culture and tradition.

Women are portrayed as spiritual seekers and practitioners, actively engaged in religious rituals, prayers, and meditative practices. They have access to spiritual knowledge and participate in sacred ceremonies, demonstrating their spiritual autonomy and connection to the divine. Women in Vedic texts are revered with significant respect, honor, and importance for their pivotal contributions to family life, community welfare, and spiritual evolution. Although social norms and roles have evolved over time, the foundational principles of reverence for women and their integral role in society remain deeply ingrained in Indian culture and tradition.

Women transitioning into midlife were supported through practices such as Dinacharyā, which emphasized the importance of daily routines to maintain balance and well-being. During this pivotal stage, women were encouraged to prioritize self-care and holistic health practices to thrive in midlife. Dinacharyā, which translates to “daily regimen,” encompassed various rituals and activities aimed at nurturing physical, mental, and spiritual health. Women would adhere to specific routines involving waking up early, cleansing practices such as oil pulling or tongue scraping, and engaging in activities like yoga, meditation, and nourishing meals. These practices were believed to promote hormonal balance, reduce stress, and enhance vitality during the transition into midlife. Additionally, women received support from their communities and families, who valued their wisdom and experience, further bolstering their resilience and well-being during this phase of life.

In traditional contexts, particularly within the realms of Ayurveda, Yoga, and spirituality, the midlife transition for women holds profound significance. It is viewed as a pivotal phase marked by both physical and psychological changes, and is often referred to as the “Pitta” stage of life, characterized by the dominance of the fire element. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, recognizes midlife as a period of hormonal shifts and physiological transformations. According to Ayurvedic principles, women experience a decline in the “Pitta” dośa during this time, which can manifest as symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and digestive disturbances. These changes are seen as a natural part of the aging process and are attributed to imbalances in the body’s dośic constitution.

Yoga, as a complementary practice to Ayurveda, offers tools for managing the physical and emotional challenges of midlife. Through the practice of āsanas (postures), prāṇāyāma (breath control), and meditation, women can cultivate balance and harmony within the body and mind. Certain yoga poses, such as twists and backbends, are believed to stimulate the endocrine system and alleviate symptoms associated with menopause. Prāṇāyāma techniques, such as cooling breaths like Shītali and Shītkari, can help pacify the fiery nature of Pitta and promote a sense of calmness and equilibrium.

Spirituality plays a crucial role in navigating the midlife transition, offering women a deeper understanding of their life’s purpose and inner fulfillment. Practices such as meditation, prayer, and introspection provide avenues for self-reflection and spiritual growth. In many spiritual traditions, midlife is regarded as a time of wisdom and self-realization, where women are encouraged to embrace their inherent strengths and cultivate a sense of acceptance and gratitude for the journey of life.

In Vedic literature, hymns and verses touch upon various stages of a woman’s life, though specific focus on midlife may be limited. The Ṛgveda, an ancient Hindu text, portrays women in diverse roles, addressing their transitions. While hymns dedicated solely to women’s midlife may be absent, the text acknowledges their importance and significance throughout different life stages. For example, Ṛgveda 10.85, attributed to sage Vasiṣṭha, celebrates women’s power and vitality, depicting them as embodiments of strength, wisdom, and nurturing qualities. While not specifically about midlife, the hymn highlights women’s importance across life stages, emphasizing their maturity and wisdom gained through experience. Similarly, Ṛgveda 10.159, known as the “Vāgambhranī Sūkta,” praises the creative power of speech, symbolized as the divine goddess Vāk or Sarasvatī. Although not directly about midlife, the hymn underscores the importance of women’s voices and their capacity to inspire positive change in society, applicable across various life stages.

However, the midlife crisis in traditional contexts goes beyond the physical and psychological realms, touching upon the existential and spiritual dimensions of human existence. It is seen as an opportunity for women to reassess their priorities, redefine their identities, and reconnect with their innermost selves. Through self-inquiry and self-discovery, women can transcend the limitations of ego and embrace the fullness of their being, finding fulfillment and purpose in every stage of life.

In contemporary times, women’s experiences during midlife crisis are influenced by a complex interplay of social, economic, and psychological factors. Shifting societal norms may fuel identity crises in midlife for women. Changes in family dynamics, caregiving roles, and aging parents can disrupt self-perception. Social media amplifies pressures to meet unrealistic beauty standards, worsening feelings of inadequacy. Career challenges like stagnation and glass ceilings can unsettle women’s midlife. Financial worries about retirement savings and pensions heighten stress. Socio-economic disparities affect women’s coping abilities during midlife transitions. Midlife prompts women to reevaluate identity and values, sparking existential questions. Societal beauty standards amplify body image concerns, causing psychological distress. Women utilize coping strategies like social support and therapy for midlife challenges.

In conclusion, the midlife crisis for women in traditional contexts is a multifaceted phenomenon that encompasses physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Drawing from the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga, and spirituality, women can navigate this transformative phase with grace and resilience, embracing the inherent beauty and richness of the journey. As they embrace the fire of midlife with courage and compassion, women have the opportunity to emerge stronger, wiser, and more radiant than ever before. Overall, women in the Vedic period and traditional times took care of aging individuals with compassion, dedication, and reverence, recognizing the wisdom and experience that elders brought to the family and society. Their caregiving roles were deeply ingrained in cultural norms and values, emphasizing the importance of familial bonds and mutual support across generations.

By incorporating traditional wisdom into contemporary frameworks, we acknowledge the timeless relevance of age-old insights. This integration allows us to address modern challenges with a holistic perspective, drawing from the wisdom of the past while adapting to the complexities of the present. Through this approach, we create a more balanced and sustainable approach to navigating midlife transitions in today’s rapidly changing world.

Ms. Aparna Sharma, Integrative Intervention Therapist, Psychotherapist, ANANTHAM MIND STUDIO

Purāṇa : The Age-Old Ancient Story Telling Technique

– Dr. Dhananjay B. Ghare

Introduction: ‘Śaunaka’ group of sages carried out a ‘yāga’ for global welfare. ‘Sūta’ alias ‘Romaharśaṇa’ a wandering monk, expert in telling spiritually symbolic stories in romantic hair-raising style and famous as ‘Purāṇika’, frequently visited them. Some families in Maharashtra and north Karnataka area have ‘Purāṇika’ as their surnames, most probably because their ancestors used to present ‘Kīrtana’s’ embedded with stories from Paūrāṇika literature.

Śaunakaadika (representative of ‘Śaunaka’ group of sages): Welcome Sūta Mahāṛṣi. Your guru Vyāsa Mahāṛṣi made unbelievably huge and excellent contributions to Vedopaṇiśadic philosophy and literature within a single human life spam. He is therefore respected as divine incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu. Later, why did Vyāsa created Paūrāṇic literature?

Sūta: Vyāsa Mahāṛṣi first condensed the huge ‘Vedic’ literature (1000,000,000 stanzas, Śata koti pravistāram) to just about 10,000 most important stanzas. Then, he divided them in four major topic-based groups (Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda). He passed on the responsibility of study and maintenance of these four Vedic literatures, to four of his sharp, intelligent, best students. Then, he thoughtfully made the Vedic-knowledge, available in memory friendly, interesting, mind bogglingly attractive Paūrāṇic symbolic story formats. This way, it has become easily digestible and interesting to children, youngsters and common man possessing average, below average levels of intellectual capability.

He selected 18 major and 18 semi-major topics and composed 18 Purāṇa and 18 Upa-Purāṇa texts. He designed and authored this literature full of symbolic stories. Each one of this ‘Purāṇa’ & ‘Upa-Purāṇa’ texts, includes information about all important theoretical Vedopaṇiśadic concepts and knowledge. These texts are recognized as 18 Mahā Purāṇas and 18 Upa-Purāṇas. For millenniums during pre-Macaulay British-rule periods in India (3000 BC to 1850 AD), these texts were taught to children, during their initial primary and secondary school type education. Study of Veda and Upaniśad texts was reserved for extraordinary children (like Ādi-Śankara) and brightest youngsters qualifying for highest level of education.

The word ‘Purāṇa’ means old, ancient. It is also often used to mean lengthy or prolonged. This literature by sage Vyāsa is compatible to get spread via mouth-to-mouth story telling mode, from grandparents to grandchildren. In the evenings, Indian village temple halls and outskirts were used, to conduct orally communicated mass education via

a) moral, spiritual stories ‘kathā-kathāna’ (‘kirtana-bhakti’) by speakers and ‘listening’ (‘śravaṇa-bhakti’) by the audiences and

 b) singing divine praises, mantra phrases and devotional prayers (‘bhajana’) programs, based on stories from this Paūrāṇic literature of sage Vyāsa along with songs, abhanga’s, doha’s authored by later poets and saints like Mīrābaī, Narasi Mehatā, Purandaradāsa, Dnyāneśvara, Nāmadeva, Tukārāma etc.

Names of 18 Mahā Purāṇa texts designed and composed by Vyāsa Mahāṛṣi are:

1) Brahma Purāṇa 2) Padma Purāṇa 3) Viṣṇu Purāṇa 4) Shiva Purāṇa 5) Bhāgavata Purāṇa 6) Nārad Purāṇa 7) Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa 8) Agni Purāṇa 9) Bhaviśya Purāṇa 10) Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa 11) Linga Purāṇa 12) Varāha Purāṇa 13) Skanda Purāṇa 14) Vāmana Purāṇa 15) Kurma Purāṇa 16) Matsya Purāṇa 17) Garuḍa Purāṇa and 18) Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa

Some minimum stories related with vital information about the three Supreme Gods 1) Lord Brahmadeva, 2) Lord Viṣṇu, 3) Lord Shiva and their consorts 1) Sarasvati, 2) Laxmi and 3) Umā alias Pārvatī are included in every one of all 18 Mahā Purāṇas and 18 Upa-Purāṇas texts. Briefest information about all eighteen Purāṇa texts:

1) Brahma Purāṇa (10000 verses): Everything present in any form at present, must always be present in some form or other, during the infinite time-space of the past and the future. In other words, it is immortal in it’s true nature, but gets transformed in different forms with passage of time. This ancient Indian Vedopaṇiśadic principle is restated in the modern Scientific language as a law of ‘Thermodynamics’. Viz. ‘Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed’.  This indestructible ‘essence’ inside everything, is called ‘Brahmatatva’. Lord Sūrya is the nearest glaring example of divine ‘Brahma’ Energy. Brahma Purāṇa describes history of all Universes and includes praises of Lord Sūrya as typical example of divine Brahma and describes his wonderful temple at Konark, Odisha.

2) Padma Purāṇa (55000 verses): ‘Padma’ means lotus flower. Lord Brahmadeva symbolising the ‘Creativity’ of Mother Nature, is hypothesised to have got born in a symbolic ‘Lotus’ flower oozing out of the navel of Lord Viṣṇu. This Purāṇa describes birth rebirth cycles of Universes and is a good guide for pilgrimages in Indian subcontinent. Important features of Padma Purāṇa are, it includes ‘Bhagavadgītā Māhātmya’ with a symbolic story related with teachings of each chapter and a beautiful commentary on each chapter of ‘Bhagavadgītā’. 

3) Viṣṇu Purāṇa (23000 verses): Meaning of the word ‘Viṣṇu’ is ‘pervading and occupying the entire pervaded space’. Lord Viṣṇu is mythologically regarded as the divine power responsible for ‘sthiti’ meaning current state or status of the Universe. Chāturvarṇāśrama-dharma is advocated as important tradition for proper maintenance of human society and its genetic racial diversity structure forever.

4) Shiva Purāṇa (24000 verses): ‘Shiva’ means pure, auspicious, divine. Lord Shiva represents natural divine purity and auspiciousness within everything. Lord Shiva also represents ‘tamo guṇa’ meaning maximum, peaking, maximisation, extreme etc. Shiva Purāṇa contains information about a) incarnations of Lord Shiva and b) important ‘vratas (e.g. Ekādaśī, Pradośa, Shivarātri, Somavāra) and c) varieties of worships for pleasing Lord Shiva and reaching his abode ‘Kailāśa’.

5) Bhāgavata Purāṇa (18000 verses): Repetitive natures of birth, expansion, spread and death after a certain lifespan of Universes are described, with focus on roles played by Lord Viṣṇu as a divine guardian and his 24 incarnations. Highlight is focused on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s incarnation.

6) Nārad Purāṇa (25000 verses): Sage Nārada, devotee of Lord Viṣṇu constantly reciting ‘Nārāyaṇa’ recommends numerous forms of ‘devotion’. Singing praises of God’s divineness (‘Kīrtanam’) is recommended as the best way of pleasing Gods. Includes information on ancient Indian Mathematics, astronomy and astrology.

7) Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa (9000 verses): Important feature is it includes ‘Devī Māhātmya’, Durgā Saptaśati, a ‘Śākta’ treatise on Goddess ‘Śakti’, ‘Chaṇḍī’ or ‘Durgā’.

8) Agni Purāṇa (15400 verses): Lord ‘Agni’ represents ‘Thermal Energy’ which exponentially accelerates all natural activities. This text includes ‘Encyclopaedic’ information on spiritual progress via Śaivism, Vaiśṇavism, cosmology, etc. and materialistic progress via ancient Indian geology, mining, gemology, engineering, vāstuśāstra, architecture etc.

9) Bhaviśya Purāṇa (14500 verses): Forecasts possible events in future using the trends in the past history. Advocates good moral and spiritual activities today, to ensure possibilities of good prospects for ‘Future’.

10) Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa (18000 verses): ‘Brahma-vaivarta’ means metamorphosis of ‘Brahma’. This text projects Lord Kṛṣṇa and goddess Rādhā as Mūla-Prakṛuti and Puruṣa pair.

(Source of Image: https://twitter.com/Anshulspiritual/status/1348996464060452866/photo/1)

11) Linga Purāṇa (11000 verses): ‘Linga’ means important ‘sign’ of identification. ‘Shiva linga’ (representing ‘Universe’ in cylindrical coordinates), is used as a ‘sign’ to worship Shiva.

12) Varāha Purāṇa (24000 verses): ‘Varāha’ means wild boar, and an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu to kill demon ‘Hiraṇyākśa and save ‘Earth’ from his clutches. Astronomically, this story represents an event which is hypothecated to have occurred at the time of beginning of ‘Śveta-Varāha-Kalpa’ period. This Purāṇa text includes ‘Dharmaśāstra’ or ‘rules and regulations’ for good moral conduct and behavioural pattern to ensure healthy, happy life.

13) Skanda Purāṇa (81000 verses): Skanda represents a six faced God and son of Lord Shiva. This Purāṇa advocates pilgrimage ‘Tīrtha-yātrā’ to please all Gods and to raise one’s spiritual status. Describes geography of pilgrimage centres in Indian subcontinent.

14) Vāmana Purāṇa (10000 verses): Describes the Vāmana incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu and advocates pilgrimages for spiritual upliftment.

15) Kurma Purāṇa (17000 verses): ‘Kurma’ means a tortoise, an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu during churning of ‘Kṣīra Sāgara’ (ocean of milk ‘milkyway’). Includes related stories.

16) Matsya Purāṇa (14000 verses): ‘Matsya’ means a fish, an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu, during ‘Jala-Pralaya’ deluge, to save king ‘Manu’ and samples of a lot of important living species. This text Includes a) Vāstuśāstra focussing on building temples, sculptures and b) guidelines for charity, yoga and morally creditable behaviour patterns. etc.

17) Garuḍa Purāṇa (19000 verses): ‘Garuḍa’ means eagle, the carrier ‘Vāhana’ of Lord Viṣṇu. Includes civil engineering concepts and recommendations on duties of King, common man etc.

18) Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa (12000 verses): Brahmāṇḍa means ‘Universe’, which is estimated to look like a huge ‘egg’ in shape. This text includes popular ‘Lalitā-Sahasranāma’ and ‘Adhyātma Rāmāyaṇa’.

Dr. Dhananjay B. Ghare, Former Scientist, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Celebrating the Year of ‘Millets’ through its Knowledge from Vedas to Present

Dr. Raghava S. Boddupalli and Dr. Aparna Dhir Khandelwal

Pandemic era has turned everyone to think about or to be more conscious towards one’s own health. Presently, around the globe people are running for organic food items that enable them to lose weight, controls cholesterol & blood sugar levels, fight against heart diseases, etc. With the present year, India has taken up the presidency of G20 Summit and while we are at G20’s 2023 edition, it is worth noting that the year 2023 is also declared as the International Year of Millets (IYoM) by the United Nations General Assembly. The proposal for declaring the same was put forth by India and was subsequently supported by 72 countries of the General Assembly. While speaking at the pre-launch celebration of the International Year of Millets in November, 2022 in Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar did highlight three big “Cs”- challenges facing the global economy, including covid, conflict, and the climate. He included that all three have had grave impacts on food security in very many ways. For instance, during the height of the pandemic, food security was challenged globally. Also, in the face of alarming climate change, Millets, or Nutri-cereals as they are alternatively known hold immense potential, he added. 

With these thoughts, Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has called for a mass movement in the country to promote Millets in view of the International year of Millets 2023. So, that the Indian millets, recipes, value added products are accepted globally.

(Source of Image: https://www.mygov.in/campaigns/millets/)

Since pre-historic times, grasses have originated and evolved even before origin of human beings. During the Vedic age, grasses are used in various sacraments, and also are used as medicinal herbs that are detailed in the Vedic texts, Epics, Purāṇas and also in later Sanskrit literature texts. Grasses belong to Gramineae or Poaceae family containing 11,000 species including important cereal crops such as paddy (vrīhi), wheat (yava), wild rice (nīvāra) and Millets. The Vedic grasses can be classified into wild grasses, cereal crops, and Millets. Human beings’ staple food derives from the grass family. The cereal and Millet crops revealed in the Vedic texts are still being cultivated by our farmers for the utilization by mankind and cattle on day-to-day basis as food, fodder, and for traditional medicines including Ayurvedā. These Millets are also known as ‘coarse cereals’ or ‘cereals of the poor’ and since they are not fussy about soil and water, they are a major source of energy for more than a billion people in arid and semi-arid regions.

Indian Millets

Millets Revealed in the Vedic and Sanskrit Texts

Aṇu (Panicum miliaceum L.): The utility of Aṇu is seen in ‘Annahōmas of Vājapeya yajña’ ritual Bṛhadaraṇyaka Upaniṣad (6-2-13). By performing this Annahōma, the sacrificer obtains plenty of food. Aṇu is an oṣadhi yielding small grains. Sāyaṇācharya (TS 4-7-4) says that Aṇu is the small rice (aṇavaḥ sukṣmavrīhayaḥ). Mahidhara (VS 18-12) gives the synonym as cīnaka (aṇavaḥ cīnakāḥ).

Priyaṅgu (Setaria italica L.): During the Vasōrdhārā Hōma, the sacrificer prays Agni and Viṣṇu to grant him heaps of Priyaṅgu grains (priyaṅgavaśca mē – TS 4-7-4), VS (18-12). In the Nakṣatra Iṣṭi, Priyaṅgu is offered as Caru (food oblation) to deity Rudra to obtain plenty of cattle (TB 1-3-4). The Aitereya Brahmaṇa (bhōjyaṃ vā ētadōṣadhīnāṃ yatpriyaṅgavaḥ) praises Priyaṅgu as the best kind of food.

Balbaja (Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertner: Balbaja is mentioned in the Ṛgveda (RV 8-99, Valakhilya – 7), Atharvaveda (AV 14-2-23) and Yajurveda (YV) Saṃhitas (balbajānapīdhmē sannahyēt – TS 2-2-8) and is produced from the excrements of cattle. In the KS (10-10) it is stated to be used for the sacrificial litter (Barhis) and for fuel. The baskets and other products made of balbaja are recommended as worthy gifts, śatam mē balbajastukā aruṣīṇām catuḥ śatam in the RV (8-55-3).

Śyāmākā (Echinochloa frumentacea): In several Iṣṭis, Caru or Purōḍāśā prepared of Śyāmāka grains are offered to Soma and other deities. The lightness of the seed is alluded to in the AV (19-50-4), where it is spoken of as blown away by the wind. There it is also mentioned as the food of pigeons in the AV (20-135-12). The Śyāmāka seeds (Taṇḍula) are referred to as very small in the Chandogya Upaniṣad (CU 8-14-3). In the TS it is revealed that this offering cure impotency and causes commendable virility (sōmāya vājinē śyāmākaṃ caruṃ nirvapēdyaḥ klaibyādbibhīyāt Taittirīya Saṃhita (TS) 2-3-3(18). The Materia Medica of Ayurvedā (p.245) records that the Śyāmāka is used medicinally for drying and un-unctuous. It also indicated that the grains are good aphrodisiac.

The great sage Veda Vyasa composed the Navagraha Stotra consists of nine mantras for nine planets. The following verse in the Navagraha Stotra is recited to please the Mercury (Budha) graha. Mercury is the planet of communication, organization, and mental dexterity. The first word in this liturgy is the name of one of the Millets, the Priyaṅgu.

Priyangu Kalika Shyamam Roopena Pratimam Budham

           Sowmyam Sowmya Guno Petam Tam Budham Prana Maamyaham

I bow down and pray to Mercury (Budha) graha, god of the planet Mercury, whose face is like a fragrant inflorescence of the Priyaṅgu (Millet) herb and whose beauty matches that of a lotus flower. He is most gentle, possessing all attractive qualities.

Suśruta (Suśruta Samhitā, 600-500 BC) classified cereals as dhanya varga, khudhanya varga and samidhanya varga. Khudhayna varga includes, among other Millets viz., kodo Millet (kodrusaha), barnyard Millet (śyāmākā), and Coix lacryma-jobi (gavedhuka). Archaeo-botanical remains have also been found from upper and middle Gangetic Plains. It was also grown at Manjhi (Saran, Bihar) during the red ware levels (250 BC-250 AD).

Kālidāsa Māhākavi (4-5^th AD), in his legendary literary masterpiece the ‘Abhijñāna Śākuntalam’ mentioned that sage Kāṇva who pours foxtail Millet while bidding farewell to Śakuntala in Dushyanta’s court, which indicates the auspicious nature attributed to this Millet. According to Dakar Bachan, composed sometime in early medieval Bengal (8^th to 13^th Century AD), cultivation of proso-Millet (china kaon) was advised if it rained during Phālgun month (February-March).

Thus, this indicates that small-seeded grasses, i.e., Millet crops were in consumption during Vedic and post Vedic period. Now, let’s know about their present-day status.

Nutritional Value of Millets and Present-Day

Millets are nutritiously rich, drought tolerant and mostly grown in the arid and semi-arid regions of Indian subcontinent and African countries. Indian Millets are nutritionally superior to wheat and rice as they are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. It is scientifically proven that the Millets are high in fiber, rich in essential amino acids, polyphenols, and proteins, naturally gluten-free, alkaline, non-allergenic, and they are thus easily digestible. They have a low glycemic index, making them ideal for people with celiac disease, diabetes, obesity or other lifestyle diseases. A low glycemic index makes them an ideal rice substitute, good for cholesterol, diabetes and weight loss.

Grains of Indian Millets

Millets which are rich in calcium play an important role in the growth of children, pregnant women, and in malnutrition. It contains high amount of potassium for the proper functioning of the kidneys and brains and allows the brain and muscles to work smoothly. Millets confer good health and protection against non-communicative diseases. Epidemiological studies have shown that diets rich in Millets, including whole grains are protective against the non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, due to protective effects of health promoting phytonutrients. Sprouting Millets make more minerals bioavailable. Malting of finger millet increases the bio-accessibility of iron and manganese. In India, Millets are generally consumed with legumes, which create mutual supplementation of protein, increase the amino acid content, and enhance the overall digestibility of protein.

(Source of Image: https://epaper.timesgroup.com/timesspecial/sci-tech-environment/helping-millets-get-their-mojo-back/1677352018644)

Millets in Modern Foods

Investigations have proved that use of 100% Millet in ready-to-eat breakfast cereals would be feasible. To increase the functional aspects of Millets, processing such as parboiling, malting, flaking, popping, boiling, extrusion (hot and cold) is done. This results in the diversification and shift towards more convenient/ processed products of fine cereals like rice and wheat from the Millets. Some of the food preparations made out of Indian Millet grains and floor is depicted in the Figure.

Food Preparations from Indian Millets

Times of India recently mentioned Millets, as ‘replicas of junk food, but they are tasty and healthy’ as claimed by Millet entrepreneurs in a report on the exhibition organized by Indian Agricultural Research Institute by the ‘Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)’ , under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

So, time has come when we all can adopt our own indigenous traditional roots of Millets, having both Vedic insights and modern approach together!

Dr. Raghava S. Boddupalli, Institute of Sanskrit and Vedic Studies (ISVS) &

Dr. Aparna Dhir Khandelwal, Assistant Professor, School of Indic Studies, INADS, Dartmouth, USA

Dravidian Origin of Makar Sankrānti and Much of Indian and World Culture

Ayodhya Nanihal Series. III

Prof. Bal Ram Singh

Makar Sankrānti is celebrated when the Sun enters the constellation of Capricorn from Sagitarius, and according to the Vedic zodiac this phenomenon happens on January 14/15 every year, and is celebrated as the dawn of the Uttarāyan movement of the Sun.

According to the Bhagvadgītā’s Chapter 8 –

अग्निर्ज्योतिरह: शुक्ल: षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् |
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जना: ||24||
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥā

धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्ण: षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् |
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ||25||
dhūmo rātristathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣhiṇāyanam
tatra cāndramasaṁ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate

शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगत: शाश्वते मते |
एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुन: ||26||

Śukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate
ekayā yātyanāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ

Meaning (Bhagvad Gita, Commentary by Swami Muktananda), Those who know the Supreme Brahman and who depart from this world, during the six months of the sun’s northern course, the bright fortnight of the moon, and the bright part of the day, attain the supreme destination. The practitioners of Vedic rituals, who pass away during the six months of the sun’s southern course, the dark fortnight of the moon, the time of smoke, the night, attain the celestial abodes. After enjoying celestial pleasures, they again return to the earth. These two, bright and dark paths, always exist in this world. The way of light leads to liberation and the way of darkness leads to rebirth.

Thus, Uttarāyan movement of the Sun is very auspicious, and it is stated in Māhābhārata that Pitāmāhā Bhīshma waited 58 days for this occasion on the bed of arrows to depart from the Earth. It is somewhat connected to the Winter Solstice that currently occurs on December 21/22, and the difference may be due to the use of Gregorian calendar, according to an article by Kartik Chaturvedi (The Astronomical Significance of Makar Sankranti, Science, February 13, 2022).

Makar Sankrānti is celebrated throughout India, albeit with a regional and local tinge to it, in terms of names, such as Thai Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Uttarāyan (Gujarat), Lohri (Punjab), Poush sôngkrānti (Bengal), Suggi Habba (Karnataka), Makara Chaula (Odisha), Maghi Sankrānt (Maharashtra and Haryana), Magh/Bhogali Bihu (Assam), Shishur Saenkraat (Kashmir), and Khichdi Parv (UP and Bihar). Interestingly, one thing is common in its celebration, from south to north and from east to west, and that is a rice dish, mostly called khichadi or Pongal. The question is where did this tradition begin and how far it has traveled?

India is arguably one of the most ancient countries of the world, and a country that is at least civilizationally the origin of the most of the world population. There are two lines of evidences to support India’s ancientness and its connection with the remaining world civilizations. One is the population genetics data that shows the origin of the human race in the central part of Africa, over 2,00,000 years ago.  Over 70,000 years ago humans in large chunks began to migrate to India. In an article entitled ‘Out of Africa, into India’ it has been asserted that human migration to India may have been more than coincidental. The other being the cultural one that includes language, food, and dress.

For the timeline of the population genetics data, it may be noted that according to Indian cosmology, a kalpa consists of fourteen manavantaras, each with seventy-one Yugas of 12,000 years. At present we are living in the 28^th of Yuga of the 7^th manavantara. Every Yuga sees pralaya (deluge) and srishti (creation). There is no equivalent day of reckoning like other biblical religions in Hindu cosmology or mythology. This makes human civilization about 5,448,000 years old, which is in the range of around 2 million years supported by modern scientific calculations. Every manvantara has its own Manu. At present, the progenies of Vaivasvata Manu, are in the existence since 336,000 years (Singh, 2022: “Land of Ayurveda, India, That Was, That is, and That Could Be”…, Ayurveda Journal of Health, Volume 20, pp. 32-40). The word ‘Manu’ is interesting, as later words like manava, manusya, or even ‘man’ or ‘Adam’ (from ‘Ādimanu’) of English language are derived from the same root. So, linguistically this credits India as the cradle of human race.

According to various texts (for example, The Matsya Purāṇa, A Study By V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar, M.A., Lecturer In Indian History, University of Madras, 1935),  Vaivasvata Manu is supposed to have founded the kingdom of Ayodhyā, on the bank of Saryu river, as his son Ikshavāku is the originator of the Suryavaṅśa or the solar dynasty, and his another son, Ila is believed to be the originator of the Chandravaṅśa or the Lunar dynasty. After the Vānaprastha, he and his queen Śatarupā are supposed to have retired for his tapasyā in the forest, which is in the Avadh region.

Evidently, this makes Ayodhyā as the first city of human civilization and her language Avadhi, as the spring-well of all later languages of the world. Although, some tend to credit Vedic Sanskrit as the oldest language (or even devabhāṣa), but the classical Sanskrit (literary, the purified, or perfected, or cultivated, or adorned), as we know it today, was organized by Māhāṛṣi Pāṇini only around 2500 years ago. Even Vedic Sanskrit could not be more than 30,000 years old. Linguists, therefore, are in favour of considering more germane languages like Prākrit, with Avadhi and Tamil variations in North and South India. There is a reference in the Matsya Purāṇa, which suggests Vaivasvata Manu of Dravidian origin, who moved to Ayodhyā during the epochal deluge (Singh, 2021: “A New Narrative of Ayodhya as the Nanihal of Humanity,” Vedic Waves blog, August 6, 2021) .

As per Dikshitar (1935), “The origin and date of the Matsya Purāṇa have long been a matter of speculation among scholars. Orthodox tradition has it that this Purāṇa was revealed originally by Lord Viṣṇu in the form’ of a fish to Vaivasvata Manu, the first king of the solar dynasty who survived the deluge (Pralaya) which resulted in a partial dissolution of the world and not in its total annihilation. In this connection, two legends, the legend of the flood and the legend of the incarnation of Viṣṇu as fish require a careful investigation.” Further (Dikshitar, 1935), “according to the Matsya Purāṇa the place where Manu, the hero eponymos of the Vedic mythology and son of Aditya Vivasvat, performed his penance, is the Malaya Hill in South India. This receives further corroboration from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa where reference is made to the king of the Dravida-desa in connection with the Deluge. This theory gains further support, if the five tribes of the ṚgVeda, who are supposed to be the offspring of Father Manu, bear any affinity to the five natural geographical divisions of the territory to which the Tamil Sangam Literature makes such pointed reference. The geographical divisions of people, according to Tamil literature are maritime, hilly, sandy, agricultural and forest.” Elsewhere, it is stated that the purpose of this Matsya incarnation of Viṣṇu is said to be to recover the Vedas or revealed texts after slaying the demon Hayagriva who had stolen them.” The names in this account are not Manu and Malaya. But it is Satyavrata, the royal sage, the king of Dravida-desa. Thus, the Dravidian origin of the King Manu has a preponderance of the textual reference. The question is what cultural connection can be established between the Dravidian King Manu and the Manu of Ayodhyā in north India. One thing, there are some common words between Tamil and Avadhi and Tamil, such as Amma for mother, Appa/Bappa for father, and peculiarly Pillu for little babies.

However, a most compelling case is made for the celebration of Makar Sankrānti. While it is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, the dish for the celebration of the festival is prepared from rice, just like the Khichadi in north, particularly the Avadh region. The festivals in India are mostly celebrated at some harvest, especially when a specific food is served at the festival. The rice crop in north India is harvested in November, so a January celebration for a rice crop does not make any appropriate sense. However, it is a recent discovery for me to learn that in Tamil Nadu there is a rice crop in January. It is, therefore, quite likely that rice dish tradition was imported along with King Manu, making the Dravidian origin of the Manu more strongly established.

This finding may have more implications than simply a festival, as the Dravidian origin of Indian culture and civilization will have social, political, linguistic, and dhārmic repercussions, and will completely destroy the concepts of Aryan Invasion Theory mooted by the British for a long time. There will be questions about Sanskrit or the Tamil being the most ancient language, and finally it will explain the most authentic Hindu practices in India being that of the Tamil or South India origin. Much research and analysis is further needed.

Interestingly, in a genetic study by National Geographic Society (See, Singh, 2021, above) it has been proven that human population initially migrated from Africa to the Indian Subcontinent, and that too, first to the South India, and then from here to everywhere else, making India as the main source of human migration some 65,000 years ago.

This may provide further cultural and linguistic connections with Ayodhyā and Avadhi to the many parts of the world. Avadhi, thus, becomes a prime source of many languages. Exploring links between literature of Avadhi and other languages could provide whole new gamut of research. For example,

Avadhi language, therefore, not just be a source of speech in the world but also culture, a culture of a civilization that still brings out passion in India, and, indeed, throughout the world. It will be wonderful to examine the cultural connection of India throughout the world. I recently learned from one of my associates in the United States, Mr. Paul Lindo, who mentioned that as per his family tradition, he used to touch the feet of his grandfather as a mark of paying respect, something that is seen as a very common practice in India. In addition, it is notable that Italians have a rice dish called Risotto, which is uncannily similar to Pongal, and also to Khichadi. A colleague from some 30 years ago, now Prof. Giampietro Schiavo at the University College London, had mentioned that many people in Italy, particularly in southern Italy claim to have come from India.

More interestingly, during my recent visit to Milano, Italy, I surprisingly encountered a bookstore name after Mandodari. The owner of the bookstore had no clue to its meaning or connection to India. There is so much to research, there is so much to learn, and there is so much to share about the Indian culture, traditions, and the history. Makar Sankrānti provides just a beginning, perhaps from its traditional value of hopefully an auspicious beginning!

Wish you all a happy, purposeful, and meaningful Makar Sankrānti!

Prof. Bal Ram Singh, School of Indic Studies and Botulinum Research Center, Institute of Advanced Sciences, Dartmouth, USA

The Existence of Women within the Institution of Marriage : Appearance and Reality

Dr. Jayanti P Sahoo

In India, the institution of marriage has a long history. Since the Vedic times, the institution of marriage has a firm place in the society, where two conscious beings enter into a relationship consciously. The idea of the institution of marriage was not simply created where two parties enter into a relationship. The idea was to establish a society where the satisfaction of both animalistic instinct as well as human desire are taken into account. Two self-conscious beings enter into a kind of relationship where mutual adjustment, respect, trust, faith, freedom, acceptance, assimilation, and recognition take place. These are the parameters on which the institution of marriage is built with. Our Śāstra Paramparā also gives us ample examples where the relationships are based not only for the fulfillment of biological needs, rather it is based on the fulfillment of material, social, mental, and spiritual needs, e.g., Rāma and Sitā, Śiva and Śakti, Yājñavalkya and Gārgī and Maitreyī, etc.

(Source of Image: https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/before-legal-marriage-age-for-women-is-raised-to-21-there-is-a-rush-to-marry-them-off-558157.html)

When we talk about the metaphysical aspects of the concept of marriage, we find that an idealistic interpretation has been associated with it. Marriage is defined as the highest social relations of two conscious beings. According to R.N. Sharma, a Hindu marriage is ‘a religious sacrament in which a man and a woman are bound in a permanent relationship for the physical, social, and spiritual purposes of dharma, procreation, and sexual pleasure’.

According to Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa (5.2.1.10), the wife is said to be ardhānginī which means ‘The wife is verily the half of the husband. Man is only the other half, not complete until he marries’.

अर्द्धो ह वा एष आत्मनो यज्जाया। तस्माद्यावज्जायां न विन्दते नैव तावत् प्रजायते।

The Taittirīya Saṁhitā also highlights the same concept. Manu declared that mutual fidelity between husband and wife was the highest dharma. A wife in a Hindu family is treated as ‘dharmapatni’. Any type of yajña is incomplete without her. The wife is supposed to be the best friend of her husband. She is the source of Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa.

Interestingly, the tradition says if we go by our causal explanation then either the self or the matter has created this world. And neither the self nor the matter has any gender. Logically, it follows that two self-conscious beings entered inside the institution of marriage and start their relationship by making some value-loaded promises which have no rational content but a conscious emotional decision.

So far as the metaphysical explanation of reality is concerned, the role of a woman within the institution of marriage is highly recognized. She has equal status in every sphere as we find enough shreds of evidence in the pre-Vedic age. Also, the Śruti texts such as Upaniṣads, and Epics like Rāmāyana and Māhābhārat recognize the role of women within the institution of marriage.  There are over 36 Riṣikas specifically found mentioned in various Vedic texts.

In the Vedic era, knowledge was transmitted through Guru-Śiṣya Paramparā, and the Śruti texts recognized the existence of the mother as the Ādi Guru or first preceptor. Even the children were prepared for a life of knowledge and wisdom during pregnancy – Garbha Samskāras. Vedic women were always literate. They were the primary custodians of essential knowledge.

However, coming to the Pauraṇic tradition, Smṛti tradition, and some texts on dharma sutras, we do not get a generous view regarding women. But there is enough evidence from the Śruti text that women had equal status as those of men in the Vedic age.

Literature like Bhagavadgītā talks about the equal status of women.  Ancient India recognized two types of scholarly women — the Brahmavādinīs, or the women who never married and cultured the Vedas throughout their lives; and the Sadyodvahas who studied the Vedas till they married. Pāṇini mentioned female students studying Vedas. Kātyana called female teachers Upādhyaya or Upādhyayī. Women played a prominent role in politics also.

The main objective of the institution of marriage especially in Hinduism is to foster, not self-interest, but self-restraint and love for the entire family, which keeps the family united and prevents its breakdown.

Appearance:

A woman defines her existence through the institution of marriage. The institution of marriage does not provide equal footage to both men and women. Existence becomes a struggle for a woman whereas for a man it’s an enjoyment. For a woman, it’s a state of immanence and passive existence and for a man, it’s a state of transcendence. All the rules are for women whereas men are the rule makers. Gradually the relationship diluted and resulted in stress and anxiety. It creates unhappiness for both husband and wife. The question arises of who is responsible for the state of uneasiness as both are the sufferers. One existential angst enters inside this close relationship. There is no longer any mutual recognition, respect, trust, faith, or love. The woman is defined no more as a self-conscious being but as an object of animalistic desire. Her existence is being challenged over a period of time. This forced her to act in a bad-faith (knowing the truth hiding the truth). She is alienated from her own consciousness and behaves like an object. Consequently, it also damages the existence of a husband who always claims himself as a subject (self-conscious being), a privileged class who always works through human desire. Ultimately the metaphysical explanation of marriage as reality turns into a hostile relationship on the level of appearance.

At the level of appearance, men have always kept all concrete powers in their hand. Women are always in a sorry state not acting as autonomous consciousness but as dependent entities. It’s not that a woman within the institution of marriage doesn’t want to project herself as Sītā or Durgā or Gourī or Satī. She only does sacrifices in her life but in return never receives any appreciation. There is a gap between appearance and reality. It’s not that she claims equality. We cannot make any general claim here. Problems are different. The existence of women is not properly defined within a patriarchal setup. It’s not the question of who is right and who is wrong, but the question is how to remove the gap between the husband and wife. Unless there is mutual agreement, adjustment, and respect, the things are not going to change. Both have to work together in order to bring unity and peace within the family. Saying one is right and the other is wrong won’t resolve the problem.

Reality:

Our scriptures say like this, and without understanding these thoughts people always try to raise their girl child by saying ‘you are Sītā, you are Pārvatī, and later on in their lives when they get married in Indian society, they are expected to behave like that. A married woman within the institution of marriage loses her self-respect, and identity and also has no place for in-laws. Because Sītā is dedicated to her husband or family… so, should be all females but in society, no male is behaving like Rāma and they are not even expected to…hence conflict arises.

The equation works like this:

1. Subject (conscious being can be wife/husband) treats others as an object (can be husband/wife) (Appearance)
2. Both of them treat each other as objects (Appearance)
3. Both of them treat each other as Subject (self-conscious being), thereby entering into a relationship where marriage is sacrosanct and pious. (Reality-Intersubjective element based on mutual adjustment, surrendering their false ego, acceptance, assimilation, and recognition of human I)

Who is responsible for this? Society, the wife, the husband, or everything taken together?  It’s a never-ending story….

(to be continued…)

Dr. Jayanti P Sahoo, HOD & Associate Professor, Philosophy, JDM College, University of Delhi, Delhi

In Search of Vedic Role Models for Modern Male Population – VII. Making and Becoming of Shiva, the all Benevolent Deity for the Welfare of All!

Rudra-Manthan Series

(Continued from Part-VI)

-Prof. Bal Ram Singh

In Ṛgveda, there is no mention of Shiva, the popular all benevolent deva of Hindu trinity of the Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva. However, Shiva is mentioned in post-Vedic literature, and links it to the Rudra mentioned in the Vedic literature. There are three types of world – causal, subtle, and the gross or physical world. The causal world presided over by Shri Vishnu along with his consort Śrī Lakshmi, the subtle or astral world is presided over by Parampitā Brahma along with is consort Devī Saraswati, and the physical world is presided over by Bhagwan Shiva and his consort Bhagwati Pārvati. These three worlds have related yet different features. The causal world is the source of all the things that emanate, and its presiding authority Shri Vishnu and Śrī Lakshmi work very closely from their abode, Vishnuloka, and are often seen sitting together.

Vishnu represents the preserving power of the universe, and is seen in visible form along with Śrī Lakshmi seated on the coils of Sheshnag (Shesh = remaining, Nag = energy) who represents the unexpressed energy. There are various stories of Vishnu and Lakshmi and Vishnuloka in Vedic and post-Vedic texts, but one thing is clear that they do not have any offspring unless they incarnate on Earth, like Ramavatār, Krishnavatār etc. Thus, they both serve as role models for men and women only in their human incarnations. People in general pray and stride to reach Vaikuntha Dhām, or the causal world, to escape from the cycle of Srishti in which birth and death is integrated.

Similarly, Parampitā Brahma and Devī Saraswati reside in Brahmaloka, which is the seat of creative energy. They both are generally seen sitting some space apart but are connected to each other with the knowledge of man (mind) and buddhi (wisdom). Brahma is known as Prajāpati or who is the lord of Prajā (creative people). In other words, Brahma and Saraswati are the origin or parents of creative faculty, and have only manas putra/putri, and thus can be the ideals or providers of knowledge. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Brahma had 14 mind-born progenies;  Angiras (sage), Atri, Pulastya, Marichi, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vashistha, Daksha, Narada, Chitragupta, The Four Kumaras (Sanak, Sanatana, Sanandana, and Sanat), Kardama Muni, Himalaya and Shatarupa. As can be seen from these personalities, once learn from them but those are not role models to draw upon for human life on Earth. He is also referred to as Vishwakarma (crafter of the world), Indra (the lord of heaven), etc., none of whom are earthly beings to be used as role models for men.

Finally, Shiva, as one of the eleven rudras mentioned in Vishnu Purana and Bhagavat Purana, whose abode is the Shivaloka, which we all are part of. Shiva on Earth is believed to reside at Kailash mountains in Himalayas. Interestingly, the symbol of Om always associated with Shiva is formed naturally with the deposition of snow on the granite mountain, and is believed as the embodiment of his presence. While some may think this Om formation to be mere coincidences, the miraculous impression of Om has an immense symbolic value. First of all, it makes it truly earthly that we all can associate with, and also it has the fundamental expressive value.

Linguistically, Om or more appropriately Aum is expressive meaning of Shiva. It starts with the ‘a’ sound as the open vowel with only aspiration of air, passes through the closed vowel ‘u’, still using the air but changing the shape of mouth in the middle, and finally the last letter ‘m’ of the last of the five classes (guttural, palatal, cerebral, dental, and labial) of the consonants of the Devanagarī aksharmālā (alphabets) arranged in two dimensions. The Sanskrit varnamālā or aksharmālā is the most systematic writing and speaking system in the world, although it has not been given that status by international linguists, and Indian linguists have not taken the trouble to examine all the alphabets currently and previously available in the world to create a sophisticated analysis. The aksharmālā is the most scientific in its meaning, use, and biological effects. The akshar itself means that something that cannot be destroyed, which is coincidentally means the same as the term atom. In fact, the aksharmālā has been actually used to develop Periodic Table of chemicals by Mendeleev, the Russian chemist who was inspired by a Sanskritist friend (Ghosh and Kiparsky, The Grammar of the Elements, Did the Sanskrit alphabet influence Mendeleev’s periodic table? American Scientist, Volume 107, Number 6, Page 350, November-December, 2019). Thus, the system of expressing Om, its link to Shiva, the lord of the physical world, is so real that it helps define the matter, the basis of the physical world itself.

The Aum thus represents the sutra or formula with capacity to express the entire visible world (i.e., the expressed physical world). Therefore, this linguistic expression is also consistent with Shiva being the lord of the physically expressed world.

Om symbol is used with many chants and rituals of worship, but is most commonly is associated with Shiva, like in Om Namah Shivay!

Other traditions like Christianity and Islam also have words similar to Aum, which are used in a similar invocative way. Christians use ‘Amen’ and Muslims use ‘Ameen’ at the end of their respective prayers, just like Hindus or people from Dhārmic traditions use.

The Shiva form of Rudra is more worldly, unlike the Vishnu of the Causal world, or the Brahma of the Subtle or Astral world. Shiva is married to the Parvati, the daughter of Parvatrāj, and has two children, Ganesha and Kartikeya, with all the family drama that humans also go through. Therefore, Shiva is an appropriate role model for men today, for which detailed analysis is needed for suitable and useful lessons.

(To be continued…..)

Editorial note – As a complementary to the Indian tradition of Nava-Durga as the ideal role model of girls and women, it is high time that boys also get to be reminded of their potential and possibilities with role models similar to Nava-Durgā. Recently, the Institute of Advanced Sciences, Dartmouth, USA, in collaboration with Kuruom Jankalyan Sansthan in village Kuruom near Ayodhya decided to make a debut program of Ramkathā as the platform to discuss, during April 22 – May 2, 2021, the features and traits of eleven Rudras as Rudra-Manthan for guiding boys in the world to grow and realize their full potential. Rudra-Manthan series of articles will explore that possibility to promote a better understanding of the needs and to provide educational support to boys and men.

– Prof. Bal Ram Singh, School of Indic Studies, Institute of Advanced Sciences, Dartmouth, MA, USA

The Horses of Sun God’s Chariot as Revealed in the Sanātana Dharma

Dr. Raghava S. Boddupalli

Beginning with the Vedas, Smṛtis, Purāṇas, Mantra Śāstras, the complete Stōtra Vāṅṃaya are the combined pillars of the Sanātana Dharma. It is eternal and never-changing.  Āditya (the Sun God) is one of the Vedic deities who received sufficient attention in all the Veda-Saṃhitas, Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣads (Table 1).

Veda Saṃhita	Āditya	Sūrya	Savitṛ	Pūṣan	Mitra	Hiraṇyagarbha
Ṛgveda	16	205	184	139	412	01
Śukla Yajurveda	—	63	128	60	73	04
Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda	29	49	156	83	117	—
Samaveda	3	36	09	8	53	—
Atharvaveda	22	121	114	33	72	01

Table 1:  Frequency of occurrence of Sun God names in the Veda Saṃhitas

In the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, there is a chapter on the Sun God titled, ‘Aruṇa Praśna’. The words Āditya and Sūrya are derived from the grammatical root words (dhātu) are: (1) ‘adhānat’(a+dhā+nat) meaning attractive and imperishable; (2) ‘adāyak (ā+dā+yak; ādattē bhāsam jyōtiṣām)’ meaning who creates water, Dawn drains the radiance of other planets, The one who made the planets stay in their respective orbits with his gravity; (3) ‘ādīpyak’ (ā+dīp+yak; ādīptō bhāsā) meaning He illuminates light, He is an eternal ātman in the sky taking the role of a being and witness to all happenings in the universe (lokas); (4) Sūrya (sū+kyap; sarati gaccati aṃtarikṣē) meaning the one who energies in the sky, the Sun. (5) Sūrya (sū+kyap; suvati prērayati prāṇinaḥ svasva karmasu) meaning the one who inspires living beings in their own karma, the Sun. Āditya, he who illuminates the entire universe is called ‘tējōmaya devatā’ and he is popularly known as Brahmasvarūpa in the morning, Śivasvarūpa in the afternoon and Viṣnusvarūpa in the evening. Āditya, son of Kashyapa maharṣi and mother Aditi, has twelve names viz., Mitra, Ravi, Sūrya, Bhānu, Khaga, Pūṣa, Hiraṇyagarbha, Marīci, Āditya, Savitṛ, Arka and Bhāskara (source: Taittirīya Āraṇyaka). The famous Gayatri mantra (Ṛgveda Saṃhita 3-62-10) is the glory of the power of the brilliance of Āditya, also called Savitṛ (Figure 1).

Figure 1:  A detailed Sūrya Yantra

बिन्दु त्रिकोण वृत्तं च षट्कोणं वृत्तयुग्मकं |

वसुकोणं तधावृत्तं द्वादशारंत धैव च | भूपुरत्रय संयुक्तं सूर्ययंत्रं विधीय ते ||

In general, the Sun God is envisioned in the form of a person sitting on a chariot drawn by seven horses with its reins in the hands of charioteer Aruḍa (who is devoid of thighs). However, to clear the doubts and various questions that arise in our minds with regard to the Sun God, His chariot with seven horses and others, one has to do an in-depth study of Vedic scriptures, Purāṇas and other literature.

It is customary to praise the Sun god with the mantra ‘saptāśva rathamārūḍham pracaṁḍam kaśyapātmajam śvēta padmadharam dēvam tam sūryam praṇamāmyaham‘ – Meaning ‘my salutations to the Sun God, who rides on a chariot with seven horses, the brightest of lights, son of Sage Kashyapa, and who holds the white lotus flower’ (Sūryāṣtakam 2^nd Mantra).

1. Let us now study the interesting features of portion of the above mantra, the ‘saptāśva rathamārūḍham’. Transmitting (emitting) is the ‘characteristic feature of the light’. The source of this light is Prabhakara, prabhām prakāśam karōti, means Sūrya; He who provides light.  ‘Aśva‘ means ‘ray of light’. Like a ray of light, a horse also has the ‘characteristic feature of speeding’. This is the reason the rays of the Sun are depicted as horses. Aśnute vyāpnōti sarvatra, means spreading itself, wave, Agni, Sūrya and others. Also, it is typical to the nature of light.

2. Sapta yuṃjaṃti rathamēkacakramēkō aśvō vahati saptanāmā – This is a Ṛk revealed in the Ṛgveda Saṃhita (1-164-2) and also in the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka [3-11(27-28)] that ‘the chariot of the Sun God is with one wheel drawn by a single horse having seven names viz. Ārōga, Bhrāja, Paṭara, Pataṃga, Swarnara, Jyōtiṣmān, and Vibhāsa [Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 1-7(1)] providing illumination to heaven and earth and yielding vigor and power’. Sapta diśō nānāsūryāḥ, Sapta hotāra ṛtvijaḥ [Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 1-7(24)] – This can be opined that the Sapta Sūryas constitute Sapta Ṛtviks or priests to perform yajñas.

3. The movement of the Sun is also related according to astronomy. The chariot of the Sun is drawn by seven horses. This can be symbolized with a rainbow. It is the appearance of chromatic light. The saptavarṇas are the saptaśvas. The twelve leaves on the chariot can be related to the twelve months or twelve constellations in a year.

4. We consider both sunrise and sunset for a day, which are bracketed into weeks, months and years for basic calculations (source: Sūrya Siddhānta). Āditya, the timeless form, is a deity who goes around the universe with emitting light. The body and the mind are energized by assimilating Sun’s rays.

5. According to Purāṇas, the names of the seven horses of the Sun are: Jaya, Vijaya, Ajaya, Jitaprāṇa, Jitaśrama, Manōjava and Jitakrodha (source: Bhaviṣya Purāṇa). These names are different phases of light transmission in a day by the Sun, which are the epitome of power.

6. The Sanātana dharma considers Āditya/Sūrya/Bhānu as a form of the Vedas, the Ṛgyajussāmapāragaḥ (Āditya Hṛudayam, 13^th Mantra). The seven horses pulling the chariot of the Sun God are the Vedic meters (chandas) viz., Gāyatrī, Triṣtup, Anuṣtup, Jagatī, Uṣnik, Paṅkti and Bṛhati as revealed in the Veda Saṃhitas and later in Viṣṇu and Sūrya Purāṇas. Hanuman and Yājñavalkya seer became the Vedic students under Guru Sūrya Bhagavān due to their devotion.

7. In the astrology, it is mentioned that different rays of Sun are responsible for empowering the Sūryamanḍalam, viz., the ray ‘Suṣumna’ empowers the planet Moon, the ray ‘Sampadvasu’ (another name udanvasu) for Kuja, the ray ‘Viśvakarma‘ for Mercury, the ray ‘Udāvasu‘ for Jupiter, the ray ‘Viśvavyacassu‘ for Venus, the ray ‘Surāṭ‘ is for Saturn and the ray ‘Harikēśa‘ is for all-pervading stars (source: Sūrya Siddhānta).

8. The essential seven elements that constitute the human body are the skin, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow and semen, and this body chariots these elements. Āditya Paramātma is the in the form of consciousness that manages these elements (Garuḍa Purāṇa 15 (27, 62); Śārṅgadhara Saṃhita 1-5-12).

9. The five sense organs (jyānēndriyas) in the human body namely, the skin, the eyes, the ears, the nose and the tongue (Garuḍa Purāṇa 15 (25-26) are driven by the conscious intelligence, the Āditya, is in the form light that resides in the heart in the shape of a paddy grain end part – (source: Taittirīya Āraṇyaka – Mahānarāyanōpaniṣad).

10. The Sun God is in the form of Arka in kunḍalinī (snake shape) that stretches from Mūlādhāra to Sahasrāra and the seven horses form the seven chakrasthanas in the path (source: Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa).

The magnificence of pratyakṣa Bhaskara is neither escapable nor ignorable at any time or Season; yet, like the ‘kāla māna’ or the time cycle, one’s age might wither and memory might dry up in the struggle for existence! But He is There Ever and Ever!

The Vedic scriptures state that the movement of the seven horses is the Sun rays dispensing light waves. The solar energy that emanates from the Sunrays takes the shape of hiraṇmaya pure appearance.

It can be said that mere theoretical knowledge is insufficient to understand the depth of Sanātana Dharma. One should continuously practice, engage in mystic ceremonial worship to comprehend and reap its benefits.

Suggested reading:

1. Prabhakar, C.L. 2012. Aruna Prasna (with English translation, notes and glossary), Nada Vedaadhyayana Kendra, J.P. Nagar, Bangalore.
2. Shanmukha Sarma, S. 2016. Eṣa Dharmaḥ Sanātanaḥ, Ṛṣipīṭham, A.S. Rao Nagar, Hyderabad.

Dr. Raghava S. Boddupalli, Institute of Sanskrit and Vedic Studies (ISVS)

Tracing a Scientific Basis for Human Interactions and Relations in Vedānta Philosophy

Dr. D. Parashar* and Dr. R. S. Kaushal** 

A human Being plays a central role in all its interactions with surroundings consisting of both animate and inanimate objects. With a view to understanding the finer details of these interactions and the associated relations in a scientific spirit, a philosophical atom-like model (termed as ‘patomic’ model of human Being), proposed by one of us (RSK), has already been in use now for quite some time. The model is designed after getting an inspiration from the revered wisdom of Srimad-Bhagwad-Gita (SMBG) –

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः।।3.42।।

भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च।
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा।।7.4।।

To explore further, the underlying psychophysics and psychochemistry in these interactions, we briefly revisit this model here, The main ingredients of this model have a direct bearing on the celebrated and successful Bohr atomic model of matter which is postulated to represent the positively charged nucleus (consisting of protons and neutrons) at the centre, with the negatively charged electrons moving around it in well-defined discrete (quantised) elliptical orbits; these electrons can make transitions to higher or lower orbits representing fixed energy levels depending on whether the electron gains or loses energy.

Following exactly the same underlying principle and prescriptions, we extend the analogy to what has come to be recognised as the patomic model (‘p’ signifying philosophical) which stipulates consideration of a minimal number of essences of life (EOLs). (Essences of life basically are the entities associated with a living Being whose functionality justifies the existence of the latter). While a detailed and exhaustive treatment is available elsewhere*, it would suffice here to mention that a plausible understanding of the proliferating aspects of human relations is expected to be achieved by judicious application of this model.

As per SMBG, the human being is considered as an inseparable part of the totality of realities, quite unlike the case of objective sciences, particularly of physical science in which the physical laws are found to work well only for a closed system and in the absence of will-power – a specific feature of a living Being. The property of closure essentially means that if different attributes of a system are combined either through addition or multiplication or any other specified binary operation then the resultant must necessarily be part of the system. Since will-power/consciousness has not yet found an acceptable mathematical basis, it cannot be considered as part of the set of attributes, simply put, a system is said to be closed when it does not interact with its surroundings. In the proposed patomic model, the nucleus is now being identified with worldly objects (WO) and different energy levels with the various EOLs. Our main efforts have been directed to develop and to investigate the concepts of relations between two and among more than two persons, socialization of persons in the form of groups and subgroups (or, castes and sub-castes), as well as love as a binding force between and among human beings.

In the background of an interaction, the energy exchange occurs in a discretized (quantum) form.  Quality of exchanged energy also defines the characteristics of the interacting objects. All known physical forces are still gross and not subtle as the subtlest possible cosmic consciousness field or cosmic essence of Vedic science. In case of interacting animate objects, it is the consciousness that offers the background for conscious interactions of inner (mind, intellect and ego) or outer (biological body and senses of knowledge and action) EOLs.

We are all blessed with a biological body (B) consisting of inner and outer organs endowed with ten senses of knowledge and action (SE) (five senses of knowledge or  perception are eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin, respectively sensitive to light, sound, smell, taste and touch, and five senses of actions or motor organs are hands, feet, speech, anus and copulatory organ). In conjunction with the stimuli from the worldly object (WO), they constitute the set of outer EOLs.  The other set of inner EOLs consists of mind (M), intellect (I) and ego (self-sense) (E) which are, respectively, responsible for defining the faculties of ‘emotion’, ‘decision’ and ‘memory’ inside the human Being. Notably, as per SMBG, they all are like inanimate objects but work and become functional only in the presence of another nonphysical element called ‘consciousness’ that originates from what is termed as ‘soul’ (SO)- the innermost existence present in a Being and cannot be denied. A human Being (b) (also called ‘Jiva’ or life principle) is a composite entity of all these inner and outer EOLs who, while having a strong base in SO, works consistently in the field of WO.

The arrangement of these EOLs in a human Being is shown in the Figure. Here, the nucleus WO occupies the centre of the discrete (energy) states, whereas B, SE, M, I and E are placed around it in accordance with their increasing fineness and the strength of the meditation. Much beyond the state E it is all continuum of SO. Note that this gradation of various states, in which an electron-like object b can stay and accordingly perform upward and downward transitions, is on the scale of meditation and not with respect to the physical space-time.  Further, while upward transitions of b are rare, downward transitions are natural and more frequent. Note that such an arrangement of EOLs in a human Being that includes the role of SO in it, is subject to an all-pervading and the finest possible ‘cosmic consciousness field’(Φ_cc) spread all over space and time. As a matter of fact, the SO associated with an individual can be considered as a discrete (or, a ‘second quantized’) version of the continuum Φ_cc in the language of quantum field theory. In analogy with physical theories, such considerations, in fact, suggest some kind of cosmic connections of a Being, b, with the cosmos. Not only this, there is a clear support for the existence of such a cosmic consciousness field from SMBG-

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्…..इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते।।3.5-6।।

and Rigvedic verses in the form of ‘Sristi’–

पुरूष् एवेदं सर्व यद्भ तं यच्च भव्यम्…. (10.90.2)

प्रजापते न त्वदेतान्यन्यो विश्वा जातानि परि ता वभूव…..(10.121.10)

तम आसीत् तमसा गूलहमग्नेऽप्रकेतं सलिलं सर्वमा इदम्…..(10.129.3)

इयं विसृष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न…..(10.129.7)

As for the discrete sub-energy-levels in an atom, here we have traced other alternative for this kind of discretization in terms of the repeated dressing of the trio of inner EOLs M, I and E with consciousness. The same is expressed through some kind of symbolic recurrence relations. (The dressing rules for the inner EOLs are designed in accordance with the panci–karan rule for panca mahābhūtās). This leads to infinitely many discrete sub-levels of each of M, I and E, which are unequally spaced (see figure below). This kind of extension of patomic model makes it more viable for studying the role of a variety of emotions, reasoning and memories with reference to human behaviour and relations.

Concluding Remarks

In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that we have made a modest attempt to highlight the efficacy of the patomic model in understanding the complex nature of interactions and relations among human Beings, within the general framework of the celebrated Vedanta Philosophy and driven by the main motivation to accord a scientific basis to the minimal set of various EOLs that enter into the formulation of the model. Some of the other aspects that are pursued can be listed as follows:  

1. Two-, three-, and many- human Being interactions are investigated in this scheme of study. The art and science of integrating body, mind and soul are studied with reference to a personality. For example, the interactions pertaining to husband-wife, two good friends, teacher-taught, etc. for the two Beings; mother-father-child, trio of business partners, husband-wife and third person, etc., for three beings are analysed at the most fundamental level in terms of variety of exchanges or quanta of interactions (tanmātras).

2. A basis for assigning the relations and forming groups, subgroups and castes in a society is sought by considering exchanges of ‘tanmātrās’ (quanta of human interactions). Several new ‘tanmātrās’ are postulated and subsequently analysed to resolve the complexities of human relations.

3. The role of love is analysed in human relations at various levels of exchanges, similar to the one played by the three guṇas in personality traits. Unlike the atomic chemistry where valence particle (outside-out) exchanges first and creates bonds, here however EOLs exchange in an in-side-out manner, i.e., starting with the B, SE,.., the interactions continue up to the SO level. The relations accordingly become increasingly stronger. Depending upon which of the guṇas – tamas, rajas or sattva, dominates the interacting personalities, accordingly demoniac, human or divine love starts manifesting in the relations.

Finally, we must admit that appropriate revisions/modifications in terms of both mathematical exactitude as well as different emerging trends of interpretations of the Vedanta Philosophy must necessarily be incorporated into the theoretical framework for better understanding of the interactions and relations among human Beings.  

[*R. S. Kaushal, “The Science of Philosophy”, (2011), D. K. Printworld, New Delhi]

Dr. D. Parashar* and Dr. R. S. Kaushal**, *Formerly Associate Professor, Department of Physics, A.R.S.D. College, and **Formerly UGC Research Professor, Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi

  

Plant Wealth Revealed in the Śrī Rudram

Dr. Raghava S. Boddupalli

Formation of Śrī Rudram

Lord Rudra is the deity mentioned in all four Vēdic texts at multiple places and in multiple forms. Also, Rudra is highly admired in Vēdas and Purāṇas. The name ‘Rudra’ occurs 98 times in the RV, 113 times in the Kṛṣṇa Yajurvēda (KYV), 22 times in the Śukla Yajurvēda (SYV), 4 times in the SV and 45 times in the AV. The Yajurvēda hymns that have gained particular importance are the ‘Rudra Namakaṁ’ (TS 4-5-1 to 4-5-11) and the ‘Rudra Camakaṁ’ (TS 4-7-1 to 4-7-11), which constitute the ‘Śatarudrīyam’ or the ‘Śrī Rudram’ or ‘Rudrapraśna’. Traditionally, along with Namakaṁ and Camakaṁ, Puruṣa sūktaṃ is also chanted.

Namakaṁ Camakaṁ caiva puruṣa sūktam ca nityaśaḥ |

Mahādēvēna tattulyam tanmē manaḥ śivasaṃkalpamastu ||

‘Rudram’ occurs in all the original 108 (92 KYV and 16 SYV) branches (Śākhas) of the Yajurvēda (YV), thus giving rise to the name ‘Śatarudrīyam’. Rudram is found in the six recensions of the YV (4 of KYV and 2 of SYV) surviving today. In the Śrī Rudram alone, the name ‘Rudra’ occurs 18 times and the name ‘Śiva’ occurs 14 times in the Namaka Praśna. The popular name ‘Namaka Praśna’ is due to the repeated utterance, 187 times, of the word “Namah or Namo” (salutation). Following this, the ‘Camaka Praśna’ is chanted wherein the words “Ca me” (meaning ‘and me’), repeated 338 times, hence popularly named ‘Camakam’. While chanting the Śrī Rudram, it is customary after reciting the 11^th Anuvāka of the Namaka Praśna, the additional eight Mantras that are chanted which contain the famous Mahā Mr̥tyuṃjaya Mantra, and the other Mantras are revealed in the TS, but elsewhere. Among these eight Mantras, three Mantras are revealed in the RV, four Mantras in the Taittirīya Āraṇyakam (TA) and one Mantra in the TS.  These Mantras are brought together and merged after the 11^th Anuvāka of the Namaka Praśna and together are described as ‘Rudra Namaka’. By chanting these Mantras, we are praying Lord Rudra to protect us from untimely death. Similarly, after the 11^th Anuvāka of the Camaka Praśna, a Śānti Mantra that is routinely recited is obtained from the 3^rd Kāṇḍa of the TS [3-3-2(4)].  With this, the chanting of the ‘Śrī Rudram’ is completed. The three Mantras that are adopted from the RV into the Śrī Rudram are provided with the YV swara. The additional Mantras might have been appended by our R̥ṣis.

Botanical Facets of Śrī Rudram

The Mantras/liturgies in the Śrī Rudram describe agriculture crops, plants, trees and botanical and agriculture terminology. The term Ōṣadhi appears in mantras of Śrī Rudram. Ōṣadhi means an annual plant or herb with medicinal properties. It also means a plant that dies immediately after it produces seeds or a herb that lasts for one year or season [TS 4-5-2(11)]. Śrī Rudram explains that plants and trees containing trichomes (kēśa or hair-like structures) on both sides of the leaves, i.e. dorsal and ventral surface of the leaf [TS 4-5-2(2)].  Both the leaves and the trichomes (hair-like structures) are containing the chlorophyll (hari or harita) and hence they are green in colour. Just as hair are innumerable in number and that protect the skin and the head of the human beings, leaves are also numerous and protect plants and trees. The term Śaṣpa is mentioned in the YV Saṃhitās [TS 4-5-8(16) and VS 21-29] and in RV Brāhmaṇa (AB 8-5-3 and AB 8-8-4), YV Brāhmaṇa[SB 12-7-2(8) and SB 12-9-1(2)]. Sāyaṇāchārya in his commentary on Taittirīya Saṃhita mentioned that Śaṣpa means a just born Darbha grass (Desmostachya bipinnata) grows on the banks of the Ganga River. It also denotes ‘young’ or a ‘sprouting grass’.

tryaṃbakaṃ yajāmahē sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanaṃ |

               urvārukamiva bandhanānmṛtyōrmukṣīya māmṛtāt || – TS 1-8-6(11)

My Salutations to Lord Rudra, as the scent, colour etc. are all superior as mentioned by Upanishad in ‘Divyagandha:, the Sri Gandha tree (Santalum album)’, ‘Divyarasa:’ etc., has been used here. Also, in this Mantra it is an invocation made with a request to release the clutch of ‘Mṛtyu’ (death). The essence of this Mantra signifies the fact that just as the ripened Urvāruka (see Figure 01) (cucumber fruit = Cucumis sativus) separates on its own from the stem, in the same way I would like to liberate myself from the cycle of life and death.

Figure 02 – Urvāru (Cucumis sativus) – (a) Cucumber field, (b) Flowering stage, (c) Cucumber fruit intact with the plant, (d) Cucumber fruits and (e) Seeds

Lord Rudra’s weapons such as Triśūla, Bow (Pinakam), Arrows and others are made out of an important and highest quality wood comparable to that of a Nyagrōdha (Ficus benghalensis) tree [TS 4-5-10(10)]. It is described that Lord is seated in a banyan tree in Kailasa, which is 100 Yōjanas tall and 175 Yōjanas wide (Yōjana is a Vedic measure of distance that was used in ancient India. One Yōjana is about 12-15 kilometers in length) and that banyan tree is the refuge of those anxious to obtain Mokṣa.

The 4^th Anuvāka of the Camaka Praśna starts with ‘energy’ so much needed for day to day living. It then lists various sources of energy and the means to procure them (agriculture, conquest, etc.).  It asks for the abundance of those sources. It indicates the requirements for the success of Agriculture, growth of the plants and creepers. For the reputed food, the Annam, revealed the major, minor food grains, legumes and an oil seed crop that would give relief from hunger. Here, seven cereal crops, four legume crops and one oil seed crop are revealed (TS 4-7-4, see Figure 02).

……व्री॒हय॑श्च मे॒ यवा”श्चम मे॒ माषा”श्च मे॒ तिला”श्च मे मु॒द्गाश्च॑ मे ख॒ल्वा”श्च मे गो॒धूमा”श्च मे म॒सुरा”श्च मे

प्रि॒यङ्ग॑वश्च॒ मेण॑वश्च मे श्या॒माका”श्च मे नी॒वारा”श्च मे || – TS 4-7-4.

Figure 02 – Cereal, Legume and Oil Seed Crops Revealed
in the Śrī Rudram

The different qualities of cereal grains and their progressive increase in growth of food grains are detailed in this Anuvāka (TS 4-7-4). It prays for the condition in which one never has to go hungry (akṣut) and the condition in which one never runs out (akṣitiḥ) of any item required in a given day. One also gets the message that having food and drink with many more people is more elevating for the nourishment of the body and mind. All these actions are energy-imbibing (eating, drinking etc.) are to be done with a sweet and pleasant manner of speaking, which will definitely reflect in the subtle portion of the food which goes to the mind.

The plants/trees and their derivatives are the key for the ritualistic activities and their significance is described in the Yajurveda. Yajña is the subject matter of entire Vēda. The general requirements to perform Yajñas and are detailed in the Śrī Rudram. The general requirements of Yajñaand Yāgas, in the form of preparation of Yajña Vēdi, Samidhas (kindling wood), Yajña implements (manufactured from different wood of trees), plant-derived oblations, and others are clearly indicated in the Camaka Praśna of Śrī Rudram (TS 4-7-8).

This brief article explains some significant botanical aspects of the Śrī Rudram. An exhaustive explanation of all botanical and agricultural facets is available in the article titled, ‘Agriculture Crops, Plants and Trees Revealed in the Śrī Rudram’ (Raghava S. Boddupalli (2019) Asian Agri-History, 23(4): 261-281). In summary, the flora of Śrī Rudram contains, one (01) wild grass, seven (07) cereal crops, four (04) legume crops, one (01) oil seed crop, two (02) creepers, five (05) shrubs and fifteen (15) trees. The plants and trees mentioned in the Camaka Praśna are more in number when compared with the Namaka Praśna. The reason for this is that in the Camaka Praśna we pray to the Lord Rudra to provide various crops, plants and trees required for our living and also to perform Yajñas and Yāgās. The crops mentioned in the Śrī Rudram are being cultivated even today for food and fodder.

Dr. Raghava S. Boddupalli, Institute of Sanskrit and Vedic Studies (ISVS)

Editor's note: The above mentioned author's article titled, ‘Agriculture Crops, Plants and Trees Revealed in the Śrī Rudram’ published in Asian Agri-History journal has received 'Dr. KL Mehra Memorial Award'.

Republic Day, Gaṇarājya, and Ganesha!!

-Prof. Bal Ram Singh

Symbolic representation of nature and deities has been a practice throughout the world, but it is extensively used in India. Understanding meanings of such representations requires deep understanding the culture, and also scientific approach of objectivity and unbiasedness.

The culture, traditions, symbolism, language, communications, etc. are living elements of life for people, that includes living under or creating a political system for governance. A majority of the countries in the world today practices of some form of democracy, even in the mode of monarchy, such as Britain. Of course oldest (United States of America) and largest (India) are representative republic democracies. According to Wikipedia (accessed on January 24, 2020), a republic (Latin: res publica, meaning “public affair”) is a form of government in which the country is considered a “public matter”, not the private concern or property of the rulers. The primary positions of power within a republic are attained, through democracy, oligarchy, autocracy, or a mix thereof, rather than being unalterably occupied. 

India became Republic of India (bharatiya ganarajya; भारतीय गणराज्य) on January 26, 1950, when it adopted the constitution of India, the largest constitution document in the entire world. Interestingly, the gaṇa (used in gaṇarājya to mean kingdom or state of gaṇas) in Sanskrit means flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, or class. While gaṇas are variously described in the history and culture of India, referring to them as members of governing assembly, warriors, farmers, etc. Vrātam Vrātam gaṇam gaṇam (व्रातं व्रातं गणम् गणम् ) Rigveda 3-26-6, these all are ultimately derived from or are linked to Shiva gaṇas, Gaṇapati, and Ganesha.

The gaṇas are in fact Shiva gaṇas, and Ganesha being his son was chosen as their leader by Shiva, hence Ganesha’s title gaṇa-īśa or gaṇa-pati, “lord of the gaṇas” (Wikipedia –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva, accessed January 24, 2020).

According to legends, Shiva gaṇas are attendants of Shiva and live in Kailāśa. They are often referred to as the bhutagaṇas, or ghostly hosts, on account of their nature. Generally benign, except when their lord is transgressed against, they are often invoked to intercede with the lord on behalf of the devotee. The Shiva gaṇas also include nāgās, yakśas, pramathis, pisācās, rākśa gaṇas, vināyakas, guhyākas, manuṣya and deva gandharvas, vidhyādharas, and siddhas. Sadhguru describes gaṇas are described as distorted, demented beings. It is said that they had limbs without bones coming out of odd parts of their bodies, so they are described as distorted and demented beings. (Shiva’s Gaṇas – Demented or Celestial? https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/shivas-gaṇas-demented-or-celestial). According to Sadhguru, Shiva meaning the Yakkśaswarūpa (a celestial being), and the gaṇas, Shiva’s friends, were not like human beings, and it is clearly said that they never spoke any of the human languages. They spoke in utter cacophony when Shiva and his friends communicated. They spoke a language that nobody understood, so human beings described it as total, chaotic cacophony. But the gaṇas were the ones that Shiva was really close with.

The bottom line of the description of gaṇas is that it basically addresses a wide group of people from ghosts and globulins to warrior, rulers, and celestial beings, thus essentially expressing the group as everything seen or perceived in the universe. In other words, they represent Shiva himself, who is the lord of expressed physical world, with Brahmā as the lord of the subtle and creative world, and Viṣṇu as the lord of the causal world, to complete the trilogy concept of Hindu tradition. Ganesha being Shiva’s son despite the legend suggesting he was created by Pārvatī alone, and he being appointed as the lord of the gaṇas, it is important to understand the symbolic features represented by Ganesha. Ganesha is the ideal of gaṇas, meaning that gaṇas are supposed to attain the traits possessed by Ganesha. What are the major traits of Ganesha? Let us consider the following features amongst others shown in the symbolic diagram of Ganesha – large stomach, elephant head, large ears, the hidden mouth, long trunk, and mouse as his vehicle. Interestingly he was not referred to as a Gajesha despite having the head of a gaja or elephant), one can proceed to understand the traits/features of Ganesha in the form of symbolism.

The large head represents the use of wisdom in approaching any problem or hurdles, the large ears mean that one must listen to issues of the day as much as possible, the small hidden mouth symbolizes less need to speak, and the large stomach means big churning or digestion of the information received before making any decisions. The trunk represents flexibility and adaptability of one’s personality for efficient operations. Elephant trunk is the only known organ that can perceive an ant on the ground with its subtle nerve receptors, and it possesses such a gross strength that it can uproot a tree. Such a dynamic range of sense and strength can overcome any obstacle in any person or organism.  Finally, the mouse at the feet of Ganesha represents the complete control over one’s mind and desires for success.

Thus, gaṇatantra or gaṇarājya that is celebrated every year on January 26 must remind people of at least India that they need to aspire to the qualities of gaṇas, with the goal of acquiring and achieving the qualities of Ganesha. This will more than anything help people with their trials and tribulations of life and place their nation above all in the comity of nations of the world today!!

Symbols have been the earliest for way of communications throughout the world, and even today’s writings are basically symbols we put together and call them words, and attach meanings to those words in the context of human experience and observations. This is pretty similar to how we put together atoms to depict molecules, like H₂O as water. There is solid understanding behind H2O being written as water in Chemistry, and unless one understands that meaning, it makes no sense to an uninitiated reader. Many of the early scripts, such as Indus script, have not been deciphered even today. Interesting, the Devanāgari script reading activates different and more comprehensive parts of the brain that for example reading Roman script, as demonstrated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies.

To understand the symbols of Ganesha, for any other deity for that matter, is critical to understand the meaning, and more importantly imbibe the values. Thus, Ganesha is not a religious symbol to divide people, rather a universal symbol to unite people from all walks of life.  A nation or the entire world empowered with such self-knowledge can only be prosperous and peaceful!

Jai Ganesha!

Jay Bharat Gaṇarājya!!

Happy Republic Day!!! 

-Prof. Bal Ram Singh, President, Institute of Advances Sciences, Dartmouth, MA, USA and Fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Study, JNU, Delhi, India