Saturday, April 24, 2010

We have to rise against the State - sponsored Atheism in Tamilnadu

From

http://www.vijayvaani.com/FrmPublicDisplayArticle.aspx?id=1187

 

Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha - 1 

 

B R Haran

21 Apr 2010

 


Dharma will protect those who protect it!


 

An old Tamil film song goes, "Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum; Thakka Samayathil Uyir Kaakkum; Kooda Irunthu Kuzhi Pariththaalum Koduththathu Kaaththu Nirkum…" or "Dharma will protect head; Dharma will protect life at the time of threat; Dharma will protect even when acquaintances turn adversaries…"


 

In this vein, this column presents a true story of how Dharma protected a few individuals who embarked on a Dharmic mission and successfully accomplished it despite attempts of sabotage by friends turned saboteurs. This is a real story of Dharma prevailing ultimately.  


 

Threats looming over Tamil Nadu


 

While Christian, Islamic and Communist aggression is common to all states across India, Tamil Nadu is unique with the additional threat of Atheism, propagated vehemently by the Dravidian parties for more than six decades. Sadly and unfortunately these anti-Hindu forces have been in power since 1967 and Atheism has been a state-sponsored policy since then. Atheism for these Dravidian racists is anti-Hinduism.


 

The saddest part of the 43 year Dravidian regime is its stranglehold over the Temples, which have been exploited in all possible ways with the sole intention of making money. The temples have become mere commercial enterprises, losing their sanctity in the process. Now, it is believed that the government is contemplating a takeover of even Mutts and Jeeva Samaadhis.   


 

As these selfish power-mongers appease the minorities to stay in power, the minorities in turn use them to de-Hinduise and establish a Christian State or a Dar-ul-Islam. While both the Abrahamic religions have their own respective political agendas, they join hands with the Dravidian Parties, forming an unholy nexus and working to achieve their common agenda of de-Hinduising this state.


 

This unholy nexus has taken control of powerful mass-media like Cinema, Press and Television, through which it works round the clock to degrade Hindu culture, religion and tradition. This forms a significant part of their mission to de-Hinduise the state. Another important aspect is that the Christian and Islamic organisations capture territories and trades with the connivance of the corrupt bureaucracy and simultaneously build their worship places, religious institutions and commercial establishments completely disproportionate to their actual population. These two aspects facilitate the progression of religious conversions, which is the focal point of their mission.


 

All the above is made possible because of the flow of astronomical amounts of foreign funds to their religious organizations and NGOs owned by them. The government doesn't have a proper mechanism to control or screen the flow of foreign funds and no political party has so far hinted at bringing a stringent mechanism. The Home Ministry has officially recorded that Tamil Nadu gets the maximum of foreign funds, which help both Islam and Christianity to expand a lot in territory as well as numbers.


 

Heralding the launch of Hindu Dharma Protection Movement


 

In this backdrop, some of us met to discuss matters and decided to approach the Peethathipathis and Mathathipathis of Tamil Nadu and submit our prarthanas to them. Some six months ago, we requested an audience with Pujya Periyava Sri Kanchi Sankaracharya Swamigal, to confer about the threats looming large over the state. We submitted our prarthana seeking his guidance and blessing to convene a conference of Tamil Nadu-based Mathathipathis, to which he readily agreed and blessed us.


 

Encouraged by His Holiness' blessings, we started meeting heads of major Vaishnavite Mathams (Ahobila Mutt Jeer, Andavan Swamikal, Vanamamalai Jeer, Sri Embar Jeer, Sri Ramanuja Jeer…) and Shivite Adheenams (Thiruvavaduthurai, Thiruppananthal, Dharmapuram, Thondaimandalam …) and many others, who gave us audience and kindly listened to our explanations about the threats faced by the Hindus of Tamil Nadu.


 

We marked down three important topics, namely, (i) Stopping Religious Conversions, (ii) Stopping the flow of foreign funds and (iii) Forming an Autonomous Board to administer all Hindu temples and religious institutions, as the agenda of the proposed meet. All the Acharyas blessed us, assured support and cooperation, and agreed in principle to participate in the conference, provided the date is convenient, for a meaningful discussion.


 

We met Sri A.M. Rajagopalan, editor, "Kumudam Jothidam" a weekly magazine on astrology, which focuses on religious issues. He is a fiery writer and his editorials on Christian and Islamic aggressions are famous and popular. He has a huge fan following throughout the state for both his writing and astrological predictions. When he told us several temple-related issues needed to be solved in numerous places across the state, we discussed and decided to select such places to organize the meet, so that the local issue could be projected in front while the above-mentioned three important points could be incorporated to educate the masses who would enthusiastically participate in the interest of the local issue.


 

Sri AMR agreed to guide us and suggested we organize an "Anti-conversion March" at Namakkal, close to Kolli Hills where rampant conversion is going on. Hence we toured Salem and Namakkal districts for a survey and found that the place was not conducive for conducting a march and conference. During darshan at the famous Anchaneyar Temple at Namakkal, the thought of having the meet at Dindigul struck all of us simultaneously and immediately and unanimously we decided to go to Dindigul straight from there for a survey.


 

We recalled Sri AMR telling us about the Padmagiri Hill and the Hill-temple which stands without deities. The presiding deities (Sri Padmagiriswarar and Abirami Ambal) were removed some 200 years ago when Tipu Sultan plundered the temples in Dindigul. Those deities have been installed at Sri Kalahastheeswarar Temple downhill and worshipped for the past 200 years. Having two sets of presiding deities (Mulavars) in a same temple is not good and in fact is against Agama Sastra.


 

Hence it is important to take back the presiding deities to the Hill-Temple and install them in their respective sanctum sanctorum with consecration conducted at the earliest, worship restored, and Girivalam (circumambulation of the hill) started. As the hill-temple is under the control of the ASI, efforts have to be taken to convince the department and get government permission to return the deities to their original abode atop the hillock.

 


Surveying the Girivalam path around the hill, we found that the entire stretch of three kilometers was completely occupied by Christian churches and Christian cemeteries at every 30 feet. Thus it is all the more imperative that the temple is immediately restored, failing which Christians will occupy the hill-top and build a church there, as they have done in Achirupakkam Hills near Melmaruvathur Adi Parasakthi Temple. Members (industrialists and merchants) of the Dindigul Chamber of Commerce readily agreed to host the Mathathipathis and take care of the entire expenses in conducting the march (Girivalam) and public meeting.


   

Dindigul has become the epicenter of Christian and Islamic aggression and scores of Hindu activists have lost their lives there; property loss has also been heavy in the past decades. Islamic terrorist organizations like Al Umma and Manitha Neethi Paasarai have a strong base and presence here, and Christian conversion has been rampant due to the presence of an array of Christian NGOs. Sadly the district has not had the fortune of having a Matham, Adheenam or Ashram on its soil, and the local populace having no religious leadership to go to for solace and guidance have become almost dhimmis, fearing the Christian and Islamic fundamentalists. As they were yearning for divine intervention, the news of a conference of Acharyas was a pleasant surprise.


 

Having decided on Dindigul, we made another round of visits to the major Mathathipathis and finalized 18 April as the date of the event after discussing the same with them. As the event has to be organized under proper auspices, we chose two names namely, "Hindu Dharma Paadukaappu Iyakkam" (Hindu Dharma Protection Movement) and "Thirukoyil Bakthar Peravai" (Temple Bakthas Forum) and Pujya Periyava Sri Kanchi Acharya selected the former. We drafted a detailed letter in Tamil addressed to the Acharyas and sent it to all of them seeking their blessings and requesting them to attend the meet at Dindigul.


 

The major Mathathipathis who confirmed their attendance, graciously permitted us to put their names on the invitation card. As per the request made by members of the Dindigul Chamber of Commerce, the invitation was printed and sent in the name of "Then Thirukkailaayam Padmagiri Vazhipaattukkuzhu" (South Kailash Padmagiri Worshippers Forum) and "Thrukovil Paraamarippu Kuzhu" (Temple Maintenance Committee). We made yet another visit to all the major Mathams and personally handed over the invitation cards and got their blessings.


 

By the grace of God and Blessings of Revered Acharyas, we accomplished our mission successfully.

 



PART-2


http://www.vijayvaani.com/FrmPublicDisplayArticle.aspx?id=1188
 
Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha - 2 
 
B R Haran
22 Apr 2010
 
Guru Darshan at Abirami Temple
We held a press conference on April 16 to brief reporters and correspondents about the event, and received good coverage the next day.

 
On April 17 evening, Kanchi Kamakoti Peethathipathi Jagat Guru Sri Jeyendra Saraswathi Sankaracharya Swamigal and Thondaimandala Adheenam Sri Thiruvambala Desika Gnanaprakaasa Paramacharya Swamigal graced the occasion at the Abirami Amman Temple. They blessed a gathering of over five hundred people; Sri Thondaimandala Adheenam spoke about the historical instances of temple desecrations during the Islamic and Christian invasions.

 
Sri A.M. Rajagopalan explained the Stal Puran and history of Padmagiri Hillock and emphasised the significance of returning the presiding deities to their original abodes. Pujya Periyava spoke about the importance of temple worship, and eradication of caste discrimination. He cited many instances from the lives of Nayanmars and told the gathering that all the 63 Nayanmars are given equal importance though they are from different communities and Bhagwan Shiva saw only their bhakti and gave moksha to all of them. The press followed the event closely, and Pujya Periyava himself detailed them the next day's programs. Members of Dindigul Chamber of Commerce, who sponsored the event, were honoured and blessed by Pujya Periyava and Sri Thondaimandala Adheenam with a spatika mala (crystal necklace), rudraksha and shawl each.
 

Girivalam March and Public Meeting

 
On April 18 evening, local people flocked to Abirami Temple. A dozen organizations came in full strength to participate in the girivalam (parikrama). All the Mathathipathis, (Pujya Periyava Kanchi Sankaracharya, Thondaimandala Adheenam Sri Thiruvambala Desika Gnanaprakasa Paramacharya Swamigal, Thiruchirapalli Mauna Madam Mauna Kumara Swami Thambiran Swamigal representing Dharmapuram Adheenam, Sri Suntharamurthi Swamigal representing Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam and Sivapura Adheenam Sri Thirunavukkarasu Desika Paramacharya Swamigal were present on the occasion. All Swamijis blessed the devotees who thronged the temple between 4 pm and 6 pm.

 
All devotees were given a raksha (black thread) and eudraksha as prasad. Exactly at 6 pm the girivalam began, with all Mathathipathis leading the march with hundreds of devotees following and chanting Ohm Nama Shivaya. As the march proceeded with reverberations of Namavalis and Bhajans, the general public en route joined in and the gathering swelled to over 1500 people. Arati was performed and a coconut broken before each and every temple on the girivalam path.
 

The girivalam around the hill took an hour's time and ended at Fort Mariamman Temple grounds, where the public meeting was organized. A beautiful stage was erected and it was a glorious sight to see the saffron clad sanyasis on the dais. Around five thousand people attended the public meeting. The Swamis spoke about the importance and methodology of temple worship, the crisis faced by the Hindu majority and why Hindus should stay united in this hour of crisis. They cited stories from the Puranas and emphasized the importance of learning religious hymns like Thevaram, Thiruvachagam and other Thirumurais.

 
They educated the people about the maintenance of our culture and traditions and the need to defeat the nefarious designs of alien cultures attempting to de-Hinduise this nation. Sri AMR enthralled the audience with a speech replete with facts concerning temples. He emotionally described his personal divine experience of getting darshan of Abirami Ambal as a child sitting on his lap, after Pujya Periyava insisted he sit in the car during the girivalam. He urged that one should treat his Mother Tongue, Mother Nation and Mother Religion equally at par with his own Mother and if one changes even one of them he becomes dead and lifeless.

 
Pujya Periyava raised the three major issues of putting an end to conversions, stopping the flow of foreign funds to NGOs and minority organizations, and creating an autonomous body for administering Temples and other Hindu Institutions. He requested the local government authorities to remove the encroachments along the girivalam so that the circumambulation of the hill could be easy and peaceful in future. He also urged the government to hand over the temples to autonomous bodies of reputed citizens in the respective places, which would function under the guidance of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha. He informed the people about the formation and objectives of the HDAS, and together all the Swamis encouraged the people to participate in the girivalam every Pournami (purnima, full moon day) and bring more and more persons to the sacred march.

 
All those who attended the public meeting received prasad - a rudraksha and a laddu (rudraksha gifted by Kanchi Matham; laddu by Sri Krishna Sweets). They were immensely pleased and returned home happily, cheerfully and peacefully.

 
The press was in full strength to cover the event. The police force was meticulous, gently and respectfully controlling the public and giving protection and ensuring security to all the Mathathipathis. Municipality officials helped arranging the stage and watering the girivalam path for easy walking. The Sun God was merciful, going behind clouds early in the evening, and the Rain God showered his blessings after completion of the meeting. Mother Goddess Abirami blessed us with pleasant weather throughout the event. The local business community was generous in sponsorship and treated us with love, affection and great respect. Some individual activists from various organizations volunteered themselves and worked tirelessly to make the event a great success!   
 

Resolutions

 
Earlier in the morning, Pudukottai Sri Bhuvaneswari Avathootha Peethathipathi Pujya Sri Omkarananda Brahmmendra Saraswati Swamigal attended the Sadas and blessed us. His Holiness could not be present in the evening due to prior engagements in Thanjavur.


The following resolutions were passed:
 
-        It was resolved to perform Girivalam around Padmagiri Hill every Pournami Day without fail.
 
-        It was resolved to conduct a signature campaign among the local people and thereafter to approach the Archaeological Survey of India for earlier installation of the presiding deities at their original abodes atop the Padmagiri hillock.
 
-        It was resolved to conduct the Consecration Ceremony with the help of the government immediately after getting the permission from ASI to install the deities.
 
-        It was resolved to conduct such meets thrice a year taking any temple related issues across the state.
 
To support or not to support? That's the question!

 
As the presence of Sanyasis is the most important part of such an occasion, we accepted the date (18 April) decided by them. Immediately after deciding the date, the all-India chief of a Hindu organization was informed, and he in turn instructed his Tamil Nadu officials to meet and extend all possible support to us. They duly called us for a discussion and when apprised of our plans, simply said we should have deferred to them before finalizing the dates with the Sanyasis! They refused help on the pretext of hosting their own annual conference the same day, viz., April 18. We politely replied, "With your help and support we would get 50,000 people, but without you we might get only 50 people. Nevertheless, the March and the Meet would go on!" We were certain other forces were behind this blatant non-cooperation.

 
But if this was an organization where the leader supported us and subordinates didn't, we had another organization where the leader refused support but the cadres attended! This organisation's President felt the organizers of the Hindu Dharma Protection Movement (that is us) had "ulterior motives" and refused support. But his Dindigul-based cadres were present in full strength during the public meeting on April 18. Such is the power of Dharma!

 
Muckraking and sabotage

 
Final preparations for the meet went on amidst high drama over the Nityananda scandal, with some self-appointed supporters of the disgraced godman demanding that everyone support the beleaguered swami on the grounds that this was a Christian conspiracy – even though there was no trace of the same, despite searching high and low!

 
Nityananda himself made things difficult for his 'friends' - first he denied everything; then he said he had not done anything 'illegal' (whatever that means); then he said he had done it in trance (how? Don't ask!). Then he told an American independent researcher that he did indeed do 'tantra' experiments, for which he had duly executed 'legal contracts' with women (no comment)!

 
Since some of the fellow columnists on this website had already perceived a severe departure from Dharma and accordingly called a spade a spade, enraged associates of Nityananda – who have as yet unknown stakes in his reputation – unleashed salvo after salvo against the colleagues of this writer, as also this writer. 

 
This heat percolated to the March and its preparations. Rumour mills were launched to propagate the Hindu Dharma Protection Movement as a dubious move to split the Hindu society! There was little regard for the fact that Pujya Periyava Kanchi Acharya and other major Mathathipathis had blessed the movement and were participating in it to begin a pro-active phase of Hindu society against the gigantic dimensions assumed by the conversion industry.

 
Anticipating sabotage attempts, we visited the major Mathams and Acharyas again to confirm their participation. Some Mathathipathis candidly discussed the attempts to dissuade them from joining the march, but promised to attend, and did indeed do so. Even Sri AMR was urged to abandon us, not knowing that he who initiated this movement!
 

This writer would like to place on record that the attempts of sabotage by the saboteurs have diminished only their standing and not our standing in the eyes of Mathathipathis. I have a small message and a request to them:

"You have not acted against us, but against Goddess Abirami!
 You have not troubled us, but attempted to derail a temple cause!
 You have not belittled us, but our revered Mathathipathis!
 So, please apologise to the Mathathipathis and seek their blessings!"
 

Conclusion

 
If an event like this can be conducted by four or five individuals with the blessings of the Acharyas and cooperation of the local people in a communally sensitive place like Dindigul, then nothing is impossible. This success reiterates the importance of commitment to Dharma. If Hindu Samajam stands united for the cause of Dharma, pushing aside egos and personal prejudices, then Dharma will certainly protect us and lead us to victory.   

 
(Concluded)

Say 'no' to conversion - Kanchi Acharya

From

http://expressbuzz.com/edition/print.aspx?artid=166355


Kanchi seer opposes religious conversion

By

Dennis Selvan 








KANCHEEPURAM:

In what is understood to be a renewed political activism of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Sri Jayendra Saraswati has taken a serious view of what he termed forcible conversions of people in the war-torn Sri Lanka, and is staying in 'close touch' with the happenings in the island nation.


According to the pontiff, the aftermath of a war is always conducive to conversion, particularly to Christianity because the Biblical themes of persecution and exile instantly resonate with them. He is going to oppose "forcible conversions and proselytizing by force, allurement or by fraudulent means," anywhere because it is against the grain of Hindu ethos.


In an exclusive interview, the pontiff said he was going to sensitize Hindus on Indian spirituality and to achieve that end he would organise a padayatra of madhathipathis and sadhus soon.


The 69th head of the mutt said it would be organised under the banner of a newly formed "Mana Matha Ottumai" society and three slogans — Manam Maraathey, Matham Maarathey, Panathukku Assaipadathey (don't change your mind, don't convert, and don't fall prey to lucre) would be popularised.


He said when Sri Lanka was recently trying to enact an anti-conversion bill, he was elated, and then his spirit drooped when the imminent internal strife and subsequent election somehow postponed the legislation.


Recalling his inter-faith meet with Vatican's head for interreligious dialogue, Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, and Mumbai's Cardinal Oswald Gracias several months ago, he questioned if the Roman Catholic Pope could give an assurance to Israel to the effect that "the Catholic Church would desist from all missionary and conversion activities among the Jews" why cannot they take a similar stand in India.


In response to a question, he said he could not fault the Centre, or for that matter the Reserve Bank of India through which funds are routed to frontline NGOs in India which, hand in glove with Christian missionaries, are involved in forceful conversions of the poor Hindus.


Asked what the people who fall prey to the allurement of conversion missed in Hinduism, he listed two reasons: untouchability and caste entitlement. "We do not practice untouchability but the people of other castes within the context of Hinduism do practice that for societal reasons," the seer admitted.


Criticising that neo-Christians are deliberately following the Hindu traditions and rites, the seer said that in Andhra Pradesh, Christians are conducting festivals a la Hindu Urchavam with flag hoisting ceremonies.


He said he would like to describe India as a spiritual country rather than a secular country.


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Volcanic eruption in Iceland – an astrological explanation.

We are perhaps in an important point of time in the history of the world that gives us ample scope to understand the way Nature behaves when the earth is churned in and out. The churning that has resulted in a volcanic eruption in Iceland kindles interest in all those engaged in learning and predicting similar disturbances. From astrological stand point, this is truly a time to check traditional wisdom of astrology and also to evolve newer understanding from the many instances of volcanic eruptions recorded until now.


The current eruption with its aftermath is exactly as told by Varahamihira in Brihad samhita. This is based on the Lord of the Year and his position in the zodiac at the time of the first day of the Lunar month of Chaitra of the Lunar New Year. The lord of the first day of the Lunar New Year becomes the King of the Year. For the current year that started on March 16, 2010, the first day was Tuesday. So Mars is the King (Raja) of the year.


According to Brihad samhita, chapter 19, verses 7,8 and 9 the following is the prediction if Mars becomes the King of the Year.
Translated into English it says that

“During the year ruled by Mars violent fires fanned by the wind will spread out threatening to consume villages, forests and towns; crowds of men ruined by the depredations of hordes of robbers and deprived of their properties and cattle, will cry out “alas! Alas!’ throughout the land.

Though the clouds may appear thick and piled up in the sky, nowhere will they pour down sufficient rain. Even the crops that grow in the low-lying lands will wither away.

Even if they should grow, they would be snatched away by robbers. Kings would not be interested in governing their countries properly.”

Though this can not be literally taken up, the fact remains that a similar impact is experienced now in the world. The area where this would happen is identified by the direction of the sign where the King (mars) is posited at the time of start of the New Year. Mars was posited in Cancer which has the direction of North.


In the astrology of vedic seers, directions are noted in certain ways. Starting from Aries, the directions are noted for each sign as east, south, west and north. This is continued for all signs in this order. As such Cancer shows North.

From Siddhantha Shiromani of Bahskara, we can deduce the locations indicated by the directions. This can be done in two ways.


# Japan is east, India and Indonesia ( roughly 90 degrees west of Japan) come in the south, West Europe and UK are in the west and Mexico and west coast of the Americas are in the north.

# Japan and surrounding areas are east. UK and surrounding areas are west. Areas towards North pole are North and areas towards south pole are south.

In the current analysis, Mars in the direction of North in Cancer indicates areas towards North pole.

There will be eruptions of fire and thick clouds high in the sky. The immediate danger is to crops as per the above mentioned verses.

However there is scope for remedy because it is said in the 22nd verse that if the Year lord is in neecha (debility), these happenings will be moderate. Mars was in debility at the time of start of the New Year. It will be so until 26th May. We can expect continued disturbance until that time.
However the impact will be less crippling.
Damage to crops will however be there.
Fall in production of agricultural products will be felt throughout the year.


Other astrological parameters.

Study of volcanoes astrologically throws better light on predicting the time and impact of eruptions.


I am maintaining a log of prominent volcanoes in the past including the one that erupted in Indonesia on 26-08-1883. There are certain distinct patterns noted in them:

Saturn and Sun play a major role. They must be in opposition or in aspect or in transit in each other’s stars. (Sun’s stars are Kritthika, U.Phalguni and U.shada. Saturn’s stars are Pushya, Anuradha and U.Bhdrapada)

• The nodes must be in opposition or square to these two planets.

• Sun - Saturn opposition in Aquarius and Leo triggers volcanic eruptions. Similar devastation is mentioned by Nostradamus also.

Earthy signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) will be involved as in the case of earthquakes. The aspect of nodes to these signs will be there. Refer my blog for earthquake parameters Earthquake at Chile – Astrological pointers.

• The aspects mentioned in vedic astrology are as follows; Nodes = 3rd, 7th and 11th houses. Saturn = 3rd,7th and 10th. Sun = 7th

• Sun transiting gandaantha when Saturn aspects it or posited in sun’s star. Gandaanthas are the junction between cancer and Leo, Scorpio and Sagittarius and Pisces and Aries.

• The nature of the sign afflicted determines the nature of devastation.



For example in the current devastation happening in Iceland, watery signs were afflicted by Saturn. The first eruption happened on 27-03-2010.






Sun – Saturn opposition was happening at that time. Sun was in Saturn’s star (U.Bhadrapada) and Saturn was going retrograde in sun’s star (U.phalguni). From the most vulnerable sign of Virgo for earth- disturbances, Saturn was aspecting 2 watery signs, Scorpio and Pisces. Its aspect was in retrogression on its own stars – Ansuham in Scorpio and U’Bhdrapada in Pisces.


In addition the Year lord Mars was also transiting Saturn’s constellation of Pushya in a watery sign. So the over-all impact will be on watery as well as airy (Saturn being an airy planet) elements. The nodes are in square to Sun and Saturn. Saturn’s 10th aspect falls on Ketu whose aspect on Aries is bad. Rahu aspects all the 3 airy signs. This combination continues throughout this year. This year will witness damage from winds.


In the above scenario, watery and airy signs getting afflicted resulted in the breaking up of the glacier and heavy smoke spreading to upper strata of atmosphere.


The eruption on 14-04- 2010 happened around the same time when an earth quake rocked Tibet. That day was a perfect day for earthquake – going by the parameters discussed in the link article I have given above. The next probable date comes on May 13th (2 days before and after including) 2010 for yet another disturbance of the earth. But causality would be less.


Looking at the 14-04- 2010 Icelandic eruption, we can see Sun in zero degrees Aries (Gandantha) and other factors remained the same.


The situation will improve once after Mars leaves Cancer (May 26th).


The long term impact will be cold winters. Earlier in an article we saw how the coming winters are going to be colder like the last winter. Read this link:-

Predicting Cold waves.


Cold winters will recur until 2014. The current impact of the Icelandic volcano will add to that.


Some learning

In spite of low sun spot activity at the current times, we had hot summer last year and unexpectedly cold winter too. An article in recent issue of New Scientist.com postulated that a solar flare affected the upper layers over UK and Europe, causing a severe winter. But they are not sure of that. There is no way to say that such a flare could selectively affect a specific region of the globe. In the current episode in Iceland, Sun was not in the picture at all except for the No-moon day that was on when the last eruption happened on 14th April blowing off the glacier cap.


In astrology we see other factors connected with the Sun.
We see the solar family as a single unit having a say in the climate of earth and the disturbances experienced in it.
We also see some vulnerability in parts of the sky (zodiac) and decide accordingly the nature of events.
Outwardly scientists have observed that certain parts of the sky generate meteor showers caused by left-overs of comets that have crossed long ago.
Repetition of such showers in particular times has made it possible to predict them.
Similarly astrology as developed by seers has numerous such bases which show the way nature behaves.


Currently the Icelandic disturbance will subside by end of May. But after that an earthquake season would begin in the south – in Indonesia and – in the areas around Mexico, Chile and West US. Volcano Mayon also runs the risk of a blow-up after July 20th.


India runs the risk of terror attacks between August to December. The second half of this year will not be quiet. When Mars becomes the Year lord, land and people get into explosive moods.


The Icelandic eruption also reminds us of Toba eruption that occurred 75,000 years ago in Indonesia. The spread of volcanic ash of that eruption as far as Pune has been found out now – even after all these years. We are currently seeing a similar recurrence of such a spread over Europe. It will be a great learning how it affects climate and how it could have affected the people at that time.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Cho's indirect counsel to Karunanidhi?

I think at times Mr Cho of Thuglak inadvertently gives counsel to Mr Karunanidhi in the guise of comments. The latest is the cover page cartoon (24-04-2010) on what can be expected from Mr Alagiri for MK's 'one-sided' 'paasam' (affection) for Stalin.



MK, the regular reader of Thuglak got a clue from it and did an one-up-man-ship to put Alagiri under check. Read the news item below. MK's decree on curbing 'freedom of speech' directed at Alagiri came the same day after Thuglak reached the readers.


This does not mean that MK would take Cho's counsel always.
He is an ardent reader of Thuglak - he has said so sometimes in the past.
He reads Thuglak to know what the opponent says - just as how kings spied in olden days.


He rarely bothers to correct himself taking cue from them.

But when it comes to Business - I mean the family business of share holding the enterprise called Tamilnadu, he is quick to pick up clues and act accordingly.


What a service Cho has done to Tamilnadu - true to his self-claimed demeanor as a jester!!

How disappointed we are that Alagiri is diffused even before he can shoot his next missile!


********



http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/04/16/ArticleHtmls/16_04_2010_001_029.shtml?Mode=0




No interviews: MK puts gag on Alagiri


In a gag order on his son M.K. Alagiri, the Union chemicals and fertiliser minister, DMK president and chief minister M. Karunanidhi on Thursday ordered that no one in his party should rush to the media with interviews and statements concerning party affairs or alliances.


The diktat, the first of its kind issued in the DMK, follows remarks made by Mr Alagiri challenging his younger brother and deputy chief minister Stalin's succession as the party's leader.


Mr Karunanidhi said only he and DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan are authorised to speak about decisions taken on important party issues decided by the general council or exec utive council.

Asking his party to treat the "firm and final warning" with all seriousness, Mr Karunanidhi said if any DMK leader ignores it and speaks to the media on party matters, instead of discussing them at party forums, it would be construed as a violation of party discipline.


However, the DMK patriarch said leaders holding government positions -from heads of local bodies to ministers -would be allowed to speak to the media about official work.
Mr Karunanidhi said many people had tried to weaken the DMK but such attempts affected neither him nor the party: "We have overcome many treacheries and betrayals."


He also took a swipe at the press, saying that with the general elections in the state due in less than a year, "a section of the mischievous media" twisted some interviews by DMK leaders and rendered them out of context.


Though the DMK chief did not mention anyone by name in his warning, it was obvious that he was reacting to recent interviews and statements by Mr Alagiri.

The direction in which the galaxies move.

The 5th part in the series on Cosmology derived from Hindu Thought can be read in the following link.
http://www.tamilhindu.com/2010/04/vaikunta-ekadasi-and-mahasivaratri/


In the previous part, it was established that the universe takes a circular route around a central axis. Only one fourth of it is manifest whereas the rest is unmanifest. The universe will appear to be moving in a curved path in the one-fourth of the manifest zone. In this part, the direction in which the universe is moving is indicated. It is towards the region where the star Mrigaseersha is located. This star can be seen in the evening sky in the west in the Orion constellation. It represents the head of the hunter in the constellation.


The directions given by Vastu sastra, their nature etc blend with this course of the Universe. In the process of explaining this, I have derived answers for questions such as whether there is humanly recognizable life in outer space and how Vaikunta Ekadasi and Maha sivarathri are cosmic in concept. The article is in Tamil. However the illustrations (not of the quality I expected / sent) will be self- explanatory for anyone to understand.

I think I can give some of the illustrations here.

Directions and Devayana & Pithruyana






One half of the cross section of our galaxy where solar system is located.














Vaikunta Ekadasi

















Maha sivarathri















Click the enlarge this pic. You will see Mrigaseersha .



















பூமி செல்லும் திசையும், வைகுண்ட ஏகாதசியும், மகா சிவராத்திரியும்
By ஜெயஸ்ரீ சாரநாதன்

எங்கெல்லாம் அழிவிலிருந்து ஆக்கம் வருகிறதோ அது சித்தி பெரும் இடமாகிறது. அப்படிப்பட்ட மற்றொரு இடம் திருவண்ணாமலை. அந்த மலை அணைந்த எரிமலை என்று புவியியலார் கருதுகின்றனர். ஒருகாலத்தில் பிரளய கால அக்னியைப் போல விண்ணளவு உயரும் நெருப்பைக் கக்கிகொண்டிருந்த இடம் அது. அந்த அக்னி அழிக்கவில்லை. சித்தி பெரும் இடமாக ஆக்கி விட்டிருக்கிறது.

"Why I became a Hindu" - Stephan Knapp

Why I Became a Hindu / a Krishna Bhakta

By Stephen Knapp

 

            When I go to India one of the most common questions I get is why did I become a Hindu, or what attracted me so much to India and its culture. Many people wonder why, if I'm born in the opulence and decadence of the West, would I be so interested in India? Why would I be so fascinated by their ancient Vedic tradition? Wouldn't I already have everything I would want, everything I need? May be not. Maybe the American dream is not all it's cracked up to be, at least not without a higher level of spirituality for balance and completeness. Maybe Western religion also does not give all we need. So, let me provide a little insight into why I took up the Dharmic path.



            Now this is about "why" I became a follower of Sanatana-dharma, not "how" I became a Dharmist, which is a longer story. But this does include a little of how it happened.

            Back when I was a teenager, I felt like I did not fit into this world and thought ill of the premise that the whole purpose of life seemed to be based on the idea that you have to get an education to learn a skill so you could find a career that should last the rest of your life, even if you don't know what you want to do. So, I was cynical toward everyone because of that, and would have fun playing the subtle game of tearing apart anyone's paltry purpose for their existence. In that process, I would find that most people also had little reason for what they were doing. They just went along with the crowd because it seemed right, or because their parents wanted them to do something. Of course, it was amusing to my friends to make these kinds of jokes at others' expense, but I was just irritated for being pushed into a world with social patterns and expectations that didn't make sense to me.



In my mid-teens I became a musician. Music was the only thing I liked. It saved my life. I learned how to play guitar and specialized in bass guitar, and became quite good at it. So, I spent time hanging out with other musicians, artists, and hippies of the area, and though we would express ourselves in various ways, we would still get serious at times and sit down and wonder what was our real purpose in this life and where we really fit into this world. Then, in my late teenage years, I had to set my guitar down for a while and do some considerable research into the various philosophies and spiritual paths of the world to find some solid answers for the real purpose of life.



            Having grown up as a Christian, which was typical of most people in America, I decided to seriously look into it. I studied the Bible, not only in Sunday school and Church, but privately I read the Bible from cover to cover. It took me a year to do that, so I was fairly determined, but I did it. This was simply to see what was really contained in its pages. I knew of few other people, especially of my age, who had read the Bible from cover to cover. But I had more questions than it could answer. So, I had to keep searching for the spiritual knowledge I wanted to know, because if you look deeply into the Bible, it mostly covers moralistic principles, what to do or not do. These, of course, are necessary for any religious path, but it is only the beginning. I wanted to know more about spiritual knowledge and the process to increase my spiritual perception. The fact of the matter is that most religions start with faith and end with faith, without any real spiritual experiences or realizations in between. There is often nothing to take you to a deeper level of self-perception, but merely the same beliefs in concepts that remain outside your own encounters, and often times with no encouragement from the church authorities to reach that higher level of consciousness. So, I obviously had to look elsewhere for the information I needed.


            Now is that being difficult? I don't think so. I was just asking the kind of questions that any inquisitive and decent human being would ask. But if you look, what does the Bible say about God, even in simple matters such as what is His form, what does He look like? Other than mentioning that He appeared as a burning bush or a dove, etc., it does not say much. It also says he is a jealous and angry God. But why would God be angry and jealous, and of who? He already owns everything, and everyone is under His control, so what is the problem? Or is it actually a matter of humanity merely projecting their own weaknesses on their conception of God? Then the conception of God that is presented is not really God at all, but merely mankind's idea of what God must be, based on their own weaknesses and imagination. Well, this was not what I wanted to learn.

          

  Furthermore, what does the Bible really say about the soul, about our spiritual nature, about our spiritual relationship with God and each other, or even about heaven and hell, or things like that? Furthermore, it was completely absent of any description of the soul. Thus, it really does not say all that much regarding higher spiritual knowledge, which means there are numerous questions left unanswered. This also means that we have to rely mostly on faith that we are doing what is necessary to reach heaven. After all, this is one of the goals of Christianity. Everyone has hopes of going to heaven. In this way, it offers a very elementary level of spiritual knowledge based on the idea that you have to do whatever the church tells you if you expect to have any relationship with God. Without that, you may face excommunication, which is synonymous with going to hell. Sorry folks, but that is not enough for me, or any sensible person for that matter.



            However, another problem is that the church took out most references to the topics of karma and reincarnation, which I later found out in my research had been a part of a political ploy to keep people in line with the demands of the church. Without such obedience, they would not be good Christians, and, thus, have no standing in the eyes of God, or so they say. So, you cannot expect to get the whole spiritual truth out of such books when these kinds of things are done to them.


So, where do we go to find the answers?
Therefore, I also studied Judaism, Egyptology, magic, witchcraft, I Ching, palmistry, Tarot, Voodoo, Zen Buddhism, mysticism, Yoga, and many other esoteric topics. I even read most of the Koran. However, as anyone who reads the Koran will see, in comparison with other scriptures, it is not a book which focuses much on theology or spiritual doctrine. It does not dwell on describing our eternal spiritual identity, the characteristics of the soul, or the spiritual nature of God. In fact, it provides a harsh view of God when compared to other religious texts like the Vedic literature. It presents God, Allah, as a God who gives out much punishment with little or no mercy for those fallen ones who do not follow the Islamic path, even though verses within it say how merciful He is. But this is mercy mostly showed to those who are already followers of Islam or who convert to Islam, while apostates deserve to be killed. But, again, is this really God, or only mankind projecting their own characteristics and demands into their concept of God?


In this way, it became obvious to me that all religions are not the same. They definitely take you to different levels of understanding. The Bible and Koran, for example, deal mostly with moralistic principles, which are, of course, necessary if a person is to begin any spiritual process. However, books of the western religions consist mostly of rules, or dos and don'ts with the promise that if you follow all of them properly, you will go to heaven. Otherwise, you go to hell with no second chance. In the conventional monotheistic religions, it's like you are walking a tightrope just to make sure you do not make the mistakes that will take you to hell, what to speak of trying to make any genuine spiritual advancement. But anyone who is spiritually experienced and knowledgeable knows that you cannot go to heaven by faith alone. It just does not work that way. The only way you can go to a higher dimension is by changing your consciousness to a higher level of perception and activity, and doing it right here in this life. And I found few genuine spiritual paths that provided the means or the processes by which you could do that.



Thus, I had to continue looking for the answers I needed for a higher understanding and for things to make sense to me, including the purpose of life. But fear-based religions, those that promise hell and punishment if not followed, were not for me. I did not want the fear of going to hell as the main motivation for accepting a particular spiritual path, or a dogma that everyone was supposed to accept in order to go to heaven, or to maintain an approved connection with an institution or church to keep from being excommunicated and, thus, going to eternal damnation. This did not seem logical to me. I wanted a path that could give me a natural and progressive way to attain a clear perception of the spiritual dimension, not dogma or fear-based indoctrination or blind faith.



In all my research, I finally read the Bhagavad-gita, which was like the final piece of the puzzle that I had been putting together from all of my philosophical and spiritual investigation. I could see that all of the spiritual paths were connected. Through the knowledge they offer, they can bring a person to different levels of consciousness, some higher and some lower. But the Bhagavad-gita gave me exactly what I needed, which was a big boost in spiritual understanding, and I knew I needed more. So, I went on to read the Upanishads, Vedanta Sutras, Yoga Sutras, and other texts including the Puranas. These all gave me profound insights into the purpose of life, and, finally, let me know that this world is not my real home anyway. It is not like I have to find a permanent place here, or an occupation that has to last forever, like I was being taught in school at the time, and which was expected of me by my parents. I was a spiritual being and only a passing tourist on this planet as I moved forward, preparing for higher realms.



            As I studied the Eastern texts, it became clear that we all have a connection with God regardless of what our religion is, or whether we have a connection with a religious institution or church. All we have to do is reawaken that relationship. And the Vedic system gives you many tools to choose from to help you do that, such as gurus and teachers, sacred texts, temples for worship and learning, systems of yoga, and processes of development. Nothing is forced on you.



In the Vedic process, you choose your own speed at which you advance, your own methods that work best for you, the level of understanding and the spiritual texts you want to use. You decide whatever lessons you need to learn in order to proceed. And whatever advancement you make is never lost.


It's not a question of having a dogma forced on you. It is a matter of proceeding at the rate that works best for you so that your spiritual progress unfolds naturally, not artificially or superficially. The Vedic system expects you to have your own spiritual awakenings and experiences when you are ready for them or developed enough.


I did not want to merely read about the spiritual dimension, and what it must be like. I wanted to see it. I did not want to merely read about the Supreme Being, which is more than you can get in most Western religions anyway. Most of them have no idea about His appearance, characteristics, how He acts, jokes with His devotees, or displays His pastimes and love towards them. But I wanted direct evidence and realizations, a connection to fill my soul, and to complete my purpose in life. I did not get that from anything else, whether it was material pursuits or Western religions. They all remained too shallow for me. I must admit that even parts of Hinduism were more like intellectual exercises or pursuits until I came to the teachings of Lord Krishna, especially in Bhagavad-gita and then in the Bhagavata Purana. These provided deep teachings that awakened a higher awareness of life and the spiritual nature of us all.



I also did not try to learn this spiritual knowledge through an academic pursuit. Most academics have never experienced whatever spiritual culture they teach anyway, or may even teach outright wrong information about it. Armchair philosophers often lack the necessary direct insight and awareness to qualify for teaching others. It is known amongst all Eastern mystics that anyone, regardless of qualifications, academic or otherwise, who does not engage in the spiritual practices described in the Vedic texts, cannot actually enter into understanding the depths of the Vedic spiritual science, nor acquire the realizations that should accompany it. So, rather than pursuing my research in an academic atmosphere at a university, I directly engaged in the spiritual disciplines that have been recommended for hundreds of years. Thus, in time, I studied the Vedic knowledge and spiritual practice under the guidance of a spiritual master.


After several years of serious independent study, I earnestly took to the Dharmic process of yoga and became a steady follower of it. This was because it gives a person the means or the system to spiritualize one's consciousness, and, thus, actually begin to have insights into perceiving the spiritual dimension. It does not merely prescribe faith that such a thing exists, but it gives you the descriptions of it and the process by which you can have your own spiritual experiences. The point is that the more spiritual you become, the more you can perceive that which is spiritual. This is the key. Thus, the spiritual dimension no longer remains a mystery, or merely something you study or learn about, but it becomes a reality, something to experience. And that makes all the difference. Thus, I imbibed the teachings within the Vedic texts and that of Lord Krishna and took up the path of yoga, especially bhakti-yoga or devotional yoga and became a Krishna bhakta. Thereafter, I lived in an ashram to practice, study, and be trained in the Vedic teachings and learn the way of regulated spiritual life, sadhana, along with temple rituals, puja, and so forth until I became initiated into the Brahma-Gaudiya sampradaya under the auspices of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and was given the name of Sri Nandanandana dasa. Several months later I was brahminically initiated as well.



One of the reasons why I became a Krishna bhakta is that He is the God of unconditional love, which is something that everyone is looking for, and He also instructed in the Bhagavad-gita to stand up and protect Sanatana-dharma for the benefit of others. At the battle of Kuruksetra, Arjuna wanted to leave the battlefield and go to the forest and meditate, but Lord Krishna said no. It was best to do one's duty and stand up to protect Dharma, not only for oneself but for all others as well. By working for the benefit of others in such a way, one simultaneously helps oneself. You get a little of the credit, or punya, for whatever advancement others make because of your endeavors. And now this is one of my main activities, not only pursuing my own practice of Sanatana-dharma, but helping to preserve, protect, and promote or explain Vedic culture so others can understand, utilize and benefit from it.



If we look at the library of Vedic texts like the Bhagavad-gita, Upanishads, Mahabharata, or Vishnu Purana, or especially the Bhagavata Purana, they all explain various aspects of the nature of God, what our spiritual identity is, what is this universe, where we came from and where we are going based on whatever our actions are, and what are the pastimes, characteristics, attributes, and nature of the Supreme Being. How else are we supposed to learn this knowledge, and where else can it be found in such a complete fashion? I have studied all of the world religions and no other texts or scripture offers such a depth of spiritual information. That is why I have concluded that the Vedic philosophy is the last bastion of deep spiritual truth and knowledge. Nothing offers what it does. Vedic culture, essentially, takes up where the Western religions leave off.



That is why I never went back to the Western religions, though I may respect all paths and still study portions of them for comparative reasons. But what is the point of going back to something less profound, less expansive, less spiritual, less dynamic than what we have in the Dharmic tradition and philosophy as found in India? To do so makes no sense. Though raised in the West with its Christian beliefs and its modern facilities, many of us Westerners look toward the East, especially India, for our inspiration and spirituality. We are rejecting some of the very aspects of the Western religions that some of the present day Indians are accepting when they convert to them. This means that possibly they have not looked into them as deeply as we have, at least when it comes to seeking the deeper aspects of spiritual knowledge, beyond moral principles. They also may not be looking at the bloody history they have left in their trails through the past. Horrible crimes against humanity have been committed in the name of these religions, mostly in order to control such people and make them convert, not by their spiritual purity, but by political force whether they wanted to or not.



In this way, Vedic culture, Sanatana-dharma, by giving me this spiritual knowledge, saved my life, more than music did. It gave me the insights I needed to understand the purpose of life, what I was doing here, where I came from, where I'm going based on my actions in this life, and how to acquire the highest levels of spiritual perception. It gave me the means to keep going in this world. For me, without those things, my life remained incomplete and void of real meaning. It meant that I had little purpose to continue living. Why bother with something that made little sense to me? And materialistic life was just that, something that made no sense.



However, anyone who grasps the big picture of things, meaning to understand that our existence spans many lifetimes, will know that this is not my first life as a follower of Sanatana-dharma. I was obviously an Indian devotee in India in a previous life. I'm only taking up where I left off from before. And I will continue to follow Sanatana-dharma, as well as work to preserve, protect, and promote it for the benefit of others until the day I die. And I invite others to join me on this great path.



The thing is that I was not born into Vedic culture in this life. I did not learn about it because my parents or grandparents followed it, like most Indians do. I was born in a small Midwestern town in America where there was no hint of any Vedic tradition. So, I had to search for it and fight to attain it. That is why I do not take it for granted at all. And no one is going to take it away from me now that I've found it.



I know what my life was like when I did not have it, and it has made such a difference in my life compared to when all I had was the elementary form of religion that I started with. I learned the benefits of the Dharmic path and how it can relate to my life, and the many improvements of understanding it has given me.



So, as a typical American, when we find something good, positive, and advantageous, we want to share it with others. Our enthusiasm makes us want others to take a look at it and see what they think because they might like it as well. And I've seen what it has done for others with its deep spiritual knowledge, peace, insights into our purpose in life, and how to increase our own spiritual perception, over and above mere faith and hope. This is why I have gone on to write various books on the many aspects of Vedic culture, so others can learn about it, use it in their life, and benefit from it. I especially try to write in a way to make the lofty and sophisticated Vedic philosophy understandable for the regular layman. But amazingly, even though I started out writing for Westerners, many Indian Hindus have also appreciated what I do and have expressed how they have gathered much from my own learning, research, realizations, and experiences about which I have written. This enthuses me to continue the work I do to help preserve, protect, and promote the Vedic knowledge and its traditions. Its timeless wisdom and spiritual knowledge still serves an important purpose.



However, as things stand today, we may think that the battle of Kuruksetra was just a story in the Mahabharata, a scene for the Bhagavad-gita in which Lord Krishna told Arjuna that it was foolish for him to want to go off to the forest to meditate when his duty was to stand and fight.

But fight for what?

To fight for Sanatana-dharma and our freedom to pursue the spiritual Dharmic path. Thus, we should all follow in the footsteps of Arjuna in this way, under the direction of Lord Krishna to do our parts to take a stand to help protect Vedic culture. In this way, I have worked with a wide number of organizations, both within India and outside, and numerous individuals who have similar ideas for doing this.



It is not our time to be timid about standing up for our rights to follow the Dharma. It is not time to be afraid to come together and work to preserve our culture from those forces, whether they be different religions, non-Hindu politicians, Marxists, or secularists who still wish to destroy it or see its demise. We should be on the forefront to work with each other to maintain our spiritual traditions. We should be on the forefront to create a spiritual revolution in India through the promotion of Vedic spiritual knowledge, and allowing all other interested people to participate in it without restriction. If we can do this, we could change India in 18 days, which was the same length of time as the Battle of Kuruksetra. Vedic culture is, as I call it, the last bastion of deep spiritual truth. We must all do our part to preserve and protect it, and make sure that India remains the homeland of a dynamic and thriving Vedic tradition. 



Why am I so enthused and determined about this? It is because my life has been so much blessed because of it. I cannot imagine what my life would have been without it.

I love this Vedic culture.

I love India.

I love Sanatana-dharma, and I think everyone should take a serious look at it.

Bharata Mata ki jaya! Jai Hind! Sanatana-dharma ki jaya! Hari Om, and Jai Sri Krishna!



              Other reasons why a person should seriously take a look at Vedic culture can be found in my E-book "Why Be a Hindu: The Advantages of the Vedic Path."

 

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Varaha avatara in action or a Mainaka look-alike rising?

An awesome pictorial tale of Varaha avatara in action!!!
Or is this how the Mainaka rose when Hanuman crossed the seas?

Thought of sharing this with readers.....


Can you imagine the thrill of seeing a new island being created ,
seemingly from nowhere?

Mother Nature in all her amazing spleandour!!!
An awesome sight to behold.



In
November 2006, the yacht 'Maiken' was traveling in the South Pacific when they came across a weid sight..





... It was sand in the water, and the sand was floating ON TOP of the waves..






This is not a beach, it is floating on the water.




















The trail left by the yacht..through the sand

















And, while they were watching...

And then this was spotted...






Ash and steam rising from the ocean...


















A brand new island formed...







plume of black ash..






Tonga volcanic eruption seen by yacht crew
08 Nov 2006, 18:07