‘Samatva Garbhagriha’: A facet of assault on Sanatana Dharma (My article in Vijayvaani)

 

If entry into a place of God, limited to only a few, is a custom needed to be broken, the DMK first family is welcome to be a trendsetter by inviting these girls to the Puja room of their house to conduct the daily puja for the sake of Udhayanidhi’s mother, who never shied away from making temple tours; but they can never interfere with the temple conventions that have been uninterrupted for 1300 years, as Dr. R. Nagaswamy, the eminent epigraphist once said, based on the evidence from numerous inscriptions.

 Read the article here http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=6625

Bharat that is Indu: The original names of our country

Published in Vijayvaani.com on September 14, 2023

Nowadays no one asks what is in a name or why not any name, while naming one’s child. Lot of thinking goes into finding a name for the child. Concepts such as energy and vibration of the name and what the name conveys are given due consideration. The Sanatan system of thought also followed certain concepts to pick out a name for the new-born in a ceremony called ‘Nāma-karma’ – naming the child soon after birth. Our land too must have been given a name with suitable meaning when it came into being.

 

Specific names referring to our land are invoked in the Sankalpa mantras uttered for every act of religious and Vedic work. After mentioning Time in terms of Yuga, we say ‘Jambu Dweepe, Bhārata Varshe, Bharata Kande’ and continue with the locality of residence by referring to a nearby river’s name. This mantra with timeless beginnings indicates that we live in Bharata Kanda which is part of Bhārata Varsha, located in Jambu Dweepa. Who gave this name and when are questions that have definite answers in Vishnu Purana.

 

In Chapter 2-1 of Vishnu Purana, there is a description of how this earth was initially divided among people. A king by name Priyavrata, born to Swāyambhuva Manu, divided the earth into seven dweepa-s. A dweepa has several meanings of which the meanings ‘continent’ or ‘shelter’ make better sense as locations suitable for living. He assigned each of them to each of his seven sons by which the dweepa named Jambu Dweepa came under the control of Agnidhra. Agnidhra means the one who takes care of the Agni in a homa. It is the name given to the priest who kindles the Homa fire.

 

Agnidhra divided Jambu dweepa into nine divisions and gave them each to each of his nine sons. The land south of Himavat came under the control of his son named Nābhi. He called it Hima, meaning cold or ice. He was succeeded by Rishabha and then by Rishabha’s son Bharata. The country from thenceforth came to be called after him as ‘Bhārata Varsha’ where varsha stands for ‘division’ – of Jambu dweepa.

 

Varsha also means rainfall and it is possible to assume that this Varsha division took place after the starting of monsoon rainfall in our country 13,000 to 12,500 years ago – the date given by Overpeck et al. (https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00211619)

 

After many generations, during the period of Vishwagjyothish, the country was divided into nine divisions, known as nine Kanda-s. A Kanda refers to a further division or stem of the Varsha of Bhārat. Thus, nine Bharata Kanda-s came into being. As per Tamil dictionary, the Nava Kanda-s included eastern Videha, western Videha, northern Videha, southern Videha, northern Revata, southern Revata, northern Bhārata, southern Bhārata and Madhya Kanda. In course of time, 56 countries such as Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Chera, Chola, Pandya and others started springing up within the nine Kanda-s of Bhārata Varsha.

 

Etymology of Bhārata

 

Over thousands of years, new countries have come up within Bhārata Varsha with many of them annexing others or in regular fights with neighbours, but they all stood by an underlying unitary culture of Bhārata, which is best explained by the etymology of the term given in Vishnu Purana and a concept noted in Vāyu and Brahmānda Purana.

 

In Chapter 4-19 of the Vishnu Purana, the meaning of Bhārata is given in the context of Bharata, son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. The child was born in the hermitage of sages, who decided to unite the couple and entrust the child to its father, Dushyanta. Dushyanta could not recognise Shakuntala and therefore was advised by the sages to accept her and the child as a father who must cherish the child. Bharas is the root, word meaning ‘cherished’. Therefore, the child came to be known as Bharata.

 

Apart from ‘cherishing’, Bharas also means ‘holding’ and ‘bearing’. The country is being cherished and held and therefore it is ‘Bhārata’. In the lineage of Dushyanta’s son Bharata was born Hasti, who founded Hastinapura. The lineage after him who ruled from Hastinapura came to be known as ‘Bhārata-s’. The Mahābhārata is the story of Bhārata-s. By coming in the lineage of Sibi, the cousin of Dushyanta, the Chola-s also can be called as Bhārata-s. In fact, all the people of this country are Bharatam Janam – an expression given in Rig Veda III.53.12 “Visvamitrasya rakshati brahmedam Bharatam janam” (Vishvamitra’s mantra protects the people of Bhārata). 

 

Bhārata also refers to the agni used in yajnas. There are basically three types of Agni-s – Pavamāna, Pāvaka and Suchi. Pavamāna is created by rubbing Arni sticks. Suchi is the solar fire. Pāvaka is the agni drawn from lightening strikes. This agni is known as Bhārata! According to the Satapatha Brāhmana, this Bharatāgni supplies Havya to Devas (I.4.2.2). Bharatāgni being fundamental to Vedic culture, it holds the country that cherishes Agni.

 

The initial name as Bhārata Varsha coming from Bharata, the grandson of Agnidhra, it appears that he named the country after Bharatāgni that was essential even in ordinary life in those days after the end of Ice Age. It was difficult to grow Agni and maintain Agni. The Aupasana homa was ordained for everyone to grow and protect the Agni throughout one’s life. The rationale seems to lie with the difficulty in making Agni.

 

The Agni so protected will protect one in mundane as well religious life. Perhaps it was Bharata, the grandson of Agnidhra, who made it mandatory for everyone to cherish Agni so that the Agni cherishes them. By this the entire country came to be cherished by the Bharatāgni. So, the name Bhāratam arises from the fact that this country was a Yajna Bhumi right from its inception. This name continuing to be in use in Sankalpa Mantra goes to prove that it was meant to keep this country Vedic in culture.

 

The Tamil culture which zealots claim to be exclusive, also has stuck with the name Bharata, as it appears in the 2000-year-old twin epic of Silappadhikaram, namely Manimekalai. In several verses in old Tamil, the country is also recognised as Jambu dweepa. Manimekalai goes a step further by stating that the Guardian deity – a female Goddess – of the Jambu dweepa was in Pumpukār.

 

Long before the river Kāviri was born, a woman who did penance under a Jambu tree was elevated into a Goddess with a boon to protect Jambu dweepa. The place where she did the penance came to be called “Jambu-pati” which in Tamil was known as ‘Samba-pati’. It was here river Kāviri entered the sea during the period of Agastya of Ramayana fame. Since then, the place came to be called as ‘Kāviri Pumpattinam’ which in course of time became ‘Pumpukār’. Such unitariness of Jambu dweepa from Pumpukār to Himalayas was recognised by identifying Bhārata Varsha as the land between the Himalayas and Indu Sarovar – the olden name for the Indian Ocean.

 

Bharat that is Indu

 

Indu Sarovar as the name of the Indian Ocean raises our curiosity to know if Indu was an indigenous name related to our country. In his book ‘Glimpses of World History’, Jawaharlal Nehru says that,

“India was known of old as the Land of the Moon-Indu-land! Hiuen Tsang also tells us about this and describes how suitable the name is. Apparently even in Chinese In-Tu is the name for the moon.”

 

“In his travelogue, he (Hiuen Tsang) records that “the correct pronunciation for Tien Chu (India) is Intu” which means the moon in Chinese language. He further elaborates that “the scholars from that land have brightened the world with their delightful and shining knowledge, like the moon.”

 

Even the name Hindukush is not correct, according to Nehru. It was Indukush: “This mountain range was famous for medicinal plants that bloomed in the moonlight. The Sanskrit word “Indukush” (Hindukush) means “krupan” (leaves or grass) that grows in the moonlight.”

 

Ibn Batutta gave a wrong meaning as ‘Hindu-killer’ which was faithfully copied by western writers and Indian secularists. Note that Jawaharlal Nehru did not manipulate nor alter the original meaning of India.

 

Indu seems to be the indigenous name for our country and that is why it was found as ‘Indica’ in the work by Megasthenes, the 4th century BCE Greek historian. Indu is the land of Devi, the Goddess of the Moon. We can relate it to the first-ever name, Hima, given to this country by Nābhi.

Hema or Parvati was the daughter of Himavān. She was referred to as Bhārati in the Rig Veda, having two sisters namely, Saraswati and Ila (Rig Veda: 1. 142, 1.188, 2.3 & 9.5). Justifying the worship of Indu as the manifestation of Goddess Shakti, evidence of Shakti-worship by means of a triangular stone was found in ‘Baghor Shrine” in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. Archaeologist Jonathan Kenoyer dated the shrine to 9,000 BCE (11,000 years old); a similar structure continues to be worshiped by the people in the vicinity. Kenoyer observed, “The fact that it is worshipped even today, shows the remarkable continuity of religious beliefs in India.”

 

Triangle is the shape of the Shakti Yantra worshiped by devotees even today. Interestingly, Bhārat also is triangular making it special for drawing the power of Mother Goddess. The ocean to the south of Himalayas was duly known as Indu Sarovar. Today it is known as Indian Ocean. The land between Himavat and Indu Sarovar came to be known as Hindustan.

 

In an article titled, “Who is a Hindu,” published in January 1965, in a monthly called “The Call Divine,” edited by Kaviyogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharatiar from Bombay, Brihaspati Agama is quoted as saying that the divine land extending from the Himalayas to the Indu Sarovar (Kanyakumari) is known as ‘Hindustan’.

 

People have been thinking that ‘Hindu’ is the name given to us by Persians and other foreigners. This seems unlikely according to the version of Brihaspati Agama cited above. The name Hindu is also found in Madhava Digvijayam of the 14th century, where it says that a ‘Hindu’ is one who regards AUM as his mantra, who believes in rebirth, who is devoted to the cow, who is harmless and who is devoted to ‘Bhārat’. This quote also appears in The Call Divine.

 

An oft quoted verse from Brihannāradiya Purana states that the word Hindu is drawn from ‘Hi’ from Himalayas and ‘Indu’ in Bindu Sarovar (Indian Ocean) to denote the people living in Hindustan spread between the Himalayas and Indu Sarovar. This is like the word ‘Hora’ in astrology, which people claimed to belong to the Greek, but clarified by Varahamihira in Brihad Jataka as a shortened form of ‘Ahoratra’. 

 

What is Indu, indigenously expressed to identify our country, was pronounced as Indae and India by outsiders. That identity, being compatible with our own given name Indu, we have easily accepted. If it was a completely new or alien name, we would not have accepted it. So, India is very much part of our identity as Indu, while Bhārat is our name given by Nāma-karma at the birth of our country. This land holds us (Bharas) by which we are cherished in the wisdom of the Yajnas.

 

https://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=6617

Udayanidhi’s Call: Dravidian Model for eradication of Sanatana Dharma (Vijayvaani.com)

 Published in Vijayvaani.com

Udayanidhi’s Call: Dravidian Model for 

eradication of Sanatana Dharma

by Jayasree Saranathan

on 05 Sep 2023

On Saturday, 2nd September, Udayanidhi Stalin, son of the DMK supremo and the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamilnadu stirred a hornet’s nest by calling for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma in his address to the ‘Sanatan Abolition Conference’ convened by the Progressive Writers and Artists Forum, in Chennai. Coming closely on the heels of the just concluded meeting of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. alliance in Mumbai, this outburst by a prominent member of a constituent party of the alliance garnered national attention.

 

While his speech was seen as a call to incite genocide of believing Hindu groups, the same utterances were excused as a right to free speech by the DMK supporters. The local TN Congress leaders were quick to pitch in to support Udayanidhi; Karti Chidambaram drew our attention by his tweet that ‘everyone who is batting for “SD” (Sanatan Dharma) comes from the privileged segment who are beneficiaries of the “Hierarchy”’, forgetting that he is married into the so-called privileged segment.

 

That the local Congress cadres had their own compulsions to support Udayanidhi’s indefensible verbal assault on Hindus by his attack on Sanatana Dharma, can be seen from the manner in which Congressmen outside Tamilnadu objected to his speech. The Maharashtra Congress Chief Nana Patole told ANI that the Congress party ‘neither comments nor believes in hurting anyone’s religious sentiments,’ and added that they ‘can’t take onus for someone else’s statement’.

 

While official responses from other alliance partners are awaited, it goes without saying that Udayanidhi has added salt to the injuries already inflicted by his party on North Indians, particularly the people of Bihar, UP and Northeast. Not long ago several migrant workers from the North fled from Chennai and Tiruppur, the textile hub, following hostile propaganda against ‘Vadakkans’ (northies). In the forefront was Udayanidhi, inciting anti-Hindi slogans while he had no qualms in buying rights for Hindi films through his Production and Distribution company, Red Giants.

 

Biharis are particularly are in the line of attack of the DMK headed by Udayanidhi’s father M.K. Stalin, who views the Bihar-born Tamilnadu Governor, R.N. Ravi, as a villain. Nothing can be more atrocious than the scorn spit by the DMK leader R.S. Bharati in an indirect dig at the Governor when he said that those who sell Soan Papdi and Panipuri don’t know the pride of Tamilnadu.

 

The arrest of a Youtuber, Manish Kashyap, further deepened the crisis which reflected in the opposition to M.K. Stalin’s visit to Bihar in June 2023, to attend a meeting of the Opposition parties convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Twitterverse was buzzing with the hashtag #GoBackStalin with the tweet of T.R.B. Raja, DMK minister for Industries and son of T.R. Balu,..... Continue to read HERE

"Ancient Tamils knew Valmiki Ramayana" - my article in Vijayvaani

 My article published in Vijayvaani.com

Rama and Ramayana were common knowledge in Tamil speaking lands in olden days. Numerous Rama temples all over Tamil Nadu bear testimony to this. But there is a propaganda blitzkrieg that Ramayana is a myth and there is no connection between Rama and Tamils. Let us examine the evidence from Tamil literature.

Although Rama lived in Ayodhya, the major portion of the Ramayana occurred in the Tamil region. It was from the coast of Tamil Nadu that Rama went to Lanka. He reached the south east coast of Tamil Nadu and stayed there for a few days. He did penance on the shores and then started building a dam across the ocean. There is an old temple at the location where he is believed to have done penance, while the remnants of Ram Setu are there to see. Were there local people present at that time to pass on the news about Rama’s arrival there? It seems there were!

Dhanushkodi, where the Setu Dam begins, was part of Tamil lands known as “Neydhal” – coastal land. There must have been small settlements here and there even in olden days when Rama lived. Rama’s arrival there must have been an unforgettable event for them. People seem to have talked about places where Rama sat and where he slept and carried those memories generation after generation. One such memory has been recorded in the Sangam literature called ‘Agananuru’

The context described in the poem of Agananuru shows how deeply the memory of Rama’s visit to the region was etched in the minds of the common people. The situation is about a man and a woman in love with each other. When the people of the town came to know about it, the gossip-mill started grinding and stopped only after they got married.

The girl’s friend tells how the gossip was ended. When Rama sat down under a banyan tree on the seashore and consulted his friends about how to cross the sea, all the birds that lived in that tree, which were making noise until then, became silent. Similarly, when this man and the woman got married, the village people who were speaking ill about them until then, just stopped speaking anything about them.

Could the woman have given such a parable if there had not been such a notion among the people of that coastal region that this was the place where Rama had come and sat under a banyan tree?

It can be said that this is poet’s imagination. As far as the Sangam literature is concerned, the poets have told what was prevalent. What the people of the area often talk about, was incorporated in their poems. The memory of Rama’s arrival, the place he wandered, and the place he sat under the banyan tree were all noted by the locals...CONTINUE TO READ HERE

Sengol: A pan-India symbol of righteousness (My article in Vijayvaani.com)

My article published in Vijayvaani.com

The Tamil word Sengol has gained national attention following the decision of the Centre to establish it ceremoniously in the newly built Parliament. Lots of information is going around on its symbolism in the transfer of power to Independent India, the meaning of the word, and its origin from a mutt in Tamilnadu. Without touching upon information already circulated on the social media, this article attempts to look into the issues not known to the general public.

First of all, it is not right to attribute the concept of Sengol to the Chola empire alone. Sengol was the symbol of the other two Tamil dynasties too, namely Chera and Pandya. To be more accurate, it had pan-Indian presence as a symbol associated with kings. This does not mean that it signified monarchy; rather it was a representation of the Rule of Law or Righteousness. The text of the Mahabharata is replete with references to the ‘Rod of chastisement’ – known as ‘Danda’ – that was held high by the rulers.

The earliest talk about it was between Vasuhoma and the Ikshvaku king, Mandhatri, who wanted to know the origin of chastisement. A murkier scene of chaos in which there was robbery and the strong ones tormenting the weak was described to show that it resulted in Vishnu creating His own self as chastisement with a Shula (a weapon) in his hand. From that form, having Dharma for its legs, Saraswati, the goddess of speech, created Danda-niti (Science of Chastisement) to restore order and for protection. This is symbolic of saying that rules of do-s and don’t-s for good conduct were laid down and also the punishment for non-adherence of those rules. A weapon (shula) was assigned to signify the same.

Chastisement is again described by the Mahabharata in the words of Bhishma, originally told by Matariswan to Pururavas. In his dialogue with Puraravas, Matariswan clearly stated that Kshatriyas were created for ruling the earth and for wielding ‘Danda’ - the Rod of chastisement.

This purpose was emphasised in too many ways by Vyasa to Yudhishthira when he was hesitant to take up rulership after the war was over.  Vyasa listed out 12 things for kshatriyas namely, yajna, learning, exertion, ambition, wielding ‘the rod of punishment,’ fierceness, protection of subjects, knowledge of the Vedas, practise of all kinds of penances, goodness of conduct, acquisition of wealth, and gifts to deserving persons. “Amongst these, O son of Kunti, wielding the rod of chastisement (Danda-dharanam) has been said to be the foremost,” said he. “Strength must always reside in a Kshatriya, and upon strength depends chastisement.”

In the same scenario, we find Draupadi speaking about the need for Danda – the Rod of chastisement and Arjuna elaborating on that with three objectives for Danda, namely...continue reading here

Sabarimala: Zero knowledge of temple -Science harming Hinduism - II

Published in Vijayvaani.com

Part I HERE

Effect of negative ions on menstruating women.

Menstruation, a process vital for the procreation of our human race is the least researched subject around the world. It is not about a few days of the menses flow, but it is a continuous process of some change happening in the woman’s body throughout her menstruating life. In the first week of the menstrual cycle, there is pre-dominance of Kapha dosha, which increases the vitality of the person. During ovulation and after, Pitta dosha becomes predominant which is manifest as acne or pimples in the face (for some) and many become irritable in nature.^[i] In pH terms Pitta is low in pH value indicating higher levels of positive ions! With the onset of menses flow there is a continuous generation of positive ions around the woman due to the dead tissues getting flushed out. Positive ions (cations) are associated with dead tissues that enhance bacterial activity.  The promotion of anion (negative ion) sanitary napkins as a remedy to reduce the discomfort and bacterial effects during menses is proof enough that science recognises generation of more positive ions during menses.

This raises a question why not allow women into temples, the source of constant generation of negative ions - during her menses so that she can be greatly relieved of the pain, discomfort and mood swings caused by low pH aided positive ions in her body. This can be answered in two ways.

1. Temples have been found to be negative ion generators for the benefit of the entire community with the entire community taking part in the generation of the same by worshiping in the temple. Suppose there are 100 persons in a community where at any one time, 5 persons may be having menses. If those 5 persons are going to enter the temple, the high level of positive ions in them can mess up with the ‘negative ion-only’ atmosphere of the temple. It is like mixing a drop of poison in a pot of milk. The temple nurtured by a community for the well-being of the community cannot be disturbed of its composition for the sake of the few, particularly when other means are there to cater to their needs at those times. By staying away, if the anion-purity of the temple can be maintained, then that is the best way in the interest of the masses.

2. The generation of positive ions associated with menstruation is part of the natural process of removing the dead tissues from the system. In such a scenario, exposure to high levels of negative ions (as in a temple) would be against this natural and necessary process. So a counter therapy should aim at reducing the adverse physiological and psychological effects of positive ions. It is here the traditional practices of Rajaswala Paricharya sound very much logical and far advanced than the present level of our knowledge of menses related problems. The traditional practices include remaining outdoors and secluded from others, rest from all physical activities, specific diet, not to have complete bath etc. A study done on 30 women to test the effect of these practices of Rajaswala Paricharya found an improvement in relief to issues related to physical and psychic well being^[ii].

With the knowledge of effect of negative ions, we can deduce the extent of exposure to negative ions by the menstruating women to get relief from her physical and mental stress while at the same time not tampering with the natural process of removal of dead material associated with positive ions.

The primary feature of remaining outdoors in seclusion from every one, which is looked down upon with disdain today, has a positive effect of offering an anion-rich environment. The maximum concentration of positive ions is found inside houses today and it could have been so in olden times too. By offering the menstruating woman a separate room, she is exposed to free flow of air and therefore to anion-rich atmosphere. About 85% of anions are absorbed through our skin. Just by keeping away from people and remaining outside, she is able to get the refreshing ions needed to reduce her stress. The terminology used in Tamil for menses is ‘veLi’, meaning outside or outdoors – which is self-descriptive of a state of wellness in terms of ion-therapy for a menstruating woman. 

It is known that vigorous exercise reduces the pH level thereby increasing the positive ions. Seen from this perspective, one can understand why the menstruating woman was exempted from doing all physical activities.

The supply of negative ions comes from her foods which are highly alkaline. This food is collectively known as ‘Havishya anna’ – the food used as oblations in yajna! It includes rice, moong, sesame, jiggery, ghee, cow’s milk etc. Sceptics who find fault with the tradition of menstruating woman keeping away from the temple and puja should ponder over the fact why she is asked to take the yajna-food during her menses. Doesn’t this convey that the body of the menstruating woman is a yajna kunda and menses blood is like agni, that she has to offer Havishya anna to get maximum positive benefits?  It is a practice in Tamilnadu even now to offer jiggery mixed sesame balls to the young girls during their menses. This quickens the process the easy and painless flow while supplying negative ions to her body. Even now there are women who are wary of taking sesame sweets while nearing their menses date, for the reason that sesame induces menses.

Positive ions during death.

A bath generates negative ions but also causes exertion which is related to positive ions. That is why Rajaswala Paricharya recommends incomplete bath to her. The traditional practices with reference to bath under different circumstances further reinforce the ion- theory in ashaucha (impurity). Death is associated with positive ions. The wail and sad state of mind of the near and dear also generate positive ions. The extended period of ‘impurity’ for the close relatives of the dead is better understood when seen through the ion-theory. It will take them for a while to come to terms with the loss of the person and stop crying. As long as they are crying, they will be surrounded by positive ions only which will increase the mental irritation of everyone around them. So it is better for these people to remain secluded for a while after death of their dear one so that the ion balance for others would not be upset. This is similar to why women stay from temples during menses.

This also justifies why a temple remains closed when someone dies in close vicinity. As long as the body is lying in state, positive ions keep growing around. (Cell death is associated with ion movement)[iii]. Once the body is removed, negative ions are injected through water – that is why cleaning by water is done. Shudhikaran is done not only after a death, but also when a child is found to have urinated or defecated within the temple premises. The process of Shuddikaran can be understood better from the effects of negative ion. The Shuddhi ritual involves water and there are researches establishing the effect of thoughts and chanting on water molecules. Whenever water is involved, the process of negative ion generation can be taken for granted. Even in our house we are generating negative ions while taking shower bath. The bath given to the menstruating woman on the fourth day (end of menses) is similar to shower bath which in traditional way involves pouring water on her through a sieve from a height.

Effect of negative ions in Sabarimala on women of menstruating age.

Sabarimala temple is situated on a mountain surrounded by dense forests. The location itself is brimming with a heavy dose of negative ions. By an estimate it is more than 10,000 per cubic centimetre in forested and hilly regions dotted with waterfalls or streams. The access path is also full of forests which once again ensure continuous exposure to negative ions. To cap it all the temple situated on top of the hill generates high level of negative ions by the rituals and abhisheka material brought by millions of devotees. What does this high dosage of negative ions do to the people? 

Research^[iv] says that high dose of negative ions reduces male infertility, but the same cannot be said about female fertility. It is on record that the female fertility in mountainous regions is less compared to plains. The ‘corpus luteum’^[v] found in the ovary and produced during every menstrual cycle and is responsible for secreting progesterone (a hormone responsible for maintaining pregnancy) doesn’t function well in altitudes. The development of corpus luteum depends on luteinizing hormone (LH) which is correlated to the level of pH value in the body. It is here temple chemistry comes into relevance as temple ingredients are associated with high pH value.

A study by Ding et al has found a relationship between pH value and LH, a hormone needed for ovulation and formation of corpus leteum.^[vi]  It is found that LH peaks several times in high pH range. For normal ovulation, the LH must peak only once. In the normal functioning of the menstruation cycle, the LH level keeps gradually rising within a safe limit (1.9 to 12.5 IU/L) in the beginning. In the middle of the cycle it peaks at around 8.7 to 76.3 IU/L which causes the ovary to shed the ovum. After this LH level must come down to 0.5 to 16.9 IU/L. This means the pH level in a woman’s body keeps fluctuating from low in the first half, to sudden high in the middle (to cause ovulation) and then dropping down for the second half of the cycle. This means that a fertile woman should not have continuous high levels of pH.

The study has found out that LH level peaks several times when the pH level is high. In a place like Sabarimala, where the pH value must be the highest compared to any other temple, owing to its location in forested hill and highly alkaline ingredients used for worship, a trip to the temple by a woman of menstruating age would expose her to high dose of negative ions continuously for days. This causes the LH level in such a woman to peak irrespective of the date of the menstrual cycle thereby causing premature ovulation or ovarian dysfunction.

Traditionally it is believed that restriction on women is for their own benefit. It must noted that an expert in menstrual studies has recorded that her menstruation advanced by a week after she visited Pampa when the Sabarimala season was on with many devotees thronging over there.^[vii] It is not difficult to guess the causes. With the discovery of effect of negative ions on LH and through that on ovulation, the traditional view only reiterates the traditional belief that Hindu practices are scientific and not dogmatic.

The locational factor of Sabarimala temple is incomparable with any other hill-temple like Tirumala or Ahobila. There had never been a tradition of vrat going for more than a normal menstrual cycle of a woman and never a compulsory walking all the way through the forests to reach the hill temple in the case of other temples. The negative ion concentration in Sabarimala is likely to be the highest among the hill temples and this is detrimental to the reproductive health of the woman.

In addition to the ion theory, the concept of God plays a role in creating the benefits for the community.  Every form of the Supreme Being has a name- form-action associated with It[viii] and the one wishing to draw the benefits from that form has to adhere to the rules associated with it. Or else there is no meaning in building temples and consecrating the deity with elaborate rituals. Vigraha being the last form of the Supreme Being to facilitate easy access to the devotee, and its manifestation carefully done through temple science, it is nothing but foolishness to interfere in or alter the temple traditions.

Conclusion

Temples with consecrated deities have come up in large numbers only in the last 1500 years. This seems to be in tune with the rise in population and stressful living conditions. The ever growing stressful conditions demand that temples are maintained in their pristine purity to help the community draw optimum levels of benefits – one facet of which revolves around the generation of negative ions.  The motto of Hindu religion namely ‘Sukha’ (happiness), exemplified by the Upanishadic vachan “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah” is best served by the temple concept.   In times when the universality of Upanishads is being frowned upon, it is our wish that those sitting as arbiters for the Sabarimala case understand the temple concept as a way of nature and the traditions around it as way of life that are needed to be respected and therefore left untouched.

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[i] “Why TED banned the talk on Science Behind Menstrual Practices” https://mythrispeaks.wordpress.com/2018/10/08/why-tedx-banned-the-talk-on-science-behind-menstrual-practices/

[ii] “Rajaswala Paricharya: Effect on menstrual cycle and Its associated symptoms” Dr.Pallavi Pai et al.

[iii] “Ion movements in cell death: from protection to execution” https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-97602002000200012

[iv] “Miraculous effects of Negative Ions on Male Infertility” https://www.ecronicon.com/ecgy/pdf/ECGY-SPI-0S102.pdf

[v] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_luteum

[vi] ^[vi] “Preponderance of basic isoforms of serum luteinizing hormone (LH) is associated with the high bio/immune ratio of LH in healthy women and in women with polycystic ovarian disease”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1955538

[vii] https://mythrispeaks.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/sabarimala-verdict-fabricated-rights-over-real-experiences-of-women/

[viii] Changogya Upanishad 8-14-1

Sabarimala: Zero knowledge of temple -Science harming Hinduism - I

Published in Vijayvaani.com

Part II HERE

With the hearing of the review petitions on Sabarimala case about to commence, the restriction on women of menstruating age is once again going to come under scanner. Also in focus will be the ‘right to pray’, gender equality and non-discrimination owing to biological characteristics. No sensible person would deny all these, but in the context of temples of Hindu Gods, there is something that people do not seem to know.

Temples are houses of Gods established with certain rules and regulations aimed at giving certain benefits to not just the devotee but to everyone in the vicinity. The extensive Vaastu rules on the construction of temples and different worship methods for different temples are the foremost indicators that there is something more than what is seen outwardly. The tragedy of current times is that even Hindus themselves are not aware that temples are meant for reverberating certain benefits for the community at large while prayer is a mental exercise by a person on the deity of his / her choice. One can pray even without an idol or a temple to go. But violation of the temple rules causes the humanity to suffer. In the light modern research on what happens in a temple and on issues surrounding menstruation, we will be discussing here why the age old temple traditions should not be violated. Let us begin with understanding what for the temples were established.

Temple as a house.

Temples were there even in Vedic times. The rules of building temples given by Varahamihira are attributed to Vedic sages Manu and Garga. Temples are mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana also. Rama too worshiped in a temple.  The temple was referred to as ‘Aayatana’ (आयतन) in his times. Valmiki says that Rama and Sita slept in the house of Vishnu (श्रीमत्यायतने विष्णोः) on a bed of Kusa grass, on the night before the proposed coronation. This might be intended to make them have peaceful sleep, perhaps with pleasant dreams, as there is an injunction in the texts on Svapna-phala (effects of dreams) that those who had a bad dream should sleep in a temple. This shows that the temple environment can calm down a person and give him peaceful sleep or a mind without disturbances.

A temple which calms down the mind and helps in contemplation can also cause unwanted effects to a person. Or why else are there injunctions in Vaastu texts that no residential house should be built behind or in front of Shiva or Vishnu temple? Families living in those places are supposed to get dissipated. It is for this reason roads are found in the four cardinal directions around the temples. Similarly residences within a radius of 200 yards of a temple of Shiva or Vishnu or Shakti of Ganesa are supposed to suffer in specific ways. This kind of injunctions could not have come into place without some rationale.

However this stricture does not apply to the community at large living beyond the stipulated distances and directions. This is ascertained from an adage in Tamil that says, “Never live in place where there is no temple” (Koil illaa ooril kudi irukka vendaam), implying that people would lose protection if they live in a place where there is no temple! This conveys that temples are basically for the welfare of the community. Perhaps keeping this in mind the olden kings of South India established numerous temples but within the stipulated rules for the benefit of the people.

Forms of the Supreme Being.

Worship in a temple is not the same as a mental worship of God which can happen at any place. Worship of a deity housed in a temple is the last and the 5^th form of the Supreme Being among Its five forms available in cosmos. According to Hindu Thought there is one God - the all pervading, the all knowing and the Infinite entity. It is known as Brahman owing to the fact it is ‘Brh’ which means huge and that which keeps growing. This all-pervading Entity is manifest in 5 forms.

(1) Para – the Omni present state

(2) Vyuha – in the state of created Universe

(3) Vibhava – as Avataras in this world.

(4) Antaryami – the In-Dweller in every being as "one who controls from inside".

(5) Archa murthy – as manifestation in Vigrahas, in temples and in Nature.

Depending on the mental evolution, a person can make a connect with any one of these forms or move from one form to another – in a single birth or in a series of births. The ultimate realisation is the form known as Para – the omni present one in which everything abides (Vasudeva sarvam iti– Gita 7-19). This includes one's own Self (Tat tvam asi) too. Whether this Self becomes one with Brahman or identical to Brahman is a matter of interpretation by different schools of thought, but what cannot be denied is that this Self is in the nature of Brahman and when it Realises this, it gets Liberated from the cycle of rebirth.

These five forms can be understood by a comparison with water. Water is the basic necessity of life. Even if there is no food, a person can survive on water. Similarly a person survives solely on God who is manifest in 5 forms like how water is manifest in 5 forms.

Water is available in Nature – first as clouds, in oceans, in rivers, in wells and in taps in one’s house.

(1)  Water of the clouds cannot be consumed directly to quench the thirst. This is comparable to Para manifestation. You realise that Para exists. You realise that Para contains all seeds of water, but it's beyond your reach!

(2)  Water of the ocean cannot be drunk directly but without oceans water cycle cannot be sustained. The Vyuha manifestation is similar to this. Without Vyuha manifestation, worlds cannot come into existence and life cannot thrive. It is difficult to use this level of manifestation, but a realisation of this manifestation occurs once a person starts thinking about the way Brahman is manifest.

(3)   Rivers go everywhere so that people at different places draw water from them. This is comparable to Avataras of God which continue to exist for all times so that people of different generations draw the essence from them and enrich themselves. The knowledge of avataras and their purpose helps in improving the awareness level of a person on the existence of God on how one has to fashion one’s life to improve oneself.

(4)   Water in a well is used by the owner of the well. This is comparable to Antaryami manifestation which is about a close or intimate and one- to -one relationship with God. The all pervading God becomes a personal God in this level who is recognised as one who resides within oneself. The water analogy also would show how easy it is to draw water from a well which is one's own. The personal God concept is the easiest way to drink 'water' of the Grace of God and mature further towards Realisation of God.

 (5)   Tap water. The water that descends from the cloud and goes into ground is drawn by someone else and directed to reach us through the pipe lines in such a way that all that we have to do is to just open the tap and drink water. This is comparable to the Vigrahas or idol worship. Idol worship is the easiest way to connect with God and draw His blessings. This is not the lowest form as it is mentioned last, but it is the easiest form in which one can form a connect with God and draw the energy. The water that initially originated in the clouds finally reaches every home and every place in a single home, wherever you want, through the taps. That is the benefit of idol worship.

Depending upon the preferences of the house owner, the taps are fixed in his house from which he draws the water whenever he wishes. The same rationale is applied to the manifestation of numerous Gods in temples throughout our country.

Suppose you have to cross a forest, don't worry, God is manifest there as Vana Kali to give you protection.

Suppose you have to cross a mountain, God is manifest as Muruga to guide you safely.

Suppose you have to cross a tough terrain full of dangers, Shiva's deputies Veera Bhadra or Bhairava would be there to offer you safety.

In this way, many Gods became manifest, each of them identified with a specific benefit for a community or population in a location.  In this way Muttharamman was manifest in coastal regions from whom the pearl divers drew their strength for pearl diving.

Maariyamman was manifest wherever a threat of small pox was felt.

Sitalamma was manifest when a threat of an epidemic was seen.

Village deities were manifest to protect the villagers and boundary deities (Yellai amman) were manifest to protect the boundary from enemies. The basic nature in all these Gods and Goddesses is that they are easy-to-reach forms of Para – like the availability of water from clouds to taps in your house. 

The list of these deities goes endless – in having sprung up in different time periods for different reasons and they include human beings too who died under duress while protecting someone or an entire community. In all these cases the deity is given a form called ‘Vigraha’ and housed in a temple.

Vigraha means a special embodiment. The root word is ‘graha’ which means ‘to bind’.
The physical form of Vigraha binds some special features – those of God Himself so that it gives many benefits to the people who come to worship it. Rules and regulations do exist on the choice of the place for the temple, the type of building, the material used for making the Vigraha, the concept of the deity and the form of the deity, whether It is single, married or a celibate. This is how a temple with a deity has come into existence.

The one commonality in all the temples – whether they are tribal or belonging to particular communities or established through Vedic yajnas – is that the worship methods and materials are the same. Water, flowers, fruits, incense and offerings are part of worship in all the temples. Even during Ramayana times, the same had existed as we read of Vasishtha calling ‘eligible’ persons (yogya) to gather at temples and road junctions with rice, eatables, presents and garlands. (VR: 2-3-18).

The purpose being the same – that of offering certain benefits to the community – it would be interesting to know what exact benefits are drawn from the temples. There exists just one experiment done on ‘temple science’ till date, though many smaller experiments have been done but not publicised. A reading of it along with certain other research findings solve the twin puzzle of why women during menstruation stay away from temples and why women of menstruating age stay away from Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala.

What happens inside a temple – a scientific revelation. 

The following report from ‘Indian Express’ published on 31st December, 1980 is about a research that was conducted in a model garbha graha (sanctum sanctorum) by a team of teachers and students from Parasakthi College of Courtallam, Tamilnadu. The findings were displayed in HR and CE stall at the Tourist Trade Fair held at Chennai then.

“Teachers and students of Parasakthi College, Courtallam, through a set of experiments using laboratory gadgets, make a scientific interpretation of the chanting of slokas, abhisheka of the idol and offering of fruits and leaves. "Temple worship has a definite scientific reasoning behind it", the assistant professor in charge said.

First it is explained how there is a proportionate configuration to the sanctum sanctorum and the idol it houses – the sanctorum is structured in such a way that the idol in it reflects any sound wave to the maximum effect.

A tuning fork is vibrated in the hall with little sound reproduction, but when it is struck and placed before the entrance of a small model sanctorum, a loud hum is heard. The forks invariably produce a sound resembling the chant "OM".

The lecturer explained that among the various chants, "OM" had the largest resonant effect and displaced a sizeable amount of atmosphere inside the sanctum. This is possible only when the sanctum and the idol are made of granite.

Next it is explained how the presence of negative ions increases in moist condition rather in dry condition using a condenser to infer why the sanctum sanctorum is always kept moist by pouring water over the idol and washing it with water continuously. Similarly the conduction of the stone idol also increases when it is moist – this is demonstrated by comparing the conductivity of dry granite and that of a wet idol.

The materials used for the abhisheka of the idol increases the conductivity of the stone through their own pH values. pH value of a substance is the negative concentration of the ion it possesses. Most of the materials used for abhisheka – milk, curd, sandal paste, turmeric powder, vermilion powder, vibuthi have high pH values, a simple chemical experiment shows. And when they are poured over the idol they increase the conductivity of the idol, also ionizing it.

A resistance reading on the ohmmeter of the idol after these elements have been poured shows the increased conductivity of the idol. The chanting of the mantras and the more frequent "OM" sets the air column inside vibrating and the highly sensitized idol conducts the ions of the abhisheka substance to the moist atmosphere.

The lighting of camphor during the deeparadhna displaces the air, which is partially charged with ions, and the devotees inside the sanctum inhale these ions. These negative ions have the physiological function of fixing oxygen with hemoglobin in the blood, the lecturer explained. They are concentrated on beach shores and mountaintops in the early morning, which explains doctor’s advice to heart patients for early morning beach walks.

In the final inference, it is explained, a devotee’s presence in the sanctum during abhisheka helps his system induct more negative ions than he usually inhales. A visit to the temple is a good substitute for morning walk, the lecturer explained, and a tonic for good health.

But with temples becoming overcrowded, it would not be a wonder if these negative ions are submerged by the excessive carbon dioxide exhaled in the packed sanctum which is meant to house only ten people at a time. Similarly the chanting of "OM" has also been reduced to a mere inaudible mumble, affecting its highly resonant quality."”

The final inference of this experiment boils down to just one factor – the generation of negative ions (anions). This has a direct correlation with higher pH value of the substances used in abhisheka and puja inside the temple. The pH value refers to two extremities with  higher pH value referring to more alkalinity and lower pH value referring to more acidity. This experiment shows that temple worship conducted every day with six-time puja in bigger temples and one to three time puja in all temples is continuously churning out negative ions much like the air purifiers in pollution bound areas. With rise in pollution levels, people are nowadays buying and installing air purifiers in cities like Mumbai and Delhi, but Hindus from an undated past had been purifying the air with negative ions in every region with the active participation of everyone in the community. 

(To be continued...)