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A recent study conducted on rats showed that
upcoming three generations could pick up alcoholism if the pregnant rat
consumes alcohol during the period that is equivalent to the 2nd trimester
in human beings. This information is interesting and important as well because
of 2 reasons:- (1) the food that is consumed during pregnancy does create an imprint
in the off springs and (2) that imprint goes upto 3 generations with certainty.
This study reminded me of the ideas I wrote in the
Tarpanam series in 2008. This study vindicates the basis of tarpanam that
one bequeaths one’s physical, vital and mental faculties from the 3 generations
of ancestors.
The study involved feeding the pregnant rats with
one glass of wine for four days in a row during the pregnancy period that is
comparable to the 2nd trimester in human beings. For a rat, drinking
a glass of wine is certainly heavy. Drinking it for 4 days continuously has
created an imprint in the drinking urge of the offspring and also has made them
more insensitive to alcohol. This imprint had been transferred to subsequent
generations with a minimum of 3 generations of off springs showing these
tendencies in a marked way. These findings vindicate the view of Sanatana
Dharma that a person inherits his body and tendencies from not only his
parents, but also from grandparents and great grandparents. It is to pay back this
‘debt’ that the tarpan ceremony or pitru ceremonies are devised.
For research purpose (to get a marked result), heavy
dose of alcohol was administered to the rats. But the findings indicate that whatever
is consumed by the pregnant rat could create an impression or could pass on an
impression in the gene map of the offering that is carried on to future generations.
In this context, we must recall that studies have shown that even habits like
smoking was found to be present in the genes (habitual smokers had a similar
gene map which is not present in non- smokers). How that could have happened
might perhaps find an explanation from the present research on rats.
What interests me most is the trimester and the
nature of item consumed – namely a fluid. As per Hindu Thought anything has 3
levels of constitution. The easy code word to remember them is Bhu, Bhuva and
Svah. They refer to physical, vital and mental aspects of anything. Simple
example is the earth. The land part is physical or Bhu. The waters are Bhuva,
the vital organs of the earth. The atmosphere is Svah, the mental part of the earth.
Like this, every being has these three aspects. Every being inherits these
three aspects from 3 generations of ancestors. The physical is inherited from
parents, the vital (liquids, blood, hormones etc) is inherited form grandparents
and the mental faculties are inherited from great grandparents. These are
governed by 3 deities namely Vasu, Rudra and Aditya. These three are the Pitru
Gods representing first, 2nd and 3rd generations of
parents.
A person does tarpan to all these three levels of
parents on the pretext that he has bequeathed his faculties of all the three
nature from these 3 generations. The recent study on rats showing the inheritance
of a single impact in the pregnant rat to 3 generations is proof enough for
every other impression or faculty to be transferred to minimum 3 generations.
This study vindicates the Vasu- Rudra- Aditya theory
(Read my articles this
and this
to know about these three pitru devas) expounded in Chandogya Upanishad. The three
can be identified in any area of development. At the cosmic level, Agni, water
and earth were the three factors that were formed in that order. As per
Sanatana Thought, they are represented or governed by Vasu, Rudra and Aditya.
Anything of fiery component is Vasu. Anything of watery component is Rudra and anything
of earthy component is Aditya.
This concept can be explained in the gestation
period also. The first trimester is Vasu (agni tattwa). The 2nd
trimester is Rudra (water tattwa). The 3rd trimester is Aditya
(earthy tattwa). In terms of constitution of the body, the basics of physical development
must happen in the first trimester, the vital fluids in the 2nd
trimester and the mental faculties in the 3rd trimester.
At the level of Dhatus, the pittha elements (bilious)
get manifest in the 1st trimester, the kapha elements (Phlegmatic) in
the 2nd trimester and vaata elements (windy) in the 3rd
trimester. I don’t know how far this is
true scientifically and how much we have tested and known for sure. But the
intake of foods of the nature of specific dhatus in the corresponding trimester
would and must create an imprint in the genetic map of the foetus which will be
transmitted for 3 generations, is what is known from the present research on
rats.
In this research, a watery substance was tested in
the 2nd trimester – both (substance and period) representing the
Rudra tattwa. As per our concept, the watery component must make an impact or must
merge well with the Rudra tattwa in the 2nd trimester. I wonder
whether they would have got the same result if they had tested this in the
first or last trimester. It could also be possible that they tested in those
periods but found the result only in the 2nd trimester. The watery or
fluid substances in the 2nd trimester seem to make an impact with reference
to the same substance in the 3 future generations.
Though the prospect of what the pregnant mother eats
or thinks influence her offspring is something known to scientific community, its
reach to a minimum of 3 generations is established by this study. Of all that
happens within that pregnant mother, the compartmentalisation of the three
basics as represented by Bhu, Bhuva and Svah in their respective time periods
is something that is seen as the tip of the iceberg in this study.
Alcohol during pregnancy may affect many
generations
inking alcohol during pregnancy may affect not only
your child but also increases the chances in next three generations of
developing alcoholism, warns a study conducted on rats.
"Our findings show that in rats, when a mother consumes the equivalent of
one glass of wine four times during the pregnancy, her offspring and
grand-offspring -- up to the third generation -- show increased alcohol
preference and less sensitivity to alcohol," said Nicole Cameron from
Binghamton University in the US.
For the study, pregnant rats were given the equivalent of one glass of wine --
four days in a row -- at gestational days 17-20, the equivalent of the second
trimester in humans.
Juvenile male and female offspring were then tested for water or alcohol
consumption and adolescent males were tested for sensitivity to alcohol by
injecting them with a high-alcohol dose, which made them unresponsive and
measuring the time it took them to recover their senses.
The results, published in the journal Alcoholism:
Clinical and Experimental Research, suggest that if a mother drinks during
pregnancy, even just a little bit, she increases the risk that her progeny will
become alcoholic.
The team claims to be the first to investigate the effects of alcohol
consumption during pregnancy and alcohol-related behaviour on generations that
were not directly exposed to alcohol in the uterus during the pregnancy.
My article on certain issues around Pongal festival written in Tamil and published in Poojari Murasu (circulated among the temple priests of Tamilnadu) is given below.
For those who can not read Tamil, I am giving here the main features discussed in this article.
The Tamil name of the month 'Thai' is discussed. 'Thai' means 'getting stitched to'. The celestial relevance of this month is such that it attracts or binds to itself the prayers and aspirations done by the people. The most relevant prayers pertain to marriage- wishes.
Pongal is the name of the dish which is cooked on auspicious occasions that mark a fulfillment or satisfaction of aspirations. It is cooked at the end of harvest season.
Pongal is not the time of New Year as Karunanidhi government has declared.
There is no basis for the Thiruvalluvar year declared by the Government.
The naming of sahapthas such as Vikrama sahaptham, salivahana sahaptham etc was done to mark the victory of people of Bharath over Mlecchas (non vedic people). As such counting years as Thiruvalluvar aandu is a misnomer.
My speech on “Scientific secrets of Paavai nonbu” given in Tamil can be viewed here:
தை பிறந்தாலே, பொங்கல் பண்டிகை நம் நினைவுக்கு வரும். இப்பொழுதெல்லாம், தமிழ்ப் புத்தாண்டு என்று ஒரு இடைச் செருகலையும் கொண்டு வந்துள்ளார்கள். இதற்கு முன் 1971-72 –களிலேயே ஒரு இடைச் செருகலைக் கொண்டுவந்தார்கள். அதற்குப் பெயர் "திருவள்ளுவர் ஆண்டு". ஒன்று கொடுத்தால் இரண்டு இலவசம் என்பதுபோல பொங்கல் பண்டிகையோடு புத்தாண்டும், திருவள்ளுவர் ஆண்டும் சேர்ந்து கொண்டு, பொங்கல், ஒரு அவியல் பண்டிகையாகி விட்டது! இந்த அவியலைக் கொஞ்சம் ஆராயலாமா?
தையின் மகத்துவம்.
முதலில் தை மாதத்தின் சிறப்பைக் காண்போம். சூரியன் மகர ராசியில் சஞ்சரிக்கும் காலம் தை மாதம் ஆகும். இந்தியாவின் மற்ற பகுதிகளில் இந்த மாதத்தை மகர மாதம் என்றழைப்பர். இந்த மாதத்தில் பூச நட்சத்திரத்தில் பௌர்ணமி வரவே புஷ்ய மாதம் என்றும் அழைப்பார்கள். தை என்பது தமிழ் நாட்டுக்கே உரிய பெயர். இதற்கு ஒரு காரணம் இருக்கிறது.
தமிழ் நிலங்களில் கார்த்திகை மாதம் வரை மழை இருக்கும். அதனால் ஆற்றில் வெள்ளம் பெருக்கெடுத்து ஓடும். நிலப்பகுதியிலும் வெள்ளக்காடாக இருக்கும். மார்கழி மாதம் வெள்ளம் வடிந்து ஆங்காங்கே குளம் போல நீர் தேங்கி இருக்கும். அதனால் மார்கழி மாதத்திற்குக் 'குளம்" என்ற பெயர் தமிழ் நாட்டில் இருந்து வந்தது. அந்த மாதத்தில் ஆற்றங்கரையில் பாவை நோன்பு நோற்றால் அக வாழ்க்கை நன்றாக அமையும், வரப்போகும் கார்காலமும் சிறப்பாக இருக்கும்.
மார்கழி முடிந்து வரும் தை மாதத்தில் நீர் தெளிந்து விடும். ஆற்று நீரைப் பார்த்தால் அன்னநடை நடந்து வருவது போல இருக்கும். அந்த நீரில் நம் முகத்தைப் பார்க்க முடியும். அந்த அளவுக்குத் தெளிவாக இருக்கும். அந்த நீரைப் பார்த்து நாம் நினைக்கும் எண்ணங்களும் அந்த நீரில் பிரதிபலிப்பதுபோலத் தோன்றுமாம். அதாவது நம் எண்ணங்களையும், விருப்பங்களையும் அந்த நீர் தனக்குள் அப்படியே தைத்துக் கொள்ளுமாம். இதைத் தை-இஎன்றார்கள். தை என்றால், தைத்தல் என்று பொருள். தைத்தல், பின்னுதல், பொருத்துதல், சேர்த்தல் என்றும் சொல்லலாம்.
மார்கழி மாதத்தில் ஆரம்பித்தப் பாவை நோன்பைத் தையிலும் தொடர்வார்கள். அந்த நோன்பை ஒரு தவம் போலச் செய்தார்கள். இதைத் "தவத்-தை- நீராடல்" என்றார்கள். தெளிவாக இருக்கும் தை மாதநீர், மக்கள் செய்த தவத்தை, அவர்கள் எண்ணங்களைத் தைத்துக் கொள்ளும்பளிங்கு போல இருக்கிறது. அதனால் தை என்னும் பெயர் இந்த மாதத்திற்கு வந்தது. இந்த மாதத்திற்கு நேர் எதிரில் இருக்கும் மாதம், ஆடி மாதம் ஆகும். தை மாதத்தில் தைக்கப்பட்ட தவத்தையும், எண்ணத்தையும் பிரதிபலிக்கச்செய்யும் கண்ணாடி போல் இருக்கவே அது "ஆடி" மாதம் என்றாயிற்று. அதாவது ஆடி வருவதற்குள் வேண்டுதல்கள் நிறைவேறி விடும்.
தையில், சில குறிப்பிட்ட வேண்டுதல்கள் செய்யப்படுகின்றன. நல்லகணவன்வேண்டும்என்று கன்னிப் பெண் வேண்டுவாள். கணவன் நன்கு ஆயுளுடன் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று மனைவி வேண்டுவாள். இந்த வேண்டுதல்களின் அடிபடையில் "தை பிறந்தால் வழி பிறக்கும்" என்ற பழமொழியும் வந்தது. யாருக்கு வழி பிறக்கும்? திருமணத்துக்குக் காத்திருக்கும் பெண்களுக்கு வழி பிறக்கும்.
மார்கழியில் அறுவடை முடிந்து கையில் காசு இருக்கும். திருமண செலவுகளுக்குத் தேவையான அளவு பணம் சேர்ந்திருக்கும். கன்னிகையும் நோன்பிருக்கவே, தெய்வ அருளும் கூடி வரும். மேலும் தை பிறந்தபின் முஹூர்த்த நாட்களும் அடுத்தடுத்து வரும். இதனால், திருமண முயற்சிகள் எளிதில் கூடி வரவே இந்தப் பழமொழி வழக்கில் வந்தது. இதுதான் தை மாதம் குறித்த பண்டைத் தமிழர் வாழ்கை இயல்பு. அப்படியென்றால், தை மாதம் பொங்கல் திருநாளாக ஆனது எப்படி?
பொங்கல் என்னும் உழவர் பண்டிகை.
பொங்கல் பண்டிகையை ஒரு விழாவாகத் தமிழ் நூல்களில் சொல்லவில்லை. அது தமிழர் திருநாள் என்றும் சொல்லப்படவில்லை. தமிழர் திருநாள் என்று, தமிழருக்கே உள்ள பிரத்யேகமான பண்டிகை என்றுஒன்று இருக்குமானால் அது கார்த்திகை தீபம் மட்டும்தான். அதைத் தமிழர் தவிரவேறு யாரும் கொண்டாடுவதில்லை
ஆனால் பொங்கலிடுவது எல்லாப் பண்டிகையிலும் இருந்திருக்கிறது. பூம்புகார் நகரத்தில் இந்திர விழா நடந்தபோது மக்கள் பொங்கலிட்டுப் பூச் சொரிந்து வழிபாடுகள் செய்திருக்கின்றனர். இன்றைக்கும்எந்தவிசேஷ நாளிலும் அம்மனுக்குப் பொங்கலிடுவர். தையில் மட்டும் அல்ல, மார்கழியிலேயே பொங்கல் பொங்குதல் ஆரம்பித்து விடுகிறது. அறுவடையைக் கொண்டாடிப் பொங்கலிடுவர். பொதுவாக புது அரிசியைச் சமைத்தால் அளிந்து விடும். அதைப் பொங்கலாகச் சமைத்தால்தான் சரியாக இருக்கும். அதனால் புது அரிசியைக் கொண்டு பொங்கலிடுவார்கள். புது அரிசி உண்பதற்கு நேரம் காலம்பார்த்துதான் சமைத்து உண்ண வேண்டும். இதற்கென்றே சோதிட விதிகள் உண்டு.அறுவடையாகி வந்த புது அரிசியை வியாழக் கிழமையிலோ அல்லது சனிக் கிழமையிலோ சமைத்துச் சாப்பிடலாம். அதனால் வியாழன் கிரகத்தை அதிபதியாகக் கொண்ட தனுர் ராசியிலிருந்து, சனியை அதிபதியாகக் கொண்ட மகர ராசிக்குச் சூரியன் செல்லும்போது பொங்கலிட்டு, சூரிய பகவானுக்குப் படைப்பார்கள்.
சமீப காலம் வரை தமிழகத்தில் பெரும்பான்மையான மக்கள் உழுதுண்டும், உழுவித்துண்டும், உழவுடன் தொடர்பு கொண்டிருந்தார்கள். அதனால் தமிழகம் தழுவிய அளவில் பொங்கல் ஒரு பண்டிகையாக ஆனது. பொங்கலுக்கு மறுநாள் மாட்டுப் பொங்கல் வரவே, பொங்கல் பண்டிகை, அறுவடைப் பண்டிகையாக இருந்திருக்கிறது என்றே தெரிகிறது.
பொங்கல் என்ற பெயர் ஏன் வந்தது என்று பார்ப்போம். பொங்கலாடுதல் என்ற ஒரு சொல்லாட்சி தமிழில்உண்டு. சங்கத் தமிழில் இது காணப்படுகிறது. நன்கு பெய்து ஓய்ந்த மேகமானது, பஞ்சினைப் போலவெண்மையாகப் பரவி, விரிந்து, பொங்கி, வானத்தின் மேலே போய் நிற்கும். அதாவது நல்ல பலனைத் தந்தபின், பஞ்சு போல வெண்மையாக மேலெழுந்து மேகம் நின்றால் அதற்குப் பொங்கலாடுதல் என்று பெயர். அறுவடைசெய்துக் கிடைத்த புது அரிசியைக் களைந்து போட்டால் அதுவெண்மையாகப் பொங்கும். அது மேகத்தின் பொங்கலாடுதல் போல இருப்பதால், அந்த உணவுக்கும் பொங்கல் என்ற பெயர் வந்தது. பண்டிகைக்கும் பொங்கல் என்ற பெயர் வந்தது. மன நிறைவு ஒருமுக்கிய காரணம் என்பதால், விழாக்களிலும், பண்டிகையிலும், அறுவடை முடிந்தபின்னும், பொங்கலிடுதல் வழக்கமாக இருந்திருக்கின்றது.
கரும்பும் அதே போல் தான். இப்பொழுதெல்லாம், தைப் பொங்கல் சமயத்தில்தான்கரும்பு முக்கியத்துவம் பெறுகிறது. ஆனால் சங்க காலத்தில், கரும்பு வருடம் முழுவதும் விளைந்திருக்கிறது. கரும்பும், பூவும் இல்லாமல் ஒரு பண்டிகையும் கிடையாது.
பொங்கல் திருநாள் புத்தாண்டு நாளா?
பொங்கல் பண்டிகையும் தை மாதமும் எதற்குப் பெயர் பெற்றவை என்று இதுவரை பார்த்தோம். அதன்படி வருடப் பிறப்புக்கும் அவற்றுக்கும் சம்பந்தம் இல்லை என்று தெரிகிறது.
வானியல் அடிப்படியில் தான் சொல்கிறோம், சூரியன் வடக்குப் பயணம் துவங்கும்மகர சங்கராந்திஎனப்படும் தை முதல்நாளே வருடப் பிறப்பு என்று ஒரு வாதம் வைக்கப் படுகிறது. சூரியனின் வடக்குப் பயணம், அதற்கு முன்பே தொடங்கி விடுகிறது. 72 வருடங்களுக்கு ஒரு முறை ஒரு பாகை என்று சூரியன் பின்னோக்கி நகர்கிறான். அந்தக் கணக்கின்படி தற்சமயம், சூரியன் தனுர் ராசி 6-ஆம்பாகையில் வடக்கு நோக்கித் திரும்பி விடுகிறான். ஆனால் நாம் கொண்டாடும் பொங்கல் பண்டிகையும், சங்கராந்திப் பண்டிகையும் சூரியன் மகர ராசியில் பூஜ்யம் பாகையில் நுழையும் நேரத்தில் கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது.
சங்கராந்தி என்பது "சங்க்ரமணம்" என்னும் வடமொழிச் சொல்லிலிருந்து வந்தது. சங்க்ரமணம் என்றால் 'நுழைதல்' என்று பொருள். ஒவ்வொரு ராசியிலும் சூரியன் நுழையும் போது அதை சங்க்ரமணம் என்பார்கள். மேஷ சங்க்ரமணம், ரிஷப சங்க்ரமணம் என்பது போல மகர ராசியில் நுழையும் நேரம் மகர சங்க்ரமணம் எனப்படுகிறது. அதை மகர சங்கராந்தி என்கிறோம்.
சூரியன் வட திசை நோக்கி உத்தராயணம் என்று திரும்புகிற நேரம் ஒவ்வொரு காலக் கட்டத்திலும் மாறுகிறது. ஆனால் ராசிக்குள் நுழையும் நேரம் எளிதில் கணிக்ககூடியது. ஒவ்வொரு ராசி சங்க்ரமணத்திற்கும் ஒவ்வொரு முக்கியத்துவம் உண்டு. இவை எல்லாம் ஜோதிடம் சம்பந்தப்பட்டது. நாம் நினைத்தாற்போல மாற்ற முடியாது. வருஷ பலன் வேண்டுமென்றால் மேஷ சங்க்ரமணத்தைப் பார்க்க வேண்டும். அது சூரியன் சித்திரை மாதம் மேஷ ராசியில் நுழையும் நேரம் ஆகும். அப்பொழுது இருக்கும் கிரக சூழ்நிலையைக் கொண்டு, நாடு, மக்கள், ஆள்பவர், மழை, விளைச்சல் என்று எல்லாம் கணிக்கப்படுகிறது. ஆனால் மகர சங்கராந்தியில் அந்தப் பலன்களைச் சொல்ல முடியாது. கிரகங்களுக்கு அதிபதி யார் (நீரஸாதிபதி) என்பதை மகர சங்கராந்தியில் சொல்லலாம். அந்த நேரத்தில் இருக்கும் கரணத்தைக் கொண்டு செய்யும் செயல் வெற்றி பெறுமா என்றும் சொல்லலாம். ஆனால் புத்தாண்டு இதுதான் என்று தை மாதத்துக்கு நாம் மாற்றினாலும், சித்திர வருடப்பிறப்பின் அடிப்படையிலேயே கிரகங்கள் பலன் கொடுக்கும்.
திருவள்ளுவர் ஆண்டு.
ஆண்டுகள், காலம் என்று சொல்வதில் சகாப்தங்கள் என்று வருகின்றன. தற்சமயம் சாலிவாஹன சகாப்தம் நடக்கிறது. அதற்கு முன் விக்ரம சகாப்தம் இருந்தது. இவையெல்லம் வட மாநில மன்னர்கள் பெயரைக் கொண்டு எழுந்தவை. அந்த மன்னர்கள் தாங்கள் பெற்ற வெற்றிக்கு அடையாளமாக, தங்கள் பெயரில் சகாப்தங்களை ஆரம்பித்தனர். எனவே தமிழர்களாகிய நாம் அந்த வட இந்திய மன்னர் பெயரில் உள்ள சகாப்தத்தைப் பின்பற்ற வேண்டுமா என்ற விவாதங்கள் வந்து, தற்சமயம், திருவள்ளுவர் பெயரில் ஆண்டுகளை அழைக்க ஆரம்பித்திருக்கின்றனர்.
சகாப்தங்களின் உண்மை நிலவரத்தைப் பார்ப்போம். 'விஞ்ஞான சர்வஸ்வம்' என்னும் நூலில் இதற்கு விளக்கம் தரப்பட்டுள்ளது. பாரத மண்ணைச் சேர்ந்த மக்கள், பாரதீயம் அல்லாத, மற்றும் பாரதீயத்திற்கு எதிர்மாறான கொள்கைகளை உடைய அன்னிய நாட்டவரைப் படை பலத்தால் வென்றால், எந்த மன்னன் அப்படி வென்றானோ அவன் பெயரில் ஆண்டுகள் சொல்லப்படவேண்டும். அதை அந்த மன்னன் பெயரில் சகாப்தம் என்று அழைத்தனர். கலி யுகம் பிறந்தது முதல் இன்று வரை மூன்று மன்னர்கள் அவ்வாறு அன்னியர்களை வென்றிருக்கின்றனர்.
முதலாமவர், பாரதப் போரில் வெற்றி பெற்ற பாண்டவர்களது மூத்தவரான யுதிஷ்டிரர். இந்தக் குறிப்பால், பாரதப் போரில் பாண்டவர்கள் அன்னியர்களை முறியடித்திருக்கின்றனர் என்று தெரிகிறது. கலியுகம் பிறந்தது முதல் யுதிஷ்டிர சகாப்தம் ஆரம்பித்தது.
யுதிஷ்டிரருக்குப் பிறகு விக்கிரமாதித்யர் என்னும் அரசர் அரேபியப் பகுதிகளுக்குச் சென்று வெற்றிக் கொடி நாட்டித் திரும்பினார். 'வாலிகர்கள்' என்னும் மக்களை அவர் வெற்றி பெற்றார் என்று சொல்லும் இரும்புத் தூண் ஒன்று டில்லியில் இருக்கிறது. இது என்றுமே துருப்பிடிக்காதது. இந்த மன்னரை முன்னிட்டு விக்கிரம சகாப்தம் ஆரம்பித்து 2067 வருடங்கள் ஆகி விட்டன.
இந்த மன்னனது பேரனான சாலிவாஹனன் மத்திய ஐரோப்பியப் பகுதியில் அன்னியர்களை முறியடித்தார். எனவே இவர் பெயரில் சாலிவாஹன சகாப்தம் இன்று வரை 1932 ஆண்டுகளாக இருந்து வந்திருக்கின்றது.
இவருக்குப் பின் எந்த இந்திய மன்னரும் அன்னியர்களை வெல்லவில்லை. ஆனால் அப்படி ஒரு காலம் வரும் என்றும் கணித்துள்ளார்கள். அதன்படி இன்னும் மூன்று சகாப்தங்கள் பாக்கி இருக்கின்றன.
விஷயம் இப்படி இருக்க, சாத்வீகமான திருவள்ளுவரை முன்னிட்டு வருடக் கணக்கு துவங்கி இருக்கிறார்கள். அவர் பிறந்த ஆண்டும், நாளும் யாருக்கும் தெரியாது. எல்லாம் ஒரு யூகம்தான். வள்ளுவரே இன்று இருந்திருந்தால், இப்படி வழி வழியாக இருந்த வருடக் கணக்கை மனம் போனபடி மாற்றியதோடு மட்டுமல்லாமல், தன் பெயரை உபயோகித்ததற்கும் ஆட்சேபம் தெரிவித்திருப்பார். ஏனென்றால் அவர் சாத்திர சம்பிரதாயம் தெரிந்தவர். அவை எல்லாம் இன்று மறக்கப்பட்டு விட்டன. மறக்கடிக்கப்பட்டும் விட்டன. இனியேனும் அவற்றை நாம் தெரிந்து கொள்வோம். தை பிறக்கும் நேரம் நம் அறியாமை அகலவும் வழி பிறக்கட்டும்.
AIADMK SUPREMO TELLS MK WHY HER SETHU STAND CHANGED
"I don't deny the fact that Mr MGR and I supported the project earlier When lakhs of people belonging to the fishing communities opposed the project saying that it would affect their livelihood, I changed my stand" J Jayalalithaa AIADMK chief pointed out contradictions.
It is time again for a war of words between AIADMK supremo, Ms Jayalalithaa, and chief minister M Karunanidhi. This time it revolves around the DMK chief's charge that Ms Jayalalithaa had changed her stand on the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP) after she had once supported it
In a rejoinder to Mr Karunanidhi's charge, Ms Jayalalithaa has said her stand had changed after listening to the fishing community who feared their livelihood would be hit due to the project. "The ecologists also pointed out marine diversity in the region would be at risk due to SSCP," she pointed out
Ms Jayalalithaa pointed out that Mr Karunanidhi's claim that the AIADMK manifesto for the 2006 Assembly polls had supported SSCP was "an utter lie". "This is equivalent to Mr Karunanidhi's false claim that the Sri Lanka war had ended when the war was at its peak," she said in a statement here
"I don't deny the fact that Mr MGR and I supported the project earlier. When lakhs of people belonging to the fishing communities opposed the project saying that it would affect their livelihood, I changed my stand," she said
"Several environmental scientists warned that about 3,600 varieties of marine life would be affected due to this project. Mumbai Natural History Society pointed out contradictions in environmental impact assessment study of the project," she noted
Ms Jayalalithaa ridiculed the chief minister's recent insistence on state autonomy, saying that "he had routed tsunami relief measures through Centre-controlled banks and allowed the Centre to take over coastal development program
The project is conceived as a project of ?national importance? and ?will be unique of its kind on completion?.
Savings in shipping costs. Fuels consumption will decrease because shipping distance is reduced by an average of 424 nautical miles (780 km) and sailing time is reduced by about 30 hrs. Forex payment will decrease due to decreased transshipment on foreign shores.
Asset to national defense and security?. ?Indian Coast Guard and Navy will not have to circumvent Sri Lanka and there will be easier quicker access between the coasts of India.?
Benefits to fishermen. They ?will directly benefit due to the potential for development of fishing harbors (between Nagapattinam and Tuticorin) with proper landing and storage facilities.? ?Indian fishing boats can transit freely though Adam's Bridge. This is not possible today.?
Port development, employment generation and increase in maritime trade. Port activities at Tuticorin and Ramanathapuram will increase, generating additional employment in the area. As trading activities increase from these ports, additional wealth will be created in these areas.
What are the objections?
There is unanimous agreement among political, religious and scientific communities that a shorter shipping route be constructed, if it is beneficial to do so. However, these diverse groups have raised several strong objections with the ?alignment? currently selected to achieve this shorter route. Several reasons have been cited for these objections:
National defense
The India ? Sri Lanka Maritime Agreement (Act 80, August 1976) details the Palk Strait/Gulf of Mannar as ?Historic? (internal) warriors. The SSCP website also refers to ships sailing through ?territorial? waters. But, US Govt has rejected this claim of ?territorial? waters and insisted that these waters are ?international?. To stake this claim, US naval ships have visited this area in 1993, 1994, 1999 and 2000. In April 2007, the U.S.Navy issued a statement underscoring the importance to them of their presence in the Palk Strait/Gulf fo Mannar area.
Contrary to strengthening the national defense and security as claimed by the SSCP website, Dr. S.Kalyanaraman, who has submitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) application to the Supreme Court of India, expresses the concern this project will convert the ?historic? waters to ?international? waters, much the same way the waters of the Suez canal and the Panama canal are now ?international?. This will dilute our national defense system and not strengthen it as the SSCP website claims.
It is important to note that the SSCP alignment is about one mile west of the demarkation line between India and Sri Lanka, on the Indian side. Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer expresses this concern this way, ?Our nation will be weaker and may suffer new dangers with the American presence in the Sethusamudram waters by doing what for centuries has never been considered necessary or feasible or in any manner advantageous to us, the People of India?.
The question on the table is
?Doesn?t the SSCP weaken India?s national defense, by allowing American presence in the Palk Strait / Gulf of Mannar area??
Energy Security
In his speech to the Parliament in March 2007, the President of India said that the current electricity generation capacity in India is 120000 MW and is expected to increase to 400000 MW by the year 2030. BabaAtomicResearchCenter (BARC) estimates that about 30 % of world?s thorium deposits, or about 225000 tons of thorium, are found on the beaches of Kerala. This will support about 387 years of electricity generation at 2030 capacity levels!
Dr. Tad Murthy, world renowned tsunami expert and consultant to the Indian Government , has warned that when the next tsunami hits, the SSCP shipping canal will allow the tsunami energy to pass through to Gulf of Mannar and destroy the Kerala coast in entirety including all the thorium deposits. It is important to note that the Rama Sethu stopped the tsunami of December 2004 from traveling to the west coast of India, protecting millions of lives and the valuable thorium deposits. The SSCP?s official reply to this major concern of the next tsunami impact is a posting on their website where they claim they have not been able to get hold of Mr. Tad Murthy?s e-mail address and hence could not enter into a dialogue with him on his expert opinion. This is a ridiculous statement in today?s world of the internet! I goggled ?Tad Murthy? and was able to get his e-mail id and telephone number in less than two minutes! The SSCP web-site also gives a simplistic statement that when the next tsunami hits, the energy waves will travel west through the 300 m opening made in Rama Sethu and will limit itself to the 300 m width as it travels further west and will not diffract and will not touch the Kerala coast. The web-site goes on to make an audacious comment ?It escapes imagination as to how Southern Kerala could be impacted by tsunami traveling from Adam's Bridge towards the Indian ocean?. This is an unprofessional, non-technical response to a highly technical subject. It is given with a cavalier attitude almost mocking the seriousness with which the expert analyzed and reported it. It insults one?s intelligence.
The question on the tables is
? Has a detailed scientific study been done to assess the tsunami threat to Kerala?s thorium deposits that provide energy security to India? If so, where is the study? What are its results??
Ecology / Environment /Human Livelihood:
One of the reasons stated by the SSCP and the Shipping/Transport Minister of GOI for selecting the current alignment is to keep the canal farthest away from the coral reef near the shores and protect the marine ecology and environment. Common sense says that whichever alignment is selected for ship?s passage where there was no ship sailing before, the marine ecology, balance and environment will be adversely affected.
An eminent 34- member advisory group of Sri Lankan professionals has cautioned that the Sethusamudram canal dredging project could have disastrous environment impacts, particularly, maritime environment. This group says, ?Unless accurate forecasts are made of the mitigation effects, it could eventually destroy this fragile marine eco system ..? The concern is also there that there will be less fish available for fishing threatening the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of fishermen in both India and Sri Lanka.
The group says further, ?....For example, the NEERI report is yet to explain the sedimentation issue, silting possibilities and underwater ocean currents, when the canal is constructed... Furthermore, there would be increased turbidity, which has never been studied by NEERI, which has neither studied the possibility of a tsunami through the canal water flow...?
According to Sudharshan Rodriguez, a Chennai based conservation analyst, the EIA report furnished by NEERI, has used secondary data going back to 1976. "Hence, how can a project, which will pass through a biological hot spot, with so many likely impacts, be assessed on the basis of secondary data?" is the next most logical question... ?
Experts have pointed out that the SSCP lacks knowledge of the characteristics for about 60 % of the soil they will be dredging and does not know where about 90 % of the dredged soil will be placed. Two dredging ships have broken down so far underscoring the issue of the lack of knowledge of soil characteristics.
Based on the lack of adequate consideration given to the scientific aspects of sedimentation, silting, soil characteristics and tsunami by the SSCP, and based upon the assessment of these aspects by respective experts in these fields such as G.Victor Rajamanickam, Usha Natesan and T.S.Murthy, Dr. Ramesh points out that the SSCP may not even be technically feasible. Maintenance dredging alone will be significant especially post-cyclones and post-monsoons and will not be negligible as SSCP claims.
Next tsunami will impact many more lives than the last one did because instead of erecting tsunami protectors as Japan has done, the SSCP in fact opens the ?door? to the next tsunami by drilling an opening through the Rama Sethu. This is really ironical because it is the Rama Sethu that mitigated the damage in the December 2004 tsunami and saved the lives and livelihood of millions of people on the west coast!
This puts several questions on the table.
Has SSCP conducted a detailed study to assess the effects of the next tsunami on the lives of people living on the western side of the south coast of India and if so, where is the study and what are the results of this study??
Has a detailed study been done on the marine environment based on primary data (not on secondary data), and if so, where is the study and what are the results??
Has the SSCP assessed the canal project from sedimentation, turbidity, silting, cyclones, monsoon and tsunami aspects?"
People's religious and cultural sentiments
As justice K.T.Thomas, retired supreme court justice, says, " India has a tradition of respecting peoples' sentiments' . Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati, secretary of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, points out that for millions of Hindus, ?Rama is deeply personal?. As a non-Hindu or as a non-believer in God, you may not recognize or acknowledge Rama. That is fine. However, whether one acknowledges it or not, there is a personal aspect of Rama in everyone?s life. Because the word ?Rama? denotes ?the attractive power? (?ramyathe ithi ramaha?). Sans this ?attractive pull?, we will not be able to orbit around the sun, will not be able to walk on the earth, will not be loving our children, will not be attracted to a flower, a delectable sweet on the table, position of power, wealth, scholarship or to a word of praise. There is an ?attractive power? prevalent all around, alright! The Hindus believe this ?attractive power? took the human form named Rama, lived a life illustrating the ideal human and societal conducts and in the process built the sethu to cross the sea to reach Lanka from India. This is described in detail in the Indian history books ? not the version distorted and doctrine by the British and taught in our schools today - but the history books, called ithihasas (?ithi ha asah? ? ?this is the way it was?) written by our advanced human ancestors. The belief or the non-belief in the ithihasa is not the issue. It is enough to understand and appreciate that there are some believers, and that Rama is deeply personal to them. The courtesy of respecting the belief of fellow human beings and the aptitude to harmonize the differences of opinions and beliefs are what give to rise to a peaceful and civilized society.
The question on the table is
When there are better, cheaper and shorter alternative alignments available (4 or 5 for example), why has the SSCP developed option 6 suddenly and is implementing this alignment that damages the Rama Sethu??
Geology
The Rama Sethu is a man-made formation. S Badrinarayanan, former director of Geological Survey of India and a member of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) says the Adam's Bridge was not a natural formation. "Coral reefs are formed only on hard surfaces. But during the study we found that the formation at Adam's Bridge is nothing but boulders of coral reefs. When we drilled for investigation, we found that there was loose sand two to three meters below the reefs. Hard rocks were found several meters below the sand. Such a natural formation is impossible. Unless somebody has transported them and dumped them there, those reefs could not have come there. Some boulders were so light that they could float on water. Apparently, whoever has done it, has identified light (but strong) boulders to make it easy for transportation. Since they are strong, they can withstand a lot of weight. It should be preserved as a national monument," he opined.
This man-made structure should be preserved as a national monument according to the laws of India. Why are we not doing this? On the other hand, on what basis can this be considered a natural, and not man-made, formation?
Politics
The Prime Minister?s Office (PMO) asked the SSCP to provide answers to a list of questions pertaining to the project. Answers were provided on June 30, 2005. The project was officially launched on July 2, 2005.
The inexplicable speed and the lack of transparency here raises two questions.
Why the sudden hurry? (There was no adequate physical time available between June 30 and July 2, 2005 for the PMO to have evaluated SSCP?s answers!)?
Did SSCP provide technical answers to the PMO on subjects requiring specialized technical expertise after consulting the necessary technical experts??
Project economics
It is noteworthy that the project investment estimate is reportedly around $ 550 M (Rs 2627 crores) and is expected to save about a reported $ 5 M/yr in fuel savings. Forex savings estimate is not available and these savings will be additional. It is also not clear if the tug-boat charges have been taken in to account ? these will cost an estimated additional $ 40 M/yr (approximate estimate, per K.S.Ramakrishnan, retired deputy chairman, Madras Port Trust and per SSCP web-site information). The claimed savings in sailing time of one day per trip is also doubtful because the tug-boat speed through the canal will be much less than the normal ship speed around the Sri Lankan coast. Ignoring this fact and assuming one day?s saving per trip, it is still unlikely that commercial shipping companies will justify incurring an additional cost of about eight times the fuel savings!
It is also noteworthy that the SSCP canal will limit the ship size to about 30000 MT while the Panama Canal allows up to 90000 MT and the Suez max is about 120000 MT. This means ships larger than 30000 MT will still have to navigate around Sri Lanka. The trend in shipping industry worldwide is to go for larger sizes because it is economical to do so.
The question on the table is:
?Is the project economically viable?? Even if the project is not economically viable in strict commercial sense, does it have over-riding benefits in terms of job and related wealth creation for the underserved people living on the coast?
I'm neither affiliated to any political party nor have any political disposition. The basis for this writing is non-political. The objective is to urge the political leadership of India to unite around ? not divide around ? the SSCP issue and arrive at a sensible solution that addresses the objections that have been raised by several experts.
The importance and the urgency of this issue cannot be overstated. Retired Supreme Court of India justice V.R.Krishna Iyer has stated in his letter to the Prime Minsiter of India that ?If the enclosed paper states the facts with scientific objectivity and national anxiety, my appeal to you to stop building bridge or any other construction , an action hostile to the nation and its swaraj.? Another retired Supreme Court justice Mr. K.T.Thomas states, ? After listening to the opinions of various experts, I now feel that the expected seriousness has not been pondered over (by GOI).... We have always been at peace in this area and no war has been waged in these waters...this requires a national debate... the project must be stopped? Justice K.T.Thomas goes on to urge the formation of a multi-disciplinary panel of experts to consider this issue from the strategic, oceanic and religious aspects and determine a proper re-alignment.
I urge the political leadership at the center and state levels to take the following immediate steps, regardless of party affiliations:
1. Suspend the work on current alignment immediately
2. Constitute a commission headed by a retired supreme court justice to determine the validity of the objections raised by the various experts, to develop resolutions to the valid objections and to recommend a suitable and well thought-out re-alignment for the SSCP. (Include the assessment of all necessary experts including tsunami, archeology, sedimentation, turbidity, silting, cyclones/monsoons, geology, marine life, ocean-bed, other applicable technical areas, project economics, social welfare and religious history) 3. Implement the commission's recommendations on re-alignment
My desire, of course, is that the Rama Sethu be not breached because I can still feel the pang of happiness from looking at the NASA photographs six years ago. However, I?ll readily subjugate the desire of protecting the Rama Sethu to the importance of practicing what it symbolizes. The bridge was built exemplifying the harmony among divinity, humans and animals. In resolving the current controversy of the SSCP, if the political will and leadership in New Delhi and Chennai today can facilitate such harmony, then I believe we would have done our jobs well. We would have served Bharath well.
Sethu is back in news with the new set of ministers going vocal about their love for breaking Ram Sethu. Azhagiri, expressed his resolve to break it soon after swearing in and Vasan also did not lag behind in airing his intentions.
However I have a small hope on Vasan taking charge of Shipping ministry. He is a pious and balanced face groomed in Mooppanar image. I don’t think he will do anything to hurt the Hindu place of pilgrimage which is one of the oldest in the country, tracing its existence to Ramayana times. I don’t think the Congress also would irritate the Hindus by towing the DMK line. The reason for thrusting Vasan in shipping despite the clamour from DMK is perhaps to drive home the point that though Vasan will take care of Tamil ‘sentiments’ he will not be towing the DMK line in disregarding the religious importance of Sethu!
A lot has been written about Sethu’s importance.
I wish to show here a picture of the Sethu-k-karai.
The picture below is at the spot of Ram Sethu where pilgrims take bath. Parashara recommends a bath at this place to get relieved of Mother’s curse. Skanda puranam tells the many virtues of bathing here. The worst crimes against the 5 kuravargaL (mother, father, elder brother, teacher and king) are removed if one baths here. Kambha Ramayana also endorses this view.
The land area stretching into the sea is where the bund begins. One can see the white surf of waves formed by stoppage of waters by the bund. The while line of waves dashing on the Sethu stretches into the sea in the middle of the waters.
The force of waters is such that it is heavy and muddy showing that the entire volume of waters is hindered here – being stopped by the bund that rises from the bottom of the sea. This is in contrast to the waters near Rameshwaram temple or in Dhanush koti where you feel the normal rush of waters to the shore.
Vasan's intent on Sethusamudram project stirs up a hornets' nest
Mihir Mishra / New Delhi June 03, 2009, 1:15 IST
As the new Union government takes its place in the saddle, the initial statements of intent by ministers have begun to create ripples. First up is Shipping Minister G K Vasan, who said upon taking charge that the United Progressive Alliance government should complete the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project, as it was beneficial to the country and Tamil Nadu. The statement by the minister, who represents the Congress, has raised the hackles of non-government organisations, as well as the main Opposition party, the BJP.
“The matter is pending before the Supreme Court and nothing can happen before the apex court’s verdict,” said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar.
There is also the Pachauri Committee that is examining the project and is expected to come out with a report soon.
“The Sethusamudran Project, by any stretch of science, or environmental compatibility, is not good for the people,” said Ossie Fernandes, convenor, Coastal Action Network, a Chennai-based NGO opposing the project. “Dredging does not mean there is a canal.”
Subramanian G, executive-director of Manitham, another NGO, said: “We are opposing the project on environmental grounds.”
India has a peninsular coastline of 7,517 km studded with 12 major ports and 185 intermediary and minor ports. The Sethusamudram Project, which envisages dredging of a ship channel across the Palk Straits between India and Sri Lanka, plans to provide ships sailing between the east and west costs of India a straight passage through India’s territorial waters, instead of having to circumvent Sri Lanka.
The project is facing oppositions on environmental grounds. There is the fear that the project may result in tsunami waves hitting south Kerala more fiercely. The dredging of Ram Sethu, a mythological bridge built by Lord Rama in the Palk Strait, has made the BJP oppose the project. There is a view that the project will disturb the ecological balance and kill corals. It is also an important fishing ground in Tamil Nadu. The trade in shells, which has a turnover of Rs 150 crore a year, will also die, it is feared. “We challenged Baalu (Vasan’s predecessor) and challenge Vasan to read the reports and then come out with any such claims,” said Fernandes. Subramanian is less strident. Questioning the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) report, he said he would not oppose the project if it got clearance from an international agency.
“We are not totally against the project. We want another survey by an international agency, because the Neeri report lacked facts about the tsunami and cyclones. If that international agency clears it, we will let it happen,” he said.
Both Fernandes and Subramanian said they would meet the minister. “Yes, we will meet the minister and show him that this is not feasible and so work on the project should be stopped,” said Fernandes.
*********************
From
Newly sworn-in minister M.K.Azhagiri promises to revive the Sethu Samudram project. The newly sworn in minister for chemicals and fertilizers, Mr M.K.Azhagiri, promised on Thursday to revive the controversial Sethu Samudram project.
The elder son of the Tamil Nadu chief minister M.Karunanidhi, told this newspaper that the DMK manifesto had promised the people that the ‘prestigious’ project would be revived despite opposition by some groups on religious grounds.
“I will personally meet the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, in this regard,” he said. “We will fulfill the promise we have given to the people.” The Sethu Samudram pro ject was inaugurated in 2005 by Dr Manmohan Singh and the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, during the previous UPA regime when Mr T.R. Baalu was the Union shipping minister.
Sources said moves had started on Wednesday itself with all the DMK ministers meeting the Tamil Nadu Congress leader G.K.Vasan, who took over as union shipping minister on Thursday. The project involves dredging along the Palk Strait to form a channel that will enable ships to pass along without taking a circuitous route around Sri Lanka. It ran into controversy after environmental activists protested over the ecological damage and Hindu religious groups claimed it would damage the ‘Ram Sethu’ bridge believed to be built by Lord Rama to cross over to Lanka.
Mr Azhagiri, who won from Madurai parliamentary constituency by more than one lakh votes, said that all the ministers from Tamil Nadu will work for the growth of the country and the state. The first time MP and the DMK’s south organising secretary was able to manage a victory in nine out of 10 parliamentary seats for the DMK-Congress combine.
He has already taken the reins of the party in New Delhi. “It was possible only because of joint efforts of the two parties and Kalaignar’s achievements,” he said.
This issue was in focus in Cho's discussion in yesterday's episode of
"YengE Brahmanan?" (Jaya TV at 8 pm from Monday to Friday).
This post is on the issues around this.
There two ways of looking at this issue.
One is about the dharma angle of it and
another about what people did.
Sanatana dharma does not support polygamy.
Marriage is for the sake of doing rituals and getting children.
Without a wife beside him as his better half, the husband can not do any yajna.
When one half is still with him, he can not create another half of himself,
to be shared with another woman.
He can marry another woman only after the death of his first wife.
The same is also applicable to woman.
Widow re-marriage was prevalent until Mahabharatha times.
After the death of Shanthanu, Satyavati was proposed by Ugrayudha,
according to Harivamsa purana.
Arjuna married Uloopi, the Naga princess who was a widow.
Like this many instances of woman re-marrying after the death of her husband
are found.
Dharma is equal to both genders in this respect.
We even come to know from Varahamihira that the couple not only shared life
but also the good and bad of their karmas.
Varahamihira mentioned this in Brihad samhita
by quoting dharma satras that are now extinct.
As per this, whatever the husband does, half of it goes to his wife.
Similarly whatever the wife does, half of it goes to the husband.
Based on this rationale, the injunctions were formed that a wife need not do any vedik karma such as doing homas or reciting Vedas, for, half of whatever that her husband gains by doing them anyway goes to her.
Similarly what ever dharma (like giving alms, feeding others etc)
that she as the head of the Home does is shared by her husband.
That is why a marriage done in Vedic way can not be broken by any law of the land. They remain as husband and wife as long as they live.
This is the highest dharma which was exhibited by Rama.
Eka patni vratham is a difficult one. But a man must adhere to it.
But marriage with another woman when the first wife is still alive
had happened in practice.
Since it was in practice, we can not say that taking more than one wife
has dharmic sanction.
In most cases of second marriage while the first one was alive,
the motive was to get a male child.
Though the desire of the Hindu marriage system was to get a male child –
for the purpose of paying off debts to the pithrus –
dharma does not say that one can marry a second woman for that purpose.
Instead one can opt for adoption.
And there is no need for adoption if a person has only daughters.
The eldest grandson (from the daughters) can pay off the pithru ruaNam.
Rig veda 3-31-1 authenticates this.
Though the desire for male child is there, one can fulfill the purpose of that desire without violating the marriage dharma.
The marriage vow is such that it is a commitment for mutual fidelity throughout their lives. Such a vow taken in the presence of Agni can not be violated.
Verses 9-101 and 102 of Manu smrithi state this.
But the same Manu smrithi goes on to state the conditions under which a man or a woman can take up another spouse.
These are the conditions where a man or a woman can not discharge the duties as a grahastha.
But there are times when one seeks another wife for sensual gratification.
This will invite a resultant karma.
Such karma can be known from Jyothisha sastra.
From astrology we come to know that a person who marries when the first spouse is still alive, hale and healthy, will have to face sufferings in the next birth.
The exceptional cases where a woman can give up the spouse,
have been given in smrithis.
For the woman in Kali yuga, she can give up her husband if he has abandoned her (similar to divorce in today's condition), had died, had become an ascetic, happens to be an eunuch and is an offender in the eyes of Law of the land. This is as per Parashara smrithi which is the dharma sastra for Kaliyuga.
But no such rules are given for man. It shows that as long the wife is alive, he has to take care of her and be with her. Parashara smrithi does not give injunctions for marrying another woman when the first wife is there.
In present day's condition of rising divorce cases, these laws seem not applicable.
However the core principle is not diluted.
The core principle is that one can not live with more than one spouse at any given time.
In other words, polygamy is not supported and
one is expected to be an 'eka-patni vrathan' of the one he has married.
Can the solution to the world's problems be as simple as realizing that water has the ability to copy, memorize and transmit information? And, because humans are 70% water, this knowledge translates to the elevation of human consciousness?
Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto believes the answer is a resounding yes. Emoto's pioneering research on the effects of thought, words, and music on water has come to the forefront since his photo of waters crystals have been featured in the popular indie movie What The Bleep Do We Know?!. Many of these photos, as well as the foundations of his research, are featured in Emoto's fascinating book The Hidden Messages In Water.
According to the healing principle of homeopathy, like cures like. So to cure lead poisoning, a minute amount of lead would be included in water to "cancel out" this poisoning. The interesting thing, however, is that despite all traces of lead being removed from the water--entirely undetected by physical means--healing would still occur. Emoto realized that water "memorizes" substances and essentially copies the information. This realization changed his life.
Emoto began to wonder: Is it possible to find physical evidence of the ability of water to memorize information? Might there be some way of seeing it with the physical eye? In The Hidden Messages in Water, Emoto enthusiasm is palpable as he shares his discovery of how to freeze water crystals and photograph them. Since no two snow crystals are alike, he concluded, then perhaps he could capture the "memory" of water on film.
The results astounded him, and are now astounding the world. Emoto exposed water to music like Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony and Mozart's 40th Symphony and the results were well-formed crystals that were delicate, beautiful, elegant, and distinct in characteristic. In contrast, when he exposed water to violent heavy metal music, this resulted in fragmented and deformed crystals.
But the experimentation didn't stop with water. Emoto thought about what would happen if phrases were written on pieces of paper and then wrapped around bottles of water with the words facing in--words such as "Thank you" and "Fool". It didn't seem logical for water to "read" the writing, understand the meaning, and change its form accordingly. Yet, he already knew from his experimentation with music that strange things could happen.
The results of the experiment, as well as the implication, were staggering. Water exposed to "Thank you" formed beautiful hexagonal crystals, but water exposed to the word "Fool" produced fragmented, malformed crystals. Further experimentation showed that water exposed to positive expressions like "Let's do it!" created attractive, well-formed crystals, but water exposed to negative expressions like "Do it!" barely formed any crystals at all.
The lesson from these experiments is that words have power; positive words affect the word accordingly, as does the vibration of negative words and their power to destroy. Because humans are 70% water, how much more do words affect us as humans...as well as the planet which is mostly water?
There are 32 color pages in The Hidden Messages in Water, featuring dozens of photographs of water crystals subjected to different songs, words, and stimuli. For example, Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel showed a crystal divided into two parts, almost as if mimicking the song. Appliances that emit electromagnetic frequency, like computers, microwaves, and television, produced incomplete crystals. However, when the same water was subjected to the words love and gratitude, complete crystals were formed--as if those words "healed" the water.
Through his research, Emoto has found that the phrase love and gratitude produces the most beautiful crystal. While "love" and "gratitude" form beautiful crystals separately, the word gratitude seems to be doubly powerful. Water is H2O, and Emoto surmises that it's gratitude that's been missing in the human equation. He goes so far to say: "Love and gratitude" are the words that must serve as the guide for the world....We msut begin by learning what it means to have enough...If you open your eyes, you will see that the world is full of so much that deserves your gratitude."
Perhaps the most compelling story in this book, at least for me, was when a family experimented with rice. They put rice in three jars, and every day for a month, they said "Thank you" to the first jar, "You fool" to the second jar, and completely ignored the third jar. After a month, the rice that was told "Thank you" started to ferment, with a mellow smell like that of malt. The second jar that was exposed to the words "You fool" rotted and turned black. Interestingly, though, the jar that was ignored rotted before the rice that was exposed to "You fool".
According to Emoto:
"It seems that being ridiculed is actually not as damaging as being ignored. To give your positive or negative attention to something is a way of giving energy. The most damaging form of behavior is withholding your attention."
Emoto's wonderment and excitement is so evident in this book. I was captivated by his first-hand stories such as the one where 350 people gathered around a clouded lake in Japan to pray for world peace--and how the clouded water began to clear up in front of their eyes. I was also intrigued as Emoto discussed the research of other scientists such as Dr. Sheldrake, who has done pioneering studies on morphic fields and morphic resonance and how this theory explains synchronicity, group consciousness (collective memory), archetypal patterns, and even the similarities among the features of family members.
I highly recommend The Hidden Messages In Water. Emoto's compelling research speaks a crystal-clear message that has long been taught by sages and mystics: our thoughts and words are powerful, one person can change the world, and love and gratitude is the cure for a polluted consciousness.
In the beginning there was only the Creator. From him the 'water' was formed; from the water heated, the 'foam' was formed.
* Brihadharanyka Upanishad (I. 2.1) In the beginning there was nothing. The universe was enveloped by death alone. He produced mind. He moved about worshipping himself. As he was worshipping himself, water was produced.
* Krishna Yajurveda (I.2.2) Water verily is arka. What was there as froth of water hardened and it becam * Mahabharatha
Water was formed from the space; from water, fire and wind, and from their reaction the earth was formed (Shanti parva, 180.16)
The water produced in the sky by fire and wind attains solid state owing to the reaction of fire and wind. The oily quality of the water produced from the sky takes the form of the earth. (shantiparva, 180.15)
