The “legendary eve-teaser” was an eternal celibate (Naishtika Brahmachari)!

Prashant Bushan’s Krishna remark is not the first of its kind to come from the stable of the legal fraternity.  Earlier in 2010, while reserving its judgement on the SLP filed by actress Khushboo for her remarks on pre-marital sex, the bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Deepak Verma and Justice B.S Chauhan observed even a more bizarre version of Lord Krishna. In their eagerness to quote a precedence (as legal fraternity used to do) for pre-marital affair from ancient Indian context, they said that even Krishna and Radha had a pre-marital live-in relationship! That was the worst blasphemy for which the judges never expressed any remorse or apology nor were they asked by any to correct their statement.

Sounding on similar lines, Prashant Bhushan’s tweet on Krishna as an eve- teaser shows just one thing - that those in judiciary are ignorant of the stories on the lives of Hindu Gods and have no knowledge of the intricate meanings and symbolisms behind those stories. In their professionally induced urge to quote precedents, they take liberty to blabber something from hearsay and expect people to accept as gospel. Strangely they seem to be ignorant of what constitutes blasphemy when it concerns their own views and words.

Somehow all of them including those who come with a liberal stamp are fond of talking about Krishna and Rama in some ways that are always wrong! Prashant Bhushan claims that he is not religious but has heard the folklores of Krishna’s childhood. That gave him the justification to speak what he thought rather than what that religion implied by those stories. The result is that he not only showcased his poor understanding of the religion professed by his mother but also the failure on the part of his mother to inculcate in him the right idea of the religion she followed.

As a legal person he is bound to spend hours on every page of the law book he reads, but did he spend any time on the truth behind the photo that he has uploaded in his tweet?

If he had looked at the sources of these folklores, he would have known that Krishna was not even 10 years old when he was supposed to have been eve-teasing Gopikas. The above picture in his house shows Krishna in Vrindavana, when he was not even an adolescent.  After his stay in Vrindavana the next event in his life was killing Kamsa. When Krishna killed Kamsa, he had only completed 10 years of age. He never returned to Vrindavana after that nor had any playful time with young girls after that age.

An experienced lawyer that he is, if Prashant Bhushan thinks that Krishna of under-10 indulged in eve –teasing of Gopis, then it is perversion of his mind. But he as a self-proclaimed non believer of a religion (Hinduism), saying not just false, but a derogatory statement about a popular God of that religion exhibiting a concept of revered form of devotion, has only betrayed his brazen hatred and aversion towards that religion. If he is a non- believer of Hinduism (that is what is implied when he said that he is not religious) he should not have dabbled with the characters of that religion. Since he has done it he is fit enough to be called as a communal one.

The basic problem in this kind of reckless talks by the likes of Prashant Bhushan is that the Hindu texts have not been read in detail by them. Atleast they could have a taken a leaf out of the other popular events in Krishna’s life. If devotion is the central theme around the Gopikas getting attracted to Krishna, the fruit of devotion is exhibited in the vastraharan episode of Draupadi in which she was saved by Krishna –Bhakthi. How can an eve-teaser become a saviour of a woman facing an assault on her integrity, that too in a king’ court by her relatives?   

But that same episodes cannot be seen in the right perspective by the so-called intellectuals of India is known from the fact that not long ago actor Kamal Hasaan told in a interview that Indians are respecting a book that highlighted a woman being pawned away in gambling! There is only one name for these persons – perverts!

While it is not worth writing on perverts and their perverted thoughts, I think it needs to be highlighted that the very basic idea in Prashant Bhushan’s version of Krishna is wrong. What Bhushan wanted to emphasis is that Krishna was after carnal pleasures. Contrary to that, Krishna was regarded as a Naishtika Brahmachari which means he was an eternal celibate! Though there are myths that he had 16,000 wives – which is impossible and can only be a myth – he was regarded as a celibate. The proof of this is found in the episode that saw the lifeless baby of Uttra (born to Abhimanyu) swinging back to life by the touch of Krishna.

When all the off-springs of Pandavas were annihilated by the Apandavastra of Ahwatthama, the foetus in the womb of Uttra was also not spared. It was still-born and could be revived only when touched by a Naishtika Brahmachari. And none other than Krishna held it with a pledge that the baby spring back to life if it is true that he is a Naishtika Brahmachari. The baby came to life and came to be called as Parikshit, the first descendant of the Pandavas to come to throne after them.

This is history, more than a religion and religion is another facet of it. Similarly Ashwatthama is also history and not a myth as there are inscriptional evidences to show that Pallavas were descendants of Ashwatthama. Pallavas were great devotees of Vishnu and were known for distribution of water to people over larger tracts of land, perhaps as a mark of atonement for the numerous deaths caused by the Brahmastra shot be their ancestor Ashwatthama. With a little more care to know who these characters of ancient India are and why they behaved in the way they did and what inner meanings were there behind the outwardly perceived ideas, one can easily avoid being looked upon as dumb-headed one or a pervert as Prashant Bhushan has chosen to make himself appear.

Plastic Earth - the new avatar of Bhu Matha

Published in Vijayavaani

Human beings have made epoch- making changes to the world – in the true sense of the term! An epoch is defined as a sub-division in the geological time-scale and it has always happened naturally by Nature’s work. But in the past half a century or so, the very texture of the land or rather the geology of the upper crust of the earth has undergone transformation mostly due to human action. The amount of plastic discards that are being dumped into the ground is phenomenal all around the globe. Advanced nations dump more than the rest and their contribution to the earth’s soil includes more advanced and even lethal components of radio active material and electronic goods. The ever increasing dumping of these man made items to the earth’s crust has given rise to the thought to name the current epoch as Anthropocene – the new age of Man formed by his own actions.

Plastic planet

[Credit: University of Leicester/Jonathan Sisson]
(Pic courtesy)

Though the new name suggested is yet to be accepted globally, scholars have come to accept as fact the irreversible change to earth’s geology by human action. Speaking on this, Professor  Zalasiewicz of the international Anthropocene Working Group has said,

“Our research suggests changes to the Earth have resulted in strata that are distinctive and rich in geological detail through including such things as artificial radionuclides, plastics, fly ash, metals such as aluminium, pesticides and concrete. And, while the term does reflect change of significance to human society, and may be used in social and political discussions, it is based upon an independent reality.” (Read more here)

This reality of earth which is going to stay more vigorously and rigorously in the coming decades and centuries reminds me of some of the finest ideas of Vedic society on earth as Bhu Matha or Prithivi.

Two entities take the beating whenever there is degradation and destruction in human values; they are cow and earth. Both are held sacred and divine as they are the life givers. When there is degradation of Dharma and value system, the cow is personified as having got its legs cut and the Bhumi or earth is said to have vanished or got lost. The Age in which this happens is Kali. Deep into the age of Kali, we are now witnessing in real and painful terms the suffering heaped on these two soft entities.

Of these two, scholars around the earth have come to recognize the assault on the earth but nothing has been done to stop this change of texture to the crust of earth or to preserve the original texture of earth.

Thinking of this, it is even an offence to hit or kick the earth in 0ur ancient Vedic culture. Even for digging the earth for laying the foundation, special pujas have to be done as if taking permission from the earth to dig.

When King Prithu, for the first time in the history of Bharat introduced cultivation which required digging the earth, it was accepted as it amounted to extracting the wealth from the earth. Earth is called Bhumi because it is rich in all kinds of wealth, so says Bhu Sooktham.  What is entrenched inside earth is so borne by the earth for the sake of her children – the mankind. Earth is ready to give and has always borne any assault on her by mankind which is out to extract maximum benefits from her. But today we are forcing all sorts of unwanted things into her belly which is poisoning her very nature. A poisoned earth can not give back any wealth to us.

There had been difficult times for earth in the past too on which occasions she was said to have gone into hiding under water. After many epochs she was retrieved from water to be able to give place for people to live. The avatar of Varaha is a personification of the times when she was uplifted from water, pure and full of nourishment for all living beings including mankind to survive.

It appears the presently started age of Anthropocene that is out to spoil earth due to foolishness, greed and lack of foresight on the part of mankind could end only when touched by water. That means only a Pralaya can put a stop to this age of Anthropocene.

Pralaya could wash out life but at the same time it is also true that water purifies. Perhaps a massive and prolonged inundation of the spoiled lands can cleanse the land of all it poisons and dirts. And then will come a time when the land surges up from the waters which we call as an act of Varaha; and Aswins would do the healing by spreading herbs; and Vishnu would sustain life in the new lands. In short the earth would have passed through recycling to enrich life once again.

But the wisdom of sages as understood from the hymn of Atharva Veda on Prithvi ((Chapter 12-1) shows that only those who abuse earth would stand to suffer. The concluding verse seeks blessings of Earth to give us a secure place. What we get, we have to give back. So the society that keeps Earth secure would in turn find her give secure place for them to live. Will this country of Vedic seers realize that keeping Prithivi unharmed is equally important as keeping cows unharmed?

Why we need a Ram temple in Ayodhya - Chetan Bhagat

From

http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31807&articlexml=THE-UNDERAGE-OPTIMIST-Why-we-need-a-Ram-02042017016011

Why we need a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

By

Chetan Bhagat

It has become a fashion in some elite Indian circles to bash Hinduism or issues related to it. It has also been taboo in these same intellectual circles to discuss what I think is a very reasonable request -we should have a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Elites, particularly in the English media, have bullied almost all voices that desire a temple at the sacred site into silence.

Hence, just to be clear I would like to state this: peacefully , but definitely, I support the construction of a beautiful Ram temple in Ayodhya. It is frankly ridiculous that we have to beg to restore a temple at one of Hinduism's greatest sites.

Of course, something needs to be clarified here. Violence of any form, including the kind that happened in 1992, cannot be supported. It was wrong, illegal, unfortunate and should never happen again. However, this does not take away the reasonableness of the request to restore a temple in one of the holiest sites of Hindu religion. This article seeks to make a case for a temple and debunk the various theories that have prevented the same from happening for all these years.

The first argument against the temple is `why disturb the status quo?' Its proponents say there is an issue, but it is dormant. So why disturb it and risk destroying the peace? Well, there is no reason why peace should be disturbed in the first place. I think the Muslim community , or the various leaders that claim to represent it, should give its blessing to the temple in any case. This is no ordinary site. As per Hindu faith, it is the birthplace of Lord Rama, one of the most worshipped gods in the religion. Diwali is India's biggest festival.

Thousands of mosques stand on erstwhile temples in India, courtesy Mughal rulers. Nobody is asking to restore those. But this is Lord Rama's birthplace, replaced by simply one more mosque. That mosque can be shifted. The holy site of Lord Rama's birthplace is a matter of centuries of faith. We can't shift that. The mosque can, and a grander one can be made nearby, or even right next door. Why wouldn't the Muslim community accommodate such a reasonable appeal? Is it because some of their self-styled leaders are politically instigated not to do so? I am sure the general Muslim population of this country will approve of such a request. We just need to approach them directly . In the age of social media, we can.

`Build a hospital instead' is the second argument made against building the temple. We should make hospitals, yes, but it doesn't have to be at the same site! Hospitals should be located based on criteria like where do people need them most. They can also be made on any piece of land. Why on such a holy site? Frankly , why can't we make a temple at the site as well as a great hospital somewhere else?

The third argument against the temple is the modern `But God is everywhere, so why here?' Related to this is: `But what is the proof Lord Rama was born here?' Well, God is everywhere. But we still need places of worship. So that when we go there, we can focus on God and God alone. As far as proof of Lord Rama's birth goes, there is none. But we do have proof that this site has been known as the birthplace of Lord Rama for centuries, and excavations have shown that there was a temple here before the mosque.

India is a nation that respects all religions. To prove that, sometimes we tend to become extra sensitive to issues related to minority religions, but ignore any issues the majority religion may have. The Ram temple is just one of them. Previous governments, particularly , had a policy of appeasement for the Muslim community , which took things to the extent that even a reasonable request was made to look like a form of Hindu bullying.

This temple can be a symbol of understanding between the two dominant religious communities of India. Restoring one temple because of the unique nature of the site and shifting a mosque to a nearby location (and making it grander) does not tarnish the glory of Islam in any manner. In fact, the surge in tourism it will create in Ayodhya when this project is complete will bring jobs for both Hindus and Muslims.

The only thing we have to bear in mind is keeping a lid on any form of violence or communal incitement this project may create. Today, in the age of better digital communication, the risks are minimal. This is a request from the Hindu community at large to the Muslim community at large, the elites and the intellectuals -let us have our temple. Bless its restoration and the building of a grander mosque nearby, so that we can, peacefully , create one of the greatest sites of religion and cooperation in the whole world.

Karmic effect of cow-slaughter.

The Gujarat Government has stipulated life-imprisonment for slaughtering cow in its recent amendment to Animal Preservation Bill. It has also made the offence non-bailable. Lot of dust may be raised over this amendment, but what I intend to write here is that in THIS COUNTRY killing a cow was considered as inviting a greater retribution than just imprisonment in the current life.

Cow was considered as wealth in this country. Infact wealth was measured in the number of cows, but killing them amounts to blow to Dharma. When Dharma is on the decline, the cow is personified as having lost a leg. In the present Kali yuga the cow is said to have 3 legs broken and is limping on only one leg. In such a dire situation, the one who protects the cow sheds off his paapa karma.

Killing a cow was something unthinkable even a few decades ago. Every native citizen of this country, even if he is a Muslim or Christian had come down in the lineage of people who thought that killing a cow is similar to killing one’s mother or father. It was considered as the worst crime. In the olden inscriptions on donations to temples, the last line used to read like this :- “the one who stops or spoils or usurps this donation must suffer the karmic effect that accrues to one who had killed a cow or his father or mother.”  This shows that cow-slaughter attracts the worst karmic effect for the slaughterer.

It was mainly on the issue of cow slaughter that untouchability began. People kept a distance of 64 feet from the one who had killed a cow. Even if someone had killed a cow by accident, he had to go to the Ganges to do purifying ceremonies. Until then he had carry a stick tied to cow’s tail to show the offence he had done. No one would have any truck with him until he finishes the purifying acts.  This is for the one had unintentionally killed a cow.

Intentional killing of cow attracts retribution in the form of suffering in many future births. This is not just a religious thought or confined to Hindu religion. This is a rational idea of what one does comes back to one. In this Universe everything happens in a cause and effect cycle. Killing a life that is not a threat to one but which gives life –growing food to one, would definitely attract retributive effect. Let me list some of them here.

·       The person who regularly kills cows would be born as a cow repeatedly only to be killed again and again.

·       Intentional killing of any animal would make the person suffer from septic wounds in his body. He will develop ulcerous swellings in his body called Vrana roga. In today’s parlance this is known as cancer.

·       Slaughterer of cow will be born with incurable skin diseases according to Karma Vipaka. Infact Karma Vipaka says injury to the cow and not killing, as it was unthinkable to kill a cow in our country.  

·       One of the karmic causes of leprosy is killing of any living creature.

·       Even for injuring the eye of the cow or blowing dust into the eye of the cow, one will be born blind in his next birth, according to Prasna Marga.  

These karmic effects are irremediable. Only when a person keeps the cow on par with his mother, can he rationalise why he should not kill the cow. Any harm done to any creature begets harm in return. Harm done to cow begets the harm that is equal to the harm done to one’s mother. This rationale must be inculcated in every person right from childhood.

Rainfall check -2 (April 2017)

(Update added on 18th April 12017 at the end of the article)

Previous articles:-

Rainfall 2017 – Level 1(Panchanga-based)

Rainfall 2017 – Level 2 (Planetary combinations)

Rainfall 2017 – Level 3 (Margazhi / Solar Garbottam).

Margazhi Garbottam 2016-17 in a nutshell.

Rainfall 2017 - Level 4 (Daily Garbottam)

Rainfall Check -1 (March 2017)

The month of April marks the start of the New Year in ancient Indian context that primarily coincides with the beginning of the rainfall season for the country as a whole. Though the date of New Year differs from region to region in India, what remains common is the planetary transit that indicates rainfall but it must be supported by local Garbottam.

For example the day of New Year for Tamilnadu and Kerala marks the entry of the Sun in the star Aswini in Aries. When sun moves across Aswini, it is said to be in Vayu nadi. This is supposed to bring rains accompanied with winds. This lasts till the Sun crosses Aswini which normally takes 13 to 14 days. This means that in normal course, the fortnight following the start of New Year must see pre-monsoon showers in the form of thunder storms. This New Year being applicable to Kerala and Tamilnadu, these showers must in normal course benefit these two States.

This year the month of April 2017 comes with both rainfall yoga and deficient yoga in each category with fairly good strength. In other words there is going to be a tug of war between these two. In between these two extremities, there are two moderate yogas and a couple of transits that help in sudden rains. Before detailing them, let me show in the form of horoscopic diagram the current nature of planetary transits as we enter April.

·       Jupiter in opposition to Sun is a strong deterrent for rainfall. Even since Sun entered Pisces (on 14^th March) this opposition started.

·       Another deterrent is the opposition between Venus and Jupiter throughout March and April too.

·       As we begin April, yet another dry and heat related feature is dominant in the sky. It is the presence of Mars ahead of all the planets.  Right from 25^th August in 2016, Mars had been moving ahead of all the planets and this comes to an end only on 29^th July in 2017. This forward motion of Mars discourages rainfall and scorches the land. Presently its transit across Bharani causes excess heat.

·       The current heat wave is attributed to Mars in forward position followed by Mercury in Fiery sign of Aries. Mercury is connected with winds and Mars with heat in astrology. When they join in fiery sign and are ahead of other planets they cause unprecedented heat waves on the land.  

·       However on 13^th  April 2017, Mars moves over to the next sign. So until then unprecedented heat wave will be felt. Mercury still continues to be in Aries but on 10^th  April it enters into combustion with Sun. This marks the arrival of first rainfall of the pre-monsoon season. The entry of Sun into Aries (and in Aswini) closely after that on 14^th April is supportive of pre-monsoon showers.

Rainfall support yoga in April 2017.

Earlier in an article written on 27th Dec 2016, I showed the dates of rainfall yoga supported by Venus- Mercury closeness.  As per that, it rained in March. The next period starts in April.

On 10^th April, Mercury starts retrogression and enters combustion with Sun. On 20^th April, Mercury conjuncts with Sun which is a trigger feature for some meteorological event. From then onwards, Mercury and Venus are moving towards each other with no planet in between. Effectively from 20^th April onwards, rainfall yoga begins. This is a major rainfall yoga in April. This lasts till 21^st June.

Rainfall spoiling yoga in April 2017.

The major rainfall spoiling yoga is Mars in front of all the planets. Particularly at a time the above mentioned rainfall yoga begins, Mars also begins its sojourn through star Rohini. Mars in Rohini and Arudra would scorch the land. Infact Mars in Rohini is the most feared transit which has seen unrest, wars and terror activities.

In between these two extreme yogas, there are some transits that favour rainfall. Finally it all boils down to the local Garbottam in a place. The list of dates of importance to rainfall activity in April 2017 is given in the table below.

	Date	Astrological feature	Event	Place	Spoilers, if any
1	April 10	Mercury starts retrogression. Enters combustion.	Sudden rainfall, hail storms  and flash floods.	North and NE India. Kashmir.	Mars in forefront.
2	April 14 to 26	Sun in Aswini (Vayu nadi)	Thunder storms	East and NE India	Mars as above. Sun in between Venus and Mercury. Venus in Purva Bhadrapada brings clouds but less rains.
3	April 20	Mercury in deep conjunction with Sun. Moon in Amirtha Nadi. Mercury – Venus closeness begins.	Trigger to rainfall.	NW and West India. Some places in interior south India.	As above
4	April 23	Venus comes out of Nirjala Nadi (Purva Bhadrapada). Moon joins Venus in Jala Rasi (Pisces) Moon joins Jupiter in its own Navamsa.	Trigger to rainfall	Western parts of India.	Mars in forefront
5	April 21 onwards	Sun behind Mars with Mars in forefront of all planets	Increase in temperature, Heat wave conditions. Rainfall affected	East and South India.
6	April 27	Mars enters Rohini	Rainfall affected. Dry and hot conditions.	Central and South India
7	April 29	Mercury comes out of combustion. Re-enters Pisces to join Venus.	Sudden rains and flash floods.	North and NE India.	Mars in forefront and in Rohini.

Rainfall for Chennai.

April coincides with waxing phase in Panguni and waning phase in Chithirai.

Only after 21^st April, there is support from planetary combinations (Mercury- Venus closeness ). And we have to check local Garbottam also.

The corresponding Garbottam period for April 2017 is waning phase in Purattasi and waxing phase in Aippasi.

The corresponding dates / months for this are

2^nd half of September 2016 and first half of November 2016.

The interesting feature is October 2016 is completely out of picture in determining rainfall in April this year. It must be recalled that October 2016 was almost dry and cyclone Kyant also failed. But it did bring some overhead clouds which can be counted on as Garbottam. But October is out of reckoning for gauging rainfall this April!

Looking at the cloudiness or rainfall data during the corresponding months, Chennai did receive rains on 15^th and 26^th September 2016. But I didn’t keep record of the cloudiness of the dates during that period. (Garbottam theory requires us to keep record throughout the year and not just for 6 months prior to monsoon season. Previous year’s monsoon season gives clues on rainfall scenario during pre-monsoon season of the next year)

If it is assumed that cloudy weather was present around 26^th September 2016, it is possible to see some isolated rainfall after 7^th April in Chennai.

November 2016 had remained more or less dry, Only on 13^th November 2016, it had rained in my place of observation.  Some cloud patches around that date could give isolated rainfall to Chennai in the last week of April.

UPDATE on 18th April 2017.

(1) The first rainfall of this month was experienced in J & K on 6th and 7th April. Though rains were expected in Kashmir on 10th, as per the above table, in reality it occurred on 6th and 7th.

The probable explanation is that Moon was in cancer (its own sign which also happens to be watery sign). All the other planets were in unfavourable positions, thereby reducing the quantum and area of rainfall.

(2) Rainfall was fairly widespread and also in isolated pockets in NE India on 10th April But such rainfall was experienced in days prior to 10th also.

(3) On 15th April, cyclone Maarutha formed as a tropical Depression in the Bay. It moved NE and made landfall in Myanmar on the night of 17th April.

(4) Ever since Sun entered Aries, the temperature had risen high in many places in India. Between 16th to 19th, heat wave alerts have been given. The main cause must be to do with forward march of Mars ahead of all planets and Sun in fiery sign. Initially I thought that heat wave will come down once Mars moves out of Bharani. But reality check shows that it is not so.

On 20th Mercury crosses Sun backwards which results in Sun and Mars to be one behind the other, and ahead of all the other planets. In normal circumstances we interpret it to cause severe heat wave. But then from 20th onwards, the gap between Mercury and Venus is going to reduce thereby causing a rainfall yoga. It remains to be seen how this fructifies or balances with the simultaneous closeness of Mars and Sun ahead of others. Thunder storms due to "veppa chalanam" or dry aandhi winds might result from this diametrically opposite combinations.