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July/August/September, 2003 $5.95

Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance

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Hinduism:
Thai Style COVER: This stunningly ornate Ganesha shrine sits outside the Isetan Store at Bangkok’s World Trade Center, where many of
our Hindu Gods are worshiped by the Thai Buddhists; (above) Firewalkers in Reunion ritually prepare the pit of embers

July/August/September, 2003 • Hindu Year 5105

Subhanu, the Year of Beautiful Radiance

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Service: The Red-Robed Followers of a Man Named
Feature Story: Welcome to Thailand, where Buddhists Amma Serve the Poor and Honor All Women 58
Worship Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Siva 18 Sculpture: Washington D.C.’s Sackler Museum
Indonesia: Exploring Bali’s Complex Response to Puts Rare Chola-Era Bronzes on Display 60
the Deadly October 12 Terrorist Attack 28 Interview: Swami Ghananand, Africa’s First Swami,
Orissa: Lumber Shortages Threaten Construction Talks about the Future of Hinduism 60
of Lord Krishna’s Massive Chariots 32 Swami: In 1951 Swami Chinmayananda’s First Public
Reunion: French-Speaking Descendents of the Tamils Talk Charted a Course for Renaissance 64
Walk their Fire -Walking Talk 36 Animal Rights: The Behind-the-Scenes Life of Temple
Kenya: A Grand Venkateshwara Temple Dedication 38 Elephants Can Be Brutal and Tragic 66
Bangladesh: The Meaning behind the Unique
Annual Worship of a Virgin Girl 39
OPINION
In My Opinion: Kamala Veylan, 28, Landed the
LIFESTYLE Perfect Job with Lord Ganesha’s Help 9
Yoga: Yehudin Menuhin, Famed Violinist, Credits Publisher’s Desk: Time for Teaching the Next
Iyengar’s Yoga for His Musical Success 40 Generation Our Religion’s Profound Tolerance 10
History: My Visit to Siva’s Somnath Temple 42 From the Vedas: The Invocation before Teaching 16
Insight: Kularnava Tantra: the Mystical Precepts for Letters 12
Working with the Guru 44
Heritage: Welcome to Aksharam, where Sanskrit
Comes to Life among the Young 52 DIGESTS
Music: How One Ashram is Empowering the Oduvar Diaspora 6 Digital Dharma 86
Singers whose Holy Hymns Fill the Temples 56 Quotes & Quips 14

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PUBLISHER’S DESK
eaching Children to
Forge a Peaceful Future
Cultivate a prejudice-free consciousness that readily
embraces differences in race, religion and nationality
B Y S A T G U R U B O D H I N A T H A V E Y L A N S WA M I
     
certainly troubling—wars between coun-
tries, wars within countries, plus a grow-
ing threat of international terrorist acts.
The shocking attacks in New York on
September  naturally heightened everyone’s
concern about these problems.
One of the immediate consequences of /
was the television coverage depicting people in
a number of countries who do not much like,
some even strongly hate, the United States,
even to the point of wishing violence upon it.
Watching these startling reports on television,
we were again reminded of the extent and seri-
ousness of the problem of prejudice in the world today.
Attitudes of prejudice toward those of a different race, nation
or religion can start simply as distrust, which can then deepen
into dislike and deepen further into hatred, which can turn into a
desire to inict injury. Are we born with such attitudes? Certainly
not. As children, we are taught them at home, at school and even
in some religious institutions.
In the last few months a number of resolutions have been passed
objecting to the US war with Iraq. Thousands of people have
objected by demonstrating in the streets all over the world, includ-
ing the US. These actions are sincere and make a point, but they
certainly do not address the core of the problem, which is hatred.
People have been raised to hate those of different ethnic groups,
faiths or countries. The solution, though admittedly a long-term
one, is that we need, in the century ahead, to teach all children tol-
erance, openness to different ways of life, different beliefs, differ-
ent customs of dress and language. We need to stop teaching them
to fear those who are different from themselves, stop teaching
them hatred for peoples of other colors and other religions, stop
teaching them to see the world as a eld of conict, and instead
instill in them an informed appreciation and a joyous reverence for
the grand diversity we nd around us. Instead of teaching children
to be intolerant and to dislike and distrust, hate and inict injury
on those who are different, we can teach them to be tolerant, to
like and trust, befriend and help. Of course, the central place to
convey such a crucial message to the next generation is in the
home. Secondarily, it can be strengthened in classes at the temple
and school and through special community activities.
It is in the home that we can enduringly change the world for
the better. It is the qualities we cultivate in our children that cre-
ate the world of the future. Therefore, the most effective form of
protest to the violence is to give more thought to what our chil-
10 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
dren are learning as they grow
up. In this regard, every father
and mother is indeed a guru—in
fact, a child’s rst guru, teaching
by example, explanation, giving
advice and direction. The qual-
ity we wish parents to develop in
the child is a prejudice-free con-
sciousness—an open-mindedness
that readily embraces differences
in ethnic background, religion and
nationality.
How can parents nurture a
prejudice-free consciousness?
Through complete avoidance of remarks
that are racially or religiously prejudiced,
and through discussing with children
any prejudice they hear from others at
school and elsewhere and correcting it.
We—meaning we of all nations and cul-
tures—can teach children to avoid gen-
eralizations about people and instead to
think about specic individuals and the
qualities they have. Even positive gen-
eralizations should be avoided, as they
encourage us to not look at the qualities
of specic individuals. When we say,
even positively, that Chinese are good
a. manivel
businessmen or Germans are efcient
and precise, we promote stereotypes that
blind us to the truth that all individuals
are unique. TV and movies can provide
useful situations to discuss with your children, not leaving the
conclusions to their youthful minds. Tolerance can be developed
by having our children meet, interact and learn to feel comfortable
with children of other ethnicities and religious backgrounds.
There are a few key Hindu beliefs that are the basis for Hindu
tolerance. The rst belief is on the nature of God. Hinduism
has a wide diversity of traditions, but followers of the different
traditions respect one another and worship side-by-side in many
temples. Hinduism has four major denominations. To Saivites the
Supreme is Siva. Saktas refer to the Supreme as Sakti, Smartas
call the Supreme Being Brahman, and to Vaishnavas He is Vishnu.
However, the important point is that each Hindu is worshiping the
same Supreme Being. The name is different, the tradition is differ-
ent, but it is the same Supreme Being that is being worshiped by
all Hindus. An ancient verse from the Rig Veda (..) is often
quoted in this regard: Ekam sat viprah bahuda vadanti. “Truth is
one, sages express it variously.”
Hindus also believe that there is no exclusive path, no one way
for all. They profoundly know that the God they worship is the
same Supreme Being in whom peoples of all faiths nd solace and
peace. Since the inner intent of all religions is to bind man back
to God, Hindus honor the fact that “Truth is one, paths are many.”
Ekam sat anekah panthah. Nonetheless, Hindus realize that all
religions are not the same. Each has its unique beliefs, practices,
goals and paths of attainment, and the doctrines of one often con-
ict with those of another. Even this should never be cause for
religious tension or intolerance.
Another Hindu belief that gives rise to tolerance of differences
Living peacefully: A sister and brother are growing up in Europe.
While nonreligious youth run wild and vandalize property, they
are grateful for their Hindu upbringing, which provides good val-
ues and moral direction, teaching them the merits of a tolerant life.
in race and nationality is that all of mankind is essentially good,
that we are all divine beings, souls created by God. Hindus do
not accept the concept that some individuals are evil and others
are good. The Upanishads tell us that each soul is emanated from
God, as a spark from a re, then begins a spiritual journey, which
eventually leads back to God. All human beings are on this jour-
ney, whether they realize it or not. So when a Hindu sees a person
whom others call bad or evil, he thinks to himself, “This is a young
soul, acting in terrible ways, but one day, in the course of many
lives, he will realize his errors and adhere to dharma.” The Hindu
practice of greeting one another with “namaskara,” worshiping
God within the other person, is a way this philosophical truth is
practiced on a daily basis. Ayam atma Brahma, “The soul is God.”
This is taken one step further in the adage Vasudhaiva kutum-
bakam, “The whole world is one family.” Everyone is family ori-
ented. Most of what we do is for the purpose of beneting the
members of our family. We want them to be happy, successful and
religiously fullled. And when family is dened to be the whole
world, it is clear that we wish everyone in the world to be happy,
successful and religiously fullled. The Vedic afrmation that
captures this sentiment is Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu, “May all
people be happy.” Albert Einstein once observed, “A human being
is a part of the whole, called by us Universe, a part limited in time
and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as
something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his
consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting
us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons near-
est to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by
widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature in its beauty” [H. Eves, Mathematical
Circles Adieu, Boston, ].
Of course, this doesn’t mean we should teach children to gaze
naively at everyone through rose-colored glasses, especially those
who have been taught to hate others because of their particular
race, religion or nationality. It means not looking at people through
distortive lenses of malice, bigotry or bias. Hatred is a reality in
this world and needs to be responded to realistically. While being
aware of the prejudices of others and the philosophies they have
been taught, we can still choose to see their Divinity and hold no
prejudice—no ill-feeling or hatred—toward them.
In the second half of the twentieth century, Hindu concepts
became more and more popular and inuential in the West. Every
year more Westerners take up the belief in karma and reincarna-
tion as a logical explanation of what they observe in life. One of the
most visible uses of Hindu values in the West in the th century
was by Dr. Martin Luther King. After many years of thought, Dr.
King selected the Hindu principle of ahimsa, as exemplied by
Mahatma Gandhi’s tactic of nonviolent resistance, to overcome the
unjust laws of racial discrimination in the US. In  Dr. King
spent ve weeks in India discussing with Gandhi’s followers the
Mahatma’s philosophy and techniques of nonviolence to deepen
his understanding before putting them into use.
Perhaps in the st century the world can again turn to Hindu
values, choosing this time the value of tolerance, raising children
with a prejudice-free consciousness as a way of creating a future
for this planet that is free from war and terrorism.
Teach your children, and show them by your example, that tol-
erance should not be mere passive acceptance of those who are
different—an aloof tolerating—but rather a heartfelt empathy and
proactive effort to befriend and help.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 200 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 11

Sanskrit a Unifying Force
i agree with the two points that mrs.
Vittal made about the priests’ decline in
Hinduism (“Letters,” Apr-Jun 2003). Any
selfless, knowledgeable person should be al-
lowed to become a priest. However, I dis-
agree with her on using regional languages
for services. Is Mrs. Vittal suggesting that
Telugu people go to one temple, and Tamil
or Marathi people go to another? Sanskrit
has unified Hindus for millenniums. Why
destroy that? There are plenty of opportuni-
ties to learn Sanskrit for those who do not
know it. Let us not destroy the unity of Hin-
duism: the language the Gods have given us.
Shashisekhar Vishwanath
∫ shashisekhar@sify.com
Protest on Behalf of Chickens
i am very happy with your daily e-mail
news digests (HPI). However, I was disap-
pointed over January 28’s item, “A British
Love Affair with Curry.” Please don’t pub-
lish news promoting such tamasic food
products as “Chicken Tikka Masala.” Hin-
duism is against killing animals for food. As
an organization working for community reli-
gious upliftment, it is better that you not
propagate this evil that has crept into the
Hindu society. Many of your readers are
devotees of Lord Kartikkeya, and seval
(cocks and hens) is his vahana.
Seetharaman
∫ seetharaman_m@hotmail.com
Searching for Vishnu
i am a long-time reader and admirer of
Hinduism Today and rejoice in its many
contributions, innovations, creativity, graph-
ics and use of information technology. It is
exhilarating to learn about the Hindus and
their search for the Divine in various parts
of the world and in its home, India. In par-
ticular, it has been very beneficial to learn
about Saivism in depth, especially Tamil
Saivism and its many manifestations, which
are relatively unknown to non-Tamils. But I
feel deep frustration and sadness for your
neglect and even avoidance of Vaishnavism,
Vishnu or His avatars. Rama and Krishna
are conspicuously absent in your magazine,
as are the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bha-
gavad Gita and Vaishnava temples such as
Tirupati, Mathura, etc. Finally, in the article
on sacred symbols in the latest issue, there is
not a single Vaishnava symbol such as
chakra, sankhu or namam. Why?
Most Hindus revere and adore the many
manifestations of the Divine as Siva, Vishnu,
Rama, Krishna or Durga even as they focus
on an ishta devata, a favorite Deity. Tulsidas,
the great 15th century saint and author of
the immensely popular Sri Ram Charita
Manas was a great devotee of Siva and, in
12 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
LETTERS
fact, his Ramayana is couched in the form of
a dialogue between Siva and Parvati. The
majority of Hindus are very inclusive and
truly global in relating to the many-splen-
dored aspects of God. As long as Hinduism
Today claims to represent all of us and our
global religion, I strongly urge that its cover-
age be very much more broadened and bal-
anced.
Dr. Mukunda Rao
∫ mvrao@sunline.net
✔ Your point is well-taken that Hinduism
Today tends toward the Saivite tradition,
wherein lie both our personal commitments
and our resource contacts. That said, we
aren’t purposely avoiding Vaishnavism, and
in this issue you’ll find long-planned stories
on the Jagannatha temple in Orissa and the
opening of a Balaji (Vishnu) temple in
Kenya. We have commissioned revised art of
the Vaishnava symbols you mentioned. The
earlier version of the symbols, which ap-
peared in the February, 1997, issue included
the shikhara, tulsi, urdhvapundra and Lord
Krishna. Unfortunately, that revised art did
not arrive in time. We need and welcome
journalists and photographers with interest
and knowledge of Vaishnavism to offer their
services to Hinduism Today to cover the
contemporary Vaishnava saints, the revered
temples and pilgrimage destinations and the
current issues within the denomination.
Hindus Should Take a Lead!
it is a hindu quality to live without
malice toward anyone. Hindu tolerance al-
lowed Muslims, Christians, Manchurians
and others to settle in India and make moth-
er India their home. Many Hindus live or
would like to live a saint-like life compared
to those driven by ego and the desire to sub-
jugate others in the name of religion. All
wars, including the Mahabharata war, have
been the result of ego, aroused within the
backbone of a desire to dominate. The egos
of kings, presidents, or prime ministers drag
nations into war without realizing what de-
struction it can bring. It is easy to come up
with rationalizations and justifications to go
into war. But desires do not cease after con-
quering the powerless. They only increase,
like fire fed with oil. The glory of winning is
short-lived. There will be a transfusion of
enemy venom to the victors. It is a shame
that some call themselves patriotic and pro-
tectors of their country when their intention
is material prosperity and not peace.
When we instill patriotism in our chil-
dren, we must abstain from creating hatred
toward other nations. It is not where we are
born or reside that makes us superior, but
our understanding of, and respect for, oth-
ers. God created this diverse world, not the
Americans, Germans, Indians or Chinese.
However, God-given intelligence is being
wasted in the creation of destructive instru-
ments instead of channeling it to analyze the
mysteries of this universe or to establish in-
ner harmony—technological advancement
without spiritual evolution.
A legendary Urdu poet, Sahir Ludhianive,
once said, God rendered humanity with one
land, but selfish and narrow-mindedness
made its people to cut it into pieces on the
basis of religion, language, color or creed.
When God allows us to breathe the air
around us wherever we are, how can we
claim ownership and possession of land? No
territory separates the air we breathe.
Hindus have a responsibility to educate
the souls that are entangled or blinded by
their desires so that we all can breathe the
air of freedom wherever we are, whether we
are in America, Pakistan, India, Iraq or An-
gola. With so many afflictions—wars, incur-
able diseases, religious and civil strife—
there is a greater necessity for realizing the
Hindu Dharma now than ever before. It is
the wisdom that was passed on to us for gen-
erations, for the entire world. It is the only
wisdom and vision that can save lives in this
new age of imperialism. Teach the young
not just national anthems, but also the
Veda’s universal anthem: Lead me from un-
truth to Truth; from darkness to Light, from
death to Immortality. May all the world’s
beings be happy. Om peace, peace, peace.
Let us create an international family, let us
call the Earth our country, and let us forget
boundaries so that we all will breathe the air
of truth and righteousness.
Dvijaya Krishnan, PhD
University of Botswana
Correction
The subscription card inserted in the April/
May/June, 2003, issue of Hinduism Today in-
correct identifies Srimat Swami Rangana-
thananda as the “former president” of the
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mis-
sion. Be assured that the revered Swamiji re-
mains the current and very active president
of the Math and Mission founded by the
great Swami Vivekananda.
Letters, with writer’s name, address and daytime
phone number, should be sent to:
Letters, Hinduism Today
107 Kaholalele Road
Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA
or faxed to: (808) 822-4351
or e-mailed to: letters@hindu.org
Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may
appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY.
∫ INDICATES LETTERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL
OPINION FORUM
A Pluralism Solution
Hinduism’s view of religious coexistence holds
the answer to the dilemma of religious conflict
B Y J AY P R A K A S H L A K H A N I
n the last century political ideologies led
to two world wars, killing millions. The challenge of
religious contentions in the new century is perhaps even
more worrying. Religions generate much stronger pas-
sions. They tell us, “Carry out this much finite activity
here on Earth and we offer you infinite rewards in the here-
after.” The risk/reward ratio is skewed to the extreme. If we
kill in the name of religion or are killed in the name of reli-
gion, surely that is a small price to pay for an infinite reward
in the hereafter! How can we diffuse the situation?
Politicians and diplomats work away frantically, saying,
“Surely these issues will get resolved by diplomatic maneu-
vering, or political haggling! Surely, all this is a matter of
economics, the control of the oil fields! We need to show greater
justice to some disadvantaged people.” Our American friends think
that the situation can easily be resolved through military action.
But all these—political, diplomatic, economic, judicial or military
approaches, at best are mere patchwork solutions. The resolution
of a problem that arises in the name of religion lies firmly in the
field of religion. Only wholesome spirituality can tackle religious
issues. These problems have not arisen because of growing global
religiousness.
The reason is precisely the opposite. The role of religions in our
highly secular world is unclear, and mainstream aspirants are no
longer there to underpin religions. On one side, society is adopting
materialism. At the other end, religions are falling increasingly into
the hands of simpletons. The rational and tolerant elements of reli-
gions are pushed aside in favor of the more fanatic elements within
religions. We forget that we just cannot afford to ignore religions.
Even if one believes all religions to be erroneous, even then these
issues must be tackled and contained. We do not have the luxury
of living in isolation, practicing our own exclusive religion. We live
in modern, multi-faith societies where operating as single-faith
communities is not an option. But how can many exclusivist reli-
gions coexist in a single society? That is the issue.
Hinduism offers a unique “pluralism” as the solution. It says that
the same ultimate reality called God can be thought of and ap-
proached in different ways. “Why different ways?” “It is because
we are different,” comes the answer. The goal may be the same,
but as we are different, coming from different backgrounds, in-
spired by different prophets and scriptures, the manner in which
we relate to the same Ultimate will necessarily be different. This
proposal would suggest that however relevant our prophets and
scriptures are to us, they only have contextual validity and not
absolute validity. They relate to us and only to that extent can be
considered to be absolute; but not for the rest of mankind. Imagine
two children telling each other, “My mum is best.” “No, my mum is
best in the world.” They both have tremendous love for their moth-
ers and cannot tolerate the other, so they fight. A wise man settles
it, saying, “Add two words, ‘My mum is best for me.’ ” Then both
are right, and the fighting ends.
These thoughts arose after a series of
talks on interfaith issues given to Christian
ministers at the London Interfaith Center
and North Thames Ministerial College
in January of this year, and my interfaith
colleagues have great difficulty with this.
It suggests that their prophets and scrip-
tures are no longer absolute but only have
contextual validity. Sounds blasphemous!
The best that mainstream religions can
say is, “We tolerate other religions,” mean-
ing, “We hold the monopoly on the Abso-
lute—others somehow exist on the fringes.”
But how can any religion claim to hold the
Absolute within its framework of prophets,
scriptures, doctrines and dogmas? By the
very definition of Absolute, if anything can
encapsulate it, then it is no longer Absolute,
as the religion that has captured it has now
become bigger than the Absolute! Hindu
teachings about this are very clear, saying,
“At best, even the most esoteric religions
can only offer a ‘perception of the Abso-
lute’—but never the Absolute.” If the main-
stream religions adopt this idea, the sharp
edges seen dividing the major religions
disappear. This simple idea says, “Your
prophet and scriptures suit you and are best for you. My prophets
and scriptures are ideal for my purposes, so why threaten or feel
threatened by each other?” This is the Hindu concept of pluralism.
We need to be brave enough, religious enough, to recognize the limi-
tations of what we perceive as absolute.
Many Christians shudder at this proposal, as it suggests that
the prophets or the scriptures they hold so dear are a “percep-
tion” rather than the real thing. But this pluralism does not sug-
gest that we have to water down our own faith or beliefs. In fact,
pluralism suggests that our faith is perhaps the most suited to our
requirements. There is no need to shop around, change direction
or emulate other faiths. We should hang on to our own path with
full confidence and greater vigor. God is infinite. If He is present
in other faiths, that does not reduce His presence in our own faith!
Pluralism has never promoted the idea that we take bits of all reli-
gions and produce some mix of all faiths called pluralism…. What
a grotesque idea!
One of my interfaith colleagues suggested that since theologians
will not easily adopt pluralism, why not be practical and focus on
developing shared interfaith human values rather than religious
teachings? My response is—this will be precisely the outcome if
the secular lobby gets its way in toning religion down, blaming
religion for our serious problems. In this scenario religions would
have lost out to the secular lobby.
The second criticism of pluralism is the fallacious question,
“Why give pluralism, another dogma, a better footing than the ‘ex-
clusivist agenda’?” It fails to hit the target. Pluralism never says that
its approach is somehow “absolute.” Then why invoke it? Because
mankind today needs it! Religions promoting exclusivist agendas
just cannot coexist without thumping each other! We have two
choices: incorporate Hindu style pluralism within all faiths quickly
or do so only after some serious catastrophes.
jay prakash lakhani, 54, is a physicist and devotee of Sri
Ramakrishna. He runs the Vivekananda Center, London, is in-
volved in Hindu educational work and teaches and speaks on Hin-
duism to groups and young people.
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 13

“Though many people use God as a spare wheel,
we need God in each and every moment of our life.”
His Divine Holiness, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Puroshottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
There are higher objects in life than mere
living, and only by turning to religion can
you secure such objects. Do not ignore
your spiritual welfare in the interests
of mere living. Jagadguru Sri Chandra-
sekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal (-
), th pontiff of the Sarada Peetham
While the still-searching ask, “Am I? Who
Am I?” the knowers of the Self declare, “I
am who I am.”
In my opinion the Sanskrit text Satyam
bruyat priyam bruyat, Na bruyat sa-
tyamapriyam means that one should speak
the truth in gentle language. One had
better not speak it if one cannot do so in a
gentle way, meaning thereby that there is
. 
14                /       /          ,    
no truth in a man who cannot control his
tongue. Mahatma Gandhi (-)
Think twice before you talk; think thrice
before you act. Sri Sivaratnapuri Tiruchi
Mahaswamigal, spiritual head of Sri Kai-
lasa Ashram, Bangalore
John F. Kennedy loved a little proverb he
thought was Irish, but actually came from
the Indian epic Ramayana: There are three
things which are real—God, human folly
and laughter. The rst two are beyond our
comprehension, so we must do what we
can with the third.
Children, love can accomplish anything and
everything. Love can cure diseases. Love
Charity
Tirukural 221: Giving to the poor
is true charity. All other giving
expects some return.
Tirukural 223: Men of good birth
graciously give, never uttering
the wretched excuse, “I have
nothing.”
Tirukural 225: Great, indeed,
is the power to endure hunger.
Greater still is the power to re-
lieve others’ hunger.
Tirukural 227: The ery scourge
called hunger never touches the
man who shares his daily meal
with others.
Tirukural 229: More bitter than
even a beggar’s bread is the meal
of the miser who hoards wealth
and eats alone.
can heal wounded hearts and transform
human minds. Mata Amritanandamayi Ma,
or “Ammachi,” founder of many social,
educational and medical charities
Draw on God for the solution of all your
problems. Paramahansa Yogananda
(-), founder of Self-Realization
Fellowship
Only when you drink from the river of si-
lence shall you indeed sing. And when you
have reached the mountaintop, then you
shall begin to climb. And when the Earth
shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly
dance. Should we all confess our sins to one
another, we would all laugh at one another
for our lack of originality. Should we all
reveal our virtues, we would also laugh for
the same cause. Saint Kabir (-)
The body is cleansed by water, the internal
organ is puried by truthfulness, the indi-
vidual soul by sacred learning and austeri-
ties, the intellect by true knowledge.
Laws of Manu 5.109
An English professor wrote the words,
“Woman without her man is nothing” on
the blackboard and directed his students
to punctuate it correctly. The men wrote:
“Woman, without her man, is nothing.”
The women wrote: “Woman: without her,
man is nothing.”
Truth is a great virtue. A man by remaining
true to his words can swim over the ocean
of life. Ramayana
When we engage every moment without
the cares and fears of the beyond, we
are able to harness the spirit of sadhana,
and every moment is lled with Divinity.
Swamini Mayatitananda, founder of Wise
Earth School and Mother Om Mission
Frank and Ernest
If you want the rainbow, you’ve gotta put
up with the rain.
A group of four to eight-year-olds were
asked the question “What does love mean?”
The answers they gave were broader and
deeper than anyone could have imagined:
“When someone loves you, the way they
say your name is different. You know that
your name is safe in their mouth”
(Billy, age four). “Love is what makes you
smile when you’re tired” (Terri, age four).
DID YOU KNOW?
Siva’s South-Facing Form
    
of Siva as the primordial guru who
teaches a spiritual knowledge be-
yond the intellect. He remains silent, and
that silence is the potent awakener of the
seeker’s own inner knowing, or intuition.
He faces South, like this masterwork near
the H T editorial ofces,
which symbolizes His facing the world, as
the North symbolizes the Himalayas or
higher superconscious planes. The banyan
tree under which He sits represents the
strength and inclusiveness of Sanatana
Dharma, which offers its shade to all. In
His hands He holds the drum of creation,
the re of dissolution and the Vedas, and
He blesses all with jnana mudra, or chin-
mudra, symbol of the union of Paramat-
man and jivatman.
©2001 THAVES, REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
“If you want to learn to love better, you If we look at the past and we look at the
should start with a friend whom you hate” future as both a series of dreams, and the
(Nikka, age six). “Love is like a little old only thing that we are concerned with is
woman and a little old man who are still our immediate reactions and what we carry
friends even after they know each other with us now, we see that the past is there to
so well” (Tommy, age six). “You really test us and the future is there to challenge
shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean us. We cannot change the past, but we can
it. But if you mean it, you should say it change how we react to what has happened
a lot. People forget” (Jessica, age eight). to us in the past, and we can change the
“There are two kinds of love: our love, future, anytime we want to. Satguru Sivaya
God’s love. But God makes both of them” Subramuniyaswami (-), founder
(Jenny, age four). of H T
From the Dakshinamurti Stotram
I beheld under the banyan tree the
Primordial Preceptor, the receptacle
of undiminishing compassion, driving
away the darkness of ignorance of
great sages by mere silence that is
adorned by a gentle smile.
I offer my obeisance to that Preceptor
of preceptors who, by His ambrosial
glances marked by unlimited grace,
was looking at the sages aficted by
the intense heat of that erce misery
of worldly existence.
May my Primordial Lord, dwelling
at the foot of the banyan tree, out of
           
divine mercy appear before me, offer
instruction in the mystic lore “Aum”
and dispel the darkness of nescience.
Verses 2, 4 & 5
   /       /          ,                 15
 FROM THE VEDAS

Knowledge Travels on Harmony

Averting contention and achieving a union of minds
his peace invocation is chanted both teacher’s dissatisfaction towards his student, or it can be
by the teacher and the taught every day due to the student’s misjudgment of the teacher’s attitude
during the study of the Vedas. In thus re- or words. If either of them suffers from a similar clogging
minding themselves, before their study of the heart, they become, as it were, “shortcirculated,”
each day, that they are to exert themselves and the transference of knowledge is immediately block-
together in aded. In order to avoid such
order to experience the Truth a sad plight and to assure a
of the Upanishads, they get perfect tune up—both from
more and more tuned up
F –U“≤IŸ∆∆™‹ | the teacher to the taught and
with each other. This condi- from the taught to the
tion of perfect unison be- –U“ ≤ÊŸI ∫‹≤#‹‹ | teacher—this stanza with all
tween the teacher and the sincerity is chanted daily by
taught is unavoidable in the –U“ ∆U¤æi@Äé¿∆Ÿ∆“Ê | the preceptor and the disci-
study of the subjective sci- ple. Any constriction of heart
ence, Vedanta. ™‰UúU⁄—∆≤UŸ∆∞¤I™º—™‹u in either of them towards the
As in the modern colleges, other will screen off the flow
Vedanta cannot be learned of light and love between
merely from the bazaar
º ⁄∆I⁄Ø˝ŒUŸ∆“ÊA Ii || them. Unless there are the
notes. A deep and intimate unseen beams of mutual love
personal experience is to be F ÀŸ⁄≥™UÅ ÀŸ⁄≥™UÅ ÀŸ⁄≥™iÅ || and respect, the reverence
conveyed by the teacher in and admiration connecting
teaching the students. A tran- the thrilled heart of the in-
scendental experience that Om saha nâvavatu. spired saint and the thirsty
inspires the experiencer to a head of the sincere students,
complete sublimation of his Saha nau bhunaktu. no actual transaction of
ego-centric consciousness Saha vîryam karavâvahai. Truth-experience can take
cannot become a theme that place. Upanishad being a
can be sung through the Tejasvinâvadhîtamastu subjective science, these ad-
flimsy instrument of lan- ma vidvishâvahai. justments are unavoidable.
guage. Therefore, the success In the Vedanta classroom,
in understanding the Vedas Om shânti, shânti, shânti the teacher writes with
and ultimately gaining the ex- words on the heart slabs of
periences of its Truth is de- the boys; the students read
pendent entirely upon the Om. May He protect us both. May He help us the golden letters of knowl-
seeker’s capacity to tune him- both to enjoy the fruits of scriptural study. May edge in the light of kindling
self to the Master’s own inti- love, and understand them
mate experiences which are we both exert together to find the true meaning with a “head” peeping out of
expressed vaguely in the intu- of the sacred text. May our studies be fruitful. his “heart.” In the still mo-
itive song sung by him in the May we never quarrel with each other. ments of its silent inspira-
finite language of the text. Om Peace! Peace! Peace! tions, in quick and brilliant
This perfect unison be- flashes, the boy experiences
tween the teacher and the krishna yajur veda the Truth transcendental.
taught generally gets molest- taittiriya upanishad 2.2.2 Hence the chanting of
ed by some misunderstand- commentary by swami chinmayananda peace-passage both in the
ing between them. It may be beginning and in the end of
either in the form of the each chapter and each day.

The Vedas are the divinely revealed and most revered scriptures,
Swami Chinmayananda (1917-1993), Vedantist writer,
a. manivelu

a. manivelu

sruti, of Hinduism, likened to the Torah (1,200 bce), Bible New

Testament (100 ce), Koran (630 ce) or Zend Avesta (600 bce). Four lecturer, translator, dynamic spiritual leader and Hindu
in number, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, the Vedas include over renaissance founder of Chinmaya Mission International
100,000 verses. Oldest portions may date back as far as 6,000 BCE.

16 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 17
 F E AT U R E
Thailand Hinduuism Many Thais regard Hinduism as an offshoot of
Buddhism and ardently worship Siva, Vishnu,
Durga, Ganesha, and Brahma
B Y R AJIV M ALIK , D ELHI
undreds of thousands of
devotees participate every
year in the nine-day Navaratri
festival in honor of the God-
dess at the Sri Mariamman
temple in the heart of Bang-
kok, Thailand. The rush is so
heavy that the adjacent Silom
Road, a major thoroughfare, is closed to traf-
fic for hours at peak times. This would all be
quite typical for a Hindu temple in Delhi or
Calcutta during any of our major festivals,
but this is Thailand, and the Thai Buddhist
devotees at this Navaratri festival outnumber
Hindus ten to one. There are just 100,000
Hindus in Thailand, mostly relatively recent
immigrants, with about eleven Hindu tem-
ples. But Hinduism, which first arrived here
from South India over 2,000 years ago, per-
meates Thai religion and culture. Consider,
for example, that the King has his own brah-
min priest of Thai ancestry, or that the Thai
script is based upon the South Indian Gran-
tha script.
I was sent on assignment to Thailand by
Hinduism Today to meet the Indian Hin-
dus of Thailand and to explore the ways in
which Thais worship the Hindu Gods and
Goddesses. I spent over a week in Siam, vis-
iting Bangkok and the northern city of Chi-
ang Mai in early February, 2003. Thailand is
a relatively prosperous country, and justifi-
ably proud of the fact that, among all the na-
tions of Southeast Asia, it was never con-
quered and ruled by a foreign power.
Ninety-five percent of the 62 million Thais
are Buddhists, the highest percentage of
Buddhists in any nation in the world.
The Indian Hindu community is com-
prised mostly of business people. Every Sun-
day finds hundreds of families gathered for
weekly satsang at Bangkok’s Sri Mariam-
man, Dev, Vishnu, Sindhi, Arya Samaj and
Durga temples. Their enthusiasm for the
Hindu festivals and the Sunday satsangs is
commendable, but typical of a community
thousands of miles from their homeland.
What boggled my mind was the Thai pop-
ulation’s devotion to the Hindu Gods and
Bangkok’s Brahma: The four-faced Lord
Brahma is worshiped by Thais as part of
julien de wilde
the Buddhist pantheon, rather than as a
Hindu Deity. There are no priests here,
only attendants (in pith helmets, right) who
remove the voluminous offerings.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
Goddesses, which was no less than I’ve wit-
nessed among Hindus anywhere. When I
visited the Sri Mariamman temple on a typ-
ical Wednesday afternoon and evening, 95
percent of the devotees present were Thai
Buddhists. Their devotion was in no way less
than their Hindu countrymen and women.
They offered garlands of marigolds (dok dao
rueng in Thai, or gainda in Hindi), coconuts,
bananas and other puja materials—all read-
ily available from the rows of flower and of-
ferings shops just opposite the temple. They
lit incense sticks and put oil in the temple
lamps. Each was spending up to 100 baht
(us$2.50) on the offerings, certainly more
than the average Hindu in India would
spend on a routine temple visit. Most knelt
before the Gods, folded their hands, closed
their eyes and quietly meditated for quite
some time. The flow of devotees was heavy
and constant from afternoon to late in the
evening. Hurditya Deva, a rare Thai convert
to Hinduism and friend of Hinduism To-
day, was my guide and translator during
much of my visit.
He said that what we were seeing at the
Mariamman temple is typical. “Hinduism
and Buddhism are considered to be so
close,” Hurditya said, “that not many people
differentiate between the two. Hindu and
Buddhist rituals are conducted simultane-
ously. The Thai people think that it is almost
the same. Some even think that Hinduism is
just a ritual and not really a religion, or they
think Hinduism is an off-shoot of Bud-
dhism. They happily participate in the Hin-
du rituals, and seek direct communion with
the Gods and Goddesses in meditation.”
Many approached the South Indian
priests of the temple for a traditional puja on
their behalf. On this particular evening, a
special havana (fire ceremony) was being
performed by the priests on a raised plat-
form. Nearly everyone attending was Thai,
with only a rare South or North Indian.
Upon completion, hundreds of Thais lined
up for blessings from the final arati lamp
which is traditionally circulated amongst the
devotees after the puja is over.
The Pure Thai Temples
On Friday, I went to the outdoor Brahma
temple in central Bangkok, near the World
Trade Center, along a main road with con-
stant traffic day and night. It is an open-air
temple inside a low-walled compound, with
a fabulously ornate Thai-style roof over the
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 19
 four-faced Lord Brahma. The temple is very
popular, and I witnessed an endless stream
of Thai devotees. There are no priests. The
devotees conduct their own worship. A few
attendants were there to remove the im-
mense quantity of flower offerings.
Each devotee washed his hands from two
large bowls of water, then purchased mate-
rials for worship. They entered the temple
without removing their shoes, which I found
a bit shocking. The devotees would light in-
cense sticks, offer flowers, kneel down four
times before the four-faced Brahma icon,
one face at a time, and pray for some min-
utes with folded hands and closed eyes.
Let me make it clear that this was a Thai
temple, and though the Lord Brahma being
worshiped here was the same God Hindus
revere as the Lord of Creation, here it was
the Thai Brahma which was being wor-
shiped. Now, this was a bit confusing for a
first-time visitor to Thailand.
At the Brahma temple there was a group
of Thai women dancers in traditional dress
and beautiful make-up, along with several
musicians. Twice in the hour I was there
devotees paid about $15.00 for a 20-minute
performance to honor the Deity. Small
wooden elephants or carved dancers were
also offered, and many could be seen at the
base of the shrine.
Brahma is dear to the Thais, and consid-
ered a most auspicious God. For the sake of
prosperity and well-being, small Brahma
julien de wilde
Bangkok scenes: (above) Thai devotee lights incense at the Indra shrine near
the World Trade Center; (center) Hindu yajna, fire worship, at Vishnu temple
20 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
temples, shrines and statues have been put
up at many commercial centers and outside
big hotels and restaurants. In addition, the
Thais have many small temples for Lords
Siva, Vishnu, Ganesha and the Goddess.
Like the Brahma temple, these are outdoor
shrines and not enclosed buildings.
At least two of these shrines, the spectac-
ular Ganesha shrine on the cover of this is-
sue and the Sadasiva shrine on page 23,
were specifically built to counteract the im-
pact of the Brahma shrine upon nearby
business. They were recommended by local
experts in Feng Shui, the Chinese art gov-
erning building design akin to the Hindu
Vastu Shastra.
Hurditya explained to me, “Thai people
have been offering flowers to Deities for
many, many hundreds of years. They go to
Hindu Gods to pray because they think that
Devas are more interested in the welfare of
human beings than the Buddha. So they feel
they should seek the aid of the Devas, for
example, Brahma, Indra and Ganesha, to
help them in the normal affairs of life. They
even go to the Devas for lottery numbers.”
Vishnu Temple and Hindu-Thai Interactions
The next day, Saturday, I went to the Vishnu
temple in central Bangkok. The Indians at-
tached to this temple are mostly from Uttar
Pradesh. There I met Sri Vidya Dhar Shuk-
la, 74, Thailand’s official Chief
Hindu Priest. Sri Shukla, of Indi-
rajiv malik
an ancestry, was born in Thailand. He has
served as a priest his entire life. As Chief
Priest, he is second in stature only to the
King’s priest, known as the Rajaguru, whom
I met later. Unlike Sri Shukla, the Rajaguru
is of the Thai brahmin lineage from ancient
times. Sri Shukla guides a team of 45 young
priests.
“The Hindu-Thai relationship is extreme-
ly sweet,” Sri Shukla told me. “Thais like to
keep the pictures of Hindu Gods and God-
desses in their home, due to which there is
a lot of demand for these. In Thailand, the
number of temples is increasing. Thais liber-
ally spend money on flowers and the dance
shows at the Brahma tem-
ple, as they believe that
pleasing the Gods will
bless them with health,
wealth and prosperity.”
Sri Shukla went on,
“Few people know that
Thais are ardent devotees
of the Hindu God Brahma
because Brahma ap-
peared before Lord Bud-
dha when he was doing
penance and had given Sri Vidya Dhar Shukla
him a lot of guidance. As
Lord Buddha did not give any rituals, Thais
use the rituals of Hinduism. Ceremonies for
the King are done first by Hindu priests,
then the Buddhist monks.”
To a Hindu, some Thai festivals look very
familiar. For example, practices of their new
year, Songkran, include throwing scented
water on each other—akin to Holi; tying of
strings on the wrists of loved ones—akin to
Raksha Bandan; applying a white paste as a
sign of protection—akin to the use of vib-
huti(holy ash); and providing food to tem-
ples. “On Kartik Puranmashi, they offer
floating lamps to the river in a beautiful
manner,” said Sri Shukla, “worshiping it just
as we worship Mother Ganga.” Hindu tem-
ples, he added, celebrate all the Thai Bud-
dhist festivals with a lot of enthusiasm.
Sri Shukla is worried about the future, a
concern I heard expressed many times dur-
ing my visit. “The biggest challenge the Hin-
du community faces,” he said, “is of the par-
ents devoting almost all their time in
chasing money and material comforts. The
result is that though they can somehow
maintain their own identity as Hindus, they
have no time to transfer these values to their
children. For education, the children are
sent to the Western countries or convent
schools in India, and from both these places
a they come back with a soft corner for Chris-
tianity and English. The situation is worri-
some and after two, three generations, a sort
of crises will come if things do not improve.
The parents must educate their children
about Hinduism. And for this, they them-
selves need to know the basics of Hinduism
and practice them.”
Hurditya concurred, “The Hindu youth
here likely speak Thai more fluently than
Hindi. Their parents are extremely busy in
managing their business and take no time to
teach their children. That is the reason we
saw no one under thirty at the Vishnu
Mandir or Hindu Samaj.”
Most of the sons of the Hindu priests are
not entering the priesthood, as they no
longer find it remunerative. Just one of Sri
Shukla’s sons has now become a full-time
priest, though earlier he was reluctant to
take it up as a career. “It so happened that I
had fallen sick, and therefore I deputed him
to some places to perform ceremonies. He
was really happy with the respect he got as
a priest. The families where he went praised
him for his job,” says a smiling Sri Shukla.
I met here Ravi Kant Sharma, a business-
man. He told me, “Hindus in Thailand are
more proud to be Hindus than the Hindus in
India. We go to our temples wholeheartedly.
We have been able to maintain our culture,
customs, traditions and way of life.” But he
also had a complaint, “Christians and Mus-
lims are coming here with money from
abroad and distributing it to the needy.
They are also building a lot of churches and
mosques. But our Hindu saints and swamis
come and deliver lectures and go
back to their native countries
julien de wilde
Happy vendors: (above) Huge quantities of marigold garlands and other offer-
ings for the Hindu shrines are sold by vendors, including this Thai family
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
and ashrams with whatever money is given
to them. We are not getting any backing
from the cultural and religious bodies based
in India.”
Mrs. Seema Mull of Delhi, a religious
singer here for the havana
and a first-time visitor to
Thailand, has been in
Bangkok for around six
weeks. She was not much
impressed by the lives of
Hindus in Bangkok and
said, “People here are in a
mad race to make money,
and for this they are pre-
pared to do anything. Hin-
dus here may be financial-
ly well off, but they are not Seema Mull
as peaceful and happy as
their brethren back in India.” “But,” she
added, “one good thing here is that unlike in
India with problems of law and order,
Bangkok is a peaceful place.”
We next visited the Sri Mariamman tem-
ple. According to the secretary, Sri Surphong
Siridhornkul, 49, the temple was built by
South Indians who migrated from the Than-
javur District in Tamil Nadu to Thailand
about 150 years ago. It was the first Hindu
temple built by the immigrant Indian com-
munity. The temple brings priests from
South India to perform the rituals here. Re-
cently, the temple has undergone major ren-
ovation. Siridhornkul said, “We are worried
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 21
 INTERVIEW
How to Create a
Better Hindu Future
Meet Phara Rajaguru Vamadevamuni,
Thai Priest, Office of the Royal Household
Hinduism Today’s correspondent, Rajiv Malik, interviewed the
Rajaguru at his temple in Bangkok. Here are some excerpts:
aivism is practiced here in this temple, and siva is
the main Deity. The worship rituals are from South Indian
tradition, but not exactly as done there today. Our texts use
Sanskrit, Pali and Tamil, but we do not know Tamil. All the
mantras are in Sanskrit, but because our native language is
Thai, it is difficult to pronounce the Sanskrit words. The mantra is
exactly the same, but the accent of chanting is different. In Thai-
land, our Hindu tradition is called Brahmanism, after the Brah-
manas, the second book of the Vedas which describe ritual worship.
Contact between India and Thailand was lost during the Muslim
rule, so we are influenced only by the older forms of Hinduism.
I am trying to revive Hinduism in Thailand by promoting reli-
gious education. As part of this, four brahmin boys of my family
are being sent for philosophical study in Kanchipuram, under the
guidance of the Shankaracharya there. I myself have no children.
photos: julien de wilde
King’s priest: Rajaguru
Vamadevamuni at his temple,
white structure is the Deities’
swing for Tiruvembavai festival
22 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
Magnificent Siva: (right) This exquisite
shrine for a five-faced Sadasiva sits in front
of the Zen Central complex at the World
Trade Center, facing the Brahma shrine
about the next generation,
so we are doing the best
we can to make the tem-
ple beautiful now and not
leave anything pending. I
personally feel that there
will come a time in the
lives of the youth when
they will turn to the tem-
ples, and then they will
have to just come and
S Sri Siridhornkul manage it.”
Besides studying Hinduism, philosophy and Sanskrit, they will also I met Meera Kapoor
study Buddhist ceremonies. Out of these four priests, I will decide, here, a newly-married housewife from Del-
based on their merit and talent, who will be appointed my succes- hi. She said, “I find the temples here in the
sor as royal priest. The brahmin boys are allowed to marry anyone, South Indian style are very different from
because we are running out of brahmins. There are only eleven Delhi’s. When I see the Gods here and pray
brahmins of my tradition in Thailand today. to them, in my mind the image of our own
My main job is to perform all the ceremonies for the royal family Gods appears and then everything is al-
in the palace. I play an important role in the coronation ceremony. right. I feel that if you really pray truly
All the coronation ceremonies of the king in the past have been through your heart, you can reach your own
conducted by my ancestors who were from the brahmin communi- Gods. I must say, the Thai people are very
ty. I am also available to devotees for consultation, for example, warm and welcoming. I have not yet come
when someone wants to get married. across even one Thai person who was angry.
I want people to understand the ritual worship and not regard it That is something very nice about this
as superstition. I try to promote rituals that bring peace of mind to place.”
people. For example, I won’t say that this worship of Lakshmi, Sayee Gayatri, 20, a postgraduate student
Goddess of Wealth, will bring prosperity. Instead, I teach that the in management, was also at this temple. She
ritual will bring peace of mind and not promote the superstition explained, “The reason why so many Thai
that by doing this ceremony, you will become rich. I try to include people are visiting the Mariamman temple
all the good teachings while doing rituals. I’m trying to print is that She is considered to be the Goddess
mantra books in Thai which explain the slokas so the common of Protection. During World War II, when a
man knows what is being chanted. Unfortunately, because of lack lot of places here were destroyed in the
of understanding, Hinduism is declining. Japanese occupation, the temple remained
I am worried about the children getting involved in drinking absolutely safe.”
and the like. We have to teach them first what is karma, good and
bad, then we go on to teach philosophy and religion. The parents Meeting the Rajaguru
are too busy with business and are not teaching their children. Sri Siridhornkul arranged an interview
They do not even take time to go to the temple, and they do not with Phara Rajaguru Vamadevamuni, the
know about their religion. How can they pass it on to their chil- Royal Priest of the Royal Household of
dren? In the public schools the religious studies have been cut Thailand, for Saturday evening. We met at
back, leaving the children to conclude they should make money in Rajaguru’s temple, called Devasthana Bosth
business and not meditate or pray. This problem is the same for Brahmana, located in the Sao Ching Cha
the Buddhists. Although our Thai culture is one of meat eating, I area of Bangkok. Rajaguru’s lineage of brah-
try to promote vegetarianism among the youth, as I understand mins had been in Thailand so long, and in-
that meat is a tamasic food. termarried with the Thai community, that
Each Hindu priest here wants to do things in his own way, in- he is completely Thai in appearance. When
cluding those who have come from India. Some cut the rituals I first met him, I could just not take my eyes
short to finish quickly. Though all the temples are independent, off his charming and royal face. His pony
this temple is the command center for them all. Right now the tail hair added to his divine looks. Rajaguru,
problem is with the priests, and we need to form an organization a graceful, divine and soft-spoken person,
so there is proper coordination between myself and the priests. I discoursed at length in a down-to-earth
would like to have all the priests meet here and evolve a common manner about the challenges faced by the
code of conduct. But they want to go and earn money, and not sit Hindu community in Thailand. [See side-
here doing nothing and getting forced to observe certain rules. bar opposite for the interview.]
I think the future for Hindus is bright in this country and things One person I spoke with later shared an
will improve, especially if we educate the children properly. These incident which illustrated the Rajaguru’s in-
julien de wilde
things take time. I am myself a staunch Hindu, and I strongly sup- fluence. Two years back, I was told, a com-
port Hinduism. I was born a brahmin and worked as a priest all pany started using Lord Hanuman in an ad-
my life, so everything in my life revolves around Hinduism. vertisement for an anti-itching medicine.
This person complained to the company,
 photos: julien de wilde
man out. There is peer pressure on you to
consume nonvegetarian food.” Fortunately, I
enjoyed scrumptious vegetarian meals at
both Chennai Kitchen and Komala’s.
Ananda Marga’s Children Programs
When my visit to Thailand was first
planned, Hinduism Today put out a re-
quest for local contacts through its daily e-
mail news service, Hindu Press Internation-
al. Within hours the editorial staff was in
touch with Dada Shambhushivananda of
Ananda Marga. It turned out that we had a
dear mutual friend, the late B.M. Sinha, the
previous Delhi correspondent for Hindu-
ism Today, whom I succeeded. Dada was
an immense help in organizing my program.
The first event I attended in Bangkok was a
breathtaking yoga performance by the small
children who belonged to two orphanages
run by Ananda Marga in Thailand. These
orphanages are located on the Thailand-
Myanmar border, and most of the children
Almost like India: (above) Entrance to the Silom Road Mariamman temple, with its ornate are of Thai or Burmese origin.
entrance tower, three-wheeler “tuktuk” and cycles looks just like India, but most devotees Dada received his doctorate in business
are Thai; (center) Priests inside worship the navagrahas, the nine planets, with incense and applied economics from the University
of Pennsylvania and has delivered around
and to other Hindu organizations, but to no the city, but could not help noticing this was ten thousand lectures on yoga and related
avail. He then brought the matter to the Ra- very much a meat-eater’s society. I asked subjects from different platforms all over the
jaguru, who in turn spoke to the police. The Hurditya about it, and he said, “There are world. For the last many years Thailand has
police requested the company to discontin- few vegetarian people in Thailand. A lot of been the base for Dada Ji.
ue the advertisement, which they did. the Indian Hindus have started eating He said, “We at Ananda Marga are bring-
Hurditya observed, “The role of Rajaguru chicken and other nonvegetarian food. They ing people to the Hindu way of thinking by
today is to conduct pujas for the Royal Fam- are not very strict Hindus. Had they been teaching them things
ily. I do not think that what he does has so, they would not have come to Thailand. which are relevant in their
much impact on the youth. And then only Because they were not strict from day one, lives. For example, people
one person cannot revive the five million the decline has been very fast. The next are under stress and their
population of Bangkok. I see that he wants generation says, ‘OK, if I can eat chicken, health is not good, so by
to revive Hinduism, but it is a hard job. If it then I can eat beef as well. What is the dif- practicing yoga and by
continues the way it is [with the youth not ference between chicken and beef? After all learning to do Ananda
being interested], Hinduism is going to dis- they are both animals.’ Thai people in gen- Marga meditation, they
appear from this country in the future, for eral are not vegetarian. In Buddhism, they improve their lives. They
both Thais and Indians.” do not even teach you vegetarianism. In find it something very sci-
Bangkok you have just two well-known veg- entific and very relevant.”
A Vegetarian’s Quest etarian restaurants. So when a kid goes out “In the school where our
I had little trouble finding vegetarian food in and has vegetables and fruits, he is the odd children who performed Shambhushivananda
24 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
yoga for you live, around fourteen hundred
children are learning yoga,” he said. “The
government of Thailand allows for three
hours of classes per week which can be,
among other subjects, devoted to yoga and
meditation. I have developed one program
which is known as Yoga Education for
Schools [YES]. It is not just yoga exercises. It
has the whole philosophy of vegetarianism
and the related practices.”
“Buddhism has Wat schools,” he ex-
plained, “which are attached to the temple.
It is a tradition that every Thai child has to
become a monk for one week or more. They
start at a very young age, but even when you
are an adult, you can become a monk for
one to three months. This they do once in
life, sometimes more than once in life. I
think that is a very beautiful concept. It
keeps the Buddhist religion alive. Hindu re-
ligion has no such concept.”
Dada Ji concluded, “I think that Hin-
duism has an appeal forever because of its
deep philosophy and deep faith in God. Lord Brahma: Every Hindu temple in Thailand has a shrine to the four-faced Lord Brahma,
Hinduism can bring a perspective of life God of Creation. Brahma is largely ignored back in India where He has just a single temple
which can give stamina and culture to a civ- dedicated to His worship and appears only in minor shrines and wall carvings
ilization. That is why Hinduism must be
saved, because if Hinduism can be saved, go to an upcountry Buddhist temple as- ple told me Hindus themselves preferred to
the whole spiritual culture of the world can signed to them by the government to donate send their children to well-known Christian
be saved.” worship and food items for the monks, just schools in Thailand, India and other coun-
as the Thais do. The temple has taken an in- tries. In all my visits to temples here, I have
The Dev Temple novative approach to engaging the youth— hardly seen a single teenage boy or girl.
The Hindu Samaj’s Dev temple is popular everyone on the management committee
with the Punjabi Hindus, as well as with the has to be under forty, with the exception of Ganesha’s Milk Miracle in Thailand
Thais. I spoke there with Sri Raj Kumar the president. At one place I met Ajay Pawa, 50, a docu-
Matta, president of the Hindu Samaj, which A challenge for parents and youth is Hin- mentary film maker and marketing execu-
manages the Dev temple. He said, “Every du-Thai marriages. Matta said, “If the youth tive. He said, “I have made documentaries
year the government’s religious department believe in Hinduism, then we should accept on Hindu temples in Thailand and on Hindu
organizes a seminar and calls all of us to such marriages. If we do not accept these wedding ceremonies, samskaras and festi-
check up if we of the various religions are marriages, then chances are that we may vals. But the biggest of all was one we made
facing any problems. They are very helpful lose our own children. Hindu-Thai mar- on Lord Ganesha drinking milk in 1995, the
and cooperative.” The temple caters to the riages do take place, but they are not very Milk Miracle which took place at Hindu
Thai population with its statue of Lord Bud- high in numbers.” temples all around the world. I went to a
dha and big celebration of Buddha’s birth- The temple runs a school in which most of temple here. I tried it myself with the crys-
day. The Hindus here have taken to Thai the students are Thai, and Hinduism is not tal Nandi and saw that it was actually hap-
ways as well, and each year several hundred part of the curriculum. Devotees at the tem- pening. We showed it in the documentary.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 25

Thailand people and places: (left) Yoga students of Ananda Marga; (center) Mariamman temple worship; (right) Dev temple and school
Then I called the local media people. They
published a very big article. Even the televi-
sion people were convinced that it was hap-
pening, and started recording. Later on it
became a controversial issue. A lot of nega-
tive articles came from all over the world,
especially from India, so these people had to
get the film censored before televising it.”
Ajay complained about something which
the Rajaguru also mentioned during our
conversation. Ajay said, “There are people in
Thailand misusing the name of Hinduism,
They say that they go into trance. Once
there was a conference of two or three hun-
dred of these people. There one person said
he was possessed by Ganesha, another said
he was possessed by Siva and someone else
that he is possessed by Durga. All those who
do this are Thai people who
claim to be Hindus, but they do
all this to make money and to
fool people. We have to find a
way to stop that. We have to
spread the word that Hinduism
does not believe in these things.”
Visit to Chiang Mai
My visit to Chiang Mai in North
Thailand took me away from
Bangkok’s heat, concrete, humid-
ity and congestion for a day as I Ajay Pawa
took the morning flight from
Bangkok and came back that evening. The
view of Chiang Mai from the airplane was
breathtaking. I could see conical-hatted
farmers toiling in the patchwork of rice
fields while the cars went along leisurely on
the ribbon-like roads. Though this city is the
biggest in Thailand after Bangkok, it is dif-
ferent due to its natural surroundings and
cool, hill-station-like climate. Life moves
here at an unhurried pace, and I could feel
the peace and tranquility in the air. History
has it that Chiang Mai was founded more
than 700 years ago as the capital of the
Kingdom of Lanna (“land of one million rice
fields”). The metropolis today has some
250,000 people. Despite urbanization, the
city gives the feeling of an overgrown vil-
lage, and its easy-going charm is intact.
In Chiang Mai, I visited with Brother Dr.
26 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
B. Budhacharan, president of the Spiritual
Centre of Siam, and a long-time disciple of
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He has a plan to
start a gurukulam school run on the Vedic
system with youth from Cambodia, Vietnam,
Laos, Burma, Malaysia and Thailand. He
drove me to the only big Hindu temple in
Chiang Mai, the Dev temple, after the
Bangkok temple of the same name. There I
spoke with the temple priest, Sri Pawan
Sharma, 37, who had been at the temple for
the last five years. He said, “This temple is
one of the biggest in Thailand. We also have
one big Sikh gurudwara here which is 120
years old. The same devotees go to both the
gurudwara and the temple. On Tuesday, for
our weekly satsang, you will find a large
number of Thai devotees here. Lord Buddha
is the God of this country, and
we also have a statue of Lord
Buddha in our temple. Still, the
number who come to this temple
is few.” I spoke with one Thai
devotee here, Anuma, who said
she was a “Buddhist Hindu” and
a devotee of Mother Durga. She
had once been seriously injured
in an accident and brought to this
temple, where she experienced a
miraculous recovery. “After that,”
she said, “my faith in the temple
increased tremendously.”
Next I met Dr. Jaspal Rai Ahuja, Manag-
ing Director, Chang Puek Hospital, Chiang
Mai and founder member of the Dev temple
Management Committee. He said, “I have
been here for the past 32 years. We have to
do something in Thailand to promote and
propagate Hinduism in the language which
our kids understand. Hindi and Sanskrit
will not work. The language either has to be
an international language like English or the
local one, Thai. The situation is that during
the marriages many times the priest has to
translate the meaning of the Vedic hymns
either into English or in Thai.” After this
meeting, I bid farewell to Dr. Budhacharan
and returned to Bangkok.
The Next Generation
One prime focus of my visit was to ascertain
the future of Hinduism here as it was mani-
festing through the next generation. It was a
major issue for people, and there were no
easy answers. Several sources offered in-
sights into the issue. One was Shri Tilak Raj
Sharma, the chief priest of a small Vishnu
temple just opposite the Bangkok Dev tem-
ple. He said, “The young generation today
asks questions. If you cannot answer their
questions, then you can consider yourself a
failure. The general impression among the
youth is that many preachers who come
here from India are only after money. These
preachers must realize that the youth watch
their activities closely, and when they see
that their inclination is towards the rich,
they get disillusioned.”
Sayee Gayatri, 20, whom we met earlier,
said, “I feel more learned people should
come here often and teach the youth about
Hinduism. This would help the Indian peo-
ple in Thailand, who are under tremendous
Western influence and who are going away
from their roots. While Sikhs have a school
here, Hindus do not.”
Krishna Pawa, a member of the Hindu
Samaj and owner of a vegetarian restaurant,
said, “If we want our children to fully adopt
the Hindu culture, we need to bring some
changes. One thing that
today’s children do not
like is superstitions. We
need to convey to our
future generations that
our Sanatana Dharma
is not just a religion
based on stories but
that it has a solid scien-
tific base. Let me also
tell you, if you do not
mind, that even in India
people are not that firm Sayee Gayatri
on the Sanatana Dhar-
ma as we are here in Bangkok. Just visit our
Durga temple on any Monday and you will
see how the young girls gather there to wor-
ship Goddess Durga and Uma.”
Sri Jay Prakash Mishra, Chief Priest of the
Geeta Ashram, Bangkok, observed, “Our
younger generation, though it is affected by
the glamour of materialism and Western cul-
Thailand
ture, still has those who
maintain their identity and
culture. Even in India
things are pretty bad.
Here, still, children have
the courtesy to sit down
and listen to the parents
and elders.”
digital stock
Hurditya too had in- Modern Bangkok: a
sights to share. “Some peo- wide-angle view across
ple are embarrassed to call the Chao Phraya River
H Hurditya Deva themselves Hindus,” he
said, “If you worship Hin-
at a glance
du Gods and Goddesses, you would be A unified Thai kingdom known
asked, ‘How could Siva or Kali have a thou- as Siam was established in the
sand hands?’ and all that. Because of these mid-14th century. In 1939, the
legends, some are shy to say that they are name was change to Thailand. It
Hindus. They are shy to admit they worship is the only Southeast Asian coun-
a God who has an elephant head. These are try never to have been taken over
some of the problems the new generation of by a European power. The 3600
Hindu kids face. They have to overcome bce bronze age culture un- Chiang Mai
their own weaknesses. They should be con- earthed at Ban Chiang is one of
necting to their culture, tradition and reli- the oldest on Earth. Early Chi-
gion, but they have not been doing so.” nese/T’ai migrations were fol-
As soon as Hurditya uttered his final lowed by Indian migration around
words, my attention shifted to the sound 300 bce, with Hinduism estab-
coming from a nearby construction site lished by 100 ce and Buddhism
where a multi-storied building was coming by 1000. Ankgor Wat, just inside THAILAND
up. The clang of metal resonating was some- Cambodia from Thailand was
thing like, “Ta Thai, Ta Ta Thai,” I took it as built by the Hindu king Myanmar
a signal from Lord Buddha and the Hindu Suriyavarman II. The Thai alpha-
devas in Thailand, who were probably re- bet is based on Mon (Burmese), Bangkok
minding me that the time of my leaving the Khmer (Cambodia) and South In- Angkor Wat
land of Buddha was approaching fast. ∏π dian scripts, and the language has
many Sanskrit words. Pattaya Cambodia
Religion:
Phnom Penh
Buddhist 95%
Muslim 3.8%
Hindu 0.1%
Christian 0.5% Gulf of
Thailand
Other 0.6%
h i n d u i s m t o d ay Koh Samui
Population:
62.4 million
Krabi
Gross Domestic Product: Phuket
us$6,600 per capita—one of the
HINDUISM TODAY’S Delhi correspondent Sri highest in Asia, 2001 estimate)
Rajiv Malik blessing the offerings for a spe-
cial puja for HINDUISM TODAY at the Mari-
amman temple in Bangkok.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 27
 INDONESIA

Exploring the survival of a tiny Hindu island

centered in the world’s largest Muslim nation

Trouble
In Bali
Paradise
B Y D ANIEL M C G UIRE , B ALI
he muslims have jihad, but we
even maintaining calm when the rest of In-
donesia fell into riots and chaos in 1998—the
“ Balinese have puputan.” The person
speaking is Rai, a young Balinese Hin-
tension was now more acute, and Rai’s words
made me uneasy. Puputan is a Balinese word
that refers to a series of suicidal attacks made
du who works as a driver. It’s part of the
r e u t e r s / b e aw i h a r ta

reaction here to the horrific car bomb- on Dutch colonial troops around the turn of
ings at Kuta beach, October 12, 2002, the century. Balinese royalty—men, women
which killed 180 people, mostly foreign and children—marched into battle with only
tourists, and has been blamed on Muslim ex- ceremonial kris daggers against heavily
tremists with connections to Al-Queda. In armed Dutch forces. Hundreds died in these
the uneasy days following the attack, Balinese futile attacks, but they served their purpose.
Hindus and Balinese Muslims kept a cautious Demoralized and shaken, the Dutch with-
distance from one another, both wondering if drew from Bali and allowed Balinese self-
the bombing might turn this legendary governance for the remaining years of their predominantly Muslim island of Java by a dermine that sense of identity. market in Badung and you will see sheaths of Interfaith the norm: Balinese Hindus
tourist spot into a battleground. Though Bali reign in the Dutch East Indies. narrow channel only 200 meters wide. Each Bali has managed to maintain this sense of coconut leaves that are woven into a wide va- (front) pray at a Hindu temple with Mus-
has been fairly peaceful in recent years— That Rai could even envision an all-or- day, thousands of people cross this channel in identity as well as territorial integrity riety of offerings used by Balinese in religious lims (back) during a memorial service in
nothing battle for Balinese culture both directions. Trucks and busses are throughout history. Muslims have never suc- ceremonies. These coconut leaves are im- Denpasar for the victims of the bomb blasts
against Indonesian Muslims— loaded on barges that ply back and forth ceeded in invading Bali, though Bali has at- ported and sold in Bali by Javanese Muslims.
whom he equated to an occupying across this narrow stretch of water. The obvi- tacked and occupied both eastern Java and Balinese and Muslims frequently marry, and and current political and social influences,
force—indicates a sea change in ous idea of building a bridge between Lombok. In the 14th century, Javanese mer- in some villages the local brand of Islam is so push Muslims in Bali to construct a self iden-
thought. Certainly there is no his- Banuwangi, the easternmost town in Java, cenaries to a Balinese king were given land in mixed with Hinduism that the Muslim farm- tity as a Mukmin among Kafir (believer
toric precedent for this kind of and Gilimanuk, the westernmost town of Gelgel, near Klungkung. This village still ex- ers make offerings to Dewi Sri, the Goddess among unbelievers), which is perceived by
thinking in Bali, where Muslims Bali, has been raised again and again over the ists and is home to Bali’s oldest Muslim com- of rice. Hindu boys attend their Muslim Balinese as social discrimination. “This has
and Balinese have always lived years, only to be met by strong opposition munity. Traditional Javanese Islam, a blend of friend’s circumcision ceremonies, and Mus- led to a growth in Bali of a parallel religious
side-by-side in relative peace. But from the Balinese side. Sufism mixed with animist and Hindu con- lims in some areas adopt Balinese Hindu first revivalism among Hindu-Balinese who in-
as war has begun in the Gulf as I The Balinese Hindus, a minority in In- cepts predating Islam, shares common her- names. It is not uncommon to meet a Muslim creasingly see themselves as ‘Hindus’ global-
write, coupled with religious and donesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, itage with Bali. The two largest Muslim orga- with a name like Ketut Ahmad Ibrahim. ly opposed to ‘Muslims,’ ” says Nazrina Zur-
afp/oka budhi

Prayer: A women’s hands join in prayer during the
“Pray for the World Peace” in Bali, October 21, 2002
ethnic conflict between Muslims worry that they would be overrun by poor Ja- nizations in Indonesia, Muhammadiah and In recent years, however, orthodox or re- yani, a Muslim scholar living in Bali.
and Christians that has claimed vanese flooding the labor market of their Nadhatul Ulama, preach tolerance towards vivalist Islam has been on the rise throughout Balinese Hinduism is very different from
the lives of more than 10,000 world famous tourist industry. Perhaps just as Balinese Hinduism by referring to the surah Indonesia, which seems to be polarizing the Hinduism as practiced in India. Balinese
across Indonesia since 1998, the important is the symbolic problem of a al-Kafirun verse of al-Quran, “Your religion Hindu and Muslim communities. Hadrami Hinduism is Saivite and Buddhist tantric
unthinkable becomes possible. bridge. The Balinese identity exists in con- is your religion; my religion is my religion.” communities in Indonesia, people of Yemen based. The caste system is not strong, but
The predominantly Hindu is- trast to the Javanese Muslim “other,” and a Social and economic ties between the com- decent who claim as birthright an orthodox rather a clan-based system takes preemi-
land of Bali is separated from the bridge, no matter how practical, would un- munities are also strong. Visit the traditional knowledge of Islam, along with the Internet nence. Balinese believe in reincarnation, es-

28 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly, au g u s t, s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 j u ly, a u g u s t, s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 29
pecially that they will be reincarnated back another identification card, a KIPP (Visitor’s comes out of visitor industry brochures that Just recently, an expatriate living in a vil- Zamboanga Davao

into their own families. While these aspects Identity Card), which must be renewed always equate the word “Bali” with “paradise.” lage not far from the center of Bali’s capital George Town
Kuala Terengganu
Sandakan Isabela

every three months for a fee of up to us$45.

Bandar Seri Begawan
of Balinese Hinduism remain strong, there is In fact, Bali’s recent history is full of internal witnessed a group of pecalang capture and Medan
Ipoh BRUNEI C E L E B E S

St
Kelang Nantuna Besar S E A

ra
Kuala Lumpur
a strong interest in the Hinduism of India, In a country where a monthly wage is around strife. kill two Muslim boys from Lombok. The boys

it

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M A L A Y S I A

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with India substituting for Mecca as the holy $30, this new requirement provides more The most obvious example, rarely discussed had been accused by a villager of theft,

ra
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ar
land. than enough incentive to return to Java. even to this day, is the anti-communist mas- though no stolen goods were found on their

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Padang Ha Balikpapan Palu Jayapura

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In another example of parallel thinking, That, of course, is the idea. With the tourist sacres of 1965, which is believed to have killed persons. The boys were approximately 12 and Jambi Bangka Sulawesi CERAM SEA
Sepik

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I N D O N E S I A Seram

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Palembang P EGUNUNGAN MAOKE
wealthy Balinese are signing up for package industry devastated since 12 October, and over 500,000, five percent of the population, 14 years old. Police appeared after the fact to Belitung Ambon Madang

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A
J A V A S E A Aru E Lae
tours to the subcontinent in order to bathe in more native Balinese out of work, many re- including 100,000 in Bali alone. Initially, vil- bring the bodies to the morgue. None of the Jakarta
Ujung Pandang
PA P U A N E W G U Baubau
B A N D A S E A

m o u n ta i n h i g h m a p s
the Ganges and visit sacred sites. Many Bali- lagers were organized into groups by the pecalang was arrested. The expatriate’s son— Bandung
J a v a Surabaya
F L O R E S
Bali Lombok
S E A

Flores
Wetar Kepulauan
Taninbar
Fl
y
Daru
Gulf of
Papua Port Moresby

nese, like the driver Rai, are also taking a mil- Army, who then turned them loose on villages also a boy of 14, witnessed the murders, and Malang Sumbawa
Mataram Ende
Timor ARAFURA SEA
Torres Strait

itant attitude towards Indonesian Muslims. thought to be communist. Much of the work apparently has been seri- Sumba Kupang
Bathurst I.
Melville I.

One of the most notable is the psychiatrist was done using only machetes and samurai ously traumatized by the Lovina T I M O R S E A
Darwin

D Gulf of
C O R A L

Dr. Luh Suriyani, who, since the relaxing of swords left over from the Japanese occupa- event. Barat Beach Lake a
ly Car pentaria
M
Batur itc
he
censorship in 1998, has written columns in tion. The killing ultimately got so out of hand While the potential for National Park Mt. Agung Wyndham ll Cairns

10,308 ft.
the Bali Post against interfaith marriage, as that the Army then needed to institute mar- violence in Bali is quite Kintamani A U S T R A L I A Broome oy Townsville

Fl
zr

i
well as offering up his assessment of the “psy- tial law to bring it to an end. To this day the real, there are many other Besakih Temple Tiny paradise: Bali, 55 by 90 miles, is about the size
chological propensity” that Muslims from ’65 period is rarely discussed outside acade- factors that may help pre- Ubud of Connecticut. It’s one of 17,508 Indonesian islands
Lombok have for being thieves. mic circles. vent large scale violence extending 3,200 miles east to west and 1,100 miles
The most telling change in Bali since “12 One of the most disturbing developments from erupting. Indonesia’s Tanah Lot
Temple Denpasar north to south.
October,” as the bombing is called here, is the since 12 October is the growth of Balinese Military Command center

Indonesia
fact that there are far fewer Javanese on Bali. militia groups called pecalang. Pecalang for the East Nusa Tengara Most tourists are Sanur Beach
sequestered here
reuters/claro cortes iv

The construction industry has come to a halt,
since most of the poor Javanese who held
those jobs have returned to Java. Try to find
a peddler of Bakso—beef soup which Bali-
nese Hindus eat—and you are in for a long
search. Most peddlers have packed up and
gone home. And the price of coconut leaves
for Hindu offerings is now 50% higher.
The vanishing of Muslims came about not
through violence against Muslims, something
very much feared in the days following 12
October, but through passage of laws that hit
the pocketbooks of non-Balinese. All Indone-
sians are required to carry a state-issued
identity card, known by the acronym of KTP
(Kartu Tanah Politik). Since 12 October,
some regencies in Bali, particularly Jembrana
and Badung, have required that all non-Bali
residents living within their borders apply for
Paradise: A Balinese Hindu temple
silhouetted against the morning skyline
Religious nation: Muslims gather for Friday
prayers at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta
gard the passage of these new policies as a
preemptive measure to mollify recently un-
employed Balinese and prevent them from
venting their frustration on employed out-
siders, even when those outsiders take jobs
that the Balinese don’t want.
The idea of Bali’s being hit by the kind of
ethnic and religious violence that has ravaged
other areas of Indonesia seems unlikely to ca-
sual tourists whose only knowledge of Bali
were originally conceived of as a kind of tra-
ditional police force to serve as security for
religious events. They became further milita-
rized by the political parties who then began
to use them to protect political events. Now,
nearly every village has a group of pecalang,
mostly out-of-work youths, who have recent-
ly begun “sweeps” in search of residents
without proper KIPP credentials. As was the
case in 1965, pecalang often enter agree-
ments with neighboring villages’ pecalang
groups to mutually “sweep” each other, a sys-
tem meant to promote impartiality, but a sys-
tem that also prevents a militia member from
showing sympathy to one’s own neighbors.
It should also be pointed out that extra-
communal violence, mob killings of petty
thieves, for example, are fairly common in
Bali and all over Indonesia. No precise figures
are kept, and such events are rarely reported
even in local papers, but nearly everyone who
has spent any time in Bali has a story to tell.
region is in Bali, and the
military, which owns a Bali Isle
number of tourist hotels,
has a vested interest in keeping a lid on vio-
lence. Both Muslims and Hindus have too
much to lose if Bali’s tourist industry is fur-
ther hit. While Balinese Hindus are a ma-
jority on Bali, they still represent only two
percent of Indonesia’s population, a figure
that does not favor confrontation. Still, with
the tourist economy in shambles and war in
the Gulf in progress, pressure on relations
between Muslim and non-Muslim in In-
donesia is likely to escalate. For the time be-
ing, however, détente remains. ∏π
daniel mcguire has been visiting bali since 1984, and
now has a home in denpasar. he works as a writer,
filmmaker and hatha yoga teacher. he is married to
a bali-born medical doctor, injil abu bakar, who is
medical coordinator for the survivors of the 12
october bombing incident in kuta beach. daniel has
also been working closely with the indonesian
bomb victims, and involved in rehabilitation
and job training for these patients.
contact: dan@ashtangabali.com
Nusa Dua
Ulu Watu Temple
he name indonesia derives from shown by an old Mahayana Buddhist
Indos Nesos, meaning “islands near poem composed in Java: “The one sub-
India.” The country is the largest stance is called two, Buddha or Siva. They
archipelago in the world, with 17,508 say it’s different, but how can it be divid-
islands spread over an area the size of the ed by two? Such is how the teaching of
United States, and it is the fourth most Buddha and Siva became one. It’s differ-
populous nation on Earth. ent, but it’s one; there aren’t two truths.”
The 216 million people comprise 365 Bali itself holds three million people,
ethnic and tribal groups, the principle and 95 percent are Hindus. Tourism is
ones being the Acehnese, Bataks, Bali’s biggest industry, generating 67 per-
Minangkabaus (on Sumatra); Javanese, cent of its gross domestic product. Before
Sundanese (Java); Balinese (Bali); Sasaks the bombing, Bali was hosting 1.5 million
(Lombok); and Dani (Irian Jaya). There tourists a year.
are 583 dialects spoken across the islands, Many have been awed by Bali’s blessed-
with Bahasa Indonesia as the official lan- ness. Hickman Powell, a 1930s visitor,
guage. Indonesia, 87 percent Muslim, is called it a “vast wonderland” and the “em-
the world’s largest Islamic country. Nine bodied dreams of pastoral poets.” Film-
percent of Indonesians are Christian and maker Lawrence Blair wrote, “It wasn’t
two percent are Hindus. surprising that the rest of the world saw
The national ideology, Pancasila (“Five Bali as the living symbol of Heaven on
Principles”), is enshrined in the preamble Earth, where man and Gods, nature and
of the 1945 constitution, set down in the spirits, the within and without, co-existed
declaration of independence from the harmoniously in the best of all possible
Netherlands on August 17 of that year. worlds. What did surprise me was finding
The Pancasila are: belief in one supreme that the Balinese entirely agreed, and took
God; humanitarianism; nationalism ex- the unusual position that the grass was in-
pressed in the unity of Indonesia; consul- deed greener on their side of the fence.”
tative democracy; and social justice. The A constant threat in Bali is earthquakes
country’s motto is “Bhinneka Tunggal and volcanos. An 1830 eruption devastat-
Ika,” which means, “Unity in Diversity.” ed much of the island. In 1917 there was a
Balinese call their faith Agama Hindu severe earthquake, and in 1960s eruptions
Dharma, an amalgamation of elements killed 1,500 people and left tens of thou-
from Hinduism and Buddhism, mixed sands homeless. The latter eruption was
with indigenous customs. They produce a blamed upon the government’s attempt to
colorful mix of ritual and doctrine domi- hold the Eka Dasa Rudra ritual, normally
nated by two Hindu epics—Mahabharata held once in a hundred years and sched-
and Ramayana—and the trinity of Brah- uled for 1979, in 1963 instead. The ritual

photodisc
ma, Vishnu and Siva; most temples being was canceled and held properly sixteen
dedicated to one of the three. Affinity is years later.

j u ly, a u g u s t, s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 31
photos: dinodia

The wonders of wood:

(background) The three huge
chariots of the Jagannath Yatra;
(Inset) Doll versions of the
famously wide-eyed deities,
extolled during the ceremony

No one knows exactly when Orissa’s legendary Jagannath Ratha Yatra began,
but saving, growing and guarding trees may determine whether it continues
By Mangala Prasad Mohanty
nly the hardest of hearts
could lack compassion for an en-
vironmental conservation pro-
gram like the Sri Jagannath Ba-
naprakalpa Plantation Project of
Orissa. Founded for the sole pur-
pose of providing timber each year to con-
struct the three giant chariots featured in
the annual Ratha Yatra (car festival) of Lord
Jagannath at Puri in the state of Orissa, this
program gains special distinction because
its motive is solely religious.
Building these three, giant, rolling, tem-
ple-like edifices new every twelve months is
no small task. Nearly 14,000 cubic feet of
wood—about what it would take to build six
medium-size houses—must be harvested
and milled from at least ten different species
of 40-year-old trees. Today, these trees are
getting scarce.
Old timers tell tales of days when the hills
around Puri were so lush with dense forests
that making a fuss about saving, growing or
guarding trees for any reason would have
seemed ludicrous. But times have changed.
Nowadays, Jagannath’s lumberjacks desper-
ately comb and recomb the land’s dwindling
greenery for enough trees to “just get
through one more festival.” Year by year, the
search is growing more difficult.
Orissa’s ballooning urbanization is not
sudarshan das mahapatra
34 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 03
only decreasing forest acreage, it is also de-
stroying nature’s delicate ecological balance,
making even the state’s remaining forest
space less productive. Saving Orissa’s trees is
a complicated problem, requiring not only
money, but meticulous planning and long-
term project management.
By August, 2000, 685 acres of trees for
chariot construction were planted in twelve
different locations around Puri. This was the
first great accomplishment of the Jagannath
Plantation Project, which is currently moni-
tored by a ten-member steering committee
overseen by Gajapati Maharaja, the king of
Puri. One of the most significant achieve-
ments of this initial endeavor was gaining
the participation of local villagers who are
still actively involved in the continued care
and protection of these sacred groves. There
is, however, much more to be done.
It takes 30 to 40 years for trees to grow big
enough to provide the large, long planks re-
quired for the construction of the lumbering
yatra chariots. One challenge for the future
will be managing the timing of tree planting
so that enough mature timber is available
each and every year. Another challenge will
be developing a long-term, tree-farming plan
that includes continued motivation and in-
volvement of local residents, much needed for
the ongoing work. All of this must be de-
signed to last as long as the Yatra continues—
hinduism today
which, it must be assumed, will be forever.
Because the continued success of Puri’s
Ratha Yatra is so fundamentally important
to Orissa, local government has proclaimed
the Yatra a “state festival” and decreed that
wood for the chariots should be supplied
free of charge. This involvement of the pub-
lic has helped spread a sense of state-wide
pride and responsibility for the continuation
of this great religious practice.
The Festival: The Ratha Yatra of Lord Ja-
gannath is a Vaishnava festival that occurs
during India’s rainy season in the months of
June and July. Jagannath is another name for
Lord Krishna. Puri, the town in which the
Ratha Yatra occurs, is an abbreviation for Ja-
gannathpuri, which means “the home of the
Lord of the Universe.”
The most impressive part of the festival is
the chariot procession, which starts in Puri
at the Temple of Jagannath. This temple,
where the Jagannath Deity in enshrined
year-round, is so ancient, no one really knows
when it was built. According to legend, it has
existed forever. According to the Mahabhar-
ata, an epic poem revered both as scripture
and historical record, it was built 200 years
after a great war occurred in India, 14 cen-
turies bce. According to inconclusive archeo-
logical accounts, it was constructed 800 to
1,000 years ago.
Orissa
Puri
From fading forests: (Left) At mid-
sudarshan das mahapatra
construction, the mammoth skeletons
of the Jagannath chariots tower over-
head like giant pick-up sticks. (Right)
forty-year-old trees must be cut and
carved to produce such exquisite orna-
mentation as the chariot’s masterfully
crafted charioteers (far right).
Although the chariots for the Ratha Yatra
are recreated every year, the Deities that
ride within them—Jagannath, Balabhadra,
Subhadra and Sudarshan—are newly carved
out of wood only once in twelve years. The
main chariot for Jagannath is called Nandi-
ghosha. It is 60 feet tall, 35 feet square, rides
on 16 wheels and requires at least 4,200
devotees to pull it. The other two chariots
are not quite as large. Balabhadra’s is called
Taladhvaja. It is 55 feet tall with 14 wheels.
The smallest one, Deviratha, belongs to Sub-
hadra, although it also carries Sudarshan. It
is 50 feet tall and has 12 wheels.
The Legend of the Carpenter: The four
Deities of Jagannath are internationally fa-
mous for their unusual appearance. They
have no feet, their hands are but stubs and
their round, saucer eyes stare forward as if
in shock. They are crudely rendered in
wood and are purposely left unfinished. An
ancient myth, often told by mothers to their
babies at bedtime, best conveys why they
look the way they do. That story has many
versions. Here is one:
The famous Mahabharata war of India,
which took place approximately 3,500 years
ago, ended with the death of Lord Krishna.
Two hundred years after that, Krishna be-
gan appearing to King Indradyumna of Puri
in his dreams. In those dreams he ordered
the king to have a murti (statue) carved of
him in a form that could be worshiped dur-
ing the Kali Yuga, the dark age of man. He
also made it clear that he wanted this murti
to be “unlike any other.”
The King gave the unusual assignment to
a reputable local carpenter. The carpenter,
who was actually Lord Krishna in disguise,
told the king confidently and conclusively
that he would complete the job all by him-
self, on one condition: that he be sealed in a
room and allowed to work in isolation. He
was very specific that no one should enter
the room during his work. The king agreed.
The craftsman was sealed in a chamber, and
the carving began.
After a few days, the clatter and banging
of carpenter’s tools stopped. The king want-
ed to enter the room but, remembering his
promise, restrained himself. His queen,
however, could not resist and had her guards
break down the door. Inside the chamber,
there were four icons, but no carpenter.
Everyone was aghast. The Deities were cer-
tainly “unlike any other,” but no one had an-
ticipated exactly how “unlike any other”
they would be. Had the carving been inter-
rupted and therefore left incomplete? Or
was this the way that they were intended to
look? No one will ever know for sure. What
is certain, however, is that they have been
worshiped according to this design, both
within the Jagannath Temple and during the
Ratha Yatra, for hundreds of years.
The Ritual of Creation: The sanctified cre-
ation of Jagannath’s four Deities is a great
deal more than four wooden logs whittled
into shape. Practiced today as it was more
than a thousand years ago, it is a highly rit-
ualized and detailed procedure starting long
before the carvers ever lift their blades.
First, 28 priests from the Jagannath tem-
ple pray before sleep for dreams giving in-
structions on where to find just the right
wood. Amazingly, these dreams always oc-
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
cur. The following morning, the priests set
out upon a search for the wood of their
dreams. When they finally locate what they
feel is the designated grove, they assess the
validity of their discovery according to strict
stipulations: The trees they have chosen
must be of the neem variety (azadirachta in-
dica). They should have certain symbols
miraculously inscribed on or about them.
There should be a cobra nearby. And there
should be no birds living within the trees. If
all of these qualifications are met, the wood
can be cut—but only with a golden axe. It
can then be transported to Puri, but only in
carts built just for the journey.
All the way to Puri, the freshly cut timber
is worshiped by devotees along the road.
When the wood finally arrives at the Jagan-
nath Temple, trained carvers immediately
begin their work. When they are “finished,”
the images are decoratively painted by chi-
trakars, a group of hereditary artists trained
just for this task. Finally, the eldest priest of
the Jagannath Temple ceremoniously trans-
fers the temple’s spiritual power from the old
Deities into the new ones, and the freshly
reincarnated Gods are installed upon their
rightful thrones. Once a year, they are taken
in procession during Puri’s Ratha Yatra.
It is the hope of the Jagannath Plantation
Project that such worship might continue for
many years to come. This, it seems, would
depend on wood. ∏π
For more information contact:
Shri P.R. Mohanty, Conservator of Forests,
Government of Orissa, Aranya Bhawan,
Chandrasekhar Pur, Bhubaneswar, 751016,
Orissa. Email: pccforissa-sify.com
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 35
 REUNION
Walking on Fire
Tamils on an isle in the Indian Ocean keep faith
and find strength in an ancestral tradition
Gilles Flament, France
t is late afternoon in a small
village on Reunion, a mountainous is-
land nation about the size of Rhode
Island. In the narrow courtyard of a
Hindu temple, people are gathering
around a pit dug two feet deep,
twelve feet wide and 50 feet long. It’s full of
smoking embers from a fire that has been
burning down since sunrise. Two sweating
men are raking the coals into a smooth bed,
while a handful of women sprinkle flower
petals all around.
In the distance the sound of drums her-
alds the arrival of more devotees. They are
Red hot anticipation: Onlookers, perched in steeply tiered seats, patiently await the trials of fire. The small pit is filled with milk for cool relief af- f- making their way toward the temple from a
ter the 50-foot perambulation. (Below, left to right) Ladies pilgrimage to the temple with offerings of milk in preparation for their fiery walk. The he nearby pond where a purification ritual has
head priest performs the main consecration ceremony. A pilgrim carries a tower of white flowers symbolizing Goddess Mariyamman. just taken place. As soon as they arrive, they
lift religious icons from the decorated pro-
cession carts they have been pulling and
carry them to a temporary altar created in
front of the fire pit. Three devotees balance
all photos: gilles flament
36 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
tall, colorful flower cones, called carlons, on
their heads. These carlons signify three
Goddesses, named Kali, Mariyamman and
Draupadi. Mariyamman, revered as the
Goddess of Rain so precious to farmers, is
enormously popular in Reunion and highly
venerated in South India.
Immediately, the priest consecrates the pit
and devotees begin to walk on the red hot
embers. Their faces reflect great determina-
tion as their families gather around fervent-
ly chanting prayers. After crossing the smok-
ing bed of glowing coals, the fire walkers put
their feet into a small side pit filled with
milk. There are no expressions of suffering
on their faces—just great smiles of joy. It is
said that Goddess Draupadi has laid down
her hair to protect their feet.
Most fire walkers in French-speaking Re-
union are Tamil. Their ancestors were the
first to arrive from India to work on the is-
land, located east of Madagascar, as cane la-
borers. Life at that time was difficult, but
their adherence to the practices of their re-
ligion and culture kept them strong and
united. Still today, this spirit of respect for
ancestral tradition binds them together in a
land where they are—as they have always
been—very much in the minority among
the 750,000 people in this Overseas Depart-
ment (state) of France.
Before walking on fire, devotees undergo
a 21-day preparation called karem. During
this time, they abstain from drinking alcohol
or having sexual relations. On the first day
of karem, they receive a bracelet which sig-
nifies their formal commitment to perform-
ing the austerity successfully. Each evening
thereafter they play out scenes from the
Mahabarata, a famous India literary epic of
religious importance to Hindus. On the last
night, they stay awake—as did their ances-
tors, and theirs before them—keeping
prayerful vigil in final preparation for their
walk upon fire. ∏π
The flames and the coals: A great fire is lit
in the early morning and tended all day so
that by sunset the red hot embers are ready
for the walk. (Right) The first fire walker
carries a cone of red flowers symbolizing
Goddess Kali.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 37
 KENYA
bashudeb dhar
Atop the temple tower: Even the Deity
carved and painted gold high up on the
entrance tower is a work of art to behold
Balaji worship
inaugurated in
Kenya
grand week of good food,
fun, festival and fireworks culmi-
nated with the kumbhabishekam
(inauguration ceremony) of the
Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Balaji temple
in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 29, 2002. Al-
though other Hindu temples have been
constructed in South Africa, this is the
first one featuring Balaji, a form of Lord
Vishnu or Venkateswara who stands on a
lotus flower with consorts Lakshmi and
Padmavathi placed to his right and left,
respectively.
All ceremonies for the inauguration
were performed in strict accordance
allphotos: liladhar j. bharadia
with scriptural tradition under the able
guidance of Dr. Malladi Satyanarayana
and his five-member team from Tirupati,
India, the home of Balaji’s most famous
temple. These Vedic rituals included the
“opening of the eyes of the Deities” con-
ducted by Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati, the
temple architect. Hundreds of devotees
enjoyed a variety of entertainment dur-
ing the week, including expert musical
performances by a four-member nada-
swaram and tavil team brought from
A festive seven-day extravaganza: India just for the temple’s
(Background) Fireworks set the joyous inauguration. ∏π
spirit of the once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
(Clockwise from top left) The Balaji temple complete with scaffolding for the consecration of the temple spires. Grand procession of the For more information contact the Sri
main temple murthi (image of worship) to the temple where it was installed on April 29, 2002. A preliminary homa (fire ceremony) with Kalyana Venkateswara Balaji temple,
temple architect Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati as guest of honor, first left in crowd behind. Lord Venkateswara as Balaji standing in the mid- Lower Kabete Road, Nairobi, Kenya.
dle with Goddess Lakshmi to his left and Goddess Padmavathi to his right. Email: sbharadia@kpmg.co.kg
38 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
Blessed virgin: A pure child prepares to be worshiped as the Goddess during Kumari puja
C OM M E N TA RY
The Little Goddess
Worshiping the primal life force of the
Divine Mother through the purity of a child
By Bashudeb Dhar, Bangladesh
umari puja is a popular
but frequently misunderstood devo-
tional ceremony performed and at-
tended by Hindus of the Sakta sect.
Saktas worship God as Goddess. In Ku-
mari puja, a maiden, who is not yet men-
struating, is honored as the Divine Mother
and worshiped through elaborate ritual.
Such a child is chosen for her untarnished
purity. As the great Sakta, Sri Ramakrish-
na, put it: “All women are forms of the Di-
vine Mother. But Her manifestation is
greatest in pure-souled virgins.”
Since Kumari puja differs from the stan-
dard Hindu temple puja in that the entity
worshiped is a live person, questions might
be asked: “What about the many Sakta
temples with inanimate icons carved of
wood, metal or stone? Is the presence of
the Goddess somehow less effective in
them for their lack of humanness?” Cer-
tainly, the Goddess can make Herself
known anytime, anywhere; and one form
of worship does not negate another. Yet,
Her divine communion is undeniably em-
powered by the purity of a child. Purity is
the key here.
In a deeper sense, Kumari puja is wor-
ship of the primal life force within us all.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
On the physical plane this power manifests
most obviously as a woman’s newborn
child. On the spiritual plane it is revealed
in the experience of eternal bliss. However,
our lack of purity can block this bliss. If it
is purity we lack, which most of us do, it is
purity we will find, at least for a moment,
in the divine child worshiped as Kumari,
which means virgin.
Kumari puja is not a new practice. In the
first century ce, there is scriptural refer-
ence to a place called “Koumram” where a
Goddess named Kumari was worshiped.
The Vedic Goddess Aditi has been extolled
for hundreds of years at Cape Comorin as
Kanyakumari.
In ancient times Kumari was also known
as Uma, Sati, Parvati and Gauri. During a
portion of the Hindu marriage ceremony
called “Gauri-dan,” the bride is imbibed
with the purity of the Divine Mother as a
blessing for the groom and the young cou-
ple’s future family.
It is my hope that during these difficult
times when women are often mistreated as
sense objects, servant wives and worse, Ku-
mari puja may be understood for its true
value, practiced with its intended sincerity
and serve as one of many gateways to the
restoration of women’s dignity. ∏π
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 39

h u lt o n g e t t y p h o t o a r c h i v e
Mixing East and West: Yehudi Menuhin on stage (above) and in hatha yoga position
PROFILE
Yehudi’s Yoga
One of the greatest violinists of the 20th century
revered an Indian yogi as his best music teacher
hile sitting in the waiting
room of an osteopath’s office in
1948, Yehudi Menuhin came
across a small book on yoga. He
was immediately fasinated. Yoga
was a subject he knew almost
nothing about, yet now, for some reason, it
tenaciously gripped his attention. Little did
he know then that yoga and the land
whence it came would change his life.
Yehudi Menuhin was one of the most
lauded violinists of the twentieth century.
Yet he was also famous for his affiliation
with renowned hatha yoga teacher B.K.S.
Iyengar and legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar,
with whom he frequently performed. The
more Menuhin learned about India and
40 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
as a musician but as a philanthropist as well. ed with Iyengar regularly when he was not brought him first into hatha yoga (physical
He often performed to raise funds for char- with him in person, and never relinquished postures and breath control), he later prac-
ities, and gave a series of such concerts for his diligent and consistent yoga practice. In- ticed meditation, for which hatha yoga is
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime deed, yoga became an integral and indis- generally considered to be a preparation.
Minister of India. During his first meeting pensable part of his life. As Menuhin said a From his personal experience in medita-
with Nehru, he was challenged by the quarter century later, “My guru built lessons tion, Menuhin concluded that intuition
Prime Minister to stand on his head. He did upon lessons.” should be complimented with intellectual
so, successfully. Nehru responded by show- Menuhin acknowledged India, yoga and analysis for the purpose of arousing “true
ing off his own headstand. This incident Iyengar in two books he authored, entitled spontaneity,” as he called it. His revelation
made newspaper headlines, and yoga teach- Life Class; and Violin: Six lessons with Yehu- through meditation was that magic existed
ers from all over India queued up to offer di Menuhin. In Six Lessons, he devoted an in the chemistry of thought coupled with in-
their wisdom to the American mar- tuition, and that as a result of the ap-
vel who was so interested in yoga. plication of logic, intuition would
Menuhin took lessons from many of flow forth of its own accord. This was
these teachers, but only one left an meditation as he understood it. He
indelible impression: B.K.S. Iyengar. also felt that the ability to meditate
Menuhin’s first visit with Iyengar was the single most important con-
was memorable. Around 1950, a tribution man brought to civilization.
common friend arranged for their Menuhin was fearless in putting
c o u r t e s y r a j v i h . m e h ta
meeting during Menuhin’s first visit his meditations on violin playing to
to Mumbai. At the time, Menuhin the test—and it paid off. Through
was very busy and somewhat fa- meditation, he taught himself to play
tigued. It was supposed to be a quick with less tension and resistance and
five-minute session, but five minutes with a more effective application of
turned into an hour and Menuhin energy. He also learned to coordi-
was completely uplifted. That even- nate multiple motions into one. All of
ing, Menuhin and Iyengar forged a this produced amazing results. Peers
friendship that lasted nearly 50 years, In class: With the assistance of a prop, Iyengar helps were astounded with his improve-
until Menuhin’s death in 1999. Menuhin prepare to hold a difficult hatha yoga position ment and bewildered at the source
During his second trip to Mumbai of his insight, yet he simply consid-
in 1954, Menuhin had already begun to re- entire chapter to specific yogasanas (pos- ered it all the natural and expected result of
alize the tremendous effect even his casual tures) he had learned from Iyengar. These meditation. When asked, Menuhin attrib-
experimentation with yoga was having on practices, he asserted, “should form an im- uted all accomplishment to Iyengar, whom
his violin performances. It was at this time portant part of the practice routine of any he referred to as his “best violin teacher.”
that he formally dedicated himself to Iyen- aspiring or performing violinist.” History tells us that genius often accom-
gar as a commited student. When Menuhin Usually more intuitive by nature, most panies misery, as exemplified in the lives of
left India during that same year on tour musicians are adverse to intellectual analy- Van Gogh, Mozart, Paganini and others. If
through Europe, he continually extolled sis. But not Menuhin. He was intrigued with this is true, Menuhin was a rare exception.
Iyengar. Many feel that Menuhin was re- the science of motion and sound as they re- He was a genius at peace—a peace, he said,
sponsible for introducing Iyengar to the lated directly to the improvement of his vio- that came from yoga. And yoga, he ob-
Western world. lin performance. This lifelong study was served, came from India—the “primal
Through the years, Menuhin proved him- both inspired and enhanced by his practice source” and “mother country.” ∏π
self a devoted yoga student. He correspond- of yoga. Although his training with Iyengar With Rajiv H. Mehta, Mumbai
Reflections… a quest which by 1951 had long been one of the themes of my
life. Just as musical vision had long required justification by con-
scious analysis of each composition, so it was now essential to
trace with equal thoroughness the process which translated
yoga after that revelatory afternoon in the thought and feeling into action, vision into countless muscular re-
doctor’s office, the more he loved it. India Yoga touched every dimension of Yehudi Menuhin’s life. Here is actions. Yoga taught me lessons it would have taken me years to
was, he said, “the primal source, the mother but a handful of quotations reflecting his thoughts on his guru, on learn by other means. Yoga was my compass.
country.” yoga and the spirituality of man.
Born in New York on April 22, 1916, to On spirituality: We in the Western world have grown to under-
Russian-Jewish parents who had recently On Sri Iyengar: There were other gurus and other lessons, but not stand matter as imprisoned light, and light as liberated matter, yet
immigrated to America, Menuhin’s excep- until I met Iyengar did I take up the study regularly. My first this has had no influence on our spiritual thought. In practical
tional musical aptitude was recognized and meeting with him was like the casting of a spell. We made each terms it only led to the creation of the atom bomb.
cultivated almost before he could walk. By other’s acquaintance in Mumbai. He appeared in my rooms one When I was a boy no one seemed to ask where the energies
c o u r t e s y r a j v i h . m e h ta
the time he was seven, his performance of morning and straightaway made it clear that the “audition” to fol- come from. Land, oil, coal, air seemed inexhaustible. Now we are
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto had gained low was mine as much as his. For all my celebrity, to him I was realizing how our very life depends upon restoring not only our
him national fame. Before age 20, he was just another Western body knotted through and through. balance with nature, but also that balance within ourselves. We
touring the world, gaining an international are depleting our reserves of spirit, health, courage and faith at
reputation as a gifted soloist. When Albert On yoga: First and foremost, yoga made its contribution to my an alarming rate. The quiet practice of yoga is, in its humble yet
Einstein heard him play he said, “Now I quest to understand consciously the mechanics of violin playing, effective way, an antidote.
know there is God in Heaven.”
By the 1950s, he was not only acclaimed
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 41
TEMPLES

The 7 Lives of the Somnat

ath
A pilgrimage back to India yields a journey
back in time to a land of tenacious Siva worship
By Priyank Jaiswal, Houston 6, 1026. Fifty thousand Saivites laid down
first learned about somnath their lives in that battle. But Muhammad
Tempple

dinodia
through my study of history in school. won the war, captured the city and looted
That’s also about when I became inter- the temple before crushing it to the ground.
ested in Hindu mythology, where again This was a tragic loss mourned by many, for
I ran across references to this fascinat- that first Somnath temple was a magnifi-
ing pilgrimage destination of great impor- cently crafted, red sandstone work of art, ac-
tance to Saivite Hindus. All my life, I have claimed as one of the great architectural ac-
read, thought and wondered about Somnath. complishments of its age.
Last summer, 2002, I finally got to go there. Immediately, however, the temple was ren-
The temple of Somnath is in the city of ovated by King Bhima of Gujarat and King
Prabhas-Patan in Gujarat. I planned my pil- Bhoja of Malwa. When it was again de-
grimage so that I would approach the tem- stroyed in 1300 by Alaf Khan, King Mahipa-
ple by road from Dwarka along the coast of la of the Chudasama dynasty rebuilt it. Three
the Arabian Sea. I arrived on a clear, sunny times more—in 1390, 1490 and 1530—it was
day during the full-moon time of the month destroyed and reconstructed.
when strong, spring tides come crashing in After the great Siva temple was demol-
upon the shores. I will never forget those ished one final time in 1706, nearly 250
first impressions. It was like a drama. As I years would pass before it would again rise
entered Patan, I became lost in a maze of from the grave. This seventh reincarnation
streets lined with shops. I walked and of Somnath was commenced in 1950 follow-
walked. Suddenly, I was there. Glittering like ing India’s independence. Sardar Vallabhai
gold in the afternoon sun, the temple was Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of In-
even more beautiful than I had anticipated. dia, had the temple reconstructed in the
With the seascape thundering behind, the Chalukya style of temple architecture by
view was mesmerizing. I was in awe. master masons of Gujarat called sompuras.
Just in front of the temple, a majestic gate- When this last rebuilding effort was complet-
way rose like a fortress. Everywhere there ed on December 1, 1995, 45 years after it be-
were ornate designs and human figures gan, the first president of India, Shankar
carved in stone. It was all so powerful and Dayal Sharma, renamed it Kailash Ma-
p r i ya n k j a i s wa l

lifelike. Yet it was the hundreds of pillars hameru Prasada. Such a temple, he said, had
that took my breath away. Sprawling like the not been constructed in India for 800 years.
roots of a giant banyan or the legs of some Finally, I brought myself back to Earth
great beast, they seemed to and was ready to continue my
bind to Earth this grand tem- worship. Depositing my cam-
ple of otherworldly beauty. era and shoes, I entered the
It was all I could do to just temple complex through the
stand there, staring. For the towering gateway. As on any
longest time, I was simply other day, the temple was
immersed in the recollection crowded with visitors from all By day and by night
of all the many fables I had around the world. At 11:00 in The majestic three-towered gateway
heard and read. I purposely the morning the day’s main rises like a fortress to protect the temple.
let my imagination run wild, puja (ceremony) began. When At night, the illuminated temple glows like gold.
trying to catch fleeting men- the doors of the sanctum
tal glimpses of the great tem- opened, devotees began rush-
ples that had come and gone ing forward. In no time, the tex of spiritual power. At the conclusion of I had traveled half way around the globe erful Siva worshipers—were living in Prab- powerful fortitude and dedication.
on this most holy ground. place was packed. the puja, devotees started crushing their for this experience. Even that short moment has when the first Somnath temple was con- Today, like some grand, invincible warrior,
The history of Somnath is The chanting of the man- way toward the sanctum to receive holy of deep communion was enough to mold in structed. Historians claim they had been seven times victorious in battle, Somnath
brutal. Seven times it was de- tras, the smell of the incense prashad (sacraments). After about half an me a memory that would never die. Having there since prehistory, establishing that geo- once again stands strong for Siva on the
stroyed and seven times it The author: Priyank and the incoherent murmur of hour, I was finally able to actually see the seen what I had yearned to see since child- graphical portion of India as an important shores of Prabhas. Anyone who knows even
was born again. Muhammad Jaiswal, 25, works as a the crowd had suddenly lingam. This did not last long. Yet even as hood, I now felt an overwhelming sense of stronghold of unshakable Siva worship. The a little of the history and magic of this holy
of Ghazini first ransacked geophysicist in Houston, turned this quiet sanctuary by the crowd was pushing me on, I felt the in- deep satisfaction. seven trials of Somnath seem to validate this place will understand why it is called “The
the sacred abode on January Texas. the sea into an energized vor- rush of a great and powerful force. The Pashupatas—an ancient sect of pow- speculation. The very air there breathes a Shrine Eternal.” ∏π

42 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 43
SCRIPTURE

Secrets from the

Kularnava Tantra
   ,       
follow, a master of his art, a champion in his eld, one
who sets the standards of aspiration. These days, heros are
often rock stars, athletes or actors, but there is, indeed, a
class of souls of a higher calling. For century upon cen-
tury, Hindu society has been uniquely inwardly oriented, ever
intrigued with the deeper realities of existence, fascinated with
the search for Truth, the control of mind and realization of the
Self, God, within, through the practice of yoga. Thus, it honors
the great rishis, gurus, sants and mahatmas as the greatest heros
of all. These are beings who walk with God and hold truth in the
palm of their hand, who seem to know everything, because they
do, because they have discovered the source of all knowing.
Though perhaps rare, such awakened beings still walk among
us today. All too often amid the pace of modern life, humans
are too busy to recognize and honor these pure souls until after
they have departed this earthly stage. Only in their absence is
their greatness apparent to many, in the vacuum of their pro-
digious presence, which had lled with faith and courage the
voids of doubt and discouragement for everyone they touched.
Around   , a scripture was recorded, called the Kular-
nava Tantra, that pours forth exaltation to such spiritual lights
and admonishes seekers to raise slumbersome eyelids and rec-
ognize their glory. Among its messages is that the guru is like a
deep well from which one can and should draw forth wisdom
and blessings, taking advantage of his rare presence, his radiant
darshan, to advance oneself on the spiritual path. This tantra of
guru devotion and protocol gives guidance that is as practical and
poignant today as it was when rst scribed on palm leaves and
etched in stone long, long ago.
The Kularnava Tantra is an important and authoritative text
of the Shakta Agamic tantra tradition and a major statement of
Hindu spiritual thought. It focuses unequivocally on the quest
for God Realization calling on us to leave aside our attachments,
our desires, our misapprehensions and to live a divine life, a holy
life, on this Earth and seek for the Self within.
The original, rst translated from the Sanskrit and published
in English in , contains , verses on many profound
subjects, of which a small fraction dealing with the guru-shishya
(teacher-disciple) relationship are excerpted here. This transla-
tion was completed in  by Sri M.P. Pandit and Sir Arthur
Avalon in north India. The selected verses have been slightly
edited for this presentation.
The scripture opens with a single question posed by Shakti,
the Mother of the universe, as to how all souls may attain release
from sorrow, ignorance and birth. Lord Siva answers, speaking
out the verses of the Kularnava Tantra.

j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 45
FOREWORD FROM CHAPTER ONE

Worship of Guru Devotion

The Holy Feet   :    .   . 

      

L Parabrahman is formless, stainless, one without a second,
changeless, beyond the highest. This Mahesvara is all-
knowing, all-doing, sovereign of all, self-luminous, without

T of holy ones are so reverently worshiped in the

Hindu faith. According to tradition, the total-
ity of the satguru is contained within his feet. All
beginning or end. All embodied souls, jivas, all the born crea-
tures, are portions of Me, like sparks of the re. But human
birth is the most important, for it is then that one becomes
nerve currents terminate there. The vital points awake, aware of his state of bondage and the necessity of
of every organ of his bodies—inner astral, inner release. It is then that one is in a position to take steps for his
mental and soul—are there. Touch the feet and we liberation from bondage’s hold.
touch the spiritual master.
Mystics teach that the big toe on the left foot Humans have a self-will and are not totally subject to the
exudes the most grace. The left leg is the revealing impulses and drives of nature, as are other creatures. It is only
grace, and the big toe of that leg connects to the on this Earth—and that, too, in a human body endowed with
guru’s pituitary gland, the entrance to the door of a soul—that one can choose one’s path for spiritual progress.
Brahm, deep within the sahasrara chakra where, But not all are aware of the precious opportunity afforded by
in contemplation, he merges with Siva. The vibra- human birth, which is truly the ladder to Liberation. The Self
tion of the satguru can be subtly felt through is to be realized only here in this life. If here you do not nd
gently touching his sandals. In doing so, one tunes it and work out the means for your Liberation, where else is it
in to the feet of the preceptor’s physical, pranic, possible? It is possible nowhere else. It has to be worked out
astral, mental and soul bodies. by yourself from within yourself.
In deep spirituality there is little presumption of
ego. All that one hopes for, all that one prays for, The world you reach after the physical body is shed is deter-
all that one strives for is to touch the Divine in the mined by the level of consciousness reached while in the body.
most modest of ways. Worship of the feet epito- So, as long as the body lasts, exert yourself towards the goal The guru offers blessings as his devotee experiences the bliss of beholding
a r t b y i . waya n m a r ya

mizes this humble attitude. Devotees worship the of Liberation. Remember, the physical body does not last for- the inner clear white light and hearing the vina-like tones of the high “eee”
feet of the guru as the feet of God Siva, the attain- ever. Age prowls like a leopard; diseases attack like an enemy.
able attainment, seeking to partake of, absorb into Death waits not to see what is done or not done. Before the limbs
themselves, the vibration of their guru, ultimately lose their vitality, before adversities crowd in upon you, take to the FROM CHAPTER TWO
to become like their guru, who has realized his auspicious path.
oneness with God Siva.
Our beloved satguru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
wrote, “Practices to advance spiritual unfoldment
Therefore, choose, then worship a satguru. Worship his feet. Cher-
ish the very sandals (paduka) which hold his feet. All knowledge is
Guru Service

five art pieces by a. manivel

include prostrating before God, Gods and guru, founded on those paduka. Remember and cherish those paduka,
full body, face down, arms and hands outstretched, which yield innitely more merit than any number of observances,        
and in that act, total giving up, giving up, giving up,
giving up. What are these devoted ones giving up?
By this act they are giving the lower energies to the
gifts, sacrices, pilgrimages, mantra-japa and rituals of worship.

It is these feet, when remembered, that protect in times of distress,

W that emaciate the body? All the fruit anticipated from such
austerities can be easily obtained by motiveless service to the
holy satguru. Therefore, bear your karma for the sake of the guru.
higher energies. It is a merger, a blending. When danger or calamity. Study, remembrance, knowledge, donations, Acquire wealth for the sake of the guru. Exert yourself for the guru,
one is performing this traditional devotional act, sacrices and worship are truly done by him who ever remembers regardless of your own life.
awakening true prapatti, it is easy to see the lower the satguru’s feet. Look toward the direction in which the lotus feet
energies from the base of the spine, the muladhara of the satguru lie and bow down to them every day with devotion. Service to the satguru and his mission is fourfold: service with your
chakra, rising, rising, rising up the spine through all There is no mantra higher than that of his feet, no merit higher than own hands, service by wealth or through others, service by spiritual
six chakras above it and out through the top of the A devotee falls humbly at his guru’s feet, prayerful that training, protection may come. his worship. enthusiasm and service by happy feeling. Service done with devo-
head. It is transmuting, changing the form of, the The satguru’s mind is on Siva within, who blesses with a garland of jasmine owers. tion, according to one’s means, has the same merit whether little or
base energies which breed conict and resistance, All fear of distress, grief, avarice, delusion and bewilderment exist much, whether by the rich or by the poor.
‘mine and yours’ and ‘you and me,’ division, insecurity and separate- within the deeper meanings of Vedanta, the Vedic philosophy, with- only as long as one does not take refuge in the satguru. All wander-
ness, into the spiritual energies of ‘us and we,’ amalgamation, secu- out having to depend on the path of words, lectures and debates.” ings in the ocean of births, called samsara, fraught with grief and With your mind dedicated to seless service, please the satguru.
rity, togetherness. Once the giving up of the lower is total—body Devotees are admonished to choose their guru carefully, forsaking impurity, last as long as one has no devotion to a holy Sivaguru. As The fruit obtained is the same as from great rituals. Such service
and face on the ground, hands outstretched before the image of all previous beliefs, religious inclinations and aspirations and adopt- the boon-giving guru gives the mantra in contentment and beati- invites the grace of the Mother of the Universe.
God, Gods or guru—those energies are surrendered into the higher ing his revelation of the Sanatana Dharma as their own. Therefore, tude, try to please him with devotion, wealth, your very life.
chakras within the devotee, and it is a blissful moment, into the con- choose your spiritual model carefully, because you are going to In the service of the guru, either expressed or unexpressed by him,
sciousness of ‘us and ours,’ ‘we and oneness,’ and inseparable love, become like that model if you worship that guru’s feet. There is The shishya who has complete devotion, steady and constant, what do not be unmindful. Be always in service of the guru, ever in his
thus claiming their individuality, not as a separate thing, but as a yet another meaning of the holy feet. When a person walks upon has he to worry about? Moksha is in the hollow of his palm. For him presence, giving up desire and anger, humble and devoted, lauding
shared oneness with all. Thereafter, these devoted ones, having been the Earth, only the feet touch the ground. Similarly, when God and who remembers, “My satguru is Siva Himself who grants Libera- in spirit, upright in doing his work.
transformed, are able to uplift others, to harmonize forces around guru contact the Earth, it is the esoteric feet, the lowest part of tion,” fulllment is not far off. As the steady devotion for the satguru
them that they work with day after day after day, year after year after consciousness, which make that contact. This, then, becomes the grows, so grows one’s knowledge. The sacred paduka of the guru are If service is accompanied by santosha (happy devotion), it brings
year. This total surrender, prapatti, is the meaning of Siddhanta. locus of communion with the Divine. In India the greatest of all the ornament. Remembrance of his name is japa. Carrying out his with it all fulllment. Sins dissolve away and merit grows by leaps
This is the true meaning of Vedanta. The combination of both, initiations is for the satguru to place his holy feet upon the worthy command is duty. Service to him is worship. and bounds.
and the pure practice of prapatti as just described brings out from disciple’s head.

46 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 47
FROM CHAPTER THREE
Guru Power
       
W pervaded by the Sivaguru, what mantra can fail
to achieve its purpose for the shishya? When the
satguru is present, no tapas is necessary, neither by fast-
ing nor observances, neither pilgrimage nor puricatory
bath. What he speaks is as scripture.
Feel one with your guru and not separate from him,
and do good to all as your own. Whatever is benecial
to yourself, term that benecial to him. Whether mov-
ing or standing, sleeping or waking, performing japa or
making offerings, carry out only the injunctions of your
guru with your inner being dwelling in him.
As in the vicinity of re, butter gets melted, so in the
proximity of the holy Sivaguru all bad karmas dissolve.
As lighted re burns up all fuel, dry and moist, so the
glance of the Sivaguru burns up in a moment the kar-
mas of the shishya. As the heap of cotton blown up by a
great storm scatters in all the ten directions, so the heap
of negative karmas is blown away by the compassion of
the Sivaguru. As darkness is destroyed at the very sight
of the lamp, so is ignorance destroyed at the sight of the
holy Sivaguru.
I tell you now that there can be no Liberation without
diksha, initiation. Nor can there be initiation without a
preceptor. Hence the dharma, the shakti and the tradi-
tion come down the line of masters, called parampara.
Without a satguru all philosophy, knowledge and man-
tras are fruitless. Him alone the Gods praise who is the
satguru, keeping active what is handed down to him by
tradition. Therefore, one should seek with all effort to
obtain a preceptor of the unbroken tradition, born of
Supreme Siva.
FROM CHAPTER FOUR
Guru Nature
  :     , ,  
L form of the satguru. At the root of puja, worship, is the feet of
the satguru. At the root of mantra, incantation, is the word of
the satguru. At the root of mantra, incantation, is the word of the
satguru. At the root of all Liberation is the grace of the satguru. In
this world all holy actions are rooted in the satguru. Therefore, he
is to be constantly served with devotion for fulllment.
For the shishya who devotedly remembers, “My guru is actually
Siva Himself who grants Liberation,” fulllment is not far off. Look
upon your satguru as mother, as father, as Siva. The satguru, it is
to be declared in unmistakable terms, is the very Lord Himself. To
approach the satguru, to worship the satguru, is to approach Siva,
to worship Siva.
48 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
A knower of God strides along the path of enlightenment. Having lived many lives,
mastered his energies and resolved his karmas, he has reached Siva consciousness,
which symbolically surrounds him as the Ganges water owing from Siva’s hair.
Why should I choose to manifest through the satguru? Why should
I not act directly? I am really all-pervading, subtle, above the mind,
with and without form, imperishable, of the form of ether, eternal
and innite. How can such a One be worshiped? That is why, out
of compassion for My creations, I take the form of the satguru, and
when so worshiped in devotion grant Liberation and fulllment.
Because I have no binding form that is perceived by the human
eye, I protect the shishya, revealing the dharma in the form of the
guru. Therefore, the satguru is none other than the Supreme Siva
enclosed in a human skin. Within him I walk the Earth concealed.
To the jivas, embodied souls laden with beclouding karmas, the
satguru appears to be merely human. But to them whose karmas
are auspicious, meritful, the satguru appears as Lord Siva Himself.
The less fortunate do not recognize the satguru as the embodiment
of Supreme Truth even when face to face with him, like the blind
before the arisen sun.
But verily, the satguru is none other than Sadasiva. This is the truth.
I Myself am the Truth. Otherwise, who is it who gives fulllment
and Liberation? There is no difference between God Siva and Sat-
sivaguru. It is ignorance to make such a distinction.
Gurus are of six kinds: ) preraka is the “impeller” who instigates
interest that leads to initiation; ) suchaka is the “indicator” who
describes the sadhana in which interest has been awakened;
) vachana is the “explainer” who describes the process and its
object; ) darshaka is the “shower” who denitely points out the
working and aims of the path in greater detail; ) shikshaka is the
“trainer” who actually instructs how to do sadhana; ) bodhaka is
the “illuminator,” the satguru who lights in the shishya the lamp of
spiritual knowledge. He is the cause of the other ve.
The Vedas and shastras are many, but life is very short. Moreover,
in this life there are millions of hindrances. Therefore, one should
acquire only the essence of all shastras, just as the swan takes the
milk out of water with which it has been mixed.
Neither the Vedas nor the philosophies are causes of Liberation.
Realization alone is the cause of Liberation. Better it is to bear even
a single life-inspiring great mantra taught by a satguru than to carry
a load of lifeless blocks of wood which are various forms of worldly
knowledge.
Only from the mouth of a satguru can a jiva realize the one immuta-
ble Brahman which has been taught by Siva Himself. Such knowledge
cannot be attained through the study of even ten million shastras.
Many are the gurus who, like lamps, offer light in a house. But rare
is the satguru who illumines the village like the sun. Many are the
gurus who are procient to the utmost in the Vedas and shastras.
But rare is the satguru who has attained Parasiva. Many are the
gurus on Earth who give what is other than the Self. But rare is the
satguru who brings the atma to light. Many are the gurus who rob
shishyas of their wealth. But rare is the satguru who removes the
afictions of the shishya. A satguru sits in samadhi, immersed in pure consciousness, having
withdrawn his awareness from the swirling forces of the world that
He is the satguru in whose very presence there ows the supreme surround him, radiating blessings and stabilizing humanity on Earth
bliss called ananda. The intelligent person will choose such a one as
satguru and none other. spiritual advice and scriptures, report to him and accept only what
is approved by your guru, and reject what is not.
When he bestows condential knowledge, do not speak of it to oth-
ers, for sacred is secret. To talk of it is to weaken the guru-shishya
FROM CHAPTER SIX understanding.
Guru Protocol Even your own wealth you shall utilize only after mentally offering
it to your satguru.
      ,    Do not lend your ear to any censure of your guru. Where such criti-
W mind and devoted in the extreme. Dress traditionally or con-
servatively. Leave outside your sandals, umbrella, fan, make-
up and other stimulating things.
cism appears, close your ears, leave immediately and chant his name
to counteract.
Do not disrespect the retinue of a satguru. Do not criticize his tradi-
If the spiritual preceptor speaks harshly, take it as a benediction. tions, whether based on the Vedas, Agamas or other scriptures.
Whatever objects of enjoyment there be, offer these rst to the guru
and enjoy only what he leaves as prasadam. In the presence of a satguru, take care to avoid dozing, harsh speech,
ordering others, frivolous laughter, uncontrolled weeping, loosening
To the satguru you shall not command or talk to as an equal. Do not or tightening of the clothes, informal or immodest dress, stretching
enter into argument with those who deny your guru, nor even talk of the legs toward him; debate, expressing hatred or blame. Avoid
to them. Avoid them from afar. Do not sit in their company at any contortion of the body, whistling, striking of the hands in command,
time. They are to be shunned. amusements, playful wrestling, smoking and the like. Such acts invoke
the asuras in dreams and visions and invite calamity in your life.
What you hear elsewhere regarding mantras, tantras, sadhana,
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 49

Four Self-realized sages gather in a mango grove, radiant auras displaying their
purity and rened consciousness. One among them may be a satguru.
In the presence of the satguru remain poised. Do not enter with
desire. Serve him looking at his face. Do what he says. Honor
wholeheartedly what he says and, when understood, do it without
questioning.
Intensely devoted to the satguru, do not commission others for
his work if you yourself can do it, even though you may have any
number of attendants. Do not be proud because of class, learning
or wealth. Knowing the mind of the satguru, be by his side, humble
and cheerful of countenance.
Should you do anything in the presence of a satguru which is nor-
mally prohibited, it is extremely blameworthy. Do not, therefore,
out of disregard, hear with the face turned away what the satguru
says, whether it is benecial or otherwise.
50 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
To speak falsehood before the satguru is to commit
the highest sin. In the absence of the satguru who is
away or in distress, do not abandon him. Go wherever
he commands.
When he stands below, do not yourself stand above.
Do not walk or drive in front of him. Do not sit when
he stands up. Do not sleep in his presence. Unless
directed by him, do not speak, do not read, do not sing,
do not eat there. Do nothing without bowing to him.
Never fail to carry out his injunctions.
In the presence of your guru’s guru, bow to your own
guru mentally. Should you eat food without rst men-
tally offering it to your satguru, it becomes impure. Do
not approach him empty-handed. Offer in the mea-
sure of your capacity fruit, owers, cloth and the like.
FROM CHAPTER SEVEN
Guru Urgency
       
I , then where in the world is the benefactor
who can deliver atma from this sea of samsara? He
who in this world does not undergo treatment for that
disease which leads to lower-world states, what will he
do with such disease when he goes to the next world,
in which there is no medicine for this ailment?
The supreme Truth should be sought from the satguru
so long as this body exists. Who is there so perverse as
to commence the excavation of a well with a view to
extinguish a re which has already caught his house?
Like a tigress, old age waits with open mouth to swal-
low the jiva.
As water continually exudes from a broken vessel, so is
the period of life constantly being shortened. Diseases
constantly inict wounds like enemies laying siege to a
fortress. Hence one should, as early as possible, engage
in the working of good to oneself and satguru. Good
work should be done in times when there is no sorrow
or danger, and when the senses are not disabled.
Time passes in various involvements, but the jiva
remains unaware of its passing. Happiness and sorrow
born of samsara slay the jiva, but even then he does not awaken to
the path of the welfare of the atma. How many jivas are born, fall
into dangers, become subject to suffering and sorrow, and die? Even
the sight of such does not enlighten the jiva, maddened as he is by
drinking the wine of delusion as to what is his own good. Prosperity
is like a dream, youth is short-lived like a ower, and life passes like
a ash of lightening.
How can one be satised who has seen all of this? The utmost
period of one’s life is a hundred years. Half of it is passed in sleep,
and the remaining half is made useless by childhood, disease, old
age, sorrow and other causes.
Utterly indifferent to the spiritual work which ought to be begun by
all means, sleeping during the time he should be awake, and imagin-
ing danger when he should have rm faith—alas! How can such a
jiva, cherishing the eeting samsara so dear to him, live without fear
FROM CHAPTER NINE
in this body which is as evanescent as a bubble of water, enduring no
longer than the stay of a bird on the branch of a tree? Guru Manifestation
He seeks benet from things which do him injury, thinks the imper-
manent to be permanent, sees the highest good in that which is evil,   :     ,  
and yet he does not see that death is coming upon him.
Deluded by the great maya, the jiva looks and yet sees not, reads
L one, omnipresent, attributeless, indifferent, undecaying, unat-
tached like space, unbeginning and unending, be an object of
worship for the dualistic mind? Hence it is that I, as the Supreme
and yet knows not. The whole of this world is at each moment sink- Guru, have entered into the bodies of human satgurus.
ing into the deep sea of time infested with the great alligators of
death and disease. Even My gross aspect, being full of light and energy, is impercep-
tible to human eyes. For this reason I have assumed the form of the
We speak of “my son,” “my wife,” “my wealth” and “my friend,” but satguru in the world, and thus protect the race of shishyas.
even as we indulge in such senseless talk, death seizes the body like
a tiger. Death seizes a person while still engaged in doing this thing As Mahesvara, in human body I secretly wander on the Earth in
or that thing. Seeing all this, the awakened jiva does today the works order to favor shishyas. As Sadasiva, I assume the modest and mer-
of tomorrow, and in the forenoon the work of the afternoon, for ciful form for the protection of sadhakas. Though remaining above
death is indifferent to the nishing or unnishing of any work. samsara, yet I appear and act in this world as though I were a man
of samsara.
The slumbering jiva does not see approaching him before his very
eyes death’s terrible army of diseases guided by old age and with When the fruits of sin predominate, satguru is seen as a person.
orders from death himself. Death devours people after piercing
them with the roasting skewer of thirsting desire, smearing them
And when the fruits of virtuous acts prevail, satguru is seen as Siva.
Like blind men deprived forever of seeing the sun, unfortunate jivas
with the ghee of mundane objects, and barbecuing them in the re are unable to see the real satguru, the embodiment of Mahesvara,
of attachment and dislike. Death brings all under Yama’s rule, both though He is present before their eyes. It is undoubtedly true that
boy or youth, old man, or child in the womb. The visible world and
all classes of beings therein thus remain vulnerable to death and
subject to Yama, My emmissary.
Satguru is Deva Sadasiva Himself, for who is it that grants Libera-
tion to seekers if satguru be not Siva Himself?
O Beloved, there is not the least difference between Deva Sadasiva
Therefore, jivas awakened to the path should be prompt in doing and Sriguru. Whoever makes a distinction between them commits
with all their heart such things as are calculated to benet their a sin. For by assuming the form of a preceptor, the Gurudeva severs
satguru and themselves in this world and hereafter. the multitude of bonds which bind jivas to the state of pashu and
enables them to attain the Self, Parasiva.
blessed food, distributed to devotees.
Glossary of Special Terms puja: Traditional rites of worship.
Purana: A body of secondary scripture,
folk naratives with stories of the Gods.
Sadasiva: A name of Siva’s Primal Soul
Agamas: A copious body of revealed scrip- japa: Incantation of mantras. perfection.
ture, coequal with Vedas. jiva: An embodied soul. sadhaka: Serious aspirant, often a monk.
asuras: Lower astral-world beings of mali- karma: The law of cause and effect gover- sadhana: Spiritual discipline.
cious intent. ing all action. The fruit of action. sadhu: Homeless mendicant.
atma: The soul, immortal and eternal, liberation: Moksha, freedom from the sahasrara: The crown chakra located at
which animates life and reincarnates cycles of reincarnation. the top of the cranium.
again and again. Mahadeva: “Great Being of Light;” a God, Sakti–Siva: Immanent/transcendent God.
bhakti: Devotion. Religious fervor. often refers to Lord Siva. samsara: The cycle of birth, death and
Brahman: God. A name from the Vedas. Mahesvara: Siva, the Primal Soul and rebirth. Worldly existence.
brahmin: A Hindu priest. Priestly caste. personal Lord. satguru: Enlightened preceptor.
chakras: Consciousness centers in the mantra: Sacred sound(s) for japa and puja. Sakti: God’s Creative energy; worshiped as
inner bodies of man. moksha: Liberation from rebirth. the Divine Mother.
deva: Angelic inner world being. When Namasivaya: Siva’s most sacred mantra. shishya: A close devotee.
capitalized, a name of Siva. paduka: The guru’s sandals. Siddhanta: The philosophy and religion of
Devanagari: The Sanskrit script. pandit: Scriptural scholar. South India, Saiva Siddhanta, literally
Devi: The Goddess, Divine Mother. Parabrahman: The transcendent God. “nal attainments or conclusions.”
dharma: Way of righteousness. parampara: Guru lineage. Siva: God, the “Auspicious.”
dhyana: Meditation. Parasiva: God’s utterly transcendent per- tapas: Ascetic practices or condition.
diksha: Initiation. fection. Vedas: The central and most ancient scrip-
door of Brahm: The subtle aperture into the pashu: A soul bound in samsara. tures of Hinduism.
crown chakra at the top of the head. pranipata: Prostrating in obeisance. Vedanta: The lofty philosophy of the Vedas,
guru: Preceptor; remover of darkness. prapatti: Unequivocal devotion, surrender. as expressed in their Upanishads
Isvara: God as personal Lord. prasada: Sacred offerings, including Yama: Lord of Death.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 51

H E R I TAG E
Enchanting
Sanskrit
B Y C HOODIE S HIVARAM , B ANGALORE
oothing tones of sanskrit
waft through the air as you walk
past the spacious two-storied school
in the interiors of Bangalore’s Giri-
nagar. Enter the building and it re-
verberates with the rich traditions of
this land. You are at Aksharam, the organi-
zation that teaches spoken Sanskrit in ten
days! People thus initiated are all set to com-
mence their wonderful journey in the world
of Sanskrit. Aksharam is an offshoot of
Samskrita Bharathi, a voluntary organiza-
tion devoted to the revival of Sanskrit
(www.samskrita-bharati.org/). It seeks to
restore Sanskrit to daily life in India and re-
establish it as a common man’s language.
At Aksharam, everyone, including tod-
dlers, converse in the ancient language. You
speak to the little ones in English or Kanna-
da, and precisely comes the reply in San-
skrit. I was unable to converse in Sanskrit,
despite some study of the language. Honest-
ly, the little children gave me a complex. Un-
52 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
like at other homes, parents here translate
the English rhymes children learn at school
into Sanskrit. These children in turn are
able to teach Sanskrit to their teachers and
friends! Sanskrit sounds so pure and divine
as it emanates from the innocent mouths of
little children. It’s a unique experience.
When I called Aksharam at ten one night,
I was surprised to hear the solemn chanting
of slokas in the background. Even at this late
hour, the senior research students were
learning the nuances of spiritual Sanskrit
from Guru Vishwas. He told me, “Sanskrit is
the most ancient, highly developed, litera-
ture-rich language. It is a treasure house of
ancient Indian wisdom. It is certainly the
vehicle of our culture and key to the her-
itage of this great civilization. Speaking the
language not only helps in learning, but also
gives the students pride in their civilization-
al values. Speaking this language generates
energy.”
Why do people think Sanskrit is difficult
to learn? “The answer is simple. They don’t
follow the natural way. The first step in
learning any language is to converse in it,
because speaking and listening to a lan-
guage takes you closer to it,” explained Vish-
was. He has been conducting the ten-day
speak Sanskrit courses in India and abroad
and is the chief editor of the Sanskrit
monthly Sambhasana Sandesha, which is
published by Aksharam.
Speak Sanskrit Movement: The decline of
Sanskrit in modern times worried people
like Sri Krishna Sastry. He knew the wealth
of knowledge we were losing by forgetting
the language. He proposed, “Let service to
Sanskrit not stop at worshiping with the lan-
guage; everyone should be able to speak the
language. Conversational Sanskrit has to be
taught and popularized.” In 1981 Sri Krish-
na Sastry, with a group of like-minded
friends at Tirupati Sanskrit College, found-
ed Samskrita Bharathi and evolved the
“Speak Sanskrit Movement.”
They launched the movement through the
Sanskrit unit of Hindu Seva Prathisthana.
c h o o d i e s i va r a m
Learn by speaking: (left) Advanced students chant at a function at Aksharam; (above)
Scholars, priests, young students learn verses by rote as well as practice conversational Sanskrit
villages, young and four million people have learned Sanskrit
through correspondence, and 25,000 teach-
old are part of an ers have been trained to conduct spoken
Sanskrit workshops.
all-India movement As a result of their efforts and the efforts
of many others, 30 million students in India
to revive our sacred are studying Sanskrit. There are 1,500 ma-
language hapatashalas (Sanskrit colleges), with
100,000 students, and 3,500 patashalas (pri-
m u . d e i va r aya n
mary and secondary schools), where stu-
dents learn Sanskrit in its traditional form.
Premier scientific and technical institutions
such as the Indian Institute of Science, Ban-
galore, the Indian Institute of Technology,
Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Technol-
Organisations like Bharath Samskrita ogy, Madras, have introduced the study of
Parishad, the Sanskrit unit of Vidhya Sanskrit.
Bharathi, Vishwa Samskrita Prathisthanam The Centre for Development of Ad-
and Swaadhyaaya Mandalam contributed to vanced Computing, C-DAC, has been con-
accelerating the propagation of Sanskrit. To ducting research on Sanskrit and comput-
keep pace with the rapid growth of the ers. Sanskrit is also taught in about 250
movement, a centralized institute of Sam- universities in 40 countries. Over 400 uni-
skrita Bharathi was formed at New Delhi in versities promote Sanskrit Studies and Re-
1995. Aksharam in Bangalore became its in- search. India has ten Sanskrit universities
ternational center. and 250 institutions involved in Sanskrit re-
“Our mission is to engender a cultural re- search. Eighty Sanskrit journals are circu-
naissance of India by bringing Sanskrit back lated in the country.
to the mainstream, to propagate the great Among the most unusual results of the
scientific truths hidden in our ancient scrip- Speak Sanskrit Movement are the two vil-
tures, attain social harmony by removing lages of Mathoor and Hosahalli in Karnata-
barriers of caste, creed and race, and ka. The movement adopted them as a means
achieve national integration through San- to promote spoken Sanskrit, and today
skrit,” Sri Krishna Sastry told me. everyone in them–from the menial laborer
In 15 years, Samskrita Bharathi reached to the merchant, to the brahmins—speaks
impressive heights through its sevavratis Sanskrit with élan. These two villages are
(Sanskrit missionaries), who relentlessly known throughout the country. More re-
work towards resuscitating the language. cently, Samskrita Bharathi has succeeded in
Now more than two million people around teaching conversational Sanskrit to the en-
the world can speak simple Sanskrit. Nearly tire tribal village of Mohaka, near Jabalpur.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
Sanskrit’s checkered history: Yes, San-
skrit is regaining its lost grandeur in India,
but how did it ever get relegated to such a
low position in the first place? Sanskrit was
the lingua franca of India before the coun-
try was invaded by aliens. It was the medi-
um of administration, commerce, trade and
education. Cultural, religious and intellectu-
al transactions were in Sanskrit. Then in
1835, Lord Macaulay produced his “Minute
of Indian Education” in which he stated,
“What we spend on the Sanskrit colleges is
not merely a dead loss to the cause of truth;
it is bounty money paid to raise up champi-
ons of error [that is, Sanskrit scholars].” He
said Sanskrit literature is, “barren of useful
knowledge” with “the most serious errors
on the most important subjects.” His rec-
ommendation, adopted by the British ad-
ministration, was to no longer fund any San-
skrit education, save the Sanskrit college at
Banaras.
The knowledge and use of Sanskrit be-
came limited to the priestly class and a small
number of pundits who used it for religious
practices. “Thanks to that priestly class, the
language was preserved. They must be giv-
en credit that their continued use of San-
skrit helped its survival,” avers Shri Shiva-
murthy Swamiji, pontiff of Tarabalu Math in
Bangalore.
“After independence, the Kothari com-
mission sacrificed Sanskrit by not including
it in the three-language formula,” states Sri
Krishna Sastry. He is referring to the system
whereby students would learn English, their
regional language and Hindi. Those already
in Hindi-speaking areas would learn anoth-
er Indian or European language. “Com-
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 53

Sanskrit advocates: (above) Front of the Samskrita Bharati in Bangalore;
(right) students and teachers look on as Swami Gangaderandra Saraswathi of
Swarnavalli Mutt Sirsi, Karnataka, lights a lamp to open a school function
with Krishna Sastry at far right, founder of the “Speak Sanskrit” movement
pelled by political and economic pressures
and fascination for the West,” he went on,
“India continued learning foreign languages,
especially English. The elimination of San-
skrit for the majority of Indians resulted in
the loss of the rich traditional knowledge.
Macaulay killed the ancient traditional edu-
cation system of India. It created a land in
which we do not inherit our traditional
knowledge,” said Sri Krishna Sastry.
Dr. Ashok Aklujkar of British Columbia,
Canada, concurs. “I am strongly in favor of
the Speak Sanskrit Movement,” he told Hin-
duism Today. “However, it and other simi-
lar movements will have only band-aid suc-
cesses until Hindus realize that they have to
have a long-term, comprehensive vision for
their way of living and plan how to bring
about the desired changes in 50 or 100
years. The Indian education system needs to
change from the present three-language for-
mula to one which teaches the regional lan-
guage, the classical language (e.g., Sanskrit)
and an international language (e.g., English).”
Aklujkar (aklujkar@interchange.ubc.ca) is
author of an innovative course, Sanskrit: an
Easy Introduction to an Enchanting Lan-
guage.
Sanskrit, however, was not a pariah in Eu-
rope and America, where its status as one of
the most ancient Indo-European languages
was appreciated by Western academics and
promoted by Indian scholars in the West
such as Aklujkar. Thus Indian students
studying in the West have found a more pos-
itive treatment of Sanskrit than they can in
India. Dr. Kamat, an educator, told me, “Our
traditional knowledge systems flourish in
the West because they are looking towards
India for wisdom. The Indian student, once
abroad and out of the claustrophobic clutch-
es of Indian environs, starts looking for his
54 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
roots. That’s how Indians
p h o t o s : m u . d e i va r aya n
abroad take to study of our
traditional systems and San-
skrit. There is a paradigm
shift in their thinking.”
When I attended the
Tenth World Sanskrit Con-
ference, held in 1997 in Ban-
galore, I found a number of
non-Indians who presented
papers on complex topics such as grammar,
medical literature and navigational terms. I
met an Australian professor who was an au-
thority on Vishnu Purana, a topic unknown
to many Hindus.
Dr. Garry A. Tubb, a professor from Co-
lumbia University and former professor at
Harvard University, who was at that confer-
ence, expressed regret that there is no sys-
tematic Sanskrit education in India. “Indi-
ans should develop love and respect for their
ancient culture and rich heritage. If they ne-
glect the ancient manuscripts, the rich, mil-
lennia-old knowledge will perish,” he pre-
dicted. Dr. Tubb has written a critique on
Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhavam as well as a
guide to Sanskrit teaching for Western stu-
dents. Dr. Rahul Peter Das of Martin Luther
University in Germany believes that “study-
ing Sanskrit will help students understand
mathematics better.” Dr. Das has studied
the Vedas from their original texts and is an
authority on Sanskrit grammar.
Dr. Robert Goldman, head of the Sanskrit
department at Philadelphia University, says,
“Learning Sanskrit and its grammar will
help one easily understand world civilization
and literature.” Dr. Goldman, who has trav-
eled extensively in India, can recite the
Vedas, Upanishads and mantras and speak
fluently in Sanskrit. He has also translated
the original Valmiki Ramayana into English.
Better teaching methods: Another factor
that contributed greatly to the neglect and
“death” of Sanskrit was the treatment it re-
ceived at the hands of academics. “Nowhere
will you find a language being taught in a
foreign language,” says Sri Krishna Sastry.
The easiest and most effective way is the
conversational method. Ironically, Sanskrit
was being taught through English and in
textbook fashion. As a result, students, in-
stead of learning the language and develop-
ing affinity, moved away from it.
For seven years through high school and
college I studied Sanskrit through English
and yet I do not know the language. Many
like me took Sanskrit as an optional lan-
guage because obtaining marks was easy.
Without studying grammar, which account-
ed for thirty marks, we would answer in
English or Kannada for the remaining 70
marks and still score well. Why did we need
to know the language when the focus was on
the marks? The need to understand the nu-
ances of Sanskrit was not emphasized. My
children have been studying Sanskrit from
class five and are quite good at it—they
know the language. The teaching methods
have been wholesome, with complete focus
on the language, including conversation.
The teachers have improved along with
the method. “Sanskrit teachers today are
driven by the promote Sanskrit movement
and have a passion for the language. They
are no longer seen as tuft-growing men in
dhotis,” opines Mr. Uday Narayan, a teacher.
Decades ago Sanskrit teachers were looked
down upon as “pundits.” They did not fit
into the fashionable English school environs.
Today, an increasing number of educators
feel that teaching Sanskrit in schools will
open up the treasure house of traditional
knowledge and wisdom to children.
Sanskrit versus science: Knowledge of
Sanskrit is imperative for understanding
ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical sci-
ence, not to mention architecture, statecraft
and the many other subjects dealt with in
the Sanskrit literature.
The attempts to bring these ancient sci-
ences into prominence in modern India are
not without difficulties. Take ayurveda as
an example. It used to be that ayurveda stu-
dents knew Sanskrit. However, in an appar-
ent attempt to upgrade the status of ayurve-
da, the Central Council for Alternative
Systems of Indian Medicine, which adminis-
ters and manages ayurvedic colleges across
India, made a new rule. They said only stu-
dents with modern science as majors would
be admitted to ayurvedic courses. At the
same time, the Central Board for Secondary
Education made Sanskrit an optional sub-
ject up to class 12 for students of science.
As a result, students with a science back-
ground who study ayurveda at the college
level haven’t learned Sanskrit, resist studying
it and insist upon using translated texts. San-
skrit, which was compulsory for all the five
years during the ayurveda course, was re-
duced to only one year of study. Now sci-
ence students are protesting even this one
year of Sanskrit study.
The communal issue: Sanskrit still draws
resistance from certain castes, especially the
economically weaker sections and backward
classes. They feel the language is difficult to
pronounce and believe it is only for the up-
per castes, not for them. “The problem of our
Dalit brethren is not just economic disparity
but also cultural disparity. Providing knowl-
edge of Sanskrit gives them this cultural
equality and brings social harmony. But the
most important factor is how the language is
taught and how the teacher motivates,” says
Krishna Sastry. It is worth noting that great
Sanskrit works were written by non-brah-
mins, such as Vyasa, son of a fisherwoman
and editor of the Mahabharatha; Valmiki,
son of a hunter and author of Ramayana;
Kalidas, a shepherd and poet; and Jabala, an
outcaste and author of the Jabala Upanishad.
Still, Sanskrit was branded a brahminical
language and tainted “communal,” contrary
to its true nature. “Sanskrit is the only lan-
guage that has a secular policy. See the Bha-
gavad Gita. It gives a global or universal
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
message. It does not say worship one God
alone. This is not so in scriptures of other
faiths. India’s secular nature is because of
the Sanskrit culture, which is the very cul-
ture of this land,” states Sri Krishna Sastry.
“The secular policy practiced by our politi-
cians and so-called secularists has done
everything to keep the language out.”
Courts rescue the language: The central
government wanted Sanskrit to be removed
from the higher secondary syllabus, argu-
ing that by allowing Sanskrit, other classical
languages [Pali, for example] must be in-
cluded, and citing the secular policy of the
government. In 1994, the Supreme Court
came to the rescue, noting the importance
of Sanskrit for nurturing our cultural her-
itage as a nation.
Similarly, in 1994, the Madras High Court
held that “Sanskrit is not a dead language,”
and observed that the reasoning of the
Tamil Nadu Government that Sanskrit had
ceased to be a language in use “is nothing
but ignorance of reality.” Justice S. S. Subra-
mani referred to a Supreme Court decision
which said Sanskrit is the mother of all
Indo-Aryan languages, and it was this lan-
guage in which our Vedas, Puranas and Up-
anishads had been written, and in which
Kalidas, Bhavbuti, Banabhatta and Dandi
wrote their classics. The judge also said that
the teachings of Sankaracharya, Ramanuja,
Madhvacharya, Nimbarka and Vallabha-
charya would not have been woven into the
fabric of Indian culture if Sanskrit had not
have been available to them as a medium of
expressing their thoughts. Dr. Karan Singh,
son of the last Maharaja of Kashmir and a
prominent Indian statesman, said, “The an-
cient language has kept our samskriti (cul-
ture) alive. We are India as it is today be-
cause of Sanskrit.”
In 1990, bharata natyam exponent and
long-time Delhi resident Justin McCarthy
made an impassioned plea for Sanskrit in
the Indian Express. He wrote, “Sanskrit is
not dead, nor is it merely a language. It is a
science and art, and insofar as it is a com-
pendium of a people’s consciousness, it is a
microcosm of all that is essentially Indian. It
is more precise and profound than any of the
world’s tongues. In literary terms, the ex-
pressive power of Sanskrit is unparalleled in
multi-dimensional subtlety. My desperate
plea for the preservation of Sanskrit may
seem to many to be unwarranted. But India’s
identity as unique amongst the world’s na-
tions is at stake. What is that uniqueness?
This is a country whose citizens are living
descendants of a vibrant past, a tradition
which still colors the lives of most Indians
today. It is a tradition which, in its ideal
state, affords a fertile, holistic approach to
living even in the hyped-up, commercial
age, inspiring all those, both Indian and for-
eign, who are at all touched by it.” ∏π
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 55

S E RV ICE
‘Amma’
m u r u g a p pa n
A man transformed: Bangaru Adigalar discovered a Siva lingam, unburied by a storm. Now he is an international legend.
They call him “Mother,” this red-robed servant of
the poor and inspired defender of womanhood
By Kesava Mallia, Chennai
esides the unique way its
construction was originally in-
spired, the famous Adhi Parasak-
thi Temple of Melmaruvathur, just
50 miles south of Chennai, is dis-
tinctive for at least three reasons.
One: Its most stalwart devotees—of which
there are said to be more than a million—
wear the color red to signify the life blood
they all share—be they rich, poor, man,
woman or child.
56 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
Two: Women are honored first in the tem-
ple—then children. And volunteer devo-
tees—both men and women—perform the
temple pujas in the Tamil, Kanada, Telugu
and Hindi languages, even though, in accord
with tradition, highly trained male priests
chanting Sanskrit fulfill this function in
most South Indian temples.
Three: In just 37 years—a short time in
the life of a South Indian pilgrimage desti-
nation—the temple and the spiritual move-
ment that has formed around it have gained
m u r u g a p pa n
m u r u g a p pa n
international fame.
Now, about that original inspiration. In
1966, a neem tree blew over in a storm, re-
vealing a swayambu (naturally formed) Si-
valingam that had been buried beneath it.
When a Tamil teacher named Bangaru Adi-
galar saw this lingam, he experienced a
spontaneous spiritual transformation.
In his illumined state he was inspired to
build a temple on the very site of the lingam,
and arranged for construction to begin im-
mediately. Eleven years later, he commis-
sioned famed temple architect Dr. V. Gana-
pati Sthapati to create the Adhi Parasakthi
murti (statue) that is now the temple’s pri-
mary Deity, although the original swayam-
bu lingam is still worshiped regularly.
Today Bangaru Adigalar is called “Amma”
(mother) and is considered by many to be a
physical incarnation of Goddess Parasakthi.
Service and devotion: (Above) Amma’s medical college. (Below) Women perform “Vilakku puja,” a ceremony to propitiate Goddess Sakti.
For the last 32 years, Amma—who is mar-
ried and has four children—has humbly
served those who extol him as their guru
through the use of a mystical power his
devotees refer to as the “gift of intuition.”
This “gift” consists primarily of the ability to
foresee the future. It is used by Amma only
in giving advice to devotees for solving the
practical problems of life.
For the purpose of sharing this advice,
Amma meets regularly with devotees in a
place called Putru Mandapam, built for him
next to the temple. There Amma lives in the
care of his family, quietly attending to the
needs of his congregation.
His message is: “All are a part of the one
family of the one Divine Mother. Service to
the poor is service to the Goddess. Honor
woman as the Goddess.” This clear and sim-
ple philosophical premise has gained him
immense respect and has spawned a move-
ment of sorts, with some 4,600 worship cen-
ters, mandrams, established not only
throughout Tamil Nadu but outside India—
in the United States, Singapore, Japan,
Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Switzerland,
Sri Lanka, France, Nigeria and Zambia.
All maintenance at the temple is also man-
aged by these mandrams, while the day-to-
day work is performed by volunteer devo-
tees. With the temple’s high-volume activity,
this is no small task. On March 3, 2002,
250,000 people visited Melmaruvathur to
celebrate Amma’s 62nd birthday. During the
Hindu festival of Thai Pusam, in January of
2002, an estimated two million pilgrims
came. On all full-moon days great feasts are
prepared for thousands.
Amma has also founded a number of edu-
cational institutions, including two universi-
ties—one for agriculture and the other for
science—and an engineering college just for
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
women. A dental school is currently under
construction, scheduled to open sometime
late in 2004.
In 1986, Amma founded the Adhipar-
asakthi Charitable Hospital to provide free
treatment for the poor. The hospital has al-
ready served millions of people from the
600 villages surrounding Melmaruvathur.
Currently, the hospital has five wings, 300
beds and employs a staff of 150, which in-
cludes 21 doctors. About 900 patients are
treated daily. The hospital has organized
twelve “eye camps,” providing minor eye
surgery and spectacles for free. The last
one, in February, 2002, was attended by
over 4,000 people.
Even in a world too skeptical of miracles,
the harshest critic would have to concede
that something divine inspired this man
called Amma to serve the poor, to praise
women and proclaim the oneness of all. ∏π
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 57

m u r u g a p pa n
The magnificient seven: Nachiappa Swamigal (center), Pontiff of Koviloor Aadheenam, oversees his oduvar class of seven with their teacher
MUSIC
Singing the Songs of Saints
Once there were 3,000 temple singers in Tamil Nadu. Now there might be 100.
will be a temple oduvar until my
death,” declares Sivagangai boldly. “I
have dedicated my life to this work, and
I am happy with whatever payment I
get. I will not take up any other job, even if
I am offered a lot of money.”
Brave words. In the twilight of a tradition
long overdue, great praise for simply surviv-
ing, even the most optimistic would have to
concede that the singing of Tamil Nadu’s
temple bards will never quite reclaim the
light of its greatest glory. Yet there is Siva-
gangai and a few more like him. And after
them, there will be a few more. And so it
will be for a very long time, for the music of
the oduvar is truly divine. As told from the
annals of South Indian history, “A heart that
does not melt from the songs of the oduvar
58 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
does not melt at all.”
In the Tamil language, the word oduvar
comes from the verb odhu, which means to
sing respectfully. One who performs odhu is
an oduvar. More specifically, according to
the ancient tradition of South Indian temple
worship, an oduvar is a singer who has been
rigorously trained—usually from a very
young age—in a most difficult form of South
Indian classical temple music. He is male—
usually Saivite Tamil—and sings only for
God—usually in temples and ashrams—and
only from the Tirumurai, a twelve-book col-
lection of hymns and writings of South Indi-
an Saivite saints.
Not only is the oduvar taught to sing with
great devotion, the songs he sings are devo-
tional by nature. The following famous verse
from the Tiruvasagam of Saint Manikkava-
sagar, often sung by oduvars, provides a
good example of the devotional yet deeply
philosophical quality of the Tirumurai:
“To the one who embodies within Himself
the Vedic hymns and Vedic sacrifice, truth
and untruth, light and darkness, joy and sor-
row, the divided and undivided, the attach-
ment and release, the beginning and ultimate
end—to Him our songs of praise we sing.”
Like a first-rate concert violinist, the odu-
var must possess more than a sense of disci-
pline. He must be blessed with extraordi-
nary talent and exemplary dedication. Yet,
unlike perhaps even the finest violinist, he
must also be pure, humble, religious, austere
and devotional. This is as it was 100 years
ago. But modern times militate against the
success of the oduvar. Today, when rock and
stones mean “Mick Jagger” rather than
“granite deity,” the very fact that Sivagangai
would want to do what he is doing at all is
just short of a miracle.
The golden age of the oduvars reached its
height when India’s kings held sway. South
India’s documented history dates back to the
fourth century bce when the Cheras, Cho-
las and Pandyas ruled what is now Tamil
Nadu. The domains of these three dynasties
changed many times over the centuries, and
other dynasties periodically came into pow-
er. Through it all, there was a steady patron-
age of the arts, and this served the expan-
sion of Tamil culture well.
The Tirumurai were written and com-
piled from approximately 200 bce through
the eleventh century. During this time, the
saints that composed these poems and songs
were becoming legends, and oduvars like
the minstrels of Europe, were singing their
praises. In the eleventh century, during the
reign of two important South Indian kings,
Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola Suma-
tra, the religious life of the Tamil people was
at its zenith, and times were never better for
the oduvar.
Rajaraja Chola once supported more than
3,000 oduvars. During his reign, these sa-
cred singers were given great respect. After
the ceremonial flame of high puja was
shown to the temple Deity, it was passed
next to the oduvar—even before the king, if
he were present.
During the 14th century, Muslim invasion
weakened the Chola dynasty, then in power.
Even after the great Vijayanagar Empire fell
in 1564, Tamil culture continued to flourish
under Nayak rule. History shows, in fact, that
the Tamil way of life enjoyed undisrupted
development from prehistory until the
British came, almost 500 years ago.
The East India Company of Great Britain
was established in Tamil Nadu in 1640 when
it negotiated the use of Madraspatnam, later
to become Chennai, as a trading post. Petty
quarrels among provincial rulers catalyzed
the British to gain administrative control over
the area. Under their colonial rule, most of
South India was integrated into the region
called Madras Presidency. When India be-
came independent in 1947, Madras Presiden-
cy became Madras State. In 1956 the Madras
State was reorganized to form present-day
Tamil Nadu along linguistic lines.
The religious Hindus of India generally
suffered from British occupation and Indian
Independence. The British left them humil-
iated—subordinated to Western values and
m u r u g a p pa n
nonreligious principles. Indian Indepen-
dence spawned a faltering democratic gov-
ernment laced with corruption. This new
democracy harvested profits from temples
and left priests nearly penniless. As bad as
this was, the priests at least had jobs, for the
temples could not function without them.
The oduvars, however, were expendable.
Only the most dedicated remained at their
posts. This is still true today. Sivagangai is
now working in the Kundrakudi Murugan
Temple, which is government controlled. Al-
though his food and lodging are free, he
makes only about $15 a month.
At the Tirumurai Pathasala run by
Koviloor Aadheenam, Ratnasabhapathi De-
sikar, 72, teaches a five-year intensive course
to qualify oduvars, but he currently has only
seven students. There are four other schools
like this in Tamil Nadu. The most successful
of them is at Dharmapuram Aadheenam,
where teachers have sustained their pro-
gram for the last 25 years. Today, in all of
Tamil Nadu, it is estimated that less than 30
students are studying to become full-time
oduvars.
This bleak horizon reveals a glimmer of
light. Recently, a Tamil movie entitled Raja
Raja Cholan featured a number of oduvars
performing on film. Never in recent history
have these elite but obscure musicians en-
joyed such mainstream promotion. Sri La
Sri Nachiappa Gnana Desika Swamigal, the
pontiff of Koviloor Aadheenam, is enthusias-
tic. “We will be releasing an audio cas-
sette/CD on Tirumurai,” he says with a
gleam in his eye. “Things are slowly getting
better. There is more respect for the odu-
var.” For years, Swami has been spearhead-
ing a campaign to revive the tradition.
At the school run by Koviloor Aad-
heenam, Muthukumar and Ananda Kalee-
swaran, both 21, are the only two students
who have graduated from the course since
its inception in 1995. Muthukumar is a first-
generation oduvar, while Kaleeswaran is
In class: Oduvar Ratnasabhapathi Desikar instructs his seven students at the Koviloor
Aadheenam Thirumurai school, from which just two students have graduated since 1995
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
fifth generation.
“Many have discouraged me, saying that I
may be losing out monetarily,” says Muthu-
kumar. “But I was firm and determined.
Oduvars are respected everywhere.”
The students still studying in the program
all share a similar enthusiasm. Dingidul, 18,
seeks to emulate his grandfather, who is still a
highly revered oduvar. Sivanmalai, 16, wants
to sing in a temple in his hometown. So do 23-
year-old T. Rathinavel Subramaniam and 18-
year-old Ganesan. “Even in villages, people
are now more God-loving,” says Ganesan,
who will be a 15th-generation oduvar. “So I
am very sure this tradition will stay for a very
long time.” Soma Sivaprakasam, 20, is the son
of an accountant who became an oduvar. He
dreams of going abroad to serve as a teacher
and a singer.
At the Koviloor Aadheenam, Tirumurai
school education is free, just as it is in all the
pathasalas (schools) of Tamil Nadu. Food,
accommodation, clothes and books are pro-
vided at no cost. The Chettiars, a communi-
ty of wealthy South Indian businessmen,
have long been associated with the oduvars
and figure in their future as dependable pa-
trons. Organizations like the Music Acade-
my, Seethai Hall, Narada Gana Sabha and
Ramalingar Pani Mandram—all based in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu’s classical music vor-
tex—constantly promote the Tirumurai and
the oduvars.
Then there is Sivagangai, who daily strives
to melt even the hearts that do not melt at
all. The saints who wrote the songs he sings
have long ago passed away. Yet, they live on
in their Tirumurai—and in the sacred
singing of Sivagangai. ∏π
With Kesava Mallia, Chennai
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 59
 SCULPTURE

The Pleasures of Profundity

Swami Guhabhaktananda of Malaysia Divine Life Society opens Re-
naissance Rally attended by leaders from India, USA and Africa
M A L AY S I A
Maharaj Sharma’s opening puja (inset) for Bharwani’s new
Tenerife superstore inducts Suresh into the family business. Seva to Save
S PA I N Hindus
Artha and Dharma in Spain I n january the malaysia
Hindu Sangam (MHS) held a
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., hosts a
pantheon of ancient South Indian bronzes from around the world
B Y H ELEN FAZIO , N EW J ERSEY, AND
J ULIE R AJAN , N EW Y ORK
he long, slender limbs of lord
Nataraja arch gracefully through the
air with purpose, reflecting His deep,
inner strength. In the alluring curve of
Her body, divine Durga exudes a stal-
wart radiance of eternal love and cos-
mic peace. And a glimmer of boyish naugh-
tiness, tempered by dharma, comes alive on
the curved lips of the ever-playful baby Kr-
ishna. Indeed, the exhibit, “The Sensuous
and the Sacred: Chola Bronze Deities from
South India,” displayed at the Arthur M.
Sackler Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.,
through early March is aptly named, as the
last few years. If they all go, deeply sensuous facets of the handcrafted
there will be no temples and no
Hindu organizations. Not only
bronze figures serve to heighten their divine
nature, uniting otherwise disparate human
the poor, but, more frightening,
children and youth are being
and divine experiences of love and spiritual-
ity into one plane of consciousness.
enticed by the chance to go to
heaven.” After the rally, several
The first collection devoted exclusively to
Chola bronzes and, thus, the largest to date

A spanish success story in today’s economically

dampened post 9/11 climate bears exotic testimony to the
entreprenurial savvy among the Hindu diaspora. Yet another
“Hindu Renaissance Gathering”
in Kuala Lumpur. Satguru Bod-
hinatha Veylanswami from
hundred volunteers came for-
ward to join MHS’s keystone
“ATMAH” program. The Action
in the United States, the Sackler’s display of
70 Deities comprise a wide range of both
Saivite and Vaishnavite pieces, reflecting
Bharwani giant department store opened last October in USA, Swami Ghananand from To Mobilize All Hindus seeks to: the glory of the highly-artistic Chola dyna-
glamorous Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. A Dussehra Africa and Swami Vigyanand 1) increase religious knowledge; sty, which ruled South India between the
puja blessed the opening of the glizty, futuristic addition to from India joined local leaders 2) turn temples into community ninth and thirteen centuries. The bronze
the Maya superstore chain. Traditional Hindu family solidari- in strategy discussions on centers; 3) be proactive in so- statues were created during that renaissance
ty is obviously a key to success, as four brothers, Kishinchand, strengthening Malaysian Hin- cial, welfare and counseling ser- period as mobile forms to represent the in-
Ramesh, Harisundar and Kumar work in close collaboration. dus. MHS president, A. Vaith- vices; 4) revive Hindu cultural stalled stone statues in temples for use in
During the opening, the well-educated and five-years-in- ilingam, highlighted the prob- activities; 5) modernize Hindu elaborate festival processions. In such cere-
training Suresh, son of Ramesh, was inducted into the busi- lem in his 2002 general print and electronic media and monies, as during the enactment of mar-
ness as the new store’s director. Spain is home to an estimated invitation: “About 60,000 Hin- make it available in libraries at riage rites for Deities, the bronzes were
12,500 Hindus of the Indian diaspora. dus have been converted these all temples and organizations. adorned with silks, flowers and jewelry,
echoing the highly divine status they tem-
porarily assumed from the temple’s main im-
AU S T R A L I A 2006, the US $593-mil- age. Holes and loops in the bases held poles

Aussie Sun lion dollar, Schlaich

Bergerman (Germany)
engineered generator sit-
by which the Deities were carried in elabo-
rate processions. As the pieces are not dis-
played in their formal state in the Sackler,
Power Tower ting in the Australian
outback will be the
they remain unadorned to reveal the man-
ner in which their undulating movement,

Iismagine a glass roof seven

kilometers wide. At the center
a 3,300-foot tall tower with a
base the size of a football field.
Sun heated air under the roof
will flow inward and up the
tower through 32 turbines pro-
ducing 200 megawatts, enough
electricity for 200,000 homes.
Scheduled for completion in
6 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
world’s tallest structure,
and it will cut annual
greenhouse gas emis-
their measured proportions, and the precise
details they display connote the central po-
sitions they served in sacred festivities.
sions by 700,000 tons. If Creating the exhibit proved a difficult la-
this giant performs well, bor of love, a journey into spirituality itself.
it could provide a model For several years, Vidya Dehejia, currently
for other eternally sun- the Barbara Stoler Miller Chair in Indian Art
baked areas in USA, In- at Columbia University, traveled all over the
dia, Africa, Mexico and world to secure and barter for pieces from a
the Middle East. Illustration of future Australian solar tower to be the world’s tallest structure Remover of Obstacles: On loan from the Cleveland Museum of Art is this artful, eleventh- variety of private collections, such as the
century standing Ganesha, first among the Gods Rockefeller Collection, and prominent gal-
clockwise from top left: courtesy bharat ratna;
hinduism today; reuters, ho 60 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 003

all photos: the arthur m. sackler gallery of art
Images of the Supreme: (left) One of the show’s stars, this three-foot, eleventh-century sculpture of God Siva as Nataraja, Lord of Dance, is
on loan from the Dallas Museum of Art; (right) a rare and uniquely approachable depiction of Brahma with all four faces sculpted
leries, including the Stuttgart Museum of Art.
The Collection: In the Sackler’s exhibition
galleries, these classical bronzes can be ex-
perienced in a manner unavailable to most
people living in the period of Chola reign.
As visitors, we can approach them without
an intermediary, and from a close perspec-
tive, we see them completely unadorned by
the arts of alankara, in a dim and quiet
room, spotlit as the treasures they are.
Some feeling of the energy and color of
the original processional experience comes
from the eighteenth-century Siva Nataraja,
which was lent by the Museum of Fine Arts
in Boston and which has been magnificent-
ly dressed, bejeweled, garlanded and flower
strewn. Signaling the entrance to the exhib-
it, Nataraja stands like a brilliant jewel in the
lotus bowl of one of the small galleries. But it
would be inappropriate to clothe and deco-
rate the Chola sculptures; any handling of
the pieces could damage their accrued pati-
nas that have protected them so well for so
long. Thus, in the unadorned murti we are
privileged to see the magnificent aesthetic
of the Chola artists.
Three Chola period Natarajas grace the
exhibit. Dating from 990 to 1150, they were
lent by a private collector, the Dallas Muse-
um of Art and the Rijksmuseum in Amster-
dam. The Dallas Nataraja is particularly
splendid. A dark bronze with minimal pati-
na, the sculpture itself is massive but subtle.
The great torque of the torso, as Siva’s left
foremost arm pulls across the body, is bal-
anced by the oppositional force of the right
foremost arm advancing in a gesture of bless-
ing, also the dancer’s motion that stops the
turn. Lord Siva’s stance captures His move-
ment as if for an instant, as His spin brings
Him facing frontward; our eyes are drawn to
His gaze as he stands in a pose He has held
in freshness and beauty for 900 years.
One of the most unforgettable sculptures
is Uma (“Mother”) as Queen Sembiyan Ma-
hadevi, a late tenth-century sculpture which
is arguably the most exemplary realization of
high Chola bronze expression and the most
masterfully finished bronze in the collec-
tion. Making the shortest journey to join the
Sackler exhibit, Uma as Queen Sembiyan
Mahadevi is lent by the Freer Gallery of
Art, just across the shared courtyard from
the Sackler. The historical Queen Sembiyan
Mahadevi, grandmother of Rajaraja i of the
Chola dynasty, was a consummate temple
builder and art patron. Curator Vidya Dehe-
jia believes the great art patroness’ features
and posture, her serious and regal expression
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
and the elegant slope of her shoulders have
been incorporated by her artisans into the
sculpture of Uma, God Siva’s female consort,
making the piece both divine and human.
Also highlighting the exhibit are two rare
depictions of Somaskanda, depicting a pre-
cious dancing baby Skanda in the midst of
His parents. In addition, a unique eleventh-
Gatherer: Former chief curator and Sackler
gallery deputy director Vidya Dehejia
h i n d u i s m t o d ay
Immediate Hindu community:
The sacred dimensions of the
collection are enhanced by their
contextualization. The Deities
are respectfully displayed on
tall pedestals, often encased in
glass, and unadorned to high-
light their ceremonially inactive
state. Throughout the setting,
the pieces are both intermin-
gled with impressive, informa-
tive photos demonstrating their
use in modern-day worship cer-
emonies and set against full-col-
or, panoramic images of South
Indian temples. Furthermore,
the exhibit frames the aesthetic
aspects of the Deities in a
wealth of practical, historical,
and religious information. For
example, visitors who are curi-
ous about traditional methods
by which bronze statues are still
created in India can view a
short video detailing the process,
and those who are simply curi-
ous about Hinduism can peruse
Rare collection: a rare, early twelfth-century Somaskanda dancing between father Siva and mother a modest collection of books set
Sakti; (inset) famed Tamil ascetic poet-saint Karaikkalammaiyar, cymbals in hand, her body ramrod aside in a separate sitting area.
straight though emaciated by severe yogas; Sita, Lord Rama’s wife, late tenth century In addition, the exhibit pro-
vides informative placards in
century image of four-faced Brahma seated suggestion of a sagacious glance and massive Tamil and English detailing critical aspects
as acharya for the wedding of Siva and Uma capability as the Obstacle Remover. of the Chola dynasty and of the Hindu
comes from the Asia Society Gallery in New Also of interest are the individual child Deities. Well-trained docents, such as
York. Although the Cholas included Brahma bronzes of Sambandar and Krishna. Docent Sirkin, who spent much of her time in Chen-
among the fixed stone sculptures within their Helen Sirkin pointed out a frequent error nai, display an impressive and thorough
temples, processional statues of Brahma in people make when viewing the image of a knowledge with regard to each piece, the
bronze were unusual and provided the op- dancing child in Indian art. This is evi- Chola era and modern-day Hindu ap-
portunity actually to sculpt the fourth face. denced from some confusion concerning proaches to puja. Thus, the resultant experi-
The Cleveland Museum of Art and a pri- the thirteenth-century bronze of the Danc- ence is highly engaging and accessible to all
vate collector have each contributed stand- ing Child-Saint Sambandar from the Lin- visitors, from the staunch Hindu devotee to
ing Ganesha statues. The Cleveland Gane- den-Museum in Stuttgart. Although icono- the mildly interested passerby.
sha is a refined high Chola piece of the late graphically it almost exactly resembles the Refreshingly, community outreach is cen-
eleventh century, beautifully svelte and ur- Dancing Child Krishna from a private col- tral to this exhibit. Visitors are privy to the
bane of expression with grace and art in lection, this Sambandar gestures upward personal comments of Hindu devotees in
every gesture. The companion Ganesha of a with his right hand, telling his father that the Washington, D.C., area discussing their
century later has considerably heavier pati- Siva and Uma gave him his cup of milk. This views of the exhibit, puja and Hinduism to-
na and less grace. What the latter Ganesha is a crucial and often overlooked factor dis- day, displayed in plaques throughout the
lacks in refinement is compensated by the tinguishing him from the child Krishna, gallery. In addition, the Sackler has made ef-
who uses His right hand to make the sign of forts to train Hindu youths as docents for
blessing. tours during the weekend, thereby actively
Most exciting of all, the exhibition unites engaging future generations of Hindus in
Youth’s Voice two sculptures originally from the Sembiyan the presentation and interpretation of their
workshop in the Kaveri Delta region, which heritage to the American diaspora.
eing a dancer, i really adore previously fate and time seem to have taken The Sackler’s melding of conservative tra-
Siva because He represents dance in in separate directions. From the Philadelphia dition and modern interpretation, as well as
the form of Nataraja. Going to Him Museum of Art, Rama now resides with his multi-generational participation, underscores
soothes me before doing a program, and natural companion Sita, who was originally the fact that although the Chola bronzes
it calms me to think of Him when I’m housed in the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart. hearken to a bygone era, their sacred Hindu
dancing during a program. When I see Although Sita is more ornate, not only is it representation is very much alive and re-
these sculptures, I want to be that sculp- clear that the bronze amalgam for each is spected today. ∏π
ture, standing in the exact same spot. similar, but also that the conditions of their helen asquine fazio is a freelance writer specializ-
ing in indian art and fiction and a teacher at rut-
Even though I don’t have all the arms, I preservation have had similar effects. Prod- gers university. julie rajan is a freelance writer
specializing in issues concerning religious and
just really want to stand like that.” ucts by the same workshop, and possibly by gender politics. this exhibit travels to the dallas
Samatha Reddy, age 17, Sallston, MD the same group of artisans, Rama and Sita museum of art from april 4-june 15 and the
cleveland museum of art from july 6-sept 14.
are temporarily reunited at the Sackler.
61 62 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 03
INTERVIEW
Hinduism in Africa
My guru guided me to establish a temple and
monastery in Ghana to propagate Hinduism
BY S R I S WA M I G H A NA NA N DA
am a disciple of swami krishnananda saraswati,
who propagated Hinduism in Africa and also set up
the Human Service Trust in Mauritius. I was born
in the traditional African religion. Both my parents
were priests. Initially, I became a Christian, but I was
searching for the truth. I went through some books on yoga
and discovered that Hinduism is a very good religion. It is
open minded. It teaches you about God. It also teaches you
about the science of the soul. Later on, I decided to go to In-
dia. I went to Rishikesh and stayed at Swami Sivananda’s ash-
ram, the Divine Life Society. There I found that Hinduism is
a straightforward religion that revealed the truth. Later on,
I came back to Ghana and tried to practice Hinduism as a
normal person. At that time my age was 35.
When I came back from India, I organized a group of people.
Now, these were not ordinary people. I had university lecturers
and lawyers. They were the core of the group that I formed. I ex-
posed them to what I had learned from India. Some of the Indian
families also came to my lectures. When Swami Krishnananda
came from India, most of the Indians went to meet him. They told
him that I had been to India and was practicing Hinduism. Then
they introduced me to him. He told me that what I was doing
was perfect, and that I should carry on with it. You see, not many
swamis used to come to West Africa. And the ones who did come
would stay for a week or two and go back. But it was Swami Krish-
nanand Saraswati who stayed there all the time. He gave me a lot
of encouragement. I told him that I wanted to be a swami. When
next he came, he told me that now he was going to fulfill my wish.
He initiated me in sannyas. The president of the country attended
my initiation in 1975. Then my monastic life started.
My guru told me, “You are the first African swami” and said,
“To be a monk, you must get a place for a monastery.” At the time,
there was no one propagating Hinduism in Ghana. There was no
temple or place where the people of Indian origin could go and
pray. So my master told them, “What are you doing? You have such
a good culture. You must practice it.” Since 1975 to the present
time we have made a lot of progress, with the blessings of God. I
have set up five temples in Ghana and one temple in the neighbor-
ing country of Togo. We have no problem with the government.
But there are a few individuals who feel threatened. They are
scared of the popularity and spreading of Hinduism, and they
would like to destroy it.
The future of Hindus in Ghana is very bright. We have to do
a lot of work there. My guru told me to help orphans, disabled
people and those who are suffering. He told me to do things so that
people are attracted to Hinduism. I have been fighting to make
Hinduism grow in my area.
My guru kept in touch with me almost till he breathed his last.
When he was last in Ghana, he told me, “Swami Ghanananda, I
am going. Now everything is in your hands. Try to do everything
that I have told you.” He gave advice to
all the members. He told me, “Be in this
monastery, available to the people here,
so that if they need any advice, they can
come to you. So, now you do not have to
bother about anything, as you have every-
thing with you. Try to meditate.” And this
is what I am trying to do since he left the
world in 1992.
Hindu youth feel very happy after
worshiping in the temple. But most of
the youth, even Hindu youth in Ghana,
act like they are Christians. As they are
away from India, they are also away from
the Indian values. For instance, most of
them eat meat and fish. They like the
discotheques. My job is to remind people
why they have come to this Earth. We are
not here to act like the clowns of a circus.
We do not have many drug addicts, but
we have people who have other negative
tendencies. The challenge in Ghana is to
continue with our Hindu practices and
stay on the right path.
My message to the youth is that Hindu-
ism should be taken as something which
is a way of life and is not just going to the
temple and performing certain rituals. By
following Hinduism they should be able to lead a very good life,
so that when they reincarnate, they get a good birth to continue
their spiritual education. For now, they must do all the good that
they can. If they do so, their future will be bright. I tell the youth
that they must respect the elders and try to learn from them by
sitting at their feet. You cannot learn anything if you do not pay
due respect to your elders. The youth has to behave humbly and
study the scriptures and live the life by the scriptures. Our Hindu
youth should set an example for the rest of humanity by being on
the correct path.
So far, I have not initiated any monks in West Africa. You see,
Hinduism is a new thing there, and I do not want to make some-
body a monk who later on abandons monkhood. It would bring a
bad name to me and to Hinduism. I do tell people what is expected
The Renaissance Man
of them to become a monk. But there are many people who are Swami Chinmayananda’s legendary mission began
just looking for a place to stay. They express their desire to me,
but I say, “Sorry,” to them. Consequently, I am facing a problem. I with a bold and brilliant lecture invoking change
want more people to come and join me. I am getting older. I am
sixty-five. If I pass away tomorrow, there should be somebody to
take over. But at the moment there is nobody to carry forward this Peering into the future: The swami at age 35, with 42 years of destiny ahead. (Inset) The grand old master on his 70th birthday.
work. I pay a lot of attention to the youth, educating them in Hin-
duism. God’s ways are mysterious. Maybe tomorrow someone who Only 18 people attended Swami Chinmayananda’s first lecture, in and civilization that we have lost.
deserves to be a monk will show up. Pune, India, on December 23, 1951. Though the organizers of the To some, no doubt, Hinduism in India has come to be nothing
Living as a Hindu in West Africa is not easy. You are threatened. event thought it was a flop, the 32-year-old swami knew it was not. more than a bundle of superstitions—or a certain way of dressing,
What is needed is positive coverage from the African media. The The talk, which we share below, was entitled “Let Us Be Hindus.” cooking, eating, talking and so on. Our Gods have fallen to the
media must write that Hinduism is something good. They have to It called for a Hindu Renaissance. That Renaissance became the mortal level of administration officers at whose altars we pray for
tell people that Swami is a messenger of Hinduism like the other theme and substance of the swami’s work for the following 42 years. special permissions—and get them if the required fees are paid to
swamis of this ancient tradition. If something like this happens, the priests!
then many of the people will want to join Hinduism. However, the t has become a new fashion with the educated This degradation is not the product of any accidental or sudden
present treatment by the media is not so fair. Hindu to turn up his nose and sneer at the very mention of historical upheaval. For two hundred years, Hinduism has been
his religion. I, too, have been among these critics. But when it catering to the rich. Once upon a time long ago, the learned
is proclaimed that we would benefit socially and nationally by philosophers, known as brahmins, wisely advised the rulers, called
swami ghanananda, 65, may be contacted at Hindu Monastery running away from Hinduism, I pause to reconsider my stand. kshatriyas. But through time, the brahmins and the kshatriyas
of Africa, P. O. Box 13693, Accra, Ghana. The above material is However decadent our religion may have become, it is far better became indulgent, and the purity of their lifestyle deteriorated.
excerpted from his interview with Hinduism Today correspondent than no religion at all. My proposal is that we bring about a renais- Today, the cry of the educated class is really against this un-reli-
Rajiv Malik in Malaysia in February, 2003, following the Malaysia sance of Hinduism so that within its greatness—which has been gion. Only the thoughtless would call this Hinduism.
Hindu Sangam’s Hindu Renaissance Rally. proven through many centuries—we may reattain the past culture Certainly, if Hinduism can breed for us only heartless and cor-
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 63 64 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
rupt businessmen, cowardly workers, loveless masters and faithless Religion becomes ineffective if the seekers are not ready to live
servants; if Hinduism can give us only a state of social living in its ideals. For that matter, is there any philosophy—political, social
which each man is set against his brother; if Hinduism can give us or cultural—that can take anyone anywhere if its followers don’t
only starvation and destitution; if Hinduism can encourage us only obey certain principles in daily life?
to plunder, to loot and to steal; if Hinduism can preach to us only However great our culture might have been in the past, that his-
intolerance, fanaticism, hardheartedness and cruelty; then I too tory alone cannot help us in our present trails. We must learn, then
cry, “Down! Down with Hinduism!” live, the Hindu life. Knowledge alone will not suffice. A study of a
The true Hinduism is a science of perfection. There is, in this cookbook, however thorough it may be, cannot satisfy our hunger.
true Hinduism, a solution to every individual, social, national and No matter how long we meditate upon and repeat the name of a
international problem. True Hinduism is the sanatana dharma medicine, we cannot obtain its cure unless we actually ingest it.
(eternal truth) of the Upanishads. Similarly, the blessings of religion can be ours only when we are
The Upanishads proclaim in unmistakable terms that, in reality, ready to live its recommended values.
man is God. Man is therefore advised to live his day-to-day life in Renunciation is also required. Without renunciation, no progress
such a systematic way that, hour by hour, he is consciously cleans- is possible. We must renounce the thrills of our childhood games
ing himself of all those imperfections that have gathered to conceal so that we might grow to be men of noble action. Unless we are
the beauty and divinity of his true, eternal nature. The methods ready to renounce the low, animalistic values of material life and
by which an individual may consciously evolve by his own self-ef- replace them with the noble values of a truly religious life, we can-
fort comprise the content of Hinduism. The vast amphitheater of not hope to gain the blessings of religion.
Hinduism is preserved, yet hidden, deep within the camouflage of In conclusion, let us first know what Hinduism is. Then, let us
its heavy descriptions, which are contained in the scriptures and take an honest oath—not only for our sake, but for the sake of the
their many, many commentaries. This overgrowth has so effective- whole world—that we shall, when once we are convinced of the
ly come to conceal that true grandeur of this Temple of Truth that, validity of this Eternal Truth, try honestly and consistently to live
today, that temple is all but lost amidst its own festoons. its values. Aum Aum Aum. ∏π

du Parishad (VHP), but after 1964 re-

Reviving Hindu Dignity mained on its board of directors only as
spiritual advisor. At that time, Christians in
India were converting Hindus through en-
ticement and coercion, and Swami was
A skeptic is transformed into a dynamic spiritual leader

d av i d b a l l
deeply concerned. One of the VHP’s first
ambitions was to attempt converting these
Hindus back into Hinduism. This has re-
ometime early in 1948, a brash, mained a VHP priority to the present day.
32-year-old journalist named Bala- Even after two major heart attacks near Elephant regalia: The great mammoth march of Trissur in Kerala is one of India’s most famous elephant displays
krishna strutted into Rishikesh look- the end of his life, Swami kept traveling
ing for trouble. He was, as he put it, and lecturing. By the time he passed away ANIMAL RIGHTS
out to “expose how those holy men are in August of 1993, he had conducted 576

Elephant’s Price
keeping up the bluff.” At that time, the lit- Jnana Yajnas. He had also established
tle village of Rishikesh, nestled in the twelve major Chinmaya Centers, 72
foothills of the Himalayas, was still a wild schools, six colleges, 30 temples, a hospital
a l l p h o t o s : c o u r t e s y o f c h i n m aya m i s s i o n

and scary place where lions and tigers and an orphanage—as well as numerous vo-
roamed, and a roaring river called the cational training centers and senior citizen’s
Ganges—not yet crossed by a bridge, either homes. “If I rest, I rust,” Swami was fond of
up or downstream—could sweep a man to saying.
his death before he could think his name. It is hard to imagine none of this grand Neglect and brutal treatment too often beset our temple mascots
Yet, there were a few huts and ashrams— story happening, but actually that might
and yes, there were some holy men. One of have been the case, had it not been for one
these saintly souls—in fact, the first rishi of anonymous woman. Before taking sannyas, B Y V RINDAVANAM S. G OPALAKRISHNAN , occasion required. Even the temple ele- nearby Mattanchery. He had burns on his
Rishikesh that Balakrishna met—was Swa- young Balakrishna was inspired by the E RNARKULAM , K ERALA phants were kept busy with work in addi- forehead and mouth and was in very poor
mi Sivananda. Within a day or two, Bala- freedom movement of India and became a isitors to the famed krishna tion to being available for the religious func- condition, all a result of mistreatment.
krishna had forgotten his intended purpose. “freedom fighter.” While distributing con- temple at Guruvayoor in Kerala sel- tions. Their keepers, the mahouts, were There are many other examples.
Swami Sivananda’s unworldly calm had troversial literature, he was arrested and dom skip visiting the nearby Pun- then highly trained and respected. Today There have been an increasing number of
completely overwhelmed him. Almost in- thrown into a New Delhi prison. There, nathur Kotta Anathavalam, or ele- many are not. The result is the elephants incidents of rebellious elephants, often those
stantly, the proud skeptic was transformed. where the cells were unhygienic and pris- phant grounds. It is such a stunning now pay the high price of human neglect. owned by temples. The mahouts are getting
On February 25, 1949, along with five oners were dying by the dozens from dead- experience to see the 57 elephants, ages from Take the example of the mahout Gopala- the blame because of their ruthless behavior
other students, Balakrishna received san- Godly scholar: Swami preparing a lecture ly diseases, the frail young man also fell six to sixty-five, up close. There is a saying in krishnan, an alcoholic. He had stupidly tak- toward the elephants, their lack of under-
nyas initiation from Swami Sivananda and for one of his many Jnana Yagnas deathly ill. When prison guards threw him India that one never tires of watching three en the majestic tusker Ravipuram Govindan standing of the psychology of the animal
was named Chinmayananda. Sivananda im- out in the streets to die, a passing woman things: the Moon, the ocean and an elephant. out on the main thoroughfare of Kochi on coupled with inexperience and dereliction
mediately sent him to the village of Ut- (wisdom offerings), “elucidating Advaita took pity upon him, called a doctor and But all is not well in the lives of these intelli- January 22, 2003, despite the elephant of duty. The mahouts, according to officials
tarkashi, 100 miles north of Rishikesh, to Vedanta for the common man of the mar- arranged for him to be nursed back to gent, sensitive and highly social creatures. showing signs of musth, the frenzied yearly of the temple administration I interviewed,
train intensively with a famous Vedic schol- ketplace.” During the 42 years that fol- health. Had this lady not shown compas- There is another saying in India, “ele- sexual season of the males. The enraged ele- are paid us$125 a month, plus benefits, in-
ar named Swami Tapovanam. Nearly three lowed, he gave hundreds of Jnana Yagnas. sion, the man known as Swami Chin- phant’s price,” meaning “immensely expen- phant killed his mahout and terrorized the cluding housing—not a lot for a 24/7 com-
years after this, Swami Chinmayananda be- In 1962, Swami Chinmayananda was in- mayananda might never become been the sive.” It’s a tribute to the value of an elephant city before being shot by a tranquilizer gun. mitment to an animal who may be daily
gan giving lectures called “Jnana Yajnas” strumental in establishing the Vishwa Hin- legend that was. ∏π in the old days when they served as crane, Recently the government animal welfare contemplating your demise.
forklift, tow truck or Sherman Tank, as the officer took in an elephant, Lakshmanan, at Temple elephants come from two sources.

j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 65 66 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly, au g u s t, s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
One is when a rich person gifts
an elephant to a temple, a tradi-
tional offering. The pomp and
circumstance with which these
gifts are received is not followed
by proper care.
A second group of elephants
are those hired out by their own-
ers for work in the timber depots
or to the temples for festivals. Ac-
cording to Dr. K. C. Panicker, a
Kerala Agricultural University
veterinary college professor and
currently the Secretary of the
Elephant Welfare Association,
Trissur, they, too, are not cared Better days: Caparisoned elephants parade
for properly.
Many have been subjected to
cruel treatment to break their
spirit and make them obey the
across this modern painting on silk cloth

temple, Panicker recommends the devotee

take up the maintenance of an elephant al-
Elephants’ Kingly Care
commands. Some mahouts go to ready owned by the temple. Ensuring the
the extent of applying “the sensitive and emotional pachyderm’s happi- The ancient Arthashastra treated them right
brakes” around their back legs to ness and well being surely would be pleas-
control them. This abominable ing to the temple Deity, he noted.
instrument [photo upper right] Panicker helped organize the internation- Kautiliya lived 2,300 years ago. He was the chief minister to the Maurya King, Chan-
drives spikes into the animal’s leg al workshop on elephant management held dragupta. He wrote the Arthashastra, an erudite text, running to 500 pages in translation,
if he offers any resistance against from October 25 to 27, 2002, at Trissur in covering every aspect of government, including the care of elephants. The entire text may
it. For an account of more hu- Kerala under the auspices of the Elephant be read at: www.mssc.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Arthashastra/
mane training, see www.chiang- Welfare Association. Veterinarians from var- index.htm.
mai-chiangrai.com/elep-at- ious parts of the country and others from
work.htm. abroad participated. “The King’s Superintendent of Elephants shall take proper steps to protect elephant
“Many think that since it is just One of the best sources of information for forests and supervise the operations with regard to the standing or lying in stables of ele-
an animal, whatever they provide modern veterinarians remains the Hasti phants, male, female or young, when they are tired after training, and examine the propor-
is enough,” says Dr. Panicker. Ayurveda of Palapapia. This ancient text is tional quantity of rations and grass, the extent of training given to them, their accouter-
“But that is not the case with ele- the world’s first on veterinary medicine and ments and ornaments, as well as the work of elephant doctors, of trainers of elephants in
photos: madhu raj

phants. They are intelligent, deals mostly with elephants and horses. warlike feats, and of grooms, such as drivers, binders and others.” (Introduction, Chapter
emotional and sensitive. Ele- Both were key to the military readiness of 31, “The Superintendent of Elephants”)
phants like clean premises. If the the kingdom. Ancient India understood ele-
surface is filthy, they will sleep phants, and the level of care can be ascer- “The first and seventh of the eight divisions of the day are the two bathing times of ele-
standing. Elephants drink only tained by comparing the food rations men- phants; the time subsequent to those two periods is for their food; forenoon is the time for
clean water. They become tioned earlier in this article with the more their exercise; afternoon is the time for drink; two (out of eight) parts of the night are the
friendly with those who offer Pachyderm reality: (above) “The Brakes,” a nailed ring to be clamped and tightened onto the ele- nourishing and satisfying diet listed in the time for sleep; one-third of the night is spent in taking wakeful rest.” (Section 136)
them their favorite food, such as phant’s leg, shown with other brutal means of control; (below) a violent elephant is tethered to a tree Arthashastra (at right) 2,300 years ago. In
plantain, jaggery, etc.” the USA, that diet could run us$700/week. The [daily] rations for an elephant [of standard height] shall be one drona of rice [equiv-
Panicker went on to explain the require- daily. For good health, the elephant should vayur Temple administration. The area in Unfortunately, these ancient texts are not alent to 13.2 kg], half an adhaka of oil [1.6 kg], 3 prasthas of ghee [2.5 kg], 10 palas of salt
ments of elephant care. “The quantum of spend three to four hours each day in water which they are housed is quite inadequate, consulted much today. [.5 kg], 50 palals of flesh [2.3 kg], one adhaka of broth (rasam) [3.3 kg], or twice the
food required by an elephant daily is five and be bathed with hard scrubbers. But Panicker said, even though this is one of the There are estimated in all of Asia to be quantity of curd [6.6 kg]; in order to render the dish tasteful, 10 palas of sugar (kshara) [.5
percent of its weight, which runs 2,500 to these conditions are rarely met for the work- better compounds in the state. There is little 35,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants in the wild kg], one adhakara of liquor [3.3 kg], or twice the quantity of milk (payah) [6.6 kg]; one
4,500 kg. Throughout the day, except for the ing elephant or those used at temple festivals. provision for dealing with male elephants and an additional 15,000 in captivity. Their prastha of oil [.8 kg] for smearing over the body, one-eight prastha of oil [.1 kg] for the
four hours when they sleep, elephants eat. A On top of malnourishment comes increas- during the annual musth period when they numbers are just a tenth of the African ele- head and for keeping a light in the stables; two bharas of meadow grass [140 kg], 2.25
working adult should be fed five kilos of rice, ing mistreatment by untrained mahouts, become wild and don’t respond to their ma- phant. The World Conservation Union Red bharas of ordinary grass (sashpa) [157.5 kg], and 2.5 bharas of dry grass [175 kg]; and
ten kilos of ragi (black millet), 100 grams of said Panicker. The novices treat the animals hout. This lasts for a few days in adolescent List, which is a comprehensive data base of any quantity of stalks of various pulses (kadankara). (Section 137)
salt, 50 grams of jaggery and 300 kilos of ruthlessly and inflict injuries on them, cre- males up to three months in 30- and 40- endangered species, states that Asian ele-
palm leaves. Most private owners provide 18 ating an uncontrollable beast. Such continu- year-olds. During this period, they are heav- phants have experienced a 50% reduction in “Accumulation of dirt in stables, failure to supply grass, causing an elephant to lie down
kilos of cooked rice and 200 to 300 kilos of ous torture often leads to sickness and even ily chained and left without proper care. numbers over the last three generations as a on hard and unprepared ground, striking on vital parts of its body, permitting a stranger
palm leaves. But now the shortage of palm death. Panicker makes recommendations to alle- result of exploitation and decline of habitat. to ride it, untimely riding, leading it to water through impassable places and allowing it to
leaves is a major problem and no efforts are To a great extent, the nonavailability of viate the problems. The Punnathur Kotta No matter how well treated, an elephant enter the thick forest are offenses punishable with fines.” (Section 137)
being made to plant more.” trained mahouts could be attributed to the and like places should have more space, remains an undomesticated animal. It has
With the palm consumption going up as poor wages and to the risk involved, he said. compound walls and a forest atmosphere so never been selectively bred like the cow and Elephants are classified into four kinds in accordance with the training they are given:
the number of captive elephants increases, Lack of proper care and maintenance also that the elephants can move freely. There has horse to live closely with humans. Conse- that which is tameable (damya), that which is trained for war (sannahya), that which is
most of the elephants remain underfed, Pan- results in increase of deaths. During the to be a mating yard to preserve the social or- quently, only under the kindest and most in- trained for riding (aupavahya) and rogue elephants (vyala). (Introduction, Chapter 32,
icker pointed out. Given this situation, the past two decades, 234 elephants died in der. There should be a special place for baby telligent of care will the animal be content in “Training of Elephants”)
best alternative left is to grow hybrid napier Kerala alone. The highest number was 20 in elephants to be raised, like the elephant or- captivity. Unfortunately, our traditional
grass in the wastelands. Similarly, provision 1997. phanage set up in Kandy, Sri Lanka (mem- knowledge of how to provide such consider- “Throwing sticks, mud, stones, rods or arrows on elephants, raising or waving the arms
for drinking water has to be made. Elephants The largest number of elephants kept in bers.lycos.co.uk/withanage/orphanage.htm). ate care is declining as rapidly as the ele- against elephants shall be treated as an assault [i.e. with the same punishment as assault-
consume around 250 liters of clean water captivity is at Punnathur Kotta of the Guru- Instead of donating an elephant to the phant’s population. ∏π ing a human].( Section 234)

j u ly, a u g u s t, s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 67 68 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3
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INDIA India, Tibet and Nepal Video game ratings by the
Yogi Balakrishnan, Kalpana had come with her
renowned expert of
hatha- and raja-
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here that thousands joined her
VIOLENT GAME REPORT CARD
M Mature T Teen E Everyone
National Institute on Media and
the Family based on content it
feels is appropriate for children
dhist Gods & Goddesses
yogas (see “Yoga
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M E
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classes in the pride in the hearts of millions Kalpana was a vegetarian and Dead to Rights M

Singapore and • Silver ethnic jewelry Blood Rayne M Super Mario World E
of Indians around the world. A known to frequent the Harry Potter E
Malaysia temples • Pichwaiis & batik million also mourned her pas- Meenakshi temple. Little more Run Like Hell M
Hunter, the Reckoning M Roller Coaster Tycoon E
listed below. paintings sage, at age 41, from this world is known of her spiritual life, Hitman 2 M Mario Party 4 E

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Yoga is an ancient philosophy of living and a method of gain- batiks tle Colombia disintegrated in dedication spoke of her great- Time Splitters T Ty the Tasmanian Tiger E
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actualizing one’s physical, vital, mental, and spiritual potentials. • Books & henna body art of Bharat’s daughters, from of all persuasions joined her fa- Blinx: Time Sweeper E

• Musical instruments: humble beginnings she rose to ther to honor one who will in- Shopping Percentage of unaccompanied children nationwide
• Sri Holy Tree Balasubramaniar Temple (Yishun Ind. Pk.) sitars and tablas join, in 1994, the team of space spire young people for genera- Survey who were able to buy M-rated video games:
• Sri Sivan Temple (Geylang East) • Sri Vairavimada • Healing mantra explorers as a NASA astronaut. tions to come. Age 13 66% Age 15 80%
Kaliamman Temple(Toa Payoh Lor. 8) • Sri Ruthira music CDs Age 14 70% Age 16 85%
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Kaliamman Temple (Depot Rd) • Sri Arasakesari Temple
(Woodlands Rd) • Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple ● Custom bronze deities and marble home shrines. USA
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● Orders taken for monasteries and temples.
2339 University Blvd.
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Games’ Neural Consequences
Devasthanan (Johore Baru) • Sri Nagama Temple (Perak)
No age limit—all are welcome. Contact:
Write for our catalog:
Houston, TX 77005 USA
tel: 713-668-2948 ● fax: 713-661-9136
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Bala Yoga Centre •Healthy
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We offer group tours to visit temples in
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violent video game “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.” Dr. Vincent P.
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decreased frontal lobe brain activity during violent video game
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Sanskrit Academy Promoting Sanskrit Language and Culture

Hindus and Sikhs paid tribute to astronaut Kalpana (inset) in Texas

M A L AY S I A Lumpur. More than 4,500

games. Parenting groups and US Senators are worried about the
effects of such a vicious and addictive pastime. Parents are advised
to supervise video games. Your worries are warranted.

Malaysians devotees performed the

●
● Sanskrit classes for
Love Muruga
individuals or groups
on location or by correspondence
T he much beloved god
of South India, Lord Muru-
gan, known in the Vedas as
Lord Kartikkeya or Skanda, has
with continuous guidance an ancient history, especially in
Tamil Nadu. His powerful shak-
all ages ti continues to bless us even in
modern times. Wherever
elementary, intermediate Tamils have gone, so, too, has
the worship of this great celes-
or advanced levels tial Deity. In Malaysia, the de-
votion to Lord Murugan is gen-
●
● Translation Service erating one of the largest
annual Hindu festival phenome-
na in the world outside of India.
This year’s January Thai Pusam
festival drew one million faith-
Contact Dr. Sarasvati Mohan ● 408-370-2260 ful to Lord Murugan’s sacred
home in Batu Caves, Kuala
samskrt@aol.com ● www.samskrtam.org
clockwise from top left: reuters, richard car-
69 son; zuma press, seamas culligan; agence france
press, ahmad yusni
kavadi penance, carrying
pots of milk or a yoke
across their shoulders
with pots of milk tied on
each end, many with
their bodies, tongues and
cheeks pierced with
small silver spears. Kava-
di is a purification
penance and a fulfillment
of vows acknowledging
prayers granted by the
God. Farther north, in
Ipoh, 100,000 devotees
and spectators worshiped
and watched at the Gu-
nun Cheroh Sri Subrama-
niar Temple. Leaders of
the Malaysia Indian Con-
gress once again have
pleaded that the govern-
ment declare the event a
national holiday. Before beginning penance, Muruga bhaktas bathe in beautiful waterfalls
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 3 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 7
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74 75
 DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY ENDOWMENT CONTRIBUTIONS
Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment Paramaseeven Canagasaby 32.33 Hindu Heritage Endowment Administrative Fund
Peter Bartlett 50.00 Vel Mahalingum 15.08 Shailesh Trivedi 108.00
Rajendra Giri 20.00 Manogaran Mardemootoo 50.28 Total 108.00
Arul Karttikeya 375.00 Vishwanaden Moorooven 23.15
Total 445.00 Total 480.84 Thank You Gurudeva Fund
THE FOUNDER’S INTRODUCTION Iraivan Temple Endowment
Mark D. Aguila 50.00
Kailasa Pitham Gift Fund
Shailesh Trivedi 108.00
Amarnath Devarmanai
Laurie Ho
Manoharan Navaratnarajah
324.00
101.00
150.00
Seetharaman Ganapathy 25.00 Total 108.00 Easvan Param 1,001.00
Sitharama Swamy Katragadda 200.00 Shanta Devi Periasamy 345.00
B N Lakshmikanth 200.00 Boys School for Iraivan Priesthood Alex Ruberto 45.00
Hindu thought and culture thread through almost every civilization on the planet, Susilia Silvam
Sivadas Sivarajah
50.00
60.00
Bala Sivaceyon
Total
19.33
19.33
Nitya Sivam
Jutikadevi Sivaraja
33.17
120.00
Niraj Thaker 33.00 Sivadas Sivarajah 175.00
weaving a subtle tapestry of lofty philosophy and earthy, pragmatic wisdom. Shailesh Trivedi
K.D. & A.D. Williams
108.00
365.36
Kauai Aadheenam Mathavasi Medical Fund
Gowri Nadason 90.03
Niraj Thaker
Shailesh Trivedi
12.00
108.00
Total 1,091.36 Niraj Thaker 12.00 Vayudeva Varadan 57.00
Whose life has not been touched? Some have been raised in India and enjoy Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund
Vayudeva Varadan
Total
27.00
129.03
Total 2,471.17

memories of warm extended families and cool temples resounding with ancient Priya Alahan
Appamal Athimulam
Hemakheshaa Naatha Batumallah
56.00
210.00
6.00
Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam
Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam 25.00
Udayan Care Endowment Fund
Roy Eugene Davis
Christian Langers
475.00
100.00
mantras. Others find peace of mind in Hindu yoga practices. Many find solace in Banu Devi Deva
Umaiyal Devasegayam Family
127.00
67.87
Aran Sendan
Total
51.00
76.00
Total 575.00

Isanah Kameni 26.30 Sri Chandra Madhab Debnath Endowment

the concepts of karma, dharma and reincarnation, which express their own inner Amravadee Kownden
Ravichandran Krishnan
76.11
90.00
Sri Subramuniya Ashram Scholarship Fund
Padma Srinivasan 62.75
Shyamal Chandra Debnath
Total
100.00
100.00
Saroja Devi Manickam 7.50 Total 62.75
findings and beliefs. If you are one who has been touched by Hindu thought and Vinod Nair
Bijamati Pareatumbee
26.14
5.43 Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund
Puri Monasteries Fund
Christian Langers 50.00
Padmini Pareatumbee 5.43 Andrew Schoenbaum 20.00 Total 50.00
culture, you may wish to further enrich your life by giving back to Sanatana Akileiswaran Samuthiran
Jayasutha Samuthiran
2.72
19.14
Total 20.00
Manitha Neyam Trust Fund

Dharma in countries around the globe and helping preserve its rich heritage for K. Sasikumar
Chandra Shekharan
Devaladevi Sivaceyon
13.68
26.00
5.22
Malaysian Hindu Youth Education Trust
Sitharama Swamy Katragadda
Total
200.00
200.00
Bala Sivaceyon
Total
20.89
20.89

future generations. Hindu Heritage Endowment (HHE) provides such an oppor- Patudeva Sivaceyon
Hemavalli Sivalingam
5.22
3.16 Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Temple Endowment
Kerala Temple Trust
Sitharama Swamy Katragadda 200.00
Kantha Ruben Sivalingam 3.16 Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00 Kishore G. and Subha Pathial 251.00
tunity. A public charitable trust recognized by the United States government, Rohini Sivalingam
Potriyan Sivanathan
3.16
3.92
Aran Sendan
Total
51.00
126.00
Total 451.00

Girish Skanda 78.00 Kapaleeshwara Temple Orphanage

HHE was created to maintain permanent endowments for Hindu projects and Javanya Skanda
Subasene Skanda
6.00
48.00
Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund
Ajit S Adhopia 225.56
Vasudevan Jayanthi
Sanganur & Janaki Mahadevan
300.00
200.00
N. Soundararajan 27.36 Ganesan & Raji Balaganapathy 500.00 Aaron Mathias 10.00
institutions worldwide. Its endowments benefit orphanages, children’s schools, Ganesammal Supiah
K. S. Thamilarasi
52.63
178.93
Lila Shakti Devi
Rajendra Giri
50.00
20.00
Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam
Padma Srinivasan
50.00
62.75

ashrams and temples. They support priests and publish books; and they are Gunavinthan Siva Thirumalai
Priyatarshini Tirumalai
Sudha Vinadharan
27.15
27.15
327.66
Thopsie V. & Prema Jagannath
Sitharama Swamy Katragadda
Ramakumar & Sailaja Kosuru
100.00
200.00
20.00
Total

Pazhassi Balamandiram Orphanage Fund

622.75

designed to continue giving that financial support year after year, decade after Total 1,562.04 Christian Langers
Natraj Narayanswami
150.00
25.00
Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam
Rakesh Sood
75.00
100.00
Hinduism Today Distribution Fund Rama Pemmaraju Rao 18.00 Padma Srinivasan 62.75
decade, century after century. The staff at HHE is one-pointed in their dedication Kris Bhat
Anita Bhattacharjee
29.00
52.00
Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam
Marilyn Roysdon
50.00
20.00
Total 237.75

Stephanie Devi Corgatelli 364.75 Alex Ruberto 45.00 PIF Trust

to seeing that qualified donations will be used effectively for the purposes intended. Rohit & Bisram Deocharan
Mary Rose Gallagher
66.00
132.00
Padma Srinivasan
Rodney & Ilene Standen
62.75
30.00
Gowri Nadason
Satya Palani
30.00
100.00
Bharti Israni 58.00 Matthew Wieczork 94.00 Chudikadevi Saravan 30.00
Each beneficiary must give a detailed yearly report on income from HHE and a Bhani Karthigesu
Sitharama Swamy Katragadda
1,001.00
200.00
Total 1,610.31 Barathy Sockanathan
Total
41.84
201.84

schedule of how the next year’s funds will be spent before funds are issued. We Aaran Mohann
M. H. Vamadeva Murthy
Rama Pemmaraju Rao
35.00
600.00
18.00
Suntheram Family Trust Fund
Ramachandran Suntheram
Total
1,500.00
1,500.00
Total Contributions $17,092.11

take it as a sadhana to see that your gifts meet their purpose. Please place Hindu Vijaya Ramakrishna
Syam P. Reddy
150.00
119.00 Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund
Funds at Market Value, February 28, 2003
Total Endowment Funds $3,221,274.42
Dinesh Sadhwani 140.00 Christian Langers 150.00 Total Pooled Income Funds $183,809.50
Heritage Endowment in your will, your year-end giving and/or your monthly Chandra Shekharan
Nutanaya Sivaceyon
227.00
5.22
Manoharan Navaratnarajah
Gassa Patten
75.00
863.60 Grand Total $3,405,083.92
Potriyan Sivanathan 2.62 Total 1,088.60
budget. Whether you are inspired to give a few dollars to support orphanages or Womana Skanda
Satheesan Sudhakaran
31.00
126.00 Saiva Agamas Trust
Ganesammal Supiah 157.86 Matthew Wieczork 12.00
bequest millions in your will, write, give us a call or look us up on the Internet. Shailesh Trivedi
Total
108.00
3,622.45
Total 12.00

Find out how to enrich your life by helping to preserve the treasures of a profound Hindu Businessmen’s Association Trust
Vel Alahan 360.00
Tirumular Sannidhi Preservation Fund
Sanganur & Janaki Mahadevan
Total
100.00
100.00
heritage for generations now living or as yet unborn.

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, HHE Founder MISSION STATEMENT: Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organiza-
January 5, 1927–November 12, 2001 tion recognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded by
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionally
managed financial support for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.

F I F T Y- O N E E N D O W M E N T S W O R L D W I D E PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: Halbert, Hargrove/Russell, Investment Counsel; Alvin G. Buchi-

A. Shanmugam Family Fund
Alaveddy Pasupatheeswarar Temple Fund
Boys School for Iraivan Priesthood
Dancing with Siva Endowment
Hindu Businessmen's Association Trust
Hindu Education Endowment
Hindu Heritage Endowment Administrative Fund
Hindu of the Year Fund
Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund
Hindu Press International Endowment Fund
Hinduism Today Distribution Fund
Hinduism Today Endowment Trust
Iraivan Temple Endowment
Iyarappan Temple Trust
Jeyanandarajan Family Fund
Kailasa Pitham Gift Fund
Kapaleeshwara Temple Orphanage
Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund
Kauai Aadheenam Mathavasi Medical Fund
Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment
Kauai Aadheenam Renovation Endowment
Kerala Temple Trust
Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Temple Endowment
Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund
Mahajana College Fund
Malaysian Hindu Youth Education Trust
Manitha Neyam Trust Fund
Manjung Hindu Sabha Orphanage Fund
Mathavasi Travel Fund
Mauritius Saiva Dharmasala Endowment
Nadesan Family Lord Murugan Shum Fund
Pazhassi Balamandiram Orphanage Fund
Positive Discipline Endowment
Puri Monasteries Fund
Saiva Agamas Trust
Saivite Hindu Scriptural Fund
for the Visually Impaired
Spiritual Park of Mauritius Endowment
gnani, Esq., Legal Counsel; and Hirose, Kato and Co., CPA. HHE is a member of the Council on
Sri Chandra Madhab Debnath Endowment Foundations, an association of 1,931 foundations which interprets relevant law and management
Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam Trust
Sri Subramuniya Ashram Scholarship Fund
and investment principles.
Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund
Sundari Peruman Memorial Scholarship Fund
I WANT TO PARTICIPATE. WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY DONATION? You can send your gift to an
Suntheram Family Trust Fund existing fund, create a new endowment or request information through the address below. Dona-
Swami Agnivesh Endowment Fund
tions may be made online at www.hheonline.org or use the HHE tear-out card in this magazine to
Taos Hanuman Fund
Thank You Gurudeva Fund join our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you.
Tirumular Sannidhi Preservation Fund
Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam
Udayan Care Endowment Fund
Vishwamata Gayatri Trust Fund HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT
William E. Daniels Endowment for Hindu
Religious Art and Artifacts
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Tel: 808-822-3012 Ext 244 • Fax: 808-822-3152
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 Hari Om

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& Ancient
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78 79
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