Namaste,

The second anniversary edition of Tattva released last month received a great response. 3000 printed copies of the issue are being distributed in college campuses throughout the country. If you would like copies of the first anniversary issue to be distributed at your campus, please send an e-mail with your name and the name of your college to tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org.

This month is full of festivals. From Navaratri to Vijay Dashami to Diwali, nearly every day this month has some auspicious significance. As we move into Tattva’s third year, we encourage all of you to get involved by telling your friends  about the magazine, giving your feedback to the editorial team and contributing your own knowledge and talent to Tattva. Please e-mail your suggestions, articles and feedback to tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org.

Please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/10 to read the October 2008 edition of Tattva.

Tour group

When I first envisioned going to India, many thoughts would rush to my head. It was a mix of different ideas and feelings about India, what will it look like, what it will be like to live there for an extended period of time, anticipation about the food, and so on. With all these different ideas and expectations, there were some emotions that also ran through my body during the few days before I left: excitement, anticipation, anxiety were the main ones. I had seen India before on T.V. and in pictures, but it’s never the same as being there in person. So when the plane took off from Newark Airport, I thought to myself I’d finally see what Bharat really is. I also kind of wondered if I’d get to see a Bollywood star on the street like a normal person, while on the tours, but I seriously doubted that.

 When I landed in Bangalore, then I seriously started feeling the excitement, anticipation and anxiety because I was finally there. When I was on the bus leaving the airport, I looked around at the scenery: not too urban, very rural, lots of vegetation, and it reminded me somewhat of Guyana. I also felt comfortable ever since I landed in India; I didn’t feel out of place at all, and it felt calm and relaxing to be there (except for the traffic, but it was fun to watch the diverse forms of transportation and the ensuing chaos on the roads).

Mysore Palace

After attending Vishwa Sangh Shiksha Varg, a 3-week leadership training camp in Hyderabad, I went on tour with 20 others who also attended the camp. The tour was aptly called “Bharat Darshan,” as we spent one full week visiting different places in South India, many of them with vast historical significance behind them. We went to many different temples of varying age, some, such as the Ranganath Temple in Mysore, over 1000 years old. Other places included the sacred Bala ji Temple in Tirupati (near the exit was like a human compression chamber made of other humans, lots of fun), Mysore Palace, which is an immense and beautiful palace with a rich history, the Golkunda Fort in Hyderabad, Belur, and many others. In one week, I visited four different cities – Hyderabad, Tirupathi, Mysore, Banglore, and the Hassan district. It was very inspiring and empowering to be at the spots where great events in our history and of importance to our culture took place. Actually seeing all these places helped me connect to my culture in a stronger, more vivid way; this was a feeling shared by all in the group.

Narendra Nele

We also had the chance to visit a few sewa (community service) projects run by Hindu Seva Pratishthan in Bangalore. Among these were Narendra Nele, a shelter for children in slum areas, Aruna Chetana, a school for children with special needs, and Anaath Shishu Nivaas, a home for children who are orphans. It was amazing seeing the dedication and selflessness with which the volunteers worked for these projects. The atmosphere at these places was positive and serene, and every single child looked happy and well cared for.

While visiting all these places, I also bonded a lot with all the others on the tour. We were constantly traveling, talking, sharing experiences, telling stories, and learning from one another. It was really a great experience and pleasure to be with these people, people who felt the same way about Bharat and Hindu culture as I did. There was never a dull moment; even when making long trips to different places, the atmosphere was so relaxed and light, and there was always lots of laughter.

 Leaving Bharat was definitely a sad experience. I felt that I made a connection with both the people and the country; it was difficult to let this go. The day before I left for New York, I walked around Bangalore for a while, doing some souvenir shopping for my parents and brothers, exploring around, and just taking in the atmosphere, trying to make the most of the remainder of my short time in India. The entire time on the plane, I was reminiscing everything I had done the last month, all the experiences, the fun times, the friends I made, etc. When I landed in the US and reached home, there was a mixed reaction. It felt good to be home, yet at the same time, I also wished I was back in India. Overall, my first trip to Bharat was definitely a memorable, touching experience and I look forward to going back.
 
Suraj Bassit is an undergraduate student at the City University of New York.

News about the turmoil in the financial system has occupied the headlines for the past few weeks. America is facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and it is getting worse by the day. So far, as a result of a rapid succession of events, the Investment Banking business in the US has come to an end, the world’s largest Insurance company needed a bailout and several commercial banks have filed for Bankruptcy. The day I am writing this article (29th Sep), the Dow Jones Industrials Index had the biggest fall in its history and just a day earlier, Washington Mutual was the largest bank to fail in the nation’s history. When we are inundated with such news on a daily basis, we are distracted by the details and miss the big picture. In this article, I attempt to describe the financial crisis in simple terms and outline a plan to brace ourselves for the future. In an attempt to make the article understood by majority of the audience, I have abstracted out the details and minimized the use of finance jargon. I hope everyone, from novices to finance pundits find some useful information from what follows.

The Current Situation

The nation faces a financial emergency. There does not seem to be any easy solution and the ramifications though not clearly understood seem very dire. If you haven’t been following the financial news, here is a recent event which will give you a flavor of the crisis we are facing. A couple of weeks ago, Lehman Brothers, one of the largest investment banks in the world, filed for bankruptcy. Lehman Brothers was founded in 1850. It survived the Civil war, the two World Wars, the Great Depression and several business cycles. In its great history, it never filed a loss until the beginning of this year and went bankrupt by the end of it. Many financial institutions as prestigious as the Lehman Brothers have gone bust since the beginning of this year and many more are expected to follow. The financial crisis seems to be spreading into the rest of the economy. Surely these are unprecedented times, and as always, such situations have great lessons for mankind.

How did we get here?

The roots of the current financial crisis lie in the flawed monetary policy followed by the United States for several decades. However, for the sake of brevity, I will focus on the events in this decade, as this was the period during which the financial health of the country deteriorated the most. The decade started with the spectacular bust of the dot-com bubble in March 2000. Following this, the US economy started to shrink. The dot-com bust was followed by the 9/11 attacks in 2001. After recovering marginally, the economy was hit again in March 2002. In November 2002, when the US economy was officially in a recession, Alan Greenspan, the then chairman of the Federal Reserve, cut interest rates to 1% and held them there. Interest rates can be understood as the cost of borrowing money. Central banks set interest rates to control the flow of money in the economy. When interest rates are set too low, as Greenspan did in 2002, people tend to borrow more and consequently the economy is stimulated by the consumer spending. However after the bursting of the dot-com bubble, people had lost hope in the stock market. Combined with historically low interest rates, promotion in the media towards home ownership and the inherent belief that real-estate is more reliable than the stock market, the cheap money people borrowed flowed into real estate and housing.

From a banker’s point of view, the way to make money when credit is cheap is by taking more risk. Riskier loans yield a higher interest rate. Sub-prime mortgage loans are the riskiest of all and consequently the ones with the maximum potential return for the banks. Sub-prime borrowers have a heightened perceived risk of default, such as those who have a history of loan delinquency or default, those with a recorded bankruptcy, or those with limited debt experience. In an attempt to get higher returns, banks started encouraging such individuals to take up sub-prime loans. Various incentives were given to encourage home ownership. However, the banks did not keep these loans to themselves. They packaged such loans through a process called securitization and sold these securitized loans to financial institutions all around the globe. With rising home prices (the collateral behind the loans) and promised high yields, other financial institutions were willing to accept these loans easily. Realizing that there is a booming market for these securitized loans, American banks relaxed their lending standards, took greater risk, gave out more loans, securitized them and sold them to other financial institutions. With easily available home loans, the demand for houses went up and the housing prices went to the moon. The banks were happy and so were the home owners. The mania continued for about 4 years. However, this entire market was based on the belief that housing prices would continue to rise forever. The bubble finally burst in late 2006. Houses were not affordable anymore. The prices had risen way beyond income levels. Housing prices came crashing down. Moreover with a slowing economy, rising oil prices, rising unemployment and high inflation, people who were given these cheap loans could not afford to pay their installments. Houses started to foreclose, the market had a glut of empty houses while the demand fell. As the houses foreclosed, the securitized loans which they backed lost their value too. Realizing that these loans were not as safe as they assumed it to be, the rest of the world was unwilling to buy anymore of these loans. The home loan market froze. The existing loans went worthless as they did not generate any monthly installments. Consequently, the institutions holding these loans went into heavy losses and many faced bankruptcy as we have seen. By now however these bad loans had found their way into the accounts of several financial institutions all around the world. The dominoes started to fall and continue to this day. One should note that this is a simplified portrayal of the crisis, but gives the big picture.

The blame game

Observers of the meltdown have cast blame widely. Some have highlighted the practices of subprime lenders and the lack of effective government oversight. Others have charged mortgage brokers with steering borrowers to unaffordable loans, appraisers with inflating housing values, and Wall Street investors with backing sub-prime mortgage securities without verifying the strength of the underlying loans. Borrowers have also been criticized for entering into loan agreements they could not meet. However, the root cause of the problem is availability of cheap credit which started in the Greenspan Era and continued under the current Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke. You cannot give a carrot to a rabbit and expect it not to eat it. Here is a question for all the finance pundits among the readers: in a supposed free market like the US, why is the Federal Reserve allowed to set the price of the most important good in the economy: the price of money. This is the root cause of the problem - availability of artificially cheap credit.

What it means to us?

As described above, during the past decade, these worthless mortgages were bought by several financial institutions all around the globe. This is the reason, we see European banks failing while they never directly lent money to the American people. The problem is widespread and amounts to several trillion dollars in bad debt. It threatens to bring down the world’s financial system. Financial markets swing between greed and fear. When the people get greedy the market enjoys a boom time. Finally when the bubble bursts, fear sets in. Today, banks are unwilling to lend money to each other. Each bank is unsure of the financial health of the other. For all practical purposes, the flow of credit or liquidity in the financial system has frozen, also called as a credit crunch. This is the reason, the government is forced to bailout banks as nobody else is willing to help these ailing banks. However, this is all being done with trillions of dollars of tax payer’s money. When flow of credit freezes, it has disastrous consequences on a credit driven economy like the US. Fear now rules the financial world. Cheap credit was available to the Americans for too long and they made the most of it. The process is unwinding rapidly and there is no short term solution in sight. The problem has now spread to prime mortgages, student loans, credit card debt, corporate debt, municipal bonds etc. The magnitude of the problem is so huge that we might see a situation like the great depression if not worse in the coming decade.

How to prepare for the future?

The crisis is bound to spread further, resulting in slowing growth and high inflation, also known as stagflation. Typically such periods are accompanied by high unemployment. In such a situation, where your future income is not guaranteed, the first step which you should take is to start saving and reducing any discretionary expenditure. You need to prepare yourself to live beneath your means. The days of living off credit cards and refinancing your homes have come to an end. Pay back any loans you have as you may not be able to do so later. If you have any excess cash, keep it liquid, in the form of treasury bills if possible. Gold is an investment of choice during such periods of crisis and uncertainty. It has been a store of value for several centuries. Most importantly, don’t ignore the crisis but rather educate yourself about it. By the time this crisis ends, it is going to envelope each one of us in some form. The more we are informed the better we are equipped to deal with it.

Shobhit Mathur is a software engineer at Amazon.com, Seattle. He can be reached at shobhit.mathur@gmail.com. Shobhit keenly follows economics and geo-politics. He maintains a blog of interesting articles at http://shobhitmathur.wordpress.com.

Vijay Dashami, also known as Dussehra, falls on October 9th this year. In Sanskrit, “Vijay” means “victory” and “Dashami” refers to the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Aashwayuja. Thus, Vijay Dashami is a festival of victory, the triumph of Dharma over Adharma. This day is marked by many inspiring episodes from history that reflect the victorious tradition of our ancestors. It was on Vijay Dashami that Shri Ram defeated Ravan after ten days of battle, thus liberating the city of Lanka from its adharmic ruler. Vijay Dashami is also the finale of the nine-day festival of Navaratri. During the days of Navratri, we worship Saraswati, the goddess of learning; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; and Durga, the goddess of strength. There are countless names of the goddess of strength—Durga, Maha Kaali, Mahishasura Mardini. Time and time again, she has defeated the demonic forces and established the supremacy of the righteous.

The story of Mahishaasura Mardini has a unique message. At one stage, the gods felt powerless against the onslaughts of the demonic forces headed by Mahishaasura. In answer to their prayers for protection, they were asked to part with a portion of their divine powers to form into a new goddess. This was how Mahishaasura Mardini took on a physical form as the combined might of innumerous gods and goddesses. The dreaded demon Mahishaasura was slain by Mahishaasura Mardini on the day of Vijay Dashami, after a ceaseless fight of nine days. 

  
The lesson of this legend is still relevant today: even the good and the righteous can succeed against the evil forces only when they come together in an organized endeavor. This message is significant not only in our personal lives, but also in Hindu society as a whole. Individually, many Hindus are good and pious, but as a society, we are presently disorganized and thus not as strong as we can be. Because of this lack of cohesive unity, Hindus faced hundreds of years of foreign invasions, enslavement, persecution, mass conversions, and continue to face challenges to this day. And all this tragedy was because of our fatal drawback of disorganization. Now, it is high time we learned the lesson from the past and realize, “Sanghe shaktih kalau yuge”—Organization holds the key to strength in Kaliyuga.The auspicious occasion of Vijay Dashami reminds us that through organization and unity, we will always achieve victory, and that Dharma will always triumph. Shubh Dussehra!

Vishwa Samiti Shiksha Varg 2008, a 15-day international training camp, was held in Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad), India this past summer. It started off with a graceful welcome ceremony where all participants were welcome with Tilak, flowers and Aarti, followed by a blissful Yajna. Vishwa Mangal Shanti Sukhado Hindu Dharma Vijayatam was the theme of the camp. 64 girls from 11 countries were fully energized and enthusiastic to spend the next 15 days under hard core training and discipline. The countries represented were USA, UK, Kenya, Guyana, Trinidad, Mauritius, Malaysia, Holland, Denmark, Sri Lanka and Dubai.

There were 8 instructors and over 30 full time helpers from different parts of Bharat, who made sure that every part of the camp was perfect, in terms of activities, facilities, book store, kitchen and others.

All the activities were divided into two sections: physical training and intellectual development. Physical activities covered topics like yoga, layzims, martial arts, games, etc. All theses were carried out with a lot of enthusiasm. The intellectual development sessions involved lectures, discussions, stories and team-building workshops. A wide range of topics were covered related to Hindu Dharma, Bharat and current issues. Some of the popular topics were: Glorious History of Bharat, The message of Vedas and Upanishads for Youth, Hindutva- a Global Ethical System, Challenges faced by Hindus all over the World, The Concept of Sewa, among others.

Some very interesting features at the camp were as follows:

• Route march of 3 miles passing through some of the highly populated areas of Hyderabad. Over 200 sevikas participated in this (from both Bharat and other countries). Throughout the route, we were showered with flowers and small sevikas performing traditional dances. The route march ended at Asthalaxmi Mandir, followed by prasadam.

• Matru bhojan, where some local families were asked to bring a meal for 3-4 camp participants and eat as a family. All the families were very enthusiastic about it and made sure everyone ate well; it felt just like home.

• The exhibitions displayed were a great source of knowledge and inspiration to everyone. Some of the displays were on great Indian women in the past and traditional Indian dressing from different parts of India.

The camp concluded with the concluding ceremony where all the physical skills learnt over the 15 days were demonstrated and a very inspiring speech by Van. Pramila Tai Medhe, Pramukh Sanchalika (chief of Rashtra Sevika Samiti). Van. Pramila Tai Medhe tied rakhi to each of us and blessed us on completion of our training.

The 15 days flew by, learning, getting to know each other and having fun. The time to leave was a moment of mixed emotions for everyone, sad because it was over, but also proud on the accomplishment and promising that everyone will take back everything learnt back to our respective countries and represent ourselves as proud cultural ambassadors of Bharat and Hindu Dharma.

Khyati Vaidya lives in Houston, TX. You can contact her at kvaidya55@gmail.com.

This is the final article in the Bhagavad Gita series.

We have seen that the Gita sets out a system of practices, yogas, for bringing us into union with Brahman. And when those practices work, as they did in the case of Arjun, then comes the mystic vision. In the eleventh chapter Krishna gives him “divine sight” so he can see Krishna’s cosmic form. Arjun sees the whole universe there in front of him, all around him, with the radiance of a thousand suns – all creation coming and going to Krishna.

Yoga is really any practice we undertake with the intention of coming closer to God. There is no human act that cannot be hallowed into a path to God. That is why the Gita is mainly concerned with the path of Karma Yoga. It tells us how to carry on our spiritual quest right in the midst of our lives in the world. It spells out the way we can do that: by offering our actions to God, by acting without any attachment, and by accepting the results as His “Prasad.”

Note that the highest statement of Karma Yoga is also a full expression of the act of sacrifice – we sacrifice our gratification into selfless, dharmic action. We can turn any part of our lives into a sacrifice, into an offering. We can turn our feelings into our sacrifice. If you are having trouble with someone, make them your sacrifice. Add a picture of him or her to your altar; like British General Montgomery did of Nazi General Rommel during Second World War in North Africa. Sacrifice and renunciation are kindred practices. Sacrifice, in a way, ritualizes our acts of renunciation.

The practice of renunciation is ultimately about renouncing our suffering over this or that, and when that happens, the whole melodramic part of the renunciation trip starts to fade away. Renunciation is a means to end. Once we are free, renunciation is irrelevant. When we are without desires, without attachments, we will act only when we are drawn by our dharma to act. There will be nothing we’re looking to get from the situation that would take us away from our doing our Karma Yoga.

In Chapter 12 Krishna says that Bhakti is the highest form of Yoga. Bhakti yoga and Karma yoga are woven together. It’s the goal of the karma yogi to act out of pure dharma – that is, to have every action guided by God’s will. And here Krishna is telling us the way that is accomplished is simply by adding love to the equation. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught, “Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krishna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.” Simply by spreading the chanting of the holy names of God all over the world we can put a complete stop to crime and terrorism.

When you offer your food you are directly offering it to God. When you chant Om Namah Shivaya or Hare Krishna you are directly addressing the Lord and His energy to engage you in their service. In this way you should be developing a personal loving relationship with the Lord. You must always introspectively observe your thoughts, words, and deeds to make sure that they are pleasing to the Lord. Don’t do these things impersonally. Do them for the pleasure of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord reciprocates by returning the offered foods back to us in the form of prasadam.  He reciprocates with the chanting by showering us with transcendental bliss. I love Shiva because He is so beautiful and so wonderful and so absolutely amazing and because He bestows upon me the highest happiness. I can feel the bliss He is showering upon me at every minute. (The intimate loving affairs of Radha and Krishna are an invitation for us to become intimately involved in those loving affairs.) Visiting sacred places of pilgrimage helps in cultivating devotion.

Chapter 9 ends with Krishna telling Arjun, “Give me your mind and your heart, and you’ll come to me.”  We can see a kind of daisy chain of practices here: first karma yoga and bhakti yoga are linked. Now we see that bhakti yoga and jnana yoga are linked – to get to God, we have to give over both our hearts and minds. We need wisdom to keep us from getting trapped in clinging attachment; but the thinking mind needs to be balanced by the bhakti heart. When that combination of jgana and bhakti comes together, it is powerful! The devotion gets clearer and clearer, and the wisdom gets more and more subtle. The bhakti takes us through the emptiness, and into a loving dharma.

Pure devotional service is so spiritually relishable that a devotee becomes automatically uninterested in material enjoyment. That is the sign of perfection in progressive devotional service. A pure devotee continuously remembers the lotus feet of Lord Shiva or Krishna and does not forget Him even for a moment, not even in exchange for all the opulence of the three worlds.

The body is to be used for selfless service (karma yoga); the heart is to be used for devotion (bhakti yoga); and the mind is to be used for discernment (jnana yoga). There are practices that focus the mind, like meditation or mantra. And there are practices that let us take a step back from the mind, like witnessing. Witnessing lets us move outside the dramas of our lives. It isn’t judging – good, bad, it’s all the same. It is simply witnessing. With this practice comes a kind of pervasive perception of everything, which comes out of total nonattachment.

Ask not which method you should adopt for self-realization – karma yoga, bhakti yoga or gyan yoga. To put the Gita’s teachings to work, adopt all the three yogas. Simply put, a person seeking self-realization carries God into all his/her works, seeks nothing but God and becomes one with God in every thought.

Colonel Mahendra Mathur prematurely retired from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army in 1975 to build a highway in Tobago. Subsequently he was appointed Director of National Emergency Management Agency of Trinidad and Tobago before retiring in 1998. He has been a student of the Gita all his life. You can contact him at mmathur@tstt.net.tt.

Sanatana Dharma is more misunderstood than otherwise. It means an eternal system which owed its durability to its rationalism and not, as is often supposed, to any divine origin. It defined four major goals of life to be accomplished by means of eight secondary observances. The major objectives are evolutionary ethics, creativity and harmony with instincts and finally liberation from the human constraints. In Samskrit these were called Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha.

Ethics is the most fundamental part of Sanatana Dharma and is given the place of pride in all its schemes. It is discussed in detail in the Mahabharata. The Gita discusses it in a diffused manner. It looks on ethics as a divine manifestation and describes it as the basis of a creative society. In essence Dharma is to be looked upon as the basis of interpersonal relationship in the social context. When such relations get degraded social disintegration starts.

Dharma was broadly interpreted as the underlying ethics for a stable social order. It could be derived using four sources as authority. First is the authority of the Vedas. The Arya Samaj followed this source and had given primacy to the Vedas. The second authority was a Smriti like Manu Smriti that provided detailed instructions to govern life.  The third source is the authority of individual teachers. The Gita accepts this authority saying: “Whatever a great man does others follow him. The example set by his conduct is acceptable to the world at large.”(III, 21) It is this provision that gave Hinduism its catholicity and enabled it to accommodate and absorb the teachings of a variety of individuals ranging from Buddha, Ramanuja, Gnaneshwar, Basaveshwara, Guru Nanak, and in our century, Narayan guru and Gandhiji. The last source of authority for ethics is one’s own self. One’s own concepts of good and bad, right and wrong could be followed. Of course one has to be a highly balanced or evolved personality to follow this choice.

It is clearly not right to identify Sanatana Dharma with Manu Smriti alone. What follows is a rationalist’s look at Sanatana Dharma. The secondary practices are the rules of the Varnashrama: The word varna, often translated as color and identified with caste, is to be derived from the Samskrit root Vr, meaning “to choose”. In this context it refers to the chosen profession with no hint of inheritance. Ashrama refers to the different evolutionary stages in life starting with the studies (Brahmacharya) and going through family management (Grhasta), retirement from worldly responsibilities (Vanaprasta) and finally transcending the limitations of human existence (Samnyasa).

The detailed codification is not as important as the broad framework. The codes are essentially in the context of the social norms prevalent at different periods. They may be irrelevant in other contexts and even dangerous. They could be changed or dropped as the social context demands. In earlier periods the rituals prescribed in the Vedas were found impractical and abandoned. Such changes do not detract from the validity of the essential postulate of Sanatana Dharma that an evolving society should be able to regenerate itself without disruption. Thus Dharma has to be looked upon as EVOLUTIONARY ETHICS.
Creative materialism is described as artha (or wealth in a limited sense) in Samskrit, and is the mechanism for social evolution. Materialism is different from hedonism. The former relates to generation of wealth. The latter the means of squandering it over trifles without discipline. Hedonism is mindless pursuit of pleasure.

Social regeneration requires development of new techniques and ideas that are collectively covered by artha.  The Gita defines knowledge as the purest of human endeavors: “There is nothing purer than knowledge in this world” (IV,38). Describing his manifestations, Krishna proffers the best in every species as the blessed ones and as a divine manifestation. Thus among Adityas he is Vishnu and amongst the celestial objects he is Ravi or the Sun. In the feline species he is the lord of the jungle, the Lion. In the human context God is Rama, the best among the warriors and Dhananjaya or Arjuna of the Pandavas. The best everywhere is divine is the final assertion of Krishna  (Chapter X). It becomes incumbent on societies to strive for the best. Individual excellence is the prescribed social goal, called artha in Samskrit. It is in fact glorified. EXCELLENCE IS DIVINE, the Gita says (Chapter X).

Kaama, is often narrowly interpreted as the sex instinct. As a goal of life, it is to be looked upon as conformity to the instincts and acceptance of their place as integral to life. The Gita sanctifies instincts when Krishna says “In living Beings I am Kama that is not in conflict with Dharma” (VII,11). There is nothing despicable about instinctive impulses as long as they are in conformity with Dharma and are not socially disruptive. The instincts are conceded to be pervasive and forceful elements in one’s mental make up. “The turbulence of the senses could forcefully lead astray even a wise man striving for perfection.” (II, 60). To achieve a creative life one has to wean oneself from the ubiquitous and overwhelming influence of the instincts. One prescription is to accept them gracefully as part of life’s package and to transcend them in a slow evolutionary process.

Moksha or liberation should be considered as the final freedom from the constraints of human limitations. It is an evolutionary state where one transcends the various constraints arising from instincts and experiences, summed up in psychology as ‘complexes’, such as ‘inferiority complex’. Moksha is the final result of understanding the motivating forces in life and transcending their destructive or disruptive potential. It is a slow process that derives benefit from experiences in real life. In a sense Mahabharata sums up the entire process of life and its variety. Moksha is reached when one has gone through one’s own Mahabharata type of experiences, internalized and understood them. It is irrelevant whether Moksha has other worldly connotations or not. I prefer to treat it as concurrent with life.

If creativity is the aim, specialization is the method, which is what varna stands for. The basis is the assumption that we all have some natural endowments, each individually distinct. Exploiting these to the advantage of the society is the aim of the Varna prescription. Gita calls the natural gift as swadharma or one’s innate potential and prescribes conformity to it. “Preferable is one’s own swadharma, deficient though it may be, to a dharma alien to one’s nature. One incurs no sin by conforming to one’s swadharma.”(XVIII, 47).

The ashramas are the evolutionary stages of life. From infancy one passes to the study of the 3 R’s and to the acquisition and mastery of the accumulated knowledge of the ages. In this stage, the Brahmacharya, obedience is required as a primary quality. The process of learning is like the feeding of a baby. In both cases a certain degree of unquestioning swallowing what is given is basic. In this stage as a student, the young preteen lives with the teacher, accepting the teacher as a surrogate parent.

It is in the next stage of life, Grhasta, as a householder, that the student applies the acquired wisdom. He faces the responsibilities of life and develops a wholesome outlook related to realities as compared with book learning. As his understanding develops a life of semi-detachment becomes the next goal culminating in an outlook beyond immediate needs.

 In the third stage, known as Vaanaprasta, he is in the family or the world and yet half way out of it. He has transferred the day to day responsibilities to the children so that they could live their own lives without interference. He is part of the family to impart the essence of his experiences to the next generation.  In the earlier active stage the immediate problems keep him busy and engaged. Freed from immediate pressures one could develop a dispassionate approach and impart the wisdom of such experience to succeeding generations. The later generations could derive benefit from the experiences of the earlier one avoiding the mistakes and constructively building on the foundations of such experiences. Continuity is the essence of the prescription.

The last evolutionary stage is Samnyasa. This is not a stage of becoming but one of Being wherein the world ceases to have the relevance it had in the earlier stages of life. The essence of Being is that it is not a decision or a matter of will. A Samnayasi is beyond the restraints of life. A verse in Shri Rudram prayer was often quoted by the late Shankaracharya of Kanchi to illustrate Samnyasa “We offer worship to the three eyed God who is pleasantly scented and is ever supportive. May we be released from the worldly bondage like the fruit of a cucumber plant.” The specialty of the cucumber fruit is that it lies on the ground and gets detached from the creeper on its own after reaching maturity. In contrast a mango fruit comes down under the influence of gravity. In a similar manner there should be no push or pull into Samnyasa. This in short is essence of Being or Samnyasa.

Dr. S.K. Balasubramanian completed his Ph.D. from IIS Bangalore. He went to business in Pune manufacturing fine chemicals. You can contact him at smanian@sancharnet.in.

Namaste,

The 2nd anniversary edition of Tattva is out! This edition was released in print and will be distributed in various colleges in the USA by Hindu YUVA volunteers. If you would like your college to be covered, please send me an email to tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org. Tattva has gone through a wonderful journey so far. It was founded in September 2006 by a group of University of Washington students. It has since evolved into a popular, interactive youth magazine. In the past two years, Tattva has published a total of over 200 articles, written by 70 different youth writers from several countries. The magazine attracts a readership of approximately 1,800 each month, a number that grows with each new edition. We hope to maintain high standards in the coming year. The 2nd anniversary edition of Tattva is completely funded by its readers and well-wishers. We thank them for their generous support and blessings. If you would like to make a contribution for the print edition of Tattva, please e-mail tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org.

Please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/09/ to read the September 2008 edition of Tattva.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA is a volun-tary, non-profit, social and cultural organization . Sangh, as the organization is popularly known, aims to organize the Hindu community in order to preserve, practice and promote Hindu ideals and values. HSS conducts structured programs of regu-lar athletic and academic activities to develop strong character and leadership skills in its members (known as swayamsevaks for men and sevikas for women), emphasizing values such as self-discipline, self-confidence and a spirit of selfless service (seva) for humanity. HSS encourages maintaining Hindu cultural identity in harmony with the larger community.

Sangh is inspired by the idea that the whole world is one fam-ily and conducts activities across the United States in order to spread this message widely. Sangh in the United States started in 1989 and today has over 100 weekly meeting centers (shakhas) across the country.

Shakha Activities:
Each chapter of HSS is known as Shakha - a weekly program for the entire family. While the kids enjoy learning in the Shakha, youth and adults also participate in activities such as games, songs, discussions, and lectures on Hindu culture. HSS strongly emphasizes the physical, intellectual and spiritual growth of each individual and also promote a sense of discipline.

History:
In 1947, HSS was started in Kenya. Since then, shakhas spread wherever Hindus went-the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, South Af-rica, as well as the United States. Today, Sangh shakhas run in over 40 countries.

In the United States, the groundwork for Sangh began in the early 1950’s and 60’s with the migration of swayamsevaks from India, mainly as students. In 1969, the first shakha in the U.S was started in New Jersey. Shakhas soon flourished in the West Coast as well with the entry of swayamsevaks in the IT field. The gap between the west and east coasts was bridged with the efforts of various vistaraks, or full time volunteers, who entered the unfamiliar areas of MidWest, SouthEast and SouthWest.

Soon, training camps or Sangha Shiksha Vargas (SSV), were started in the United States to train sevaks and sevikas in various shareerik (physical) and boudhik (intellectual) activities. The first 7 day national level SSV saw its commencement in 1994 in Brij Bhoomi, Pennsylvania. Soon, with shakhas blooming in other parts of the U.S, SSV’s began to be conducted in multiple loca-tions. By 1996, SSVs became regular, now being conducted every year in all five zonal regions of the U.S.

Sangh Activities:
In five zones, NorthEast, SouthEast, SouthWest, Midwest and West Coast, over 100 shakhas run throughout the week in the mornings and evenings, in parks, temples and schools. Over the 20 years, about 16 sevaks and 1 sevika has left their homes as vistaraks, full-time sangh volunteers, for a year or more. Sangh also started bal-shakhas which came to be known as balagoku-lam, acting as centers for instilling samskars in young Hindu minds. Sangh has also conducted large-scale events to instill confidence in society and its swayamsevaks. In 2001, the nation witnessed a gathering of over 12,000 Hindus in Northern California. The first Hindu Sangam in the U.S. later paved way for an-other series of Hindu Sangams in 2006, gathering over 20,000 Hindus in various parts of the United States.

Vacation time can be magical. That’s the time to explore, enjoy and make more friends. Hindu Heritage Camp of HSS has been a favorite event for children in America. Through yoga, games, arts and crafts, stories and skits, HHC brings out hidden talents among the kids and also helps children to understand their cul-tural roots in a fun-filled atmosphere. In 2005, over 2000 chil-dren benefited from these camps.

In 2006, over 3000 children took part in an exciting contest, Kaun Banega Ramayan Expert (KBRE), aimed at increasing the awareness about Ramayan among the children in USA. The con-test included an online exam followed by in-person exams at more than 100 centers across the country. This innovative con-test to take the values of Ramayan to the kids was greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm by children and parents alike.

For Hindu Youth like us, Sangh provides a forum to understand our culture better, take inspiration from our common history and heritage and develop a strong character. The personality development process we undergo in Sangh, takes us a long way in leading a purposeful and meaningful life. Viswa Dharm ki Jai!

Aswathi graduated from University of California, Irvine, with degrees in Biomedical Engineering and International Studies. Her interests include classical dancing and yoga, and organizing fun activities for children. You can reach her at a5swathi@gmail.com

When we look at history, we can see various instances of young people having made a difference. In our Puranas, Dhruva and Prahlad were two children who embodied the spirit of selflessness and bhakti (devotion). Maharaja Ranjit Singh ascended the throne at the tender age of 12 and ultimately established one of the greatest kingdoms in history. In the US itself, amongst other things, it was perhaps the youth power in various college campuses that helped in forcing the US government to withdraw from Vietnam in the 1970s.

While this is all well and good, of what relevance is all this today? In what way can a modern Hindu youth relate to these or any other instances that convey the impact that youth have? Do we have a role in preserving Hindu Dharma?

At a broad level, what we now know as Hindu Dharma is based on the Vedas which encompass an ocean of material and spiritual knowledge. Various Samskrit hymns give a glimpse of our philosophy: “Ekam sat viprah bahudaa vadanti” (Truth is one and sages call it by many names), “Sarve bhavantu sukhinah” (Let all be happy), and “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (the whole world is one family). The essence of the Vedas has also been captured in The Bhagavad Gita and great epics like the Ramayan and Mahabharat.

How do we see the practical manifestations of this dharma? This is where yoga, rituals, marriage traditions, sanskars like namkaran (name giving), upanayan (thread ceremony), and many others come into play. Family values, seeing the divine in guests along with other such customs make up our Dharma.

As Hindus brought up in the US, most of us are exposed to poojas, wedding rituals, perhaps some daily prayer, and a whole host of different traditions. The level to which we imbibe and accept these things varies. Some Hindus can very easily take Indian food to school while others cannot. Some are comfortable explaining why many Hindus are vegetarian or why we seemingly “have so many gods.” Some wouldn’t mind questioning the teacher if he/she seems to be saying something incorrect about India. Some others may not feel the need to do so. The general impression amongst many people is that second generation Hindus are not as attached to traditional values.

What can Hindu Youth do?
Living in the United States, it is but natural for all to want to be a part of the American dream, i.e. to work hard, to be whatever you want to be, and to achieve material prosperity. Individual rights and freedom are highly valued. So, aren’t we thus torn between different ideals? To some extent, Hindu youth especially those raised primarily in the US may have some periods of doubt and uncertainty about their identity. Nonetheless, there are some real examples as well as many possibilities which Hindu youth can undertake to contribute to the progress of Dharma in society.

For one thing, when we see the multitude of Hindu organizations in the US, we often find that only a minority amongst them have youth leadership or at least some level of youth responsibility. This is perhaps one of the most important roles that youth can play in preserving Hindu Dharma. Now that we have a critical mass of second generation Hindus, it is time for more of us to step up to this challenge. Most of us have faced the challenge of growing up as a Hindu in America. Many of us may have been questioned as to why we worship so many gods. Some of us may have been made fun of as being “Appu” in the Simpsons.

Someone else may have asked why we are vegetarian or do not eat beef. Even today, not all Hindu parents are completely comfortable answering these questions. Thus, creating an environment where Hindu children and youth will be able to imbibe our values becomes important. After all, who better to relate to children and youth than older youth?

Need to come together:
I remember visiting a Swaminarayan temple where one of the Swamis was actually born and raised in the US. Someone else told me that after the weekly balvihar/youth gathering, some of the teenagers played basketball and some swamis would join them. I thought that was truly unique. In many Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh (HSS) chapters, the impact of dedicated youth can be seen wherein children try and imitate older youth more easily than they would imitate their own parents. In different colleges, we see various Hindu student activities which are all big steps forward in creating satsang. Adi Shankaracharya said:
“Satsangatve Nisangatvam Nissangatve Nirmohatvam Nirmohatve Nishalatattvam Nishachaltattve Jeevanmukthi”

Broadly translated, it means that satsang (loosely: “good gathering”) leads to non-attachment (nisangatvam), which then leads to the lack of any delusion, which then leads to firm understanding and ultimately liberation of the soul (jeevan mukthi). Thus to promote and preserve our Dharma, being part of and taking leadership in some form of satsang will ensure a firm base upon which future generations of Hindus can thrive. However great one may be individually, it is collectively that success is achieved. In fact, the British General Wellington who defeated Napoleon supposedly said, “The Battle of Waterloo was won on the fields of Eton.” In other words, in a symbolic sense, playing and growing up together created its own strength. A similar principle applies for Hindu society. People need role models, and youth and children can more easily relate to older youth as role models.

Making an impact:
How to increase awareness of Hindu values in the non-Hindu community is also a challenge that may be more easily undertaken by youth. There are so many opportunities to make our presence felt. While modern society has achieved tremendous technological advances, we also see ever increasing levels of stress in the society. Divorce rates and crime rates in the US far exceed those in most Asian countries. Global warming and other environmental problems are posing serious threats. People face health-related problems and stress due to a hectic, unbalanced lifestyle. We as Hindus can make a difference here.
Yoga has become a big phenomenon in the US as more people realize the pitfalls of eating too much refined sugars, red meat, etc. However, how many yoga schools recognize that yoga comes from the Bhagavad Gita , the Vedas, or Patanjali’s yoga sutras? How many realize that asanas are only one step in the overall process towards the ultimate peace of mind envisioned by yoga philosophy? Thus, we see the need for more Hindus to become trained yoga teachers. One of our senior Hindus in Delaware has taught yoga in prison. The same has been done in India by the renowned police officer Kiran Bedi.
Just recently some Hindus participated in the Times Square (New York City) Solstice festival organized by various yoga studios. “Save the Families Institute” in Atlanta deals with some of the problems faced by inner city African Americans. A couple of Hindu youth volunteered for a summer to better understand those issues and participate in some community programs. The key organizer of the institute specifically approached HSS as he felt Hindu society provides an ideal role model with regards to stable families and family values. So it is clear that we have seen some positive beginnings in bringing out values in Hindu Dharma which can be of benefit to all.

An area where Hindus have begun to make some impact is in increasing the awareness of Hindu human rights around the world. Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is composed primarily of second generation Hindus and their annual human rights report has raised the awareness about Hindu human rights not only in the general public, but also in the US Congress. HAF also played an important role in the efforts against the California State Board of Education leading to some changes in textbooks that had earlier portrayed Hindu Dharma in a negative light.

Many more opportunities beckon. Second generation Hindu priests, daycare centers, doctors, etc. can incorporate some alternative medicine and holistic therapies. People in the film industry can make inspiring movies. The opportunities for Hindu youth in America are endless. What has been presented is merely a glimpse of what could be and to some extent, what has been accomplished. Just like Rome was not built in a day, it is a long-term process to address all the challenges and opportunities which present itself to Hindu youth. However, let us all remember to practice Hindu values, learn more about our history and culture, and share these values with the larger society in whatever way we can, so that all our collective efforts will eventually lead to the realization of “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam.”

Balakrishna Sastry is an MBA student at University of California, Irvine. Between 2006-2007, he was a full time volunteer of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. You can contact him at balakrishna.sastry@gmail.com.

1.) India is home to some of the world’s most ancient art forms. Indian classical dance forms include: Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu, Kathak from Uttar Pradesh, Kathakali from Kerala, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri from Manipur, Mohiniattam from Kerala, and Odissi from Orissa.

2.) In addition to the many Indian classical dance forms, India is also known for its cultural folk dances which vary from region to region. Some of these include: the Chauu dance of Bihar, Garba of Gujarat, Bhangra of Punjab, and Banjara of Andhra Pradesh.

3.) Indian classical music originated from the Vedas. Classical music is based on seven notes: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. These notes are sung with different melodies, known as ragas, and set to different rhythms ,known as talas.

4.) Music in North India is referred to as Hindustani classical music, whereas music most popular in South Indian is known as Carnatic music.

5.) Instruments typically used in Hindustani music include the sitar, sarod, tanpura, bansuri, shehnai, sarangi, and tabla. Instruments typically used in Carnatic music include flute, gottuvadyam, veena, mridangam, kanjira, ghatam and violin.

6.) Since ancient times, India has been an active contributor in the field of Science and Technology. Indian sci-entists and Rishis have developed theories in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemis-try, medical science, fine arts, mechanical and civil engineering and architecture, shipbuilding, and navigation.

7.) Indian Vedic literature includes descriptions of the concepts of zero, algebra, and algorithm, calcu-lus, square roots, and cube roots. It is believed that these texts were written many centuries before Newton and other Mathematicians were born.

8.) The value of “pi” was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana. He also introduced the concept of the Pythagorean Theorem.

9.) India’s advanced technology in the field of civil engineering & architecture can be seen with the remnants of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Both these settlements are known for their grid-like layout and the advanced architecture of the buildings which were made with bricks made with mud and burnt wood.

10.) Charaka began Ayurveda over 2500 years ago which is the earliest school of medi-cine. Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over 2600 Indians are known to have conducted complicated surgeries such as cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, uri-nary stones and also plastic and brain surgeries.

Jyotsna is an undergraduate student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, studying Biology and Biotechnology. Her interests include Bharatanatyam, Carnatic Music, traveling, and volunteering.

Across:

3. India’s 1st satellite was named after this mathematician.
5. Famous surgeon in Bharat (6th century BC)
6. In India, this state is the first to view the sun daily.
8. Wrote Arthashastra, known as Kautilya (first name)
9. India’s first supercomputer
12. Mathura, birthplace of Krishna, is on the bank of this river
13. Suzuki collaborated with this company to provide afford-able cars to Indian consumers.
14. Name of the magazine you are reading
16. Indian hockey ace in the golden era of 1930s
17. Buddha preached the “fire sermon” here.
19. This place is also called the Pink City.
20. He wrote our national song.
21. Seeta’s father in the Ramayana.
25. He invented Mohan Veena (first name).
26. This Veda talks about the sacred hymns.
27. Astrophysicist known for development of the equation used to describe chemical and physical conditions in stars (see photo 1) (surname)
29. The world famous Sun Temple is located here.
30. Tamil festival marking the beginning of the sun’s north-ward journey.
31. His debut soundtrack, “Roja,” turned out to be the world’s 10th Best Soundtrack ever, as rated by Time (surname).

Down:

1. India recently set a world record launching 10 satellites in one go using this launch vehicle.
2. Father of the person after whom our nation is named Bharat
4. This freedom fighter started the Marathi newspaper Kesari in 1880 (see photo 2) (surname).
7. First name of this scientist whose surname appears in “Bhabha Atomic Research Centre”
9. A venue of Kumbh Mela (ancient name)
10. 1729 has been given a special name after this mathemati-cian showed that it is the smallest number that can be ex-pressed as sum of cubes of two numbers in two ways (10,9) and (12,1)
11. Gifted Indian director who received an Oscar (first name)
15. Player who won the man-of-the-match award in the 1983 cricket world cup final (surname)
18. First Indian astronaut in space (see photo 3)
19. Rani Lakshmibai fought from this kingdom.
22. Kanchenjunga, the word’s third highest peak is located in this Indian state.
23. Awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the molecular scattering of light (see photo 4) (surname).
24. The Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand is devoted to this God.
28. She was the cause of Bhishma’s death in the Mahabharat. 

Scroll below for answers…

Ankit Gupta is a PhD student at University of Washington, Seattle. You can contact him at ankit2935@gmail.com.

Sowmya Joisa, originally from Karnataka, was born and raised in Seattle, WA. She studied Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently a vistarika, or a full-time volunteer for Samskrita Bharati, a non-profit organization and a sister organization of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. Her vistarakship started in Los Angeles in September 2007 and will come to a completion this September.

Tattva: Tell us about Samskrita Bharati.
Sowmya: Samskrita Bharati is a non-profit organization started in 1981 in Bharat by a few students who studied Samskritam in Thirupathi Pathashala. They were used to speaking Samskritam and they wanted to create a patrika in Samskritam, but since many people did not speak the language, they decided to teach simple Samskritam by conducting sambha-shana (conversational) Samskritam camps. In 2000, the first residential sambhashana Samskritam camp was held in the US. Samskrita Bharati activities currently run in 18 different cities in the US; they focus on teaching Samskritam through conversation. Samskrita Bharati has taken the efforts to teach-ing students the first two steps of learning language, shravaNam (listening) and bhASHaNam (speaking) since most institutions have lagged in teaching the language through speech.

Tattva: What inspired you to learn Samskritam and how did you come in contact with Samskrita Bharati?
Sowmya: My father had taken the Samskrita Bharati corre-spondence course when I was a child. I was also learning Car-natic music, and it was mostly in Samskritam, so I wanted to learn the language. When I went to college, I took Samskritam all four years. But after two years, I was very discouraged because the method of teaching made it difficult to learn. At the end of my 3rd year in college, I attended a Samskritam residential camp in Bay Area with my parents. Here, the focus was spoken samskritam and I got to use a lot of what I had learned. While I did not know much vocabulary, I was able to immediately put into effect what I learned in camp classes.

Tattva: What motivated you to become a vistarika?
Sowmya: I was involved with Samskrita Bharati directly for a year before I decided to become a vistarika. When I first thought about what I wanted to do after college, I had the intent of volunteering my time for something. A lot of my friends were taking a year off to volunteer for Americorp, Peace Corps, etc. During my senior year in college, I had met with Samskrita Bharati volunteers who suggested I give my time for spreading Samskritam. Most of the Samskritam classes are given free of charge. I benefited from that teaching, so I thought I could give back by volunteering my time for the organization.

Tattva: What did the vistarakship encompass?
Sowmya: I started my vistarakship in July 2007. I initially attended a training session in Bharat for a month and a half. After that, I came back to the US and took a two-week tour with a few senior full-time volunteers to talk about Samskritam. I came to Los Angeles, my karyakshetra, in September, For the first few weeks, I did not have a car. So my stay was mostly in one place. Once I got a car, I was able to go to different parts of LA to meet people interested in Samskritam and start teaching classes. My schedule was very fluid and depended on when and where I could have classes. There was a lot of support from the Samskrita Bharati headquarters in San Jose and my host family in LA. This support was very helpful.

Tattva: What is it like being a vistarika? What were your expectations?
Sowmya: When I decided to become a vistarika, I had no idea what it would be like to be one. The biggest challenge was making a commitment to something I did not really know about. For instance, when friends asked where I was going to live during my vistarakship, I did not have an answer for them. However, the whole experience has come out very well. I teach classes, I meet new families, as well as find people who are interested in learning and supporting the learning of Samskritam. This involves a lot of traveling. The process is very people-oriented. Meeting people at homes versus at classes has a very different impact. I spend a lot of time with people, and building relationships with them. I meet people with various backgrounds, and the interesting part is that they all can be brought together through Samskritam. This is the most rewarding part of the vistarakship.
As a vistarika, I had to learn to adapt to the different lifestyles of people. I also had to adjust to the fact that my schedule is bound to change at the flip of a coin. Developing the skill to use every interaction and moment I had to contribute to the cause of Samsrkitam was one that took time. Initially when I met new people, I did not always use the opportunity to bring up Samskritam. Even now, I am still learning and working on it. Being a vistarika has also shown me the hospitality of people. I never had problem finding a family to stay with.

Tattva: What were people’s response to the Samskritam classes? How are classes and other events conducted?
Sowmya: People expressed great interest, mainly because there was no one really available to teach Samskritam. I have run 20 beginner level classes (each beginner level class is 20 hours) in the year. My host family had numerous contacts through Hindu Swayamasevak Sangh, and they helped a lot with meeting new people. I also went to events of various Hindu organizations for getting contacts and publicizing Samskritam classes.
In addition to the regular classes that happen throughout the year, two events were conducted in LA that were very unique. A camp was conducted in Irvine for teenagers. Twenty-six teenagers attended this 3-day camp in January. This was a smaller day camp, and the group was very interested in learning Samskritam. The teachers were also youth. We also had a family camp for the west coast, and we held classes for those who never had exposure to Samskritam as well as for those who have been learning for 7 to 8 years. This year, the camp was conducted in the San Bernadino mountains during Memorial Day weekend. Seventy-four people attended, a very high turnout considering the fact that Samskrita Bharati activities in this area just started the previous September.

Tattva: What was the highlight of your experience?
Sowmya: The highlight was meeting different people from various parts of Bharat. I come from a South Indian family and my interaction with Bharatiya people was limited to a South Indian, Kannada crowd. This experience has broadened my view of Indians and Hindus. The term is much broader than I had previously thought. There is much diversity throughout the country. I do not think I would have come into contact with so many kinds of people had I not been a vistarika.

Tattva: What are some benefits of the work you have done?
Sowmya: On a personal level, I developed interpersonal skills. The concept of calling someone new, introducing myself, setting up time to talk to them, and talking about Samskritam
was something I did not have much experience with before. The experience has made me more independent and confident in life and teaching. The organizational skills one learns as a vistarak become an asset in various aspects of life. Another benefit has been the spread of Samskritam. There is more awareness about Samskritam and more effort amongst people who are actively working to promote Samskritam.

Tattva: What are your future plans?
Sowmya: My vistarakship ends in September. After that I will be getting married. I am currently working towards my Masters degree in Samskritam through a correspondence course. I am in my 2nd year of the course, so I will be working on my final exam. I will also be working on curriculum activities of Samskrita Bharati. Since I have been teaching for Samskrita Bharati, I have realized I could do a lot of projects. But regardless of what I do, Samskritam will be a part of my life.

Tattva: What kind of volunteer opportunities are available with Samskrita Bharati?
Sowmya: There are two types of volunteers: karyakartas and vistaraks. The former include students and people with families and jobs who contribute their free time to Samskrita Bharati. Most of our volunteers fall into this category. There is a lot of work they can do – teaching classes, organizational work, contacting people, networking, publicizing, etc. Vistaraks are full time volunteers. For being a full time volunteer, one can contact the secretary for Samsrkita Bharati and express interest. They would plan out a training session, conducted in Bharat. Training covers not only Samskritam, but also how to conduct events, how to teach, the lifestyle, etc. The length of vistarakship is flexible. Since it takes time to settle in a new place and start work, it works best if you are interested in volunteering 6 months or longer.

Sowmya can be contacted at sowmya.joisa@gmail.com

The question as to whether or not it is the duty of a Hindu to be vegetarian has long been a source of debate in our society. Some are strong proponents of vegetarianism, while others feel it is okay for Hindus to eat meat. Usually those who promote vegetarianism quote concepts like ahimsa, health bene-fits, and environmental benefits. Those who eat meat give the argument of the right of an individual to choose, or that in the past, kshatriyas and other sects within Hinduism did eat meat. For example, many people in coastal areas of Kerala make a livelihood selling and eating fish. Even during Shri Rama’s vanvaas, there is the story of him eating meat offered by Guha, his childhood friend. So what is the right answer? There seem to be convincing arguments both ways. The truth is that we must establish a paradigm, a way of thinking before approaching this question. The paradigm in Hinduism has always been one of Dharma, of promoting harmony. First we shall establish the tenets of this paradigm, and then apply it to our question regarding vegetarianism.

Hinduism focuses primarily on creating harmony within oneself. It talks more of peace of mind (manah shanti) than of external peace. As Hindus, it is important that we see divinity, or Brahman, in all existence. We are indeed one with all of life, connected by a life force that pervades every inch of this universe. In some sense, once we have this mindset, whether or not we are vegetarian has no relevance. This is the mental state of a Rishi, and therefore all our actions will also be Dharmic once we attain this state.

There is a story of a great samurai warrior that illustrates this idea. Long ago a samurai was studying the martial arts under a great master. The master was murdered one night, and the samurai was able to figure out who the murderer was. With great rage and fury he rushed after the murderer and was about to kill him with his sword. Suddenly he became aware of the intensity of his anger and fled the scene without killing the murderer. He waited until his mind was peaceful and then went back and killed the murderer gracefully with his sword. From the outside, whether or not the samurai killed the murderer out of rage or not would not have made any difference. Yet, he realized that even punishing wrongdoers must be done out of compassion and peace. Thus it was the state of mind from which his action was done that was primary, not the action itself. Another example is of Native Americans, who would first pray to the Gods asking for forgiveness prior to killing buffalos for their nourishment. It is this feeling of gratitude and humility that is essential even in our concept of Dharma.

Now that we have understood our paradigm, we are ready to tackle the question of vegetarianism. First we must mention a few facts about the meat industry. Eating meat today (particularly in America) is different from eating meat thousands of years ago or even from fishermen in Kerala eating fish. Today the meat industry is a pure profit-making industry, born out of complete disrespect and irreverence for nature. It contributes tremendously to the destruction of the environment. For example, factory farms pack as many animals on their farm as possible, generating immense amounts of waste, in billions of pounds, each year, polluting our environment. Overgrazing by animals, such as cows, has led to much soil erosion in the United States. These issues barely scratch the surface of the issue of how the meat industry today is destroying our environment. (For precise figures and more information, go to www.meatrix.com.)

There are also plenty of facts about the health benefits of being vegetarian, which one can find online. From the reduction of the risk of heart disease, to longer lives, to better flow of pranic energy, the list is endless. The fact is that there was probably no time before today when becoming vegetarian meant such a significant reduction of stress on Mother Earth that we humans are causing. If we were to adopt the Dharmic paradigm described above, the least we could do on a practical level is to be vegetarian.

So does this mean that from now on it is our duty to convert everyone into vegetarianism? No. Simply making people vegetarian would not solve our problems, for that also could become a new dogma. We cannot expect the fishermen in Kerala to stop eating meat. In fact that would create more discord than harmony. Ultimately it is the adoption of the Dharmic mindset, the view that all creation is divine, the feeling of connection between all beings that needs to be spread to every corner of this planet. It is the loss of this mindset that has led to all the problems we face in today’s society. It is our duty to spread this idea across the world, and take the world to the pinnacle of peace and prosperity, param vaibhavam.

Vinod Sastry is a Ph.D student at University of California, Irvine. He can be contacted at vgrss1925@gmail.com.

Though I was born and brought up in America, I always felt a connection to Bharat (India). People of-ten ask me why I care so much about Bharat, seeing that I live in America and have established my life here. Why do I make an effort to learn about India’s history, culture, and people? Hindus outside India could theoretically live very comfortably without having to maintain any sort of connection at all with Bharat. So why not just reduce the hassle and confusion and bury away the identity crisis forever?

The truth is that as Hindus, we can never wipe away the emotional bond we feel with Bharat. The reason we make such sacrifices to stay in touch with India is beyond visiting family, sightseeing, etc. It is the rejuvenating spiritual connection we feel with the land. From the holy mountains and rivers to the beautiful temples and pilgrimage places, every aspect of Bharat is filled with Hindu culture. For this reason, Hindus all over the world, even those who cannot trace their ancestral history to India, maintain an emotional bond with Bharat that is as strong as that of anyone living in India today.

In Bharat, we can see the ideals of Dharma in practice. It is a land where parents, teachers, and guests are treated with the utmost respect. A land where poverty does not limit one’s generosity. A land where the common greeting, Namaste, literally means “I bow to the divinity within you.” A land where animals are treated with love and reverence. And the list goes on.

On my last visit to India, I was most amazed not by the grand malls and skyscrapers of Delhi and Mumbai, but by the city of Vrinda-van, where I actually experienced Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (“The whole world is one family”), a concept I previously could never imagine in practice. The local people I met there were some of the kindest and most hospitable I have ever seen; I automatically felt this inexplicable connection with the city and the people. Though Krishna grew up there over 5,000 years ago, the divine pres-ence still permeated the whole atmosphere. There, I experienced the greatest peace of mind, the rare feeling of unconditional hap-piness that was not dependent on anything material. Despite the fact that they may not have been as well-off financially as most in America, the people of Vrindavan possessed a culture so deep and so rich that it far outstripped any economic potency.

People from different parts of Bharat may practice different rituals, speak different languages, belong to different sects, and wor-ship God in different ways, but their way of life is common and based on Dharma. This is what keeps Bharat together. This cultural bond was what united Bharat as a nation, even when different states were ruled by different governments. Cultural unity was and still is India’s greatest strength. Lord Macauley, who was sent to India by the British government in 1834 system realized this strength: “I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage…”

For Hindus living outside India, a political map of India or the tiranga may not stir up as much emotion as it would for an Indian citizen, as both denote India as a state. But the image of Bharat Mata and the Bhagwa Dhwaj (saffron flag) evoke a love for the country that is the mother of our cultural heritage. Though Bharat may not be our janmabhoomi (birth place), it will always be our punyabhoomi (holy land). The world will never separate Hinduism from Bharat, and that is why no matter where they were born, where they live, or where they trace their family history, Hindus across the world will always look toward Bharat as their cultural homeland.

Aparna is an undergraduate student at Boston University, studying Economics and Journalism. She can be contacted at aparna.garg@yahoo.com

The year 2008 has been declared by the United Nations as “International Year of Planet Earth.” The official website (http://www.yearofplanetearth.org/) states: “The International Year of Planet Earth aims to capture people’s imagination with the exciting knowledge we possess about our planet, and to see that this knowledge is used to make the Earth a safer, healthier, and wealthier place for our children and grandchildren.” Having an interest in economics and geo-politics, I felt it is an apt time to summarize the current world situation in regards to economy, the lessons we can learn from the economic policies followed in the past, and what possibly lies in store for us in the near future. The United States of America takes a central focus in this article, because of its current economic and political strength and its influence on world politics.

The Rise of the U.S. Dollar
During the early years of the 20th century, the United States underwent rapid industrialization. The discovery of a cheap domestic oil supply and the commercial production of the newly invented automobile hastened this process. The industrialization of the U.S. naturally translated into the strength of the U.S. dollar. The “gunboat diplomacy” of the late 19th century transformed into “dollar diplomacy” in the early 20th century. Dollars replaced bullets as the means of warfare.

The dollar’s influence got a further boost after World War II. The two world wars had economically exhausted the European countries, while the United States was spared the destruction. The 1944 Bretton Woods agreement solidified the dollar as the preeminent world reserve currency, replacing the British pound. Each dollar was backed by 1/35th an ounce of gold. However, the prolonged Vietnam war, the Great Society program of President Johnson, and the Cold war were emptying the U.S. coffers of gold. To save the country’s gold, President Nixon removed the gold backing of the U.S. dollar in 1971. This was a setback to the dollar. However, U.S. authorities were quick to react and struck an agreement with OPEC to price oil in U.S. dollars exclusively for all worldwide transactions. In return, the U.S. promised to protect the various oil-rich kingdoms in the Persian Gulf against threat of invasion or domestic coup. In essence, the dollar was now backed by oil instead of gold. The dollars earned by the oil exporting countries were named Petrodollars. This arrangement gave the dollar a fresh breath of life and resulted in tremendous financial benefits for the United States. Oil is the world’s life blood. Demand for oil translates into demand for dollars. Being the issuer of the world’s reserve currency has since put the U.S. in a position of tremendous economic and political strength.

The late 20th century saw the rise of “globalization.” From an economic standpoint, globalization refers to the emergence of a single “world market.” However, in this global marketplace, the U.S. has enjoyed a special status because it issues the only instrument of transaction, i.e. the U.S. dollar. While the rest of the world produced goods and services, the U.S. had the privilege of consuming them by merely printing more dollars.

Where we stand today?
In the short run, the issuer of a fiat reserve currency can accrue great economic benefits. As long as foreign countries take U.S. dollars in return for real goods, the U.S. comes out ahead. But following this policy for too long has lead to a loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to overseas markets. Hence, the U.S. has now become more dependent on others and less self-sufficient. It is an unbelievable benefit to import valuable goods and export depreciating dollars. The exporting countries have become addicted to U.S. consumption for their economic growth. This dependency makes them allies in continuing the fraud, and their participation keeps the dollar’s value artificially high. If this system were workable long term, American citizens would never have to work again. They too could enjoy “bread and circuses” just as the Romans did, but the Roman gold finally ran out and the inability of Rome to continue to plunder conquered nations brought an end to the empire.

What lies ahead?
One of the most significant effects of globalization in the U.S. was the rise of the consumerist culture. This scary culture is catching up in other parts of the world. However, this is unsustainable. For instance, the U.S. consumes 25% of the world’s oil while it houses only 5% of the world’s population. If the appetite for resources of the rest of the world were to match that of the U.S., Mother Nature would not have enough to offer. Clearly, there would be a gap between supply and demand, leading to price inflation. With the rise in consumption of the developing world, we are already seeing the preliminary effects. Prices of commodities, especially food and energy, have skyrocketed in the past few years.

Moreover, as the U.S. dollar loses value, the goods in the international market become more expensive for U.S. citizens. The enviable strength of the U.S. dollar has allowed U.S. citizens to live beyond their means for the past 30 years. With its value eroding, they will now have to adapt to live beneath their means. They need to revive their savings and retire their debt. In essence, the process of globalization is reversing. Earlier it was very cheap to design a computer in the U.S., get the parts from Korea, assemble them in China, ship them to Long Beach, CA, and then transport them by road to rest of America. With rising fuel costs and depreciating dollars, foreign goods and services have become more expensive. To enjoy these goods in the future, American citizens would have no option, other than to go back to their factories and farms and be willing to work for wages that are competitive in the world market.

Rise of Asia
Economics teaches us that for every credit there is an equivalent amount of debit. During the past 40 years, while the U.S. has run up huge deficits, the developing world has accumulated huge savings. The developing world has also built a strong manufacturing base in the process. Today acronyms such as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), which refer to the emerging markets, have become common. The rise of Asia as the next economic superpower is gaining acceptance each day. However, not everything is rosy on the side of the developing markets either. The majority of the population continues to live under the poverty level and has been negatively affected by the economic boom of the West. While the cash-strapped U.S. consumer consumes less each day, the emerging economies are now tapping their local markets. The grand experiment of globalization was unsustainable and was bound to fail. As this process reverses, the largest consumer base lies at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP). This population is the largest (4 billion) but also the poorest (lives on less than $2 per day). It was left behind in the process of globalization. Several journals and books have written on how this market can be tapped. These include The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid - Eradicating Poverty through Profits by C.K. Prahalad of the University of Michigan and Capitalism at the Crossroads - Aligning business, Earth and Humanity by Stuart Hart of Cornell University and Al Gore. The Nobel Peace Prize of 2006 was awarded to Mohammed Yunus, for his successful implementation of microcredit—extending small loans to entrepreneurs who are not considered bankable. There are several other successful initiatives which the readers are encouraged to explore.

Conclusion
From 1970 to today, the population of the world has more than doubled from 3 billion to 6.5 billion. In 1970, China and India had no global footprint, today they house 40% of the world’s population and are growing their economies by 10% each year. The world is adding 250,000 new people each day. Each of these people would have to learn from the mistakes of the past and develop a sustainable society. Plundering the world’s resources in consumerist frenzy is not sustainable anymore. Nation building begins with sacrifice. Sacrifice in economic terms means saving for future consumption. The coming years will teach us exactly that, the hard way.

Shobhit Mathur is a software engineer at Amazon.com, Seattle. He can be reached at shobhit.mathur@gmail.com. Shobhit keenly follows economics and geo-politics. He maintains a blog of interesting articles at http://shobhitmathur.wordpress.com.

This summer I was presented with a two-month internship opportunity in Bangalore, India. The internship was facilitated by Sewa International, in cooperation with Hindu Seva Pratishthana (HSP), a local NGO. There were multiple factors that motivated me to set off on this venture. One, in particular, was my strong desire to dedicate a couple of months to social work. For the past couple of years, I had been observing and realizing that we, as humans, have spiritually regressed to become very selfish individuals. We are on a constant and fierce battle with each other to be materialistically superior. And, in the process, we hardly have any time left for fortifying our moral standards. Consequently, reserving time for others would be an impossible task. For this very reason, I decided to embark on this quest and become a volunteer. Apart from that, this internship has given me a chance to explore a part of the world where I had not yet been and submerge myself in a culture that is drastically different from my own. I chose to volunteer in India because the projects that were offered were relevant to my field of study and the structure of the program appealed to me. Moreover, I chose Bangalore because I am a complete stranger to the local vernacular; and adjusting to a new lifestyle topped with linguistic differences would provide me further challenges.

What is the project? Youth for Seva (YFS) is an organization within HSP that prepares reports for and provides media support to HSP. Within YFS, my duties include doing field work as well as back end work. Field work encompasses visiting slums, orphanages, rehabilitation centers, and shelters for street children. The government of Karnataka has approximated around
80,000 children in the streets of Bangalore. I interact with some of these children and research their family background. I assess what brings them to the street and ask them what challenges they might face on the streets. Apart from that, I go over their files at the rehab centers to see how they have progressed since their admission there. Also, I contact the myriad of NGOs and INGOs that have been established for the cause of these destitute children and see how they operate. Back end work includes documenting my findings, identifying problems in the system, and offering my recommendations.

Every venture is sure to have its challenges. In my case, language has been a major handicap. Had I been familiar with the language, I could have mingled with the locals on a deeper level. I have met various influential people along the way and have gained insight from them. However, because of the language barrier, I have not been able to exploit such an opportunity to the fullest. Another roadblock is the work culture. There are a lot of things that are done differently in India than in the United States. However, I have learned not to label such cultural differences as “challenges” and have been adapting to the Indian way.

Seeing life through the eyes of the less fortunate has definitely enriched my existence. It was a little shocking to know how happy people can be with so little. During the course of this month, I have met a lot of prominent personalities, who gave up their flourishing careers to become full time volunteers and live mediocre lives. I was perplexed to see why people would give up comfort to serve humanity; and the common answer to my query was that living for others fetches more satisfaction to the soul than living for oneself. Furthermore, I have had the occasion of experiencing India’s rich culture. One in particular is the level of hospitality that everyone exhibits. I have also been introduced to a new and beautiful language – Kannada. And most of all, this internship has not only provided me a platform to serve others; it has also been a medium through which I can evaluate my strengths and weaknesses.

Shikta Sapkota, originally from Nepal, has done her MBA from University of Utah, Salt Lake City. She is interested in development economics and international politics. She is also a yoga enthusiast and loves traveling. You can contact her at shikta_sapkota@yahoo.com

“Rajneesh” Chandra Mohan Jain, aka Osho, was one of the most influential spiritual personalities of the 20th century. Some consider him to be enlightened and some a charlatan, but one thing is for sure, Osho was unique. He was undeniably a great orator and, with a background in teaching philosophy, a great scholar. His unconventional nuggets of wisdom may appeal or repel listeners but they sure do shake you up. I have been listening to his discourses on the Bhagavad Gita for a while and I want to share some of my thoughts with you.

There is a lot of Osho literature available on the internet. This includes writings, discourses, and videos. Osho’s lectures on the Bhagavad Gita constitute one of his more popular works. Osho speaks in chaste Hindi which in today’s world is a rare commodity in itself. His style of speaking is pregnant with pauses which lends it an air of gravity. The discourses are usually 45-60 minutes long, during which Osho digs deep into a few shlokas, coming up with his unique brand of wisdom.

Osho, the word dissector
He spends quite some time explaining the meaning of a single word and why Krishna chose to use that particular word. Often his insight is deep and extraordinary, bringing out a hidden meaning that is hard to guess yet feels sensible. The Gita seems to be full of esoteric and illogical statements, but Osho takes his time delineating each phrase word-by-word and creating the landscape of his perspective. An underlying current throughout his discourses is the assertion that words in our languages are just inadequate to express the divine. Osho believes this is because the languages have evolved to express the ego. He points out that the reason Gita sounds so esoteric is because of the way human languages have evolved and the subtle ways language effects our thinking and behavior.

Although born a Jain, Osho draws from all spiritual traditions while explaining the Gita. He extensively quotes anecdotes from the lives of Buddha, Mahavir, Christ, Vivekanand, Mansoor, Meera, Mohammed, etc., trying to highlight the unifying message underlying the different actions taken by these people. The list given above is a mere sampling; Osho draws from an eclectic bunch ranging from Zen monks to Sufi fakirs. Coming from a strong background in philosophy he does not shy away from comparing the works of modern philosophers like Sigmund Frued, Friedrich Neitzche, Carl Jung, Einstein, and so on with those of the ancient seers. The result is a very rounded, multifaceted interpretation of Geeta, a thorough comparison of Eastern and Western thought.

Throughout the discourses Osho rebukes organized religion. His dislike for the church, priest, dogma, and blind following of rituals is expressed in all his talks and writings. He encourages the listener to put it in proper perspective and concentrate on changing one’s actions instead of getting stuck with rituals. In one instance he compares them to signboards and goads the listener to read the signboard and move to the real destination rather than thinking of the signboard as the destination.

Osho’s interpretation of the Gita stands out for many qualities. He creates a multifaceted analysis of Gita, drawing from all sources—philosophy, scriptures, biographies and his own experience. The shlokas of the Gita are often abstract, mysterious and sometimes downright contradictory. In such cases the listener will definitely appreciate Osho’s deep and precise insight in explaining why Krishna said it this way. He has the skill of explaining apparently impossible shlokas in layman’s terms, using simple analogies. He often compares the subjects to modern social problems. This is where at times he digresses. Even though the digressions are interesting they sometimes get a bit too long. Though usually serious he is at times encouraging, soothing, poetic, mesmerizing and confrontational. But he is always soft-spoken, never too loud. There was an incidence when some people created trouble during his discourse. But Osho held his calm and the next day actually used that incident to bring in some humor. Osho’s discourses on the Gita are something every Osho fan or Gita fan will love listening to. You can find them at http://www.esnips.com/web/shikshaaurdharma

Neeraj Korde did his Masters from University of Michigan and now is a software engineer based in Seattle, Washington. His interests include practicing yoga. He can be reached at nkorde@gmail.com.

Upon the colonization of India, the British came to perceive the Indian culture as a threat to their rule. To counter this threat they introduced reforms; these changes were educational, religious, and political. The purpose of all of their reforms was to change the thinking of the Indian people, from their traditional culture and religion to the traditions the British deemed appropriate. Often those reforms would force Indians to change their way of life that had developed over millennia. A part of that reform was the introduction of the Aryan Invasion Theory. This theory was developed by many historians under the pay of the British. With the Aryan Invasion Theory, the British sought to demoralize those factions that opposed them by denying them their heritage and claiming that their vaunted scriptures were in fact imports from western lands. The presence of certain artifacts, correct linguistic analysis, and dating of various historical writings prove the Aryan Invasion Theory incorrect.

Geographical Data
Sub-continental India is surrounded by a dense mountainous region which makes the movement of any large force and supplies nearly impossible. Those mountains are the reason Alexander the Great was forced to withdraw his forces from India. They are also the reason that the Soviet Union could not maintain a military presence in Afghanistan during their decade-long struggle there. Alexander was a military mastermind, and the Soviets had vast funds at their disposal; however, the Aryans had neither of those resources available—they were nomadic cattle herders. The Aryan Invasion Theory claims that the Aryans conquered the native Harappan “population with the use of chariots and superior bronze weaponry”. The Sanskrit term ayas was thought to connote iron. In the Vedas, however, ayas is associated with cattle and barley—both of which were amply used in Harrapan times. The Vedic meaning of the term is most appropriate in this context because Sanskrit was not yet fully developed at that time. The proposal that nomadic invaders came “down [from] the passes of Afghanistan in war chariots is fanciful,” navigating hundreds of mountainous miles is very impractical (Feuerstein 157). The chariots would break down due to the rough terrain. The horses would tire quickly due to the dearth of proper fodder.

Also, a large number of chariots would be required to transport enough supplies for a hostile takeover of an entrenched civilization. The propulsion of chariots requires horses. The Aryan Invasion Theory proposes that there were no domesticated horses present before the invasion; the Aryans brought them to India. This is disproved by excavations that have found the “bones of Equus caballus Linn… [which] clearly establishes that the true domesticated horse was very much in use” (Frawley 28). To conquer the natives, the Aryans must have used metallic weapons; however, weaponry of any sort has yet to be found on any of the Indus Civilization excavations because the denizens of the area were peaceful. There have been iron tools (possibly for farming) found in the area that date as far back as 1800 B.C.E. The introduction of metallurgy was not of Indo-European origin but was native to the Vedic civilizations of Harappa and the surrounding areas. The presence of chariots, horses, and various metals supports the refutation of the Aryan Invasion Theory.

Linguistic Data
The interpretation of extinct languages is very imprecise, and because there are no living speakers of the original language it is very difficult to decipher the sound and meaning of each word. Many scholars propound that the Aryans brought and “then imposed their language on the conquered people” (India). Prior to the purported Invasion the language used to keep accounts, to communicate, etc. was Vedic. The Vedic language was written using a seal system, similar to the ancient Mayan and Egyptian hieroglyphics; all three of which are still a source of mystery to scholars. The Aryans apparently brought Sanskrit to the Indus Valley and forced the denizens of that place to replace their own languages with that of their overlords. However, Sanskrit is an intricate language that is considered “by the opinion of many, one of if not the most refined language in the world” (Frawley 49). Such a language could not have been devised by a primitive nomadic race. They would have been engaged in various nondiscretionary activities required for their survival. They would have no time for the pursuit or refinement of their own language much less the development of a language such as Sanskrit.

Additionally, the word Arya was thought by many to have meant a race of people (the English term Aryan originates from that word). However, Arya is used in the Vedas as an adjective—it refers to those people who are pure of mind, body and spirit, those people who perform noble deeds for the advancement of society. Arya does not connote any ethnicity, creed, or skin color.

Logical Arguments
There is no record of such a race as the Aryans in any of the Vedic texts—they are not in the Puranic genealogies which “date back to the third millennium b.c. [sic] and earlier” (Feuerstein 160). They are in not in the Vedas or the Upanishads either. Vedic religion contains a metaphorical struggle between light and darkness. This struggle was translated by many as a struggle between light and dark skinned people. This is a false notion; the true meaning relates to knowledge—light is knowledge whereas darkness is ignorance. To interpret that metaphor as a clash between races would be akin to saying the never-ending “Biblical battle between God and Satan… [refers to a war] between light and dark-skinned people” (Frawley 33).

The Vedic calendar was based on astronomy. The Brahmanas, the Yajur, and the Atharva Vedas all speak of “the vernal equinox in the Krittikas and the summer solstice in Magha… This yields a date of around 2500 BC” (Frawley); there are many other texts to corroborate these statements. The Vedas were written before the Aryans began their invasion of the sub-continent, thus they cannot have been written by Aryans. The Vedas cannot have been brought by the Aryans either because it was written in the script of the Indus Valley civilizations. The Vedas could not have been composed by the Aryans because there simply is not a long enough gap in the dating between the Aryan Invasion and the writing of the Vedas. The Vedas were composed over a span of centuries; there is one manuscript that was dated to be from mid 14th century B.C.E; before that time, they were composed and memorized, and passed down orally. Lastly, had they truly written the Vedas then they would have included themselves in them. No race can resist the chance to extol its accomplishments; especially when that accomplishment is the conquering of another race that was already settled.

Conclusion
The evidence against the Aryan Invasion Theory is quite numerous. The archaeological excavations of Indian civilizations began at an incorrect time because all the evidence discovered was manipulated to suit the colonial mindset of the British ruling over India at the time. Had they begun at a time when there was no foreign influence in India, the evidence might not have been corrupted to suit the designs of the British Raj. However, the scholarly society is now considering the evidence against the Aryan Invasion Theory and is reevaluating its own ideas. The presence of metal tools and chariots, the linguistic analysis of various texts and the date of the texts themselves serve to provide evidence against the Aryan Invasion Theory.

References
“India: History.” World Geography. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 20 May 2008 <http://www.worldgeography.abc-clio.com>.
Feuerstein, Georg, and Subhash Kak. In Search of the Cradle of Civilization. Second Edition. Wheaton, IL: The Theosophi-cal Publishing House, 2001.
Frawley, David. The Myth of the Aryan Invasion of India. First Reprint of Enlarged Edition: February 2002. New Delhi: Voice of India, 2002.
“Who Composed the Vedas?.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. 20
ABC-CLIO. 26 May 2008 <http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com>.

Sanjay Lohar is a senior at Green Hope High in Cary, North Carolina. You can contact him at lohar.s@gmail.com.