Did Lord Ram eat Meat?

Philosophy and Spirituality, Vegetarianism Tags: did ram ate meat, did ram eat meat, lord shri ram,lord sri
ram, ram
By Swami Abayananda Tirtha
Dr Zakir naik and his colleagues at the IRF believe so. Dr. Shuaib Sayyed, Research Manager, Islam
and Comparative Religion, (IRF) says, It is mentioned in Ayodhya Khandam chapter 20, 26 and 94
that when Rama was sent for Banavas he told his mother that he would have to sacrifice his tasty
meat dishes. If Rama had to sacrifice his tasty meat dishes, it means that Rama had meat. If Rama
can have meat, why cant the Hindus have meat? Sita asked Rama to kill the buck (deer)What
will Sita do with a dead pet? The only logical answer is that she wanted to have the meat of the buck.
If Rama and Sita can have meat then why cant the other Hindus have meat? Let us examine if these
allegations have any truth.
Valmiki Ramayana, the original narration of Ramayana, has a total
of 537 chapters, and over 24,000 verses, arranged into six kandas, or books. There are only two
references to meat, and over a hundred references to vegetarian diet. TheAyodhya Kanda has 119
chapters. Chapter 20 describes Mother Kaushalyas grievous lamentation on hearing from her son
Rama, that He has been banished to the forest. Rama tells her in verse 29, I shall live in a solitary
forest like a sage for fourteen years, avoiding meat and living with roots, fruits and honey. Can we
validly infer from this that Lord Rama ate meat while in Ayodhya, and now He promises to avoid it
in the forest? The exact words used arehitva aamishham. aamisham refers to meat
and hitvarefers to disregarding or with the exception of (Monnier Williams dictionary).
Traditionally, in Vedic culture, when a son leaves home to go to distant lands, he reassures his
parents, that he would abide by strict moral codes and never deviate from the religious principles.
Say a student promises his parents when going to stay in the hostel, I wont drink alcohol while in
the hostel. Does this mean that he is drinking it while at home? Obviously not. Similarly its in this
mood that Lord Rama assures His mother that he wouldnt stoop low. In Chapter 26 Lord Rama tells
Mother Sita of His decision to go to forest and instructs her to stay at Ayodhya. There is no reference
to any eating- meat or otherwise-in any verse of this chapter. Moreover in almost all the verses of
chapter 94, (which also Dr. Sayyed quotes), Lord Rama glorifies the various fruits, trees, and flowers
at the forest of Chitrakuta, with absolutely no reference to any meat- eating whatsoever.
Did Mother Sita ask Lord Rama to kill the deer? In the third
book,Aranya kanda(forest trek),chapter 43, Mother Sita spots the golden deer and asks Lord Rama to
fetch it. She asks, Oh, noblemans son, that delightful deer is stealing my heart, oh, dextrous one,
bring it round, it will be our plaything. [3-43-10]. In the next eight verses she rejoices at the
prospect of taking the deer back to Ayodhya where the animal will delight all the palace residents.
She clarifies that if the deer is to be killed at all (Laksman had earlier warned it to be a demon), then
they could use the deerskin as a seat. (3-43-19, 20). The forest dwelling sages used kusa grass and
deer skin as seats during the earlier ages when flora and fauna was in abundance. Here again there is
not even a hint that Lord Rama or Sita wanted to eat the flesh of the golden deer. In the 36th chapter
of sundara kanda (Book of Beauty), Hanuman assures Mother Sita that Lord Rama would cross over
the ocean and defeat Ravana. He reveals that although Lord Rama is in great sorrow of separation
from Mother Sita, he hasnt fallen down to intoxicants or meat eating. (verse 41)
Mamsa has another meaning; the flesh of a fruit. In the South Indian temple town of Srirangam,
when priests offer mango to Lord Ranganath, they chant the prayer, iti aamra mamsa khanda
samarpayami (I offer mango mamsa -mango flesh- for the Lord to eat). Thus even if there are
occasional references to mamsa, we should know it refers to a mango.
From Ritual to Spiritual
Hindu Rituals Tags: consciousness, marriage, sacrificial fire, spiritual ritual
By Vraja Bihari Das
Twenty-five-year old Nitin Sawant, a software engineer, explains why hes disillusioned with
religious rituals

I was at a friends wedding recently. The priest called upon the bride and the groom to perform holy
rites, while the guests watched smoke rise from the sacrificial fire. The hall reverberated with the
loud chanting of Sanskrit mantras (hymns) by the priest sanctifying the marriage. Suddenly there was
a protest; one of the guests- a Sanskrit scholar himself- heard carefully the chanting of the mantras,
and was upset at the insensitivity of the priest whod been blabbering hymns not connected to a
marriage ceremony; he even offered rapid mantras meant for a funeral service! A bigger shock for
me was the callousness of the marriage party; they politely quietened the complaining guest and let
the function go on unchanged. I left disappointed at the sham of a sacred wedding where no one
understood or cared for significance of the rituals.
Nitin has reasons for being cynical. He has seen since
childhood increasing religious intolerance, global terrorism (justified in the name of God), and
corruption by the clergy of different faiths. In India, during the annual festivals glorifying Lord
Ganesha (a popular Indian demigod), although pompous ceremonies are performed, no one explains
the rationale behind them.
Why the disillusionment?
Rituals are certain practices- unique to each religious tradition- that prescribe procedures for
worshipping God. A religious person, through a set pattern of behaviour, regularly performs these
ceremonies. However, today these customs have earned a negative connotation and have been
misunderstood by many. This is due to the rituals being used to serve different purposes (other than
service to God); they often help a person express his loyalty to a religion, or helps gain acceptance
within a community. These practices-obliging a person from birth to death- also consume substantial
time, money and energy of the practitioner. Thus the rituals which are in essence positive facilitators
to remember and serve God, get diluted, and are reduced to mechanical, repetitive acts. Not
surprisingly young and intelligent people like Nitin are put off by these blind rituals.
Purpose of rituals-reawakening the divine love
The purpose of rituals is to reawaken the divine love of God thats
within every living entity. This love, although natural, is
presently covered by the thick layer of material consciousness. A set of rituals are thus offered by the
founders and teachers of each faith, to help the followers gradually purify their consciousness of
material contamination. For example, in the Vedic culture, we perform the aarati ceremony where a
devotee offers fragrant incense, fire lamp, and water to God, Krishna. These rituals are intended to
help the devotee realize that God is the source of fragrance (corresponds to the incense offered), heat
(connected to the fire lamp), and all other elements in this material creation. A devotee acknowledges
God?s proprietorship and our dependence on Him for basic amenities. Through the aarati ceremony,
we offer the elements back to Krishna, reciprocating with His kindness and expressing our intention
to love Him.
When we forget this divine purpose of rituals- connecting our consciousness with the Supreme
consciousness, God- and instead get distracted by the loud and grandiose externals, the rituals
become an end in themselves. The traffic laws have a purpose; to help the driver reach his destination
smoothly. If a motorist is unsure of his destination, hes eventually lost despite his strict following of
the traffic rules. Similarly, if the follower of a religious faith is unaware of the goal of going back
home, back to Godhead, hes lost in the material world, even in the garb of a religious conviction.
Then the rituals have the opposite effect of what they?re supposed to achieve-they keep a person
bound in material consciousness.
Can we do without rituals?
Some however drift to the other extreme and denounce rituals of any kind, while pursuing a spiritual
life. They claim that since God ultimately sees our divine intention, rituals arent necessary at all,
and any spontaneous outpouring of the heart is spiritual. Thus they reject profound and sacred
practices that have helped devotees connect to God, over centuries.
Rituals are essential and even indispensable to a person commonly distracted by worldly affairs.
Physical actions and rituals create favourable ambience-gorgeous temples, beautiful deity dresses,
congregational singing and dancing, and clean devotee attire, stimulates devotees to go deeper and
internally connect to God. An unclean place, whimsical and aggressive behaviour, and irregular
habits create negative energy, and distract a devotee from his spiritual quest. Although the internal
mood is critical in our communion with God, the external formulas, as presented through the rituals,
do influence the internals. While substance is ultimately important, it is the form that helps to carry
and preserve the substance. The spirit- added to a ritual makes it spiritual.
Converting a ritual to spiritual
As our consciousness gets purified by practising these rituals, the rituals become more meaningful,
and appear fresh each time we perform them. Although externally they appear repetitive, these rituals
become spiritually nourishing. To experience this transformational power of rituals, one has to add
the element of remembrance of God to them. Krishna should always be remembered and never
forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the scriptures should be the
servants of these two principles. (Padma purana; quoted in Chaitanya Charitamrita
Madhya.22.113). In the spiritual world, devotees serve Lord Krishna through a beautiful variety of
rituals and services-aarati ceremony, making garlands, singing of songs and dancing in joy for the
Lord?s pleasure- and each of them is soaked with rich spiritual love for Krishna.
In this material world, by cultivating a desire to serve Krishna, while practising the rituals, a
practitioner?s heart gets reformed selfish passions give way to the spirit of selfless service;
arrogance transforms to humility; and envy to appreciation of others.
No compromise on the spiritual
A devotee may sometimes adjust the rituals according to
time, place and circumstances, but he doesnt compromise on the essence. For example, Rupa
goswami, a sixteenth century Vaishnava saint, lists gorgeous deity worship as one of the rules for
practising devotional service. However when Srila Prabhupada installed deities of Lord Jagganath,
Baladeva and Subhadra (Krishna with His brother and sister) at San Francisco in 1967, ISKCON had
meagre facilities. In a small but devotionally potent programme consisting of chanting, prayers,
offering of lamp, and happy feasting of Lord?s prasadam (food offered to Krishna first), Srila
Prabhupada had adjusted the details without compromising on the spiritual essence. If one can afford,
one should offer the best to Krishna. If one has no feasible means, he can still offer Krishna, with
love and devotion, a simple leaf, flower, fruit or water. (Bhagavad Gita 9.26)
Krishna is known as bhava-grahi-one who doesnt accept the thing we offer but the love with which
its offered. The eagerness to please Krishna is more effective in earning the Lord?s favour than strict
compliance with rituals. This was taught by Lord Krishna personally while performing His pastimes
as a simple cowherd boy, 5000 years ago.
Simplicity v/s blind rituals
Once Krishna asked His hungry boyfriends to beg for food from the brahmanas (ritualistic priests),
who lived nearby. They were busy performing sacrifices and had arranged variety of foodstuffs as a
part of the programme. When the boys appealed to these men on behalf of Krishna, the priests
ignored the request, and instead busied themselves with their sacrificial executions. Krishna is the
goal of all Vedic knowledge and sacrifices (Bhagavad Gita; 15.15), but the vastly learned priests
missed this point due to their absorption on the form of worship rather than the substance of Krishna.
Its like a man working overtime at office; when its finally time to collect the pay check, he says
he?s busy working hard, and has no time to collect the remuneration. The desired result of all
endeavours and sacrifices is Krishna?s pleasure and His acceptance of our oblations. Here Krishna
was willing to reward the brahmanas by receiving their offerings and giving them benedictions; but
they were busy working- their vision of Krishna blurred by the false pride of material expertise.
The boys were disappointed but Krishna encouraged His friends to now approach the wives of the
brahmanas, who were simple-hearted, and not well-versed in Vedic rituals. In contrast to the cold
response of their husbands, these women were overjoyed to hear the requests of Krishna, and rushed
to Him with all of the offerings. Although they were prevented from going to Krishna by their
husbands, fathers, and sons-all vastly erudite in Vedic rituals-the women were unstoppable. Their
example proves that simple acceptance of Krishna, and an eagerness to please Him attracts the
Lord?s attention more than ostentatious rituals. Later the men realizing their folly glorified the wives,
and condemned their own learning, for it blinded them to the loving service of Krishna.
Religious rituals aren?t necessarily bad. By humbling the learned brahmanas, Lord Krishna teaches
us that rituals lose their spiritual potency when they are mechanically performed without
understanding their meaning and purpose. Such a practitioner?s devout and lofty practises are like an
attractive but hollow wrapper, devoid of the gift of love of God.
Krishna is our eternal loving father, waiting for us to return to Him. Spiritual joy eludes one who
ignores reviving this relationship with Him.
Spiritual practise for the modern age
Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of Supreme Lord for the modern age, presented
chanting of Hare Krishna as the easy method to revive our relationship with Krishna. As the very
first effect of chanting, the heart gets cleansed of material contamination, and gradually pure love of
Krishna awakens. Although there are no hard and fast rules (Sikshastakam, verses 1&2), a
mechanical, parrot like repetition of the mantras will not award the fruit of love of God. Srila
Prabhupada taught devotees to chant Krishna?s Holy names in the mood of a helpless child calling
for his mother, for the call of a child in danger is never a blind ritual; rather its imbued with
conscious emotion. ?..there is a quality to such utterances also. It depends on the quality of feeling.
A helpless man can feelingly utter the holy name of the Lord, whereas a man who utters the same
holy name in great material satisfaction cannot be so sincere.? (Srila Prabhupada in Teachings of
Queen Kunti)
A need for Spiritual Education
The scriptures are filled with the prayers of great souls- Prahalad Maharaj, Gajendra and Kunti devi,
to name a few. A devotee repeats these prayers, not as a stereotype ritual but with a desire to
understand the content and feelings of the pure devotees offering these prayers. With an enthusiasm
to access the Lord?s mercy, a Krishna conscious devotee invests his feelings into these prayers, and
simultaneously offers his own personal prayers to Krishna. A contemplative study of scriptures and
prayerful connection to God helps a devotee see all living entities as children of his compassionate
Lord (Bhagavad Gita: 5.18). This vision dissolves the false ego, softens the heart, and fills it with
love and kindness towards all beings.
If Nitin studies the Krishna conscious philosophy and meets practising devotees, his doubts and
misgivings of Indian spirituality will be allayed. Even as religious fervour dominates the social
scene, Nitin will realize that there is no need to discredit rituals altogether; in fact he will learn to
offer his heart to Krishna through rituals.
Notable Quotes on
Reincarnation
Reincarnation
By Rajeev Dalvi

I am confident that there truly is such a thing as living again, that the living spring from the dead,
and that the souls of the dead are in existence.
-Socrates
The soul comes from without into the human body, as into a temporary abode, and it goes out of
it anew
it passes into other habitations, for the soul is immortal.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson
I did not begin when I was born, nor when I was conceived. I have been growing, developing,
through incalculable myriads of millenniumsAll my previous selves have their voices, echoes,
promptings in me.Oh,incalculable times again
shall I be born.
-Jack London
The Star River
There is no death. How can there be death if everything is part of the Godhead? The soul never dies
and the body is never really alive.
-Isaac Bashevis Singer
Nobel Laureate
Stories from Behind the Stove
He saw all these forms and faces in a thousand relationshipsbecome newly born. Each one was
mortal, a passionate, painful example of all that is transitory. Yet none of them died, they only
changed, were always reborn,
continually had a new face: only time stood between one face and another
I am confident that there truly is such a thing as living again, that the livingspring from the dead,
and that the souls of the dead are in existence.
-Socrates
The soul comes from without into the human body, as into a temporary abode, and it goes out of
it anew
it passes into other habitations, for the soul is immortal.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson
I did not begin when I was born, nor when I was conceived. I have been growing, developing,
through incalculable myriads of millenniumsAll my previous selves have their voices, echoes,
promptings in me.Oh,incalculable times again
shall I be born.
-Jack London
The Star River
There is no death. How can there be death if everything is part of the Godhead? The soul never dies
and the body is never really alive.
-Isaac Bashevis Singer
Nobel Laureate
Stories from Behind the Stove
He saw all these forms and faces in a thousand relationshipsbecome newly born. Each one was
mortal, a passionate, painful example of all that is transitory. Yet none of them died, they only
changed, were always reborn,
continually had a new face: only time stood between one face and another
-Herman Hesse
Siddhartha
Do you have any idea how many lives we must have gone through before we even got the first idea
that there is more
to life than eating, or fighting, or power in the Flock? A thousand lives, Jon, ten thousand! We
choose our next
world through what we learn in this one. But you , Jon, learned so much at one time that you didnt
have to go
through a thousand lives to reach this one.
-Richard Bach
Jonathon Livingston Seagull
As we live through thousands of dreams in our present life, so is our present life only one of many
thousands of such
lives which we enter from the other more real lifeand then return after death. Our life is but one of
the dreams of
that more real life, and so it is endlessly, until the very last one, the very real the life of God.
-Count Leo Tolstoy
Do you have any idea how many lives we must have gone through before we even got the first idea
that there is more
to life than eating, or fighting, or power in the Flock? A thousand lives, Jon, ten thousand! We
choose our next
world through what we learn in this one. But you , Jon, learned so much at one time that you didnt
have to go
through a thousand lives to reach this one.
-Richard Bach
Jonathon Livingston Seagull
As we live through thousands of dreams in our present life, so is our present life only one of many
thousands of such
lives which we enter from the other more real lifeand then return after death. Our life is but one of
the dreams of
that more real life, and so it is endlessly, until the very last one, the very real the life of God.
-Count Leo Tolstoy





The History of Reincarnation I
Reincarnation
By Rajeev Dalvi
Does life begin with birth and end with death? Have we lived before? Such questions are normally
identified with religions of the East, where the life of man is known to endure not only from the
cradle to the grave, but through millions of ages, and acceptance of the idea of rebirth is nearly
universal. We earlier discussed that the concept of reincarnation is not a belief system. It is a fact of
life. Whether someone believes it or not, is of no consequence to the fact itself. Is reincarnation
believed in only in the East or is it dominant in the West too? It would be made clear by the
following statement. Arthur Schopenhauer, the great nineteenth-century German philosopher, once
observed, Were an Asiatic to ask me for a definition of Europe, I would be forced to answer him: It
is that part of the world which is haunted by the incredible delusion that man was created out of
nothing, and that his present birth is his first entrance into life. This was spoken by the great
nineteenth century German philosopher.
Indeed, the dominant ideology of the West, material science, has for several centuries stifled any
serious or widespread interest in the preexistence and survival of consciousness beyond the present
body. But throughout Western history, there have always been thinkers who have understood and
affirmed the immortality of consciousness and transmigration of the soul. And a multitude of
philosophers, authors, artists, scientists, and politicians have given the idea thoughtful consideration.
But somehow these renowned professionals have not been able to convince the masses as also
themselves about this mystery of rebirth. After all that has been said and done, reincarnation still
remains a mystery to most people in the West. This fact itself is a great mystery, considering the
simplicity of the phenomenon of reincarnation.
Part I Ancient Greece
Among the ancient Greeks, Socrates, Pythagoras, and Plato may be numbered among those who
made reincarnation an integral part of their teachings. At the end of his life, Socrates said, I am
confident that there truly is such a thing as living again, that the living spring from the dead.
Pythagoras claimed he could remember his past lives, and Plato presented detailed accounts of
reincarnation in his major works. Briefly, he held that the pure soul falls from the plane of absolute
reality because of sensual desire and then takes on a physical body. First, the fallen souls take birth in
human forms, the highest of which is that of the philosopher, who strives for higher knowledge. If his
knowledge becomes perfect, the philosopher can return to an eternal existence. But if he becomes
hopelessly entangled in material desires, he descends into the animal species of life. Plato believed
that gluttons and drunkards may become asses in future lives, violent and unjust people may take
birth as wolves and hawks, and blind followers of social convention may become bees or ants. After
some time, the soul again attains the human form and another chance to achieve liberation. Some
scholars believe that Plato and other early Greek philosophers derived knowledge of reincarnation
from mystery religions like Orphism, or from India.
This is how people in the West looked at this concept of reincarnation. Most scientists often came to
conclusions, which always had a term called The Missing Link. So who is responsible for solving
this problem? People look up to India for such answers. And India in return exports loads of
confusion. This confusion is the result of concocting simple philosophies according to ones own
personal agendas. As you read further, you will understand how simple it is to logically and
scientifically convince oneself about this system of reincarnation which has been very cleverly set up
by Nature.
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The History of Reincarnation II
Reincarnation
By Rajeev Dalvi
Part II The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Going further, we come across this period of chaos in Western History. Under circumstances that to
this very day remain shrouded in mystery, the Byzantine emperor Justinian in 553 A.D. banned the
teachings of preexistence of the soul from the Roman Catholic Church. During that era, numerous
Church writings were destroyed, and many scholars now believe that references to reincarnation
were purged from the scriptures. The Gnostic sects, although severely persecuted by the church, did,
however, manage to keep alive the doctrine of reincarnation in the West. (The word gnostic is
derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge.)
It was at this point when one of the most revolutionary periods
evolved in Western history, most famously known as the period of Renaissance. During the
Renaissance, a new flowering of public interest in reincarnation occurred. One of the prominent
figures in the revival was Italys leading philosopher and poet Giordano Bruno, who was ultimately
sentenced to be burned at the stake by the Inquisition because of his teachings about reincarnation. In
his final answers to the charges brought against him, Bruno defiantly proclaimed that the soul is not
the body and that it may be in one body or in another, and pass from body to body.
Because of such suppression by the Church, the teachings of reincarnation then went deeply
underground, surviving in Europe in the secret societies of the Rosicrucians, Freemasons, Cabalists,
and others.
Part III The Age of Enlightenment
During the Age of Enlightenment, European intellectuals began to free themselves from the
constraints of Church censorship. The great philosopher Voltaire wrote that the doctrine of
reincarnation is neither absurd nor useless, adding, It is not more surprising to be born twice than
once.
One may be surprised to note, however, that several of Americas founding fathers were fascinated
by and ultimately accepted the idea of reincarnation, as interest in the subject made its way across the
Atlantic to America. Expressing his firm belief, Benjamin Franklin wrote, Finding myself to exist in
the world, I believe I shall, in some shape or other, always exist.
In 1814, former U.S. President John Adams, who had been reading books about Hindu religion,
wrote another ex-president, the sage of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson, about the doctrine of
reincarnation. After revolting against the Supreme Being, some souls were hurled, Adams wrote,
down to the regions of total darkness. They were then, the statesman said, released from prison,
permitted to ascend to earth and migrate into all sorts of animals, reptiles, birds, beasts, and men,
according to their rank and character, and even into vegetables, and minerals, there to serve on
probation. If they passed without reproach their several graduations, they were permitted to become
cows and men. If as men they behaved well they were restored to their original rank and bliss in
Heaven.
In Europe, Napoleon was fond of telling his generals that in a previous life he was Charlemagne.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, one of the greatest German poets, also believed in reincarnation and
may have encountered the idea in his readings in Indian philosophy. Goethe, renowned as a dramatist
and scientist, as well, once remarked, I am certain that I have been here as I am now a thousand
times before, and I hope to return a thousand times.
The History of Reincarnation
III
Reincarnation





By Rajeev Dalvi
Part IV Transcendentalism
This was the period when slowly but steadily Indian influence on philosophy was becoming more
and more evident. Interest in reincarnation and Indian philosophy also ran strong among the
American Transcendentalists, including Emerson, Whitman, and Thoreau. Emerson wrote, It is a
secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but only retire a little from sight and
afterwards return again Nothing is dead; men feign themselves dead, and endure mock funerals
and mournful obituaries, and there they stand looking out of the window, sound and well, in some
new and strange disguise. From the Katha Upanisad, one of the many books of ancient Indian
philosophy in his library, Emerson quoted, The soul is not born; it does not die; it was not produced
from anyone Unborn, eternal, it is not slain.
Thoreau, the philosopher of Walden Pond, wrote, As far back as I can remember, I have
unconsciously referred to the experiences of a
previous state of existence. Another sign of Thoreaus deep interest in reincarnation is a manuscript,
discovered in 1926, entitled The Transmigration of the Seven Brahmanas. This short work is an
English translation of a story about reincarnation from an ancient Sanskrit history. The
transmigration episode follows the lives of seven sages through progressive incarnations as hunters,
princes, and animals.
Walt Whitman, in his poem Song of Myself, writes,
I know I am deathless
We have thus far exhausted
trillions of winters and summers,
There are trillions ahead, and
trillions ahead of them.

In France, famed author Honore Balzac wrote an entire novel about reincarnation, Seraphita. There
Balzac states, All human beings go through a previous life Who knows how many fleshly forms
the heir of heaven occupies before he can be brought to understand the value of that silence and
solitude whose starry plains are but the vestibule of spiritual worlds?
In David Copperfield, Charles Dickens explored an experience that hints at remembrances from past
lives, deja-vu. We all have some experience of a feeling, that comes over us occasionally, of what
we are saying and doing having been said and done before, in a remote time of our having been
surrounded, dim ages ago, by the same faces, objects, and circumstances.
And in Russia, the eminent Count Leo Tolstoy wrote, As we live through thousands of dreams in
our present life, so is our present life only one of many thousands of such lives which we enter from
the other, more real life .. and then return after death. Our life is but one of the dreams of that more
real life, and so it is endlessly, until the very last one, the very real life the life of God.
So, this was during the late nineteenth century. This philosophy is what was being spoken about
during those days. Now as we come closer to the dawn of the twentieth century, what evolved was an
age called as The Modern Age. Read the next article to know further.
The History of Reincarnation
IV
Reincarnation
By Rajeev Dalvi
Part V The Modern Age
As we enter the twentieth century, we find the idea of reincarnation attracting the mind of one of the
Wests most influential artists, Paul Gauguin, who during his final years in Tahiti wrote that when
the physical organism breaks up, the soul survives. It then takes on another body, Gauguin wrote,
degrading or elevating according to merit or demerit. The artist believed that the idea of continued
rebirth had first been taught in the West by Pythagoras, who learned it from the sages of ancient
India.
U. S. auto magnate Henry Ford once told a newspaper interviewer, I adopted the theory of
reincarnation when I was twenty-six. Ford said, Genius is experience. Some seem to think that it is
a gift or talent, but it is the fruit of long experience in many lives. In a similar fashion, U. S. general
George S. Patton believed that he had acquired his military skills on ancient battlefields.
Reincarnation is a recurring theme in Ulysses, by Irish novelist and poet James Joyce. In one famous
passage in this novel, Joyces hero, Mr. Bloom, tells his wife, Some people believe that we go on
living in another body after death, that we lived before. They call it reincarnation. That we all lived
before on the earth thousands of years ago or on some other planet. They say we have forgotten it.
Some say they remember their past lives.
Jack London made reincarnation the major theme of his novel The Star Rover, in which the central
character says, I did not begin when I was born, nor when I was conceived. I have been growing,
developing through incalculable myriads of millenniums All my previous selves have their voices,
echoes, promptings in me Oh, incalculable times again shall I be born, and yet the stupid dolts
about me think that by stretching my neck with a rope they will make me cease.
In his classic novel of the search for spiritual truth, Siddhartha, Nobel laureate Herman Hesse wrote,
He saw all these forms and faces in a thousand relationships to each other None of them died,
they only changed, were always reborn, continually had a new face: only time stood between one
face and another. Numerous scientists and psychologists have believed in reincarnation as well. One
of the greatest modern psychologists, Carl Jung, used the concept of an eternal self that undergoes
many births as a tool in his attempts to understand the deepest mysteries of the self and
consciousness. I could well imagine that I might have lived in former centuries and there
encountered questions I was not yet able to answer; that I had to be born again because I had not
fulfilled the task that was given to me, Jung said.
British biologist Thomas Huxley noted that the doctrine of transmigration was a means of
constructing a plausible vindication of the ways of the cosmos to man, and warned that none but
very hasty thinkers will reject it on the grounds of inherent absurdity.
One of the leading figures in the field of psychoanalysis and human development, American
psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, is convinced that reincarnation goes to the very core of every mans
belief system. Let us face it: deep down nobody in his right mind can visualize his own existence
without assuming that he has always lived and will live hereafter, the author wrote.
This new and fresh ideology was now creeping in as the twentieth century progressed; in other words
during the Modern Age. But this isnt it all. Theres much more. There were many more thinkers
who positively supported this concept of reincarnation. Read on to find out for yourself.
The History of Reincarnation V
Reincarnation
By Rajeev Dalvi
Part V The Modern Age (Contd.)
Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest political figures of modern times and apostle of nonviolence,
once explained how a practical understanding of reincarnation gave him hope for his dream of world
peace. Gandhi said, I cannot think of permanent enmity between man and man, and believing as I
do in the theory of rebirth, I live in the hope that if not in this birth, in some other birth I shall be able
to hug all of humanity in friendly embrace.
In one of his most famous short stories, J. D. Salinger introduces Teddy, a precocious young boy who
recalls his reincarnation experiences and speaks forthrightly about them. Its so silly. All you do is
get the heck out of your body when you die. My gosh, everybodys done it thousands of times. Just
because they dont remember, it doesnt mean they havent done it.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, hero of the novel by the same name, whom author Richard Bach
described as that brilliant little fire that burns within us all, goes through a series of reincarnations
that lead him from earth to a heavenly world and back again, to enlighten the less fortunate gulls.
One of Jonathans mentors inquires, Do you have any idea how many lives we must have gone
through before we even got the first idea that there is more to life than eating, or fighting, or power in
the Flock? A thousand lives, Jon, ten thousand! And then another hundred lives until we began to
learn that there is such a thing as perfection, and another hundred again to get the idea that our
purpose for living is to find that perfection and show it forth.
Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer often speaks of past lives, rebirth, and the immortality of the
soul in his masterful short stories. There is no death. How can there be death if everything is part of
the Godhead? The soul never dies and the body is never really alive.
And British poet laureate John Masefield, in his well-known poem about past and future lives, writes,
I hold that when a person dies
His soul returns again to earth;
Arrayed in some new flesh disguise
Another mother gives him birth
With sturdier limbs and brighter brain
The old soul takes the road again.

Musician, songwriter, and celebrated ex-Beatle George Harrisons serious thinking about
reincarnation is revealed in his private thoughts on interpersonal relationships. Friends are all souls
that weve known in other lives. Were drawn to each other. Thats how I feel about friends. Even if I
have only known them a day, it doesnt matter. Im not going to wait till I have known them for two
years, because anyway, we must have met somewhere before, you know.
Reincarnation is once again attracting the minds of intellectuals and the general public in the West.
Films, novels, popular songs, and periodicals now treat reincarnation with ever increasing frequency,
and millions of Westerners are rapidly joining ranks with the more than 1.5 billion people, including
Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, and members of other faiths, who have traditionally understood that life
does not begin at birth nor end with death. But simple curiosity or belief is not sufficient. It is merely
the first step in understanding the complete science of reincarnation, which includes knowledge of
how to free oneself from the miserable cycle of birth and death.
Reincarnation The Basics
Reincarnation
By Rajeev Dalvi
Many Westerners, in order to gain a deeper understanding about reincarnation, are turning to the
original sources of knowledge about past and future lives. Among all available literatures, the
Sanskrit Vedas of India are the oldest on earth and present the most comprehensive and logical
explanations of the science of reincarnation, teachings that have maintained their viability and
universal appeal for more than five thousand years.
The most fundamental information about reincarnation appears in Bhagavad Gita, the essence of
the Upanishads and of all Vedic knowledge. The Gitawas spoken fifty centuries ago by Lord
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to His friend and disciple Arjuna on a battlefield in
northern India. A battlefield is the perfect place for a discussion about reincarnation, for in combat,
men directly confront the fateful questions of life, death, and the afterlife. As Krishna begins to speak
on the immortality of the soul, He tellsArjuna, Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you,
nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. The Gita further instructs, That
which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that
imperishable soul. The soul here we speak of something so subtle that it is not immediately
verifiable by the limited human mind and senses. Therefore, not everyone will be able to accept the
existence of the soul. Krishna informs Arjuna, Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe
him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him,
cannot understand him at all.
Accepting the existence of the soul is, however, not merely a matter of faith.Bhagvad Gita appeals to
the evidence of our senses and logic, so that we may accept its teachings with some degree of rational
conviction and not blindly, as dogma.
It is impossible to understand reincarnation unless one knows the difference between the actual self
(the soul) and the body. The Gita helps us see the nature of the soul by the following example. As
the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate
the entire body by consciousness.
Consciousness is concrete evidence of the presence of the soul within the body. On a cloudy day, the
sun may not be visible, but we know it is there in the sky by the presence of sunlight. Similarly, we
may not be able to directly perceive the soul, but we may conclude it is there by the presence of
consciousness. In the absence of consciousness, the body is simply a lump of dead matter. Only the
presence of consciousness makes this lump of dead matter breathe, speak, love, and fear. In essence,
the body is a vehicle for the soul, through which it may fulfill its myriad material desires.
The Gitaexplains that the living entity within the body is seated as on a machine made of the
material energy. The soul falsely identifies with the body, carrying its different conceptions of life
from one body to another as the air carries aromas. Just as an automobile cannot function without the
presence of a driver, similarly, the material body cannot function without the presence of the soul.
Here we try to understand the basic difference between the body and the soul. For most of us, this
may seem a completely new topic. It may seem alien to us, but a little introspection is just what is
required and you strikegold. This basic difference between body and soul will automatically solve
most of our questions related to reincarnation. We will read further to understand this concept of our
real identity in a greater detail
Vegeterianism in Christianity
Vegetarianism
Many Christians seem to turn a blind eye to the suffering of animals that is inflicted by humans.
Sure, they are generally kind and caring people, and may love their dog or cat, but they dont seem to
be concerned about the plight of the pigs, chickens, sheep and cows that they themselves eat. On one
hand they teach about a loving, compassionate, merciful God, but they contribute to unnecessary
misery and suffering to the lives of innocent animals.

One widespread rationalization in Christian circles, often used to justify humanitys mistreatment of
animals, is the erroneous belief that humans alone possess immortal souls, and only humans,
therefore, are worthy of moral consideration. The 19th century German philosopher, Arthur
Schopenhauer, condemned such a philosophy in his On the Basis of Morality. Because Christian
morality leaves animals out of account, wrote Schopenhauer, they are at once outlawed in
philosophical morals; they are mere things, mere means to any ends whatsoever. They can therefore
be used for vivisection, hunting, coursing, bullfights, and horse racing, and can be whipped to death
as they struggle along with heavy carts of stone. Shame on such a morality that is worthy of pariahs,
and that fails to recognize the eternal essence that exists in every living thing, and shines forth with
inscrutable significance from all eyes that see the sun! Most intriguing of all great apostles is St.
Francis because many of the stories that surround the life of St. Francis deal with his love for
animals. He not only saw that animals are living entities with Soul; he went a step ahead and did
preach to them as well.
Thou shall not kill ! One of the Ten Commandments by Moses remains the most misunderstood one.
For some its Thou shall not Murder-another convenient misinterpretation by deceptive ideologues.
According to Reuben Alcalay, one of twentieth centurys great linguistic scholars and author of The
Complete Hebrew-English Dictionary, the commandment refers to any kind of killing whatsoever.
The original Hebrew, he says, is Lo tirtzakh, which asks us to refrain from killing in toto. We can
then analyze the commandment as follows: Thou shalt not needs no interpretation. The
controversial word is kill, commonly defined as (1) to deprive of life; (2) to put an end to; (3) to
destroy the vital or essential quality of. According to this commandment then, the killing of animals
is forbidden.

Some Christians appeal fall on deaf ears: Animals are Gods creatures, not human property, nor
utilities, nor resources, nor commodities, but precious beings in Gods sight. Christians whose
eyes are fixed on the awfulness of crucifixion are in a special position to understand the awfulness of
innocent suffering. The Cross of Christ is Gods absolute identification with the weak, the powerless,
and the vulnerable, but most of all with unprotected, undefended, innocent suffering of animals.
Rev. Andew Linzey, Professor of Theology, Oxford University. To me, vegetarianism is
fundamental to compassion, and I personally believe that a loving and compassionate God would
prefer humans to be vegetarian, especially these days, and especially when it is better for our health,
is less wasteful of resources, and is more sustainable for the beautiful planet that He has created. -
Rev David Ogilvie
Jesus Christ did practice and preach love towards all the creatures and did not advocate their large
scale mechanized murder and consumption of meat. In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says, It
should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this
material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father. (14.4). All living entities have a soul and the
soul transmigrates from one body to another. So no one can kill an animal and escape the sin
associated with it.


Islam and Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism
Those familiar with Islam may balk at the thought of an animal-friendly or vegetarian Islam. A
deeper look at the tradition however will reveal teachings of kindness and concern for animals.
Their flesh will never reach Allah, nor yet their blood but your devotion and piety will reach Him.
(Koran, 22.37) This lends itself to a very humane interpretation: namely, we should concentrate on
our prayers and personal devotion rather than relying blindly on animal sacrifice.
Kindness to animals has been promised by reward in the life hereafter. (Mishkat-al-Masabih 6.7.8)
Consider this line from Abu Umama, Al Tabarani: He who takes pity even on a sparrow and spares
its life, Allah will be merciful to him on the Day of Judgement. A natural question that arises then is
why does Islam allow meat eating and slaughter? We have to remember that several customs and
conventions prevalent in Arab lands may be pre-Islamic and thus without specific Islamic sanction.
Furthermore, nearly 1500 years ago, what was Arabia? Mostly desert land, and war-torn at that.
There were few peaceful and settled agricultural communities as we had in India, for instance. The
nomadic tribes found food when they could by hunting animals and eating them. That is no longer
true, and Arab countries today are modern in many ways. They have plenty of vegetarian food
available and there is absolutely no need to eat meat.
Islam teaches that in Mecca, the birthplace of
Mohammed, no creature can be slaughtered and that perfect harmony should exist between all living
beings. Muslim pilgrims approach Mecca wearing a shroud (ihram). From the moment they wear
this religious cloth, absolutely no killing is allowed. There is not an animal on the earth, nor a flying
creature on two wings, but they are all peoples like unto you.(Koran, 6.38). According to Hadiths
(Mishkat 3:1392), Mohammed taught that all creatures are like a family of God; and He loves the
most those who are the most beneficent to His family. The food prescribed for Muslims is
Therewith He causes crops to grow for you, and the olive and the date-palm and grapes and all
kinds of fruit. Lo! Herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect. (Koran, 16.11)

Mohammed preferred vegetarian foods. The Prophet enjoyed milk diluted with water, yogurt with
butter or nuts, and cucumbers with dates. He was especially fond of honey. Where there is an
abundance of vegetables, said the Prophet, hosts of angels will descend on that place. Al-Ghazzali
(1058-1111), one of Islams most distinguished philosophers, wrote in his book Ihya Ulum ul-Din:
Eating the meat of a cow causes disease (marz), its milk is health (safa) and its clarified butter
(ghee) is medicine (dava).
The death of the Prophet Mohammed put flesh-eating in its proper perspective. It is said a non-
Muslim woman invited Mohammed and his companions to a meal and served them poisoned meat.
By the gift of prophecy, Mohammed knew the flesh was poisoned. He alone ate it, and ordered his
companions not to do so. Struck down by the poisoned meat, he was ill for nearly two years before
dying in 632 AD. Some scholars believe Mohammed deliberately ate the poisoned meat to teach his
followers the moral wrong of flesh-eating.
Islam and Christianity are religions given by prophets according to particular time, place and
circumstances. At one point in time, Vedic culture was prevalent all over the world but as time
passed there was a a gradual degradation in values as predicted in Srimad Bhagavatam. Hence, in
order to regulate the people, the Lord ordained Judeo-Christian religions through some of his
representatives so that people who had given up their Vedic culture can at least be humans. So these
religions evolved in Western Asia and their literature are no more than a set of rules that helps bring
some sanity and purpose to their lives. But these scriptures do not explain in detail with about the
qualities of Supreme God and the ways to approach Him. That is the subject matter of the Vedic
Scriptures.


Why go to Temple?
Hindu Rituals
By Swami Abayananda Tirtha
Aashish, a sincere seeker of truth enquires, For some, spiritual enlightenment is not about going to
temple or chanting gods name 101 times, it might be doing good to fellow humans/working for less
fortunate ones, fighting against an evil cause. These days visiting Siddhivinayak temple cost me 50
bucks, Balaji is another thousand of bucks. So why go to the temple when it is highly
commercialised? Bathing gods in milk, making the idols wear good clothes, burning lamps,
decorating the idols with flowers?is it really necessary when India has highest rate of malnutrition
children in the world? When more than 75% of Indian population is below poverty line? My sane
mind fails to understand this importance to religious places when fellow humans have shanties to
live? Why not cease to concentrate about just me and my spiritual wellbeing and work for less
fortunate? What are your thoughts on it?
OUR ANSWER:
I thank you for your candid remarks and concern at the degrading religious rituals. You definitely
have a point and I appreciate your wisdom to see through the facade of religious dogma.
Its unfortunate that millions languish in poverty and malnutrition while the affluent continue to party
and the politicians are busy blowing their own trumpets, or making empty promises. Its more
unfortunate when they conveniently put the burden of alleviating poverty on the spiritual
practitioners, while absolving themselves of the responsibility. To begin with, shouldnt all excesses
be stopped-movies, sports and dance clubs, besides thousands of other sources of entertainment
which consumes a great deal of time, energy and money? And instead, let us all serve a noble cause.
Shouldnt this be the concern of all individuals irrespective of whether they are housewives,
politicians or religious priests? A genuinely spiritual person certainly addresses these issues while
going to the temple, burning lamps or decorating the idols. Lets see how.
A sincere spiritual practitioner never thinks of his identity as separate from the Lord and other living
entities. He attempts to revive his dormant love for God through spiritual practises, and meaningful
rituals, while simultaneously serving all, as children of the same God. Although the rituals externally
appear mechanical and meaningless, they are supposed to be performed in a mood of remembering
God, and with an aspiration to be the servant of all living entities. (Padma Purana). Of course
someone may claim that rituals arent needed to be spiritual. Although the internal mood is critical
in our communion with God, the external formulas, as presented through the rituals, do influence the
internals. While substance is ultimately important, it is the form that helps to carry and preserve the
substance. While the letter is ultimately important, the envelope helps to protect and carry the
content. The spirit- added to a ritual makes it spiritual.

The act of decorating God with flowers or dresses helps us shift the focus from self to God, and helps
us see ourselves as part of the divine Whole, having an eternal existence as children of God; rather
than selfishly pursue our own ephemeral goals. This fills the heart with a love that transcends gross
material lust and ego centered drives.
In this consciousness, when a person performs puja, and prayers, his heart gets reformed selfish
passions give way to the spirit of selfless service; arrogance transforms to humility; and envy to
appreciation of others. Therefore you will see that spiritual practitioners lead a frugal life, and
renounce things that are avowedly pursued by the general populace. Ironically while National leaders
and leading corporates express their desire to serve the poor, they party in a plush 5-star hotel. Of
course its also true that when rituals are performed without knowledge, they too cause havoc to the
society. When we identify with the externals of a religion, we miss the essence. We may fight over
our religious ideologies but have no idea of God or our relationship with Him.
Reconnecting with God helps us see all living entities as also children of the same God. For example
two men may fight bitterly but when they realize they are brothers and have the same father, (as
shown in old Hindi Movies) their animosity dissolves and there is an emotional reunion. A sincere
devotee of God recognizes Muslims, Hindus and Christians, all as children of the same God, and thus
loves them all. (Bhagavad Gita 14.4).
Of course, we may serve without God in picture. However there is a difference. If a child of a multi
billionaire runs away from home and languishes in the street, wouldnt the father be pained. While
different people may offer help to the boy on the street- by giving a rupee, or clothes or food, a real
well wisher will take responsibility for the child to be reconnected with the father. A person who
recognizes who the child is, will certainly feed, and clothe the child while convincing him to go back
to his parents. His service is more meaningful and beneficial for the child. Similarly serving the poor
and needy is laudable in this age of crass greed. We can take our service a step higher by sacrificing
things and pleasures dear to us, for the sake of praying for others and serving them in their journey of
being reconnected with God.
Unfortunately the poor continue to remain poor due to primarily two reasons- exploitation by the
non-poor and wanton living by the poor themselves. The United Nations Development report claims
$13 trillion will end poverty of the world. Ironically Europe and US spend this amount annually on
their cosmetics.
In the Vedic culture, individual families possessed little but no one starved because the local village
temple was the centre of everyones life. There would be festivals, pujas and dramas daily in the
evenings and families had plenty. Besides the spiritual entertainment in terms of dramas depicted
from Ramayana and Mahabharata kept people in good humor. Even today if you go to Udupi,
Dharmasthala or Barsana, you may find most people are not financially wealthy but spiritually they
are. They have a simple life centered on service to God and no poverty. In fact in Udupi, there is free
food (Prasad) distribution to whoever walks into the temple, at any time of the day.
Lord McCauley, in his speech dated Feb 2, 1835, revealed to the British Parliament, the glory of
Vedic India. The House of Commons Library has documented his famous words, 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 caliber, 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 . Since the focus of activities then was to serve and
love God, people were happy. Evenings would be spent congregating in local temples, and kirtans,
katha, and devotional dramas kept people entertained and spiritually surcharged. Ironically today,
despite the best time saving devices, people are getting busier, and regret having no free time to
relax. Modern entertainment is simply bombardment of variegated visual images on the television
screen that has desensitized us and reduced us to lead a life akin to a programmed robot.
Few years ago I went to Orissa with a group of students on a
yatra to holy places. It was a humbling experience. People were poor but considered it their great
fortune that so many devotees had graced their village (we were 150 of us). They opened their hearts
and home for all of us and even refused to take a donation for all the services they offered us. I
couldnt help contrasting this with the cold stares and stern security guards who gaze at us in cities.
The insecurity that builds with possessing and enjoying more is obvious and one who centers his/her
life on service to God is happy and contented. Thus he/she adds value to society.
The need of the hour is to stop the blind hedonistic pursuits, championed by the media and movies,
and focus more on the sublime values of life. Its foolish to want to serve poor while simultaneously
pursuing grossly materialistic pursuits, and justify it in the name of being ambitious and passionate
about life. Remember the resources in this world are scarce and the more we pursue a life centered on
our own enjoyment, there has to be a clash between the haves and the have nots.
Besides, even practically speaking, a person serving God contributes to national income and
accentuates the money multiplier effect. The flower sellers and dress makers make a living and so
does an honest taxi driver as he drives you to the temple.
Happiness with Little..is it
possible?
Hindu Rituals
By Vraja Bihari Dasa
Simple living high thinking..come on, give me a break! For a hard core Mumbaite, raised on the
modern adage, I get what I want, and just do it, this traditional Indian saying seems too old
fashioned and impractical. However a journey through one Indian village was an eye opener for our
group and compelled us to question our media influenced, beliefs.
Remuna is 15 kms on the eastern side of a small town, Balasore, in Orissa. We were a group of 170
young boys on a yatra to the holy place of Jagganath Puri and Remuna. As the sun was completing
its westward journey, we were on a hour long harinaam procession (a procession of congregational
chanting of holy names of Krishna) through the interiors of the village. For most of us Mumbaities, it
was shocking to see clean sand roads, lined on both sides with well maintained simple mud houses,
and the fragrance of incense and cowdung permeating the atmosphere. We could never experience
this, driving through the traffic in Mumbai or being stuffed in a local train with over 500 passengers
in one small compartment. Each house had all its members come out excitedly and happily greet us,
exuding natural warmth and spontaneous affection. Almost all of them clapped and nodded their
heads in appreciation as our group passed through dancing and chanting the holy names of Krishna.
While cows and little calves moved about happily in an open space, elders offered respectful
namaskar, women blew conc h shells to invoke
all auspiciousness, and little children happily joined in, thus declaring our presence there to be a
festive event for the community. Some of us couldnt help comparing this response with the fast
paced city life where our harinaams usually attract cold stares. Sky rise buildings and apartments
have beware of dogs or trespassers will be prosecuted sign hanging, and uniformed security men
with their buzzer alarm and other high tech gadgets get alert, ensuring we dont intrude on anyones
privacy.
Mr Mohanty, a school teacher had known that a group of devotees would be passing through
his school. He was honored to have so many devotees near his school. Joyfully he greeted each one
of us with a garland and arranged a refreshing lemon drink as we continue our harinaam. He also
paid obeisances to all vaishnasvas and expressed profuse gratitude for having blessed his village. A
short break over, we carried on and soon reached our dinner destination. This was a modest thatched
house bricked by cowdung. A clean, natural ambience of a beautiful 300 year old temple (part of the
house), made the devotees feel welcome. Our host, Kamal lochan Das earns little from his traditional
farming, and for a big joint family, he barely makes ends meet. The head of the family personally
served all of us and since it was dark now, he stood with a lantern to help us settle down for
prasadam. For generations this simple family, unknown to the world, has been serving devotees and
piligrims. For the entire prasadam feast they cooked, they refused to take a donation to reimburse the
costs. All of them happily joined us in katha and kirtans, and many from the village also congregated.
Later as we left the house and thanked the family, elderly Mr. Das, the head of the family, was in
tears and made a heartfelt appeal to us to visit his house again.
This is the hallmark of Vedic culture and many historians have revealed the glory of ancient India,
when this lifestyle was a common place. Megasthenes, Fa Hein, Heun Tsang and many other
travelers have written detailed accounts of a flourishing God centered life in India. Individual
families opened their houses to one and all and temples celebrated festivals daily and thousands
would be fed sumptuously. Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita also describes in great detail the installation
of Gopal deity in Vrindavan around five hundred years ago. All the nearby villages and provinces,
even in the fearful reign of the Mughals came together, and under the spiritual leadership of Srila
Madhavendra Puri, rejoiced giving pleasure to Krishna. Grand festivals and opulence prevailed
although interestingly, individual families possessed little. Even less than two hundred years ago,
Lord McCauley, in his speech dated Feb 2, 1835, revealed to the British Parliament, the glory of
Vedic India. The House of Commons Library has documented his famous words, 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 caliber, 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. Since the focus of activities then was to serve and
love God, Krishna, people were happy. Evenings would be spent congregating in local temples, and
kirtans, katha, and devotional dramas kept people entertained and spiritually surcharged. Ironically
today, despite the best time saving devices, people are getting busier, and regret having no free time
to relax. Modern entertainment is simply bombardment of variegated visual images on the television
screen that has desensitized us and reduced us to lead a life akin to a programmed robot.
Since the formula for happiness then was simple, to lead a
Krishna conscious lifestyle, we can individually adopt the same today. As the media goads us on a
mad spree to possess more, Kamal locan Das and Mohanty are shining examples of a dying tradition
that is most effective to guarantee a happy life. In a fast paced modern life, for someone to throw
open his doors to serve and feed such a large number of strangers is rare. In a couple hours we were
gone, and we might never meet this family again. However for Das family, we were an integral part
of their life filled with love and service.
As we reluctantly trudged along the swampy fields to catch our buses to the railway station, we knew
we were leaving Remuna with a heavy heart. As we felt humbled and inspired by this trip, we also
felt at home hearing loud film music blasting off at the neighborhood, and a group of teenagers
dancing wildly to passionate Bollywood numbers. We were sorry that the next generation is catching
up with us and embarking on a tragic life of simply living and hardly thinking.
The Lost city of Dwarka
Discoveries
By Madhav Shastri
On the same day that Krishna departed from the earth the powerful dark-bodied Kali Age
descended. The oceans rose and submerged the whole of Dwaraka. According to Vishnu Purana
Dwaraka was submerged by the sea right after the death of Lord Krishna. This was regarded as a
grandiose metaphor, part of a story filled with great myths. In the early eighties an
importantarchaeological site was found in India, at Dwaraka, the site of the legendary city of Lord
Krishna. Now, it is discovered that the whole coast of western India sank by nearly 40 feet around
1500 B.C. E. The first clear historical record of the lost city is dated 574 A.D. and occurs in the
Palitana Plates of Samanta Simhaditya. This inscription refers to Dwaraka as the capital of the
western coast of Saurashtra and still more important, states that Sri Krishna lived here.

Recently, the strongest archaeological support comes from the structures discovered under the sea-
bed off the coast of Dwaraka inGujarat by the pioneering team led by Dr S.R. Rao, one of Indias
most respected archaelogists. An emeritus scientist at the marine archaeology unit of the National
Institute of Oceanography, Rao has excavated a large number of Harappan sites including the port
city of Lothal in Gujarat.What has been discovered underwater at the bay of Cambat near Dwarka is
an archaeological site, dating back to 7500 BC and older than any previously claimed oldest sites of
civilization.
The information and material secured through underwater excavation of Dwaraka corroborates with
the references to the city of Dwaraka, made in various Sanskrit literary works. In Mahabharata, there
is a specific account about the submerging of Dwaraka by the sea, which reads thus: The sea, which
had been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature.
The sea rushed into the city. It coursed through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea covered up
everything in the city. Even as they were all looking, Arjuna saw the beautiful buildings becoming
submerged one by one. Arjuna took a last look at the mansion of Krishna. It was soon covered by the
sea. In a matter of a few moments it was all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There
was no trace of the beautiful city which had been the favorite haunt of all the Pandavas. Dwaraka
was just a name; just a memory. The importance of the discovery of Dwaraka lies not merely in
providing archaeological evidence needed for corroborating the traditional account of the
submergence of Dwaraka but also indirectly fixing the date of the Mahabharata which is a landmark
in Indian history. The Thermoluminiscence date of the pottery from Dwaraka is 3520 years Before
Present. Identical pottery is found in the submerged city of Dwaraka. Mahabharata describes the
security system of Dwaraka wherein each citizen carried a badge for identity. Certain coins were
found during excavations underwater having inscriptions similar to details found in Mahabharata.
Thus the results have proved that the account in Mahabharata as to the existence of a beautiful capital
city of Dwaraka of Sri Krishna was not a mere figment of imagination but it did exist.

Excavations done by Dr. S. R. Rao at Dwaraka prove that the descriptions as found in these texts are
not to be discarded as fanciful but are to be treated as based on actualities as seen by their
authors. The architecture of the old Dwaraka of Shri Krishna is majestic and wonderful. This
astounding discovery has muzzled those who had been blazoning out over the years that Vedas and
puranas are a product of imagination and are no more than mythical stories.
If Dwaraka excavations throw a flood of light on the history of the city which was associated with
the life events of Krishna, then under-water excavations of Ayodhya situated on the bank of the river
Sarayu might yield valuable information about the historicity of Rama, his age and contemporary
urban status.
Cow and the Vedas
Cultural Preservation
By Madhav Shastri
Given below is a list of few citations from the Vedas which establish that Cow is a highly revered
animal in the Indian Culture and Hindus are duty bound to protect it. Hope this inspires as many as
possible to take necessary actions against cruelty to Cows around the world in general and in India in
particular.
Not only the Vedas are against animal slaughter but also vehemently oppose and prohibit cow
slaughter. Yajurveda forbids killing of cows, for they provide energizing food for human beings.
Do not kill cows and bulls who always deserve to be
protected. (Yajurveda 13.49)
In Rigveda cow slaughter has been declared a heinous crime equivalent to human murder and
it has been said that those who commits this crime should be punished. (Rigveda 7.56.17)
The Aghnya cows which are not to be killed under any circumstances- may
keep themselves healthy by use of pure water and green grass, so that we may be endowed
with virtues, knowledge and wealth. (Rigveda 1.164.40 or Atharv 7.73.11 or Atharv 9.10.20)
T
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The Vedic Lexicon, Nighantu, gives amongst other synonyms of Gau [or cow] the words
Aghnya. Ahi, and Aditi. Yaska the commentator on Nighantu, defines these as-
Aghnya the one that ought not to be killed
Ahi the one that must not be slaughtered.
Aditi the one that ought not to be cut into pieces.
These three names of cow signify that the animal
ought not to be put to tortures. These words appear frequently throughout the Vedas in context of the
cow.
Cow The aghnya brings us health and prosperity. (Rigveda 1.164.27)
There should be excellent facility for pure water for Aghnya Cow. (Rigveda 5.83.8)
Those who feed on human, horse or animal flesh and those who destroy milk-giving Aghnya
cows should be severely punished.(Rigveda 10.87.16)
The Aghnya cows and bulls bring you prosperity. (Yajurveda 12.73)
Do not kill the cow. Cow is innocent and aditi that ought not to be cut into pieces. (Rigveda
8.101.15)
Destroy those who kill cows. (Yajurveda 30.18)
If someone destroys our cows, horses or people, kill him with a bullet of lead.(Atharvaveda
1.16.4)
The entire 28th Sukta or Hymn of 6th Mandal of Rigveda sings the glory of cow.
1. Everyone should ensure that cows are free from miseries and kept healthy.
2. God blesses those who take care of cows.
3. Even the enemies should not use any weapon on cows.
4. No one should slaughter the cow.
5. Cow brings prosperity and strength.
6. If cows keep healthy and happy, men and women shall also keep disease free and prosperous.
7. May the cow eat green grass and pure water. May they not be killed and bring prosperity to
us.
What more proofs does one need to understand the high esteem in which not only the cow but each
living being is held in the Vedas? The learned audience can decide for themselves from
these evidences that the Vedas are completely against any inhuman practice. to top it all the Beef
and Cow slaughter.