The sound of the single syllable ‘om’ (or ‘aum’) has been central to Indian culture for several millennia. Om is made up of four parts – ‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’, and silence. It is also called 'pranava' since it pervades life and runs through our prana (breath, vital breath, life). The four parts of om can also mean to represent birth, growth, letting go, and immortality.
Sanatana dharma literally means eternal way of life or eternal ethic. This is not restricted by the constraints of space and time. However, in variegated applications of the same, specific spatiotemporal frames are adopted. Though the word 'dharma' has no proper equivalent in languages other than Sanskrit, its spirit can somehow be communicated through English words such as global ethic, righteousness, way of life, culture, etc. However, all these words put together may mean the sustained implications of dharma. The word 'sanatana' symbolizes eternity.
3-11 September 2009
Places visited – Ujjain, Dhar, Bagh caves, Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Indore, Bhopal, Sanchi, Udaigiri caves, Vidisha, Udayapura, Beda Ghat, Khajuraho, Markhera, and Deogarh (in order of visiting).
अर्थचतुष्टयशिक्षा ।
साक्षात्कृत-यज्ञ-दान-तपसां दीक्षा ॥
वाग्वृत्तित्रयरक्षा ।
प्रेक्षाऽसौ जयति भारतीपदलाक्षा ॥
Victorious indeed is prekshaa –
the clear intellect that has been
constantly educating everyone
about the purusharthas.
Prekshaa is synonymous with
the initiation into
yajna, dana, and tapas.
Being the protector of
the three modes of expression,
prekshaa is indeed the red lacquer
on the feet of Bharati,
the deity of wisdom.
Footage of a rare interview of D V Gundappa (in Kannada) by G P Rajarathnam.
Here is the transcript:
ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ: ತಾವು ಬರೆಯುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದು ಯಾಕೆ ಅಂತ?
ಡಿವಿಜಿ: ನನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಆದ ಸಂತೋಷವನ್ನು ನನಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದವರ ಜೊತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಂಡರೆ ಆ ಸಂತೋಷ ಇಮ್ಮಡಿಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ: ನಮ್ಮ ಜನ ನೆಮ್ಮದಿಯಿಂದ ಸುಖವಾಗಿ ಬದುಕಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಏನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು?
Vedic traditionalists or Vedics in short, are a community of people who are fast fading into the pages of history. They are the torchbearers of Vedic traditions and have been carrying it forward for generations. A happy, contented life even under poverty has been a trademark of their way of life. Some of their traits include:
N Rangantha Sharma speaks about his past (in Sanskrit)
One of the favorite pastimes of people interested in Indian epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata, is to compare Rama with Krishna, specially to take actions performed by Rama and speculate on how Krishna would have handled the situation.
Bangalore Nagarathnamma hailed from Mysore.
She is different from Kolar Nagarathnamma. Kolar Nagarathnamma's mother was Nanjundasani, a renowned scholar and artist both in classical music and Bharatanatyam. She had won numerous accolades among both the laymen and pundits alike. She was more famous as a classical singer, known for her melodious voice. Her brother Puttaswamayya was an acclaimed violinist who unfortunately passed away at a young age.
Somnath is an ancient city on the West coast of India. Somnath has a history of at least 1,500 years that is well documented and there have been many references to this port city in the Mahabharata and the Puranas. The story of Somnath has to be looked at from different perspectives for the city has contributed to various different aspects of Indian life, most importantly to the soul of Indian civilizational values.