Poets_reformers_Temple

Here i present you two poems by  Giants of Indian Literature Kuvempu and Tagore. Time and again progressive thinkers have questioned the Temple structure and its intentions. Its very clear that social reformers were frustrated about how priests ran the temples by advocating inequality, blind beliefs, false devotion as a result they reduced the temples to a mere set of stone walls.

Expression of both the poems are different but finally they converge at the same point.....

Poem By Tagore [ from Gitanjali]

Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads! Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee! He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground and where the pathmaker is breaking stones. He is with them in sun and in shower, and his garment is covered with dust. Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil...

ದೇವರು ಸೆರೆಯಾಳ್ (by kuvempu, in 14-7-1936)

God the prisoner ( Kuvempu, simple transliteration by me)

ದೇವರು ಸೆರೆಯಾಳ್, ದೇಗುಲ ಸೆರೆಮನೆ ಕಾವಲು ಪೂಜಾರಿ ನೀನಾವಾಗಲು ನನ್ನಯ ಬಳಿಯಿರೆ ಬಲು ತೊಂದರೆ ಎಂದು ಗಿರಿಶಿಖರದೊಳತಿದೂರದಿ ಕಟ್ಟಿದೆ ಗುಡಿಯನು ನಿನಗೊಂದು ಕಲ್ಲಿನ ಗೋಪುರ, ಕಲ್ಲಿನ ಗೋಡೆ ದುರ್ಗದವೊಲು ಬಲು ದುರ್ಗಮ ನೋಡೆ! ಸೆರೆಯನು ತಪ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳದ ತೆರದಲಿ ಅರ್ಚಕ ರಕ್ಷೆಯಿದೆ; ತೆಂಗಿನ ಕಾಯೊಳೆ ತಲೆಯನು ಬಡಿಯುವ ಪೂಜೆಯ ಶಿಕ್ಷೆಯಿದೆ ಪುರಸತ್ತಾದರೆ ಕೆಲಸದೊಳಿಲ್ಲಿ ಬೇಸರ ಪರಿಹಾರಕೆ ಬಹೆನಲ್ಲಿ

God is the prisoner, temple is the prison priest is the sentry! troublesome it is, if thou near to me for ever So I Built a temple far over the hill tower made of stone, wall made of stone looks like an impenetrable fortress such is the priest's shelter Thou Cannot escape the confinement Thou receives an adorable punishment when thy head smashed with coconut to be releived of boredom shall visit there If found leisure in here [ forgive me if the transliteration is poor , send your comments to srikgn@gmail.com]

Further reading:

Origin of temples    Temples- a Social tyranny   Temple citations.

Vivekananda: Origin of Temple | Vivekananda condemns priests for making temples trade centre  

[ images courtesy: uploaders]

Astrology a kingly-priestly Sin

      An unfortunate Saga from Astronomy to Astrology -  Can we revive astronomy in our minds?

By the time we reach end of this article we shall witness that it’s a heinous crime to associate Astrology with Early India [who had scientific approach]. We shall see how Astronomy became Astrology. One should be proud of  28 stars they identified ranging from ashwini to revathi, lunar cycle & heliocentric theory to mention few were all science.

A teenager called Srinivas Ramanujan from a not so famous city Kumbakonam in 1900s arrived at  Eulers formula  eix= cos(x) + isin(x) by playing with math equations, which Euler had discovered 200 years ago. Yes Ramanujan was not even aware of Euler at that point. Why did this happen to a Nation that had discovered Pythagoras theorem when the people of west were still barbarians and Archimedes was yet not born.Aryabhata and varahamihira are the last know contributors, for centuries there was zeroachievement in the field of Astronomy. We had to wait for 25 centruies for a man of class C V Raman. Still we have not produced a man of class called Einstien.

Priestly onslaught: reason for Astronomy becoming substandard astrology in India:

Astronomy developed under the shade of enlightened saints called Rishis. In the guise of vedic rituals to build altars geometry, trigonometry etc developed. But soon were controlled by a selfish class of people called priests who were busy counting money earned by performing rituals. Knowledge remained with priest class, ah! from where a Rishi is to be born to carry the legacy. Rishis were frustrated with this priestly act and their thought process went inward. unquestioned Priests forgot science, they froze it and announced themselves there is nothing to be discovered further they became

ambassadors for Rahu,kethu, they ensured that people feared eclipse- a celestial class act, churned out beautiful stories to support them, learned people say you will find such stories only in puranas not in vedic scriptures. Priests coupled with Kings created an unhealthy environment for the development of science. Science requires space for objective analysis and thought process. Ah how could you think further on solar eclipse, it’s a sin, you can’t question rahu because purana say so. Lack of freedom for objective thinking [basic need for science] received severe hindrance by subjective sectional interests resulting in false praising and blind following of vedic karmas and citations. Astronomy[Khagola-vignyana or Jyotishya ] treats SUN as a star. Even now the Astrology[Phala jyotishya] call SUN as a planet. People of West were better as Galileo was just tortured, in India they ensured Galileo’s remained unborn.                                  

kalaya tasmai namaha

They classified directions as auspicious and inauspicious. can you believe these people called  astrologers classified time. They differentiated time as good and bad. Sanskrit Shloka says "kalaya tasmai namaha" which has a great meaning "Salutations to that great entity called TIME" but selfish astrologers mask this to instill fear among people, to take advantage of weak minds. All just for money. Poets have written loads and loads of poems  on "Time" with great reverence. It’s disgusting to talk about such people...

Hindu Scriptures:

It’s a Blasphemy to believe in Astrology after reading the enlightened statements from some of Hindu scriptures.

Yogavasista lays down that what is not consistent with reason should not be accepted even if Brahma were to tell it. No human being is absolutely and perpetually blameless.[ Swami Sharvananda taittiriyopanishattu, p 68, 1956]

Charaka samhita's scientific voice says: "Any success obtained with lack of logic is just a coincidence" [ G T narayana Rao, “Srinivas Ramanujan Lived here”, P 185]

There is a famous Shloka in Sanskrit that says “ sarvam khalvidam brahmham”, now  let me know from where did these planetary objects come in between.

Upanishads have declared “jnana yajna” is the best… but still no priest or Astrologer reveals this to us, either they are dumb fellows Or they are masking the bright words of self confidence and reasoning from common people with an Agenda. What is their agenda, it seems to control us.  No two astrologers come to a consensus both in prediction and also in providing scientific justification for Astrology. Each one has his own hypothetical interpretations, as Yoga Vasista lays down, we should not believe in Astrology. It’s Astronomy what we should believe.

Citations: Click your choice

Vivekananda and Buddha trash Astrology    Shivarama karanth     Basavanna-english      DVG-english   Srinivas Ramanujan

Kuvempu    Thiru Gjnaana Sambandar    R K Narayan

What Great Modern Indian Scientists say  Astrology and Astronomy    

/************************************************************************************************************/

 

Further Reading for Interested keen readers:

Vivekananda and Buddha trash Astrology:

"It is the coward and the fool who says, 'This is fate'" — so says the Sanskrit proverb. But it is the strong man who stands up and says, "I will make my fate." It is people who are getting old who talk of fate. Young men generally do not come to astrology. We may be under planetary influence,but it should not matter much to us. Buddha says, "Those that get a living by calculation of the stars by such art and other lying tricks are to be avoided"; and he ought to know, because he was the greatest Hindu ever born. Let stars come, what harm is there? If a star disturbs my life, it would not be worth a cent. You will find that astrology and all these mystical things are generally signs of a weak mind; therefore as soon as they are becoming prominent in our minds, we should see a physician, take good food and rest. [Man the maker of his destiny  - Vivekananda ]

I think the Greeks first took astrology to India and took from the Hindus the science of astronomy and carried it back with them from Europe [ Vivekananda ]

Shivarama karanth:

   Astrologers predict both past and future. If even 25% of their statements about your past are true. You shall  believe the future he predicts with 250% trust. If one notes down all these and checks after 20-25 years, he would be convinced that predictions were mere predictions.[ Mookajjiya kanasugaLu ]

Basavanna-english:

Say It’s auspicious when minds agree Say Zodiacs have already approved the bondage Say Moon and stars are arrayed already Say today is better than tomorrow [ basavanna vachana ]

ಎಮ್ಮವರು ಬೆಸಗೊಂಡಡೆ ಶುಭಲಗ್ನವೆನ್ನಿರಯ್ಯಾ ರಾಶಿಕೂಟ ಋಣಸಂಬಂಧವುಂಟೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿರಯ್ಯಾ ಚಂದ್ರಬಲ ತಾರಾಬಲವುಂಟೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿರಯ್ಯಾ ನಾಳಿನ ದಿನಕಿಂದಿನ ದಿನ ಲೇಸೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿರಯ್ಯಾ ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮದೇವನ ಪೂಜಿಸಿದ ಫಲ ನಿಮ್ಮದಯ್ಯಾ! - ಜಗಜ್ಯೋತಿ ಬಸವಣ್ಣ

DVG-english: [1]

Can astrologer correct the planetary rhythm with a horoscope? Position and Movements are fine universe thy steering  Unless Embraced tolerance,clinging phase persists      Patience is the solid armour – DumbChap [Mankutimma] || [ #366, mankutimmana kagga]

ಗ್ರಹಗತಿಯ ತಿದ್ದುವನೆ ಜೋಯಿಸನು ಜಾತಕದಿ ? ವಿಹಿತವಾಗಿಹುದದರ ಗತಿ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿವಿಧಿಯಿಂ ಸಹಿಸದಲ್ಲದೆ ಮುಗಿಯದಾವ ದಶೆ ಬಂದೊಡಂ | ಸಹನೆ ವಜ್ರದ ಕವಚ - ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Srinivas Ramanujan

Ramanujan is in critical condition fighting death, her mother helpless takes the horoscope to Phala jyotishi  advises her “if the bad phase has to go away soon, ask Ramanujan to keep away from his wife”. Ramajujan defies it saying it’s foolish. [  Tell me who would take care of him who is in such bad condition ].

R K Narayan:

 In his novel “English Teacher” [ Unofficial Autobiography, My Days his official Autobiography]  discusses that he persisted to marry his Girl despite  the horoscopes did not match.

Kuvempu , [Sri Kuvempu]:

 Echoes Vivekananda and says its “ it’s a sordid game of people who wanted to earn their lively hood in a easy manner, donot believe them”.  He opines that when Astrologers made it a profession,  astronomy declined. [ he says “hotte horeyuva vidye” ].

Thiru Gjnaana Sambandar, Saivite Saint: [ Source ]

A Saivite Saint Thiru Gjnaana Sambandar sings in Thevaaram:-

"Naazh En Seyum--Kozh en seyum"=What stars,planets, good or bad days can do on me ?

"Kumaresan Thaalum,Tholum,Sadhngaiyum en Munnay Thondridinay"=if Lord Muruga's feet, shoulders and His ankle jewels come before my eyes ?

He defied Astrology and its advices yet succeeded.

Another Saivite saint Thiru.Appar.says "when Lord Siva's image is before me,the Lords of Sun,Moon,Mars,Mercury,Jupitor,Venus and Saturn (Astrology) would stand before me and can do me all benevolence only.

What Great Modern Indian Scientists say: [ Source ]

Gautham -- Most consult an astrologer if pressed, so struggle is futile.
Balasundaram -- Tests of astrology are indecisive, it needs demystifying.
Tiwari -- Vedic = beyond sensory experience. How can Vedic be science?
Gupta -- Astrology may be a science-like knowledge but more difficult.
Mandal -- We either accept astrology and reject evolution, or the reverse.
Ganeshaiah -- Issue is nonsense vs good information, not arts vs sciences.
Abhyankar -- Astrologers offer only therapy by talking. Why be fooled?
Narlikar (review of Astrology: Believe it or not?) -- Not! Recommended!
Sitaraman -- Science not threatened by Vedic astrology or any other.

Very Nice link that explains the difference between Astrology and Astronomy

http://shadesbreath.hubpages.com/hub/Is-astrology-a-science-Relation-between-astrology-and-astronomyInclude-palmistry-too_

Conclusion:

Why do you spoil the celestial show By Inducing planetary fear, Spectator you are Universe is waiting for your applause  [Srikgn]

We are unaware of  fate Rationality is our heartbeat O Astrologer pack your bags Market  the fear else where After all It is  Sublime Nature  [Srikgn]

Trust No Future, how ever pleasant Let the dear past bury its dead Act-act in the living present! Heart within, and God o’erhead [ H W Longfellow , "A psalm of Life]

 Great numbers of Galaxies are being found. We are able to witness farther and farther Celestial dance. It would be very novice to believe that only solar system will have an effect on human beings. Modern authors of India and visionaries like Vivekananda have discarded astrology by terming it as a sordid game of priests who enforced it on people so that they can earn their livelihood.

"Past is  misery, Future is mystery, present is pleasant" this is the trick used by astrologers.They succeed when we miss the present pleasant trick

I thank for people who created these 2 Images .

Universal man

Kuvempu

[who is universal man ?, what is his message ? what is Vishwa manava sandesha ? ]

[ O nanna chetana aagu nee aniketana   ಓ ನನ್ನ ಚೇತನ ಆಗು ನೀ ಅನಿಕೇತನ  to mean in english  "Be unhoused oh My soul, Only Infinite is your Goal" , aniketana Poem[kannada & English images are attached, and english version by  V K Gokak is put at the end in comments section. ]
Recent past i came across the term "vishwa manava” / "universal man "many times at different places.

1st instance

Every kannadiga knows the phrase "vishwa manava sandesha" which means "message of universal man" given by kuvempu [Kannada literary laureate a person of stature who can be easily matched to Rabindranath Tagore].
Kuvempu further says, you can destroy all my works even "Ramayana darshanam'[the only mahakavya that our country witnessed in 20th century] that fetched him "jnanapeeta award", but just make sure you retain the "message of universal man",

Kuvempu in Kannada "Aniketana"

2nd instance

Another instance that i came across the word "universe" wrto humanity is when i visited Pondicherry, Auroville [Its called universal city, i happened to carefully observe the auroville as i had less than 20 mins to spend at auro.
I could understand tht they claim and try to apply the techniques and teachings of Aurobindo in the upliftment of cultures that head finally towards universal culture]

An excerpt from auroville website

"Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity"

The key statement is “above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities". Let’s see why these people came to this conclusion, why did Sri Aurobindo intend to propose this theory.

3rd instance

 swami Vivekananda , in his words.
No man is born to any religion; he has a religion in his own soul. let there be as many religions as there are human beings.

So it means that diversity should be to such and extent that it cannot be distinguished at all. Just like the pack of atoms that forms a single and solid substance .
Nobody is even aware of infinite amount of atoms and its nature, because they are able to witness a single substance say a stone. Each atom has its own existence but give us a feel they are all same...
Thus i feel diverse word can take the form of universe word.

4th instance.

This would surely be interesting especially to all kinds of Hindus :).
I am a random reader, when reading vinobha bhave’s commentary on adhyatma, he says "With science getting advanced, World is becoming small, peoples are getting closer. Thus it’s becoming one. In the process Boundaries, national conscious and the world can no more remain pieces, at some point they have to become one.

Bhave further says " Vishwa-manushaha:" is a term bestowed on us by Vedas meaning “All of us are one, we are all becoming one".

It occurred to my mind for a moment that what if we equate "Vishwa-manushaha:" to "Vishwa manava", then veda/shruti is trying to tell “human being is no ordinary, he is a universal man, and that his final goal is to become a universal man.

The modern think tank and philosophers have insisted upon the term "Vishwa manava" in one or the other way.To cite an example for universal men, Ramakrishna paramahamsa one of the greatest spiritual master of our era, even removed the sacred thread, all the clothes on his body before while he performed deep prayers. For that matter i have never seen any photo of Bhagwan Sri Ramana maharshi with any sort of symbol on his body .

Now my intro write up is over.

The below words are the translated words of Sri kuvempu.

/****************************************************************/
Every child, at birth, is the Universal Man. But, as it grows, we turn in into ‘petty man’. It should be the function of education to turn it again into the original “Universal man” [ I think this is said by some English author, bcos i had seen a video where kuvempu reads it from a book and say the name of the author, any way thats immaterial... ]

The child which by birth was the universal man is fettered by us with such constraints as country, language, religion, caste, race and color. To free it form all these limitations and transform into "the enlightened soul" that is to say, the universal man, - this should become the first and foremost function of our education, culture, civilisation, and what no. All children of the world should become "unhoused" beings. [Unhoused means, broadening in all aspects, Check the attached image to read the poem about "unhouse the soul’] if the word should survive, should continue to live, and advance.
In the course of human evolution great men arose at different periods to fulfill the needs of their times, and (then they) passed in to history. The message of some of them assumed the form of distinct religion, but eventually narrowed down into a creed. The voice of the great souls, which had sprung from the noble motive of bringing together all men and making them live nobly, degenerated into a mere creed, and thus became a pernicious opiate. There are instances of a religion turning into a mere creed in the course of time and becoming quite worthless in the process, thus giving rise to another – one more new religion. [Srikgn: this is what vivekananda stressed on, when a reporter at London asks him, swamiji what is your intention and your message, he clearly says "i don’t want to give any new message, i don’t want to create another religion the final goal is every human being should have his own religion coming out of all caste-creed]

In this manner, numerous creeds arose, broke up humanity into groups and schisms and have even ignited wars, almost as if they were root cause of all the troubles and turmoils of the world. To the experimental outlook of our scientific age, the superstition of religion is no longer acceptable. As vinoba bhave said some years ago, “The days of religion and politics have passed. The age of science and spirituality has now to dawn.

Not turning away and breaking off from one another, but reconciling and uniting in concord and harmony; and above all, not the partial view of narrow creed, not the dual outlook of the material and the spiritual , but the integral vision of seeing all the things with the eye of the divine.
Ideas which are applicable to all mankind do not relate to a single caste or creed, a single section of the country. Since they are of value of all time, these are basic human values which tend towards uniting all the men and enabling them to live in harmony. They give no room to groupism, which after all, is the sordid game of politics. While giving full scope for individual freedom, this view aims at collective uplift. On this view it is possible to have as many religions as there are individuals. And it’s possible to contribute towards the development of whole community. it is this vision which is proclaimed by the following poem, "The unhoused consciousness".

In essence i conclude that its our goal to become universal, what ever be our current state we should strive towards it.

The essence at highest level is in poetic form by Kuvempu
" Oh nanna chetana aagu nee anikaetana". Both kannada and English translations are attached as images.

key Words:

V K Gokaka : English Version

[Who Wrote Aniketana ?  Kuvempu wrote, kannada and its English translation is available here,  kuvempu and Vivekananda seen here ]