Mathura: Evidence of Shri Krishna Mandir

Just like in the case of two (of the seven) holiest cities for Hindus "Ayodhya" which is Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, the birth place of God Shri Ram and "Kashi" (aka Varanasi/Banaras) which has Kashi Vishwanath ji, one of the most important Jyotirling of God Shiv ji and thousands of other important Holy temples around Bharat like Shri Somnath Jyotirling Mandir (thank god for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ji for reclaiming its honor by restoring the Mandir) in Saurashtr were all encroached upon by Muslim foreign invaders Mughals and then destroyed to build their own structures as a symbol of Mughal rule on Hindus. So was also done in the other holy city (of the seven cities) for Hindus, "Mathura" which is Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi, the birth place of God Shri Krishna, not once but four times. Latest being Mughal barbarian Aurangzeb who destroyed the Mandir in 1669 to build Idgah Qila over it.

Clearly Mughals had a problem with holy Hindu locations that they always wanted to destroy the Hindu temples at places of extreme importance (for Hindus), primarily birthplaces of Hindu Gods, as a symbol of their conquer over Hindu psyche and honor just like Muslim Taliban had a problem with Bahamian Buddha Statues in Afghanistan.

Here are the few articles/evidence of the same:

1. 10000 yrs old Evidence of Dwarka city found underwater


2. Tired of Ayodhya? Wait until the Parivar comes here by Indian Express on July 9, 2003

   come to Mathura. And listen to a group of boys chanting the many names of Krishna. Watch one of them, Jayant Kanodia, as he along with his friends walks to a corner, peers through rolls and rolls of concertina. Then points at the courtyard of the 334-year-old imposing Shahi Idgah.
   
   ‘‘This is no masjid,’’ Jayant smirks. It’s just a dhaancha, built over janmasthan land.’’ His friends nod.
   
   And almost everyone ready to explain how Lord Krishna’s birthplace has been ‘‘violated,’’ most recently by Aurangzeb, five generations removed from Babar, almost 10 from today. Depending which side you are on, you interpret the image: the Krishna Chabutra, a marble pavilion over the ‘‘garbha griha,’’ in perfect harmony with the Idgah.
   
   Or dwarfed by its rear walls and huge green-white domes. Ringed by men of the CRPF 130 Battalion. Jayant and his friends have come all the way from Kota to Mathura, joining a crowd that numbers about 500 this afternoon. In contrast, the mosque is deserted, CRPF jawans standing guard.
   
   They talk of the Mathura shrine ‘‘liberation’’ being on the Sangh Parivar’s agenda. So what if this Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah masjid complex is covered under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which provides for maintenance of the religious character of a place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.
   
   Near the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum is a board which explains it all: four temples built but destroyed. The Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan distributes literature which gives you an account of the temples built at the Janmasthan: a stone inscription in Brahmi, dating back to the 1st Century BC, speaks of the reign of Kshatrapa Shodasa and a man named Vasu who got a temple, an arched doorway and an altar built at the birthplace of Krishna.
   
   The second temple at the site came up during the rule of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. It was destroyed in 1017 AD by Mahmud of Ghazni. In Katra Keshavdev, they found an inscription on a stone slab which speaks of the third temple, built by Jajja in Vikrama Samvat 1207 (1150 AD) during the rule of Vijaypal Deva. It’s said Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited the same temple when he came to Mathura before its destruction by the forces of Sikandar Lodhi in the 16th Century.
   
   The fourth temple, the destruction of which is the source of the modern controversy, was built by Veer Singh Dev Bundela of Orchha when Jehangir was on the Mughal throne. But Aurangzeb’s said to have ordered its destruction in 1669 and the present-day Idgah was constructed over a part of the raised plinth of the Keshavdev temple.
   
   Vijay Bahadur Singh, the Trust security officer, gives you a lowdown on subsequent events: auction of the land by the British, the law suits between Muslims and Hindus, the role of Madan Mohan Malviya and others in restoring the land and the establishment of the Trust with G V Mavalankar as its first president.

   Anti-Hindu and pro-Congress bias of Indian Express is not hidden from anyone but it is stark in this article by Rakesh Sinha. For why else would you title an article "Tired of Ayodhya?". Mr. Sinha, you and other pseudo-secular fanatics may be tired of Ayodhya but you know what it is hard to just forget the sacrifice of Millions of Bharatvaasi (misnomer: Indian) to save the honor of Bharat and Hindus from barbarian Mughals. So no, unfortunately we are not tired of Ayodhya and will not be untill justice is delivered. Hopefully you will learn to mutually respect Hindus someday.


3. Shree Krishnajanmabhoomi Temple

   The Mathura administration has found clinching evidence which proves the Hindus' claim that the Shahi Mosque at Mathura was built over Shri Krishnajanmabhoomi temple.
   
   According to the locals, on August 14 the local administration started digging in the courtyard of the mosque for construction of some rooms for the security staff. During the digging the labourers found stone pillars, carving and an idol of a Hindu God. They immediately reported that matter to the authorities.
   
   As news of the recovery of the idol from the courtyard of the Shahi Mosque spread, senior police and administrative officials and members of Shri Krishnajanmabhoomi Trust reached the spot. The patron of the Trust, Shri Gopeshwar Chaturvedi, told this correspondent that during digging between August 14 and 17, besides carved stones and pillars, an idol of a Hindu God with a snake over its head was found.



4. Krishna janma bhoomi


5. For more on history of Ayodhya, brutality of Muslim/Mughal rulers like Babur and evidence of Shri Ram Mandir destroyed by Babur, please watch the video below:
   

श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता चलचित्र / Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta video

आइये हम मन्त्रमुघ्द होकर धर्मशेत्र कुरुक्षेत्र में धर्म युद्ध के समय भगवान श्रीकृष्ण जी और अर्जुन का श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता संवाद देखे व सुने। हम धन्य और कृतज्ञ है की हम भगवान श्रीकृष्ण जी के मुख कि वाणी से कर्म ज्ञान और भक्ति योग के रहस्य को समज सकते है। ॥जय श्री कृष्ण॥

Let us together watch God Shri Krishn ji speak Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta to Arjun in Dharmshetr Kurukshetr during the Dharm Yudh (War for righteousness and moral ethics). We are lucky and obliged to listen to the Bhagwanuvach (God's word from his mouth) on the mystery of Karm, Gyan, and Bhakti Yog. ॥Jai Shri Krishn॥

What the Islamic Invaders did to India

------Forwarded Message------

What the Islamic Invaders Did to India
By Rizwan Salim

On the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition (December 6, 1992), it is important for Hindus (and Muslims) to understand the importance of the event in the context of Hindustan's history, past and recent, present and the future.

Savages at a very low level of civilisation and no culture worth the name, from Arabia and west Asia, began entering India from the early century onwards. Islamic invaders demolished countless Hindu temples, shattered uncountable sculpture and idols, plundered innumerable palaces and forts of Hindu kings, killed vast numbers of Hindu men and carried off Hindu women. This story, the educated-and a lot of even the illiterate Indians-know very well. History books tell it in remarkable detail. But many Indians do not seem to recognise that the alien Muslim marauders destroyed the historical evolution of the earth's most mentally advanced civilisation, the most richly imaginative culture, and the most vigorously creative society.

It is clear that India at the time when Muslim invaders turned towards it (8 to 11th century) was the earth's richest region for its wealth in precious and semi-precious stones, gold and silver, religion and culture, and its fine arts and letters. Tenth century Hindustan was also too far advanced than its contemporaries in the East and the West for its achievements in the realms of speculative philosophy and scientific theorising, mathematics and knowledge of nature's workings. Hindus of the early medieval period were unquestionably superior in more things than the Chinese, the Persians (including the Sassanians), the Romans and the Byzantines of the immediate proceeding centuries. The followers of Siva and Vishnu on this subcontinent had created for themselves a society more mentally evolved-joyous and prosperous too-than had been realised by the Jews, Christians, and Muslim monotheists of the time. Medieval India, until the Islamic invaders destroyed it, was history's most richly imaginative culture and one of the five most advanced civilisations of all times.

Look at the Hindu art that Muslim iconoclasts severely damaged or destroyed. Ancient Hindu sculpture is vigorous and sensual in the highest degree-more fascinating than human figural art created anywhere else on earth. (Only statues created by classical Greek artists are in the same class as Hindu temple sculpture). Ancient Hindu temple architecture is the most awe-inspiring, ornate and spell-binding architectural style found anywhere in the world. (The Gothic art of cathedrals in France is the only other religious architecture that is comparable with the intricate architecture of Hindu temples). No artist of any historical civilisation have ever revealed the same genius as ancient Hindustan's artists and artisans.

Their minds filled with venom against the idol-worshippers of Hindustan, the Muslims destroyed a large number of ancient Hindu temples. This is a historical fact, mentioned by Muslim chroniclers and others of the time. A number of temples were merely damaged and remained standing. But a large number-not hundreds but many thousands-of the ancient temples were broken into shreds of cracked stone. In the ancient cities of Varanasi and Mathura, Ujjain and Maheshwar, Jwalamukhi and Dwarka, not one temple survives whole and intact from the ancient times.

The wrecking of Hindu temples went on from the early years of the 8th century to well past 1700 AD a period of almost 1000 years. Every Muslim ruler in Delhi (or Governor of Provinces) spent most of his time warring against Hindu kings in the north and the south, the east and the west, and almost every Muslim Sultan and his army commanders indulged in largescale destructions of Hindu temples and idols. They also slaughtered a lot of Hindus. It is easy to conclude that virtually every Hindu temple built in the ancient times is a perfect work of art. The evidence of the ferocity with which the Muslim invaders must have struck at the sculptures of gods and goddesses, demons and apsaras, kings and queens, dancers and musicians is frightful. At so many ancient temples of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, for example, shattered portions of stone images still lie scattered in the temple courtyards. Considering the fury used on the idols and sculptures, the stone-breaking axe must have been applied to thousands upon thousands of images of hypnotic beauty.

Giving proof of the resentment that men belonging to an inferior civilisation feel upon encountering a superior civilisation of individuals with a more refined culture, Islamic invaders from Arabia and western Asia broke and burned everything beautiful they came across in Hindustan. So morally degenerate were the Muslim Sultans that, rather than attract Hindu "infidels" to Islam through force of personal example and exhortation, they just built a number of mosques at the sites of torn down temples-and foolishly pretended they had triumphed over the minds and culture of the Hindus. I have seen stones and columns of Hindu temples incorportated into the architecture of several mosques, including the Jama Masjid and Ahmed Shah Masjid in Ahmedabad; the mosque in the Uparkot fort of Junagadh (Gujarat) and in Vidisha (near Bhopal); the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra right next to the famous dargah in Ajmer-and the currently controversial Bhojshala "mosque" in Dhar (near Indore). Hindu culture was at its imaginative best and vigorously creative when the severely-allergic-to-images Muslims entered Hindustan. Islamic invaders did not just destroy countless temples and constructions but also suppressed cultural and religious practices; damaged the pristine vigour of Hindu religion, prevented the intensification of Hindu culture, debilitating it permanently, stopped the development of Hindu arts ended the creative impulse in all realms of thought and action, damaged the people's cultural pride, disrupted the transmission of values and wisdom, cultural practices and tradition from one generation to the next; destroyed the proper historical evolution of Hindu kingdoms and society, affected severely the acquisition of knowledge, research and reflection and violated the moral basis of Hindu society. The Hindus suffered immense psychic damage. The Muslims also plundered the wealth of the Hindu kingdoms, impoverished the Hindu populace, and destroyed the prosperity of Hindustan.

Gaze in wonder at the Kailas Mandir in the Ellora caves and remember that it is carved out of a solid stone hill, an effort that (inscriptions say) took nearly 200 years. This is art as devotion. The temple built by the Rashtrakuta kings (who also built the colossal sculpture in the Elenhanta caves off Mumbai harbour) gives proof of the ancient Hindus' religious fervor.

But the Kailas temple also indicated a will power, a creative imagination, and an intellect eager to take on the greatest of artistic challenges.

The descendants of those who built the magnificent temples of Bhojpur and Thanjavur, Konark and Kailas, invented mathematics and brain surgery, created mindbody disciplines (yoga) of astonishing power, and built mighty empires would almost certainly have attained technological superiority over Europe.

It is not just for "political reasons" that Hindus want to build grand temples at the sites of the (wrecked) Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, and the Mathura idgah. The efforts of religion-intoxicated and politically active Hindus to rebuild the Ram Mandir, the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, and the Krishna Mandir are just three episodes m a one-thousand year long Hindu struggle to reclaim their culture and religion from alien invaders.

The demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992 was just one episode in the millennial struggle of the Hindus to repossess their religion-centered culture and nation. Meanwhile, hundreds of ancient Hindu temples forsaken all over Hindustan await the reawakening of Hindu cultural pride to be repaired or rebuilt and restored to their original, ancient glory.

http://www.islam-watch.org/Rizwan_Salim/What-Islamic-Invaders-Did-to-India.htm

This article was published in Hindustan Times in December 1997

23000 yrs old Evidence of Dwarka city found underwater

In the photo (courtesy ASI) above, an underwater archaeologist of the ASI examines an ancient structure off the shore of Dwaraka; a circular structure on the shore at Dwaraka; fragment of an ancient structure found underwater; remains of an ancient structure in the forecourt of the Shri Dwarakadhish Mandir (temple).

Over 23000 years old evidences of God Shri Krishn's Dwarka/Dwarika/Dvarika Nagri have been found which proves that Sanatan Vedic Dharm is the oldest civilization in the world. Civilization started and developed in the holy land of Aryavrat/Bharat (misnomer: India) since eons together. The researchers and scientists have also busted the Mythical fictitious theory of Aryan Invasion in many video evidences given below.







Please also read,

1. Scientific Verification of Vedic Knowledge and its proofs


2. The Myth of the Aryan Invasion


3. Ayodhya: THE indisputable evidence of Shri Ram Mandir

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Janmashtami, Lord Krishna and Dwaraka by V Sundaram

Today is JANMASHTAMI DAY - the birthday of Lord Krishna. On this day we remember the celestial and immortal message of Lord Krishna given by him to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Bhagavad Gita contains the guiding principles for every Hindu, nay every human being regardless of his religion, every day for every moment of his life. Lord Krishna told Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra: 'All paths lead to ME'. It is because of this universality that it has found favour with all Classes and Schools for centuries. Nowhere perhaps, with the possible exception of Mathura Vrindavan in UP is Janmashtami celebrated with that kind of elemental passion which it arouses in the State of Gujarat. The ancient and timeless Krishna Temples at Dakore in Kheda District and Dwaraka in Jamnagar District of Gujarat have attracted throngs of devotees of Lord Krishna for thousands of years.

Lord Krishna is better known in India's cultural and religious history as the King and Emperor of Dwaraka. According to ancient Hindu mythology, Dwaraka was a new country founded by the Yadava clan of chiefs who fled from the Surasena Kingdom due to fear from the king Jarasandha of Magadha. It was the brainchild of Vasudeva Krishna, the great personality of the Dwapara Yuga. The territory of Dwaraka includes the Dwaraka Island, many neighbouring islands like the Antar Dwipa and the mainland area neighbouring the Anarta Kingdom, making it similar to Greece having many islands and a mainland forming its territory. The kingdom was situated roughly in the north-western region of Gujrat state. Its capital was Dwaravati (near Dwarka, Gujarat). The Mahabharata does not mention Dwaraka as a kingdom but rather as the capital city of Yadavas who ruled the Anarta Kingdom. It was also known as Dwaravati. It was also a port-city, having trade relations with many sea-faring nations. The name Dwaraka, in Sanskrit means a gate or a gateway. It could be that this ancient port-city was a gateway for foreign sea-faring kingdoms into the Indian mainland and vice versa.

Dwaraka is one of the seven Holy Cities Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Benares, Kanchi, Ujjain and Dwaraka. Dwaraka's majesty and beauty have been described by many poets and writers, saints and sages of ancient India. It is referred to as Golden City in Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Skanda Purana, Vishnu Purana, Harivansha and Mahabharata. It was the capital of Lord Krishna's Kingdom. All the Islam-embracing, Christianity-coveting and Hindu-hating perverted pseudo secularists in the Government of India and all the political parties would be shocked to know that Dwaraka is not just a legend or the product of a figment of imagination but a real, concrete and terrestrial truth. Dwaraka was a well-planned city with a modern and technologically advanced harbour suitably designed to deal with the marine traffic of large ships entering the port.

One of the verses in the Bhagavada says: 'The yellow glitter of the golden fort of the Dwaraka City in the sea throwing yellow light all round looked as if the flames of Vadavagni came out tearing asunder the sea'. Then came the deluge and Dwaraka 'A City of Gold' vanished under water. Around 1500 BC, the whole Western course of India disappeared along with Lord Krishna's Capital City of Dwaraka. This is how it was described by Vedavyasa in the Mahabharata: 'The sea, which had been beating against the shore, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. The sea rushed into the City of Dwaraka. It coursed through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea covered up everything in the city. I saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged one by one. 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 city. Dwaraka became just a name; just a memory'.

The ruins of ancient Dwaraka city have been found under the sea following recent oceanographic studies conducted near the modern temple-city of Dwaraka. The first Archaeological excavations at Dwaraka were done by the Deccan College, Pune and the Department of Archaeology, Government of Gujarat in 1963 under the direction of an outstanding Archeologist of Ancient India H.D. Sankalia. It revealed the existence of many artefacts, hundreds of centuries old. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), conducted a second round of excavations under the direction of Dr S R Rao, a world renowned Underwater Archeologist. Dr S R Rao is to the discovery of the ancient town of Dwaraka, what Isaac Newton is to the Law of Gravitation or Albert Einstein to the Theory of Relativity.

Between 1983 and 1990, the well-fortified township of Dwaraka was discovered, extending more than half mile from the shore. The township was built in six sectors along the banks of a river. The foundation of boulders on which the City's walls were erected proves that the land was reclaimed from the sea. What is amazing is that the general layout of the City of Dwaraka described in the ancient texts agrees with that of the submerged city discovered by the Marine Archaelogical Unit. (MAU) of The Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI), which carried out its work under the guidance and supervision of Dr S R Rao.

The discovery of Dwaraka by Dr S R Rao confirms that the descriptions found in the text of the Mahabharata and other important Sanskrit texts regarding Dwaraka are true. It also means that the Mahabharata is NOT A MYTH but an important source of information for studying the ancient history of India. T R Gopalakrishnan has succinctly summarised the importance of the excavations and discovery of Dr S R Rao: 'The strongest Archaeological support comes from the structures discovered under the sea- bed off the coast of Dwaraka in Gujarat by the pioneering team led by Dr S R Rao, one of India's most respected Archaeologists. An Emeritus Scientist at the Marine Archaeology Unit of the National Institute of Oceanography, Dr Rao has excavated a large number of Harappa sites including the Port City of Lothal in Gujarat. In his book THE LOST CITY OF DWARAKA published in 1999 he writes about his undersea finds. It has set at rest all doubts expressed by historians about the historicity of Mahabharata and the very existence of Dwaraka City. It has greatly narrowed the gap in Indian history by establishing the continuity of the Indian Civilization from the Vedic Age to the present day'.

Significant finds at Dwaraka: Ancient structures, under water and on land, discovered by T.S. Subramanian

Thirty copper coins were also found in the excavation area. The structures found on land belonged to the medieval period. "We have also found 30 copper coins. We are cleaning them. After we finish cleaning them, we can give their date," he said.

Dwaraka is a coastal town in Jamnagar district of Gujarat. Traditionally, modern Dwaraka is identified with Dvaraka or Dvaravati, mentioned in the Mahabharata as Krishna's city. Dwaraka was a port, and some scholars have identified it with the island of Barka mentioned in the Periplus of Erythrean Sea. Ancient Dwaraka sank in sea and hence is an important archaeological site.

The first archaeological excavations at Dwaraka were done by the Deccan College, Pune and the Department of Archaeology, Government of Gujarat, in 1963 under the direction of H.D. Sankalia. It revealed artefacts many centuries old.

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References:

Lost and Found: The City of Dwarka by Uma Shankari in Social Sciences

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8734803/The-Sunken-City-of-Dwarka

http://www.tginvents.com/tushar/MahabharatDating2.htm

http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/mahabharat/mahab_sarasvat.html

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=1a6vMAGTUhI

Hinduunity.org

http://www.hinduism.co.za/oldest.htm

Michael Cremo, Researcher of Ancient Archaeology and Author, Forbidden Archaeology

http://www.epicindia.com/magazine/Culture/the-lost-city-of-dwarka

http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/23/stories/2007022301242200.htm

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/1134/Dvaraka_Giant_Underwater_City_found_in_India/

गीता जयंती की हार्दिक शुभ कामनाये। Happy Geeta Jayanti to all

गीता जयंती की हार्दिक शुभ कामनाये। Happy Geeta Jayanti to all. Geeta Jayanti celebrates the anniversary of the day on which God Shri Krishn ji told the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta to Arjun. According to the lunar Bharatiya (Indian) calendar, that day is the ११ Shukl (11th bright day) of the Margshirsh month (2nd month) of the Vikram Samvat year.

॥श्री कृष्णं शरणम् ममः॥

श्रीमद्भगवद् गीता का सार

• क्यों व्यर्थ की चिंता करते हो? किससे व्यर्थ डरते हो? कौन तुम्हें मार सक्ता है? आत्मा ना पैदा होती है, न मरती है।


• जो हुआ, वह अच्छा हुआ, जो हो रहा है, वह अच्छा हो रहा है, जो होगा, वह भी अच्छा ही होगा। तुम भूत का पश्चाताप न करो। भविष्य की चिन्ता न करो। वर्तमान चल रहा है।


• तुम्हारा क्या गया, जो तुम रोते हो? तुम क्या लाए थे, जो तुमने खो दिया? तुमने क्या पैदा किया था, जो नाश हो गया? न तुम कुछ लेकर आए, जो लिया यहीं से लिया। जो दिया, यहीं पर दिया। जो लिया, इसी (भगवान) से लिया। जो दिया, इसी को दिया।


• खाली हाथ आए और खाली हाथ चले। जो आज तुम्हारा है, कल और किसी का था, परसों किसी और का होगा। तुम इसे अपना समझ कर मग्न हो रहे हो। बस यही प्रसन्नता तुम्हारे दु:खों का कारण है।


• परिवर्तन संसार का नियम है। जिसे तुम मृत्यु समझते हो, वही तो जीवन है। एक क्षण में तुम करोड़ों के स्वामी बन जाते हो, दूसरे ही क्षण में तुम दरिद्र हो जाते हो। मेरा-तेरा, छोटा-बड़ा, अपना-पराया, मन से मिटा दो, फिर सब तुम्हारा है, तुम सबके हो।


• न यह शरीर तुम्हारा है, न तुम शरीर के हो। यह अग्नि, जल, वायु, पृथ्वी, आकाश से बना है और इसी में मिल जायेगा। परन्तु आत्मा स्थिर है - फिर तुम क्या हो?


• तुम अपने आपको भगवान के अर्पित करो। यही सबसे उत्तम सहारा है। जो इसके सहारे को जानता है वह भय, चिन्ता, शोक से सर्वदा मुक्त है।


• जो कुछ भी तू करता है, उसे भगवान के अर्पण करता चल। ऐसा करने से सदा जीवन-मुक्त का आनंद अनुभव करेगा।

Shrimad Bhagvad Gita Saar (Summary)

• Why do you worry without cause? Whom do you fear without reason? Who can kill you? The soul is neither born, nor does it die.


• Whatever happened, happened for the good; whatever is happening, is happening for the good; whatever will happen, will also happen for the good only. You need not have any regrets for the past. You need not worry for the future. The present is happening.


• What did you lose that you cry about? What did you bring with you, which you think you have lost? What did you produce, which you think got destroyed? You did not bring anything - whatever you have, you received from here. Whatever you have given, you have given only here. Whatever you took, you took from God. Whatever you gave, you gave to him. You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed. What is yours today, belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else the day after tomorrow. You are mistakenly enjoying the thought that this is yours. It is this false happiness that is the cause of your sorrows.


• Change is the law of the universe. What you think of as death, is indeed life. In one instance you can be a millionaire, and in the other instance you can be steeped in poverty. Yours and mine, big and small - erase these ideas from your mind. Then everything is yours and you belong to everyone.


• This body is not yours, neither are you of the body. The body is made of fire, water, air, earth and ether, and will disappear into these elements. But the soul is permanent - so who are you?


• Dedicate your being to God. He is the one to be ultimately relied upon. Those who know of his support are forever free from fear, worry and sorrow.


• Whatever you do, do it as a dedication to God. This will bring you the tremendous experience of joy and life-freedom forever.

Page 3 -vs- Chapter 3 (Consumerism versus Nishkaam Karmayog)

Page 3 -vs- Chapter 3 (Consumerism versus Nishkaam Karmayog)
By Vishwa Mohan Tiwari, Air Vice Marshal (retd)

In Nov. 1970, Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid The Sun created uproar. The editor of Sun had been told by Murdoch that either he increases the circulation of The Sun or else. In desperation Larry Lamb, the editor, took a controversial and risky step of publishing a ‘topless’ photo of a sexy young lass. He cleverly chose full page 3 for his design. Page 1 and rear page would have been highly risky; page 3 was just right, not too obvious nor too hidden. Those days publishing of nudes was highly risqué although bikini clad sexy girls were being published freely. The risk, though created uproar, paid handsomely, the circulation of ‘The Sun’ increased.

Since then colourful page three has become indispensable for media, both electronic and print; indeed it has become so rampant that every page is used as page 3 ! A beauty pageant, anywhere in the world is a must for the media. Under this concept, ample colourful photos of models, actors, sports persons and entertainers etc are given prominent place but not appropriate place to a lecture by a scientist even on the burning issue of global warming. These are called celebrities who nonetheless are fake creations of media for their own devices. All these super ambitious super celebrities would do anything to remain on the Page 3. Media, celebrities, Ad agencies, technology and industrialists act in unison to create market for commodities produced by the industry. Most of the time, the commodities are redundant if not superfluous. The proverb ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ has been turned on its head to ensure that ‘invention becomes the mother of necessity’. Industry invents and the consumers consume those as necessary. Of course a sense of freedom is given to consumers by providing them with choices; the choices given are few which eclipse the earlier choices that were abundant. The profit, which is the sole motive, goes to the machinators or plotters comprising ad agencies, media and industrialists, and also to celebrities. And the profit goes from the pockets of ignorant consumers who are made to think that this is essential to become modern and happy. This entire machination is projected mainly with the help of ‘topless models’ who are topless in both the senses. But what is surprising is that they make the consumer behave as if he is topless!

Had the situation remained so, it wouldn’t have been too bad. In the race for becoming the top consumer, the consumer becomes topless and totally self-centered. As nobody else can consume for him, he has to consume the commodities himself to be ‘happy’. His aim of life becomes to be a top consumer and therefore totally self centric. Money and commodities become the symbols of success, achievements, status, self respect, modernity and happiness. His relationship with the world becomes that of a consumer and the supplier. Even the marital relationship becomes ‘business like’, in that, both look at each other as a source of fulfillment of desires. The moment one does not fulfill the other’s desire trouble erupts like a dormant volcano. Where is the love that sacrifices and understands ? Where would the love for elders, even infants be in the consumers’ world? Infants can be left to TV or baby sitters, while the couple remains busy with earning and ‘pleasure seeking’. A person is exposed to the media’s colourful machinations from childhood and is therefore becomes a confirmed consumerist before he can realize it. If consumerism is the aim of life then the consumerist youth in their hunt for pleasures may use any method including violence. A spurt in criminal activities involving alcohol, sex and money confirms this impact of this mindless consumerism.

Apart from using page 3 culture, media uses ‘cheap’ entertainment programmes to confine the mind of the viewer to trivialities to reduce him to a zombie. In India where healthy food is available, why should one enjoy junk foods like hamburgers, or drinks e.g. Colas when they have been proven to be harmful. What more can demonstrate our intellectual bankruptcy then the fact that we do not have faith in scientists but in celebrities! We are day dreaming to become a ‘krorepati’ whilst making celebrities, ad agencies, media and industrialists multikrorepaties.

Even the politicians have joined the band wagon of the celebrities et al. After all, the progress that India has made in last few years is mainly due to consumerism. Cars, colour TVs, sexy entertainments, telecommunications, refrigerators, washing machines, shoes, clothes, 5 star hotels etc are the symbols of progress – economic and industrial and therefore of happiness. If aim of life is consumerism then any wise person would eulogize the agents of consumerism.

Whilst this is certainly true that consuming (actually nourishing) is essential for life, but the question is ‘how much’? We must understand the difference between consumerism i.e. ‘bhogwaad’ and consuming which is nourishing i.e. ‘bhog’. If one’s aim of life is bhog then it is bhogwaad. If one has bhog as a necessity for living, then it is not bhogwaad but bhog. Surprisingly, for consumerists luxuries are necessities. The correct meaning of the two words depends upon the worldview of an individual. For a consumerist or a bhogwaady luxury is essential. A consumerist’s worldview is well expressed by what an American thinker Ken Schoolend in his book ‘A Guiding Principle of Life’ states, “ Your property is your life’s total earning, result of the hard work in cultivation of the field of life. It is the gift of your invaluable time, the product of your energy, toil and intellect.” What is clear is that his aim in life is to earn property ! The progress and happiness of a consumerist’s society is measured by what and how much it consumes. Is it not an animalistic, nay demonic world view? Whole world is asking for more and better to consume, at least 10 % more every year. Every person is busy like a blinded bull pushing an oil mill.

Did consumerism begin with Page 3? No, consumerism was born when the concept of heaven was born! Not surprisingly, religions and poverty kept a control on the urge for consumerism in this world, and it was left for heaven after death. After the Second World War, the giant of consumerism woke up. All the big machines and their technology, suddenly shocked with a void of demands at the end of the war, were ready to produce like a cornucopia. People were also demanding better life after the poverty stricken unending days during the war. After the War the victors had control on all the resources, trades and markets etc. With the mass production technology, the giant machines were producing more than the necessities which of course had to be sold. People had to be brainwashed into buying the unlimited products. Here the ad agencies and the media played the role of pimps and soon capitalism came into form and consumerism became the world view. That is why youth, certainly in India, works like a blinded bull, 12 hours a day to earn to become a multi millionaire, but ends up making the consumerists machinery comprising ad agencies, media, topless models, sport persons, entertainers and the industrialists multimillionaires. Everybody is too busy running the blindfolded race to have either time or vision to see through the demonism of consumerism. The youth in this treadmill becomes sick and effete before reaching the old age and unfortunately his sons are ready to takeover his yoke.

It is not that in the West nobody has opposed this demonic consumerism. Karl Marx opposed it. He rightly said that in capitalistic mode, a ‘thing’ or a commodity becomes an object of worship. But he favoured his model of consumerism which is no less demonic. Famous thinker Thornstein Weblen described this phenomenon as ‘Conspicuous Consumption’, and said that media has glorified it as a status symbol. Famous philosopher H. D. Thoreau, who was influenced by Indian philosophy, said that instead of consumerism, simple living should be the world view. Economist Scot Nearing, anthropologist and poet Gary Snider, Gandhi’s follower Richard Greg etc opposed consumerism in order to wrest the control of life from commercial establishments. Later on ‘Conservationists’ joined the movement and gave it strength. Demand for ignoring the ads was made but has not been able to defeat the strong army of ‘topless’ girls. The reason for lack of success of this anti – consumerist movement in the West is lack of a convincing alternate world view.

It should be obvious that there is sufficient on this earth for the needs of the people of the world, but not sufficient for the greed of even one individual. But consumerism, the supreme greed, is growing like the mouth of Surasaa, the demon described in the epic Raamaayan. Obviously the answer is what Hanuman did by becoming smaller, not larger, than the body of Surasaa.

The West had already created a division in the society by accepting individualism as an important value of life, which weakened the social and family ties. Now with consumerism, not only the joint family system has died, even the nuclear family system is under stress. Now consumerism is glue by which the family remains united. But we ought to know that consumerism can not unite humans, because it creates a deadly competition among the members for enjoying commodities which are invariably insufficient. Competition breeds rivalry and not love among the members. In a consumerist culture, where love beween couples has been restricted to mean sex, the difference between an animal and a human being is hardly significant. In humans and animals food, sleep, fear and sex are common. In a consumerist society, sacrifice, humane love, ethics, compassion, truth etc. are relegated to lower priorities, if they are allowed at all. No wonder, consumerism ultimately turns a man into a beast. Noida, where I live, has witnessed such demonic acts that humanity is put to shame. And Noida is not an exception, but a rule in Indian cosmopolitan cities. Is humanity safe in India? Famous thinkers like Andre Malraux, Alfred Toynbee etc, after experiencing the decay in the West, had been looking at India for saving humanity. Now who will save humanity? Shrimadbhagawad Geetaa, especially its chapter 3, has the answers, if someone would care to follow them.

In the first two chapters, Lord a is trying to convince Arjun to fight the war which has been imposed by his blindly selfish cousin Duryodhan. For three reasons Arjun does not wish to fight the war: respect for his grand uncle and Guru Dronaachaarya together with compassion for people; killing is a sin, and to save the society from the decadence resulting after the death of huge number of soldiers (1.40). On basis of Saankhya philosophy, a tells him that the soul is immortal, hence a war need not be feared, indeed he must fight it and either win it and enjoy the kingdom, or accept death and enjoy the heaven. He does not accept this advice as it does not satisfy his three reasons for not fighting the war. Realizing that Arjun is not able to understand the purport of immortality, a then tells him that he should follow ‘Buddhi yog’ which is to establish himself in the Self, and to perform an action without getting attached to it, and accepting the outcome with equanimity. He further tells him that Buddhi yog is far superior to ‘Karm’. This confuses Arjun as it appears to him that sometimes a recommends action and sometimes thinking. The chapter 3 begins with such a question. Therefore a now explains ‘Nishkaam Karmayog’ to him. With this the three doubts of Arjun would be calmed. Nishkaam Karm simply means performance of action not motivated by desires, which is an extremely difficult concept to understand. a explains it in the chapter 3.

Not performing an action is not Nishkaam Karm, nor its renunciation. One cannot live for a moment without performing an action. The actions that have to be performed, must be performed for this body cannot survive without actions. If someone does not perform an action by controlling his organs of action yet contemplating the same in his mind, then he lives in a false world. Actions are performed under the force of nature. Let us analyze. Do we eat and drink out of our desire? Or is it hunger and thirst that force us to eat and drink. The only choice we have is to choose what to eat and drink. But if thought wisely, we ought to eat and drink that which is within our means and is most beneficial to the body, and not what the celebrities coax us. Most of the bodily actions are urged by the body. Earning our lively hood is basically motivated by our body and our family’s needs, unless we have been brainwashed by the consumerist culture. In the consumerist culture our desires start controlling our actions, and not the needs of the body or the family or the nation. It should be clear that all our actions are performed under the force of ‘nature’, and we ignoramus and egoists think that it is we who are controlling our actions. Actually we are under a delusion of our ego, our so called identity which clouds our thinking and make us believe that we are the ‘doers’. We do not even know ‘who we are?’ If we were to ask our body, “Are you the doer of the actions?” The body would reply, “I am performing actions as per the strict rules of the nature, I am merely an instrument of nature.”

a says, that wise persons, knowing that it is the forces or ‘gunas’ of nature that are interacting with each other, do not get attached to or overwhelmed by actions performed by their body. It may appear to be opposite of what is taught by management gurus viz. ‘Get involved if you want success’. Getting involved means the task is yours, it is your responsibility, you will get rewarded if you succeed, and get punished if you fail, and so on. The performer is worked up; he has a fever so to say, of the action. a tell Arjun to fight the war without its fever, without hope and without involving ego’. a’s view is closer to the reality. Once freed from the tensions of success and failure, the mind functions at its best, and continues to do so as the tensions do not get accumulated like in the opposite view, Involve means get attached, and a is advocating non- attachment. It also means a step closer in the spiritual evolution, because going above the mind towards the Atman is the goal of spirituality.

Arjun asks Krishn, “Why does a man commits sin even against his will?” Krishn tells him that it is because a man is under the control of his desires and the force of anger attached to it, these two are sins like unquenchable fires and therefore his enemies. The meaning of sins here are actions that take one away from the spiritually evolutionary path. The desires and the attached anger cloud up the state of ‘Jnyaan’, which prevents realization of Self. Jnyaan tells makes us realizes who we are, or what is the Reality. Ajnyaana tells that we are this body, mind and intellect, and thus covers the Jnyaan. If one looks within oneself, one would find desires, anger, greed, delusion, ego, jealousy etc crowding the horizon of the mind. And the desires are endless, therefore whoever thinks that by fulfilling his desires he would get happiness is under delusion. The entire cosmos is ever changing, and therefore so are the desires. A consumerist is one who wants to fulfill his desires in search of happiness, and therefore ends up chasing a mirage. A consumerist is a willing slave of his desires, and a slave can never be happy.

Krishn tells Arjun, “You control your organs of sense and actions and annihilate these desires which are inimical to both jnyaan and science. One might say control of desires by intellect is understandable, but their destruction is totally incomprehensible and impractical. No action is performed without its motivating desires. No desire therefore would mean no action, and therefore no life. We ought to understand that actions are indeed performed by the forces of nature in our body. We under false knowledge introduce desires in between. Desires are also entered by the mind when not under control of a developed intellect. Desires that do not meet the real needs of the individual are the culprits and need to be controlled and eradicated through wisdom.

Actions that are needed for living must be performed, desire or no desire. So why desire, which only builds ego. And thus these actions can be performed with full vigour, capability and equanimity. Such actions do not bind a man. Actions that are not needed, but merely arise out of desires generated by the consumerist conglomerate are to be negated; and such desires are to be extirpated. Thus one becomes desireless and yet performs to ones best ability. This is ‘Nishkaam Karm Yog’. Performance of such karmas is Yog because it ultimately leads to union with Brahman, leads to Bliss and to eternal happiness. Contrary to miseries of chasing mirages, one realizes that one is Brahman, SatChitAanand, ie. Existence, Consciousness and Bliss.

Lest one might interject that this sate of Bliss is utterly selfish, it must be clarified that on the contrary this state leads to the most altruistic state. It is so because after that realization, one feels unity not only with Brahman, but also with every being on the earth if not in the universe. Such a person loves his neighbour not because some great soul has commanded him to, but because he realizes that he himself is the neighbour. He actually lives all the principles of ethics such as compassion, sacrifice, truth, brotherhood, equality etc. because they are so natural to him. He not only becomes ‘Free’ from fear, but also from all the passions, yet he remains full of love for all the beings.

End of desires, actually freedom from desires is not the end of ‘bhog’ that is nourishing of the body, but the end of ‘Bhogwaad’ i.e. Consumerism. It should be clear that ‘Consumerism actually consumes the consumer and others’. Thus chapter 3 of Geetaa redeems one from consumerism and liberates him from the miseries thereof. Further, it makes a humane world possible which can make progress with all the science and technology, without making one a slave of technology. Technology is a good slave but a very cruel master. The world needs this world view of ‘Nishkaam Karmyog’ if it is to be saved from the decadent life caused by chasing mirages of happiness but resulting in miseries.

India is the place where such a world view was born and nurtured, but unfortunately India is also going the way of consumerism. It is the result of ignorance about our great heritage, which is the outcome of slavery of a thousand years. The situation has been further aggravated after independence because of willing acceptance of dominance of English language over Indian languages. Out culture and heritage can be transmitted to us in our languages and not though a foreign language. Education in India through English medium would bring consumerism lock stock and barrel, because that is the culture of the West. English should be learnt but not at the cost of Indian languages. However till it can be done, let us follow Nishkaam Karmyog and save ourselves, and the world, from consumerism to the extent we can.

It may be mentioned that Larry lamb, the erstwhile successful editor of The Sun, before his death regretted the introduction of Page 3 culture, of course it was too late; or is it?

Page 3 vs Chapter 3 English

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