Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: Nov 11, 2009

Vijayanagar -Part 12 -THE HAUNTING QUESTIONS

Posted: 08 Nov 2009 11:24 PM PST

Nothing can be said in defence of Hindu troops that lost the war. The long history India has seen so many of such battles being fought. But four major wars that resulted in the complete downfall of the country are:

1. Battle of Panipat ( Haryana): Fought three times at the same venue. First was Babar against Ibrahim lodhi in 1526 resulting in victory of Babar. Second was between Akbar and Hemu in 1556 and the third battle of Panipat was between Marathas and Afghans in 1761.

2. Battle of Plassey(West Bengal):Between Robert Clive and Siraj Ud daulah in 1757 which led to the Major victory of British in India.

3. Haldighati(Udaipur, Rajasthan): Between Raja Man singh, General of Akbar and Rana pratap Singh in 1576.

4. The battle of Talikota ( Karnataka): Fought between combined forces of Islam in south India and the vijayanagar troops in 1565 leading to the complete downfall of Hindu empire in south India.

All these were mainly fought in 15th century which subsequently lead to the downfall of whole of India for the next 4 centuries.

Some questions still haunt when spoken of Vijayanagar:

1 . Did the rulers of Vijayanagar remember the very idea and motto of their existence?

2. Was there no social and national awareness among the people of capital city? Why did they not show any resistance to the agressors?

3. Is the wealth and vast army sufficient to protect the Kingdom?

4. When Gilani soldiers were secretly invited to the enemy camp what was the intelligence of Ramaraya doing?

5. Tirumala and Venkatadri had once intrigued against Ramaraya for the throne and when the oppurtunity came after his death, why did they turn their backs to the Hindu empire?

6. Why didn`t the troops fight even after the death of Ramaraya? Was there no one, even a single soldier who could lead the army?

7. Is Krishnadeva Raya justified in nominating Achyuthadeva Raya as his successor?

The Great empire of Vijayanagar did not even last for 35 years after Krishnadeva Raya. Was there no other king being raised for the very purpose of leading the country. Was the royal family runout of such able children?

The history imposes on us, such questions and prompts us to learn some lessons.

It is said that "if you dont learn lessons from History, History will teach you a Lesson"

Time to think, ponder and learn.

Indus Saga

Posted: 18 Sep 2009 11:02 AM PDT
We are Indians and the nation Hindustan or India, and our Dharma Hindu because there is a river Sindhu also known as Indus. All these names describing our identity are derived from Sindhu and Indus. Sindhu is one of the most revered seven rivers Hindus worship, the other six being-Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Brahmaputra and Kaveri.
No other river on earth can claim this unique distinction as Sindhu. Five thousand year civilisation, culture, tradition and an entire life style is identified with Sindhu. The people living across it were called Sindhu-*Putras * or Hindus as the Greek could pronounce 'S' as 'H' only.
Sindhu's roar is described in the Rig Veda like this,' His roar is lifted up to heaven above the earth; he puts forth endless vigour with flash of light…Even as cows with milk rush to their calves, so other rivers roar into Sindhu. As a warrior king leads other warriors, so does Sindhu lead other rivers.' Sanskrit scholars say that Sindhu is used more than thirty times by the vedic seer in the Vedas while Ganga finds much less mention- just five times.
Like Himalayas, Sindhu is a blessing to the mother earth and her children. The only two rivers described as 'He' rivers buy the Vedas because of their ferocious flow, 'sky reaching' roar of the water and sea like vastness are Brahmaputra and Sindhu. Rishis of the yore named ocean or *Sagar* as Sindhu also –describing the sea as vast and deep as our river Sindhu!! There can't be a greater tribute to the glory and power of this river that has given a name to our civilisation and nation both.
Sindhu or Indus is one of the mightiest rivers of our planet with an astonishing length of 2900 km. Rising in south-western Tibet, at an altitude of 16,000 feet, Sindhu enters the Indian territory near Demchok in Ladakh.The author had the good fortune to lead the first ever Indus expedition in the independent India which traversed from the point Sindhu enters in Ladakh (L.A.C.) and driving along its majestic flow till Batalik where it flows down placidly into the presently Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The total length that Sindhu travels within the present Indian boundary ( L.A.C. to L.O.C.) is app. 550 kms.
Sindhu is divine with an indescribable beauty and charm. Its water, till Zanskar meets it 30 kms down Leh, is transparently pearl blue and Budhist devotees believe it is pure Manasarovar water since till here no other river mingles with it .The source of Sindhu is in the Nyari province of western Tibet in the Kailas Manasarovar region, which is also a source to Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali. According to the ztibetan scriptures as well as Vedic ones, Sindhu is a Lion river, while Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali are respectively Elephant, Horse and Peocock rivers. According to the famous swami Pranavananda ji, who traveled Kailas region 51 times and wrote the most scientific and a reference book for the pilgrims as well as geologists, even the source of Ganga is in Manasarovar from where a small hidden channel reaches Gangotri.
On the Tibetan side yogi Milarepa's cave is situated on the Sindhu banks and on Indian side ancient Buddhist monasteries like Hemis,Thikse Gompa,Stok Palace,Alchi Gompa are situated. Buddhist Lamas consider the holy water of Sindhu bestowed with miraculous curing affects and during winter when the water is crystal clear, they preserve it in bottles to be used for medicinal and spiritual purposes.
Sindhu represents the age-old civilisational flow of our nation. It has been a witness to ups and downs and victories and defeats of Sindhu *putras*since the days of Alexander who returned from its banks till the Kargil victory.
It's a unique symbol of friendship between people of three countries India, Pakistan and China (Tibet), enriching all without any discrimination or prejudice. When it reaches the present region of Pakistan, the vastness and the spread becomes unbelievable. Three years before while returning from USA in the Prime Minister's special plane, our pilot captain Patil showed me the great expanse of the river flying over Bahawalpur area in Pakistan. It was like an ocean and seemed a seamless, endless empire of liquid silver as the grey lights of the pre-dawn moments reflected in its water on that Vijayadashmi day. It was mesmerizing experience, unforgettable and rare. Ironically we do not have much literature on Indus River. Though the civilisational aspects of the Indus valley and Harappan era are found in ample.I remembered while searching books on the river Indus in 96-97, in course of preparing for the festival at Leh, I couldn't find a single book that would describe the river's history and geography, until I stumbled upon a fabulously produced book by Imran Khan, famous cricketer turned politician of Pakistan. It's a magnificent saga of Sindhu written with verve and passion by Imran Khan with equally beautiful photographs shot by famed lens man of New York Times Mike Goldwater. When I wrote to Imran detailing about my concept of a festival to celebrate Indus in Ladakh, he gave a very polite and encouraging reply offering all help in this regard.
I have had the good fortune to see Sindhu in India almost in every season and in different moods. The sounds of silence on its banks, the silvery dark placid flow like a grand master of time and space contemplating for the next creation, and in January when Sindhu looks static under a white chador, letting you cross his expanse on foot and even on lorries and Maruti Gypsies, while underneath the magical heavenly flow moves on as silently as the walk of a star in the endless space.
The drive along the Sindhu is the most enchanting and rewarding one, because you never know what surprise is waiting just after the next curve. A divine feast of colours like blue, deep sky blue, gray, off-white and sometimes shining sandy hues mingling with the sand dunes on the banks, sure reminders of the existence of sea millions of years ago in this part of our geography. When the sun walks west, the shades too change to a mellow orange, golden like liquid gold, fiery reddish and dark chocolate, turning finally into a silver gray and inviting black.
The Sindhu saga is as endless and mesmerizing as his eternal flow.
The spirit and the message of Sindhu are simply love and friendship. While it represents India's culture and civilization, it is also a symbol of social harmony and a salute to our brave soldiers. The charm and innocence of te Bddha land-Ladakh, the intermingling of various faiths, the patriotic fervour of the Ladakhi people,chants of O Mani padme Hum... all this is so close yet, not so finely registered in our mids. Many of us still think Sindhu is in Pakistan. How many of us Indians know that this river is just an hour's flight from Delhi , and we need no visa or passport to offer our tributes, how many wish to go to the banks of this great river, that gave us our identity ?
( tarunvijay@vsnl.com)
(Tarun Vijay was the founder convenor of the Indus Festival in Leh,and led Indus Expedition in 2000).
*From our scriptures** *
In the Mahabharat, the Sindhu is reverentially mentioned along with other two holy rivers, the Ganga and Saraswati. References to the Sindhu are also seen in many ancient literary works like those of Kalidasa, Bana, Panini. The fame of the mighty Sindhu had spread even beyond the subcontinent and it found reflections in the literary works of the Greek and Roman empires. It finds mention in some of the earlier literature of India. Kalidasa says in the Raghuvansha that on the advice of his maternal uncle Yudhajat, Rama conferred Sindh on Bharata. Rama's ancestor Raghu's triumphant horses had relaxed on the bank of the Sindhu.
Another great Sanskrit poet, Bhasa, had done a whole play, "Avimark" on the romance of Prince Avimark with Princess Kurangadi of Sindhu-Sauvira.
The Bhavishya Purana says that Shalivahana, the grandson of Maharaja Vikramaditya of Ujjain, established law and order in 'Sindhusthan" and fixed his frontier on the Sindhu.
Anshnath, the eleventh Jain Tirthankar, was a Sindhi. He died in Bengal. The Jaina Dakshinya Chihna (eight century) speaks of Sindhis as "elegant, with a lovely, soft and slow gait. They are fond of songs, music and dance and feel affection for their country".
There is a legend that the great Buddha had graced Sindh with his visit. Finding the climate extreme, and the area dry and dusty, he had permitted the bhikshus to wear shoes here. He had also permitted the use of padded clothing, forbidden elsewhere. Here Sthavirtis, the Prince of Rorik or Roruka (Aror or Alor, near modern Rohri) became his disciple.
When the Buddha went round his native Kapilavastu in a chariot, it was mentioned that the "four auspicious horses, of lotus colour, had come from Sindhudesh".
To this day, historic Buddhist stupas are found in Sindh. The Divyavadana (Tibetan version) reports: "The Buddha is in Rajgriha. At this time, there were two great cities in Jampudvip (north India), Pataliputra and Roruka. When Roruka rises, Pataliputra declines; when Pataliputra rises, Roruka declines". Here was Roruka of Sindh competing with the capital of the Magadha empire. When Bimbisar was the king of the Magadha, he sent Rudrayan, king of Sindhu-Sauvita, a rare portrait of the Buddha. The two powerful ministers of Sindh at the time were Hiroo and Bheru, their names still common amongst the Sindhis!
Chandragupta Maurya first won Sindh and then Punjab. It was from this base that he displaced the Nandas, occupied Pataliputra and established the great Mauryan empire.
Sindh was part of Dasaratha's empire. When Kekayi goes into a sulk, Dasaratha tells her, "The sun does not set on my empire. Sindh, Sauvira, Saurashtra, Anga, vanga, Magadha, Kashi, Koshal -- they are all mine". When Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, Rama sent the vanaras (monkeys) to look for her, among other places, in Sindh with its "remarkable swimming horses".
Kashmir's ancient royal history Rajatirangini has many references to Sindh and the Sindhis. Kuya's son Sindhu rose to lead the elephant brigade of Kashmir. He was advisor to Queen Dida. A top honour was "Sindhu Gaja", Elephant of Sindh. *Indus in India* After flowing eleven miles beyond Leh, Sindhu is joined on the left by its first tributary, the Zanskar, which helps green the Zanskar Valley.Manyinteresting mountain trails beckon the mountaineering enthusiasts to the Zanskar Valley. The Sindhu then flows past Batalik. The mighty Indus when it enters the plains is joined by its famous five tributaries the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej giving Punjab-"Land of five rivers"- its name.
Rafting in the Indus has also become an attractive feature for tourists.

''manav seva madhav seva '' : RSS

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Vijayanagar -Part 12 -THE HAUNTING QUESTIONS

Sidhi Baat with Mohanji RSS Sarsanghchalak on Aaj-Tak [Videos]

Indus Saga

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