Suppose a third world war happened and only two books based on ancient Indian texts survived. One is Devdutt Patnaik's version of Ramayana and another is Rupa Pai's version of Bhagavad Gita. As usual the few surviving copies of these books will be ignored by surviving Indians till these fall into the hands of a … Continue reading Finding out and fixing their dates of composition
Eesha Upanishad
To indicate its proper pronunciation it is written as īśā. Most commonly it is written simply as Isha. Except for the title I will also stick to Isha so that my post is not left out of SEO benefits. But, since in Devanagari it is written as ईशा it should be written in Roman alphabets as … Continue reading Eesha Upanishad
Dayabhaga – the earliest legal attempt at women empowerment
Since the dawn of civilization, particularly after human society became agrarian, dispute over property has been a primary source of concern for the society. Needless to say that the whole Mahabharata war was because the Kauravas would not concede the ownership rights of even five villages to the Pandavas. The issue of inheritance was addressed … Continue reading Dayabhaga – the earliest legal attempt at women empowerment
Charaka Samhita – a treatise on holistic health
image source: creative commons license Dharmarthakamamokshanamarogyam mulamuttamam (Charaka Samhita 1:15) Health is the basis of four goals of human life - Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha If grammar books and lexicons can be written in verses so that memorising will be easy, so can be a text on medical science. More so in the case … Continue reading Charaka Samhita – a treatise on holistic health
Bhajagovindam – a wake up call for everyone
Bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam Govindam bhaja mudhamate. Samprapte sannihitekale Nahin nahin rakshati tukkkun-karane. Oh Foolish Mind, sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine. The memorization of grammar will not save you from impending death. In Sivasutras it is said, “VITARKA ATMAGNANAM”. One has to … Continue reading Bhajagovindam – a wake up call for everyone
Amarakosha – a thesaurus in verses
स्य ज्ञानदयासिंधोरगाधस्यानघा गुणाः सेव्यतामक्षयो धीराः स श्रिये चामृताय च O wise ones! Serve those who are oceans of knowledge and compassion and are pure so as to get the nectar of real wealth and eternal life. It was customary for every ancient India text to start with a mangalacharnam - a verse or a short … Continue reading Amarakosha – a thesaurus in verses
Essays on Hinduism by Karan Singh
It is not a book review. I am not going to write about the pros and cons of the book. I loved the book and will give a summary of the book along with the salient features that stuck me. I read this book over a couple of days in a hospital waiting room. … Continue reading Essays on Hinduism by Karan Singh
Theme Reveal: Blogchatter A to Z Challenge 2021
Dear Reader, For the second year in a row I am participating in the Blogchatter AtoZ challenge. Last year my theme was 'My Village My Country' where in I showcased the history and culture of India with specific focus on fields and places close to my heart. Later on it was made into a book … Continue reading Theme Reveal: Blogchatter A to Z Challenge 2021
of poets and forests
Today is International Forest Day. I also learn that today is Poetry Day. In our Indian tradition poetry and forests share a very deep and ancient connection. Upanishads contain the essence of Indian philosophy. These are perhaps also some of the most ancient forms of organised poetry and these were written by the rishis dwelling … Continue reading of poets and forests
near or far the threat is real
Why should I be holding this paper in this digital age? If I am old fashioned, paper means a lot. In spite of all the legislation for granting legal authority to digital documents, the old fashioned would believe in a printed and ink signed document than a document originating from a verified ISP that is … Continue reading near or far the threat is real
PEBBLES AND WAVES 