Podcasts about sastras

Episode 70 covers the final verses of chapter 15 where Bhagavan stresses the importance of sAstrAs. The episode also includes chapter appreciation, where Consciousness in some of the Indian darsans including vedanta and science are examined. 

Verses 14, 15, and 16, which deal with the restraint and discipline of the body, speech, and mind, are of the greatest importance for all seekers. They should practice the three-fold austerity, and attain perfect purity of body, speech, and mind. Such purity at once leads to self-realization. (Verse 14) The word tapaḥ means “to heat up. The Vedas state: atapta tanurnatadā mośhnute (Rig Veda 9.83.1)[v3] “Without purifying the body through austerity, one cannot reach the final state of yog.” By sincerely practicing austerity, human beings can uplift and transform their lives from the mundane to the divine. Such austerity should be performed without show, with pure intent, in a peaceable manner, and in conformance with the guidance of our scriptures. (Verse 15) The need for practicing the study of the Sastras is emphasized here. Every day some parts or portions of the Bhagavad Gita, Vedas, Upanishads, and the Puranas should be read. By truthfulness and Svadhyaya, speech acquires mysterious power. What is spoken even casually comes out true in actual life. - Send in a Voice Message - https://anchor.fm/spirituallearningpodcast/message

Can one visit temples with a year of death in a family Do not visit Temples for one year after Death in the family. Almost all Hindus refrain from visiting the temples (atleast in South India,especially from Tamil Nadu do) for one year from the date on which the death has occurred or from the date of performance of the Gruhayagna (Gregya) ,the Thirteenth Day ceremony. This is an erroneous interpretation of the Sastras, without an understanding the thirteenth day ceremony,Gruha Yagnya, also called as Subasweekaram. The word ‘Gruhayagnam' means the performance of Yagnas at Home. Householders are not sanctioned to perform the Daily Karmas,Duties, for thirteen days from the date of death in the family. This is an erroneous interpretation of the Sastras, without an understanding the thirteenth day ceremony,Gruha Yagnya, also called as Subasweekaram. The word ‘Gruhayagnam' means the performance of Yagnas at Home. Householders are not sanctioned to perform the Daily Karmas,Duties, for thirteen days from the date of death in the family.This sanction excludes Sandhyavandan. On the thirteenth day. a Purification ceremony is performed at Home( Punyahavachanam)and people are asked to visit temples. If one is purified to perform Yagnas(Gruhayagnas), it is illogical to proscribe a visit tot the Temples. ( one also finds, I see a comedy in this, many people visit temples during this period except those on Hill Tops;if one can visit a temple, why on earth should one not visit a Temple on the Hill tops?) The other term, Subhasweekara means ,literally,'inviting, embracing Auspiciousness'. Once when you invite auspiciousness to visit you, you can visit temples as well. People must remember that the Vedas do not mention visiting temples at all, though Time that we understand the Karmas and act accordingly with out following some one blindly. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ramanispodcast/message

Let us look at the uncleanliness that arises out of death and Birth in detail. As many people from India are settled abroad, leaving their kith and kin including parents(mainly parents, in some case care of Glorified Orphan's Home called Retirement Homes,by settling monthly Bills), here is some information for them . If Soothaka, that is the Uncleanliness out of Birth in the Family or if theRrites are not performed or the period of Uncleanliness remain unobserved, there is nothing to worry.   But if it is Asaucham ,that is because of death, days of Uncleanliness is to be observed for the period equivalent normally prescribed, from the Date of hearing the news of Death it attracts Structure in Sastras. This applies even when a Sraddha, annual ceremony conducted, is due for parents.   Uncleanliness Period for Birth. No period of Uncleanness is to be observed after Ten days. For The Child's Mother. 30 Days if the Child is Male and 40 Days if Female. After this period the Mother has to wear a new Mangalya Sutra,take a Panchakavyand start handling vessels and enter into household duties. Note: During Asaucha period,only  Snanam (Bath) and Sandhyavandhana can be performed. Other duties like Surya namaskaram,Aupaasanam( DailyFire Worship),Brahma Yagnam.Deva Pooja,Dhaana and Prathigraha should be performed after the 13 th Day. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ramanispodcast/message

The period between New Moon and Full Moon in Simha Maasa (approximately in September)for 15 days is named as Mahalaya Paksha. Lunar Calendar of Hindus divides a month with reference to the waxing and waning of the Moon,into two.(for details on Hindu/Indian Calculation of Time' please read my Blog'TIME-Non-Linear Theory,filed in Astrophysics). The waxing period is called Sukla Paksha(Sukla in Sanskrit means White,  here indicates the waxing of the Moon),ending in Full Moon, Pounima, also called Pournamasya. The waning period is called Krishna Paksha( Krishna means Black),culminating in New Moon called Amavasya. Each Paksha has 14 Days ,one Amavasya and one Pournima makes a Month. One is expected to perform the duties due to the Departed daily, that is do Tharppana daily. This applies all Castes, Brahmana,Kshatriya ,Vaisya and Sudra. We have conveniently omitted to follow the Sastras, by saying that the Srardha and Tharppana  are to be performed only by  Brahmins . Sastras declare that there is no atonement for failing to perform the Tharppana and Srardha. Of all the curses, Piru Saapa (curse), along with Sumangali Saapa (curse by women who expired when husbands are alive) are the Deadliest. Those who perform these Karmas will be blessed with Children, Grand Children. Wealth;will be free of chronic diseases,irritating circumstances and inexplicable problems in the family. If the ancestors Bless us( we are here because of them), God follows suit. If parents curse us,(which a parent rarely does) , even God will let us down. https://ramanisblog.in/2011/09/13/mahalaya-amavasyatharpana-explained/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ramanispodcast/message

We in our normal lives, imagine we have no time to think of God,( yet we do have time for TV and Politics); it is much more difficult to think of God when we lie dying when your senses are leaving you and you are in pain.Hindu Sastras declare that one becomes what one thinks of at the time of Death. So the Sastras enjoin one to name their children in the name of God. By calling out to them,though you do not mean it,you call out God and He remembers, for Fire will singe you whether you are aware of it or not. What name is to call out as Death stalks. The One who guides you at and after Death is Lord Vishnu, the protector. He is the Ultimate Ruler of Death in His Name Govinda. Govinda is the name which is very dear to Lord Krishna, an Avatar of Vishnu. The name is to be called out. When and if you can not call this Name. those around you are required to recite the Vishnu Sahasranama or Om NamaSivaya. Yet there is an important ceremony to be performed by the eldest son at the time of Death of his parents. He is to keep the head of the parent at the time of dying on his left thigh and chant this mantra. sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah .sarva-dharman–all varieties of Dharma; parityajya–abandoning;mam–unto Me; ekam–only; saranam–surrender; vraja–go; aham–I;tvam–you; sarva–all; papebhyah–from sinful reactions; moksayisyami–deliver; ma–not; sucah–worry. Abandon all varieties of Religion, Dharma and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction and grant you Salvation. Do not fear. Here Lord Krishna uses the rarely used form of address to speak to Arjuna. That is ‘Ma Sucha' This is a term of endearment by a Father to his son. Krishna does not use this term anywhere to address Arjuna , in the Mahabharata, not did he use this term to anybody in the Puranas, including His children. What are the different Dharmas? At one point Krishna declares in the Bhagavad Gita that it is very difficult to understand the term Dharma or its implications , under different circumstances. Dharma may be loosely translated as  Righteousness; it is much more than this, please read The Gita. The Different types of Dharma. Varna Dharma. Duties prescribed  for your natural disposition. Asrama Dharma, Duties applicable to your station in life, as a Bachelor, Married Man, semi retired from family and totally renounced. Duties are also prescribed for special circumstances. And there are exceptions too! When Krishna says leave all Karmas, He means that one should mentally  renounce the fruits of actions, better still even the performance of Action This is the Karna Mantra. Of all the senses, at the time of Natural death, the ears give out first. So at the early signs of death's approach, this mantra is to recited. www.ramanisblog.in --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ramanispodcast/message

Sukadev spricht über den 35. Vers der Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 4. Kapitel, als Inspiration des Tages. Essenz: Die Vedas und Sastras gibt es so häufig, wie Bücher über das Wissen. Die Sambhavi Mudra ist dagegen so selten, wie die Weisheitschrift eines selbstverwirklichten Yogameisters. Wünsche anderen Wohlwollen, Glück. Übe, praktiziere und habe Güte. Habe die Einstellung […]

While excellent newsletters on specific themes within public policy already exist, this thought letter is about frameworks, mental models, and key ideas that will hopefully help you think about any public policy problem in imaginative ways.Audio narration by Ad-Auris.  India Policy Watch #1: Jabki Dimaag Khaali Hai (While The Mind Is Empty) Insights on burning policy issues in India- RSJThe sound and the fury surrounding all that’s happening in India now is quite maddening. Any kind of meaningful analysis risks drowning in it. In any case, there’s no analysis possible any more in India. There are only positions. We have fallen in love with the culture of intellectual nihilism. All arguments start with a bad faith assumption. And before you end it, you are tagged with toxic monikers and a litany of half-truths in the garb of whatboutery. And they bookend any discussion between two ‘argumentative’ Indians these days. We cannot say we didn’t see it coming. It is easy to cast democracy into a vessel that channels the passions of the majority. You can ride those passions to the levers of power. But it is another thing to govern and meet the aspirations of the demos. The easy way then to cover for failures is to continue fighting some mythical ancient regime or entrenched enemies who are undermining your efforts. This is imagined victimhood. When this becomes a political, social and cultural defence to any challenge, intellectual nihilism follows. Facts don’t matter then. Only faith does.We are in a tight spot today. To come out of it requires leadership, farsighted policymaking capabilities and a consensus on the path to nation building almost at par with the task we had on hands right after independence. This isn’t easy even with the best of intentions and capabilities at your disposal. Instead, I fear we have real constraints in thinking our way clearly through this. Acknowledging The ProblemThe economy wasn’t in a great shape going into the pandemic in April 2020. The twin balance sheet problem and the shock of demonetisation meant a modest 4-5 percent growth was beginning to look the best we could do. The national lockdown and the impact of the first wave has meant we will end up with about an eight percent decline in GDP in FY20-21. The general consensus within the government early this year was India had seen off the pandemic and a V-shaped recovery is well on its way. This second wave has set us back again. So, where does that leave us on the economy? There are a few factors to consider here:Unlike wave 1, this time the impact has been felt more directly by the consuming class. This is evident from conversations with friends and colleagues, social media posts and the case counts. People have been scarred and sentiments have taken a hit. More importantly, people will wait to get vaccinated before lowering their guards. The lessons of complacency seem to have been learnt. The talk of wave 3 and its likely impact on kids have only queered the pitch. Vaccination to about 50 percent of people looks unlikely before the end of 2021. This would mean when the wave 2 subsides, there won’t be a quick bounce back in terms of increased mobility and consumption spends. There will only be a gradual return to any kind of normalcy. Unlike last wave, this wave has impacted the hinterland. The extent of the impact is difficult to ascertain but the ground reporting from rural UP and Bihar has been heartbreaking. Rural supply chains have been disrupted and the expectation that rural economy will hold out like last year are misplaced.Much of the heavy lifting last year to support the economy was done by the RBI through monetary policy. There’s a limit to that and it seems we have reached the end of it. The fiscal room available to the government is quite limited. It is worse than last year. The fiscal deficit is the highest it has been in a long time. Yet, the government will have to come out with some kind of a stimulus soon. People are hurting. But where will the money for stimulus come from? Expect more headline management like the Rs. 20 lac crores Aatmanirbhar Bharat package announced last year.Exports could be a silver lining considering most of the developed world will be back on growth path by next quarter. The challenge is how well are our businesses (especially SMEs) positioned right now to take advantage of it. It is difficult to be an export powerhouse while simultaneously dealing with an unprecedented health crisis impacting the workforce. The consensus growth projections for FY21-22 have already been lowered from 11.5 percent to 9-9.5 percent. My fear is this will slide down to 7-7.5 percent range by the time we have seen through wave 2. Since this wave is unique to India in terms of spread and impact, our economic performance, deficit and the future prospects will be an outlier compared to most of the world in FY22. We will have to keep an eye on the sovereign rating given our circumstances. There’s a danger lurking there. Given these, it is evident we will need to bring together our best minds across government, administration and industry to navigate these waters. But that will require to acknowledge we got things wrong to reach here. This isn’t likely going by precedence. It will also be interesting to see how Indian industry and capital responds to this. Of course, the public stance, like always, will be cheerleading the dispensation. But it is no secret that private capital investment has been stagnant for most of last decade. Indian capital doesn’t put its money where its mouth is. It is far too clever for that. As 4-6 percent growth (if that) becomes the accepted norm for this decade, it is likely that Indian industry and the wealthy will try and conserve what they have instead of taking risks. There are other second order social implications that might arise out of another ‘lost decade’ of tepid growth that Indian capital will be worried about. They might continue to prefer a ‘strong leader’ given these concerns. It is also clear now that any recovery will be K-shaped to begin with. The formal, organised and larger players will consolidate their gains and grow at the expense of the informal and smaller players. This trend has been seen over the past 12 months. The stock market, divorced from the real economy, already knows it and it is reflected in the performance of the benchmark indices that represent 30-50 top companies. This structural shift to an oligopoly in most sectors is evident. This will allow the state to control capital more easily as markets turn less free. In any case, the benefits of aligning to the political dispensation are already evident in the list of richest Asians. So, the industry will be more than willing to be subservient. These aren’t the best of conditions for releasing the animal spirits of enterprise. The Absent Media And OppositionIt isn’t difficult to foresee the challenges outlined here and to set up a policy framework to address it. There are two problems here. First, the centralised nature of governance in the current establishment precludes any acknowledgement of missteps or an honest assessment of the problems on hand. Second, the conventional outlets of holding the government to account, the opposition and the media, are mostly absent. Large sections of mainstream media are owned directly by the industry who would rather cheerlead than ask tough questions. Many in the industry and the media may even be ideologically aligned to the establishment. The opposition is fragmented with regional leaders often holding their own in the assembly elections. But any kind of national mobilisation to politically counter the party in power is not in sight. The PM continues to be popular despite the wave 2 failings. The political genius of the PM has been to dissolve the natural fragments of region, caste, or even, language, that precluded over-centralisation of power in the past. The Lok Sabha elections will continue to be presidential in nature for the foreseeable future. So, any real political opposition will need to contend with this. The other source of opposition, class, has disappeared from Indian politics for long. Students’ unions are politicised along party lines and have no independent line of thinking, trade unions have no teeth and farmers movement is splintered despite the protests we see against farm laws. The near absence of media and opposition has meant policy debates and discussions have suffered. There’s complacency and lack of rigour in policy making as has been evident in the past many years. There is no price to be paid for policy failure. And any failure is quickly papered over with some kind of narrative.The Surrender Of ElitesLastly, let’s turn to the elites. The section that often tends to have a disproportionate share of voice in the polity. The institutional elite have either been co-opted or they have thrown in the towel in the face of an overwhelmingly popular establishment. Universities, courts, bureaucracy, police and what’s referred to as civil society can no longer be counted on to be independent voices that will uphold the tradition of the institutions they serve. This isn’t a first in our history. But, remember, the last time it happened the consequences were terrible. That should, therefore, give us no solace. The other set of elites are those who have provided intellectual scaffolding to this dispensation over the years. Loosely put, this group would identify themselves ideologically as either conservatives or belonging to the right. I have articulated their grouses in earlier editions. It runs the spectrum - the resentment with a liberal constitution that was not rooted in our civilisational values, the anger at the radical act of forgetting our history that the Nehruvian elites thrust upon us in their wisdom, the overbearing state and the failures of leftist economic policies during the 60s-80s that held us back and the deracinated deep state (“Lutyens Delhi”) that apparently controlled the levers of power regardless of who was in power. In the past seven years it should have been clear to them these grouses aren’t easy to set right nor will their elimination lead to any kind of great reawakening in the masses. The intellectual articulation of a political philosophy that’s suited to the modern world while addressing these grouses isn’t clear yet. Instead, what we have on our hands are thuggish attempts at settling imaginary scores and continuing degradation of scientific temper in the hope it will usher in a modern version of our glorious past. If these intellectuals want the supposed UP model of today to be what India of tomorrow should look like, good luck with that ending well. I have been reading the great Hindi essayist, historian and scholar, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi over the past few months. Dwivedi was an intellectual powerhouse who was deeply rooted in the Indic tradition and philosophy. A great Sanskrit linguist who spent a lifetime studying the Sastras and writing beautiful expositions on them, Dwivedi should be more widely read today. His essays, their themes and his arguments, betray no trace of western enlightenment influence. He had a clear-eyed view of the richness of our heritage and its relevance in the modern age. In his anthology, Vichar Aur Vitark (Thoughts And Debates), there’s an essay titled ‘Jabki Dimaag Khaali Hai’ (“While The Mind Is Empty”) published by Sachitra Bharti in 1939, which is often quoted by Pratap Bhanu Mehta to make a specific point about our current obsession with our glorious past and the identity crisis among Hindus. As Mehta writes:This identity is constituted by a paradoxical mixture of sentiments: a sense of lack, Hinduism is not sure what makes it the identity that it is; a sense of injury, the idea that Hindus have been victims of history; a sense of superiority, Hinduism as the highest achievement of spirituality and uniquely tolerant; a sense of weakness, Hindus are unable to respond to those who attack them; a sense of uncertainty, how will this tradition make its transition to modernity without denigrating its own past; and finally, a yearning for belonging, a quest for a community that can do justice to them as Hindus. This psychic baggage can express itself in many ways, sometimes benign and creative, sometimes, malign and close minded. But these burdens cast their unmistakable shadow upon modern Hindu self-reflection, often leading to a discourse on identity that Dwivedi memorably described as one, where the ‘‘heart is full and the mind empty (dil bhara hai aur dimag khali hai).’’ The passions that have been fanned to animate the majority cannot lead to nation building in the absence of intellectual rigour and clear reasoning. The problem is once that genie of passions is out, it is impossible to put it back in the bottle. Its demand will never be sated.I will leave you with an extract from Dwivedi’s essay (my mediocre English translation follows):My translation:But when the mind is empty while the heart is brimming over, there cannot be any possibility of an engaging exposition of the Sastras. Otherwise, there isn't any reason to be anxious about a race whose writ once ran from the shores of River Vaksh in Central Asia to the end of South Asia, the imprint of whose culture transcended the Himalayas and the great oceans and whose mighty fleet once controlled the waters of the eastern seas. It is true that this mighty race is a pale shadow of itself today. The sons of Panini (the great Sanskrit grammarian from Gandhara) sell dry fruits and heeng on streets today while the descendants of Kumarjiva are involved in the basest of trades. Yet, there's a hope that there must be a semblance of that glory still running in the veins of this race. And it will show its true colour some day. But then I wonder. After all, a tree is known by the fruits it bears. The state of disrepair that the Hindu society is in today must trace its cause to that once glorious civilisation of the past. How can that tree be so glorious when its fruits we see all around today are so terrible?There was indeed an age of prosperity for this race. That is true. Those verdant streets of Ujjain, the gurgling sounds of river Shipra and the celestial music of the kinnaras still echo in the Himalayan valleys - these memories remain fresh in our minds. And amidst these riches, our eyes can clearly see the attack of the Huns and the defiant stand of the Aryans, the numerous rise and fall of empires, the thunderous roar of Vikramaditya. The glories of Magadh and Avanti were unparalleled. Its elite could wield the sword and the brush with equal felicity. They could fight fire with fire and let their hair down when they wanted. But things changed. The elite suppressed the masses; they paralysed the polity. The chasm within the society began to open up. The elites immersed themselves in the pleasures of the material world while the masses were tied down to scriptures and their orthodoxy. One took refuge in merriment while the other was often lampooned for their outdated beliefs. And the fissure in the Hindu society widened further. Over the centuries every invader used this to their advantage - Huns, Sakas, Tartars, Muslims and the British. They divided us further and they ruled. Today that Pathan dry fruit seller asked me if that beautiful house belonged to a Muslim or a Christian and could scarcely believe it could be that of a Hindu. And I wondered if the chasm continues widening everyday. But then the Sastras don't bother about such identity issues of the Hindus and I lack the courage to intellectually confront this issue any further. When the mind is empty and the heart full of passion, isn't it enough to have even mentally contended with the existential conundrum of our race.            Matsyanyaaya: A Cautionary Tale on the ‘Israel Model’Big fish eating small fish = Foreign Policy in action— Pranay KotasthaneFull diplomatic ties between India and Israel were established quite late in 1992. Even so, this bilateral relationship has quickly grown into a robust and multi-dimensional partnership over the last three decades. This is a welcome development. Israel’s technological prowess finds many admirers in India. In casual conversations, this admiration often escalates into a desire for emulation — "see how they tackled terrorism, we should learn from it", or "we should also have mandatory military service, like Israel does", or "why can't India kill terrorists in Pakistan the way Israel assassinates Iranian nuclear scientists?" The latest round of Israel-Palestine conflict should, however, force uncritical admirers of the Israel model to update their Bayesian priors. A side note before I begin: what model Israel adopts is its own problem and I have neither the competence nor the inclination to challenge its approach. Every conflict today has its own set of initial conditions and a long and bloody path-dependent history. I am only interested cautioning people who seek to transpose Israel’s strategy to an Indian context. Here are my four strategic insights from the Indian perspective for those in awe of the 'Israel Model'.#1 Force alone cannot end insurgenciesEven an overwhelming superiority in force structure is insufficient for ending insurgencies. The US experience in Afghanistan and the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict both demonstrate that insurgencies are not easy to dislodge. Neither the Iron Dome nor the ‘Mother of all Bombs’ can fully deter an insurgent force from retaliating in the future. Force can, at best, modulate terrorism but it can't end insurgencies. Ending insurgencies also requires co-opting rival elites and making compromises with insurgent factions. More the disproportional use of force, more elusive such dealmaking becomes. #2 Assassinating terrorists can be both ineffective and high-costFed on a diet of Hollywood movies, the assassination programmes of Mossad and Shin Bet are admired by many people in India. Every terrorist attack in India raises one question: if Israel can kill Iranian nuclear scientists, why can’t India kill the likes of Hafiz Saeed? This romanticisation of an extensive assassination programme misses the fact that such operations have often been strategically ineffective. Praveen Swami’s take in MoneyControl on Israel’s assassination programme highlights this point well:“From 1971, when a new Palestinian resistance emerged in the West Bank and Gaza, both targeted assassination and sometimes-indiscriminate civilian killing were deployed on a growing scale. Forty-man covert assassination squads, code-named Rimon, or Pomegranate received target lists from Israel’s internal intelligence service, Shin Bet for execution.The killings formed the backdrop to the rise of terrorism, culminating in the savage massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich in 1972. Mossad responded by unleashing Operation Wrath of God—arguably the best known of all its efforts—which, over the course of twenty years, used covert teams to target their alleged killers across Europe and the Middle-East.Leaving ethics aside, the gains from Israel’s tactics are controversial: Rimon’s killings didn’t deter the outbreak of the First Intifada in 1987; indeed, it could be argued to have radicalised an entire generation. Even leadership-decapitation operations, like the 1988 assassination of Palestine Liberation Organisation second-in-command Khalil al-Wazir, did little to change the course of history. Arguably, Israel’s anti-PLO operations only served to open the way for more dangerous Islamist groups.”Another unintended and yet anticipated consequence of such an approach is the potential of domestic spillover. If a State repeatedly uses assassination against State enemies, how long before it becomes an acceptable method against domestic anti-national ‘enemies’ ?A key cognitive dissonance is at the centre of democratic statecraft — in the amoral world of international relations, the grammar of power applies while in a liberal domestic realm, rule of law explicitly restrains the primacy of power. This delicate balance is tougher to achieve in a State with an extensive assassination programme. A secondary consequence is that conflicting parties become incapable of compromise and dialogue and resort to acts that further aggravate the situation.#3 People matter more than territoryThe Israel-Palestine conflict is a visceral conflict over a piece of land. Such is its history and deep-seated animosity that today, even localised fights over pieces of neighbourhood land have the potential to trigger a full-scale arms exchange. The lesson for India is that the desire for territorial integrity should not override the primary goal of peace and prosperity for all Indians. Take the instance of India’s land border with Bangladesh. In the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement, India gave away more land than it got back from Bangladesh. In a strict sense, India’s territorial integrity was violated. And yet, it was a prudent decision because, among other things, it put an end to the abomination called a third-order enclave — a piece of India within a piece of Bangladesh within a piece of India within Bangladesh. The hitherto uncertainty over the border had led to a denial of basic services to Indians in such enclaves.#4 Excessive use of force is counterproductive in the Information Age Despite its clout, the international narrative has gone against Israel over the past month. International coverage has portrayed Israel as the aggressor. The armed attacks by Israel were broadcasted widely and the bloodied faces of Palestinians led many countries to pressurise Israel for a ceasefire. The key lesson here for India is that information age conflicts will be global by default. In the Industrial Age, state suppression could be covered up; that’s no longer the case in radically networked communities. State use of force against non-combatants is almost certain to receive instant condemnation from other countries. This further calls for prudence in using force.In sum, there’s a lot to be gained for both sides from a stronger India-Israel partnership. But a blindfolded emulation of the Israel Model will do far more harm than good.India Policy Watch #2: Vaccine Inequity Insights on burning policy issues in India- Pranay KotasthaneVaccine inequity — you are going to be hearing a lot of over the next few months. It is a hydra-headed term being used in a variety of contexts — some make sense and others don’t. Let’s explore all its facets.#1 Vaccine inequity in the international relations contextCanada, UK, EU and other rich countries are hoarding vaccines for its citizens. Citing inequity, repeated calls have been made by concerned citizens, groups, and WHO for releasing these hoarded doses.However, equity is orthogonal to the amoral world of international relations. Equity presupposes morality but when the international relations operates on the principle of matsysnaaya, every country is on its own. Calls for vaccine equity then may well make some countries donate a few token doses from their hoarded stock to ward off future criticism but it is unlikely to cause a significant shift in national stances. Instead of asking for vaccine equity, appealing to national interest will work better. At present, India is perhaps not in a position to cause pain to a state that doesn’t offload its excess supply. But it can definitely promise to deliver benefits to countries that do. A lowering of tariffs on some goods or conceding on a less-important point in a trade negotiation in exchange of vaccine donations, has higher chances of securing vaccines from abroad.#2 Inter-state vaccine inequityState-wise allocations have also come under fire on the grounds of vaccine inequity. This is not surprising. Neither is it solvable to everyone’s satisfaction. The paradox of distribution, in Deborah Stone’s words, is that “equality often means inequality, and equal treatment often means unequal treatment. The same distribution may look equal or unequal, depending on where you focus.” Till there’s supply scarcity, equalising distribution across states is impossible. Regardless of the formula used, it will be contested on the ground of being unequal by states that don’t fare well on a particular formula. In such a case, the goal should be distribute fairly and not equally. In the current circumstances, the fairest way out is to transparently declare a formula for distribution of vaccines from the union government quota and simultaneously allow states to procure additional doses on their own. #3 Digitally inflicted vaccine inequityGetting a vaccine appointment requires you to have a phone, an internet connection, and the ability to read English, and that this is unfair to people who have access to none of them. This is the vaccine equity dimension I sympathise with most. The CEO of the National Health Authority dismissed these concerns in an Indian Express article thus:“Imagine the chaos if online appointments had not been compulsory. Vaccination centres would have been swamped by people, creating not only law-and-order issues but also risk of infections. Invoking the digital divide, as the authors do, is premature and misplaced, for the vaccination drive is evolving as it unfolds, and data is the torchlight for correcting the anomalies.”“CoWin provides for on-site registration of people without access to the internet, smartphones or even a feature phone. Out of the 18.22 crore doses administered as on May 16, only 43 per cent have been administered through online appointments, the rest availed of on-site registration. Self-registration is just one component of CoWin. On-the-spot registration, walk-ins, registration of four citizens on one mobile number and use of common service centres for assisted registration underline the inclusive nature of CoWin.”Of course, what he hasn’t mentioned is that walk-in registration and appointment is not available for 18-44 age group. It would be fair if a predetermined percentage of vaccine slots are opened up for walk-in registrations. Even cinema halls allows on-spot movie ticket bookings in addition to the online-booked ones; surely our COVID-19 vaccination drive can accommodate for this requirement. Further, some centres can be dedicated for walk-in registrations. As the supply constraint eases, this problem should become less serious.#4 Income inflicted vaccine inequityThe argument here is that since the rich, formally employed citizens can get themselves vaccinated through their employers, the employers must in turn vaccinate low-income earners for equity reasons. This is a flawed argument. A government-run channel providing free vaccines is a better alternative. Mandating the private sector to cover up whenever the government fails is morally repugnant. It is precisely the kind of thinking that has allowed us to give our omni-absent state a free pass.A reminder to end this section. Given that vaccines have positive externalities, the primary goal of the vaccination drive should be to give jabs to as many people as soon as possible. Doing so in a fair and transparent way is the best that can be done for equity. To prioritise equity over speed would be counterproductive. The option is to choose between two suboptimal outcomes. After all, confronting trade-offs is the what separates better policymaking from the worse one.HomeWorkReading and listening recommendations on public policy matters[Audio] Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lectures series, 1969: Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi on Guru Nanak: Personality, Concerns and Objective. Wonderful speech combining history and philosophy. [Article] An excerpt from a promising new book on ending counterinsurgencies. Get on the email list at publicpolicy.substack.com

Two students who were in the gurukulam learning vedas and Sastras. Oneday their guru ( teacher) sent one student to forest and another student to a town and assigned them some works. How these students tackled the issues is the story. A Student must be disciplined, sincere , loyal to his Guru. He must have zeal, humbleness, right attitude to perform the dities.

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Notations -> http://www.shivkumar.org/music/#e Enduku Peddala Ragam: Shankarabharanam (29th melakartha ragam) ARO: S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S || AVA: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S || Talam: Adi (2 kalai) Composer: Tyagaraja Version: Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzeK_clAWyw ) Youtube Class / Lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdHeyI449yI MP3 Class / Lesson: http://www.shivkumar.org/music/endukupeddala-class.mp3 Pallavi: enduku peddala vale buddhi iyyavu endu pOdun(a)yya rAmayya Anupallavi andari vale dATi dATi vadariti anda rAni paND(A)ye kadarA (endu) caraNam vEda SAstra tatv(A)rthamulu telisi bhEda rahita vEdAntamulu telisi nAda vidya marmambulanu telisi nAtha tyAgarAja nuta nijamuga (endu) Meaning: Courtesy: https://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.com/2008/03/thyagaraja-kriti-enduku-peddala-raga.html O Lord (ayya)! Why (enduku) wouldn't You bestow (iyyavu) (literally give) on me the same kind of wisdom (buddhi) as that of (vale) great people (peddala) (literally elders)? O Lord (ayya) rAma (rAmayya)! Where else (endu) could I go (pOdunu) (pOdunayya)? Like (vale) all others (andari), I too have been prattling (vadariti), jumping here and there (dATi dATi); isn't it (kadarA) that it (wisdom) has become (Aye) like an unreachable (anda rAni) fruit (paNDu) (paNDAye)? O Lord! Why wouldn't You bestow on me the same kind of wisdom as that of great people? O Lord rAma! Where else could I go? Even after knowing (telisi) the true philosophical (tatva) meanings (arthamulu) (tatvArthamulu) of vEdas and SAstras, knowing (telisi) the undifferentiated (bhEda rahita) vEdAnta (vEdAntamulu), and knowing (telisi) the secrets (marmambulanu) of science (vidya) of nAda (nAdOpAsana), O Lord (nAtha) praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! why wouldn't You bestow on me the same kind of wisdom truly (nijamuga) like that of great people? O Lord rAma! Where else could I go?

Notations -> http://www.shivkumar.org/music/#e Evarimaata Ragam – Khamboji ARO: S R2 G3 M1 P D2 S || AVA: S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S N3 P D2 S || Talam: Adi (2 kalai) Composer: Tyagaraja Version: T. Rukmini Lyrics Courtesy: Lakshman Ragde Meanings Courtesy: Tyagaraja Vaibhavam (http://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.in/2007/12/thyagaraja-kriti-evari-maata-raga.html ) Pallavi: evarimATa vinnAvO rAvO indu lEvO bhaLi bhaLi Anupallavi: avanilO nArsEya paurusEya mandi cOdya meruga lEnayya Charanam: bhakta parAdhInuDanucu parama bhAgavatula vyakta rUpuDai palikina muccaTayuktamanuchu uNTi shakti gala mahAdEvuDu nIvani santOSamuna nuNTi satta cittuDagu tyAgarAjanuta satya sandhuDanukoNTi nilalO Meanings Courtesy: Tyagaraja Vaibhavam (http://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.in/2007/12/thyagaraja-kriti-evari-maata-raga.html ) P: O Lord! I don't know whose (evari) words (mATa) You listened to (vinnAvO). Won't You come (rAvO)? Or ain't You (lEvO) here (indu)? Well Done (bhaLi bhaLi)! A: O Lord (ayya)! In this World (avanilO), having attained (andi) knowledge of vEdas (ArshEya) (literally derived from Rshis) (avanilOnArshEya) and SAstras etc (paurushEyamu) (paurushEyamandi), I did not (lEnu) (lEnayya) learn (eruga) scepticism (cOdyamu) (literally questioning) (cOdyameruga); I don't know whose words You listened to. Won't You come? Or ain't You here? Well Done! C: I assumed (uNTi) that (anucunu) the message (muccaTa) (literally news) manifestly (vyakta rUpuDai) (literally becoming perceptible) conveyed (palikina) to me by SrI nArada – Your supreme (parama) devotee (bhAgavatula) that (anucu) You are entirely engaged in looking after (parAdhInuDu) (parAdhinuDanucu) (the welfare of) Your devotees (bhakta), to be correct (yuktamu) (literally proper) (yuktamanucunuNTi); I remained (uNTi) happy (santOshamunanu) (santOshamunanuNTi) that (ani) You (nIvu) (nIvani) are the powerful (Sakti gala) mighty Lord (mahA-dEvuDu); I assumed (anukoNTini) You are true (satta) willed (cittuDagu) who is true to His word (satya sandhuDu); O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! I don't know whose words You listened to in this World (ilalO) (sandhuDanukoNTinilalO). Won't You come? Or ain't You here? Well Done!

Notations -> http://www.shivkumar.org/music/#d Dharma Samvarddhani Ragam: Madhyamavati (22nd Mela Janyam) ARO: S R2 M1 P N2 S || AVA: S N2 P M1 R2 S || Talam: Rupakam Composer: Dikshitar Version: Hyderabad Brothers Lyrics/Meaning Transcription: Smt. Geetha Kalyanaraman and Smt. Sharanya Shivkumar Pallavi: Dharma Samvarddhani Danuja Sam Marddani Dharaadhara-atmaje Aje Dayayaa Maam Paahi Paahi Anupallavi: Nirmala Hrudaya Nivaasini Nityaananda Vilaasini Karma Jnaana Vidhaayini Kaankshitaarttha Pradaayini Charanams: Madhava Sodari Sundari Madhyamaavati Shankari Maadhurya Vaagvijrumbhini Mahaadeva Kutumbini Saadhujana Chittaranjani Shashvata Guruguha Janani Bodharupini Niranjani Bhuvanesa Durita Bhanjani Paadaja Vishva Vilaasini Panchanadi Sollasini Veda Sastra Vishvaasini Vidhi Hari Haya Prakaashini Meaning: (FROM T.K. Govinda Rao's book) DHARMASAMVARDHANI! Who stimulates righteousness, who destroyed ("sammarddani") the demons ("danuja") daughter ("-atmaje") of the HIMAVAN;("dharadhara "). You are unborn ("aje") protect me ("pahi pahi") out of your compassion ("dayaya"). Who inhabits ("nivasini") in the heart ("hrudaya") of the pure ("nirmala") and delights ("vilasini") in eternal bliss ("nitya-ananda"). Who ordains ("vidhaayini") both KARMA and JNANA and grants ("pradayini") whatever is desired ("kankshita-artha"). Sister ("sodari") of MADHAVA! Beauty incarnate ("sundari")! Oh SANKARI! Extolled by the RAGA MADHYAMAVATI! One who has mellifluous voice;("madhurya vaag-vijrumbhini"). Who is the spouse ("kutumbini") of MAHADEVA. One who delights the hearts ("citta-ranjani") of pious people.("sadhujana") Mother of ("janani") eternal ("sasvata") GURUGUHA. She is of the nature of enlightment;("bodharupini") is blemishless;("niranjani"). Sovereign of the world,("bhuvanesa") destroys all miseries;("durita-banjani". She manifests Herself as the universe("visva-vilasini"). by Her feet ("padaja"). She enchants Lord PANCANADISA;("pancanadi-sollasini"). She is the essence ("visvasini") of VEDAs and SASTRAs. Who illumines ("prakasini") BRAHMA,("vidhi") VISHNU("hari") and PARAMASIVA.("haya")

Notations -> http://www.shivkumar.org/music/#n nAda sudhA rasamb(i)lanu Ragam: Arabhi { 29th Melakartha Shankarabharanam Janyam} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabhi ARO: S R2 M1 P D2 Ṡ || AVA: Ṡ N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S || Talam: Rupakam Composer: Tyagaraja Version: Peri Sriramamurthy Lyrics & Meanings Courtesy: Tyagaraja Vaibhavam http://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.com/2008/04/thyagaraja-kriti-nada-sudha-rasam-raga.html Youtube Class / Lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w93K6wbffvQ MP3 Class / Lesson: http://www.shivkumar.org/music/nadasudharasa-class.mp3 Pallavi: nAda sudhA rasamb(i)lanu nar(A)kRti(y)AyE manasA Anupallavi vEda purAN(A)gama SAstr(A)dulak(A)dhAramau (nAda) CharaNam svaramul(A)runn(o)kaTi ghaNTalu vara rAgamu kOdaNDamu dura naya dESyamu tri guNamu nirata gati SaramurA sarasa sangati sandarbhamu gala giramulurA dhara bhajana bhAgyamurA tyAgarAju sEvincu (nAda) Meaning Courtesy: Thyagaraja Vaibhavam: http://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.com/2008/04/thyagaraja-kriti-nada-sudha-rasam-raga.html P: O My Mind (manasA)! The nectarine (sudhA) juice (rasambu) called nAda has assumed (AyE) (literally become) a human (nara) form (AkRti) (narAkRtiyAyE) here (ilanu) (rasambilanu) (literally Earth) (as SrI rAma). A: O My Mind! The nectarine juice called nAda which is the prop (AdhAramau) of vEdas, epics (purANa), Agamas and SAstras etc. (Adulaku) (SastrAdulakAdhAramau), has assumed a human form here (as SrI rAma). P: Seven (Arunnu okaTi) (literally six plus one) svaras (svaramulu) (svaramulArunnokaTi) are the bells (of the bow kOdaNDa); sacred (vara) rAga (rAgamu) is the bow kOdaNDa (kOdaNDamu); dura naya and dESya (dESyamu) are the three (tri) strands of the bow string (guNamu); steady (nirata) pace (tempo) (gati) is (are) the arrow(s) (Saramu) (SaramurA); sweet (sarasa) thematic variations (sangati) are the words (giramulu) (spoken by the Lord) (giramulurA) appropriate to the occasion (sandarbhamu gala); chanting the names (bhajana) of the Lord (dhara) (literally one who wields – kOdaNDa) is a fortune (bhAgyamurA); O My Mind! The nectarine juice called nAda worshipped (sEvincu) by this tyAgarAja (tyAgarAju), has assumed a human form here (as SrI rAma).

Un nuevo Tardeo Especial Yo Me Quedo en Casa y con una muy buena noticia: vuelve la sección Lo de la música con las novedades musicales de Sergi Cuxart. Además Andrea Gumes conversa con Yemi Alaran, detrás del podcast Voodoo Club Radio y la fiesta de reivindicación de la cultura africana Voodoo Club. Hablaremos de los últimos acontecimientos relacionados con Black Lives Matter, de cómo luchar contra el racismo y la mentalidad colonial y si es posible una nueva era post-Covid19. También hablaremos con al equipo de diseño y vestuario del programa de Operación Triunfo. Son Verónica Febrero, Alexa Barrios, Natalia Castillo, y Cajón The Sastras, que son Blanca Oliva y Rosa Reverte. Les preguntamos sobre vestuario escénico, cómo es su día a día en la academia de OT y cómo han ayudado a definir la personalidad de los concursantes de esta edición de Operación Triunfo 2020 a través de la ropa.

Brihad Bhagavatamrta by Sanatana Gosvami --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dhruva-maharaja-dasa/support

Nrsimha Kavacha Das is the ISKCON Deity worship Minister and ensures the wonderful worship across hundreds of Hare Krishna temple around the world, are carried out as per the instructions of Srila Prabhupada (Founder - Acharya of ISKCON) and Sastras (ancient texts). In this interview, he shares his memories of the old days, qualities that devotees must aim to build into their practice and also a bit about Mayapur Academy. This interview was done on 15th January 2019 at ISKCON Sydney temple and the interviewer is Krishna Kumar. It was before we met Tilak :) You can see the video interview on our YouTube channel.

SICON02-B-26-Sastra of Science and Science of Sastras - Madhu & Sudarshan Therani Sicon02-b-26-sastraOfScienceAndScienceOfSastras-MadhuSudarshanTherani.mp3

2016-07-06 SI-CON - Critique of Sheldon Pollock’s views on Shastras Paper by Surya K. 2016-07-009-Is-all-knowledge-of-practice-contained-in-Sastras-A-critique-of-Pollocks-Position-SuryaK.mp3

2016-07-06 SI-CON - Critique of Sheldon Pollock’s views on Shastras Remarks by Prof. V. N. Jha on this paper 2016-07-010-Is-all-knowledge-of-practice-contained-in-Sastras-A-critique-of-Pollocks-Position-Prof-VNJha.mp3

2016-07-06 SI-CON - Critique of Sheldon Pollock’s views on Shastras Paper by Rajath V. 2016-07-011-Critique-of-Pollocks-position-on-the-science-of-Sastras-2-Paper-Presentations-RajathV.mp3

2016-07-06 SI-CON - Critique of Sheldon Pollock’s views on Shastras Paper by Sudarshan Therani 2016-07-012-Critique-of-Pollocks-position-on-the-science-of-Sastras-2-Paper-Presentations-SudharshanT.mp3

Sukadev spricht über den 35. Vers der Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 4. Kapitel, als Inspiration des Tages. Essenz: Die Vedas und Sastras gibt es so häufig, wie Bücher über das Wissen. Die Sambhavi Mudra ist dagegen so selten, wie die Weisheitschrift eines selbstverwirklichten Yogameisters. Wünsche anderen Wohlwollen, Glück. Übe, praktiziere und habe Güte. Habe die Einstellung […]

Erfahrung ist wertvoller als Theorie - HYP.IV.35. Die Vedas und Sastras gibt es so häufig, wie Bücher über das Wissen. Die Sambhavi Mudra ist dagegen so selten, wie die Weisheitschrift eines selbstverwirklichten Yogameisters. Wünsche anderen Wohlwollen, Glück. Übe, praktiziere und habe Güte. Habe die Einstellung von Güte und Gutes zu bewirken. Von Herzen die anderen zu spüren, und mit allen zurecht zu kommen. Dies führt zur Erfahrung von Einheit (Shambhavi). Lesung und Kommentar von Sukadev Bretz, Gründer und Leiter von Yoga Vidya. http://www.yoga-vidya.de