1. A few years back I had taken a vow I would not visit #Ayodhya until there is a grand temple housing Ram Lalla. For me to step into Ayodhya which did not give Ram Lalla His rightful place was a painful reminder of collective failure of Hindu civilization. #AyodhyaBhoomipoojan
2. Some time ago, I had written that the only reason Hindus have been unable to build a temple in Ayodhya was that Hindus have removed Bhagavan Rama from their hearts. #Ayodhya#AyodhyaBhoomipoojan
3. On the eve of #AyodhyaBhoomipoojan in #Ayodhya, I am very happy that I will be able to visit Ayodhya and have Darshan of Bhagavan Rama in this life itself. This is a historic moment for Hindu civilizational in its struggle reclaim its civilizational space and the lost glory.
4. However, let us not forget, this is only the first step. The fight to reclaim Hindu civilizational space will be completed only when we reclaim in their entirety, all the Hindu sacred geographies from the infringement of Abrahamic establishments. #AyodhyaBhoomipoojan#Ayodhya
5. Here is an article I had written on why such reclamation of #Hindu sacred geographies in entirety and not just one or two temples here and there is extremely important for Hindu civilization and practice- cisindus.org/2020/08/04/ayo… #Ayodhya#AyodhyaBhoomipoojan
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1. In Manusmriti chapter 9, there is discussion about what the texts call Mahapatakas- great crimes that brings upon great Paapam (karmic demerit) to the performer and causes injury to society. These include murder, stealing, adultery, etc.
2. In this context Manu says that the perpetrators if they refuse to perform expiation, they must be banished after confiscating all their property.
In this context, the text adds following verses:
3. King shall not appropriate property of man guilty of heinous crime; if, through greed he takes it, he becomes tainted with that guilt—9.243
He shall deposit such property in water & offer it to Varuṇa or bestow it on a Brāhmaṇa endowed with Vedic learning and character—9.244
Equality & Egalitarianism in all dimensions of socio-cultural life as ultimate ideal to strive for is particularly an idea of modernity that has its origins in the West. You don't find such ideas in ancient civilizations, especially in Hindu civilization .
2. This egalitarianism is different from Vedantic notion of oneness/nonduality which is a recognition of oneness (& not equality) of every jivatma as the ultimate reality all the while also accepting diversity and differences at worldly (Vyavahara) level.
3. In the Vedantic vision of Brahman, there is no effort to erase diversity here at Vyavahara level, only working through them.
My previous thread of #Manusmriti generated some interesting questions/observations. Here I list some with my response to it. 1/n
Q1. Authentic version of Manusmriti is not available. What is available is interpolated by British.
A. This is not true. There is a native tradition of 1200 of commentarial tradition with as many as 9 commentaries on Manusmriti.+ 2/n
+ Manusmriti is also widely quoted by different Dharmashastra authors and important Acharyas (such as Kumarila Bhatta,Shankaracharya etc.) through out last 1500+ years. Quotations and parallels with Manusmriti are found in Mahabharata as well. We even have a Critical Edition+ 3/n
a. The verse conceptualization of 'Dharmic Modernity' is misnomer. Dharma is that which perpetual, but also eternal. It emphasis continuity. Modernity by conception is a complete breakaway from the past. 1/n
b. Even by keeping aside the conceptual issues associated with the phrase Dharmic Modernity, there is nothing really 'Dharmic' about the category 'Dharmic Modernists', many of whom are atheists or agnostics, have zero shraddha to Devata or Shastra, and often reject + 2/n
+reject Hindu epistemology and ontology and instead uncritically subscribe to enlightenment values. They are at best a nominal Hindus & at worst are inimical to Hindu traditions whose political ideology & commitment to party trumps any apparent affinity to Hindu Dharma. 3/n
1. One of the biggest threat to Hindu practices in contemporary times is the so called 'Scientific Temper' which by its very definition and its ideological underpinnings is deeply problematic.
2. There is a big fad among contemporary Hindu society to tout Hinduism as being Scientific and this they believe is what differentiates Hindu dharma from Abrahamics.
Of course, it goes without saying this is a gullible position & will only end in dismantling of Hindu practice.
3. It is true that there are elements of Science in some branches of Hinduism. It is also true that Hindu philosophy is not anti-physical science.
1. It gladdens my heart to know that 1947 was not merely a secular transition of power, but it had a ritualistic element in the form of #Sengol or Dharma-Danda given to the new head of Indian State accompanied by ritualistic performances.
2. For me this ritual establishment of Dharma-Danda (#Sengol) is more important than the establishment of independent, but secular state. However, the subsequent sidelining of it by putting in some museum under the heading of 'Golden Stick' though unfortunate is not surprising.
3. Indian State has been inimical to Hindu interests since independence, so sidelining of #Sengol is not surprising. However, I feel its re-establishment in the new parliamentary building is a good nimitta (indication) that may be there could be change of winds in coming decades.