Q Mama, is there a Hindu calendar. Tell me something about it ?

A Yes Pooja there is a Hindu calendar. The names of months most prevalent in the North are Chaitra - first month ( 3.3.to 30.3.99), Vaishak, Jyesth, Jyesth,
Aashad, Sravan ( 29.7.to 26.8), Bhadrapath, Ashwin, Kartik, Margshirish, Paush, Magh, Phalgun ( 20.2. to 21.3.2000).
In Gujarat, the new year starts at Diwali time. The months are Maksar ( 20.11. to 18.12.98), Posh, Maha, Phagan, Chaitra, Vaishak, Jeth, Bijo Jeth, Ashad,
Sravan ( 12.8. to 9.9), Bhadarwoh, Aaso ( 10.10 to 8.11.99). Since the Gujaratis are mostly a trading community, they close their books at Diwali and start the
new year from then.
In Tamil Nadu the months are Chithirai ( 14.4 14.5.99), Vaikash, Ani, Adi, Avani ( 18.8. to 17.9.99 is holy month), Pureattasi, Iyappasi, Karthikgai, Margazhi,
Thai, Masi, Panguni ( 14.3 12.4.2000). In Maharashtra, the new year is called Gudi Padwa, the first day starting on 18.3.99.

A closer perusal of the above indicates that the names of months in various parts of the country are quite similar. The end of the harvest season is celebrated as
Baisakhi in Punjab and is called Poilaboishak in Bengal. In Tamil Nadu, Pongal is celebrated as a three day festival at the time of the rice harvest.

Q Mama, why do we see a large number of people visiting temples in August - September.

A Sweety, they do so because it is the holy month of Sravan. The month of August is a beautiful month. Monsoon changes the entire landscape, and so also the
mindset of the people. The farmers are free and the scorching heat has disappeared. The advent of the month of sravana invokes joy & playfulness, the koel
singing on mango trees, children enjoying the swings, the otherwise inaccessible mahatmas becoming accessible and exuding the elixir of timeless eternal truths
during their Chaturmasa, the Shiv bhaktas dedicate the month for some special worship of Lord Shiva, and the Joyous Janmashtami - the birthday of the smiling,
dancing blue-boy of Vrindavan is also round the corner. The month also has the festival of Rakhi, sisters tying the thread on the wrists of their brothers to express
their love & wishes. It signifies the onset of the festival season. Good monsoons mean good crops. The farmers thanked God for the rains and pray that it rains
well next year too.

Q I was at the traffic signal and saw this boy tying limbo and mirchi to the car - Why ?
A This has nothing to do with any religious injunction, and is more of a practice started at a later date to ward off any possible evil. More of a Tantric practice.

Q Mom, after Dr Ambedkar became a member of the Buddhists sect, it has become popular today. But tell me why did Buddhism vanish from India ?

A Pooja, you are jumping topics na. Buddhism was exterminated from India for two reasons. The Muslim invaders destroyed Buddhists monasteries, killing the
monks, leaving none to preach Buddha’s teachings. Having been embraced by people who no longer lived by the teachings of the Buddha, Buddhism showed
signs of decay around the 8th century a.d. In such an environment Sankaracharya cleansed Hinduism of its ills, assimilated Buddhism’s good points, on the strength
of his arguments unified various Hindu sects and convinced Buddhist scholars about the supremacy of Hindu philosophy.

Q Which trees are sacred and why ?

A The Tulsi is the most sacred. In Sanskrit that which is incomparable is called Tulasi. Impressed by her devotion and adherence to righteousness, Tulasi the wife
of a celestial being was blessed by Lord Krishna that she would be worshipped by all, offerings would be incomplete without the offering of Tulasi. She also
symbolises Goddess Lakshmi. Those who wish a righteous life also worship Tulasi. It symbolises, 1)Kalyani - Normally poisonous snakes and mosquitos do not
come close to it due to some smell that it emits. That explains why it is a must in every house. The leaves as well roots are a cure for several diseases like malaria,
cold, fever. The wood of this plant is used for Mala, ie a rosary for worship of Lord Vishnu and when worn in the neck it prevents diseases of the throat. 2) Visnu
Priye - T has been described as the beloved of Lord Vishnu since he is the creator and T helps the health of human beings and animals, prevents soil erosion.3)
Moksa - prade - By keeping the body healthy, it keeps the mind healthy and free of worries enabling us to concentrate on worship of the Ultimate Reality in
comfort.

Pipal tree is sacred believing that Brahma resides in its trunk. The Neem tree on the other hand is worshipped because of its infinite medicinal values. The Bel
tree is associated with the worship of Lord Shiva.

Q Before we move on tell me something about the World Religions ?

A There were three original religions. Judaism, Sanathan Dharm( including Dravidian civilization), Taoism started by Moses, Rishis, Lao-Tse respectively.
From Judaism came Christianity, protestants and catholics, Islam, sunni, shia, wahhabi, madhi, shia, bahai, amasdhi. >From Hinduism came saivism,
vaishnavism, saktism - worship of mother goddess, buddhism, jainism, sikhism. Taoism + Confucianism + Buddhists influences gave Shintoism. Buddhism as
preached by Emperor Ashoks got split into Hinayana and Mahayana buddhism. Mahayana got split into Zen buddhism of Japan and Vajtayana buddhism of Tibet.

Q Mama you just talked about Sanathan Dharm being the original Indian religion, then what is Hinduism ?

A There was no such religion as Hinduism till the Muslim invasion. It was called Sanathan Dharam. Hindu is a modified version of Sindhu, was a term to indicate
the region right of the Sindhu river ( modern day Indus ) and then the whole of India. The Iranians substituted H for S making it Hindu. When the Muslims
came in, there became two sets of people, one the Muslims and two the Hindus and so came the word Hinduism. The Greeks and Romans dropped the initial "h"
and obtained various forms like Indoi from which is derived the modern European form India. Some people today tend to justify the Muslim/Chrisitan invasions
by saying that the India has always been invaded by the Huns, Shakas etc so whats different. What they are forgetting that unlike the subsequent invaders who
became Muslims, Christians the Huns,Sakas got assimilated into Sanathan Dharm, Indian culture eg Sardar Patel's ancestors were possibly linked to the Huns who
swept from the northwest in the sixth century or to the Gujars of Punjab or to both.

Some attempts have been made to say that Muslims are sons of the soil. An analogy has been drawn between the Saxon and Norman invasions of England and
the Turkish invasion of India to prove that since the invaders became the sons of the soil they can hardly been classifies as foreigners. This argument is erroneous
since after a century or two nobody could distinguish a Saxon from a Norman while it is possible to distinguish a Hindu from a Muslim to this day.

Q Ma, whenever I talk to you about sex you get distinctly uncomfortable but I have also seen the photographs of Khajuraho temple where sex has
been depicted in a open way. If we had such an open attitude towards sex why this discomfort on your part ?

A That's a good question Pooja. Its taken me a long time to find an answer to this paradox. Indians had a healthy attitude towards sex till about the beginning of
this millennium. Unlike the Christian attitude towards sex, the Hindu attitude had been more open & balanced. Sex was basically associated with the act of
procreation ie having children. As far as the seeking of ultimate joy was concerned it was always associated with the realization of the Self. Women always got an
equal position with men in the Hindu thought & system. Our value system does value respect towards our elders, and covering the head (which is not exactly
purdah) was a part of our culture to express our respect towards our elders.

In the olden days temples were modern day community centers where the parents took their children every evening. As the parents approached the main temple,
the bells, chants were started. At that time the children walked around the temple observing the exotic sculptures. While they were ignorant about their significance
earlier, as they grew up the devotional ecstasy and the sensual presentation synchronized due to constant association of the two ideas. Later when they got
married, the procreative function was automatically treated with spiritual beauty and serenity. It was Sex education at a very early stage in life, not like what we are
taught today.

Prior to the 18th century European society was very conservative. In Europe, in 18th or earlier centuries sex was taboo....even church architecture or
pictures always showed distance between man and woman....Women dressed covering whole body ....even to show legs was not permitted ....even
the heads were covered ....woman were subservient to man who did what they were asked to. Its only recently that we hear of free sex.

The Muslim invaders brought their orthodox views. Strict veiling of women was a common practice among the Muslims. Hindus adopted Purdah as a protective
measure to save the honor of their womenfolk and to maintain the purity of their social order. The tendency to imitate the ruling class was another factor that made
Hindus adopt purdah. Purdah, however, was less rigorously observed in Rajput families where women were trained in all arts of warfare and would take part in
hunting expeditions. So also, barring Muslim families South India did not have purdah.

Net net this progressive Hindu view has been progressively sidelined because of influences under Muslim, Christian rule & in the present times, Western influence.

Q Mom, why do you a Aarti every morning, its a waste of time na ?

A My dear kudi, let me explain the symbolism/philosophy associated with the Aarti. Having worshipped the Lord with love, lit by the lamp we see the beauty of
the Lord in all his glory. The singing, clapping is associated with the joy that accompanies the vision of the Lord.

Aarti being performed with Camphor has a spiritual significance. Camphor burns itself out completely without leaving a trace. Camphor represents our Vasanas,
unmanifest desires. So also if we were to take refuge in the Lord, obtain knowledge, these desires will get burnt out. Al though the camphor burns itself out, it
emits a nice perfume. On a human plane it means that we should sacrifice ourselves to serve society, in the process spread the perfume of love and happiness to
all.

We close our eyes while performing the Aarti as if to look within. The Self or Atman is within us. . Self realization can be achieved by knowing thyself, with the
flame of knowledge. At the end of the aarti we place the hands over the flame and touch our eyes and top of the head. It means that may the light that illumined the
Lord light up my vision, may my thoughts be pure and beautiful.

With the Aarti comes the flame which signifies light. There can be light in our lives only if we have knowledge. In an era of darkness there would be ignorance, we
would be perpetually running to fulfill our vasanas resulting in unhappiness and stress all around.

Q Mama, you told me that Classical music is a part of Hinduism, pl explain ?

A Indian music can be broadly divided into Hindustani and Carnatic music. The former originated in North India, was influenced by Persian and Arabic cultures
while the latter is a product of South India. Carnatic music has its roots in the Sama veda and has no foreign influences. It is associated with devotional songs to
deities. Very few instruments are used in this music. The music is based on the seven letters of Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. These letters are mathematically
improvised to make thousands of tunes known as Ragas and cyclic patterns known as Talas.

Q Mom, I was seeing the promos of Suraj Barjatyas latest blockbuster on Channel V and saw all the heroes standing doing Namaste. Iska meaning
kya hai ?

A This is an Indian way of greeting. In Sanskrit namah + te = namste meaning I bow to you. It has a spiritual significance of reducing ones ego in front of another.
It also means may our minds meet indicated by the folded palms placed before the Chest. The gesture of holding hands together is called Anjali Mundra. Both
hands represent positive and negative forces, and bringing them together affirms the singleness of the World. The bowing of the head symbolizes extending of love
and affection with humility.

Another reason for Namste is - So that we can close the circuitry of our energy bodies and prevent the trade of energies, eventually leading to the build up of
karma's. When I did a Namaste know I actually felt that the energies in my body coming together. Also by doing so we bow to the god center in the other being.

Q Mama, did you see the Hyundai ka advt today, it said Sampati Ghar Leha ho. Now what on earth does Sampati stand for ?

A Sat Sampatti stands for :

Sama ie calmness.
Dama ie self control.
Uparati ie detachment.
Titiksa ie endurance.
Samadhi ie creative concentration.
Sraddha ie faith.

Q Which are the holy cities in India ?

A They are Ayodhya, Mathura, Kanchi, Haridvara, Kasi ( Benaras ), Avanti ( Ujjain ), Dwarka, Amritsar, Palanpur, Bodh Gaya. Of the first seven, three are
sacred to Shiva and three to Vishnu while Kanchi is sacred to both. Amristsar is sacred to the Sardars, Palanpur to the Jains and Bodh Gaya to the Buddhists.

Q Mom, when ever we have gone to the temple the pandit says Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi ie thrice at the end of the prayer. What is its significance ?

A The three repetitions are addressed to three groups into which all obstacles can be classifies -

1. Cosmic ( God sent ) or Heavenly - From Nature, the thermic or dynamic forces such as
wraths from unknown objects earth quake, lightning, excessive rain, cold.

2. Phenomenal or cruelties from >From objects like floods, fire, robbers, wild beasts,
objects known to us. environmental disturbances like human foes, etc.

3. Purely subjective ie created Body ailments, inertia, insincerity, lack of concentration,
from our own selves - obstacles agitation of mind, disturbances arising from our own
arising from our own mind, body negative thoughts.
and intellect.

Q Why is the river Ganga so important to Indians ?

A The Ganga is considered to be a goddess and one of the consorts of Lord Siva. In the Mahabharat, Ganga was the mother of great hero Bhishma Pitama. After
the Saraswati river dried up, the cradle of the Indian civilization shifted to the Gangetic plain. A river with the length of 1557 miles affects the lives of millions of
people. Since people who lived on its banks, esp agriculturist were so dependent on it, they worshipped it and seeked its blessings. According to mythology she
was brought down from heaven by the King Bhagiratha in order to purify the ashes of his ancestors. The Ganges originates from a glacier called Gaumukh which is
high up in the Himalayas and is app a 15 kms trek from Gangotri. When your father was posted at Chandigarh, we had done a 14 km trek from Gangotri to
Gaumukh, an experence I will always remember.

The concept of having a dip in the sacred rivers of the land ie Tirth Cult can be traced to Veda Vyasa. To have a dip in the holy Ganga was as important to a man
from Gandhara as it was to a man from Kanyakumari. This was one of the many traditions introduced by the great Rishis to make Bharat into a single cultural unit.
Since the river contains many minerals having a dip has medicinal values too.

Gosh ! I could never imagine that there is so much behind the worship of the Ganga.

Q How did the dances of India originate ?

A They originated from Lord Shiva’s famous dance, Tandava Nirthyam. The first rules of dances were coded by Sage Bharata between 100 and 300 a.d. His
treatise on dance, drama and music is called Natya Shashtra. It is said that he composed the first syllables of Bhava ( emotion), Raga ( melody ), Tala ( rhythm )
and Rasa ( mood ). Dance is basically composed of Abhinayana(facial and body expression), Mudras ( hand gestures ) and Gati ( all form of footwork ). The four
prominent dances are Bharata Natyam of Tanjore, Kathak of Uttar Pradesh, Kathakali of Kerala and Manipuri of Assam.

While I have tried to be as accurate as possible, I am willing to stand corrected.

sri.Chetan,Iam just supplimenting your information-please don't take it I am trying to correct you.
Q Which trees are sacred and why ?
Ans:-All trees are sacred to Hindus.It is why they were dubbed 50 years back "O! Hindus!! they are "worshippers of Trees".My dear child-there is nothing to feel ashamed in worshipping the Trees.Modern "Environmentalists" worship Trees.
(1) OM-"Vrkshyebhyo Hari Kesebhyap Pasunaam Pathaye namo namo"=Lord Siva is the leader of all trees-His hair is Green foliage-He is also the leader of Animal Kingdom"
(2) "Vrkshoda Bilwaha-Thasya Phalaani Tapasaanudhantu Mayaantha Raahyaazcha Baahyaa Alaksmihi"=(sri-Lakshmi Suktham)the king of Trees is Bilwa(Bel)-(Aegles marmalas)-Its fruit purifies the inner and outer parts of the Human body(good anti-diabetic-but to be taken only under medical advice).Bilwa removes Poverty(Alakshmi) and gives wealth(Health is wealth)
(3)(Aham)"Aswathaha Sarva Vrkshaanaam"=Aham(Me= Lord sri.Krishna is)Aswatha=Peepal(Ficus religiosa) among Trees.
(4)(a)"Chitram Vatatharor moolay-Vrddha Zishya-Gurur Yuva=the young Guru sri Dhakshinamoorthy sits under "Vata" vrksham(Banyan Tree-Ficus-genera-I don't know the spices name-In Tamil it is called "Aalam".(b) "Vtasya Patrasya Phute Zayaanam"=Lord Sri Krishna sleeps on the leaf of Vata Vrksham(Vata Patra Zaayee).In Gaya(Bihar)"Vata vrksham " is very sacred.(to be continued)

Actually,

The post is not of my creation. I recieved it by email. I posted it since I liked to basic format and answers to simple questions.

Thanks Sermadevi for more scriptural insite. The More information the better.

By the way, Which text(s) are you quoting from?

Regards,

Chetan

(1)OM "Vrkshyebhyo--- from sri.Rudra Prazna (Krishna Yajur vedam)-----(2)"Vrkshodha Bilwaha ----(I have already mentioned)-sri,Lakshmi Suktham
(3)"Aswattha----Sri.Bhagavad Gita(Vibhuthi Yogam) ---(4)(a) sri Dhakshinamurthy Stothram--- (4)(b)sri.Bala Mukundhaashtakam---------regards

Mr. Chetan,
I thank you for posting it. As a young highschool student in America i often question alot of things in my religion and since my mother is always so busy to answer my many many many questions this has helped alot and i am more confident of my faith in hinduism. so once again thanks!