Just spent 3 hours of my life reading about the Gayatri Mantra.

A lot of us, good old Hindu’s, are told to recite the Gayatri mantra. And me being the unquestioning simpleton that I am did what I was told. But after a few years (yes... I took me few years) of off-on recitation I began to question as to what the Gayatri mantra actually meant, where it came from, and why the hell( pardon my language) am I parroting this random Sanskit shlok. ( yup…I just used my own name in a sentence…did I blow your mind..Or Did I blow your mind!!!)

Gayatri Mantra is a highly revered mantra, taken from a hymn in the Rig-Veda ( which is the oldest and the most scared of Hindu texts) (3.62.10). The mantra is repeated and cited very widely in vedic literature,and praised in several well-known classical Hindu texts such as Manusmriti, Harivamsa,and the Bhagavad Gita.

Originially, the mantra was recited only by Brahmin males as part of their daily rituals. However, with the help of the modern Hindu reform movements the mantra is chanted by all and its use is now very widespread. It is bad analogy but think of it as a equivalent (in terms of popularity) of the Lord’s Prayer for Christians.
One thing I learnt from the little “research”of the Gayatri mantra is that, no one has the answer to my questions. No one really knows what it means.
The meaning of the mantra itself has changed over the years. Because the mantra is written in old Sanskrit (a beautiful language which, unfortunately, has one of its legs dangling in the grave and another on a banana peel) there is the obvious problem of translation. The Gayatri is also subject to personal translation. Because the mantra extends and reaches to encompass everything (seriously Everything) it can be translated to mean whatever I chose it to be.
Here is the gayatri mantra and some of its translations.

Devangri:
ॐv भूर् भुवः स्वः
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

English:
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah
tát savitúr váreṇyam
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi
dhíyo yó nah pracodáyāt

Word to Word: see more in http://www.swamij.com/gayatri.htm
AUM/OM: Absolute reality. That which encompasses the three states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, represented by AUM, the three levels of gross, subtle, causal, the three levels of conscious, unconscious, subconscious, and the three universal processes of coming, being, and going. Absolute silence beyond the three levels is the silence after AUM.

Bhur: Physical realm or plane; earth.
Bhuva: The subtle or astral plane.
Svah: The higher, celestial plane.
Tat: That, the essential essence.
Savitur: Bright, luminous, sun-like, inner power of spiritual light, which brings one to Self-realization.
Varenyam: Finest, best, choicest, fit to be sought.
Bhargo: Destroyer of obstacles. Effulgence
Devasya: Divine, resplendent, shining
Dhimahi: We meditate.
Dhiyo: Our being of intelligence, intellect, understanding, mind/heart
Yo: Who, which
Naha: Our
Prachodayat: May enlighten, direct, inspire, guide, impel
Some translations include: see more in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gayatri_Mantra

• Sir William Jones:
"Let us adore the supremacy of that divine sun, the god-head who illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understandings aright in our progress toward his holy seat.”

• Swami Vivekananda:
"We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may He enlighten our minds.”

• Two interpretations by S. Radhakrishnan:
1. "We meditate on the effulgent glory of the divine Light; may he inspire our understanding”
2. "We meditate on the adorable glory of the radiant sun; may he inspire our intelligence."

• The Arya Samaj interpretation:
"O God ! Giver of life, Remover of all pain and sorrows, Bestower of happiness, the Creator of the Universe, Thou art most luminous, adorable and destroyer of sins. We meditate upon thee. May thou inspire, enlighten and guide our intellect in the right direction”

• Brahmo Samaj interpretation:
"We meditate on the worshipable power and glory of Him who has created the earth, the nether world and the heavens (i.e. the universe), and who directs our understanding.”
• William Quan Judge
"Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the Universe, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, that face of the True Sun now hidden by a vase of golden light, that we may see the truth and do our whole duty on our journey to thy sacred seat."

This kind of relativity is in line with the modern tradition of “ do what you want …how you want …as long as you have faith..and are good person…or even not have faith and are a good( whatever that means) person”.
For me, however, the best translation of the mantra is provided by some person known as shantimayi at http://www.shantimayi.com/gayatri_sm.html. The translation goes as:
Throughout all of existence
"That" essential nature
illuminating existence is the
Adorable One.
May all beings perceive with subtle intellect
the magnificent brilliance of enlightened awareness.

All it says, to me, is that there is something more than us and having recognized that we hope attain knowledge and awareness to understand it through our capabilities.

I think I can live with it. I probably won’t recite it 7 times in row..but every once in a while I can acknowledge there is something greater than me …and recite the Gayatri mantra with the knowledge and awareness of what I am saying.

GPK: A legacy to debate

Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister and president of Nepali Congress passed away Saturday at 12:10 p.m. GPK has been a towering figure in Nepali politics for over 4 decades. The death of GPK generates a big void within both the Nepali Congress and as an over-arching figure in Nepali politics. While much of Nepali media and politician seem to have suddenly found their long lost love for Koirala, people seem to have mixed feelings about his legacy.

There seems a difference in opinions regarding GPK between the mainstream media and the blogs. This difference in opinion steam out from what face of GPK people remember. Those who knew the pre 1990 Girija vs those who knew Girija post 1990. The post 1990 generation, who dominate the blogosphere, tend to have a more skeptical image of GPK. It’s the image of an old man holding on to power even if it means compromising on the principles so many say he holds dear. It an image of a man who was prime minister the country five times; a country bounded by the shackles of poverty, smeared with corruption and blooded by violence. Girija became the face of the dirty politics in Nepal (see my criticism of him in 5 worst people of Nepal). And although many of us did respect the man during the April revolution and its immediate aftermath, we were quickly disenchanted by the blatant nepotism he seemed to encourage. Unlike the pre 1990 generation, we never saw the Girija who was arrested and imprisoned by King Mahendra following a failed armed revolt against the 1960 royal coup. We never saw a Girija who was sent to exile and masterminded a plane hijack. We never saw Girija as champion of secular democracy in the nation.


Sketch by Dewen via the Kathmandu Post

If you glance through the Grijababu gone, the obituary written by Kanak Mani Dixit (probably the most read article on GPK’s death) you will find an array of comments that range from a proclaiming GPK as the father of the nation to accusing him of “raping the country”. The comments on mysansar.com are even more interesting. As a youth oriented blog the comments on mysansar are seem more critical of Girijababu. Try blog.com.np, there you will find people calling him a “monster”, and another calling the person who called him a monster an “idiot”.

While the media has tried to sell the death of GPK as a loss of a “national guardian”, many nepalis, especially the youth are not buying that. And while it would be unfair to say the GPK wasn’t a great spokesperson for democracy in Nepal it is also unfathomable to think of him as a “universally loved leader whose death has shocked the nation”.

However, given the fact that he did dedicate his life to help the country (I must admit that I do not doubt the man’s convictions) I hope his soul finds peace.

To the angels on earth

After much debate with myself I decided to post this. It can be taken as a poem of bad taste, but it is all in good humor so i wont apologize.And if you are offended, "frankly my dear(s) I don't give a damn". No seriously it was written as a joke.... So the story behind this poem is that one of my friends commented that the best thing about spring is girls and how he wished to read a poem about it. So I took it up as a challenge. I hope you guys like it.

As prudent winter sleeps

And warmer breeze heroically peeps

With the blooming of the flower

The sun generously adds some hour.

In these bright sunny days

I am amazed by your ways.

When you break that cocoon of white

My soul dances with elfish delight

The sizzling heat does rise

The skirt, bounces and my heart joyfully dies.

When the tailor labors a little less,

Those glossy people, may god bless.

The bosoms finally breathe

Heavy, with chemicals my body shaking does need.

Through the cloudy linen your mounts peak

Erect, my imagination, and my eyes hauntingly left to seek

Those naked limbs, with sinus so tight

Me my “y” chromon’s have to fight.

In the twin mountain subtle glow

A deep flirtis cleavage does flow.

Through the wavy mysterious fur

My hopeful fingers do passionately lure.

And I glance from the rear

At those carnal twain so fair.

And I a prisoner of your charm

That which rattles my mind also does calm.

O angels, beautify personified

To convey my noblest intent I have tried

My humble earnest respect you

And to the god blessed spring

To our Manhood this favor does do.

Bounce freely, shake, feel the air

And those divine jewels with us do religiously share.

Holy S*#t Man!!!

The spring session seems to have led to a sudden boost in the sex drive of Hindu holy men. Three swami-self-proclaimed spiritual leaders, have been involved in three separate sex scandals in the last two weeks.

Personal Note to the swamis
Now boys, I know it’s the session when the sun is shining and the weather is sweet and you are on your game but remember you have a reputation to uphold. Just because you dress up in funky orange robes and talk about universal love does not mean you practice it on anything that moves. Have some shame. Did they not teach you any manners in spiritual school or wherever it is you got the authority to preach from?

First it was the Hindu guru in Delhi who was arrested for using his ashram (meditation and prayer center) as a “front office for high-class prostitution racket involving airline hostesses and college girls".Then it was the Paramhamsa Nityananda; the leader of the Life Bliss Foundation, who claims more than 30 million followers in 33 countries, whose ménage a trios was recorded, and broadcasted on TV. However,Paramhamsa and his organization has denied the video by calling it a fraud and a work of graphics. And finally (I hope..) Mr Sahai, Head of the Centre for Excellence in Vedic Vangmay Research and Development Foundation, who kidnapped a girl after she refused to marry him. And the reason why she refused to marry him is that he has a wife and a seven year old daughter. The first time she refused, this moron offered her 10 million rupees, the second time around he kidnapped her. I guess he really wanted to marry her huh.

Now I personally do not have any problems with swamis. I have met quite a few of them and seen dozens more on TV; and they seem nice (except that one guy who thinks homosexuality is a disease and can be cured—he’s a jackass), but these scandals are taking it a notch too far. News about holy men engaging in not the most moral of activities was not unheard of, but three sex scandals in a week would make the promiscuous of Catholic priests blush.

What these recent scandals tell us is that not every bloke that comes around wearing the stereotypical “religious” clothing and speaking about semi-profound things is virtuous. Just because he looks like a holy man, doesn’t mean he is one. History has taught us, time and again, that religion can, has and will be used to make a fool of people. And that holy men are men as well.

Image from southcine.blogspot.com/

Here is some post-colonial thought for you

Here is some post-colonial thought for you
Stop telling me the past is past
And what happened happened, and that my life is better for it
Can’t you see what has been done
How I have changed because my father changed who changed because his father
was chained
because your great grandfather wanted us to be
like you
With your good morning maam’s and spoons and knifes
And A for apples and B for Ball
To civilize me …
Don’t you fucking tell me its ok.

Don’t you fucking tell me its ok
Because the fact that I am standing here
Spitting to you my anger
in a language that is not mine
That was not supposed to be mine…
in small town Missouri is not ok.
You cant see yourself in Kathmandu
Slamming in Nepali can you …

Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down
Cause you think the way are is the way to be
With your “its so funny you eat with your hands”
And its so funny you use water to clean your bums
and its so funny this and its so funny that
why the fuck are we the anomaly.
Is it because you wear a tie and a dress
And define freedom to mean
generating small talks about sex…
I refuse to be a victim of inferior conformity
especially if its shrouded in a fake veil of progress


And don’t you impose Kant and Smith and Marx on me
judging our lives
Through the bullshit in yours
And I am taught that they are great cause they knew
They knew my ass is what they knew
And fuck your materialism and capitalism
And while you are fucking fuck socialism too…

So don’t tell me colonization is over
cause its not
And I am a living proof.

Buddha: And the Problem with his citizenship

Fareed Zakaria in his book, “The Post-American World” claims that Buddha and Buddhism were born in India. Now if you know a Nepali or are one you are fully aware of how touchy this subject is. This incident like the Chadini Chowk to China saga and numerous other incidents are proof that Buddha is a subject Nepalis and Indians are, ironically, ready to pick on arms for.

Siddhartha Gautama (who after enlightenment became Buddha) was born in a place called Lumbini, in the principality of Kapilvastu to King Suddhodana of the Sakya clan. Having lived a good chunk of his life in Kapilvastu he decided to leave his royal privileges and responsibilities in search of the truth and be a mendicant. After years of meditating in the areas near the present day Northern India, Buddha attained Enlightenment under a Bodhi tree in Gaya( there is much more to the story but I have an assignment due in a couple of hours so pardon me if I don’t give the details).

In poor Buddha’s time there were no borders, and the fairly recent concept of the Indian state and the Nepalese state did not exist. However, when the present day border was drawn Lumbini became a part of Nepal. So Nepalis proudly claim Siddhartha Gautama and "Buddha" ( the man) to be born in present day Nepal. On the other hand Gaya is in India, and since Siddhartha Gautama did received enlightenment in Gaya, Buddhism and "buddha" ( the enlightened teacher) do find its birthplace in present day India. The problem also finds its roots in ancient texts which referred to the entire sub-continent region (east of the Indus) as the generic “India”. So when ancient texts state that Buddha was born in “India” they mean the sub-continent and not the present day India. India’s constant use of advertising itself as “Buddha Birthplace” as an effective tourist attracting mechanism and in its movies has not helped the situation either. Many Nepalis also take offense that a significant number of Indian historians have taken upon themselves to write history text books that claim Buddha to be born in India.

Not many people get the importance of Buddha to Nepal. The fact that Buddhas birthplace is in Nepal is a matter of great pride to us Nepali’s. Even though we are a Hindu dominated nation, Buddhas message and teachings is a part of everyone’s upbringing. The concepts of peace and live and let live is universal and it’s a shock when its abrupted, but for us Nepalis, Nepal being Buddhas birthplace is a justification wildly used and believed in to maintain peace in the country. Ask any Nepali on the street what she thinks of the violence and she will tell you that it’s a shame these acts of violence are happening in the place Buddha was born.

Nepal is going through a period when we are questioning our national identity. And we are doing so in a time when we see ourselves as having lagged behind our neighbors. The once proud Nepali does not have much to be proud of and if at such a moment its most cherished symbol as a nation is threatened it becomes a big issue. Buddha and Mt.Everest are symbols all Nepalis grow with and when someone else claims it it does hurt our pride. India borders Nepal in three directions and provides invaluable aid and assistance to Nepal. And by the virtue of being the bigger and more developed country it does take interest in Nepal’s politics. Further, it has also encroached on the Nepali border on several occasions, about which Nepal as of now (let’s face it) cannot do much, and this angers Nepali’s. By further proclaiming to the world that Buddha was born in India and not Nepal it indirectly attacks Nepal national identity and this is our problem. Therefore everytime someone in India claims that Buddha was born in India almost all Nepalis are hurt while some are ready to pick up arms.

Does it matter where Buddha was born? Personally, I have to say no, it does not matter where Buddha was born and fighting over someone who taught non-violence all his life is stupid. However, claiming something that is not yours is not right either.
(( last edited 02/01/2010...))

My Personal War on Terrorism

My Personal War on Terrorism

Its official, I have finally entered the War on Terrorism. It was high time I committed myself to this struggle that President Bush so intelligently thrust us into. And in this war my weapon of choice is- Not shaving my beard. Yup you read it right I am planning to grow a beard every time I am scheduled to fly around.

Now this may seem odd, even weird perhaps, but a better weapon you will not find. Hear me out. Being brown in America and flying around is, let’s just say, not the most enjoyable experience. Every time I decide to take a flight I am asked by my concerned family and friends to take a shave (and I am not even Muslim, I am South Asian, things are a lot difficult for my Muslim friends). And their concerns are justified and appreciated. Growing a beard means that you risk being profiled, have to undergo “random” checks at airport security, basically it a pain in the rear. But by taking a shave I and my fellow beard loving brown people are giving the terrorists and profilers exactly what they want. By taking a shave the only people who lose is us.

We are free men and live in a free country and have as much a right to grow a beard if we so chose as any Tom, Dick and Harry. Shaving the beard in fear of being profiled because some crazy zealot decides to blow up a plane somewhere means that we are giving up our freedom to live and do what and how we please within the jurisdiction of law. It’s like deciding not to wear a red shirt during McCarthyism for the fear of being thought of as a communist. What’s next? Just because many terrorists have black hair we change our hair color? Trust me blonde hair on brown people don’t even look that cool.

We are not terrorists and have nothing to fear. By blowing planes up terrorists want to strike fear into the hearts of people. And if the reason we shave is us being fearful then they succeed in what they set out to do and that is unacceptable.

I mean if you don’t like a keep a beard than by all means shave, but if the only reason you are shaving is your fear of being ostracized than everything that you as a responsible citizen of the world should be fighting for is lost.

So there you have it. I have decided to grow my beard for my next flight and every other flight I take in the near future. This time I support keeping the bush ;-)