SAMSKRUTIRefining Y oung MindsJa

nuar

y 20

16

Our Mas ter’s VoiceThe Preceptor

By Poornimaji

1

May the entire universe be

blessed with peace and hope.

May everyone who is driven

by envy and enmity become

pacified and reconciled.

May all living beings become

calm by taking the path of

Bhakti, for by accepting seva

they will think of each

other’s welfare.

May our own hearts and

minds be filled with purity

and serenity.

May all the above blessings

flow naturally from The

Supreme Lord Krishna!

May our attention become

spontaneously absorbed in the

rapture of pure love unto

Krishna.

~ SB Canto 5 Chapter 18

Wishing you all a year of

health, happiness and

universal peace and

brotherhood. May the force

of Sadguru be with us!

Sixteen year old Sadhana was sitting in the backyard seriously trying to mould some clay.Kirtana, Sadhana’s Mother, came up to her and asked, “Sadhana! What are you trying to do?”“Ma! I saw Archana aunty mould some clay into Hanumanji! Am trying too… But it seems so tough! She did it effortlessly.”“Sadhana! Come along with me, let me tell you.”Both of them came and sat in the hall and Kirtana continued,“Sadhana, just as you go to a school to learn your subjects, any art has to be learnt from some teacher. It’s the teacher who would know the nuances of an art and it is in his guidance and with his blessings that we attain perfection in any art.”Sadhana nodded and asked,“Is this the same reason why we seek the blessings of a Guru before doing any spiritual activity too ma?”Kirtana smilingly nodded and continued,“Yes dear! It is at the Feet of a Guru, that spiritual knowledge dawns. A Guru, tells you the way. Not stopping at it, he warns you on the pitfalls and saves you from them. Let me sing a beautiful song composed by the great Sant Kabir. He depicts the Samsara in this kirtan and emphasizes the need for a guru..."Kaun batAvE BHAt Guru binbadA vikat yama ghAt (Guru bin )Kabir says,“Who can show us the way to eternal bliss other than a Satguru? It’s a path filled with so many obstacles!”“Sadhana! The scriptures depict the world as an ocean with unfathomable depth where we might have to face innumerable storms and whirlpools. World is also shown as a forest filled with many perils. Kabir says, ‘It is a terrible valley of death! Beware and don’t try to walk alone in this path! It is wise to have a leader who knows the way to reach the destination. A Guru knows the way. He serves as a boatman to take us across the ocean of Samsara. He is the guide who can show us the way out of this forest of life.’”In Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana , King Muchukunda says“BhavApavargo bhramatho yada bhavEjjanasya tarhi achyuta satsamAgamahaSatsangamo yarhi tadaiva sadgathau ………“Oh Lord! Its only when you decide to take one across this Ocean of Samsara (transmigration), that you give him the company of Saints!” And the Lord Himself says that it is the Guru who serves as the boatman to sail one across this ocean of transmigration."BhrAntiki pahADi nadhiyAn bheechmo ahankArki lAtMada matsarkI dharabarasat mAyA pavana ghanadhAt (Guru bin)“Many are the obstacles in this path. There is a huge mountain in the form of illusion which would misguide you. Your ego would not let you understand the wrong steps you are taking and would lead you to a downfall. Rain showers in the form of pride and jealousy pour incessantly during this journey through the valley and they are supported by the winds of Maya !”Guru bin….With such gory obstacles how can we tread this path without a guru?

By Global Organisation for Divinity India TrustNo part of this pamphlet may be reproduced, reprinted or utilised in any form without permission in writing from the editors.Views expressed in articles are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization.

FROM THE EDITORS

What’s Inside?Page 2

Lord Chaitanya NEW

Page 3

Ancient Indian Astronomy

Page 4

GOD Around the Globe

Page 5

Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi

Page 6

Ramayana Series NEW

“Sadhana! The mountain of illusion blinds us from seeing the right path. It could easily take us to a path which is seemingly right but could take us astray. Theego would not let us accept that we have chosen a wrong path! Pride and jealousy will only fan our ego. They would further blind the path. A guru wouldlovingly show the right path and that too the best suited one. He would check our ego and not let it raise its hood. He would make us understand the highertruths and thus free us of pride and jealousy.”kAma krodha do parvatTADE lobh chor sanGAtkehat kabir suno bhAi sAdo kyon karna vo bhAt (Guru Bin)There are two hillocks in the form of desire and anger. The path is infested with thieves in the form of greed. Say Kabir, Oh pious souls! Give ears! Why wouldyou want to tread this path without a guru?“Sadhana! The two hillocks of desire and anger are not easy to climb over! Every step up would mean three steps down at times. Greed would loot us on our

way and we would be bankrupt of spiritual wealth. But with the helping hand of a guru, the climb uphill and the walk through the thieves infested forestwould be a safe one. In his loving presence, all desires would be directed towards the highest purpose. He would show us the dangers of the lovely scenes seenby us and would cut greed and desire at their root.”‘Sadhana!’ Kabir says, ‘Why try to take this path without the help of a guru?’Come let’s sing this song together!Kaun batAvE BHAt Guru bin badA vikat yama ghAt (Guru bin)BhrAntiki pahADi nadhiyAn bheechmo ahankArki lAtMada matsarkI dharabarasat mAyA pavana ghanadhAt (Guru bin)kAma krodha do parvatTADE lobh chor sanGAtkehat kabir suno bhAi sAdo kyon karna vo bhAt (Guru bin)

Our M

aster’s Voice

SAMSKRUTI Jan 2016

In Puri Kshetra, the 3 prominent idols are Lord Krishna with

his siblings Lord Balaram and Lordess Subadra. Once, in

Dwapara Yuga, when Lord Krishna was ruling Dwarka, He,

along with Balarama and Subhadra went to meet their aunt

Srutha Devi in Puri.

At Puri, Sage Narada came to meet Lord Krishna..

Narada said that Radha Rani, the epitome of one pointed

devotion thought of Krishna only and none else and was

unconcerned about worldly pleasures.

Narayana!

Narayana!

Narada! What

news do you

bring?!

Seeing Radha rani’s devotion, bhagavan wished to take an

avatar to experience the same joy that Radha rani was

relishing and was waiting for the right time…

Meanwhile, in Kali yuga, worshipping God by sacrificing animals

came into practice. this kind of worship saddened a lot of

Vedic scholars.

How dare

you

disrespect

the

Goddess??

‘Jagan Mata’ the

mother of

universe?!!

Do you think she

enjoys when you

kill goats who are

her children too.

After 10 years, Kamalakshan who was known as

Advaitacharya(scholar in Advaitha philosophy) met a sage

named “Madhavendrapuri”.

Please bless

that someone

should show

the real

Satvik bhakthi

to the world!

The Lord Himself

shall descend

onto this world to

show the right

path of devotion.

2

Life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - Illustrated Illustrated by: Balamurali

Compiled by: Sindhu

Wondrous Whispers from Ancient IndiaSAMSKRUTI Jan 2016

Ancient India's contributions in the field of astronomy are well known and well documented. The earliestreferences to astronomy are found in the Rig Veda, which are dated 2000 BC. Aryabhata wrote that 1,582,237,500rotations of the Earth equal 57,753,336 lunar orbits. This is an extremely accurate ratio of a fundamentalastronomical ratio (1,582,237,500/57,753,336 = 27.3964693572), and is perhaps the oldest astronomical constantcalculated to such accuracy. Brahmagupta (598-668) was the head of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain andduring his tenure there wrote a text on astronomy, the Brahmasphutasiddhanta in 628. Bhaskara (1114-1185) was thehead of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain, continuing the mathematical tradition of Brahmagupta. He wrotethe Siddhantasiromani which consists of two parts: Goladhyaya (sphere) and Grahaganita (mathematics of theplanets). The other important names of historical astronomers from India are Madhava and Nilakantha. Bhaskara(1114-1185) calculated the time taken for the Earth to orbit the sun to 9 decimal places. Yajnavalkya (perhaps 1800BC) described the motions of the Sun and the Moon in his book Shatapatha Brahmana, and also advanced a 95-yearcycle to synchronize the motions of the Sun and the Moon. The Vedanga Jyotisha, a text on Vedic astrology thathas been dated to 1350 BC, was written by Lagadha. It describes rules for tracking the motions of the Sun and theMoon, and also develops the use of geometry and trigonometry for astronomical uses.

Around 500 BCE, Aryabhata presented a mathematical system that took the Earth to spin on its axis andconsidered the motions of the planets with respect to the Sun. He also made an accurate approximation of theEarth's circumference and diameter, and also discovered how the lunar eclipse and solar eclipse happen for the firsttime. He gives the radius of the planetary orbits in terms of the radius of the Earth/Sun orbit as essentially theirperiods of rotation around the Sun. He was also the earliest to discover that the orbits of the planets around theSun are ellipses.

He is the first known astronomer on that continent to have used a continuous system of counting solar days.His book, The Aryabhatiya, published in 498 AD described numerical and geometric rules for eclipse calculations.Indian astronomy at that time was taking much of its lead from cyclic Hindu cosmology in which nature operated incycles, setting the stage for searching for numerical patterns in the expected time frames for eclipses. He alsopropounded the Heliocentric theory of gravitation, thus predating Copernicus by almost one thousand years.

Aryabhatta's Magnum Opus, the Aryabhattiya was translated into Latin in the 13th century. Through thistranslation, European mathematicians got to know methods for calculating the areas of triangles, volumes of spheresas well as square and cube root. Aryabhatta's ideas about eclipses and the sun being the source of moonlight maynot have caused much of an impression on European astronomers as by then they had come to know of these factsthrough the observations of Copernicus and Galileo.

But considering that Aryabhatta discovered these facts 1,500 years ago, and 1,000 years before Copernicusand Galileo makes him a pioneer in this area too. Aryabhatta's methods of astronomical calculations expounded inhis Aryabhatta-Siddhatha were reliable for practical purposes of fixing the Panchanga (Hindu calendar). Thus inancient India, eclipses were also forecast and their true nature was perceived at least by the astronomers. Indianastronomers also propounded the theory that the Earth was a sphere. Aryabhatta was the first one to havepropounded this theory in the 5th century.

Another Indian astronomer and mathematician, Brahmagupta estimated in the 7th century that thecircumference of the earth was 5000 yojanas. A yojana is around 7.2 kms. Calculating on this basis we see that theestimate of 36,000 kms as the Earth's circumference comes quite close to the actual circumference known today.Brahmagupta (598-668) was the earliest to use algebra to solve astronomical problems. He also develops methods forcalculations of the motions and places of various planets, their rising and setting, conjunctions, and the calculationof eclipses of the Sun and the Moon.

India - The Pioneer in Astronomy

3

Wondrous Whispers from Ancient IndiaSAMSKRUTI Jan 2016

There is an old Sanskrit Sloka (couplet) which is as follows: "Sarva Dishanaam, Suryaha, Suryaha, Suryaha.“This couplet means that there are suns in all directions. This couplet which describes the night sky as full of suns,indicates that in ancient times Indian astronomers had arrived at the important discovery that the stars visible atnight are similar to the Sun visible during day time. In other words, it was recognized that the sun is also a star,though the nearest one. This understanding is demonstrated in another Sloka which says that when one sun sinksbelow the horizon, a thousand suns take its place. This apart, many Indian astronomers had formulated ideas aboutgravity and gravitation.

Varahamihira had claimed for the first time perhaps that there should be a force which might be keepingbodies stuck to the Earth, and also keeping heavenly bodies in their determined places. Thus the concept of theexistence of some attractive force that governs the falling of objects to the Earth and their remaining stationaryafter having once fallen; as also determining the positions which heavenly bodies occupy, was recognized. It was alsorecognized that this force is attractive force. The Sanskrit term for gravity is Gurutvakarshan which is an amalgam ofGuru-tva-akarshan. Akarshan means to be attracted, thus the fact that the character of this force was of attractionwas also recognized. This apart, it seems that the function of attracting heavenly bodies was attributed to the sun.The term Gurutvaakarshan can be interpreted to mean, 'to the attracted by the Master". The sun was recognized byall ancient people to be the source of light and warmth. Among the Aryans the sun was defiled.

In the Vedas, Sun isreferred to as the source of all life, the center of creation and the center of the spheres.The last statement is suggestive of the sun being recognized as the centre of the universe (solar system). In theSurya-Siddhanta, an astronomical text dated around 400 A.D., the following appellations have been given to the sun."He is denominated the golden wombed (Hiranyagarbha), the blessed; as being the generator". He is also referred toas "The supreme source of light (Jyoti) upon the border of darkness - he revolves. bringing beings into being, thecreator of creatures". The Surya-Siddhanta also says that "Bestowing upon him the scriptures (Vedas) as gifts andestablishing him within the egg as grandfather of all worlds, he himself then revolves causing existence". Thus we cansee that what ancient Indian astronomers say comes close to the heliocentric theory of gravitation, which was athousand years later articulated by Copernicus and Galileo inviting severe reactions from the clergy in Rome. In theSuryasiddhanta, the rate of precession at 54" (it actually is 50.3"), which is much more accurate than the numbercalculated by the Greeks (Frawley 1991:148).

It would be surprising for us to know today that this science had advanced to such an extent in ancient Indiathat ancient Indian astronomers had recognized that stars are same as the sun, that the sun is center of the universe(solar system) and that the circumference of the Earth is 5,000 Yojanas. One Yojana being 7.2 kms., the ancientIndian estimates came close to the actual figure.

Celestial Observatory

Tool for keeping track of constellations

Sun Dial

4

Source: www.crystalink.com

SAMSKRUTI Jan 2016

GOD around the Globe

5

Happiness, Harmony and Wellbeing WorkshopLove to Share Foundation America, Texas, startedoff the first day of annual discourse series withSri Ramanujamji’s workshop in the Frisco area.Ramuji beautifully conveyed that in everyone,Happiness will find its way when there isgratitude. No better season to ponder ongratitude than the Thanksgiving season. At theend of the 90 minute session, Ramuji answeredthe questions of the curious listeners. Though itwas a busy Friday evening, many drove from farto attend this benefiting workshop of Ramuji.Everyone including the kids listened to Ramujiwith rapt attention.

‘The Purpose of Anger’ workshop in Washington wasa grand success. Sri Ramanujamji spoke on thesubject, Anger – a gauge to find the unresolvedneeds within us and explained the downside ofanger which is forgetting our needs. He furtherelucidated on how we can use filters to identifysignals from noise and get the saar (essence) out ofsamsaara! The audience received first handinformation about the various initiatives carried out byL2SF in India and the USA.

DIVINE BLISS EVENT held at Sydney, Australia,was a wonderful evening filled with divinity andtranquillity. Dr Bhagyaji from India, introduced mantrameditation to the participants, who chanted andexperienced the inner peace of bringing the mind torest. The retreat meditation program brought atremendous change and goodwill in the hearts of allwho attended. Bhagyaji took the audience by sheerawe on how powerful Mahamantra and the vibes itexudes, are. Similar satsangs were held at otherparts of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

In Western Fiji, it hadn't rained in more than 3 months.Severe drought had led to death of crop. All werelooking eagerly for the skies to pour. Our host for theday at Seva Ashram Lautoka, told Bhagyaji that weshould pray pray for rain as people were suffering somuch. Bhagyaji said that "we have to do 2 prayers thatare opposites - one for the sake of dear Chennai forstoppage of rains and one for rains in West Fiji”. And tothe utter amazement of everyone, while Sri Bhagyaji wasin the middle of his talk - in particular speaking abouthow GURU Maharaj would say "What cannot the Graceof Guru Maharaj and name of GOD achieve!" thedownpour started instantly. IT TRULY WAS A MOMENTTO BEHOLD - Firstly witnessing the actual rain andsecondly the reaction of the attendees where there facesshowed smiles, surprise and elation pointing to the rain.

U.S.A., Australia,

Fiji

12th Jan – National Youth DaySAMSKRUTI Jan 2016

Swami Vivekananda, known in his pre-monastic life as Narendra Nath Datta, was born in an affluent family in Kolkata on 12th

January 1863. He believed that Mother India’s future lay in the hands of her people, and his teachings focused on human growthand development, physically, mentally and spiritually. He persistently stressed that the essence of Hinduism was hidden in theVedanta philosophy. He also showed through his deeds that honesty, purity, unselfishness and control of the mind are traits thatone cannot do without. As we celebrate his 153rd Birthday this month, let us remember the Great Indian Hindu Monk through aconversation between Him and his Master, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.Swami Vivekananda (SV) – Master! Life has become very hectic. I am not able to find free time at all.Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (RP) - Activities make you busy. But productivity makes you free.SV: Why has life become complicated all of a sudden?RP: Analysing life complicates it more. Leave it alone and just live it.SV: Why are we then constantly unhappy?RP: Worrying has become our habit. That’s why we are not happy always.SV: Why do good people always suffer?RP: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.SV: You mean to say such experience is useful?RP: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and then the lessons.SV: Because of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading!RP: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides the way.SV: Does failure hurt more when moving in the right direction?RP: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.SV: In tough times, how do we stay motivated?RP: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.SV: What surprises you about people?RP: When they suffer they ask, “why me?” When they prosper, they never ask “Why me?”SV: How can I get the best out of life?RP: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.SV: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.RP: There are no unanswered prayers. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

I have faith in my country, and especially in the youth of my country. My hope is in you. Withan immense amount of feeling and enthusiasm in the blood, will come heroes who will marchfrom one corner of the earth to the other, preaching and teaching the eternal spiritual truths ofour forefathers. And this is the great work before you. Each one of you has a glorious future ifyou dare believe me. Have tremendous faith in yourselves, like the faith I had when I was achild, and which I am working out now. Have that faith, each one of you, in yourself — thateternal power is lodged in every soul — and you will revive the whole of India. Ay, we willthen go to every country under the sun, and our ideas will before long be a component of themany forces that are working to make up every nation in the world. We must enter into the lifeof every race in India and abroad; we shall have to work to bring this about.We must go out,we must conquer the world through our spirituality and philosophy. There is no otheralternative, we must do it or die. The only condition of national life, of awakened and vigorousnational life, is the conquest of the world by Indian thought.Now for that, I want young men. “It is the young, the strong, and healthy, of sharp intellectthat will reach the Lord”, say the Vedas. This is the time to decide your future — while youpossess the energy of youth, not when you are worn out and jaded, but in the freshness andvigour of youth. Work — this is the time; for the freshest, the untouched, and unsmelledflowers alone are to be laid at the feet of the Lord, and such He receives. Rouse yourselves,therefore, for life is short. A far greater work is this sacrifice of yourselves for the benefit ofyour race, for the welfare of humanity. I will tell you in plain language that you work best whenyou work for others. The best work that you ever did for yourselves was when you worked forothers. This life is short, vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live forothers, the rest are more dead than alive. Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvelouswork. The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the great cause of misery in theworld. It is fear that is the greatest of all superstitions. It is fear that is the cause of our woes,and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment. All power is within you; you can doanything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; Stand up andexpress the divinity within you. Therefore, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.

Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi

MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH

6

What are Upanishads?

Upanishads form the concluding part of the

Vedas.

How many are they?

Upanishads are 108, but of them ten form

the most important.

Which God do the Upanishads speak about?

Upanishads do not speak about Gods. They

expound on the atma (soul), jiva (life),

mukti (liberation) and reality of the world.

They contain only philosophical concepts

and are unique.

What is the benefit of rising early in the

morning?

It is good to wake up at least an hour before

sunrise. This hour is called Brahma

Muhurtham. Worship of God, meditation

and chanting mantras during this period

bestows higher benefits.

What should we do as soon as we wake up

in the morning?

As soon as we wake up in the morning, we

should look at our right palm and pray that

the day should be beneficial in all aspects.

What should one do to stay healthy

throughout lifetime?

Every day at sunrise, one should do Surya

Namaskar. Pleased with our namaskar The

Sun will bless us with good health and,

protect us from harassment from enemies.

Is it not for physical cleanliness that we

bathe every day? Why then is it considered

a part of the Hindu ritual? For example,

bathing before visiting a temple is

obligatory. Why?

Bathing is not for mere physical cleanliness

but also to cleanse the mind.

(Excerpts from Sri Sri Swamiji’s book

Kakitha Malargal – Q and A explaining our

Sanathana Dharma)

Ramayan Study Series KakithaMalargal

7

SAMSKRUTI Jan 2016

PLEASANTNESS PERSONIFIEDSrimad Ramayana is considered the Adi-kavya ie the first & foremost story that

emerged. First story not of Lord Ram, not from India etc but the very first story. To

put it differently, the word ‘story’ itself got its import and example from Ramayana.

Split into seven cantos, this pleasant story appears most pleasant right in its middle.

This canto called ‘Sundaram’ or beautiful, is when Hanuman, the most important

person in the epic travels from India to Sri Lanka, succeeds in his mission to find

Goddess Sita, and returns with the positive news. Here, Valmiki, the author, captures

the might, intelligence and devotion of Hanuman in Ram, chastity of Sita, and the

wickedness of all demons of Lanka, put together in all its glory. It would not be un-

befitting, in my humble view, to call this the most popular canto of this epic and

even otherwise. Last month, as I was reading an article written by a famous

leadership coach on ‘time management’ quoting modern thinkers & management

gurus, I was sure that a topic as important as this would surely be sitting pretty as a

gem, in bejewelled crown called Sundara-kanda. That article is capsulized below:

Managing time can be split four ways:

IMPORTANT

Quadrant APressing Problems/ Tomorrow’s tests

Today’s assignments etc

Quadrant BCapability activities/

Planning Recreation etc

NOT IMPORTANT

Quadrant CLive TV shows/ Birthday

partiesMovies on first day etc

Quadrant DMails (forwards), Twitter/ FB

Beach/ vacation etc

URGENT NOT URGENT

In light of the above, let us observe how Hanuman managed his time:

Issue on hand Context Hanuman’s reaction QuadTime

spent

Searching Sita Unaware of

existence

Spends all his time productively

without getting distractedA √

Surasa &

Simhika

Obstructions on

his way

Wins them using intellect and

power respectivelyA √

Raavan’s army To understand

enemy’s might

Suavely notices the strength

even as he is searchingB √

Mount

Mainaka

Wanted Hanuman

to rest for a while

Answers back in a line and

leaves ASAP!C X

Sita’s

suggestion

That Hanuman

rests for a while

Politely replies saying he needs

to report back to Ram ASAPC X

We understand from the above, that Hanuman has acted eons back in a pressure-

cooker situation, in concordance with modern thinkers’! While there are many things

that Hanuman could have done eg: return to Ram after meeting Sita, proceed

straight to Ram after lighting up Lanka with his lit-tail without again meeting Sita

etc, Hanuman, we know chose to create a chaos, kill demons, meet Ravan & again

meet Sita before leaving to reach Ram. And to imagine that Hanuman achieves all

this and more, in only a couple of days is dramatic and exceptional. As I conclude

this piece, I am reminded of Sri Swamiji’s saying “Merely doing good things is not

the truest intelligence. True intelligence is in choosing to do the best amongst many

good things!” Which perhaps explains why we, at the very beginning, seek बुद्धि: ie

intellect from Hanuman in his most famous prayer!

By Sanath Kumar

Apart from his political and administrative efficiancies, and an

untarnished political etiquette, Shri CR has an admirable creative side to

him.

An accomplished writer both in his mother tongue Tamil as well as

English, he was the founder of the Salem Literary Society and regularly

participated in its meetings. In 1922, he published Siraiyil Tavam

(Meditation in jail), a day-to-day account of his first imprisonment by

the British from 21 December 1921 to 20 March 1922. He started the

Tamil Scientific Terms Society in 1916, a group that coined new words

in Tamil for terms connected to botany, chemistry, physics, astronomy

and mathematics. At about the same time, he called for Tamil to be

introduced as the medium of instruction in schools.

In 1951, he wrote an abridged retelling of the Mahabharata in English,

followed by one of the Ramayana in 1957. Earlier, in 1961, he had

translated Kambar's Tamil Ramayana into English. In 1965, he

translated the Thirukkural into English and also wrote books on the

Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads in English as well as works on

Socrates, and Marcus Aurelius in Tamil. He often regarded his literary

works as the best service he had rendered to the people. In 1958, he was

awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for works in the Tamil language

for his retelling of the Ramayana – Chakravarti Thirumagan. He was

also one of the founders of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an organisation

dedicated to the promotion of education and Indian culture. In 1959 the

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan published his book: "Hinduism: Doctrine and

Way of Life".

Apart from his literary works, he also composed a devotional song

Kurai Onrum Illai devoted to Lord Krishna, a song set to music and a

regular at Carnatic concerts. He composed the benediction hymn sung

by Smt M. S. Subbulakshmi at the United Nations General Assembly in

1967.

Inspiring Lives

Sri C Rajagopalachari

ACROSS

1._______ dynasty created the Ajanta

Ellora Caves (8)

2.First among Dasavataras (6)

3.Bhangra is an art form of (6)

4.Losoong festival (6)

5.Oldest mountain range (9)

6.Spiced butter milk famous in Gujarat (4)

7.Headquarters of Sahitya Academy (5)

8.Birju Maharaj (6)

9.Raga Mohanakauns is dedicated to him

(6)

10.Satya Meva Jayate – Upanishad (7)

11.Mahabaratha was scribed by (7)

12.Gitanjali (6)

13.Number of asanas in Surya Namaskara

(6)

14.Father of Sita Devi (6)

15.No:of days of Kurukshetra (8)

16.Zakir Hussain (15)

DOWN

1.Chikankari embroidery is an art form

of (7)

2. Tansen was in the court of (5)

3.Smallest unit of time (5)

4.Sea demoness who blocked Lord

Hanuman’s way (7)

5.River flowing through Goa (7)

6.River named after Ved Vyasa (4)

7.Stalwart in ancient indian astronomy

(10)

8.Sir CV Raman’s birthday - ________

Day (7)

9.Famous festival of Vijayanagar empire

(4,6)

10.God of fire (4)

11. Clan that worships swords (6)

12. Father of Sati Devi (6)

13. Lord Rama incarnated in ______

yuga (5)

14. Festival of Assam (4)

(Solution in subsequent issue)

Puranava Crossword

Global Organisation for Divinity India invites

articles/illustration/paintings from school

teachers and students to be emailed to

samskrutiynl.god@gmail.com

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अनागतविधाता च प्रत्यतु्पन्नमवतस्तताा ।द्वािेतौ सखुमेधते ेयद्भविष्यो विन्यवत ॥

Pearls of Wisdom from our Texts

- By Sri Balaji SharmaPrincipal, Sri Sandeepani Gurukulam, Madhurapuri

One who protects himself even before dangerbefalls him, and one who secures himself at theright time, is always happy and content. Whereas,one who thinks only that which is destined willhappen, will face loss.

Last Week’s Answers:

Across: 1.Nasik 2.Ghatam 3.Flag 4.Ahmedabad 5.Bhavani 6.Meru

7.Kishkintha 8.Vamana 9.Ramayana 10. Jansi 11.Swaha 12. Asura 13.

Vijaya 14. Kaladi 15. Kaliya Down: 1.Karna 2.Golden Temple 3.Narasimha

4.Mohiniattam 5.Mul Shankara 6.Mandalas 7.Halwa 8.Vibhishana 9.Panini

10.Yojana 11.Sati

Margazhi Quiz Answers:

1. Lord Krishna 2. Andal 3. Early Morning 4. One day 5. Dhanurmasa 6.

Hanuman 7. Vaikunta Ekadasi 8. North 9. Thiruppavai 10. Nataraja

1 1 2 2 3

4 3 6

4 5

5 7 8

6

7

9

8 9

10 11

10

12 11 12

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14 14

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