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Sahasranama
16 February 2011, 06:14 AM
http://bharatendu.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/the-hoax-called-vasudhaiva-kutumbakam-1-hitopadesha/

http://bharatendu.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/the-hoax-called-vasudhaiva-kutumbakam-2/

http://bharatendu.wordpress.com/2008/09/26/the-hoax-called-vasudhaiva-kutumbakam-3/

This is a good example of what trouble arises when people do not understand the scriptures and other literature in their proper context. Simple platitudes like Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam are repeated by pacifists while the origin of this saying was satirical! This just shows the thoughtlessness of politicians and babas who repeat Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam like parrots. Very knowledgeable blog writer, I can recommend to look at his other articles as well.

Look at all the sheeple: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3cl-oZ_UW8

TatTvamAsi
22 February 2011, 02:03 AM
Good article! Although I have to say I do like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (and his efforts). He seems to be unabashedly Hindu while helping a lot of people in India and abroad.

I'm all for crushing our enemies (and making it quite fun in the process), but we must tread carefully.

Believer
28 February 2011, 06:30 PM
Great article, thanks for the links.

rainycity
23 March 2011, 06:26 AM
so, you don't like the idea of the whole world being one family? are you more partial to nationalism, ethnocentrism and war?

Sahasranama
23 March 2011, 06:33 AM
No, I am cautioning the deers trusting the wolves thinking vasudhaiva kutumbakam. The articles explain the original context of the words vasudhaiva kutumbakam which was a caution against naivety. We can all sing kumbaya my lord, vasudhaiva kutumbakam, but foreign countries will still invade, Christians will still send their missionaries, muslims will still send their terrorist bombers, Hindus will continue to be persecuted in their own country, the west will still try to exploit India. The only message here is to keep your eyes open. India once was a country of shrewd people like Chanakya Pandit, I don't know what has happened now.

PARAM
23 March 2011, 12:00 PM
Great Great

Wise person wise mind

Adhvagat
23 March 2011, 04:28 PM
No, I am cautioning the deers trusting the wolves thinking vasudhaiva kutumbakam. The articles explain the original context of the words vasudhaiva kutumbakam which was a caution against naivety. We can all sing kumbaya my lord, vasudhaiva kutumbakam, but foreign countries will still invade, Christians will still send their missionaries, muslims will still send their terrorist bombers, Hindus will continue to be persecuted in their own country, the west will still try to exploit India. The only message here is to keep your eyes open. India once was a country of shrewd people like Chanakya Pandit, I don't know what has happened now.

;)...

saidevo
18 April 2011, 01:15 AM
namaste everyone.

The universal meaning of 'all the world is one family' is derived from the meaning 'world, people' in the term vasudhA and applying it to 'family, household' in the term kuTumbakam.

The primary meaning of the terms vasuda, vasudA, vasudhA are all related to wealth: while vasuda and vasudA relate to granting wealth, vasudhA relates to producing wealth. The meanings 'earth, wold, people therein' all are derived only from this meaning of wealth. It seems that the terms are used in the Vedas as related to wealth (as seen in the compilation 'Vedic Concordance': eg. vasudevasya in RV 1.54.9d, vasudAm in RV 8.99.4a, vasudhitI in RV 3.31.17a, vasudhAnaH in Ch.Up.3.15.1, etc.)

Thus, the literal meaning of the statement vasudhA eva kuTumbakam seems to be that which produces wealth (considers all its wealth) as a family, thus clearly indicating that the viewpoint of the family is at the level of that which produces, gives, and grants wealth, rather than from the viewpoint of the members of the wealth itself.

This means that

• the mAtru-bhUmi--Mother Earth, who produces all her wealth, grants equal prosperity to all the members of her wealth of humans, considering them as one family;

• the mother who produces all the human wealth of the world, grants them equal nourishment considering them as her family;

although, obviously, the children themselves, whether of the earth or of a mother, do not in practice, consider their own kith and kin as of the same family.

Nature unites all humans in their biological makeup. She unites all her chetana--sentient, wealth at the level of prANa and downwards, and achetana--insentient, wealth at the atomic level physically and further down as universal consciousness. The grosser the level the lesser the implementation of the principle of vasudeva kuTumbakam.

I think this is the right understanding of the world famous Hindu adage. Not because I said it, but because anyone who goes from the context can see it. The broad-mindedness of unity comes only at the level of the bird's eye view.

Ganeshprasad
19 April 2011, 06:06 AM
Pranam Saidevo


namaste everyone.

The universal meaning of 'all the world is one family' is derived from the meaning 'world, people' in the term vasudhA and applying it to 'family, household' in the term kuTumbakam.



It is intriguing how we formulate our opinion starting from a base and then proceed to find justification for our stand. Why Vasudeva Kutumbaka suddenly becomes unpalatable for some because we have aversion to universal concept (not without justification I may add) but should we become so paranoid that we forget that the whole creation can not be separate for different followers however right or wrong, good or evil we may be.
As Krishna says I am the seed giving father, all off us are that seed so does that not make us all the Family=Kutumb, Vasudev Kutumbak?

And why should we not perceive everything as Vasudev or part of his family?

bahūnāṃ janmanām ante jñānavān māṃ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ 7.19

Jai Shree Krishna

Sahasranama
21 April 2011, 05:46 AM
And why should we not perceive everything as Vasudev or part of his family?
Even kauravas and pandavas were born in one family.


Why Vasudeva Kutumbaka suddenly becomes unpalatable for some because we have aversion to universal concept
It did not "suddenly" become unpalatable, the verse was originally used as a caution against untrustworthy people. There is some truth in the statement "vasudhaiva kutumbakam," but what the stories in the Hitopadesha and the Panchatantra are telling is to be cautious, because not everyone is our well-wisher.

Another problem is that Babas are quoting vasudhaiva kutumbakam like it is some authoritive statement from shastra, while in actuality it was first mentioned in a book of fables which was authored to teach a lazy prince some lessons of life. This shows a lot of ignorance on the part of these Babas.

Believer
26 March 2017, 11:54 AM
Namaste,

This thread is worth a read by our newer members. Of special interest is our distinguished member saidevo's interpretation.

Pranam.

Indialover
30 March 2017, 08:34 AM
Namaste

Just some more examples of what trouble arises when people do not understand the scriptures and other literature in their proper context.

May be you are not aware how the complete Indian wisdom is disgraced in the West.

Yoga is sold as physical exercises in fitness studios, Vedanta is sold as method for psychical healing.

Lenovo sells Yoga tablets
http://www3.lenovo.com/gb/en/tablets/android-tablets/yoga-tablet/c/yoga-tab-3-series
(http://www3.lenovo.com/gb/en/tablets/android-tablets/yoga-tablet/c/yoga-tab-3-series)
Tantra is sold as sex
http://tantramassagetraining.co.uk
(http://tantramassagetraining.co.uk)
Lingam massage
http://massageonly.co.uk/massage/tantra-lingam-massage/
(http://massageonly.co.uk/massage/tantra-lingam-massage/)
Yoni massage
http://www.tantrictherapy.co.uk/yoni-massage-for-women/
(http://www.tantrictherapy.co.uk/yoni-massage-for-women/)
This is only a small overview of the rich portfolio of crude Western mind.

Pranam

Anirudh
30 March 2017, 09:23 PM
Namaste

Just some more examples of what trouble arises when people do not understand the scriptures and other literature in their proper context.

May be you are not aware how the complete Indian wisdom is disgraced in the West.

Yoga is sold as physical exercises in fitness studios, Vedanta is sold as method for psychical healing.

Lenovo sells Yoga tablets
http://www3.lenovo.com/gb/en/tablets/android-tablets/yoga-tablet/c/yoga-tab-3-series
(http://www3.lenovo.com/gb/en/tablets/android-tablets/yoga-tablet/c/yoga-tab-3-series)
Tantra is sold as sex
http://tantramassagetraining.co.uk
(http://tantramassagetraining.co.uk)
Lingam massage
http://massageonly.co.uk/massage/tantra-lingam-massage/
(http://massageonly.co.uk/massage/tantra-lingam-massage/)
Yoni massage
http://www.tantrictherapy.co.uk/yoni-massage-for-women/
(http://www.tantrictherapy.co.uk/yoni-massage-for-women/)
This is only a small overview of the rich portfolio of crude Western mind.

Pranam
.
Thank you very much India Lover. BTW, we at India are not left behind in this direction. A section (http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/7-indian-godmen-with-superpowers-who-god-couldnt-save-from-prison-228504.html) under the garb of Hinduism is been into this business for the past 1000 years or so. I do not wish to side track this wonderful thread but can we believe that these nobler than the noblest weren't the creations of pseudo secularists or their pay masters?

cyril
30 March 2017, 11:08 PM
Namaste

Very, very informative and welcome reading. It made me think of stories from other traditions: False prophets that sort of thing. Which interestingly leads into the point made later in the thread with India Lover and Anirudh. I can certainly concur with India Lover's point. I have been researching and reading as much as I can online, and I keep seeing all these sites and pages selling me "yoga" or some mystic experience. Again, reminds me of people offering salvation at a price regardless of faith, origin or direction.

In a way I am finding HDF to be a very valuable resource, so thank you for posting.

markandeya 108 dasa
31 March 2017, 06:30 AM
Namaste,


It isnt an East v West problem, the problem is avidya which lies in the heart of all conditioned beings, which should be first identified within our own being. As I was told once, when we point our finger just remember that only 1 finger is pointed at the object and 3 fingers are pointing towards ourself, its a hard message but alas at some point the message first has to start with us and then the work begins.


Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Absolute


TEXT 19
bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah




TRANSLATION
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.






Great souls who realize vasudevah sarvam iti, are in fact very very rare. Traditions are very important, and the founders of each tradition are the ones who are the ultimate authority, ultimately the traditions themselves have to be transcended as they are conventions, conventions have to be respected and followed but without attachment.


In the Pali tradition ( citation needed ) when Siddharta the awakened one Buddha held his councils in oral tradition to preserve the teachings of the Dharma he told his close disciples that as soon as the coals on his funeral pire went cold after his body was burned the teaching would be changed and altered.


After some time the teachings fall to much in human authority and become decadent and easily manipulated.


On the positive side when this happens a new Acharya usually appears or the gradual motion of setting the stage is persevered, Truth is always with us, the link is never lost or broken, it may just go underground or remain only with the few. In Kali Yuga only Truth remains from the 4 legs of Dharma, Truth cannot be destroyed.


Our safest and best bet for external measure is to rely only on the main authorities, Adi Shankara being one of the main Authority and Guru in this forum, so if one wants to learn advaita Vedanta the last word should be with Adi Shankara, or to seek out his most genuine representatives, who will always give credit and authority back to Adi Shankara, who then gives Credit to Vedas and Upanishads, who then give final authority to non human source of Brahman. The message then stays pure and without corruption and the true essence of universal truth is in tact. It transcends literal understanding, traditional conventions and one see's that same truth within all things, compounded and body-less simultaneously.

Each tradition has their main Guru's, 4 Vaishnava Sampradaya's whom each Acharya wanted complete unity among their separate traditions and non of then believed their teachings were sectarian, but sects arose within the followers and so disputes arose.


Usually after each Acharya appears there is some sort of boost, but two things seem to happen, the realization proper happens on a smaller scale, the Truth gets preserved by very few, but it is always there, the masses mistranslated but can have some benefit but gradually it falls in decadency. Then again there is another boost and, it seems to have some sort of cycle from what I have studied. There is always a link that is preserved between all the Acharyas, Gurus, Rishi's, Munis and Maha Siddhas, even if there are some apparent contradictions.

There is a universal message that is one, that is Dharma and there is a universal supreme Truth and that is Atma, Brahman which is the essence of all Beings. It needs a brilliant mind or Self Realized person to explain or show the way. Shastra is main authority, but to understand Shastra its preserved in Oral, or sound, Sabda Pramana. What can we do but be sincere and then it will come.

The main problem comes with verification. For me the 1st 2 chapters of Gita are so essential and after Arjuna was in state of dejection then 2nd Chapter verse 7 through to 30 teaches us how to verify the teachings which should always comply with Upanishads.

Harih Om