The Giver and the Mendicant
Namaste,
In the ancient times, Hindus placed a very high value on their daughters. This is illustrated by the interaction between Raja Dashrath and Raja Janak. For Ram's marriage, Raja Dashrath arrived at the Raja Janak's palace with all his relatives and friends. As Raja Janak welcomed him, Raja Dashrath proceeded to bow and touch Raja Janak's feet. Raja Janak stopped him and said, "Being groom's father you have a higher standing; why are you embarrassing me by trying to reach for my feet"? At this, Raja Dashrath replied, "At this point you are the दाता (donor) and I am a याचक (mendicant). You are going to do kanyadaan (charitable act of giving away one's daughter) and I have come to receive that daan (charity). So, you are higher than me and it is only befitting that I show my humility towards to you." Raja Janak was very moved by this gesture.
It is said that every daughter has a father but not every father has a daughter; only the blessed ones do. Unfortunately the social norms of today put a heavy burden on a girl's parents at the time of marriage and because of that daughters are not accorded the respect and adoration that they deserve. Perhaps every groom should take the initiative to change the social norms and that would reverse the tide and would elevate women to the level that they deserve and belong to.
Namaste.
Re: The Giver and the Mendicant
Namaste Believer ji
Very nice. Why don't you write something on the so called modern girls of the modern era. Modern Men are the receiving end, may be KARMA :)
Killing animals for food and more...
Namaste,
Here is an explanation of the absence of meat in the Hindu diet,
Pranam.
Links to Some History Posts - 1
Namaste,
History consists of stories of bygone eras. These stories are not necessarily meant to blame the long dead but to raise the awareness of the present living beings so that the same misdeeds are not repeated. With that in mind, here are few links from this forum as well as from outside sources,
http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthr...alianwala+bagh
http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthr...933#post132933
Rise of Hindu-Sikh separate identities fomented by Max Arthur McAuliffe, the British Deputy Commissioner of Punjab,
http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthr...as-Demystified
Kolkota, a gem of the past,
http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthr...ghlight=bengal
http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthr...erican-History
Approximately 100 years back, blacks in America became quite affluent in some cities. Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma was one such neighborhood and came to be known as 'The Black Wall Street'. It prospered until the fury of the nationalist thugs reduced it to ashes and killed many people whose mass graves are being found even today. Here is a brief video narration,
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/boss/video/...-riots-tbkhcr/
Attempting to vote as a non-white was never easy,
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/02/us/oc...rnd/index.html
Readers may do their independent research to know more or to read different slants on the above incidents. The purpose is to make ourselves aware as to what human race is capable of doing and to be vigilant about the repetition of the disturbing events of the past.
Pranam.
How a true devotee Meditates on His name
Namaste,
A sufi saint says (Punjabi verse written in Devnagri script),
औदी याद विच कत्तदी रही हर दम
खबरे केड़ी वी तंद मंज़ूर होवे
Approximate translation: Devotee says, 'In His remembrance, I kept spinning the yarn all the time; not knowing which piece of the yarn will be acceptable to (good enough for) Him'.
In these lines the saint compares a devotee who is constantly meditating on His name to a person spinning yarn on a 'charkha'*. One has to be totally engrossed with the task while spinning the yarn else the thread will break or be of non-uniform thickness rendering it useless. Similarly if a devotee is not fully immersed in meditation then the effort will be fruitless.
The devotee: I kept meditating on your name day and night not knowing when will You consider my meditation/penance to be worthy of You and reveal Yourself.
A person completely in love with the Divine keeps Him in his thoughts all the time and waits for Him to reveal Himself to the devotee.
*For those of you not familiar with what a charkha is; it is an old fashioned hand operated spinning wheel used to spin yarn from cotton as in the following video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgMsp-yNlBE
Pranam.
Re: How a true devotee Meditates on His name
Namaste,
Beautiful Believerji.
Thanks for this.
Om Namah Shivaya
FFTW
Re: Running with the Baton
Dear Believer
Your post reminds me of Yajnavalkya, he insulted the teacher, Vaishampayana, who demanded Yajnavalkya to return the knowledge he had acquired. Yajnavalkya vomited the Yajur Veda. The other students turned into Tittiri birds and ate the vomited knowledge that came to be known as Taittiriya Samhita. Yajnavalkya prayed to Surya, who appeared to him and taught him parts of the Yajur Veda that even Vaishampayana did not know. It’s a great story of recycling knowledge.
Further thoughts
The automobile was invented by Karl Friedrich Benz, the engine by Gottlieb Wilhlem Daimler in Germany. Today the world knows this car as ‚Mercedes‘.
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell (born in the UK) in the USA. Does the knowledge belong to the UK or to the USA?
The light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in the USA.
The first binary digital computer was developed and built by Konrad Zuse, Germany.
Nowadays cars, telephones, light bulbs and computers are built all over the world in all varities.
Would you call it stolen knowledge? Would you forego the comfort of these inventions?
The main problem is that ‘The East’ who respects honorable traditions, despises ‘The West’ (what I can understand too well) but enjoys its achievements. It’s like in India when I am not allowed to enter a temple, but the priest comes out, giving prasad and asking for money. Western people are not welcome, Western money is highly appreciated.
India’s export hit is Yoga - India sells its heritage without hesitation. In this case, there is no theft.
Pranam