सूक्ति (Beautiful Thought)

Sanskrit is world’s oldest language. They say “Old is Gold”. But the decline in Sanskrit suggests that we have not valued the Gold. There may be many reasons of its decline. One of the foremost reason was that we remained under the control of foreign rulers for way too long period (nearly 1000 years, isn’t it a very long period ?). Whenever any foreign power reins its subject, their first attack is on the cultural aspects of their occupation and to promote their own culture to the natives.

Anyway I am not going in to the details of the apathy of Sanskrit, because reflection in past never fetches any substantial gain but the present action can, however past can be a chaperone.

Today I am starting a new series in my blog, named “सूक्ति/ Beautiful Thought”

“सू+उक्ति; सू =अच्छा, सुन्दर ; उक्ति = विचार “.

It will consist texts, verses, thoughts, quotes, anecdotes etc. from Sanskrit language with its translation. I will try to write those episodes which will be relevant to our day to day life. The source of my quote will be multiple. Texts may be from Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwat Puran, Vedas, Upanishad, Quotes from various personalities such as Chanakya.

My purpose is that through this small initiative readers will feel proud about our great heritage and can develop some interest in knowing them. India was known as “Golden Bird” at the time, when Sanskrit was rife. I am not saying that there is some connection between it, but I also believe that it can not be a mere coincident.

Here is the first one ..

संस्कृत दुनिया की सबसे पुरानी भाषा है. लोग कहते हैं “ओल्ड इस गोल्ड “. लेकिन संस्कृत में गिरावट से पता चलता है कि हमने “गोल्ड” को महत्व नहीं दिया है. इसकी गिरावट के कई कारण हो सकते हैं. सबसे महत्वपूर्ण कारण यह था कि हम विदेशी शासकों के नियंत्रण में बहुत लंबे समय तक रहे (लगभग 1000 साल, क्या यह बहुत लंबी अवधि नहीं है?)। जब भी किसी भी विदेशी शक्ति ने अपने अधीन पर शाशन करती है तो उनका पहला हमला अधीन के सांस्कृतिक पहलुओं को नाश्ता करना और अपने सांस्कृतिक पहलुओं को उनपर थोपना होता है.

फिर भी मैं संस्कृत की उदासीनता का ब्यौरा में नहीं देने जा रहा हूं, क्योंकि सिर्फ अतीत झाँकने से किसी भी महत्वपूर्ण लक्ष्य की पूर्ति नहीं करता है, लेकिन वर्तमान में काम करने से यह प्राप्त किया जा सकता है, हालांकि अतीत एक सीख का काम कर सकती है

आज मैं अपने ब्लॉग में एक नई श्रृंखला शुरू कर रहा हूं, जिसका नाम रखा है “सूक्ति ” . इसमें संस्कृत भाषा से पाठ, छंद, विचार, उद्धरण, उपाख्यानों आदि शामिल होंगे। मैं उन लेखों को लिखने का प्रयास करूंगा जो हमारे दिन-प्रतिदिन जीवन के लिए प्रासंगिक होंगे। मेरे उद्धरण का स्रोत एकाधिक होगा. ग्रंथों में श्रीमद् भगवद गीता, भागवत पुराण, वेद, उपनिषद, चाणक्य जैसे विभिन्न व्यक्तित्वों से उद्धरण भी हो सकते हैं।

मेरा उद्देश्य यह है कि इस छोटी सी पहल के माध्यम से पाठकों को हमारी महान विरासत के बारे में पढ़कर गर्व महसूस होगा और उन्हें जानने में कुछ रुचि पैदा हो होगी। भारत को “सोने की चिड़िया” कहा जाता था, जब संस्कृत व्यापक थी। मैं यह नहीं कह रहा हूं कि इसके बीच कुछ संबंध हैं, लेकिन मेरा यह भी मानना है कि यह एक संयोगमात्र नहीं हो सकता।

 

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Why most Hindus are cremated but some are buried?

Why most Hindus are cremated but some are buried?

Recently when Jayalalitha, a very popular leader of South Indian state Tamilnadu, died, it produced unprecedented shock waves across the country. After her demise, unlike most of the Hindus, she was buried and not cremated. It was baffling for me as well as for many others that why there are two pronged approach in same religion. Then I searched for the reason of this exception. Whatever the understanding I got, presenting it in the blog. But you are also entitled to get differed from my opinion

Why Hindus are cremated?

It is important to know that in Hinduism, saints and sages came to conclusion that Jivas (Humans are one of the Jivas) are not their body but the eternal Soul and Soul never dies. It just changes the body. This concept is known as Transmigration of the Soul.

This is substantiated in one of the most revered scripture of Hinduism,

Bhgavad Gita 2.13

 dehino ‘smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.

One more essential pillar of the Hindu doctrine is “Moksha”, along with “Dharma”, “Artha”and “Kaam”. Moksha in it’s literal sense means “to be free”. Now the question will be Freedom for whom and from what? So this freedom is for the Soul and from this material conditioning that is from perishable body.

According to Vedic injunction, when a person attains Moksha, then he/she doesn’t come in this material world again and either merges with Bramhan (Super Soul) or resides with the Lord in his abode which is permanent unlike this world.

So when a person dies, he has to leaves his body, but since he has spent a long time with this body, he develops attachment for it. When anyone is attached with any person or object then a desire to associate with it for longer duration of time, remains inside him. But the desire to be in this perishable body is conflicting with the real objective i.e. to be free and attain Moksha. Hence by burning the body, soul can witness and realise the temporary nature of the body and hence the will ultimately crave for Moksha.

But saints and children are cremated

There are some exceptions to it. Saints and Children, when they die, there is a Provision for them to buried. The reason for it, which I have understood after reading some text and hearing from some specialists in this subject, is as follows.

Saints and sages (I am talking about real ones which are few in number yet existing, not the bogus which has proliferated and made religion a business), in their whole life time goes through severe penances, meditations, rituals, sacrifices, association with the pious personality etc. By going through all these process they not only knows but become self realized that the body which they got is perishable and ultimate objective is to attain Moksha. Hence after this realization, the body which they got becomes purified from the material contamination such as lust, greed, anger, enviousness, attachments etc. Since they have no attachment for the body, hence they are buried.

One more consideration which I came across is that, the real Gurus, sages or the pious personality come to this material planet just to relieve the ones which are suffering in this world due to the ignorance that they are soul, not the body. So even though they appear like ordinary human beings, yet they are the direct messenger of the Lord, hence they are not having any longing for their body. They just finish their duty and leave their body.

There is also a provision to bury the children. The reason for this, which I have read is that since they die at very young age and hence they don’t develop so much longing and attachment for themselves. Hence they are buried.

Now coming to the point of why Jayalalitha is buried, I am not able to figure out the real reason other than the whims of her follower, as she was not and ascetic personality and of course, neither a child.

The uniqueness of Hinduism lies in the fact that it is a very liberal. If you are worshiping idol still you are Hindu, not worshiping it makes no difference, even if you are atheist you can accommodate in Hinduism. That’s why Indian Supreme Court termed, Hinduism as a “Way of Life”. This also very much true for the last right. When majority cremates the body, yet you will find exceptions to it.