Canadian First Nation Peoples, Gazing into Future, Paganism is Way Forward 4-Part Essay by Nilesh M Shukla

 Part 1 

The government of Canada has taken many steps to reassure and encourage communities of the First Nations. This has been widely acknowledged by the indigenous community. Any average Canadian, who may not be a member of the First Nations,is also sympathetic and happy to help out. This is indicative of a mature, emphatic and understanding society. It helps a violated and a disadvantaged community to feel wanted and move from despair to a future of hope, achievements and fulfilment. 

Indeed, some measures of hand holding, out-of-turn opportunities at education, employment, housing, business etc can and should be fine, until the First Nations gain enough confidence to feel that they no longer need. But in the long run, what seemed welcome at one stage has a potential to turn toxic and damaging. In the long run the handouts and freebies end up harming that very same community. However, going forward, The First Nations people would need to rediscover the unique life force that they once possessed before they were rudely disturbed upon arrival of not-so-friendly sailors, soldiers, settlers and merchants onboard modern ships from the other end of the Atlantic since the early sixteenth Century. 

The Canadian First Nations became the victims of the overseas settlers. A large number  of unsuspecting innocent First Nations people were mowed down by gunpowder and the rest were ‘eliminated’ using every other dark trick. Settlers proved to be insensitive and cruel exploiters. However what is different for the First Nations as compared to indigenous folks of  the world is that some of the Canadian indigenous communities have still survived somehow. In part, thanks to the European merchants who collaborated with them in harvesting fur and the lack of appetite of Europeans in acquiring the frozen inhospitable lands of Canada.

Therefore, the surviving First Nations could still tell us the tale that Vikings, Celts, Pagans, Heathens, Polytheists, Germanic Tribes etc in Europe could not. Those ancient Europeans had completely and totally perished along with their language, history, gods, rituals and culture. What has remained of them are some archaeological ruins in the form of Stonehenge, some artefacts in the museums and caricatured Santa Claus and Halloween. Probably the same fate awaited First Nations in Canada too. 

However, just when everything was about to be lost, the wheels of fortune turned and a few members of the First Nations could survive, albeit just a bit. As a consequence of general progress in transport, communications and education levels, the world over, and especially the renaissance in Europe gave birth to a whole new kind of thinking generation. They were liberal and open minded elites who did not share pride in an inherited aristocracy but in liberal art, culture and fresh thinking. This development saved some of the First Nations people.

----   ----   ----    ----

Part 2 

Come the nineteenth and twentieth century, some of the Europeans and Americans became a little disillusioned by what they saw happening in the name of religion in the churches around them. Apart from dogmatic dictates and the moral and financial corruption, they discovered the ugly history of systematic annihilation of Pagans, everywhere in the world. They saw how the innocent word ‘Pagan’ was made into a derogatory term and made to mean “Devil worshippers”. It was beyond them to reconcile the reverence for nature and for one's own ancestors with an evil term as “Devil-worship”. Europeans were cleverly gaslighting the divinity of paganism as devilishness. They soon discovered deceit and moral degradation of so-called ‘civilised’ under the cloak of their make-believe ‘love’ and ‘empathy’.  These modern men, whose conscience was stirred up, went ahead to discover roots and religions of the pagans. Many of those began their own churches with their own Pagan Gods, Deities, Symbols and rituals, taking cue from still-alive practices. This movement is still in a budding stage but surely, it has aroused a fresh thinking.

Not so much in the twentieth century, but currently in the twenty first century, these ‘new’ Pagan religions suddenly became more relevant as the world witnessed the consequences of thoughtless destruction and exploitation of nature, what is popularly known as “Global Warming” and “Climate Change”.

The First Nations of Canada, just like every other indigenous ancient people of the world, worshipped nature. The Rain, Shine, Spring, Sowing, Harvest, Forays into Seas, Solstices and Equinoxes were celebration times. The Earth, Lands, Mountains, Seas, Rivers, Ponds, Trees,Forests, Sun, Moon etc were respectfully considered their objects of reverence, they were gods, friends, brothers, sisters, mother or father. They spoke with respect to them and gratefully thanked them for the bounties they bestowed. The nature-deities responded kindly to them. So called shamans, interpreted them. Misuse of natural resources was immoral, an insult or a sin. 

The, Celts, Vikings, Germanic Pagans, Red Indians, Mayans, Incas, Slav Pagans, Russian Pagans, South-East-Asian Forest dwellers, etc. either disappeared completely or just barely survived, accepting what crumbs of bread were thrown to them by the conquerors and survived by submitting to them, even aping their tormentor’s customs and languages, hoping to garnish their reluctant sympathy. In Canada, the First Nations too were brutalised. It was beyond the trusting-type   innocent indigenous communities to even comprehend the minds of settlers who apparently had no mercy. It was physically impossible to defeat them using the elementary weaponry that they had. They were completely helpless.

They, who studied histories and anthropology of the First Nations in Canada wrote their impressions, some perhaps even inadvertently, with biases and languages that they had brought with them from Europe. Their biases and languages could not truely express the history, folklore, religious prayers and the spirituality behind invoking the nature-deities. However unfortunate as it is, we have to depend today on those ill-translated European-language “scholarly researched” documents and books. 

----    ----    ----    ----

Part 3 

Current anthropologies, histories, geographies and folklores concerning the Canadian First Nations have indeed been written after a painstaking study of still surviving as well as long dead First Nation communities. 

Notwithstanding its immense value, a keen reader with an analytical eye, would not miss that none is seriously appreciative of the life force that kept the community alive and kicking for centuries before the arrival of ‘civilised’ Europeans. In addition, due to limitations of their language and biases inherent to their cultural, their ‘scholarship’ has given rise to make-belief anthropology, poorly translated prayers, watered-down importance of what is otherwise a worship that treasures nature, promotes vital relationships between people, family-members, reinforces belongingness to nature etc. That the people can actually ‘listen’ to or ‘talk’ to lakes, rivers, seas, mountains, trees, fish, birds etc was just a silly joke to them. Communicating with ancestors is just some mumbo-jumbo to them. Everything related to Pagan is myth, their living experience as superstition or silly. 

As hardly any account is written from a perspective of a practising Pagan, the current literature has given rise to a twisted understanding of the indigenous culture. The potential benefit the world was to accrue from the First Nations is lost in ‘civilising’ them. In fact there are many things that the First Nations can teach us, the so-called ‘modern men’. That, if encouraged, the First Nations can be an influential, powerful ally in our current conundrum of fight against Climate Disasters, Forest Fires, Flash Floods and melting of Glaciers in the North, is but overlooked.

Most of the available literature on the Canadian First Nations gives a sense of utter despondency. Yes, it does arouse sympathy for loss suffered by the First Nations as a community but, significantly, it does not evoke the respect that they deserve as a nature-loving, nature-worshipping, sensitive civilization. In addition to the despondency filled literature, another set of literature has recently come up that celebrates success of some members of the First Nations, who could ‘succeed’ by aping the ways of erstwhile tormentors. Thus, in a nutshell, even the newer genre of books encourages abandoning ancestral practices. 

The blame-game is usually an exercise in futility and even counter-productive. Therefore, those who wish to uplift the community may look at interesting options. Studies of factors that help the healthy development of societies suggest what is needed by  the one who wants not only to survive, but meaningfully progress and be happy and fulfilled.

Generous handouts or obligatory-courtesy-job and education is certainly needed in the beginning, but that is half the solution. What is really needed is a sense of purpose, an objective, before that person, not just ‘an’ objective but a ‘glorious’ one. It can not be synthetic but should be something organically inherent to them.

Is there a grand objective for the First Nations even possible? 

 

----   ----   ----    ----

Part 4 

There does exist a glorious objective as natural as what water is to a fish, hidden in plain sight, that could transform the First Nations society and maintain their unique identity.

It is simple, natural and it works. Return to the roots. Reclaim that potent ancestral nature worship, lead the green movement and embrace that profoundly far-reaching Paganism. 

The First Nations could perhaps take a path which some European and American brethren have taken. They began to develop an understanding of nature-worship of forefathers and became proud inheritors of ancestral Paganism.

Like a Phoenix, the Canadian First Nations could rise to a live and kicking community shored up by clasping ancestral wisdom. Recently, the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was spotted coining the term for it, The “Ancestral Intelligence” during Raisina Dialogues, an international platform of discussions, mimicking a more popular term “Artificial Intelligence”. No mainstream thinkers have given any consideration to rebuilding the indigenous culture based on the fundamentals of the innate culture of indigenous people.

The First Nations community, standing on their own feet, proudly facing the modern world can become a major contributor to the multi-cultural society of Canada instead of getting remembered in the literature as random creators of totem-poles, Inukshuks and  perhaps in the museums across the world with their artefacts as pieces days of bygone cultures or as pieces of decoration on the fireplaces of the homes of wealthy.

The current religious thought prevalent among the majority population is sworn against “Paganism”. Head-wind can be anticipated from them while reclaiming paganism. But they can not be faulted as they were roped into Paganism-hating-clubs, well before they even learnt to walk. They take it as their religious duty to destroy paganism and to ‘save’ the people from going to ‘hell’ and enduring ‘suffering’. Same is true for “Loyalists” elks.

Pride in going back to basics, going back to nature, reverently worshipping nature and the ancestors, could make a positive contribution to the First Nations psychology and wellbeing and consequently to the Canadian Society as a whole. Anthropologists, and other specialists in the matter of First Nations have defined the problems and solutions of the indigenous communities by “their” lens, “their” bias and in “their” language. A relook is necessary to understand the First Nations through their indigenous Pagan lens.

While European neo-paganism followers had to create their own new ways of rituals, the First Nations of Canada are lucky that they still know some of their rituals and therefore it is easier for them to reclaim their heritage. Indeed they can exchange notes with American and European new Pagans, such as Heathenry, Asatru, Wicca, Feraferia, Odinic Rite, Nova Roma, etc.or other Pagans of Orient, the still active and alive Hindus, Zoarastrians, Kurds, Droids etc. Pagan cultures have found profound learning from Nature. Nature knows only to give. It does not take. It gives everyone, the Sun does not discriminate between people. My Gods, treat everyone equally. Let's show some reverence.

----   ----   ----    ----

Letter from Canada: Modi’s Temple Opening in Ayodhya. Why is it a big deal?

What India’s Modi did on 22th January 2024, was predictably flashed on Canadian TV Channels variously as “Opening of controversial Hindu temple” or as a vote-bank-promoting tool ahead of the upcoming general election “using the elaborate consecration ceremony to lobby the country's Hindu majority” etc. remarks. Other media, known for towing similar lines, BBC, NYT, WP, DW, AJ, etc too maintained their characteristic hostile stance. 

While all those observations are neither correct nor legit and at best misleading half truths, the reporters and journos could benefit themselves by considering what really it is that has resulted in unprecedented, unseen, frenzy around opening. There is something more at play. It is political but in a different sense. After opening, Modi announced from the podium: “the occasion marks the beginning of a new era”. Many share his sentiment across the globe. Besides political fallout for India and the world, it has opened a vast curiosity among thinkers and even the general public all over the world. Everyone has begun wondering as to what has triggered an excitement, almost a frenzy all around inside and outside India? More than 100 flights, 40 of them chartered, have landed in the morning that day in a sleepy and hardly known small town of India. Situated hundreds of kms away from cities like Delhi and Kolkata and thousand plus kms away from Bangalore, Chennai or Hyderabad, in the plains of agricultural rural land fed by Himalayan rivers. Ayodhya, where until just a few days ago hardly any flights flew or trains plied. As a matter of fact there have been times in the past when it was a taboo even to visit it. Whatever few pilgrims visited in those times, did it under a shadow of reprisal and arrest by local administration who took pride in having ordered shooting on unarmed devotees. The Supreme Court ruling in 2019 changed everything. 

The town of Ayodhya was not always a sleepy place but was, once, a prosperous thriving capital city of King Rama. After the court verdict, people are now full of hope that the restored temple will once again bring back the happiness of Rama Rajya. 

On 22nd January 2022, when the city woke up from sleep, they witnessed the presence amongst them of about 7,000 VVIP guests invited by the temple Trust, a non-gov body. Everyone who matters in India, who are leaders in their own fields, be it business, politics, finance, religion, scientists, philosophy, art, theatre, music, media etc. were present to witness the opening. Learned men had calculated from the celestial movements of stars and planets that a slot of 84 seconds beginning 12:29:03 pm.was the most suitable time period for that important event. Besides those who were invited by the Trust, there were other visitors, estimated at 250,000. VVIPs. The tycoons, celebrities, faith leaders, politicians were seen rubbing shoulders on the streets or on the Saryu Riverfront of Ayodhya with ordinary folks. Entire funding, temple decorations and food expenses were met through crowdfunding through donations. Tradition was set by Mahatma Gandhi by his categoric edict that no government funding should be provided for building temples and that crowdfunding route only can be used for that purpose. Mahatma in his foresight had spelled out that restriction when rebuilding of Somanath Temple was discussed during the early years of independence. 

Excitement was not limited to Ayodhya city alone but was palpable even 12,000 kM away in Canada and its many temples. So also was in many cities of 100 other countries that are home to a significant ethnically Indian population notwithstanding the fact that they have no or negligible skin in the outcomes of Indian election or economy. And still, somehow they found it important enough to arrange live streaming of the telecast of the Ayodhya function. Besides temples, the ceremony was shown live at hundreds of locations including the one on a large screen in the Times Square of New York. On various other TV channels, Live interviews of many Europeans, Americans, Australians etc who were clearly not of Indian ethnicity, were expressing excitement and happiness. A few American Rabbis too seemed extremely enthusiastic and excited with the rebuilding of the temple on the site that marked the birth place of legendary King Rama, considered an Avatar of Bhagavan Vishnu. 

Temple was originally a room in the Palace of Rama’s mother Kaushalya Mata. That is where she delivered the baby Rama. Millenia ago a monumental temple was constructed there, housing a murti (idol) of baby-Rama and was continuously maintained there by subsequent societies for subsequent thousands of years till 1528. 

Global community, perhaps, finds it intriguing. What on earth is in the opening of that temple?? How can a temple excite billions of Indians and others, after all it is just a temple? And there are thousands more scattered around, so what is the big deal? 

Well, there are a few important reasons. Bhagavan Rama epitomises good governance and personal purity. The ideas and SOP for governance conveyed through text “Ramayana” are legendary and far more advanced than what we consider as modern democracy or justice system. The justice and fairplay of Rama excites everyone because that's what one wants to see in their own societies. On the other hand, the lofty ideas of Rama’s governance excite the thinkers of the world who are grappling with the solution to discontent, fear, poverty and greed prevalent in their societies. This must be the main cause behind the intense excitement. 

In our modern society, the relationship between haves and have-nots derives its laws and SOP framework out of an exploiter-exploited rights-based paradigm, while in the Rama Rajya, the same is derived from supporter-supported responsibility paradigm. In the former, your need becomes my opportunity but in later your need becomes my duty. In the former, one fights for taking rights and in the later one fights to take responsibility. This is what tickled Mahatma Gandhi and he craved Rama Rajya for the Independent India as soon as she attained frredom from the British rule.

The sage-author Valmiki, can be interpreted to be saying in ‘preface’ of the Ramayana text, that armed and powerful use weapons to kill weaponless and powerless when he sights the famous episode of bird-hunter. This story is the backdrop of Ramayana to illustrate oppressor-oppressed relationships and Ramayana shows the way how humans could change it to the sustainer-sustained or nourisher-nourished relationship between them where powerful consider it their duty to save powerless. Valmiki thought of haves and have-nots, thousands of years before Karl Marx and today's liberals. Rama Rajya's solution was based on Dharma (Duty) and not on rights. Therefore Rama ended up uniting diverse societies while Marx et al have inadvertently excelled in breaking up of united societies. 

Ramayana can help the West understand why India is an inherently democratic, inherently secular and inherently plural without having succumbed to pitfalls of societal diversity arising out of religions, languages and economic status. It is a great learning tool for the nations who seem to be failing at experiments of celebrating diversity in their countries. In the Western model, the solution to diversity at best is “Tolerance of All” but Rama’s Governance model is starkly different, it is “Acceptance of All”. Intellectuals understand what a stark difference is between the two mindsets. If Modi said in Ayodhya after the temple opening that Rama is for everybody and Rama is the spirit of India, it makes perfect sense. Of late, many career coaches and management institutes have adopted Ramayana as their teaching source material for effective administration and ethical management. 

A despotic marauder descended on the fertile Himalayan plains, Ignorant of Rama’s value and with a view to terrorise, rob and dominate the inhabitants of Ayodhya, sacked the Rama-Birth-Temple. His name was Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babar, also simply known as Babar. He returned to his homeland and died there, however he successfully established a dynasty that ruled India till the Maratha dynasty displaced them. Then came the British who defeated Maratha and governed India till 1947. 

Since 1528, for exactly 496 years Indians of every generation have been struggling to worship once again at the home of baby-Rama. Only they who struggled really understand what it is to participate in the opening of Rama-Birth temple. 

Some may be excited due to the sense of having avenged wrong done or on recovery of ancient grandeur of Rama-Birth-Temple or feel of the sense of relief or for successful culmination of sacrifices made by Rama devotees. All are valid reasons but mainly the import of this excitement lies in the sense everyone feels of a belongingness to a lofty ideal of a society where everyone is happily living under a just and fair administration run by a loving ruler. Everyone naturally craves to live in a society that treats them fairly. The constitution and governance SOP for that kind of an ideal state is termed as “Rama Rajya”. While the term is known from time immemorial, in recent times “Rama Rajya” became a popular term during India’s non-violent independence struggle when the great leader, Mahatma Gandhi began using it as a synonym of good governance. 

Ram-Rajya after having perfected a system of fair, just and open governance, had successfully and continuously delivered it for more than a thousand years. Traditional historians do not find the claim to be historical but consider it a piece of rich literature woven around the mythical Ikshavaku Dynasty. That is fine because according to them civilization dawned just about 4-5,000 years ago. Of course, several Western historians are now finding holes in that theory with the newer archaeological evidence pushing history back several more thousands of years. Even if Ramayana is a myth, the governance concept described in the text of Sage Valmiki, in the epic Ramayana is enticing to say the least. It is so alluring and intellectually fulfilling that thinkers get carried away. As per the ancients, the Ramayana is a historical text, a chronicle of events in the territory of Ayodhya during a long period identified as “Treta Yuga”. The Ramayana text describes history, politics, governance principles, administration, taxation, education system, health care for humans, animals and birds, family values, society and lives of citizens of Ayodhya. chariots, horses, sharp weapons and wars. That its population was prosperous and happy, citizen wore fragrances, wore silk, used gold and silver ornaments, spoke in a rich and articulate language, women were brave and men were strong, no one died ahead of his time, they died in the same sequence as of their birth, later born never died before the former born. The description of the city of Ayodhya is breathtakingly charming. Indians had continuously for thousands of years remained in peace and prosperity using the constitutional framework of the brave King Rama who never ever in his life deviated from righteousness or made exceptions to rules or indulged into favouritism. He fondly came to be known as “Maryada Purushottam”. This expression for King Rama translates as he who is a “great person who stays within the set bounds of morality never transgressing it (even if possible by law or military power or money)” His dynasty is famously known as the promise-keepers, “Raghukul Reet Sadaa Chali Aayee, Praan Jaaya Per Vachan Na Jaay”. Translated: “Way of Rama’s dynasty is to keep the promise even if that meant inviting death to keep the promise” 

Who can resist craving for belongingness to such a ruler or his kind of governance? That is the secret of unlimited charm and attraction Rama and Rama Rajya have stored for its citizens. His governance idea and ethical behaviour is legendary and above petty politics. 

How I wish the journalists and correspondence of the media I referred to in the first para could find some time to reflect upon the governance ideas laid out in the Ramayana. Even if one was to leave alone the governance and if they were to just enjoy the rich literature, they woild be thrilled.

--- ---- ---- ----

Hindus, Reach Out To Everyone, Start With Hindus. Message from 2023 Bangkok World Hindu Congress

At the World Hindu Congress* 2023, Bangkok, organised between 24-26 Nov, the theme of the event was “Jayasya Aayatanam Dharmah”. (जयस्य आयतनं धर्मः). Elaborating on the theme, in his opening, the RSS Chief Shri. Mohan Bhagawat, simplified it as “Hindus, reach out to everyone in the spirit of service by winning everyone’s hearts. Aim of the Hindus is “Work for everyone’s benefit and for everyone’s happiness, बहु जन हिताय, बहु जन सुखाय” This is the Hindu Dharma View. The world hopes this becomes the world view. It can happen if the Hindus take it to the world, first to every pocket of Hindus, those we have not yet reached to, they may even be in far corners, in forests or forgotten in the far away countries. It is our ordained “national task” because it is sanctified in the Hindu scriptures from the prehistoric times as: “World is one family, वसुधैव कुटुंबकम” and “Make the people of the world righteous-noble-honourable, कृण्वन्तो विश्वमार्यम्”. And, it is our obligation to execute these two Dharmic civilizational directives as our duty. He made a point that all religions and the thought processes of the entire world have one common theme, “How to behave?”. In India that is Bharat, referring to the ancient literatures, he repeated the virtues defined in the Chapter 16th of the Bhagavad Gita as what is “Dharma Behaviour” in Hindu view: The Fearlessness अभयम्, Pure mind सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः, Knowledge ज्ञान, Resoluteness at task योगव्यवस्थितिः, Charity दानम्, Control over five senses दमः, Sacrifice यज्ञः, Study of self स्वाध्यायः, Austerity तपः, Simplicity आर्जवम्, Non-violence अहिंसा, Truthfulness सत्यम्, Absence of anger अक्रोधः, Renunciation त्यागः, Peacefulness शान्तिः, Restraint from un-required fault-finding of others अपैशुनम्, Compassion for living दया, Absence of covetousness अलोलुप्त्वम्, Gentleness मार्दवं, Modesty ह्रीः, Non-fickleness अचापलम्, Vigor तेजः, Forgiveness क्षमा, Fortitude धृतिः, Cleanliness शौचम, Non-Enmity अद्रोहः and Non-Vanity नातिमानिता. Dharmic Behaviour has no place for Anger, Hatred, Lust and Foul speech. He further elaborated on Dharmic Behaviour referring to a Tamil Classic “The Tirukkural” as that also says: No Anger, No Hatred, No Lust, No Envy and No Ego. The real problem is विकार-Corrupted desires and Ignorance. Hence the outreach. Birth of our society, the Hindu society, is for this grand purpose. World expects this from us. Bharat will provide guidance. We live to create happiness for all. Our nation is born through the austerities- तपः of Rishis since before the ‘history’ began. All the pre-Abrahamic so-called “Pagan” practices were similar in spirit. They had the same quality everywhere. The theme of 2023 World Hindu Conference, जयस्य आयतनं धर्मः guides us to “Glory by expanding (reaching) Dharma” and for that, Hindus, Reach out to everyone, start with reaching out to every Hindu on the earth. Apart from above many distinguished speakers from various countries and diverse fields took to the stage and delivered inspiring and informative speeches. What attracted the attention of many was a message from the Prime Minister of Thailand, Shri. Srettha Thavisin. As he was unable to attend in person, his message was read out on stage from the dais: “World is struggling with turmoil in current times. Hinduism is a religion of principles and values. Inspiration should be taken from religion, truth, tolerance and harmony. Peace can be established only through Hindu Values”. ____ World Hindu Congress* 2023 was the third since its inception. It assembles once every four years with predominant Hindu thought leaders of the world. The World Hindu Congress (WHC) is a global platform for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another, and impact the common good. Interactive sessions offer space to deliberate the challenges and opportunities facing Hindu communities across the globe, and seek tangible solutions for the progress and prosperity of Hindus and the betterment of humanity and the world. World Hindu Congress is organised by the World Hindu Foundation (WHF). ---- ---- ---- ----

Chess Federation Silver for R Praggnanandhaa. Chess is Chaturang

International Chess Federation Silver for R Praggnanandhaa. Chess is Chaturang Today, a bright young 18 year old boy from India, GrandMaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has won Silver at the International Chess Championship* and earlier, GrandMaster Vishwanath Anand had won Gold in the year 2000 at this Championship. Therefore, this is perhaps an appropriate time to reflect on our heritage-link with this sport.

💡Chess, just like Yoga, is essentially a gift of the Ancient Indian knowledge system to mankind. Everyone knows this, globally all chess organisations admit this and Google also says so! Now India has to work on projecting chess and repositioning it as a costless tool to sharpen intellectual prowess, something like a kind of Intellectual Yoga or “BrainYoga”. Also let us remember not to confuse this grand intellectual game with chance games of dice. Chess is not a game of chances but it is a war-game of strategic thinking, planning and executing an attack on an enemy.

Chess is another evidence of ancient India’s cultural current, softly and gracefully flowing throughout the globe, just like Yoga does. Contributing to the intellectual elevation of the human potential at almost no cost, no commitment and no demand. In that way, chess parallels Yoga. Yoga contributes to humanity by elevating health and wellness at no cost, no commitment and no demand.

It is no secret that what was once a very commonly played game in India has lost that place, albeit, due to very legitimate reasons. Finding peaceful leisurely time for this sport was nearly impossible during the centuries of assaults and oppressions of colonisers. Now that the tide has turned in favour, independent India is slowly finding its feet, it is the right time to work on India’s assets, intangible and tangible.

In most Indian languages, such as Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu etc, the game of chess is known by its Arabaised pronunciation,“Shatranj”. However, it was not so before the foreigners colonised India. Wherever the Indic civilisation existed, from the Far-East to South Asia, chess was known by the original name “CHATURANG - चतुरंग”. In Tamil language and many other Asian languages such as Burmese, Bahasa Indonesia etc. it is still Chaturang, expressed as ‘Chaturnkam’ in Tamil or similar meaning in their local languages.

The word ‘Chaturang’ carries a meaning. When applied to an army, Chaturang means ‘a strong full-fledged army consisting of all “4-Elements”. Namely, 1- foot-soldiers, 2- elephant mounted soldiers, 3- cavalrymen riding camels and 4- cavalrymen riding horses’. The army is led in the game by a King and Chief of the Army. Chaturang has almost the same set of rules as those used in Chess today, however the titles of the pieces on the chequered board are not the same. The Indian Chaturang pieces were secular soldiers but modern international chess today has religiously anointed soldier pieces such as Knights and Bishops.

Chaturang came to be known as Shatranj in many languages in Asia and by names such as échecs, ajedrez, schach, xadrez, check, shakhmaty, or chess in Europe. While Shatranj is merely Arabised** pronunciation of the Indian word Chaturang, the European name connects it to the word ‘Shah’, as the game of Kings/Rulers. In the Islamic ruler dominated regions such as India/Persia etc, the ruler was known as ‘Shah’ or ‘Shehanshah’. Eventually Chaturang took various local customised forms of ‘Shah’ in Spain, Portugal, France, Britain, Germany, Russia, England etc European countries and even in China.

Persian, Nepali, Sinhala languages etc and all the modern Indian languages such as Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Marathi, Bengali etc had no alphabetical or larynx deficiency, they being members of the Indo-European Language group, with roots in Sanskrit, were fully capable of proper pronunciation of every syllable of ‘Chaturang’ but had ironically began adopting the “ruler-friendly vocabulary” ‘Shatranj’ for the game of Chaturang.

Thus, most of the current names for chess do not capture the essence of the game as brilliantly as the original name “CHATURANG” that alludes to the spirit of the game, The Battle. This leaves a possibility 💡 that the world might welcome a more relevant name such as Chaturang in the future. Perhaps it can begin by making a positive narrative about it first in India, taking care not to waste away the goodwill of the game even though obtained by use of any other name. 💡 Let’s project Chess on the global stage as an ancient Indian game of Chaturang on the lines of Yoga for health and Chaturang for Brain Enhancement. Maybe India can host the FIDE office in India. Maybe India can begin with encouragement schemes, awards, incentives, coaching centres for Chess players in state capitals etc. and build on the potential that exists in the talented young generation of India.

* Esterix References/Additional Details: Chess Championship*: The International Chess Federation, well known by its French language acronym FIDE, is based in Switzerland. Chess Championship 2000: India’s first international success at the championships came in 2000, when Viswanathan Anand won the Gold. Chess Championship 2023: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa now won the Silver at the FIDE World Cup in 2023. Arabised** Arabs always replace ‘च - Ch' with ‘شوِِ‘ - ‘Sh’ or ‘س’-, ‘S’ simply because Arabic alphabets does not have any syllable equivalent to ‘च - Ch'. (We are aware that in Arabic, the Chai is Shy, China is Sin, Chocolate is Shockolate, etc. Secondly, Arabic alphabets ‘G’-‘ग’, ‘GH’-’घ’, and ‘J’-’ज’, have certain freedom of transpositioning resulting in tribe-wise/country-wise pronunciation differences. (We know that Gamal is occasionally Jamal, Sharga is Sharjah, Gabriel is Jibriel, etc). This led to Chaturang coming to be pronounced as ‘Shatranj’ and the original word began its life in the Islam dominated parts of the globe with Arab, Turkic or Mongol rulers in the mediaeval time as a new spoken word, “Shatranj” - ”شطرنج” (in Arabic).

Announcement by Creative Prakashan Publisher: Second Edition at Revised Price “ઊર્મિલાનો મોટો દીકરો એટલે ઊમોદી”

New Edition with more pages and its revised price is just announced by my Publisher, Creative Prakashan: “ઊર્મિલાનો મોટો દીકરો એટલે ઊમોદી” Discounted Price 540 (Revised Cover Price Rs. 630)

+12 વયના સહુને વાંચવા-જાણવા જેવી રસપ્રદ ઘટનાઓથી સભર આ પુસ્તકમાં રાજકારણ, યુદ્ધો, જાસૂસી, ભાંગફોડ, ઈતિહાસ, ભૂગોળ, વિજ્ઞાન, ઉદ્યોગો, વૂડૂ બ્લેક મેજિક, સ્વાસ્થ્ય, પરંપરાઓ, રીતરિવાજો, તહેવારો, ભાષાઓ, સંબંધો, રસોઈ, ખોરાક, વગેરે જેવા વિધવિધ વિષયોને આવરી લેતી વાસ્તવિક જીવનની સત્ય વાર્તાઓ વાંચવા મળે છે. સેંકડો એવા વિષયો છે કે જેની સાહિત્યમાં ભાગ્યે જ ચર્ચા થાય છે તેવી વાતોને લીધે દરેક વાચકને આ પુસ્તક રસપ્રદ લાગશે. વિષય પ્રસ્તુતિ પણ સામાન્ય પુસ્તક કરતાં સાવ અલગ રીતે થયેલી છે. અધ્યયન અને સામાન્ય જ્ઞાનની દૃષ્ટિએ આ પુસ્તક મૂલ્યવાન છે. તેથી જ તો, શૈક્ષણિક પુસ્તક પ્રકાશક, ક્રિએટિવ પ્રકાશને આ પુસ્તક પ્રકાશિત કર્યું છે. આ પુસ્તક એક સારું વાંચન તો છે જ પણ તે સાથે જન્મદિવસ કે કોઈ સારા પ્રસંગે એક સારી ભેટ આપવા લાયક પુસ્તક પણ છે. નીચે આપેલી લિંકને અનુસરીને તમારી નકલ મેળવી શકશો. ISBN:978-93-95389-01-3. Creative Prakashan Email:www.creativeprakashan9@gmail.com. Price (ભારતમાં): Rs. 630/- નવા સંસ્કરણના આ પુસ્તક ઉપર ઈન્ટ્રોડક્ટરી ડીસ્કાઉન્ટ હોવાથી માત્ર Rs. 540/ માં આજે જ ઘરબેઠા પ્રાપ્ત કરો. ઓર્ડર કરવાની વિગત- https://creativeprakashan.spayee.com/courses/------63fb1192e4b07965060d7062#description અથવા OR Contact on Phone or visit Personally @ Creative Prakashan, 5- Sukita Apartment, Near Ankur School, Fatehpura, Paldi, Ahmedabad 380007 ફોન સંપર્ક- 9428702794

Kargil, King Mandhata And Pregnant Father Yuvanashva

We just celebrated the Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26th July and recalled the valour, sacrifice and heroics of our soldiers during the eventful days India spent pushing back Pakistani army intruders from the snow covered high peaks of the rugged, inhospitable, harsh terrain of Kargil in 1999. On a flat face of one of the surrounding mountains, Kargil hides a carving of a giant male with a penis and also a womb, complete with an upside-down baby in the foetus position. It unmistakably shows a pregnant male body. There are more than fifty of these gigantic carving in the newly defined UT of Ladakh, including some of them in the Gilgit-Baltistan area occupied by Pakistan. (Ref: British Traveller, Author, Alice Albinia. “Empires of the Indus” 2008, Pages 271, 273) Many years ago I wrote to ASI requesting for details, however there was no response. I needed the information as I am personally connected with the womb-transplant surgeon who possibly surgically assisted the King Yuvanashva to become pregnant and ultimately deliver the child, a future greatest among the kings, The King Mandhata. Coming from the Dallabh Gotra, I happen to come from the lineage of Rishi Dallabh, the surgeon, who possibly conducted that surgery. The importance and greatness of the mighty king Mandhata can be seen even now in the form of a tall mountain named after him, Mount Mandhata, lying near the south bank of the holy lake Manasarovar. If you consider its height as any indication, it is taller than any other mountain in its vicinity, such as Mount Kailash, near the north bank of the holy lake Manasarovar.(Mount Kailash height- 6638m, Mount Mandhata height- 7100m) The holy mountain Kailash, holy lake Manasarovar and the Ravana-fame Rakshasa lake could be easily reachable from Ladakh but for the current situation at LAC and the fact that China has occupied our Aksai Chin, we have no current access to those holy sites from Ladakh. The terrain there is harsh, typically a cold desert. A good motorable road, route G210, exists between the townships of Rutog and Darchen. Both are Chinese Military towns, one, Rutog, is near the border of Aksai Chin and the other, Darchen, is at the base of holy Mount Kailash. From the Aksai Chin-Tibet border, it takes just about 6 hours to cover the distance of about 600 kms between these towns. The stories we read in various available ancient texts tell us that Mandhata had a huge frame, inherited from the DNA of his dad, King Yuvanashva, who too was unusually huge. Yuvanashva’s wife, Queen Gauri, could not sustain the foetus taking massive shape in her womb and succumbed. She died during mid-pregnancy. The foetus however was recovered but needed a big sized recipient. Thus, the father, Yuvanashva became the only alternative and was transplanted in his large abdomen. Boy was subsequently delivered surgically from the abdomen. The story specifically states that the child was “removed from the side of the abdomen”. (The new scientific breakthrough suggests that this impossible looking surgery is done and can be done Ref: Rachael Rettner, livescience.com-health-not-hype, published November 07, 2017, Can Men Get Pregnant? Ectopic-pregnancy healthline.com By KC Clements on July 12, 2023) Another version of the story tells us that the Giant King Yuvanashva, during a deer-hunting trip, became thirsty and entered a cottage, looking for water. He found water in a pot but there was no one to whom he could ask. Being very thirsty, nevertheless he drank that water. He had no inkling that it was specially consecrated water to bless someone else, a childless woman, to become pregnant, resulting in him becoming pregnant. Also there are various stories of Rishi Dallabh curing the childlessness of a holy Sati, Savitri of the Satyavan-Savitry fame. Then there are stories of Dallabh Rishi saving underage Kshatriya Princes and some worthy Kshatriya Kings from the axe of Bhagavan Parshuram by convincing Him using logical arguments. Thus, although this and other versions of stories are variously mentioned, there seems to be only scanty information available which can be called “History” in the modern sense. Under the circumstances, definitive conclusions from these stories being impossible, we can only hypothesise, interpret and speculate based on the latest available tools and knowledge. (Note: Majority of ancient Indian texts are lost. Yuvanashva is estimated to be from an era of 6000 bc. During that long history of thousands of years, natural calamities, foreign invasions, temples/libraries burning, lootings, have happened resulting in loss of many ancient texts. Even from the currently available about 40 million manuscripts, the “National Mission for Manuscripts (NAMAMI), set up in 2003, has listed just 3.5 million manuscripts out of the estimated 40 million in India. “The two-third of these are in Sanskrit and 95 per cent are yet to be translated and are not yet read”- Bibek Debroy Chairman Niti Aayog speech on 27 Dec 2018 at Rashtrapati Nivas, Shimla). The intriguing story of Mandhata and the pregnancy of his fathet, the king Yuvanashva is so facinating that a famous author Devdutta Pattanaik also has written a ‘fiction’ book titled “The Pregnant King”, published in 2008. Festival of “Sindhu Darshan” and Ladakh Tourism circuits must include visits to the Giant carving of Yuvanashva on the rock face with appropriate narrative of “Vocal for Local” and Glory of Ancient India narrative celebrating great kings and our medical prowesses since ancient times.(Shri L K Advani introduced the festival of “Sindhu Darshan” and began celebrating in Ladakh on the bank of River Sindhu since the year 2000)

Manipur and other NE States of India

Manipur is in the news these days, for all the wrong reasons. We are told that Diversity is our strength. It is a right statement, but our mainstream society has “Useful idiots” who keep repeating this narrative foolishly. Currently this narrative is breaking us instead of making us. Let’s see how to restate it usefully by altering the emphasis from the word “Diversity” to the word “Unity”. We need to strengthen the factors that can potentially unite us in Manipur and the NE region generally. Arjuna, the archer among the Pandava brothers, was killed in the present day Manipur/Nagaland areas of North-Eastern India, at the hands of a local king Babruvahana*. However he was brought back to life by another North-Eastern Naga Princess Ulupi**. Bhagavan Shri Krishna waged an extremely bloody war with King Banasura*** in NE, the present day Tezpur of Assam state to secure freedom of his grandson Aniruddha and daughter in law Usha from the captivity of Banasur. The war was so bloody that the city came to be known as Tezpur (its ancient name was Sonitpur) The fact that the word ‘Tez’ means blood, in the today’s local language and the word ‘Sonit’ too is blood in the ancient Sanskrit language, is credibly indicative of continuity of the prehistoric ancient narrative, not to mention existence of hundreds other evidences spanning from archaeologist, literary and linguistic evidences joining India’s ancient culture to the NE. These are long and fascinating stories from our ancient literature, but this narration, here, is not about our ancient “Itihasa”, but the sad state of our “unity in diversity” narrative. How come today most of us seem to have forgotten our great connections with North-Eastern India, underpinning the unity throughout the ancient Indian Sanskriti? Although I thought myself to be a well read, well travelled and a nationalist person, even aware of the above stories from what my early childhood reading was, “Sanskritic Unity” was not retained in my conscious memory. For me NE was just Kaziranga Reserve and Maa Kamakhya Temple and nowadays, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The latest being Manipur unrest due to friction between the valley based Hindus and Hill based Christians, the Myanmari Muslim Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslim Refugees, fuelled by missionaries, maulanas,communist leftists and Chinese/European fundings. People gloss over every real issue and keep repeating Meitei and Kuki tribal rivalry over just one, the SC-ST listing. When I recently travelled to NE with my wife, the main objective was to visit a student hostel meant for needy tribal boys in the deep interiors of NE, to stay amongst them, to estimate their needs and to make appropriate donations based on the personally gained authentic experience and information. And if time permits, to also visit famous tourist attractions such as Kaziranga Reserve and the Maa Kamakhya Shakti Peeth. Mission was accomplished. That done, enjoying the lush green NE, its mountains, rivers, forests, waterfalls etc I was planning to return home. However, suddenly, like a lightning bolt it struck me that NE is much more than just a beautiful landscape. That, it was a territory deeply connected to me as an Indian, as a Hindu and that it was truly my Sanskritic extension, my passions and what I think I am living for. I do not get it, how come it was not my first-recall when I planned visiting NE States, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland etc? Was it my education? Unavailability of knowledge? Inaccessibility to travel? Some well thought out conspiracy by adversaries? Or, all of it? Yes, I think all of it played a part in shutting up NE from our thinking and blanking it out from our collective consciousness. Of course, some great patriotic organisations have been doing a great job serving the local population for decades. They seemed to work in complete anonymity as we were hardly noticing their hard work. Recently some openings had begun to open up during the rule of Prime Minister, Late Shri. Atal Bihari Vajapayee when he gave the “Look East” policy, however, to my mind a huge opening up happened when Shri. Narendra Modi rose to become the Prime Minister of India and prioritised NE by “Act East” policy. As Indians, we need to step up bringing NE to the homes of every Indian, be they in Srinagar, New Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai. We have a wonderful precedent in this regard in the shape of “Madhavpura Mela”, The annual fair of Madhavpura. The town Madhavpura is situated in the Porbandar District of Gujarat State. This fair celebrates an immortal love story of Bhagavan Shri Krishna that connects Arunachal Pradesh of NE to Gujarat. Since the time immemorial, devotees, artists, craftsmen, businessmen etc from both states travel to and fro these states every year for this Mela and keeps the connection vibrant, alive and kicking. The North-East India’s Mishmi Tribe from Arunachal Pradesh traces their lineage to the King Bhishmak of Vidarbha. His daughter Princess Rukmini had married to Bhagavan Shri Krishna. As per the authoritative “Itihasa” from the scripture “Harivamsam”, Princess Rukmini had sent a ‘love-letter’ to Bhagvan Shri Krishna expressing her desire to marry Him and that she loved him. Further, were He to fail from rescuing from her impending marriage with King Jarasandha, it would be ‘murder of her true love’. King Jarasandha was a friend of her brother Rukmi and a sworn enemy of Krishna. Neither she nor King, her father Bhishmak, agreed to the wedding to Jarasandha, but Rukmi was too overpowering. Damsel in distress had pleaded for help to a brave Yadu Kshatriya. Can He decline? She had scribbled in the letter, the exact time and place for elopement. unmistakably, ever ready to help those who ask for it, Bhagavan Shri Krishna. arrives at the rendezvous and carries out a daring abduction from under the nose of Rukmi. On His Chariot, He speeds away the princess. As the ancient narrative states, Shri Krishna takes Rukmini as His wife. The wedding takes place near Ghed, a village near Madhavpura town. A Governmental Tourism website*****states following: “Madhavpur Ghed, a small but culturally significant village, is the place where, according to folklore, Lord Krishna married Rukmini, the daughter of King Bhishmaka. Madhavpur lies on the seashore, close to Porbandar. A 15th century Madhavrai temple marks the site. This event is commemorated by a cultural fair held every year, commencing on Rama Navami. A colourful chariot carrying the idol of Lord Krishna circumnavigates the village and the festivities usually continue for five days.” We find the city of King Bhishmaka, the Bhismaknagar, is in the current day Arunachal State, bordering current day China. It is near Roing, a town in the lower Dibang Valley. It is also an archaeological site, hiding many secrets of history. Putting to good use, such precedents of Madhavpura fair, we should invent/reinvent fairs, celebrations, festivities and events to commemorate every small and big common thread that connects the Indian Sanskriti with NE for lasting impact and a firm and credible sense of belonging to “One India''. Enough has been said about the diversities of India, the different languages, religions, cuisines, dresses, dances etc. Let's not thoughtlessly parrot the mantra “Unity in Diversity'' narrative that merely reinforces the diversity factors. Shri Narendra Modi has taken a new initiative on these lines to unite Tamilians to other states of India by beginning cultural fests such as “Kashi-Tamil Sangamam” and “Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam” Let's do our bid and create similar events at our levels and boost narratives on the factors that unite India. _____________ Brief Narration of relevant “Itihasa” for interested readers. *Babruvahana was a son of Chitragada and Arjun. During the ‘Gupta-Vaas’ segment of Pandavas ‘Vaan-Vaas’, Arjuna had gone to see the Manipur King, Chitravahana. He met the incredible warrior-princess Chitrangada and fell in love. With the blessings of the King, they got married. They had a brave son from this wedlock. His name was Babruvahana. He loved and respected his father but when Pandavas had announced the campaign of Ashwamedha Yagna, they were technically required to challenge every kingdom. Thus Manipuri Kingdom too was challenged by Arjuna despite the adversary King happened to be Arjuna’s son, Babruvahana. Unwilling to fight his own father, Babruvahana felt honour-bound to accept the challenge and save his kingdom. In the battle that ensued, the mighty archer Arjun fell to the assault of brave and well-trained Babruvahana. In keeping with the Matrilineal family tradition, just as other NE girls, Chitrangada too chose to remain in NE, even after her wedding, rather than return with Arjun to Hastinapur and stayed back in Manipur to rule her inherited kingdom. Ulupi** was a princess of Naga King Airavata of the NE region. Her husband was killed by Garuda. She happened to see Arjuna and fell in one-sided love with him. She was so infatuated with him that she kidnapped him and got herself married to him using her mystic powers. They had a son by name Iravan, who had also participated in the Great war of Mahabharata from Pandava’s side. He died in that war. When she came to know that her husband Arjun had died in the battle with Babruvahana of the neighbouring kingdom, she rushes there and with her mystic powers, brings Arjun back to life. She proved to be a very loyal and loving wife. In keeping with the Matrilineal family tradition, just as other NE girls, Ulupi too chose to remain in NE, even after her wedding, rather than return with Arjun to Hastinapur and stayed back in NE to rule her inherited kingdom. . Banasura*** was a king of Sonitpur, a great-grandson of Vishnu-Devotee-King Prahalad. Her daughter, Princess Usha had developed one-sided love with Bhagavan Shri Krishna’s grandson, Aniruddha. With the help of her friend-cum-maid Chitralekha, she kidnaps Aniruddha and gets married to him using mystic powers. They shortly become a loving couple, living on a palace on an island of the River Brahmaputra. When Banasura comes to know of their secret, he becomes angry and imprisons them in the same palace of that island.When the President of Dwarka**** comes to know that his Grandson Aniruddha and Grand daughter-in-law Usha is imprisoned, He sends his army to secure their release and bring them home to Dwarka. The battle is fought on the banks of Brahmaputra river. The war was won but the bloodshed was so horrific that the place and the city built there came to be known as Sonitpur, City of Blood. President of Dwarka**** Bhagwan Krishna was not a King but a President of the Yadav Republic-Vrishni Sangha - do not be surprised when Narendra Modi says that India is Mother of Democracy and do not be surprised when you do not find the suffix “King'' for Bhagavan Krishna in any scripture. Bhagavan Rama was King but Bhagavan Krishna was “Pramukh” of Vrishni Sangha, at best known as Dwarkadhish, but never a king! Madhavpur Mela Website***** https://porbandar.nic.in/madhavpurp1/#