We have in Telugu Language, Great Anvaya Saraswatis (A title declaring a person as Goddess of Learning of Interpretation and Application). There are Lions of Lecturers in Arsha Dharma (Lions of Lecturers on Ancient Culture and Religion of India- Arsha DharmOpanyAsa kEsaris.). Since they get lot of opportunities on Temple Platforms and TV Channels to lecture to people who do not care to deeply study our scriptures, whatever they say is treated as sacro-sanct, because spectators clap for whatever the preacher say, since the preachers say what the spectators want.
Recently, I had an occasion to watch on a TV Devotional Channel, a discourse on Valmiki Ramayana. The GODDESS OF INTERRETATION & LION OF LECTURERS was explaining how a King has to rule his subjects. The usual stuff of every body should do the duties imposed by their caste i.e. a Brahmin should do penance, A Kshatriya should fight, A Vysya should do agriculture or business, A Sudra should serve the upper castes, Brahmins should be worshipped at all costs etc. etc. Without losing an opportunity, the Goddess-Lecturer also threw a jibe against the Reservation System of Governments in Govt. Jobs.
I am writing this blog post because the Saraswati-Lion unnecessarily threw stones against fact-seekers (satyanveshakas).
There is ample evidence to infer that Aryans who migrated to India from North Europe, do not follow the practice of Idol Worship. This is probably because there was no idol worship in their Mother Land North Europe-- Norway, Sweden (Scandinavia), Denmark and Holland (North Sea Countries), Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Old Prussia, Germany, Sudovia etc. Fire is very important for them because of Cold Climate. Houses in those countries must have fire places or in modern days Room Heaters etc. etc. Then they had to burn animals in fires for cooking their food. All this resulted in their worshipping the Indo-European Proto type God Vishn, by sending worship-food to him through Fire God, throwing animals, and animal cutpieces into sacrificial fires.
When Aryans entered into India they found that in India, there existed a culture of idol worship and there were temples. There was also a culture of non-violence against plants and animals. The Migrant North Europeans, and the Phallus-worshipping South Europeans might have been surprised with the sculptures and temples existing in India.
The Early Indians, who were mostly forest dwellers, farmers and shpherds, did not like the Aryan methods of worship of "Yagnas" and "YAgams", throwing animals into fires and sending them to Yagna nArAyana. (Early Indians may be early Jains. This I have already covered in my previous blog posts).
As Vishn was the main God of Aryans (about Indra, Rudra etc. I shall write separately), the principal scriptures of Aryans i.e. Valmiki Ramayan, Vyasa MAHABHARATA, Vyasa Mahabhagavata centred around Lord VishNu. Though Mahabharata Drona Parva has some verses in praise of Shiva (also called mahAdEva)(these may be later period insertions), basically all the three Scriptures have by and large either ignored or tried to belittle everything non-VishNu. There were no references to Temples, except one or two verses here and there.
What our Goddess of-Learning-Lion caught hold of in Valmiki Ramayana, to throw rubbish at those who say that Aryan methods of worship did not centre around idol worship, that they were only Fire Worshippers, and that there were no Temples during the three Scripture period of Valmiki Ramayana, Vyasa Maha Bharata, and Vyasa Mahabhagavata, was Chapter 100 of Volume of Ayodhya (Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100). Occasion: The Lion was discoursing on VAlmiki Ramayana on the TV Channel to innocent viewers.
The problems which the Temple preachers and TV discoursers face in exploring and spreading truths are
1. they are not free citizens. Their sponsors control them financially.
2. Conflict of interest is involved.
3. Spectators expect only "praises" for scriptures.
Hence I do not blame them personally. My grievance is that they are becoming instruments and tools in the hands of fanatics and obscurantists, to withhold truths from people. In the process, the expectation from them that they have to awaken the masses, suffers rude jolts.
Our Goddess of Intepretation -aka- Lion of Lecturersr was interpreting Chapter 100 of Valmiki Ramayana, in that particular TV Episode. While there is already ample evidence that Aryans were not idol worshippers, our Lion wanted to argue that there were temples in Ramayana's Ayodhya. Though he has not quoted the particular verse which said that there were "deva-sthAns (Places for Gods)", he said that Valmiki Ramayana itself mentioned that there were temples in Ayodhya.
For the benefit of our readers I reproduced below the relevant text:
Our Goddess-of-Learning&Lion seem to be referring to the undernoted verses
Valmiki Ramayana Book 2, Chapter 100, Verse 43.
कच्चिच् चैत्य शतैर् जुष्टः सुनिविष्ट जन आकुलः |
देव स्थानैःप्रपाभिः च तडागैः च उपशोभितः || २-१००-४३
English Script
kachchit chaitya Satair jrishtaha sunivishta jana Akulaha
dEva sthAnaih prapAbhih cha taTAkaih cha upaSObhitaha.
Telugu script:
కచ్చి చ్చైత్య శతైర్ జృష్టః సునివిష్ట జన ఆకులః
దేవ స్థానైః ప్రపాభిః చ తటాకైః చ ఉపశోభితః.
That's-all , he has come to a conclusion, that there were temples with idols and deities. The deva-sthAns (places for Gods) could just have been platforms beside the sacrificial fires, where Gods are supposed to dwell without any idols. This type of vacant platforms and pulpits we see in prayerhouses of all religions Semitic Religions, European Religions, South East Asian Religions, Chinese Religions, Japanese Religions, even if they shun idol-worship. Deities, Statues, Idols of metal, wood, stone exist in Temples which permit such edifices, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism. In other words, there is NO COMPULSION THAT IDOLS / DEITIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED THERE.
Our Goddess of Interpretation -aka- Lion of Lecturers forgot about the entire set of possibilities and probabilities of prayer-places-without idols and jumped into a hasty conclusion that there were idol-deity installed temples in vAlmiki rAmayana.
He also forgot to observe that out of the 76 verses in Chapter 100 of Ayodhya Kanda, at least 11-76 verses are either later-period-insertions by Priests and Preachers over the Centuries, or at least out of Context with the Text. Reason for Insertions: Enforce four-caste System (CAtur varNa vyavastha) and make Sudras Servants of Top Two castes Brahmanas and Kshatiyas. This is the common thread of all the European-manufactured Scriptures to a great extent VaishNavaite, and to a lesser extent Shaivite.
What was the Context of Chapter 100 in the Volume of Ayodhya ? (Telugu: అయోధ్యా కాండ ౧౦౦ వ సర్గ సందర్భం ఏమిటి). Shrirama, Lakshmana and Sita went into Forest Exile. Just 3 or 4 days elapsed. Sita Rama Lakshmanas were in Chitrakoot.
Bharata yet did n't taken over reigns of Ayodhya with Rama's footwear (pAdukalu). Bharata and Satrughna returned from their paternal Uncle & Grandfather's place. Bharata was asked to take over the kingdom. He didn't like it. With his three mothers, Guru Vasishta, citizens, he came to Chitra koot to persuade Rama to return back to Ayodhya.
The first ten verses: Shri Rama enquired from Bharata about well-being of their father Dasaratha.
Then starts the 66 verse long preaching session. Gist: How a king should rule his subjects, how Brahmins should be respected, how the people of four castes should follow and perform their allotted duties. Bharata didn't ask for them. Unasked by Dasaratha from the sky, or Vasistha from his seat, Shri Rama was asking for a Performance Report from Bharata, though he didn't yet get an opportunity to rule. Unasked, Shri Rama was also giving him a lecture on how to rule, without first waiting to hear to Bharata, about the well-being of their father. This lecturing could have been postponed, till Bharata revealed his main news (death of Dasaratha). The Priests who inserted the lecture in later Centuries forgot about the need for this proprietry and aptness. But they didn't apparently bother.
We can find one such Complex / Compound of sacrificial pyres (homa Gundas) and deva-sthans (Places for Gods), we can find in Valmiki Ramayana itself. Book of Forests (Aranya kAnDa i.e. Rama's exile to Forests). Chapter No. VALMIKI RAMAYANA 3-12-17, 3-12-18, 3-12-19, 3-12-20 BOOK OF FOREST ARANY`A KAAND`A CONTEXT: Rama is in the forest. After about 12 years there, he visits the hermitage of the sage Agastya. Before finally reaching the altar for sacrifices, he sees temples (sacred places -sanctus)for 17 Gods.
Sa tatra
Brahman`aha sthaanam
AgneH sthaanam tathaiva ca
Vishn`ooh sthaanam
Mahendrasya sthaanam caiva VivasvataH
Sooma sthaanam
Bhaga sthaanam sthaanam
Kauberam eva ca
Dhaatur Vidhaatuh sthaanam ca
Vaayoh sthaanam tathaiva ca Sthaanam ca
Paas`a hastasya Vaarun`asya mahaatmanaha
Sthaanam tathaiva Gaayatryaa
Vasuunaam sthaanam eva ca
Sthaanam ca Naagaraajasya
Garud`a sthaanam eva ca
Kaartikeeyasya ca sthaanam
Dharma sthaanam ca
pashyati.
List of the Gods in Agastya Ashram, which Rama visited in Aranya kAnDA: 1. Brahma (Creator) ब्रह्म బ్రహ్మ
2. Fire अग्नि అగ్ని
3. Vishn`u विष्णु విష్ణువు
4. Indra इंद्र ఇంద్రుడు
5. Sun (Vivasvata) सूर्य సూర్యుడు
6. Moon (SOma= moon. Eg. SOma SEkhar=One who protected Moon.) चंद्र చంద్రుడు
7. Bhaga (One of the Adityas. Similar to the Sun. Dispenser of fortune) भग భగుడు
8. Lord of North and Riches (Kubera) कुबेर కుబేరుడు
9. Dhaata धाता ధాత
10 Vidhaata (Created by Brahma to help the first human Prajapati विधाता విధాత
11. Wind God (Vaayu) वायु వాయువు
12. Rain God (Varun`a who wields a noose) वरुणा వరుణుడు
13. Gaayatri (Female Goddess of Gnosis) गायत्री గాయ్తత్రి
14. Serpant God (Adi S`eesha)(Vishn`u sleeps on Seesha) नागराज నాగరాజు (విష్ణుసంబంధుడైన ఆదిశేషుడవ్వాలి. శైవ సంబంధుడైన వాసుకి కాకపోవచ్చు.)
15. Kite God (Garud`a - Vishn`u's vehicle) गरुड గరుడుడు
16. Commander of Gods (Kaartikeeya, the second son of S`iva) कार्तिकेय (स्कांथ या षण्मुख). కార్తికేయుడు.
17. God of Death (Yama Dharma Raja or simply Yama or Dharma). यम (काल). యముడు.
From the above list, it can be seen that there is no place Lord Shiva. We can also see that there is no place for the God "Ganapati (vinAyaka)" the First Son of Lord Shiva. Serial No. 16 above kArtikEya though is in general considered as Shiva's second son, ybrao-a-donkey considers that, at least as far as Valmiki Ramayana is concerned, kArtikEya is apparently LESS SHAIVITE. Strangely, there is no place for all the three principal Goddesses Saraswati, Mahalakshmi and Parvati (or Adi Shakti). Gayatri alone is the Female Goddess in the list. She is considered as a rival for Saraswati, seeking Creator Brahma's love.
తెలుగు : ఇక్కడ మనం గమనించాల్సిందేమిటంటే, శివుడికి, గణపతికి, పార్వతి లేక ఆదిశక్తికి చోటు లేకపోటం. కుమార స్వామికి చోటు ఉండటాన్ని బట్టి , షణ్ముఖుడికి శైవంతో తక్కువ సంబంధం ఉందనే అనుమానం కలుగుతుంది. గాయత్రి మాత్రమే స్త్రీ దేవత. ఈమె సరస్వతికి సవతిగా ప్రతీతి, బ్రహ్మ పుత్రిక మరియు భార్య కూడ అవుతుంది. భగుడు అనే దేవుడు శివుడు అనే అనుమానం కలగచ్చు. కానీ భగుడి గురించి వీకీపీడియాలో చక్కటి సమాచారం ఉంది.
Some readers may have an impression that "bhaga" , S.No. 7 in the above list, may be Shiva. But the word bhaga seems to be more linked to "Prosperity or bhAgyam".
Sanskrit bhaga (IAST: bhaga) is a term for "lord, patron", but also for "wealth, prosperity". The cognate term in Avestan and Old Persian is baga, of uncertain meaning but used in a sense in which "lord, patron, sharer/distributor of good fortune" might also apply. The cognate in Slavic languages is the root bogъ. The semantics is similar to English lord (from hlaford "bread-warden"), the idea being that it is part of the function of a chieftain or leader to distribute riches or spoils among his followers. The name of the city of Baghdad derives from Middle Persian baga-data, "lord-given".
Link for those who to read in more detail about Bhaga. వీకీపీడియాలో భగుడి గురించి చదవాలనుకునే వారికి లింకు. Click to go to Wikipedia.org/wiki/bhaga.
ybrao-a-donkey says: The reference to Avesta (Zend Avesta of Zorashtrianism of Iran) and Old Persian (Persia was an old name for Iran), suggests that Aryans have migrated to India, through Iran also, apart from, through Central Asia.
ybrao-a-donkey adds: These verses 3-12-17 to 3-12-20 which describe the list of Gods in Sage Agastya's Hermitage may also be an insertion of a later period. Another observation which can be made, there is no mention of existence of any idols or deities, or their descriptions. It can be noted by careful readers of Valmiki Ramayana, that Valmiki is a great describer. If there were idols / deities of wood/stone/mud/metal, he would definitely have described at least some of them.
Question: How can you say that Great Sage Valmiki was a great describer?
Answer: Valmiki Ramayana abounds in a wealth of descriptions and depictions of sun, moon, moonlight, stars, water and rivers, mountains, sunrises, sunsets, and what not? In verse No. 5-29-4, Valmiki described Sita's thigh as comparable to an Elephant's head. వాల్మీకి రామాయణం వర్ణనలలో ఒక మహా గని. ఆయన సూర్యుడు, చంద్రుడు, వెన్నెల, నక్ష్తత్రాలు, నదులు, జలాలు, పర్వతాలు, సూర్యోదయాలు, సూర్యాస్తమయాలు, వేటినీ ఆయన వర్ణించకుండా వదలలేదు. చివరకు సీత తొడలను కూడ వాల్మీకి వర్ణించకుండా వదలలేదు. సుందరాకాండ శ్లోకం నం. 5-29-4 లో ఆయన సీత తొడలను ఏనుగు కుంభస్థలంతో పోల్చాడు.
If metal / mud / stone / wood idol worship existed as temple deities in those days, Valmiki would not definitely have omitted to describe them at least once in the 24,000 verses. ఆకాలంలో లోహం లేక మట్టి లేక రాతి లేక కొయ్యతో చేసిన విగ్రహాలు కలిగిన దేవాలయాలు ఉండి ఉంటే, వాల్మీకి మహర్షి వాటిని వదలి ఉండే వాడు కాదు. ౨౪,౦౦౦ శ్లోకాలలో కనీసం ఒక్కచోటైనా వాటిని ప్రస్తావించేవాడు.
WHY VALMIKI OMITTED DESCRIBING TEMPLES IN CHAPTER 25 OF BOOK 1 (BALA KANDA, SARGA 5)
Entire Chapter 5 with 23 verses, of Bala Kanda describes Ayodhya City. None of the 23 verses describe temples of Ayodhya. This particular verse 23 says that Priests, Vedic Scholars maintained Ritual Fires. There is no mention about their worshipping idols /deities. According to Vaishnava worship methods, Lord VishNu is an "alankAra priya" (Liker of Decorations). Then the Priests must also have been spending some time on decorating the idols /deities of Lord Vishnu and Mahalakshmi. In the entire Valmikia Ramayana, Valmiki does not describe any such idol / deity decorations, pushpa yAgams (flower sacrifices which Tiruchanuru Temple celebrated one recently), or some Swing Service ie. placing Lord's idols on swings like cradles (Unjal Seva)(which Tirumala Temple celebrates everyday). It is not that Valmiki avoids vivid descriptions of visuals.
Valmiki Ramayana Book 1 (Bala Kanda), Chapter 5, Verse 23.
1-5-23.
taam agnimadbhiH guNavadbhiH aavR^itaam
dvijottamaiH veda SaDaNga paaragaiH |
sahasradaiH satya rataiH mahAtmabhiH
maharSi kalpaiH RiSibhiH cha kevalaiH ||
WHY VALMIKI WHO DESCRIBED DASARATHA'S ASVAMETHA YAGNA (HORSE SACRIFICE) IN SUCH DETAIL, OMITTED TO MENTION ABOUT OBEISANCES TO DEITIES / IDOLS?
Chapter 8 of Book 1 Bala Kanda described the Asvametha Sacrifice in length, including how Kausalya stabbed the sacrificial horse, and how Dasaratha inhaled the smoke of burning horse fat. But none of the 25 verses make any mention of temples in the City.
TAILPIECE धूमकेतु తోకచుక్క
TELANGANA CHIEF MINISTER Shri K. Chandra Sekhara Rao (popularly known as KCR) is celebrating an great Sacrifice called "Ayuta Chandi yAga" in which around a thousand priests are participating. What is to be found there? Only Sacrificial pyres or fires in which lot of cow's ghee (clarified butter), corn, wheat etc. are poured (in ancient times animal meats such as horse's meat used to be thrown). No idols / deities can be found. In the 21st Century yagnas / yagas (sacrifices) animal sacrifices are avoided. Recitations of magic chants continue. On the Compound Walls (as seen on TV Channels), there is a Swastik Symbol apart from Om symbol. Swastik is a Symbol of Germany, Larvia, Lithuania and Old Prussian culture. Hitler laid a claim for the Swastik Symbol. Of course Buddhism and Jainism also lay a claim for Swastik. For example in Amaravati Museum, on one Buddhist stone sculpture, we can see Swastik Mark.
Shri KCR is reported to be spending about Rs. 120 million (12 crore) personal money for that. He is reported to earn from his farm land (in which there is a farm-house) Rs. 10 million per annum in the form of harvests. Our Lord Shri Rama in Valmiki Ramayana performed a hundred horse sacrifices and several other sacrifices, honored priests with great gifts etc. Now our modern Rama i.e. KCR is also a great sacrifice-performer and great honorer of Priests with great gifts. Who says that history does not repeat? History repeats!
President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Governor of Tamil Nadu, Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Union Urban Development Minister Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, everybody will be visiting the Ayuta Chandi Yagam and smelling the fumes from the sacrificial fires. Rooms have been specially built for them.
Messrs. KCR and Nara Chandra Babu Naidu (Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh State) may not speak out. In the inner Chamber of their minds, they may be GREAT SUPPORTERS OF CASTE SYSTEM with all the hierarchial dominations and suppressions. All the key portfolios will be controlled by those who belong to the same caste as KCR and Chandra Babu Naidu! Dynastic Successions you can see! Rama gave a part of MP to Lakshmana's sons. Rama gave another part of MP, Chattisgadh and Orissa to Satrughna's sons. Rama helped Bharata and Yudhajit/Asvapati to conquer Kandahar (Afghanisthan) with great bloodshed. Bharata's sons were made Kings there. Rama's sons Kusa and Lava were anointed in Ayodhya to succeed Rama. Now, in Telangana, who will be anointed? KTR ? Harish RAo ? Kavita? In Residual Andhra Pradesh who will be anointed? Lokesh? Balakrishna ? Wait and see. What will happen in 2019?
Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded Arya Samaj, a Reform Movement in India. Their main methods of worship consist of sacrificial fires in which clarified butter and herbs are used as offerings. Idol /deity worship is rare.
To continue. सशेष. సశేషం.
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ఘోరమైన విమర్శలకు కూడ స్వాగతం, జవాబులు ఇవ్వబడతాయి. Harsh Criticism is also welcome.