May 2010
In this
Edition
Reflections
of a Graduate, by Akshay Bhagwatwar
Mother’s
Day: Celebration of the Goddess, by V. N. Gopalakrishnan
Indo-Greco-Coptic
Nexus (Part 2 of 3), by Vrndavan ParkerSpiritual
Evolution of Hinduism, by Nithin Sridhar
Pandit
Madan Mohan Malaviya, by Sai Tenneti
Shloka:
स्नान समये - Snana Samaye
News and Events
 Guru Vandhana, “Reverence to the Teacher,”
took place for the first time in the history of one of America’s top
universities, Case Western Reserve University. The event honored
Professor of Mathematics, Christopher Butler. Guru Vandhana is a
concept, an idea that is as old as humanity itself... Read the full report hereUNC Charlotte
Hindu YUVA conducted a program, named Bridging the Gap, involving
two Dharmic faiths (Hindu and Sikh) and three Abrahamic religions
(Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). It started with an
introduction to Hindu YUVA and the need for communication between
the religions. Read the full report hereHindu YUVA at
University of Cincinnati won the 2010 Outstanding New Group Award
(First Prize) and Diversity Award (Runner-up). The awards were given
by the Student Activities Board of the university in recognition of
Hindu YUVA's many successful events and activities on campus. Read the full report here
The University of
Washington chapter of Hindu YUVA organized their annual Speaker on
Campus program on May 2, 2010. There were two very informative talks
by invited speakers –“Indian Culture and Traditions” by Dr. Yashwant
Pathak and, “Introduction to Ayurveda” by Shri Harvilas Das. The
event saw an attendance of around 60 people which included people
from different cultures. Read the full report here |
From the Editor's
Desk
Namaste,
I’ve
been browsing the “volunteer” section of www.craigslist.com.
Every time I come across an opportunity that interests me, I right
click on the link, open it in a new tab, and then continue browsing
the other posts. After almost an hour, I have opened about 10 tabs
with opportunities of all sorts, like helping youth involved with
the juvenile justice system find summer internships, serving tea at
tea parties for seniors, editing for a public affairs publication,
and setting up tables and chairs at a corporate charity soccer
tournament.
There’s
an entire summer in front of us. What are we capable
of?
Rock on,
TeAm
TattvA
Reflections of a Graduate, by Akshay
Bhagwatwar
 The decision of leaving India for education in
the USA is a tough one for every Indian student. It is a big leap in
the career path that comes with a huge financial investment and a
challenge of adjusting to a completely new country and culture. So,
when I started my journey to Seattle for my master's degree at the
University of Washington, there was a sense of apprehension over
whether I would be able to adjust to the way of life in the USA and
if I would ever get a chance to follow Indian culture and
traditions.... Read
the rest of this entry »
Mother's Day: Celebration of the Goddess, by V. N.
Gopalakrishnan
 Mother’s Day is an annual celebration that
recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds, in addition to
the positive contributions mothers render to the society. By raising
children and inculcating good qualities in them, mothers carry out
the vital responsibility of building and molding tomorrow’s leaders.
All around the world, people take Mother’s Day as an occasion to
reflect on the importance of mothers and to appreciate the many
sacrifices they make.
Read the
rest of this entry
»
Indo-Greco-Coptic Nexus (Part 2 of 3), by Vrndavan
Parker
 (This is the second of a series of three
articles. Please read the first article of the series here.)
A vivid example of the confusion caused
by Homer can be seen when we look at his view on Kronos the Greek
God of Time. Our word Chronology is rooted in the word Kronos. Homer
presents the God Kronos as a disturbed and psychotic being who kills
and eats his own children. The image is horrific, dark and blatantly
asuric-demonic in nature. However when we apply the Vedic
perspective to this image it becomes clear that Homer took ancient
knowledge and repackaged it to suit his own ideas. Kronos is God as
Time...
Read
the rest of this entry »
Spiritual Evolution of Hinduism, by Nithin
Sridhar
 When we browse through the philosophical
concepts and spiritual manuals of various Hindu schools and sects,
we can see that the spiritual evolution conception of God can be
broadly classified into 3 stages.
First, the Vedic (which includes Veda Samhita, Aranyakas,
Brahmanas and Upanishads). Second, the Agamic or tantric (which
includes various tantric texts of various schools such as Shaivas,
Shaktas, Vaishnavas and Ganapathyas). Although Aghoras, like Naths,
form a separate category themselves, they can be clubbed in Tantras
under Vamachara (Left hand Path). The third stage is the
Puranas.
Read
the rest of this entry »
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, by Sai
Tenneti
 Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya is well-known as the
founder of the HinduBenares University. Just as Gandhi has
the epithet “Father of the Nation,” Malaviya has earned the title
“Teacher of the Nation,” for his determination in manifesting the
greatness of India and her culture in the Indian youth. He
was three times elected the President of the Indian National
Congress, and is also known for popularizing the slogan “Satyameva
Jayate (Truth alone will Triumph).” Though his boyhood was
spent in utter poverty, he earned much respect through his
scholarship, pure life, and selflessness, and this itself earned him
more than thirteen million rupees for the university. He is an
example of one of the rare geniuses that take birth from time to
time in this world.
Read
the rest of this entry »
 Prayer to recite while taking a
bath
गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति |
नर्मदे
सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् सन्निधिं कुरु ॥
gange ca yamune caiva godavari saraswathi
narmade sindhu
kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
Ganga, Yamana, Godavari,
Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri-names of holy Indian rivers; Ca-
of; Jalesmin- In this water; Sannidhim- presence; Kuru- Invoke
Translation:
In this water, I invoke the presence of holy
waters from the rivers Ganga, Yamana, Godavari, Saraswathi,
Narmada, Sindhu (Indus) and Kaveri.
Brief Explanation:
An important part of ritual purification in
Hinduism is the bathing of the entire body. It is considered
auspicious to perform this form of purification before any festival,
before visiting a temple or performing a pooja. One not only
purifies one’s body but also the mind during taking a bath. Such a
purificatory bath is ultimate if it is done in the sacred waters of
some great rivers of India like the river Ganga. Hence one chants
this shloka invoking the presence of holy waters while taking a
shower.
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