Tattva (Magazine for Hindu Youth) April 2009 Edition

[Aparna Garg]

Tattva-An Online Magazine for Youth, April 2009 Namaste,  Best wishes to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. We recently celebrated Yugadi, which is known as Hindu New Year. This day recalls the inspiring occasion when the invading Sakas from Central Asia were vanquished by the great emperors Shalivahana and Vikramaditya in the 1st Century A.D. As a meaningful coincidence, the great founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, was also born on this very day of Yugadi in 1889. On this festive occasion let us take inspiration from these great souls. It's not too late to apply for the Yuva for Sewa fellowship! Please see the announcements below for more information. As always, if you would like to contribute an article or have any suggestions for Tattva, you can contact the Tattva team at tattva...@hinduyuva.org. Click here to read the April 2009 edition of Tattva. In This Issue: Unexpected Transformations: A memoir of a Hindu youth camp, by Arnav Chakravarty Bhakta Prahlad, by J. Ajithkumar Slumdog Millionaire: A Preventable Humiliation?, by Sanchay Jain A Sacred Knot, by Anand Jayanti Real Concept of “Yog” as preached in Geeta Introduction to Vedanta, by Vinod D. Deshmukh Teachings of Swami Sivananda, by Mahendra Mathur Announcements Unexpected Transformations: A memoir of a Hindu youth camp, by Arnav Chakravarty From 9th grade through my freshman year at New York University (NYU), I lived the typical Indian teenager’s life. It revolved around four things: good grades, competitive debate, tennis, and my friends. Sure, I celebrated all the major Hindu festivals, including Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Diwali, Holi, etc. but I knew very little about my religion and made little time to learn. My religion was important only on holidays and celebrations. It meant that I got nice clothes, performed dances and plays during the pujas, and hung out with my friends. This was fine while I was at home in Houston. However, when I came to NYU, I left everything behind.... Read the full article Bhakta Prahlad, by J. Ajithkumar Alexander, Ashoka and Akbar are the three celebrities enjoying the title of ‘the great’ for right, wrong or no reasons. While the first one was a cruel invader and the second one a clear native, the third one was a hybrid. (He tried to be more of a native but belonged to lineage of invaders.) All three have made contributions to history that have impacted the lives of ordinary Indians and continue to produce social aftershocks even today. But it is definitely warranted to search for more “greats,” and even the greatest, from our history. I find no better candidate than Bhakta Prahlad to be appointed as the greatest.... Read the full article Slumdog Millionaire: A Preventable Humiliation?, by Sanchay Jain Recently, most of the world has been mesmerized by the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Originally intended for direct release on DVD, the Danny Boyle-directed depiction of poverty in India’s largest metropolis, Mumbai, received favorable responses at both the Telluride and the Toronto International Film Festivals, which led to the movie being released onto the big screen. The film, loosely adapted from Vikas Swarup’s novel, Q and A, has received both commercial and critical success, especially in the Western world, where it has won eight Academy Awards and seven British Association Film Awards. As of March 24, 2009, the film has grossed $290,526,218 altogether. However, Slumdog Millionaire has also received a substantial amount of criticism. ... Read the full article A Sacred Knot, by Anand Jayanti Though Rakshabandhan has already passed us in 2008 and is yet to come upon us in 2009, I feel that the sentiment it embodies should be appreciated eternally, and that the value it instills should be practiced every day. For that purpose, I will convey my relationship with this festival. So what does Rakshabandhan mean? It means funny-colored bracelets for us guys and smiles, pictures, hugs for the girls; a couple of moments of perhaps awkward ritual, bearing feelings uniquely and almost exclusively shared by our youth generation. Apart from all of that, though, there’s a palpable ambience that spreads within the family and between the siblings that we also share. Those who have participated in this festival understand the very unique relationship it celebrates.... Read the full article Real Concept of “Yog” as preached in Geeta Every sage-teacher, like a writer, has his own style and certain favorite expressions. Besides choosing a poetic medium, Yogeshwar Krishn has also repeatedly employed and stressed terms such as yog, action (karm), yagya, varn, varnsankar, war, sphere (kshetr), and knowledge or discrimination (gyan) in the Geeta. These words are invested with unique meanings in the context and are certainly not divested of charm by frequent repetition. The term “Yog” has been excellently clarified in different chapters of Bhagwad Geeta with metaphysical interpretations, but in today’s concept, its initial potential is getting lost due to various misinterpretations.... Read the full article Introduction to Vedanta, by Vinod D. Deshmukh The origin of the Sanskrit word “Vedanta” is Veda + anta. Veda means intuitive knowledge or wisdom. The root verb “vid” means to know. Anta means end, conclusion, essence or a goal. So, Vedanta means the final conclusion as well as the goal of Vedas. There are four Vedas, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, which are the timeless collections of inspired thoughts and intuitive wisdom. Vedantic wisdom, philosophy and practice are based on three major sources of inspired writings namely, Upanishads, Bhagvad-Gita, and Brahma-Sutra. These three together are known as the foundations of ancient wisdom, Prasthana-trayee.... Read the full article Teachings of Swami Sivananda, by Mahendra Mathur That Thou ‘Art’: “That” of the Upanishadic teaching “That Thou Art” was explained by Swami Chinmayananda as the Supreme Reality from which all names and forms have emerged. and “Thou” by Maharishi Ramana as non-personal and all-inclusive awareness. The “art” of the teaching flows smoothly from the main advice of Swami Sivananda which can be reduced to twenty points. And this advice anyone can follow.... Read the full article Announcements North Carolina youth retreat:  Come enjoy the beginning of spring with Hindu YUVA at our Youth Retreat! It's one full day of activities that include games, a treasure hunt, discussions, a guest speaker, cultural performance by Bhutanese kids, a campfire, and lots more. Come enjoy this full day of activities while making new friends and learning more about our amazing heritage. The Youth Retreat will be from 2PM Saturday April 4 to noon Sunday April 5 at Chestnut Ridge campsite in Efland, NC. Rides will be provided! For more information, contact Shivani at shiv.ta...@gmail.com. Yuva for Sewa It's not too late to apply for the Yuva for Sewa fellowship program! Sewa International is offering summer volunteer internships through service projects in India and USA. The projects are designed to develop personality, build leadership and team work, empower visionaries and provide experience in helping the community. Anyone over the age of 18 can apply. Make a difference this summer...apply for Yuva for Sewa! The application deadline is April 15, 2009! Visit www.sewausa.org/yuva-for-sewa for more information and to apply. About Tattva www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog Tattva is an international online monthly magazine, published by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh’s Hindu YUVA. Tattva, which means “essence” in Sanskrit, draws inspiration from the roots of Hindu Dharma. It aims to present inspiring aspects of ancient Hindu culture and history along with related current day issues. It is an avenue to gain a better understanding and appreciate the most ancient culture thriving on this planet. It also offers us an opportunity to share our ideas and inspire others...Learn more about Tattva To join our mailing list, please send an e-mail once to subscrib...@hinduyuva.org. Contact the editor at tattva...@hinduyuva.org.