Dasa Mahavidhya #9, by Deepak Sagar
News and EventsThe Hindu YUVA chapter of San Jose State University conducted a Speaker on Campus program on September 13, 2011. Shri Ravi Kumar ji was the speaker conducting a workshop on Vedic Mathematics. Around 35 students attended the event, in fact the largest turnout for an SoC event conducted by Hindu YUVA on campus. The audience was predominantly Fall 2011 graduate students. Read more...The University of Cincinnati (UC) chapter of Hindu YUVA organized a three-day Niagara youth camp for incoming students from India from September 17 to 19, 2011. Forty-six students from UC and one student from Ohio State University participated in this trip. The YUVA group stayed at Jagannath Dhaam, an 80-acre scenic campsite of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh located in Belfast, NY. Read more...
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA Inc. (“HSS”) observed the traditional Raksha Bandhanfestival with a unique,nationwide outreach program celebrating “Universal Oneness Day.”The outreach program involved tying the traditional rakhi on elected officials and first responders and extending greetings to them highlighting the Hindu belief of the oneness of all humanity. Read more...
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From the Editor's Desk
Dear readers,
Fall is a busy time of the year - with Ganesh Chaturthi, Navaratri, Dusshera, and Diwali, it seems like it's just one festival after another! Today marks the fifth day of Navaratri, and Hindus all of the world are busy making (and enjoying) sweets, distributing gifts, and continuing the rituals and traditions passed down from their ancestors. Though the ways of observing Navaratri may be diverse, the same spirit of worshipping Devi resonates strongly in all these rituals.
Navaratri is about celebrating the Goddess, but unfortunately we see that women and girls are subjugated to all sorts of injustices around the world today. This Navaratri, let us rekindle the spirit of worshipping Devi in a different way. Let us do something to empower millions of girls around the world who are an embodiment of this divine feminine energy, and thus let us create healthy and developed families and communities across the globe.
Happy Navaratri!
Tattva Team
Hundreds of impoverished girls receive education and care through Hindu Seva Pratishthana's Nele program. Learn more here.
Western Condescension of Hinduism (Part 2 of 3), by Foram Mehta The second issue to address is the fact that many in the West, including scholars, refer to Hinduism as “mythology.” This is by far one of the most insulting descriptions to characterize any religion. By describing Hinduism as mythology, it is suggested that Hindu beliefs are simply a collection of folklore and tales, too fantastic to be real. Inreality, however, all religions are theoretically mythological because no one religion can prove its validity. Can Christians prove that the word of The Bible comes directly from God? Can they prove that the world was created in seven days? No, but even so, Christianity’s core beliefs are rarely described as myths, especially in the West. Rather, they are referred to as “teachings of Christ.” Why then refer to Hindu beliefs as myths and not just what they are also – beliefs?
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Lifestyle of a Monk in NYC (Part 2 of 3), by Chris Fici
In the fall of 2006, my life had reached a crossroads I never imagined I would ever find myself at. As with many who make the break from the material to the spiritual, there was a definite need for a new experience that would challenge and hopefully inspire, and be nothing like I had ever experienced before. Initially, through my contacts and friends in Swami Prabhupada’s movement, I was invited to join the Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Manhattan, which had already developed quite a reputation as a standout facility for young monastic men, but my mind was drawn to another facet of Swami Prabhupada’s mission.
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Yuva for Sewa - Volunteering in Bangalore, by Pragya Kalla “Being a youth doesn’t only imply a period of time where we play, socialize and have as much fun as we can. It also implies that this is the time when we have the most power and energy to create change in the issues that really matter in our world”. These were the words of a teenage girl from a government school in Hyderabad. I heard her testimonial in a video we saw during orientation and I was immediately impressed by her elocution and confidence. After hearing her and meeting many other children in government schools in Bangalore, I realized that if these children were given the opportunity and proper guidance, they would probably perform much better than many of my peers in America. Although my main project did not involve education, the determination of these children was what kept me inspired throughout my stay in Bangalore.
What is Navaratri? Your questions about the 9 days of Goddess answered here!
 Nav Durga (Navratri) has great spiritual significance. It represents the three stages of an individual’s spiritual journey: Self-Purification, Self-Transformation and Self-Realization. Navratri, therefore should not be just a time to celebrate Goddess Durga’s victory over the demons but should be the time to pray to Goddess Durga to remove our enemies/vices within us, such as anger, selfish desires, greed, ego and undue attachments. We must pray to her to destroy our inner enemies/vices. Only then can we attain Self-purification, Self-transformation and Self-Knowledge — Everlasting happiness, Peace and Anandam, “Sat Chit Ananda.”
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Sadhana: Striving towards the Goal, by Nithin Sridhar
It is interesting to note that, even though sadhana includes rituals and practices like mantra jap, havan, puja etc, it is usually assumed to be confined only to them. But it is not so. Sadhna may refer to any spiritual effort put by an individual. It may be a person deciding to speak only truth, to lead a non-corrupt life or to remain celibate throughout his life, all these are sadhna only. The key is, the effort must be put with sincerity and must be practiced relentlessly. Further, any activity practiced in harmony with surrounding nature and the entire cosmos constitute a spiritual sadhana.
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Dasa Mahavidhya Sketch 9 - Matangi, by Deepak Saagar
Matangi, the tantric Saraswathi, is the word as the embodiment of thought. Matangi bestows knowledge, talent and expertise. She is the Goddess of the spoken word and of any outward articulation of inner knowledge, including all forms of art, music and dance. The ultimate residue and representation of who we are through speech is Rajamatangi. This, however, is not ordinary or casual speech, but the deepest expression of our hearts. Rajamatangi represents the ministerial power of the Goddess. She is the counselor to Rajarajeshvari and as such she is called Mantrini and has power over all mantras, particularly in their vocalization and articulation. She rules over all forms of knowledge, counseling and teaching. She also represents the continuity of spiritual instruction in the world. By honoring her we also honor the guru. Matangi is dark emerald green in color, the color of the planet Mercury that governs intelligence. She plays the Veena and carries various weapons with which to fascinate and subdue us. She carries a bunch of palm leaves, representing ancient knowledge and is often said to have a parrot in her hands, which represents the powers of speech as inherent in nature. Matangi is that tantric portion of Saraswathi that is allied with the transforming power of Kali. |
