Shiva Linga in Kaaba controversy does not seem to leave me ever since I wrote on ‘Kaaba Shiva Temple, 786 is flipped OM, the sacred symbol of Hindus, Vedic practices in Islam, Siva Sthuthi by Prophet’s Uncle, History of Pre Islamic Arabia, Sapthapadhi practices in Arabia, Zam zam water Ganga Connection, Arabia was a part of Vikramaditya’s Kingdom, Mannat idol, which was reported to have survived (among some Idols) Prophet Muhammad’s Destruction of 360 Idols in Kaaba, was the main reason why Ghazni Muhammad’ s invasion of Somnaath temple Eighteen Times because he believed the idol of Mannat was in Somnath Temple.
Though I had written the articles quite sometime back, comments are still being received . Some of them in Facebook .Though some comments are very constructive, some are offensive and even abusive.This is not unique.It is not limited to these articles alone.Most of my articles, especially relating to presence of Sanatan Dharma in ancient world Cultures receive the same treatment. These articles are written with references to authentic sources/ links.Most of the comments express incredibility about the facts presented and call my articles being pro Hinduism and without any evidence.Those who post the comments do not bother to check the information provided in the article and related information/articles presented .
This approach is not limited to my articles alone.Any information that highlights the antiquity of Sanatan Dharma and it’s influence on other cultures:how Tamil culture has been a forerunner of many a cultures.
I recently came across an article in a reputed website which publishes articles purported to be researched and with authentic information .It is http://www.jstor.org. I have provided the link of this site towards the close of this article by way of link to the information I have provided in this article.
For my articles on Kaaba being a Shiva temple, in Pre Islamic Period,and my references about 300 Idols being destroyed by Prophet.i had also written that one of the idols that survived, Mannat was believed to have been spirited away to India , that it was housed in the Somnath Temple and that was the reason why Ghazni Muhammad invaded and looted Somnath Temple in Gujarat.
Instead of checking out facts, comments are being made that it is my fantasy.There was a mention that Kaaba was not Hindu temple but was A Pagan Temple. They should have checked what or which was the forerunner of Pagan Worship.
Varuna and Maitra are the sons of Aththi and Kasyapa. So also Surya,the SunGod. Worship of Surya is found throughout the world,with the attributes described in Hinduism. Mitra Varuna is worshiped in the Middle east, Italy and throughout Europe. And the Mayas,Incas,Mittanis,Akkadians,Sumerians and Egyptians were Sun worshippers.
This attitude can be found everywhere where Hinduism is involved. In JSTOR site I came across information in an article found in book ‘ Outrage,The Rise of Religious Offence in contemporary South Asia’.The article was titled “Affective Digital Images: Shiva in the Kaaba and the Smartphone Revolution.”
From the title one would think that the article would be a researched article.
But what it does is to subtly inform the readers that the whole issue of Kaaba,Shiva temple is a figment of imagination by ‘Nationalists’ and that it has no basis. But it does it in such a way it can always deny it did not mean it! Without going in to the evidence, it sweeps them aside and takes the statement of Zakir Naik, the psudeo Hindu Scriptures Authority and an Islamic Preacher that Muhammad was mentioned in Vedas. Not only that, it draws Sri Sri Ravishankar of The Art of Living into the controversy by saying that he had written a book on Kaaba being A Shiva Temple without any evidence and that he had admitted it in a Television Debate with Zakir Naik.And Sri Sri Ravishankar had not published his book after first print.
I intend refuting all points raised in the article that cleverly evades the issue of Kaaba, Shiva Temple in Mecca and without checking evidence dismisses facts and in the process discredits Hinduism. I shall show that
Zakir Naik’ s assertion that Muhammad is mentioned in Vedas is totally wrong and it has no basis.
The Tamil and Sanatan Culture was present in Pre Islamic Arabia.
Muhammad’s ancestors were custodians of a temple where Hindu idols were kept.
Muhammad’s Uncle wrote A Siva Stuthi.
That Pre Islamic Arabia had a rich culture.
786 is Flipped OM, The sacred Symbol of Hinduism
How Sapthapadhi and other Hindu practices are followed by Islam
There is little evidence of Prophet in the contemporary literature of His period save in Islamic texts.
Founder of the Art of Living movement, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been one of India’s highest-profile gurus since the early 1990s. In Hinduism and Islam: The Common Thread (2002), Sri Sri (as many of his followers fondly call him) drew heavily on Knapp to argue that, rather than fighting one another, India’s Hindus and Muslims must acknowl edge the many religious traits that unite them. Though Sri Sri was less explicit than Oak, Venugopalacharya and Knapp in asserting the Kaaba’s past as a Shiva temple, his attention to simile was nonetheless suggestive:
Though Islam prohibits idol worship, Muslims revere the black stone in Kaaba which is held sacred and holy. The black stone in the Kaaba is called Hajre Aswad from the Sanskrit word Sanghey Ashweta (non-white stone). The Shivalinga is also called Sanghey Ashweta… Another holy tradition at the Kaaba is that just as every Shiva temple has a sacred water spring that represents the holy river Ganga, there is a Zam Zam spring near the Kaaba (Shankar 2002, location 196-7 on Kindle).
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was about to complete this book when the Godhra incident precipitated large-scale Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002. Believing his book manuscript to be of potential help in preventing further escalation, Sri Sri decided to speed up publication (Ved 2002) without double-checking his sources. For the same reason, he also made public appearances in which he made his conviction about the Kaaba’s Shaivite past more explicit. Some of the talks were videotaped and uploaded on the internet. This was not to the liking of his Muslim counterpart, the high-pro file televangelist Zakir Naik. In a public debate in Bangalore, televised for Naik’s Peace TV channel in 2006, Naik made Sri Sri Ravi Shankar admit his mistake of relying on flimsy sources. According to a transcript, this is what Sri Sri told Zakir Naik and his followers in front of the television cameras:
I know there are some mistakes in that book… [T]his Book was printed in an emergency, in urgency, when there was riots in Gujarat. I wanted this book to immediately go. I did not go to big scholars because I do not know much about Qur’an. I myself not a big scholar but the intention he caught behind that is to bring people together (Punj n.d.; grammar and synthax as in the transcription).
Though Naik refrained from initiating legal proceedings, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar resolved not to issue a second edition of the book, though Ama zon still provides electronic versions for Kindle.
print were now made available to a new generation. Some of Oak’s new readers were so enthralled by his arguments that they began to quote him extensively in online discussions that united Indian computer users with diaspora Indians across the world. However, the loop I am tracing is not yet complete. Equally important were the contributions of Stephen Knapp and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
From India to the US and back
Born in Massachusetts, Stephen Knapp read the Bhagavad Gita as a young man. He has spent most of his time since then spreading the gospels of Krishna consciousness and Vedic pre-eminence. Author of at least 28 books, his Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global Existence (2000) expands Oak’s overall argument. This is what he says about the Kaaba:
So, he [Prophet Mohammed] destroyed all 360 images in the Kaba and kept only Allah, along with the Shiva linga, which has become known as the Ashwet, or black stone (Knapp 2000, 34).
A few pages on, he is less assertive but nonetheless suggestive:
It is also said that the Black Stone (Sangay Aswad) is originally a representation of Shiva, Mahadeva, in the form of a Shiva lingam. Shiva is also known as Makkeshwar, to which the name Makka or Mecca refers. This linga stone was retained by Mohammed as a formless symbol of the Divinity, although its pedestal has been lost. … It is an ovoid shape, about 11 inches wide and 15 inches high. This is the typical shape and color similar to the black Shiva-lingas that are popular in India today (Knapp 2000, 147).
Of these eighteen Puranas, Garuda,Kalki and Bhavishya Purana deal with the Future.
Garuda Purana speaks more about where the soul travels after death and Kalki Purana about the Avatar that is yet to manifest and the conditions of the earth then.
Bhavishya Purana contains some references to Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
I am producing relevant portions here.
Islam in Bhavishya Purana.Click to enlarge.Sanskrit Milecha meaning
There is a view that the translation may be incorrect.
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Few points come out of these verses.
Mahamad (Muhammad) has been called an Acharya (a spiritual teacher) of Mlecchas (the illiterate people).
The King Bhoj (innocent Indian people) will yearn to follow Prophet Muhammad with all humility and accept him as their teacher.
Muhammad is the destroyer of the Devil. Tripurasur in Puranic mythology stands for the Devil.
Muhammad is a dweller of the desert. It cannot refer to Lord Shiva of the Puranas because his abode is said to be the Mount Kailash in the Himlayas and not the desert.
The Prophet will be given protection against his enemies, by the fellow Mlecchas.
Raja Bhoj washed the Prophet with Ganges water and Panchgavya. Since this is a vision, it cannot be taken literally but must be taken as symbolic for honour.
He is called as the embodiment of divine qualities.”
Shri Suta Gosvami said: In the dynasty of king Shalivahana, there were ten kings who went to the heavenly planets after ruling for over 500 years. Then gradually the morality declined on the earth. At that time Bhojaraja was the tenth of the kings on the earth. When he saw that the moral law of conduct was declining he went to conquer all the directions of his country with ten-thousand soldiers commanded by Kalidasa. He crossed the river Sindhu and conquered over the gandharas, mlecchas, shakas, kasmiris, naravas and sathas. He punished them and collected a large ammount of wealth. Then the king went along with Mahamada (Muhammad), the preceptor of mleccha-dharma, and his followers to the great god, Lord Shiva, situated in the desert. He bathed Lord Shiva with Ganges water and worshipped him in his mind with pancagavya (milk, ghee, yoghurt, cow dung, and cow urine) and sandalwood paste, etc. After he offered some prayers and pleased him.
Suta Goswami said: After hearing the king’s prayers, Lord Shiva said: O king Bhojaraja, you should go to the place called Mahakakshvara, that land is called Vahika and now is being contaminated by the mlecchas. In that terrible country there no longer exists dharma. There was a mystic demon named Tripura(Tripurasura), whom I have already burnt to ashes, he has come again by the order of Bali. He has no origin but he achieved a benediction from me.His name is Mahamada(Muhammad) and his deeds are like that of a ghost. Therefore, O king, you should not go to this land of the evil ghost. By my mercy your intelligence will be purified. Hearing this the king came back to his country and Mahamada(Muhammad) came with them to the bank of the river Sindhu. He was expert in expanding illusion, so he said to the king very pleasingly: O great king, your god has become my servant. Just see, as he eats my remnants, so I will show you. The king became surprised when he saw this just before them. Then in anger Kalidasa rebuked Mahamada(Muhammad) “O rascal, you have created an illusion to bewilder the king, I will kill you, you are the lowest…”
That city is known as their site of pilgrimage, a place which was Madina or free from intoxication. Having a form of a ghost (Bhuta), the expert illusionist Mahamada(Muhammad) appeared at night in front of king Bhojaraja and said: O king, your religion is of course known as the best religion among all. Still I am going to establish a terrible and demoniac religion by the order of the Lord . The symptoms of my followers will be that they first of all will cut their genitals, have no shikha, but having beard, be wicked, make noise loudly and eat everything. They should eat animals without performing any rituals. This is my opinion. They will perform purificatory act with the musala or a pestle as you purify your things with kusha. Therefore, they will be known as musalman, the corrupters of religion. Thus the demoniac religion will be founded by me. After having heard all this the king came back to his palace and that ghost(Muhammad) went back to his place.
The intelligent king, Bhojaraj established the language of Sanskrit in three varnas – the brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaisyas – and for the shudras he established prakrita-bhasha, the ordinary language spoken by common men. After ruling his kingdom for 50 years, he went to the heavenly planet. The moral laws established by him were honored even by the demigods. The arya-varta, the pious land is situated between Vindhyacala and Himacala or the mountains known as Vindhya and Himalaya. The Aryans reside there, but varna-sankaras reside on the lower part of Vindhya. The musalman people were kept on the other side of the river Sindhu.
On the island of Barbara, Tusha and many others also the followers of Isamsiha were also situated as they were managed by a king or demigods.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Note This
Lord Shiva said: O king Bhojaraja, you should go to the place called Mahakakshvara, that land is called Vahika and now is being contaminated by the mlecchas. In that terrible country there no longer exists dharma. There was a mystic demon named Tripura(Tripurasur), whom I have already burnt to ashes, he has come again by the order of Bali. He has no origin but he achieved a benediction from me. His name is Mahamada(Muhammad)and his deeds are like that of a ghost.
According to Bhavishya Purana Muhammad was the rebirth of Tripurasura the Demon.
Tripurasura was killed by Shiva in his(Tripurasura’s) past life.
Tripurasur was the son of Sage Gritsamad. One day the sage sneezed and from this was created a young boy who the Sage brought up as his own son. The sage taught the boy the Ganana Twam, Ganesh Mantra. Equipped with this mantra the boy meditated intensely on Lord Ganesh who ultimately blessed him. He was given three pura-s of gold silver and iron. Since he was the owner of these three pura-s he was given the name Tripur. Ganesh also bestowed on Tripur to be the most powerful, who none but Lord Shiva himself could destroy and after being destroyed by Lord Shiva he would attain mukti-salvation. This boon made Tripur proud and he brought havoc in the entire world. He conquered the Nether world and then proceeded to takeover Heaven. He defeated Indra the king of heaven. His aggression made Lord Brahma hide in a lotus and Lord Vishnu in the Shirsagar. He soon also took over Lord Shiva’s Kailash Parvat and thus became the King of all the three worlds. The gods wondered on how to vanquish Tripurasur. Lord Narada told them that, since he had been granted a boon by Lord Ganesh himself it would be very difficult to vanquish him. He advised them to meditate on Lord Ganesh. Pleased Lord Ganesh decided to help the Gods. Disguised as brahmin he visited Tripurasur and told him that he was a very enlightened Brahmin and could make for him three flying planes. Riding these he woud be able to go anywhere he wished within minutes. The planes could only be destroyed by Shiva.In return Lord Ganesh asked him to get him the statue of Chintamani which was at the Kailash Mountain. Lord Shiva refused to give the statue to Tripurasur’s messenger. The angry Tripurasur himself went to get the statue. A fierce battle started between him and Lord Shiva. He destroyed everything that belonged to the Lord Shiva who too retired to the Girikandar. Lord Shiva too realized that he was unable to destroy Tripurasur because he had not paid his respects to Lord Ganesh. He recited the Shadaakshar Mantra to invoke Ganesh. On doing so from his mouth emerged Gajanan to grant Shiva a boon. Shiva continued his invocation of Ganesh who ultimately directed him on how Tripurasur could be killed. Lord Shiva was asked to recite the Sahastranam and then direct an arrow at the three pura-s of Tripurasur. Lord Shiva followed these instructions and finally vanquished Tripurasur. The place where Lord Shiva invoked Lord Ganesh he also created a temple for him. The town surrounding this temple was called Manipur. The village Ranjangaon is considered to be the place where Lord Shiva himself sought the blessings of Ganesh and ultimately destroyed Tripurasur.
This prayer (chalisa) praises the Lord Shiva (Related to Tripurasura killing)
Tripurasur sang yuddha machayi, sabahin kripa kari leen bachayi.
By fighting and killing the Demon Tripurasur, You forgave everybody and saved the Gods.
Excellent Rebuttal by Iskcon desire.
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n this article we will take a look at some of the verses in the Vedas that some people, such as Dr. Zakir Naik, say that Mohammed is mentioned or foretold in them. This is a summary based on the research by Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari and others, and shows that these verses in fact do not speak of Prophet Mohammed, but are used in a way that is based on mistranslations to justify that idea.
First of all, the Rig-Veda is globally recognized and accepted as the oldest book created by man and hence if it could be shown that there is mentioning of Prophet Mohammed in that text, it will be immensely helpful to paint the Arabian Prophet as a divine personality. Not only that, it will be helpful to deceive the Hindus and convert them to Islam. So, it does not become difficult to understand what has inspired Dr Zakir Naik and others to discover the mentioning of Mohammed in the Rig-Veda and in other Vedic texts. But as his investigation culminated into a failure, he had no other way but to apply stupid arguments to befool the kafirs and infidels but to twist the meanings and translations into something different, all the while acting most scholarly and convincing.
First of all, we should see what the Rig-Veda actually says about Prophet Muhammad. It should also be mentioned at the outset that two Sanskrit words śaṃsata and narāśaṃsa play the central role in these arguments of such people as Zakir Naik. According to him, the word śaṃsata stands for an individual who praises. In Arabic, such an individual is calledAhammad, the other name of Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, wherever he could find the word śaṃsata, he took it as the mentioning of their Prophet.
According to him, the second word narāśaṃsa means an individual who is to be praised or who is praiseworthy. The Arabic word Muhammad means a man who is praiseworthy. So, wherever he could have found the word narāśaṃsa in any Sanskrit texts, he took it to be a mentioning of Muhammad.
In fact, both the Sanskrit words śaṃsata and narāśaṃsa stand for a deity or God, who is praiseworthy. According to Sāyana, the most reputed commentator of the Vedas, the wordnarāśaṃsa means a deity or a respectable entity (not a man) that deserves to be praised by man.
However, we should have a closer look to see what Zakir Naik has to say. According to him, the verses (1/13/3), (1/18/9), (1/106/4), (1/142/3), (2/3/2), (5/5/2), (7/2/2), (10/64/3) and (10/182/2) of the Rig-Veda contain the word narāśaṃsa, and hence mention Muhammad, and the verse (8/1/1) of the Rig-Veda contains the word śaṃsata (Ahmmad), or the other name of Muhammad. So here he begins with another blatant lie and says that the word śaṃsata stands for a man who praises, the Arabic equivalent of Ahammad and hence mentions Muhammad. The said verse (8/1/1) of the Rig-Veda reads:
Mā cidanyadvi śaṃsata sakhāyo mā riṣṇyata l Indramitstot ā vṛṣaṇaṃ sacā sute muhurukthā ca śaṃsata ll (8/1/1)
“Glorify naught besides, O friends; so shall no sorrow trouble you. Praise only mighty Indra when the juice is shed, and say your lauds repeatedly.” (Translation: R T H Griffith; The Hymns of the Ṛgveda, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi; 1995, p-388). So the word śaṃsata (praiseworthy) in the above verse refers to deity Indra, and not a man who praises (Ahammad) as claimed by Dr Zakir Naik.
We shall now see what the verses containing the word narāśaṃsa say. In Rig-Veda, a verse is refered as (x/y/z), where x stands for Mandala, y stands for Sukta and z stands for the Verse or Ṛk. The verse (1/13/3) of Rig-Veda, as mentioned above, belongs to 13th Sukta of the 1st Mandala. It should also be noted here that every Sukta of the Rig-Veda is dedicated to a deity. The presiding deity of the 13th Sukta of the 1st Mandala is Agni (the God of Fire). The verse says:
Narāśaṃsamiha priyamasminajña upahvaye l Madhujihvat haviṣkṛtam ll (1/13/3)
“Dear Narāśaṃsa, sweet of tongue, the giver of oblations, I invoke to this our sacrifice.” (tr: ibid, p-7)
As Agni is the deity of the entire 13th Sukta, there is no doubt that the word narāśaṃsa (praiseworthy to man) in the verse refers to Agni. One should also note that the wordnarāśaṃsa does not signify a man who is praiseworthy, as some people claim.
The verse (1/18/9) of the Rig-Veda says: Narāśaṃsaṃ sudhṛṣṭamamapaśyam saprathastam l Divo na sadmakhasam ll (1/18/9)
“I have seen Narāśaṃsa, him most resolute, most widely famed, as ‘twere the Household Priest of heaven.” (tr: ibid, p-11)
The 18th Sukta, to which the verse belongs, is dedicated to Brahmaṇaspati, the Priest of heaven and hence the word narāśaṃsa (praiseworthy to man) in this verse refers toBrahmaṇaspati, the Priest of heaven.
The verse (1/106/4) of the Rig-Veda says: Narāśaṃsaṃ vajinṃ vajayinniha kṣayadvīraṃ pūṣaṇaṃ summairī mahe l Rathaṃ na durgādvasava sudānavo viśvasmānno ahaṃso niṣpipartana ll (1/106/4)
“To mighty Narāśaṃsa, strengthening his might, to Pūṣaṇa, ruler over men, we pray with hymns. Even as a chariot from a difficult ravine, bountiful Vasus, rescue us from all distress.” (tr: ibid, p-69)
The 106th Sukta of 1st Mandala, to which the verse belongs, is dedicated to the Viśvadevas, and hence the word narāśaṃsa (praiseworthy to man) in this verse refers to theViśvadevas, again not to Mohammed.
The verse (1/142/3) of the Rig-Veda says: śuci pāvako adbhuto madhvā yajñaṃ mimikṣati l narāśaṃsasthrirā divo devo deveṣu yajñiyaḥ ll (1/142/3)
“He wondrous, sanctifying, bright, sprinkles the sacrifice with mead, thrice, Narāśaṃsa from the heavens, a God amid Gods adorable.” (tr: ibid, p-98)
The 142nd Sukta, to which the verse belongs, is dedicated to the deity Āprī, and hence the word narāśaṃsa in this verse refers to Āprī. Most of the scholars agree that Āprī is the other name of Agni and hence the word narāśaṃsa in this verse refers to Agni, the god of fire.
The verse (2/3/2) of the Rig-Veda says: Narāśaṃsaḥ prati dhāmānyañjan tisro div prati mahṇā svarciḥ l Ghṛtapruṣā manasā havyamundanmūrdhanyajñasya sanamaktu devān ll (2/3/2)
“May Narāśaṃsa lighting up the chambers, bright in his majesty through threefold heaven, steeping the gift with oil diffusing purpose, bedew the Gods at chiefest time of worship.” (tr: ibid, p- 132)
Like the earlier one, 142nd Sukta of 1st Mandal, this present 3rd Sukta of 2nd Mandala, is dedicated to the deity Āprī or Agni and hence the word narāśaṃsa in this verse refers toAgni the Fire God.
The Verse (5/5/2) of Rig-Veda says: Narāśaṃsaḥ suṣūdatīmṃ yajñamadābhyaḥ l Kavirhi madhūhastāḥ ll (5/5/2)
“He, Narāśaṃsa, ne’er beguiled, inspireth this sacrifice; for sage is he, with sweets in hand.” (tr: ibid, p- 240)
This 5th Sukta of 5th Mandala is also dedicated to Āprī or Agni and hence the word narāśaṃsa in this verse refers to Agni the Fire God.
The verse (7/2/2) of Rig-Veda says: Narāśaṃsasya mahimānameṣamupa stoṣāma yajatasya yajñaiḥ l Ye sukratavaḥ śucayo dhiyandhāḥ svadanti devā ubhayāni havyā ll (7/2/2)
“With sacrifice to these we men will honor the majesty of holy Narāśaṃsa – to these the pure, most wise, the thought-inspires, Gods who enjoy both sorts of our oblations.” (tr: ibid, p- 334)
Again this 2nd Sukta of 7th Mandala is dedicated to Āprī or Agni, and hence the word narāśaṃsa in this verse refers to Agni the Fire God.
The verse (10/64/3) of the Rig-Veda says: Narā vā śaṃsaṃ pūṣṇamagohyamagni deveddhamabhyarcase girā l Sūryāmāsā candramasā yamaṃ divi tritaṃ vātamuṣasamaktumaśvinā ll (10/64/3)
“To Narāśaṃsa and Pūṣaṇ I sing forth, unconcealable Agni kindled by the Gods. To Sun and Moon, two Moons, to Yama in the heaven, to Trita, Vāta, Dawn, Night and Aśvins Twain.”(tr: ibid, p- 578)
This 64th Sukta of 10th Mandala is dedicated to the Viśvadevas, and the word narāśaṃsa in this verse refers to the Viśvadevas.
The verse (10/182/2) of Rig-Veda says: Narāśaṃso na avatu prayāje śaṃ no astvanuyajo habeṣu l Kṣipadaśtimapa durmati hannathā karadyajamānāya śam ṣoḥ ll (10/182/2).
“May Narāśaṃsa aid us at Prayāja; blest be out Anuyāja at invokings. May he repel the curse, and chase ill-feeling, and give the sacrificer peace and comfort.” (tr: ibid, p- 650)
The 182nd Sukta of 10th Mandala, to which the above verse belongs, is dedicated to Vṛhaspati, and hence the word narāśaṃsa refers to Vṛhaspati, the Priest of the Gods.
Another verse (1/53/9) of the Rig-Veda says, Tvametāñjanarājño dvirdaśābandhunā suśravasopajagmaṣaḥ l ṣaṣtiṃ sahasrā navatiṃ nava śruto ni cakreṇa rathyā duṣpadā vṛṇak ll (1/53/9)
“With all-outstripping chariot-wheel, O Indra, thou far-famed, hast overthrown the twice ten Kings of men, with sixty thousand nine-and-ninety followers, who came in arms to fight with friendless Suśravas.” (tr: ibid, p-36)
To narrate the incident, Sayana, the renowned commentator of the Rig-Veda, says that twenty kings with a force, 60,099 strong, attacked the King Suśrava (Prajapati) and Indra alone defeated them and frustrated their ambition (the Vayu-Purana also narrates the incident).
Most of the scholars agree that the Rig-Veda was composed more than 5000 years BCE, and hence the incident narrated in the verse (1/53/9) took place more than 7000 years ago. And Muhammad conquered Mecca in 630 AD. But Zakir Naik has proceeded to link the incident with Muhammad’s capturing Mecca, which any sane man, except a Muslim, would feel shy to undertake. To give his mischief a shape, he has, firstly replaced the word Suśrava with Suśrama and says that the word Suśrama stands for one who praises, and hence equivalent to Ahammad in Arabic, the other name of Muhammad. And he claims that the verse narrates Muhammad’s conquering Mecca, as the then population of the city was about 60,000 and Muhammad had invaded Mecca with 20 of his closest followers. It is not difficult for the reader to discover the absurdity of this claim and the deceit involved with making it.
The verse (8/6/10) of the Rig-Veda says, Ahamiddhi pituṣpari medhamṛtasya jagrabha l Ahaṃ sūrya ivājrani ll (8/6/10)
“I from my Father have received deep knowledge of the Holy Law: I was born like unto the Sun.” (Tr: ibid, p- 396). In this verse the word ahamiddhi stands for “I have received.” But as the word spells like Ahammad, the other name of Muhammad, Zakir Naik claims that the verse mentions Muhammad, which shows how he is prone to error on account of his Islamic bias.
Thus we have studied all the verses of the Rig-Veda which, according to Naik, mention Muhammad. It has been said above that the Sanskrit word narāśaṃsa stands for a deity or God who is praiseworthy to man, but not a man who is praiseworthy to other men, which is what Naik claims. So, according to this kind of childish logic, whenever someone uses the word “praiseworthy,” it should be taken granted that he mentions Prophet Muhammad. But that is far from the truth.
However, the intellectual level of those who try to use these techniques of mistranslations are revealed when they try to do the same thing with the word narāśaṃsa in other Vedas, likeAtharva-Veda and Yajur-Veda and is again projecting them to be mentioning Prophet Muhammad. Though it is sheer wastage of time to deal with the utterances of such insane people as this, we may discuss these matters more thoroughly in the future. In the meantime, many are those who are realizing the confusing and inaccurate conclusions such as these and are losing confidence in such people who depend on this kind of tactic, as they also become an embarrassment to the religion they represent. Iskcon Desire tree
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