I often encounter questions on Sanatana Dharma, called Hinduism, as to why there are many Gods in it and one is confused by this.
Also while the other Religions talk of Only One God, why is it that Hinduism talks of many Gods?
I have been receiving a lot of queries on this and I am quoting one.
Lord Vishnu as Kaala Purusha
“Usually, we all say God is one but in Hindu Dharma we have Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva for Creation, Preservation and Destroy. Why it is so? Why other religion is praying and naming one God. Can you please explain”
As to other Religions , Christianity, Islam, they talk of God in an Impersonal way.
Christianity talks of God as The Father and there are no descriptions or attributes except the generalities like All merciful and one who would condone your sins if you repent your sins through His Agent, Jesus Christ.
Hinduism does not believe in Agents nor does it absolve you from the results of your actions, simply because you repent.
One has to face the consequences of his actions, this includes the Avatars of Gods as well.
Godhood is a Principle, Impersonal and Laws doe not distinguish between people.
In Islam the same generalities.
God is One who lays down the Rules,he punishes you if you do not follow Islam!.
Hinduism is different.
It knows Religion is an experience and it can not be dictated by Logic alone, even if the Logic is impeccable.
The Truth, according to Hinduism, is One.
It is called Brahman, The Reality.( This is different from Brahma , the Creator).
This Brahman is without Attributes, it is a Principle , just as Gravity is.
But it is difficult to know it through the Mind.
Just as we can not know Gravity, we think we know Gravity, but what we really know is because of the feeling of Gravity.
The scientific explanation is only an expression born out of the feelings of Gravity.
Imagine that we do not feel Gravity.
Would we have tried to form a Theory on Gravity?
So even if the Reality is an abstract principle,it has to be made understandable to be of use to us.
Hence even though the Reality Brahman is the Truth,Hinduism devised ways to reach/realize it.
The Truth, The Brahman, the Reality is Knowable, to Be Known.
That is the Truth.
This knowledge about Brahman is called ‘Apara Vidya'( beyond this world of names and forms)
The knowledge about Brahman and its attributes are called Apara Vidya.
The general descriptions of Brahman are Sat, the State of Being, Chit(Consciousness) and Ananda(Bliss)
Apart from this, the Upanishads,a part of The Vedas, the scriptures of Hindus, try to explain the qualities of Brahman by excluding the attributes normally known to us stating that the Brahman is Beyond all this and also this.
For example the Upanishads,describe Brahman as,
‘Neither Tall nor Short, nor of medium height,
Neither Male, Female,nor transgender ,
Neither the Knower nor the Known,
Yet It is All of These’
You would find this is difficult to comprehend even at the intellectual level.
Knowledge, if it can not be understood or used is useless.
Therefore Hinduism devised a way.
If we have to Know, it must be easy for us to follow.
The instrument to know is the Mind.
The instrument to feel is the Heart.
For those who want to have a glimpse , Hinduism provides Gnana Yoga and Raja Yoga.
Raja Yoga is the path of Yoga being practiced by many.
Here one prepares the mind to understand Reality.
Gnana Yoga prepares one to discern the Reality by developing Vairaagya, the discerning capacity to distinguish between practical knowledge,Para Vidya and the Apara Vidya.
There are two more methods.
Bhakti yoga, the path of Loving God.
The other one is karma Yoga, the Path of Action.
For loving God, one needs an object to concentrate for the Mind , to enable the Heart to feel it.
So Gods have been named In Hinduism.
It is difficult for the Humans to empathize with qualities which are not known to them.
The emotional connect is strong in the case relationships.
Father, Mother, Children, Wife, Children and relatives.
And if one attributes Reality/God with the qualities of Humans , it is easy for the Humans to understand.
So the Gods of Hinduism are attributed with Human qualities.
Then why many Gods?
Some love Mother, some Father, some Lover, some friends, some a master.
God, in Hinduism, is portrayed with all these qualities.
This makes it easy for Humans to relate to God than being asked to relate to an Impersonal God.
Once people start this step, over a period time, they will be able to feel the Impersonal God and the concept of god with Attributes withers away.
This first step is like LKG, while understanding, feeling Reality is like Phd..
After reaching Phd, the LKG would seem to be of no use.
But without that one could not have reached Phd.
At another level, there are principles that represent the Physical world.
Thus we have Brahma who represents the Potential energy, Vishnu, the Kinetic energy, and Shiva, the Potentio-Kinetic Energy.
Similarly all the Gods present the Principles of Nature as well.
Yet the fact that the Gods Rama ,Krishna, Shiva , Subrahmanya existed, as proved by Historical and astronomical Data, there is an unexplored area.
In short, Hinduism talks of not only Monotheism but Monism as The Truth but devised a way to understand them by Gods with attributes..
Kindly read my post Gods Hinduism, with name and form, Yes and No.
Another point is that even thought Gods with Names and Forms are only a tool to understand Brahman, these Gods, when prayed deliver results, as Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita.
‘What ever Form you worship, I deliver you the results in the form you worship”
I have been publishing articles on Sanatna Dharma, also called Hinduism, trying to validate with the help of available Archaeological evidence,Astronomy,Etymology.Cultural Language similarity,references in Indian and foreign literature and Architectural similarities if not identities.
For my post ‘World’s Oldest Temple, Gobekli Tepe,built By Brahmins, I have received a lot adverse comments, though they were out numbered by positive comments.
2.The Gobekli site is 11000 Years old and since the Ramayana is dated around 5114!
And the archaeological investigation is not complete.
Hence, what I have written, as one reader put it, making it up.
3.The dating is wrong and people will accept only Carbon dating and scientific dating methods.
My clarification.
‘The facts I have quoted are not scientific’.
I have and am providing sources for every single article I write from reliable sources.
In some cases I draw inferences by linking various elements,like the archaeological findings,Astronomical events, Etymology, Cultural behavior,Language and architectural affinity.
So they stand as a theory till such time some additional evidence comes along.
But till new evidence comes along my theory is an improvement on the existing data.
And is more accurate than the existing ones.
History is the process of trying to reconstruct events by cross referencing, linking various elements as mentioned above.
I do not indulge in misinformation as it is the prerogative of the West.
I do not put on my Blinkers when an Indian source presents itself and refuse to accept it because it is not by a Western Scholar(?)
”
‘The Gobekli site is 11000 Years old and since the Ramayana is dated around only that period.’
And the archaeological investigation is not complete.
Hence, what I have written, as one reader put it, making it up.”
True that the Gobelki is 11000 years old and Ramayana is dated around 5000 BC.
Rig Veda is also dated at 5000 BC.
Both the dates were by the Western scholars.
Are they assigning Rig Veda and Ramayana the same date?
What about Mahabharata?
EXACT DATE OF MAHABHARAT WAR
16TH OCTOBER 5561 YEAR B.C.
Does it mean That Ramayana took place just 500 Years before Mahabharata?
We have references to Ramayana and Mahabharata in Sanskrit Texts and Tamil.
Both these languages are so old it is impossible to date them accurately within the time frame as we know of..
I am providing excerpts on India in Paleolithic age.9Material provided thowards the close of the Post)
People have lived in India 50,000 -75000 Years ago.
I have articles on the age of Tamil Sangam Vedas Puranas and the Temples of India.
So it is possible that the Events in the Puranas have happened earlier than Gobekli Tepe and there are strong possibilities that Sanatana Dharma spread there .
I have provided more evidence that Tamils/Sanatana Dharma was the root for Mayas, Aztecs,Sumerian, Minoan.
People may check the relevant posts.
On the fact that the archaeological is incomplete, what is wrong in providing links to the references found in Indian texts to arrive at a conclusion?
One does not expect a Westerner to know of these references from India.
What is wrong in providing this to enhance knowledge?
While these archaeological evidence is available on the web, the specific information on Indian references is not for it requires knowledge of ancient Indian Texts exposure to Modern dating technic.
DNA evidence leads to Madurai.
Carbon dating is ideal.
The issue in Carbon dating is,
If you are verifying a vessel, it can date only the material and does not tell you the date when the artifact was made.
In Astronomy also the astronomical events repeat themselves over and over.
So which one do we take reference to?
Hence my attempt has been to synthesize all the elements and provide a theory for people to work on.
I do not manufacture history like the west.
I trust Indian and western sources with skepticism, check them and formulate my view.
“The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Anatomically modern humans, as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago.[..
Isolated remains of Homo erectus in Hathnora in the Narmada Valley in central India indicate that India might have been inhabited since at least the Middle Pleistocene era, somewhere between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago.[20][21] Tools crafted by proto-humans that have been dated back two million years have been discovered in the northwestern part of the subcontinent.[22][23] The ancient history of the region includes some of South Asia’s oldest settlements[24] and some of its major civilisations.[25][26] The earliest archaeological site in the subcontinent is the palaeolithic hominid site in the Soan River valley.[27] Soanian sites are found in the Sivalik region across what are now India, Pakistan, and Nepal.[28]
The Mesolithic period in the Indian subcontinent was followed by the Neolithic period, when more extensive settlement of the subcontinent occurred after the end of the last Ice Age approximately 12,000 years ago. The first confirmed semipermanent settlements appeared 9,000 years ago in the Bhimbetka rock shelters in modern Madhya Pradesh, India. Early Neolithic culture in South Asia is represented by theBhirrana findings (7500 BCE) in Haryana, India & Mehrgarh findings (7000–9000 BCE) in Balochistan, Pakistan.[29][30][31]
Traces of a Neolithic culture have been alleged to be submerged in the Gulf of Khambat in India, radiocarbon dated to 7500 BCE.[32]However, the one dredged piece of wood in question was found in an area of strong ocean currents. Neolithic agriculture cultures sprang up in the Indus Valley region around 5000 BCE, in the lower Gangetic valley around 3000 BCE, and in later South India, spreading southwards and also northwards into Malwa around 1800 BCE. The first urban civilisation of the region began with the Indus Valley Civilisation
That the Ithihasas are not myths perpetrated to gain political power as in some religions.
Lord Krishna as a Child.
They provide detailed descriptions of people and events that are verifiable with Astronomy, which can not be manipulated by vested interests to suit their ends
On this basis the events reported in the Ramayana and The Mahabharata have been verified and found to be correct.
In the case of Mahabharata , the horoscope of Lord Krishna has two versions.
One is based on The Srimad Bhagavatha Purana ,and the other is by Soordas, possibly based on the Bhagavatha Purana.
Planetary Position during Krishna’s Birth, Srimad Bhgagavatha. Krishna’s Birth Chart | Courtesy Prof.Narahari Achar, Memphis University, USA
There is one more rectified horoscope of Lord Krishna by the famous BV.Raman,astrologer from Bengaluru, India.
The Bhagavatha Purana states thus,
‘Shravana vada ashtami, Rohini Nakshtra, uditam Lagnam’
Krsna was born with all the stars and planets and houses in very very auspicious positions and combinations and specifically mentions the ascention of Aja-nakshatra (“Rohinii”). Several shlokas later, the Saaraartha-darshinii tika of Sripad Vishvanath Chakravarthi Thakur references an older astrological treatise named Kha Manikya (which now seems to have been lost) that gives full detail of Sri Krsna’s birth chart as follows: “The Moon, Mars, Mercury and Saturn were exalted. Taurus ascended. Jupiter was in Pisces. Sun was in Leo, Venus in Libra, Rahu was in Scorpio. It was midnight, on a wednesday, while the Moon was in Rohini.”
The respected astrologer BV Raman rectified a horoscope for Lord Krishna, which can be found in his published work “Notable Horoscopes”. Another version of Krishna’s horoscope in popular use is mentioned in a poem by Soordas, a fifteenth century poet of Bhakti Marg, considered a great saint and renunciate.
In his research Raman proposed that this took place on the 19th July 3228 BCC.
Planetary Positions : Sun 139° 48′,Moon 47° 42′, Mars 91° 6′, Mercury 152° 48′, Jupiter 148° 54′, Venus 102° 54′,Saturn 224° 42′, Rahu 106° 24′, Lagna 50°
Every avatar of Vishnu has the purpose of establishing dharma and displaying his great opulences.
It is impossible to measure the opulences of Krishna, but scriptures state that he is all attractive, all wise, the most beautiful, the richest. In his life it is said Krishna had over 16000 palaces bedecked in jewels, but this is only a minute example of his wealth. He himself says he is the proprietor of all the planets making him the richest of everyone. His opulences are listed as 1)Strength 2) Fame 3)Wealth 4) Knowledge 5)Beauty 6)Renunciation.
Understanding planetary indications for a Divine Incarnation of the Lord is different to that of an ordinary man. Everything about him is fully transcendental and he is the Supreme Enjoyer of Eternal Bliss. That is his unique position.
In Krisna’s chart Taurus rises and the Ascendant is graced by the presence of exalted Moon, in Rohini. Prash Trivedi in his book “The 27 Celestial Portals” states that:-
“Rohini’s extraordinary charm and magnetism is made clear by the fact that Moon, whose duty it is to spend only a certain amount of time with each of the nakshatras in his monthly travel through the zodiac, at one point refused to leave Rohini’s abode”
Rohini, falling in the sign of beauty, Taurus, is the most alluring amongst all the nakshatras. On the Ascendant it gives large and expressive eyes, refined sensual and seductive features and a smiling countenance. Smiling is also a second house affair, and here we see the sign of playfulness and mischievous Gemini on the second cusp,with its lord Mercury exalted in the radiant, cultured and kind constellation of uttara phalguni in the 5th house of love. Uttaraphalguni is a great yet noble trickster and an expert cassanova.
These sign positions of Moon and Mercury are present in the horoscope attributed to Soordas poem and also Raman’s Version.
In Raman’s chart, the aspect of 9th lord Saturn on the Ascendant and Moon may give some strong discipline over the mind and body and great detachment. Saturn’s aspect on the Moon is considered beneficial for renunciation, which may be the case for normal persons.Renunciation is also seen in Raman’s chart with Ascendant lord Venus conjunct 12th lord Mars. One has aligned their will to unite with Divine. In Raman’s chart Mars is debilitated, neechabhanga and vargottama, perhaps according to Raman’s reasoning, inferring a certain effortlessness in the process as Mars is the planet of effort. Mars however being debilitated vargottama is not auspicious, its neechabhanga is weak in the navamsa.
In Soordas’ chart, exalted Saturn conjunct Ascendant lord Venus gives more powerful control over the body, the Ketu’s influence on the Moon can indicate perfection of one’s lunar nature, and a mind that has access beyond the material world and to secrets related to the functioning’s of the universe without the limiting aspect of Saturn. An exalted 12th lord in the 9th in Saturn’s sign can indicate great renunciation as does Ketu’s presence with Ascendant and Moon in the sign of Taurus.
The presence of exalted Moon gives extremely feminine qualities to the appearance, crimson cheeks and coral lips (Rohini being the “reddish one”). Moon is fickle, charming, playful and a great romantic. Rohini is one of the wealthiest of constellations, and here wealth or opulence is not only an aspect of one’s personality and appearance, but the general theme of one’s life. Rohini is a long life constellation and in Raman’s chart, the 8th lord Jupiter is possessing strength in a kendra with moolatrikona Sun,with digbala and vargottama Saturn in the 7th house.
In Soordas’ chart, Moon suffers from Kema druma yoga giving danger in infancy, but the Ascendant lord and Saturn are rendered strong, along with 8th lord Jupiter in own sign.
In Raman’s chart, Rohini, an extremely productive and creative influence in regards to the Moon and the exchange with Venus who occupies Cancer in the constellation of Pushya in the third house gives great artistry to the body, mental and physical prowess, an inquisitive and protective nature. Taurus, Rohini and Pushya relate to cows, Krishna being a cowherd boy and the protector of cows.Pushya is the most beloved and benign of all nakshatras, and has the quality of nourishment or giving unselfishly just as the milk yielding udder of the cow. This sacrificing quality is enhanced with Rahu also being in Pushya (Rahu amplifying the Venusian qualities in the chart) conjunct an effortless acting 12th lord Mars (Mars the planet of effort is debilitated, but neechabhanga) in a constellation of unlimited expansion,Purnavasu.
In Soordas’s chart third lord is also giving great artistry to body, and mental, physical prowess, but with less complexity and more purity than the exchange indicated in Raman’s chart. In addition to the 3rd lord Moon in Rohini, Taurus (protector of cows),Ascendant lord Venus in 6th with 9th and 10th lord Saturn makes one a protector and upholder of dharma in general, Krishna’s main mission.
In Raman’s chart, Venus is closely conjunct friend Rahu giving diplomatic power, and vargottama Mars, giving a vibrant sexual attractiveness and in Raman’s opinion devoid of carnal lust .Raman gives the reason that Mars is far enough from Venus and Rahu, but this seems to be a weak reason. The Sun is very powerful in the chart giving control of the senses.
In Soordas’ chart, diplomatic power is indicated by Venus and Saturn in Libra, planet of lust and vitality Mars is powerful but controlled in Saturn’s sign and is aspected by Ketu (mokshakaraka).
Krishna’s complexion was smoky, dark, sky blue. In Raman’s chart Venus is conjunct smoky bluish hued planet Rahu and blue planet Saturn aspects Ascendant. In Soordas’ chart, Ascendant lord is conjunct Saturn and Rahu aspects Ascendant.
Rahu’s aspect on Ascendant (Soordas’) or its lord (Raman’s) adds a certain magnetism or hypnotic quality to the personality. In Soordas’ chart there is a lot of hypnotic influence in 7th house and Raman’s chart the hypnotic influence is particularly focused in one’s personal environment (3rd house). Having Rahu though conjunct the Ascendant lord in its enemy sign of Cancer in Raman’s chart does not appear auspicious for self clarity.
The nodes are not as powerful in Raman’s chart compared to Soordas.Raman’s sign placement of the nodes are weaker and the dispositors are mixed in strength. As the balance of the entire horoscope rests on the nodal axis, the serpent forces, which Krishna has complete mastery over, so one would expect the nodes to be immaculately positioned in both Rasi and Navamsa. .
Krishna has a more roguish quality in Raman’s chart because of Rahu close to Venus.
Krishna enchanted women, cows and all of nature with his musical flute playing, airy sign Gemini on the 2nd house with exalted Mercury in 5th house and 3rd lord Moon exalted in Rohini.
In one of his pasttimes, He was very pleased one day with peacocks (Mars) dancing ecstatically to his flute, a display of great submission and enchanted surrender by these colourful birds and is always depicted wearing a peacock feather on his head. It might be seen as a metaphor for Krishna’s control over the desire aspect martian aspect of nature.
In Raman’s chart Mars being 12th lord, and clearly powerless in respects to musical Venus and Moon exchange might be Raman’s implication for this.
In Soordas’ chart, Mars is very elevated in its position near the midheaven. Having occult Rahu in Mar’s sign in 7th, points towards a magical relationship with martian elements, Rahu sitting opposite the 3rd lord Moon in Rohini. Debilitated Mars is not required for surrender to happen, because it is already 12th lord.
In Raman’s chart His birth in a prison is seen by the 12th lord Mars being conjunct Ascendant lord and Rahu. In Soordas’ chart, one can see from Moon and ketu that there was danger and occult forces happening around the time of birth.
Upon his birth a miracle happened, the prison doors opened by themselves and all the guards fell asleep (a demonstration of Krishna’s authority over his 12th lord Mars in Raman’s chart, in the sense that Mars has a certain powerlessness). In Soordas’ chart it is really the nodal connection on the Ascendant with Rahu’s dispositor Mars being 12th lord that intimates this potential.
The night of his birth saw heavy floods, and Sheshnag the serpent (nodes) formed an umbrella to save the baby from the rain.This is a very powerful incident, which I can only intuit means a complete awakening of kundalini forces immediately at birth. In Raman’s chart Saturn (a slow acting planet), being disposition of south node, does not seem to support to this occasion.
What is the original source and authority on any subject?
I encountered this issue when a comment for a Post mine stated that the Links/sources provided by me depend on each other and as such they commit the fallacy of Circular reasoning.
Hence they are unacceptable.
Human Race From India.
The comment also observed that I must provide a reliable source like Text Books(?) or a reputed authority.
What then is a source that is dependable?
You depend and take reference to the one that is in agreement with known facts that are available.
And these facts are to be borne out by physical evidence such as Archaeology an , in my opinion, Astronomy as one can not tamper with Astronomical events while one can with Archaeology.
And in addition one may have to depend on contemporary references of the relevant period where the events have occurred and the foreign sources which were contemporary in terms of Time that refer to these events.
This the procedure I follow in validating information.
But all these have to stop at one point where the trail ends.
If you star doubting the authenticity of this, then no knowledge is possible.
Science conveniently circumvents this by saying some fundamentals are self-evident,Axioms, and are not to be questioned.
But Arts and History does not have this privilege.
The first source has o be proved as in Philosophy.
Philosophy tries to answer questions that are unanswerable by Science.
So the talk about God Reality evokes a lot of arguments an denials.
These areas need perception combined with inference,and testimony.
If one were to deny Inference as it may be faulty because non availability of all the facts then Inference can not be used.
In that case many day-to-day activities might come to a standstill.
And on Testimony if one were to doubt every testimony , I can not even say who my parents are!
Indian philosophy accepts Inference and Testimony(Sabda) as sources of Knowledge, under certain conditions.
I shall be writing on the sources of Knowledge shortly.
Now to the subject on hand, that of where did all the races originate from?
If one were to check western sources, both historical and religious,they would simply state that it was there or it is from another place.
You check on Human migration to Europe,
Waves of people came in intervals in they state.
Then they add from Asia.
Please read my post on Human Migration.
The trail ends there.
But the source they quote, namely India,comes out with references then they are dismissed at Myths.
Bu the west’s statement that human migration just happened and it is from Asia people accept it.
Why?
I leave it at that.
Now when we find human races History the same pattern is observed.
This is what is Race about.
Groups of humans have always identified themselves as distinct from neighboring groups, but such differences have not always been understood to be natural, immutable and global. These features are the distinguishing features of how the concept of race is used today. In this way the idea of race as we understand it today came about during the historical process of exploration and conquest which brought Europeans into contact with groups from different continents, and of the ideology of classification and typology found in the natural sciences.
The European concept of “race,” along with many of the ideas now associated with the term, arose at the time of the scientific revolution, which introduced and privileged the study of natural kinds, and the age of European imperialism and colonizationwhich established political relations between Europeans and peoples with distinct cultural and political traditions.[37][38] As Europeans encountered people from different parts of the world, they speculated about the physical, social, and cultural differences among various human groups. The rise of the Atlantic slave trade, which gradually displaced an earlier trade in slaves from throughout the world, created a further incentive to categorize human groups in order to justify the subordination of African slaves.[39] Drawing on Classical sources and upon their own internal interactions — for example, the hostility between the English and Irish powerfully influenced early European thinking about the differences between people[40] — Europeans began to sort themselves and others into groups based on physical appearance, and to attribute to individuals belonging to these groups behaviors and capacities which were claimed to be deeply ingrained. A set of folk beliefs took hold that linked inherited physical differences between groups to inherited intellectual, behavioral, and moral qualities.[41] Similar ideas can be found in other cultures,[42] for example in China, where a concept often translated as “race” was associated with supposed common descent from the Yellow Emperor, and used to stress the unity of ethnic groups in China. Brutal conflicts between ethnic groups have existed throughout history and across the world.[43]
The 1775 treatise “The Natural Varieties of Mankind,” by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach proposed five major divisions: the Caucasoid race,Mongoloid race, Ethiopian race (later termed the Negroid race), American Indian race, and Malayan race, but he did not propose any hierarchy among the races.[47] Blumenbach also noted the graded transition in appearances from one group to adjacent groups and suggested that “one variety of mankind does so sensibly pass into the other, that you cannot mark out the limits between them”.[48]
From the 17th through the 19th centuries, the merging of folk beliefs about group differences with scientific explanations of those differences produced what one scholar has called an “ideology of race”.[38] According to this ideology, races are primordial, natural, enduring and distinct. It was further argued that some groups may be the result of mixture between formerly distinct populations, but that careful study could distinguish the ancestral races that had combined to produce admixed groups.[43] Subsequent influential classifications by Georges Buffon, Petrus Camper and Christoph Meiners all classified “Negros” as inferior to Europeans.[47] In the United States the racial theories of Thomas Jefferson were influential. He saw Africans as inferior to Whites especially in regards to their intellect, and imbued with unnatural sexual appetites, but described Native Americansas equals to whites.[49]
Where is the evidence here on Races?
Check the source provide here or check any other source.
The same information under esoteric words with no shred of hard evidence and what is quoted in rare cases as an archaeological finds point out Indian connection and no body shall pursue it.
This blog does that ,Pursuing sources and the trail stops with the Puranas and Ithihasas.
And the facts mentioned by them are borne out by archaeology9Indain and Foreign) and Astronomy.
On the issue of races this is what the Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata and The Puranas have to say.
And my research shows most of them have been validated and I have published them.
I shall continue to pursue what has not yet been covered.
King Yayati a king of the Lunar Dynasty is mentioned to have 5 sons, all of whom became the founders of many royal dynasties.
The sons of Yadu are known by the name of the Yadavas: while those of Turvasu have come to be called the Yavanas. And the sons of Drahyu are the Bhojas, while those of Anu, the Mlechchhas. The progeny of Puru, however, are the Pauravas (1:85). Yadavas became strong in central India. The Pauravas (Kurus and Panchalas were branches of this race) became strong in northern India. The sons of Anu were also called Anavas, thought to be the Iranian tribes, who were all grouped as Mlechas. The Yavanas along with the Anavas established themselves in the far western regions.
It is not clear if the Bhojas mentioned here represents the Bhoja-Yadavas, a sub-sect of the Yadavas. However the epic mentions a king named Kunti-Bhoja (the king of Kunti and the foster-father of Pandava’s mother Kunti) and a city named Bhojakata in Vidarbha. There is a highly speculative possibility that the Druids of Ireland were the descendants of Drahyu.
Race from Kamadhenu.
When the sage Vasistha was attacked by king Viswamitra’s army, Vasistha’s cow, Kamadehnu, brought forth from her tail, an army of Palhavas, and from her udders, an army ofDravidas and Sakas; and from her womb, an army of Yavanas, and from her dung, an army of Savaras; and from her urine, an army of Kanchis; and from her sides, an army of Savaras. And from the froth of her mouth came out hosts of Paundras and Kiratas, Yavanas and Sinhalas, and the barbarous tribes of Khasas and Chivukas and Pulindas andChinas and Hunas with Keralas, and numerous other Mlechchhas.
This is also found in Ramayana:- the tribes like the Kambojas, Barbaras, Pahlavas, Yavanas, Sakas, Mlecchas, Haritas and Kiratas etc. had originated from the body parts of the divine cow, Kamadhenu of sage Vasistha, as hords of army men, to protect him from the attack of the king Viswamitra (Ramayana 1.55.2-3). The following passage from Mahabharata. At (12:35) is mentioned:- What duties should be performed by the Yavanas, the Kiratas, the Gandharvas, the Chinas, the Savaras, the Barbaras, the Sakas, theTusharas, the Kankas, the Pathavas, the Andhras, the Madrakas, the Paundras, the Pulindas, the Ramathas, the Kamvojas, the several castes that have sprung up fromBrahmanas and Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas, and the Sudras, that reside in the dominions of (Arya) kings?
They were later given the status of Sudras. The Mekalas, the Dravidas, the Lathas, the Paundras, the Konwasiras, the Saundikas, the Daradas, the Darvas, the Chauras, the Savaras, the Varvaras, the Kiratas, the Yavanas, and numerous other tribes of Kshatriyas, have become degraded into the status of Sudras through the wrath of Brahmanas. (13:35). It is in consequence of the absence of Brahmanas from among them that the Sakas, the Yavanas, the Kamvojas and other Kshatriya tribes have become fallen and degraded into the status of Sudras. The Dravidas, the Kalingas, the Pulandas, the Usinaras, the Kolisarpas, the Mahishakas and other Kshatriyas, have, in consequence of the absence of Brahmanas from among their midst, become degraded into Sudras (13:33).
Kamadhenu in this context has to be taken in its meaning of perennial.
It means that the Races originate from India perennially.
A passage in the Mahabharata, which is rendered as a futuristic prediction mentions thus:- The Andhra Kingdom, the Sakas, the Pulindas, the Yavanas, the Kamvojas, theBahlika Kingdom Valhikas and the Abhira Kingdom Abhiras, will then become possessed of bravery and the sovereignty of the earth (3:187).
Yavana rulers might have spread throughout ancient India, who established their city-states or small kingdoms during the period of Mahabharata. Many ancient Indian warriors like Pandu, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, Karna and Vasudeva Krishna were mentioned as encountering Yavana kings.
Mention of Yavanas who fought with Arjuna and his father Pandu:- The king of the Yavanas himself whom the powerful Pandu even had failed to bring under subjection was brought by Arjuna under control (1:141). Mention of a Yavana stronghold in Mathura:- The Yavanas, the Kamvojas, and those that dwell around Mathura are well skilled in fighting with bare arms (12:100). Nakula the son of Pandu reduced to subjection the fierce Mlechchas residing on the sea coast, as also the wild tribes of the Palhavas, the Kiratas, the Yavanas, and the Sakas. And having subjugated various monarchs, and making all of them pay tributes, Nakula that foremost of the Kurus, full of resources, retraced his way towards his own city (2:31). Sahadeva, the son of Pandu, brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas and the Dravidas along with theUdrakeralas and the Andhras and the Talavanas, the Kalingas and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the Yavanas (2:30). The Yavana city mentioned here seems to be a south Indian port city of the Yavanas during the ancient era.
Having come to the western regions, Karna made all the Yavana and Varvara kings pay tribute. The Suta’s son brought the Sasakas and the Yavanas under his sway.(3:252).Vasudeva Krishna slew the Yavana called Kalyavana (3:12). The Sakas, and the Yavanas with followers, were all vanquished by Krishna. (7:11).
The Greeks participated in the Kurikshetra War along with Duryodhana on the advice of Karna.
India Greece Trade Route 300 BC.
The Greeks were known as Yonas and Yavanas.
The Yavanas, Greeks were a part of those people considered as Mielchas, meaning those who strayed from the Vedic Dharma.
Thee were initially following the Sanatana Dharma.
They had caste system along the lines of Hinduism.
Many of them were considered to be Kshatriyas and Vaisyas.
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Yavanas were described to be beyond Gandhara. There was another country mentioned in the epic as Parama Yona, in the far west of Yavana. This could be the Ionia ofGreece, somehow related to Indian Ionians or Yavanas. The name Yavana could be the Sanskritized form of the name Ionia. Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas and Hunas were sometimes described as Mlechhas. Sometimes along with them, the Madras, Kambojas, Kekeyas, Sindhus and Gandharas were included. This name was used to indicate their cultural differences with the Vedic culture, prevailed in the Kuru-Panchala Kingdoms.
“… in the ports of southern India, where the early Tamil poems of uncertain date speak of a settlement of the Yavanas.”(1) The same author (2) does not follow the assumption that Yavanas were Roman traders, although she points out that between the first-second cent BC up to and included the third-fourth cent AD, rightly or wrongly “the term yavana denoted an Ionian Greek”.(3) On pages 83–5 she makes mention of early Indian literature where foreigners were dubbed “yavana”, and points to an Asokan inscription where a border-people is given this appellation. In central and western India, she says, Yavana “figure prominently as donors to the Buddhist Sangha”.(4)
(1) H.P.Ray, The Winds of Change, Delhi, 1994:49, 84; (2) ibid p. 52; (3) ibid p. 54; (4) ibid p. 84..
Thus the Vedic society acknowledged their extra ordinary skills, but kept them as outcasts. An account in the epic depicts Yavanas as the descendants of Turvasu, one of the cursed sons of king Yayati. Only the fifth son Puru’s line was considered to be the successors of Yayati’s throne, as he cursed the other four sons and denied them kingship. Pauravas inherited the Yayati’s original empire and stayed in the Gangatic plain who later created the Kuru and Panchala Kingdoms. They were the followers of proper Vedic culture.
Yavana was the name of one of the sons of Maharaja Yayati who was given the part of the world known as Turkey to rule. Therefore the Turks are Yavanas due to being descendants of Maharaja Yavana. The Yavanas were therefore kshatriyas, and later on, by giving up the brahminical culture, they became mleccha-yavanas. Descriptions of the Yavanas are in the Mahabharata (Adi-parva 85.34). Another prince called Turvasu was also known as Yavana, and his country was conquered by Sahadeva, one of thePandavas. The western Yavana joined with Duryodhana in the Battle of Kurukshetra under the pressure of Karna. It is also foretold that these Yavanas also would invadeIndia in the Kaliyuga . (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.18 [1])
It later proved to be true in 326 BC.
Among the tribes of the north and west are the Mlecchas, and the Kruras, the Yavanas, the Chinas, the Kamvojas, the Darunas, and many Mleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas, and the Parasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas. These countries are, besides, the abodes of many Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra tribes. Then again there are the Sudra and Abhiras, the Dardas, the Kasmiras, and the Pattis; the Khasiras; the Atreyas, the Bharadwajas etc. (6:9)
King Yayati a king of the Lunar Dynasty is mentioned to have 5 sons, all of whom became the founders of many royal dynasties.
The sons of Yadu are known by the name of the Yadavas: while those of Turvasu have come to be called the Yavanas. ..
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The word “Yona” in the Pali language, and the analogues “Yavana” in Sanskrit; “Unan” in Urdu and “Jôbon” in Bengali, are words used in the ancient Indus Valley to designate Greek speakers. “Yona” and “Yavana” are transliterations of the Greek word for “Ionians” (Homeric Greek: Iaones, Ancient Greek: *Iawones), who were probably the first Greeks to be known in the East.
The Yavanas are mentioned in the Buddhist discourse of the Middle Length Sayings, in which the Buddha mentions to the BrahmanAssalayana the existence of the Kamboja and Yavana people who have only two castes, master or slave. The direct identification of the word “Yavana” with the Greeks at such an early time (6th-5th century BCE) can be doubted.[1]
Examples of direct association of these with the Greeks include:
The mention of the “Yona king Antiochus” in the Edicts of Ashoka (280 BCE)
The mention of the “Yona king Antialcidas” in the Heliodorus pillar in Vidisha (110 BCE)
King Menander and his bodyguard of “500 Yonas” in the Milinda Panha.
The description of Greek astrology and Greek terminology in the Yavanajataka (“Sayings of the Yavanas”) (150 CE).
The mention of “Alexandria, the city of the Yonas” in the Mahavamsa, Chapter 29 (4th century CE).
In Sanskrit sources, the usage of the words “Yona”, “Yauna”, “Yonaka”, “Yavana” or “Javana” etc. appears repeatedly, and particularly in relation to the Greek kingdoms which neighbored or sometimes occupied the Punjab territories over a period of several centuries from the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD, such as the Seleucid Empire, the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and the Indo-Greek kingdom.[citation needed] The Yavanas are mentioned in detail in Sangam literature epics such as Paṭṭiṉappālai, describing their brisk trade with the Cholas in Tamilakam.
The Legend of Krishna along with Balarama, Greek Ambassador worshiping Vishnu, establishing a Stupa In India being worshiped in Greece ma by found in this site under Hinduism.
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