Ancient Indians – Satya Samhita

Photograph Credit: Satya Sarada Kandula : All Rights Reserved : The waters of the Andaman

Makara Masam (the solar month starting with Makara Sankranthi, around jan 15th) of last year began for me with Kunda Miss. I had gone to meet a former high school sanskrit teacher who could help me with sanskrit and I found her transformed into a Veda and Yoga Guru, who took me under her wing and not only taught me Vedas and Upanishads, but Yoga too. She also advised me on so many personal matters and met and blessed my family members and friends. At one time she was my mom’s student in college, and now she was my mom’s guru in yoga. My mom told her, “You have become a saint Kunda …” It was a year of Kunda Miss.

I learnt Purusha Suktha, Sri Suktha, Vagambhrani Suktha, Santhi Mantras, Isa Upanishad (again), Panini Siksha and Bhagavad Gita (again). I learned plenty that was new and whatever I “knew” already acquired so many new dimensions… It was a year of Vedas.

Where in 2009, I was taking weekly sanskrit classes to a couple of NRI girls, over the internet – in 2010, I started my own university for Ancient Indian studies and trained about ten students in all, mostly in the chanting and meanings of Gita. I also taught Vishnu Sahasranamam chanting, tat tvam asi.. sankara’s vakya vritti and the yajurvediya ganapati mantram. I also visited the Gita Mandir at Somnath.  It was a year of Bhagavad Gita.

I had a darsanam of the atmalingam of Siva in Gokarna as well as saw the three jyotirlingas of Somnath, Ujjain and Omkareswar. Besides I saw the source of the Narmada River and worshipped Siva with rudraganga in amarkantak, and narmada in jata sankar caves. I saw Gupta Mahadev and Mahadeva at Pachmarhi. It was a year of Siva.

I visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as well as the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. I saw Belur and Halebid (finally!) and hung out at so many magical places in Ujjain. I heard a lot of first-hand accounts about the North-East as well as Lakshadweep, and my world view ie India view is considerably modified. It was a year of India.  (Travel : Links to My Travel Posts)

It was also a year of a lot of inner battles., fighting my possessiveness, my fear of loneliness, my fear of death, my financial insecurities, and letting go of these things to allow deeper love and greater illumination. For the first time in my life I sought financial help from strangers, imagining that help would pour in – in appreciation of my work and its importance. Help did not pour in even from those who offered it, even when reminded. The 500,000 views on my site generated almost Rs. 30,000… (of which 2/3 came from one person 1/7 each came from 2 people and the rest was a drop here and there). This was very nice of them… but it is nowhere near enough and it bred a new demon in me.. that of expectation. I fought and killed that demon.. 

I would howl at all the painful/insulting comments and the unreasonable and rude demands for information and at the words of the semi-literate who would arrogate to think they should correct every word I write. I have learned to blacklist/spam and trash comments/commenters. The battle in me was to not get drawn away from research and remember that I was writing for myself, my descendants, my country and my Krishna. As one of my friends put it, for those people who like your work and for the right to present my understanding to those whom it might help.

I learned that all people who like my work are not angels. That very often they would use fractions of the ideas to justify whatever political group they belonged to. I have been quoted by the Kiratas of Nepal in anti-Indian discussions, by Christians in anti-Hindu discussions and by ne0-buddhists in anti-brahmin discussions.. even though I am an Indian, a Hindu and a Brahmin., with love for all three. Today, I take a word of praise only slightly better than a word of un-praise. It was a year of fighting my inner demon of expectation (aasa) and disappointment (niraasa).

Finally, the 12th solar month, ie Dhanur Masam, was one of intense introspection. What will I do in 2011? Which people, activities and behaviors will I keep in 2011, which will I drop?. And what will I allow into my life in the year ahead?

Authorship and Copyright Notice : All Rights Reserved : Satya Sarada Kandula