Just completed reading a book on "Chanakya" - The author of "Artha Sashtra", pioneer of political science. The book was mostly related to his oath on building a new empire, eradicating the Nanda dynasty. Hope many would have read about him in their school days, but it was just a subject that time. Chanakya'a ambition was to form an empire who could rule entire India under his umbrella. Main reason for such a thought was to protect India from Alexander kind of supremos, who started conquering the whole world. India at time was split as multiple regions with rulers for each region, like South was split between Chera, Chola, Pandiya's.
Few interesting things..
1. Chanakya was born in Tanjore district [Kochi mandalam at that time], then moved to Pataliputra along with his father "Chanak". He was a political science teacher.
2. Though he had an ambition to form a "One India" rule, the thrust towards his goal was the insult he had in the kingdom on Nanda. He was insulted twice in Pataliputra, once when he was young [BTW, His father was killed in pataliputra and Chanakya moved to Dakshaseelam and learnt there] and the second time in the Nanda kingdom when he was thrown out during a meal time for sitting in front of gold plate which Nanda kings and their chief guru will use. Others will be served in silver plates..
3. Chandragupta Maurya, who has the right to be in throne, but suppressed by the Nanda rulers that time met Chanakya accidentally and surrendered him completely.
4. Followed was all Chanakya's work in collecting support from neighboring rules, forming a anti-force against the rulers, making Chandragupta name visible to the world [PRO] and slowly eradicating the complete dynasty and other surrounding rulers to make a single empire.
5. Many times they won regions through "brain" rather "fight". Chanakya was behind many scenes and Chandragupta didnt even know what'z happening... He just trusted Chanakya in full.
6. Once a grass/bush stuck him on his way to palace making him to slip down. He just digged around the grass, found its core root, plucked it off, burnt it, mixed with water and drank it. Anything interfering on his way was his enemy and has to be rooted down. This was the time when Chandragupta Maurya met him. Since they had the same goal, they become close friends..
Due to lack of time, i cant write the whole story here. But its always amazing to read the history on how a single man, born somewhere in south side, stood out to completely change the history of India, that too 2300 yrs back, when India was split into multiple regions and Alexander was eating up the whole world. Earlier I had a negative impression on Chanakya like he was a kind of wicked politician, using Chandragupta as a key to fulfill his oath. But after reading him to some extent, it was a real surprise to see that Chanakya had a real big ambition [One India] for the interest of his country, and many incidents quote that people loved him.
One example was, Chandragupta, Chanakya and other royal men went on a pilgrimage to Kasi and other holy places. During the time, Chanakya ordered to build a stupa with four sides.. One side with Buddhist sculptures, second side with Jain stuff, third with Greek stuff and the fourth side left blank. The "blank" side was to respect people who dont believe in god. Amazing isnt it?
http://bhojpuria.com/people/chankya.php
- Raguraman
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Ramayana - A debate
Disclaimer - This blog will be discussing a bit sensitive topic.. On the existence of Rama/Ramayana/Qualities of Rama etc.. Though no one discussing in this forum are experts in Hinduism, the debate is just to find the "why" part of some layman questions that raise up in mind...
- Raguraman
From: Karthic Narayanan S B
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 3:23 PM
To: Raguraman R; Sivaraman M - ERS, HCL Tech; Reddy; Karthik Shankara
Subject: http://hubpages.com/hub/proof-of-ramayan
Although it did not contain enough information on the proof of Ramayana, just forwarding this link as there are many people who discuss like us..
And I have added my comments on the above forum as well.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<< My Response to the blog >>
Narayanan,
Good photos.. But not worth considering as proof of Ramayana happenings. Recently i read from "All about Hinduism - Swamy Sivananda" book that an EPIC is mostly imagination or could be a real story added with "masala" to convey a strong message. Real stories sometimes are taken as the base, so that it could go well with the people listening to the same. They cannot digest the high level concepts directly. "Once upon a time there lived a king" method do well for our people. Also this is an efficient method to inject thought. Ramayana i believe falls under such cadre. It could be a real "spiced" story, about an honest king lived long back. Unfortunate fact is that you took the hero as God rather seeing the "spice/crux/message" of the story. This is where i say something has gone wrong. Are we taking Ramayana in the right sense? What exceptional quality did Rama have to consider him as god? Did no one else after Rama had such qualities? Why Rama alone?
The following verse is what i was searching for sometime to respond your other mail.. You are saying about one moral of Ramayana like respecting elder's words... The below verse is from Kamba Ramayana and this is what Kaikeyi said to Rama [as informed by Dasarathan] before demanding him to move to forest...
ஆழிசூழ் உலகம் எல்லாம் பரதனே ஆள நீ போய்
தாழிரும் சடைகள் தாங்கித் தாங்களும் "தவம் மேற்கொண்டு"
பூழிவெங் கானம் நண்ணிப் "புண்ணிய துறைகள் ஆடி"
"ஏழிரண் டாண்டின் வா" என்றியம்பினன் அரசன் என்றாள்
Translation - This is Kaikeyis instructions to Ram. She says, "The king has said that the Kingdom will be ruled by Bharata and you will become a mendicant ,go to the forest do penance take dip in sacred rivers and spend 14 years and then return back." --- Is this what Rama did during his 14yrs? He was literally hunting down all south Indian kings/prince [Raavana, Vaali, Indrajit etc in the name of Asuras!] on the request of few Aryan sages trying to spread their civilization down south... Is that not? First of all why did Rama come to South India when the holiest places in India like Himalayas, Varnaasi are in the east side? If he wanted to honor his mothers statement, he should have traveled to those sacred places right? Is South India more sacred than Himalayas :-)
Few other questions to find convincing answer for...
2. After killing Raavana and returning to Ayodhya, just because some common man [Washerman - as i remember vaguely] gossiped about Sita's pureness [since she was in the captivity of Raavana for some duration], Rama sent the pregnant lady out of the country doubting her trueness. Justification provided is that "as per Raja Dharma a king need to respect any comments and take action". Here are my questions on this....
a. As per Dharma, any common man has to treat his King/Queen as God. He shouldn't question/doubt their trueness on any aspects/decisions. But some commoner gossiping about the Queen made Rama to make such forced decision to send Sita out of his country? Did he think the situation from Sita's shoes? He was just thinking as a normal king or even a normal man in this situation.
b. Rama has already tested Sita by asking her to enter into fire in Srilanka itself. She has also proved herself. Still Rama doubted Sita like a common man? [Just note that Rama was also alone when Sita was in Raavana's captivity, but she still didnt ask Rama to enter in fire. Thats the belief/love she had on him... But Rama behaved like a third class man doubting his wife for the second time in Ayodhya?]
c. If Rama respects any individuals comments and honors them as the king of Ayodhya, why cant he go along with Sita to forest? He believes Sita's pureness isnt it?
d. Did he still have the lust to rule the kingdom, even without his beloved one?
e. Bharatha was ruling the kingdom properly when Rama was away in forest. Cant he do the same now? Even Raavana was killed now? No threats for Ayodhya now as well. Whats the problem in Rama giving up his kingdom and going along with his beloved one....
f. In the Raamayana serial, they showed like Rama was leading a simple life [not enjoying any luxuries] inside the palace after he sent Sita to forest. What is the moral that an individual need to get here? A man should send his wife somewhere else if "anyone" doubts her, and feel in his house for the act later? Does that make sense at all?
General Note - Sorry for any typo/logic/grammatical issues. Its already late and my brain is running out of fuel. Others, by seeing such mails, dont consider me atheist. Its not about denying the existence of God. Its all about understanding the "why" part of certain things, especially Rama being treated as God. I still appreciate one good quality of Rama.. When his father Dasaratha had 60K wifes [accepted/correct as per Raja Dharma], Rama lived for his beloved Sita. Sadly he still failed to recognize her pure love :-(
Thanks,
Raguraman R
- Raguraman
From: Karthic Narayanan S B
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 3:23 PM
To: Raguraman R; Sivaraman M - ERS, HCL Tech; Reddy; Karthik Shankara
Subject: http://hubpages.com/hub/proof-of-ramayan
Although it did not contain enough information on the proof of Ramayana, just forwarding this link as there are many people who discuss like us..
And I have added my comments on the above forum as well.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<< My Response to the blog >>
Narayanan,
Good photos.. But not worth considering as proof of Ramayana happenings. Recently i read from "All about Hinduism - Swamy Sivananda" book that an EPIC is mostly imagination or could be a real story added with "masala" to convey a strong message. Real stories sometimes are taken as the base, so that it could go well with the people listening to the same. They cannot digest the high level concepts directly. "Once upon a time there lived a king" method do well for our people. Also this is an efficient method to inject thought. Ramayana i believe falls under such cadre. It could be a real "spiced" story, about an honest king lived long back. Unfortunate fact is that you took the hero as God rather seeing the "spice/crux/message" of the story. This is where i say something has gone wrong. Are we taking Ramayana in the right sense? What exceptional quality did Rama have to consider him as god? Did no one else after Rama had such qualities? Why Rama alone?
The following verse is what i was searching for sometime to respond your other mail.. You are saying about one moral of Ramayana like respecting elder's words... The below verse is from Kamba Ramayana and this is what Kaikeyi said to Rama [as informed by Dasarathan] before demanding him to move to forest...
ஆழிசூழ் உலகம் எல்லாம் பரதனே ஆள நீ போய்
தாழிரும் சடைகள் தாங்கித் தாங்களும் "தவம் மேற்கொண்டு"
பூழிவெங் கானம் நண்ணிப் "புண்ணிய துறைகள் ஆடி"
"ஏழிரண் டாண்டின் வா" என்றியம்பினன் அரசன் என்றாள்
Translation - This is Kaikeyis instructions to Ram. She says, "The king has said that the Kingdom will be ruled by Bharata and you will become a mendicant ,go to the forest do penance take dip in sacred rivers and spend 14 years and then return back." --- Is this what Rama did during his 14yrs? He was literally hunting down all south Indian kings/prince [Raavana, Vaali, Indrajit etc in the name of Asuras!] on the request of few Aryan sages trying to spread their civilization down south... Is that not? First of all why did Rama come to South India when the holiest places in India like Himalayas, Varnaasi are in the east side? If he wanted to honor his mothers statement, he should have traveled to those sacred places right? Is South India more sacred than Himalayas :-)
Few other questions to find convincing answer for...
2. After killing Raavana and returning to Ayodhya, just because some common man [Washerman - as i remember vaguely] gossiped about Sita's pureness [since she was in the captivity of Raavana for some duration], Rama sent the pregnant lady out of the country doubting her trueness. Justification provided is that "as per Raja Dharma a king need to respect any comments and take action". Here are my questions on this....
a. As per Dharma, any common man has to treat his King/Queen as God. He shouldn't question/doubt their trueness on any aspects/decisions. But some commoner gossiping about the Queen made Rama to make such forced decision to send Sita out of his country? Did he think the situation from Sita's shoes? He was just thinking as a normal king or even a normal man in this situation.
b. Rama has already tested Sita by asking her to enter into fire in Srilanka itself. She has also proved herself. Still Rama doubted Sita like a common man? [Just note that Rama was also alone when Sita was in Raavana's captivity, but she still didnt ask Rama to enter in fire. Thats the belief/love she had on him... But Rama behaved like a third class man doubting his wife for the second time in Ayodhya?]
c. If Rama respects any individuals comments and honors them as the king of Ayodhya, why cant he go along with Sita to forest? He believes Sita's pureness isnt it?
d. Did he still have the lust to rule the kingdom, even without his beloved one?
e. Bharatha was ruling the kingdom properly when Rama was away in forest. Cant he do the same now? Even Raavana was killed now? No threats for Ayodhya now as well. Whats the problem in Rama giving up his kingdom and going along with his beloved one....
f. In the Raamayana serial, they showed like Rama was leading a simple life [not enjoying any luxuries] inside the palace after he sent Sita to forest. What is the moral that an individual need to get here? A man should send his wife somewhere else if "anyone" doubts her, and feel in his house for the act later? Does that make sense at all?
General Note - Sorry for any typo/logic/grammatical issues. Its already late and my brain is running out of fuel. Others, by seeing such mails, dont consider me atheist. Its not about denying the existence of God. Its all about understanding the "why" part of certain things, especially Rama being treated as God. I still appreciate one good quality of Rama.. When his father Dasaratha had 60K wifes [accepted/correct as per Raja Dharma], Rama lived for his beloved Sita. Sadly he still failed to recognize her pure love :-(
Thanks,
Raguraman R
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Iam connected to Internet!!!
After a long gap, here goes my second blog... Just to update you all that, I got an internet connection at home. Whenever i think of writing blogs, the first thing comes into my mind would be "If I had an net connection at home.. I would scribble something offline... "...
Not sure whether my employer heard it somehow, they published [or brought into limelight an existing policy] where they are ready to afford my Internet Bill... Eventhough the claim is for official purposes lets take a small % of it for personal purpose as well...
See you more with some more writings later...
- Raguraman
Not sure whether my employer heard it somehow, they published [or brought into limelight an existing policy] where they are ready to afford my Internet Bill... Eventhough the claim is for official purposes lets take a small % of it for personal purpose as well...
See you more with some more writings later...
- Raguraman
Friday, March 19, 2010
Hello World...
So.. here came my turn to have a blog site.. What I intend to capture in this site are my random thoughts that many times emerge out of nowhere and dissolve... Interesting, Surpising, Boring, Shocking.... As such, thoughts dont have any boundary and so do i wish to have my site.. Not limiting to any specific topic... Only thing that scares me out is my poor written skills.. But still.. I got the courage and time to find a name and start my first blog... See you soon with interesting stuff.
-/ Ragu
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)