[Advaita-l] Chanting Gayatri overseas

[Vēdānta Study Group]

Namaste, Raghav ji,

You are right! The inspiration of what I said comes from my Guru, Pujya
Swami Dayananda ji (Arsha Vidya) himself :)

As long as the dharmi is protected, dharma will remain protected. Dharma is
only an abstract expression unless embodied by a dharmi.

Namaste,
Prashant


On 2 October 2017 at 12:15, Raghav Kumar Dwivedula via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste 'Vedanta Study Group'
>  It was written by you -
> *However, the single most important factor for dharma is the dharmi, the
> individual who embodies dharma. And should a Dharmi travel overseas, then
> most certainly he takes (vaidika) dharma along with him and inspires others
> to do so as well. *
> (word in brackets is mine)
> Thats really well put by you.
>
> The above para reminds me of what Swami Dayananda Saraswati ji of Arsha
> Vidya would often say, viz., that to protect Dharma is nothing but, to
> protect dharmI-s.
>
> When we say 'dharmo raxati raxitaH', there too the implication is that we
> are enjoined to protect dharmI-s.
>
> And where there are dharmI-s there is vaidika dharma as well. ( Those who
> began as dharmI-s, in India, don't  cease to be dharmI-s, by the mere act
> of traveling - thats the assumption I am making, which is a matter for
> another discussion).
>
> Another point is that if we take arthavAda-s about geographical greatness
> of India, literally, then we have to also come to terms with other ideas
> from Manu Smriti (?). For example, a brAhmaNa loses his brAhmaNatvam if he
> lives in a country ruled by so-called 'mlecchas' for more than some 12
> years. (My memory says it's the manu Smriti but need to check).  By that
> yardstick , we have been ruled by non-vaidikas for over 700 years. Surely
> that implies something, if we take an overly literal meaning out of things.
>
> Another unfortunate fact we have to face is that the punya bhUmi where most
> of the vedic rishis dwelled is now called pakistan. To say that gAyatri
> japam will be efficacious in Islamabad and Peshawar but not in Pittsburgh,
> seems a bit unconvincing.
>
>
> Om
> Raghav
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 02-Oct-2017 8:46 PM, "Vēdānta Study Group via Advaita-l" <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> Harih Om,
>
> Svadharma is very specific to desha (place) and kAla (time). What was
> legitimate practice at some place and time may not be so elsewhere, and the
> same applies for what may be considered illegitimate in other contexts.
> That is not to say that everything in shAstra is up for debate or
> interpretation, but *the decision to guide one's sAdhanAs should ultimately
> be left to one's sampradayavit Guru* (the definition of whom is given in
> the mundaka upanishad).
>
> I am born and brought up in Mumbai, in a very urban setting, with minimal
> exposure to our shAstras, but it was only during my stay in the US that my
> interest in learning more about our vaidika heritage grew to a sizable
> extent. Also, dharma (and the results of karma thereof, if that is a
> perspective one wants to take) is not bound to any one geography. As
> someone rightly pointed out, the boundaries of bharatavarsha have
> significantly reduced over the centuries- it once included Pakistan, where
> we well know how Hindus are treated.
>
> It is indeed true that Bharata will always be the seat of Sanatana Dharma.
> In spite of repeated onslaught against Hindus, our Dharmika culture is
> still much the basis of Indian civilization, and this culture is the very
> manifestation of the vaidika teachings and vice versa. Truly, the
> declaration- ishavasyam idam sarvam- permeates our ethos. Just to cite an
> example, we look upon all forms of wealth as Lakshmi, knowledge as
> Saraswati, and if our feet were to touch an object of wealth or knowledge
> we immediately hold it against our reclined heads. This is not something
> that can be learned without observing it as a pervasive phenomenon around
> us, and this is certainly not something we would widely observe outside of
> India.
>
> *However, the single most important factor for dharma is the dharmi, the
> individual who embodies dharma. And should a Dharmi travel overseas, then
> most certainly he takes dharma along with him and inspires others to do so
> as well. *
>
> Namaste
>
>
>
> On 29 September 2017 at 11:03, Gopal via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > Namaste,
> >
> > in the same line of info given by sri chandramouli, please visit:
> > http://ananthsvedagroup.org/ from the DC area.  Sri Anantha Krishnan, an
> > ardent shishya of Sri Sringeri mutt Mahaswamins of 3 generations can be
> > contacted from the 'contact' link with any questions. He has been
> > practicing vaideeka dharma and more specifically veda paata, for around 5
> > decades in this "mlecchaa, non-varna ashrama-installed, decadent,
> adharmic,
> > rap-listening-pizza-eating-unrestrained" country (sarcasm intended with
> in
> > quotes for humor!).  HOpe you would get some pointers.  Another  source
> > would be  Sri Vidyashanker of this list.    In addition, Sri Sadaji, an
> > acharya resident of DC area and associated with chinmaya mission who
> leads
> > many discussions on this list, could be of a personal source of
> > clarifications..
> >
> > I would also like to quote from an article (
> > https://ruthaavaree.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/musings-
> > on-rig-veda-mantras_final.pdf)
> > that I wrote based on writings from Sri Aurobindo,Sri Kapali Sastry and
> Sri
> > Kashyap a temple souvenir.  In any of the texts quoted here that I have
> > read and also the mula mantra samhita paata, that I have (with my
> miniscule
> > knowledge and intelligence) come across qualifications of a vidhyaarthi
> > based on geography!   Like  Vidhya devi tells the rishi as quoted by
> > Yakshaacharya and later by Sayana,  the qualifications for veda  mantra
> > artha anubhava are more subtler and psychological  not liked to GPS..
> just
> > my humble thought on your query. Forgive me for any imprudence:
> >
> > 1)    .."Brhat Devatā –  compendium of vedic gods by rishi Shaunaka -
> > states the qualifications of such a rishi who has the mantra drishti : “a
> > mantra is not perceptible to one who is not a rishi. He who knows Gods
> > knows the riks. They are  to be approached through Yoga (yogena) with -
> > clear understanding (daakshyena), selfcontrol (damena), skill and general
> > knowledge (baahu shruthyena) and above all with tapasyā ” (Brihat Devatā
> > 8:129-130 as  translated by Sri Kapali Sastry). Only to such a sādhaka –
> a
> > rishi - a drishtā, that Mother vāk chooses to reveal the Truth :   uto
> > tvasmai tanvaṃ visasre jāyeva patya uśati suvāsāḥ - (she) reveals to the
> > one she chooses to, just as a loving wife, beautifully dressed, reveals
> her
> > body (only) to her husband (RV 10:71:4b)”.
> >
> > 2)  ....These mahāpurushās should be considered as rishis to whom vāk
> chose
> > to reveal Her Truths so that the glory and eternity of mantras can be
> > re-invigorated for the Man to call and invoke the devatās for worship
> > without any doubt or exaggeration. There is a cue to this earlier in Rig
> > Veda:“ rÉÑaÉå devānāṃ nu vayaṃ jānā pra vocāma vipanyayā /
> > uktheśuśasyamāneśu yaḥ paśyāduttare yuge – Let us proclaim with Light the
> > Hosts of Gods That one may see them when these hymns are chanted in the
> > future ages” declared a rishi in RV 10:72.1. Obviously the devatās are to
> > be seen  – pashyema, as one trains the inner faculties to sense their
> > Presence during worship – whether by the shores of river Saraswathi in
> Rig
> > vedic times or by the river Potomac much later.
> >
> > thanks
> > ..gopal Gopinath
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Sep 29, 2017 at 9:22 AM, H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> > > >
> > > > Namaste Santosh Ji,
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Under the auspicies of the Sringeri Mutt, several vedic rituals are
> > > > regularly being conducted at their temple in Strautsberg. These
> include
> > > > Homas, Japa yagnas like Gayatri Japa Yagna etc.   These are being
> > > conducted
> > > > with the blessings of the Jagadgurus of Sringeri Mutt. There is no
> bar
> > on
> > > > carrying on with the nitya karmas and other karmas abroad. Please go
> > > ahead.
> > > > If you still have any doubts, please check with your Guru ( at the
> > > highest
> > > > level) directly and follow His instructions. Please do not come to a
> > > > conclusion based on the opinions expressed here. All the best.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Regards
> > > >
> > >
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> > --
> >
> >
> >
> > *Gopal Gopinath, PhDGenetecist*
> >
> > *(Genomics/Bioinformatics),*
> >
> >
> > * CFSAN, US FDA P:240-402-3612 C:240-994-4774*
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