[Advaita-l] Chanting Gayatri overseas

[Santosh Rao]

A sticking point in this topic seems to be the debate between whether
karmabhoomi refers to India, or to the planet earth in total.

The traditional view will maintain that bharata-varsha/karmabhoomi only
refers to India, the more modern crowd will say it refers to our planet.

I favor the traditional view, but Jaldhar brings up a good point, what
constitutes "India?" South India was not always considered bharata-varsha,
since all of the stories in our shastras took place in North India,
Brahmanas only came and settled there at a much later point in time. Am I
off-base with this assumption?

Namaskara,

- Santosh



On Mon, Oct 2, 2017 at 12:23 PM, Vēdānta Study Group via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> 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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> > > --
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> > >
> > >
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> > >
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