An old book, but a great account of explorers through the ages, and across continents.
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Category: Books
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
This Booker prize winner of 2022 delves into the history of Sri Lanka. The photographer Maali is already dead, but he has seven moons of wandering around before he leaves the world. The book actually throws light on the different groups in Sri Lanka, ethnic conflicts and civil war. It is interesting but by the time I reached the fifth moon, it seemed repetitive, with headless bodies constantly moving around. Anyway an innovative approach. Would recommend it to anyone interested in Sri Lanka.
A Complete History of India
This book is for anyone interested in Indian history. It looks at its history from the Stone Age up to the present. There is information on dynasties, art, culture, economy and religion. The Mauryas, Kushanas, Guptas, Cholas, Marathas, Sikhs, Mughals, Tipu Sultan, the British, independent India, the constitution, and much more is included in this. A bibliography provides for further reading.
The Soul’s Growth
Another book by C W Leadbeater, the Theosophist who discovered J Krishnamurti in 1909 and believed he was the messiah. He wrote The Lives of Alcyone on Krishnamurti’s previous lives. Star names were given to many adepts of the past, and Orion was one such name. This book is the third in the series The Soul’s Growth through Reincarnation. Orion’s lives were investigated in 1907, before Krishnamurti was discovered. But he had a place in the Lives of Alcyone too.
Were these invented stories? Quite likely, but still intriguing.
‘I carry the sorrow of millions…’
Sri Aurobindo [1872-1950]wrote hundreds of thousands of words of verse and prose. As I go through all his works for my next book, I found these lines today.
‘ I look across the world and no horizon walls my gaze;
I see Paris and Tokyo and New York,
I see the bombs bursting on Barcelona and on Canton streets.
Man’s numberless misdeeds and rare good deeds take place within my single self.
I am the beast he slays, the bird he feeds and saves.
The thought of unknown minds exalt me with their thrill,
I carry the sorrow of millions in my lonely breast.’
Vedic Literature –14
Upanishads—2
As seen earlier, the focus of all the Upanishads is the realization of Brahman. But this concept of Brahman is difficult to understand. Two descriptions of this are given below. According to the Kena Upanishad, it is through Brahman that everything is known. Yet Brahman is neither the known or the unknown.
The Katha Upanishad says: ‘Brahman, the immortal, contains all worlds in it, and no one goes beyond it.’
Some Upanishads state Brahman has two forms, both mortal and immortal. The mortal form must refer to the gods, who, though a part of Brahman, are not eternal.
Brahman, in its true sense, has never been created and can never be destroyed.
Some of the later Upanishads focus on gods, others on rituals. There are yoga Upanishads and sannyasi Upanishads. But the aim of all is the same, to transcend the world and realize Brahman. For this one must first understand the bliss of true realization, for only then will one focus on it. And only when the mind is fully focused on Brahman and on nothing else, will such realization be possible.
For more on the Upanishads, read The 108 Upanishads depicted above.
Vedic Literature–12
Aranyakas–2
There are several Aranyakas.
The Aitareya Aranyaka forms part of the Aitareya Brahmana, and is attached to the Rig Veda. It has five sections, describing sacrificial rituals and philosophical concepts. It refers to several rishis.
The Kaushitaki Aranyaka is attached to the Kaushitaki Brahmana of the Rig Veda.
The Taittiriya Aranyaka, forming part of the Taittiriya Brahmana is attached to the Krishna Yajur Veda.
The Katha Aranyaka is also attached to the Krishna Yajur Veda.
For the Shukla Yajur veda, there is the Brihadaranyaka, or Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, which actually comes in the category of Upanishads.
For the Sama Veda, the Chhandogya Upanishad has a first section that is similar to an Aranyaka.
Also of the Sama Veda, the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana has the characteristics of an Aranyaka, and contains within it the Kena Upanishad. It is also called the Talavakra Aranyaka.
Thus one can see that the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and some of the Upanishads are closely connected. But there are many more Upanishads, and we will describe them next.
Vedic Literature–11
The Aranyakas–1
The third category of texts that form part of Vedic literature are the Aranyakas. Certain different rituals and sacrifices are described in them, and the symbolism of these rituals is also explained. They also have philosophical passages. The Aranyakas can be called ‘forest texts’ as aranya=forest. Some feel that these texts were for the vanaprastha stage of life, the third stage of the traditional varnashrama dharma, when the householder, having fulfilled his duties, retired to the forest. Others feel these texts explain the more complex sacrifices to be conducted away from the village or town.
As for the Brahmanas, each Aranyaka is attached to a Vedic Samhita.
The varnashrama dharma has not been explained earlier. It divides life into four stages, the first, that of the student or brahmachari, the second of the householder, the third, as seen above, when the householder retires to the forest, usually along with his wife, and the fourth, the stage of the sannyasi or ascetic, fully focused on god. This was a logical way of living, as at least in the final stage, there was an attempt to understand and focus on questions relating to life, death, and god, thus preparing the individual to meet death in a calm way.
Vedic Literature–10
Brahmanas–4
There is just one Brahmana attached to the Atharva Veda: The Gopatha Brahmana.
Having gone through the list of Brahmanas, let us look at some of their contents.
As noted earlier, they provide descriptions of sacrificial rituals, and explain their symbolism. Among the sacrifices described are the agnihotra and pravargya, along with the numerous Soma sacrifices. The vajapeya and rajasuya, the royal consecration sacrifices are also described. Among the stories are those about Manu, Harishchandra, Pururava and others. There are numerous creation myths, with Manu, Prajapati, or someone else, being named as the creator. Some of the Sama Veda Brahmanas comment on the samans [Sama Veda verses], their efficacy and the deities involved, as well as on the ganas or songbooks. The Gopatha Brahmana attached to the Atharva Veda has two parts, the first praising the Atharva and its rishis, while the second includes descriptions of sacrifices and stories of Atharva Veda rishis. Some Brahmanas also contain Upanishads within their texts, but these will be described separately.
Vedic Literature–9
The Brahmanas–3
The Brahmanas which form the second category of Vedic texts, are attached to each of the Vedic Samhitas. Those attached to the Sama Veda are:
Tandya or Panchavimsha Brahmana;
Shadvimsha Brahmana [an addition to the Panchavimsha]
;
Samavidhana Brahmana;
Arsheya Brahmana;
Devadhyaya Brahmana;
Chhandogya or Mantra Brahmana;
Samhitopanishad Brahmana;
Vamsha Brahmana;
Jaiminiya or Talavakra Brahmana;
Jaiminiya Upanishas Brahmana;
Jaiminiya Arsheya Brahmana.
Roshen Dalal 