Saturday, 28 September 2013

****VEDAS-THE UNKNOWN FACTS!!****

****VEDAS-THE UNKNOWN FACTS!!****

The Pranava Veda is the first Veda and the “source Veda.”
“A good deal of evidences is available both in Tamil as well as in Sanskrit works, particularly in Srimat Bhagavatam and Skandam about the remote existence of Pranava Veda. This Veda was later on called the science of Vastu (energy) and Vaastu (embodied energy), which is gaining much popularity today across the globe.”

Veda Vyasa himself said in the Bhagavatam:

“eka eva pura vedo pranavha sarva vangmayha”
(9th skandha, 14th chapter, sloka 48 of Bhagavatam)

This phrase by Veda Vyasa, the compiler of the present day Vedas, means that there was only one Veda in the remote past and that Veda is called Pranava Veda – the Veda of the shilpis of India. Artharva Sheershopanishad makes mention of the term “Pranava” as being “ongara” – the all-pervasive substance.

Pranava Veda elucidates the science of Pranava. It is the scientific study of The All Pervading Substance. Pranava Veda presents the science of “how the invisible substance of the universe (paravastu) makes itself manifest in the visible material (Vaastu) forms.” In other words, Pranava Veda reveals the process of how the All Pervasive pure Energy turns into Matter or material existence.

What we see the attached picture is called the “Five fold Veda.” This is the “source” Veda that presents the scientific manifestation process (Pranava Veda) and the four products of that manifestation (poetry, music, dance, and architecture).

All of these “forms” (poetry, music, dance, architecture) are generated from the Unmanifest Space or Brahmam based on SPACE, TIME, SOUND and LIGHT which give rise to all aural and visual forms in the manifest world. In this science and technology, each of these manifest forms of paravastu or Vastu are governed by a common grammar of Kaala manaa (time units) called Taala maana.The dominant and all pervasive element in the creation of these forms is the concept and process of the unmanifest becoming manifest by its own creative nature.

Based upon this theory of manifestation, and to signify the Five Fold Veda, the Shilpis have created a form with five heads. This form is called Vishwakarman. It represents the five Vedas, that is the Pranava Veda which is the instruction manual for how the Unmanifest (Vastu) turns Itself into Manifest creation (Vaastu) and the four products of that manifestation (poetry, music, dance and architecture).

“There are unlimited Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky, and the ratio of these planets to the material planets in the material sky is three to one. Thus the poor materialist is busy making political adjustments on a planet that is most insignificant in God’s creation. To say nothing of this planet earth, the whole universe, with innumerable planets throughout the galaxies, is comparable to a single mustardseed in a bag full of mustard seeds. But the poor materialist makes plans to live comfortably here and thus wastes his valuable human energy in something that is doomed to frustration. Instead of wasting his time with business speculations, he might have sought the life of plain living and high spiritual thinking and thus saved himself from perpetual materialistic unrest.”
-Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 5.22 (Purport by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

When it comes to knowledge of the universe we live in, modern scientists are often described as “experts” in the same way a blind man will describe a man with fuzzy vision as expert in seeing. When one such so-­called “scientist” stumbles upon a natural law—each of which have their origins in the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna—that scientist will often jump to put his name on the effect. This is the demonic mentality of atheistic science as this essay will prove with due reference to the revealed shastras.

As an example of their mentality let us look to the naming of the very continents of North and South America. Both great land masses were well populated and existed long, long before they were “discovered” by Columbus when the Italian explorer first landed on Watling Island in 1492. These great continents would soon be named for Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Similarly, to this day borrowed “discoveries” are still appropriated in all branches of science. History records many other such instances of mis-appropriations in the names of discovery or science.

For example, the electrical measurement or volt is named after Alessandro Umberto Volta who lived in the 19th century. The avogardo constant in the field of elementary particles is named after Amedeo Avogadro. The measure of frequency is called hertz after Heinrich Hertz. The synthetic element nobelium is named after Alfred Nobel. In this way deluded so-called scientists have trademarked, as it were, the energies of Shri Krishna. To the devotee, it stands to reason that a pre-existing reality that is appropriated by a lesser mind is a simple means of artificially attempting to overide the glory of the original creator Shri Krishna.
When we read about so-called scientific genius, it is worth noting that the 19th century is characterized as the peak of scientific discovery. Let us take the example of Charles Darwin who lived during the heyday of the British Raj, from 1809 till 1882. Darwin became the father of the Darwinian theory of evolution much as Amerigo Vespucci is the “father” of America. 

There is evidence that Darwin requisitioned the concept of evolution from the Vedas. He adapted the Vedic version of transmigration of the soul from lower to higher bodies to the grossly materialistic Western view by propounding his atheistic views of physical evolution. In a word, Darwin’s demonic theory declared that the physical body does not contain an eternal soul and that evolution is based upon some phantasmagorical transformation of matter rather than the evolution of purifed consciousness.

To this Shrila Prabhupada responds (BGAI 8.3, purport), “In material nature [the living entity] may take a body from any of the 8,400,000 species of life, but in spiritual nature he has only one body.”

The history of modern science is deeply linked to Europe’s great geographic expeditions of the 15th and 16th centuries. And, ironically, much of the history of modern science—for all its borrowed glory—sprang from the simple idea of profiting from the exotic spices of the East. Instead of merely creating wealth, merchant ships stumbled upon a parts of the world prior unknown to them that the Europeans now named the “New World”.

Although profit was the bottom line for those risky adventures, the wonders that the early European explorers chanced upon formed the foundations for much modern scientific research. Unknown local traditions in far-off lands were seized upon by intrepid explorers. Once these discoveries were in their hands, instead of honoring the learning and realizations of their new-found teachers, the explorers turned into invaders. They responded by diabolically seizing the lands of less aggressive and unsuspecting peoples while covering their own tracks by labeling these cultures as barbaric. The knowledge of the local folk was ingeniously used to enslave them.

The genocidal decimation of the Native Americans—the so-called red Indians of North and South America where entire languages and cultures were utterly lost—stands as historical recod. Yet no place on earth became subject to Kali Yuga exploitation as it was designed in Europe like India. Thus a once-glorious country was turned into a now-tarnishing jewel in the crown of the British Empire.

The shores of India were beseiged by private companies of different European origins—France, the Netherlands, Portugal and England—in the early 17th century. By the beginning of the 19th century, it was Britain and its East India Company that had gradually succeeded in taking over the country and which now held ninety percent of India’s territory. Not co-incidentally, the greatest strides in science were achieved during those days of glory when Britainnia held India in her iron grip. The factual Vedic version was scrutinized by those Western minds and interpreted according to their limited capacity. As a result, this new-found knowledge of India was suitably altered and adapted in ways that would prove suitable to serve the needs of the Western world. Much of the ancient texts of India were translated into English, German and other languages and carefully kept in the British libraries. 

Meanwhile the politically-motivated theory of Aryan invasion was promoted as a political ruse to override and minimize the ancient glory of Bharata-varsha. The foreign invaders were free to utilize India’s heritage for their own “scientific discoveries”.

The Industrial Revolution spanning from approximately 1750 till 1850 was stimulated by the era of great geographic discoveries that occurred between the late 15th to early 17th centuries. The steam locomotive first began its operations in 1804. Many mechanical devices and machines were invented in the 19th century leading to increased production with a result that populations now began to centralize in the cities. Such sophisticated mechanics are well described in the Vimana Shastra which deals with the science of aerodynamics. Even by today’s standards those who apply Vedic knowledge are much more technologically advanced.

Some unusual discoveries were also made in the 19th century. In 1820 the mission of Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen of Russia discovered Antarctica. Consequently in 1899 Stepan Osipovich Makarov led the first icebreaker on an expedition to the Arctic. With his explorations of Tibet Nikolay Przhevalsky and other Russian pioneers were the first proponents that the Earth may have other dimensions—and in fact may be hollow. See the following quote from Shrila Prabhupda (SB 5.24.8):

“In these seven planetary systems, which are also known as the subterranean heavens [bila-svarga], there are very beautiful houses, gardens and places of sense enjoyment, which are even more opulent than those in the higher planets because the demons have a very high standard of sensual pleasure, wealth and influence. Most of the residents of these planets, who are known as daityas, danavas and nagas, live as householders. Their wives, children, friends and society are all fully engaged in illusory, material happiness. The sense enjoyment of the demigods is sometimes disturbed, but the residents of these planets enjoy life without disturbances. Thus they are understood to be very attached to illusory happiness.”

Many device of modern science are merely gross material manifestations of the subtle powers long known to India’s adepts. For example telepathy, a siddhi known to the yogis, inspired long distance communications like the telegraph which first came about in 1837. Similarly, the first electric motor was built in 1829. 

Therefore it is evident that the inspiration for many scientific discoveries came from information that already exists in the Vedas.
The Vedas are known as the manual of the Universe. All scientific phenomena are ever present in latent or obvious forms in the vast creations of Shri Krishna. As stated in Shrimad Bhagavatam (1.2.32): “The Lord as Supersoul pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without a second.”
In 1869 Dmitri Mendeleev created the Periodic Table of Elements. He was famous for his quote that resounds the wisdom of the Vedas: “Nothing is lost. Matter only transforms from one state to another.” The Vedas are full of classifications, including the elements. See this from Shrila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 1.3.10: “The sum total of the creative elements is twenty-four in all. Each and every one of them is explicitly explained in the system of Sankhya philosophy. Sankhya philosophy is generally called metaphysics by the European scholars. The etymological meaning of sankhya is ‘that which explains very lucidly by analysis of the material elements.’ This was done for the first time by Lord Kapila, who is said herein to be the fifth in the line of incarnations.”
In 1820 the Hungarian Sándor Kőrösi Csoma set out for Tibet to explore the culture of the region. With British assistance Csoma was able to translate many Tibetan works. Thus the first English-Tibetan Dictionary came into existence and the mysticism of Tibet became available to the western world.


Another interesting detail linked to the 19th century is that London doubled its population. The medical science of the day advanced so much that many modern diseases appeared to be overcome. Anesthesia was also used for the first time in 1842. This success is linked to the science of Ayurveda that has solutions for all diseases not excluding even the plague and cancer. The systematic evaluation of body types has been known since time immemorial as recorded in the ancient Vedic texts and different treatments and injunctions according to nature and temperament were individually prescribed.

Shrila Prabhupada says, ‘‘A person is born in one of three categories, known as deva-gana, manushya-gana and rakshasa-gana. In different parts of the universe there are demigods and demons, and in human society also some people resemble demigods whereas others resemble demons.” (SB 9.18.23, purport)

By the 19th century personal hygiene was now held in great esteem, contrary to the Middle Ages when people seldom bathed, if at all. This practice was prolonged even in the Renaissance when clone perfumes were invented in France to cover the foul odors of the privileged and royal classes. Hygiene was and is deeply imbedded in the culture of India. There the brahmanas were accustomed to bathing thrice daily in order to maintain the high standard of cleanliness required for the performance of sacred ceremonies. The British imported these elevated standards of hygiene first and other nations followed. Some of the first advocates of hygiene like Philipp Semmelweis came from the hospitals. He “discovered” that the liklihood of disease is drastically reduced when a person is clean.

“The three transcendental qualifications—cleanliness, austerity and mercy—are the qualifications of the twice-born and the demigods. Those who are not situated in the quality of goodness cannot accept these three principles of spiritual culture.” (SB 3.16.22, purport

Another social change grew from the translation of Kama Sutra by the British explorer and attaché Richard Francis Burton. Contrary to current belief, the actual purpose of kama shastra is one of self-control. For example Kama Sutra begins with the admonishment that sexual relations are proscribed in three of four ashrams: brahmacahary, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Therefore the purpose of kama shastra is not to propogate illicit sex, but to control physical urges for procreation in the grihasta ashram. However, the Western mind imposed its own misunderstanding upon the Kama Sutra and painted India’s culture as one of unrestrained sense gratification. Misunderstood, the book inspired free exploitation of sexual activities that lead to many social changes not only in uncontrolled sexual partnerships but also indirectly gave birth to the feministic movements.

The new doctrines of the 19th century were tremendously influenced by the teachings of the East. Georg Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher, explored the relationship of the mind and nature. Allan Kardec founded Spiritism which stated that the soul does not die with the so-called “death” of the body. Friedrich Nietzsche, the master of the “school of suspicion”, proved by his own example that over-intelligence leads to denial of God. Arthur Schopenhauer explored the nature of desires, and stated that desires cannot be satisfied unless one turns to a more renounced lifestyle. Vladimir Solovyov and Master Peter Dunov took some of the elements that they found in the Vedas and implemented them into Christianity. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society intending to discover the Ultimate Truth through the help of Eastern philosophy. Sigmund Freud also used ideas found in the Vedas wherein it is clearly explained that the sexual urge is the underlying principle of material existence. Carl Jung developed the analytical philosophy and published his finding on the archetype or the Supersoul.

Science expanded its views in the area of observation as well. Thomas Edison developed the light bulb and the motion picture. The idea that light defines or makes our universe visible can be found in the Vedic texts as explained by Shrila Prabhupada in his purport to SB 2.9.4 “In the darkness one cannot see the sun, nor himself, nor the world. But in the sunlight one can see the sun, himself and the world around him.”

Alexander von Humboldt saw that the continents once were a joined land. Could his inspiration have originated from the story of King Priyavrata who divided the world into seven continents by his chariot?

“Maharaja Priyavrata lived with his wife and family for many thousands of years. The impressions from the rims of Maharaja Priyavrata’s chariot wheels created seven oceans and seven islands. Of the ten sons of Priyavrata, three sons named Kavi, Mahavira and Savana accepted sannyasa, the fourth order of life, and the remaining seven sons became the rulers of the seven islands.” 

Nikolai Lobachevsky worked on the curving of space: a fact which occurs due to our limited sense organs, namely, the roundness of our eyes. His so-called “discoveries” bear his name to this day: Lobachevskian geometry. Bernhard Riemann put the basic for the theory of relativity in which everything can become relative depending of one’s point of observation:

Factually, (the Lord’s) appearance and disappearance are like the sun’s rising, moving before us, and then disappearing from our eyesight. When the sun is out of sight, we think that the sun is set, and when the sun is before our eyes, we think that the sun is on the horizon. Actually, the sun is always in its fixed position, but owing to our defective, insufficient senses, we calculate the appearance and disappearance of the sun in the sky. And, because His appearance and disappearance are completely different from that of any ordinary, common living entity, it is evident that He is eternal, blissful knowledge by His internal potency-and He is never contaminated by material nature. 

Léon Foucault worked on measuring the speed of light or other big masses like earth and space. These ideas to measure space and time are also taken from the Vedas:

Each and every planet within the universe travels at a very high speed. From a statement in Shrimad Bhagavatam it is understood that even the sun travels sixteen thousand miles in a second, and from Brahma-samhita we understand from the shloka, yach-chakshur esha savita sakala-graham that the sun is considered to be the eye of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, and it also has a specific orbit within which it circles. SB 4.12.39 Purport
Nikola Tesla has gained popularity today through his exploration in the studies of frequencies or the power of sound which was well known in the Vedas. As we devotees well know, the appropriate construction of sounds that are used for particular purposes is called mantras.

We can clearly see that the Vedic texts were translated not only in English but into many other languages in the 19th century. The translations did not credit the original writers like Shrila Vyasadeva, Narada Muni or even Lord Shri Krishna. Anyone possessed of a curious mind could find and read these translations and share these “new” ideas. In the 19th century—before TV, internet surfing, computer games and other time-robbing exploits we are heir to nowadays—societies for discussing novel philosophies, discoveries and ideas were popular. Usually, the progressive minds (including scientists, artists, musicians and philosophers) constituted the members of such clubs. The ideas were floating in the air and many took advantage of them. Some of them have admitted the great impact India, the keeper of the Vedas, had on them:
Albert Einstein stated, “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.”

Mark Twain admitted, “India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. 
Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”

The French scholar Romain Rolland wrote, “If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.”

But the basic history of scientific discovery can be summarized like that: Lord Buddha denied the Vedas, yet He also established the Vedas by His own example. Science did the reverse action. The scientists exploited the truths of the Vedas but also denied the Vedas by labeling themselves the founders of the pre-existing factual expositions found in the Vedas. Thus atheistic speculators who dubbed themselves as scientists installed in the minds of the population a new god of their own making called Science. They want us to believe that everything in the world of science seems to be congenial and progressive. By the grace of scientific advancement, life is delightful while the world is filled with promise. The son of science is technological advancement that brings in its wake the illusory promise of carefree sense gratification. Thus the reason to be behind all scientific explorations—as seen from the first voyages of European adventurers—is simple. The stimulus for the Great Geographic Discoveries were the exotic spices. And so it is that the promise of sense gratification lies at the basis for the natural enfoldment of the history of modern scientific discoveries.

But Shri Krishna has another plan, one that is not so obvious and is filled with mystery (to the gross materialist). Despite of the obvious damage that science had done to the Vedic literature by it mis-appropriation of Vedic knowledge for sense gratification, the world has become open. The royal pathways from the East to the West—rather then from West to the East—became the highways for spreading Krishna Consciousness. England took over India (and the United Stated grew into the main extension and muscle of the British Empire). His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Shrila Prabhupada used the English language and wealth of the West to popularize worldwide the ripened fruits of all Vedic literature, Shrimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Once he popularized the sankirtan movement in the United States of America, the the chanting of Hare Krishna mahamantra spread throughout the entire world.

Today with clear vision it is easy to recognize that the true light of the Absolute Truth has indirectly shone upon many walks of modern life. From ecology to filmmaking, culinery habits to so called New Age philosophical views, from yoga-inspired healthy habits to the very language we speak, the influence of India today is omnipresent. But this is just the beginning and we devotees in the line from Shrila Prabhupda should not rest upon those credits. Much work remains to be done before the essential truths found in the Vedas, culminating in Lord Chaitanya’s sankirtan movement as the yuga dharma, receive worldwide implementation. And that is something that depends on every single devotee of Shri Krishna living today on the surface of mother Earth.

SOURCES : arganesh3.wordpress AND dandavats.com

SaSha
Indian Sage Warriors

****ANCIENT INDIAN MUSIC THERAPY BY RAAGAS OF SAMAVEDA****

****ANCIENT INDIAN MUSIC THERAPY BY RAAGAS OF SAMAVEDA****

Hindu philosophy gives us an insight into the “feeling” nature of music and how deeply the human spirit affects and is affected by the outcome of a performance. Shyamali Sharma, a performing sitar artist and music therapist of many years says, “I can certainly attest to the fact that your personal feelings are projected on the audience tremendously, so much so that if you are upset, you should not play because everyone listening to your performance will be affected by your emotion. If you are overwhelmed with happiness, so will they be.”

There are 72 raagas, which are known as the Melakarta ragas (Parant raagas) from which other ragas known as the Janya ragas are obtained. Neural research proves that the 72 raagas can control 72 nerves in the human body. Singing or performing a Raga, when bound to its specifications (lakshanas) and with purity in pitch (swara shuddi) gives the performer complete control on the corresponding nerve. Ragas Ahirbhairav and Todi are prescribed for patients suffering from hypertension. Carnatic ragas like Punnagavarali and Sahana are useful to calm the mind and control anger.

Ragas used in Music Therapy

Raga Treatment
Todi, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav--Provides relief from cold andheadache, 
high blood pressure
Shivaranjani -- Treats memory problems

Bhairavi -- Provides relief from Sinus, cold, 
phlegm, toothache
Chandrakauns --Treatment of heart ailments and 
diabetes
Darbari Kanara --Eases tension and provides relaxation

Bihag and Bahar --For sound, sonorous sleep

Darbari --Relief from tension

Malkauns, Asavari --Cures low blood pressure

Tilak-kamod, Hansdhwani,
Kalavati, Durga --Easing tension

Hindustani and Carnatic classical musical considers a Raga as depicting a specific mood. An appropriate mood has to be evoked in the listener’s mind before initiating musical treatment. For example, Kafi Raga evokes a humid, cool, soothing and deep mood while Raga Pooriya Dhanasri evokes sweet, deep, heavy, cloudy and stable state of mind. Raga Mishra Mand has a very pleasing, refreshing, light and sweet touch while Bageshwari arouses a feeling of stability, depth and calmness.

Ragas do heal when rendered properly, at the right pitch (saptak), with the true vaadis (a note that is most frequently used in a raga, such as ‘ga’ in raga Yaman) and samvaadis (a note that supports the vaadi, viz. ‘ni’ in raga Yaman) brought forth, and at the correct prahar (time). Even a single swar/note has immense strength. Stuti, a sitar player in the US is suffering from a heart condition. She says, “I mainly use my sitar for meditation as I find the sound of the instrument bringing healing to me. I take the sitar to parks and beaches out in hot or cold weather as I need the serenity of its sound because of my heart condition.”

Another musician of the Jaipur gharana who recently bought a rudra veena writes, “I myself have noticed great cardiac as well as psychological benefits from playing my recently purchased Indian classical instrument. I'm impressed by an often overlooked aspect (healing aspect) of Indian classical music. True intelligence resides in the heart.”

Raga Jogiya, Bhairavi, Malhar, Darbari are no longer just music to the ears, but also a form of treatment, recovery, prevention and improvement. Rejoice! The melodious Indian Classical music is being used to affect miraculous cures, for quicker post operative recovery, treating infertility, preventing natal handicaps in new-born as also to develop concentration and memory in youth and children.

Different ragas are used to cure different ailments. Dr Sucheta Rakshit, music therapist practising at a hospital here informs that she studies the history of each patient which includes his living style, the food habits, the medical records and even the astrological signs. The therapy is prescribed accordingly. A woman with a rural background would be preferably advised natural soothing sounds akin to sea, wind and river, she explains.

The ragas of Indian classical music are classified according to `pahar' (the time period of a day), and the therapy mandates hearing the raga in the ordained pahar only. For example hyperactive people are prescribed morning ragas. The morning ragas are those that should be listened to in the morning. These include Raga Jogiya, Bhairavi, Todi, Bilash todi and Lalit etc. The afternoon ragas consist of Soodh Sarang, Jaunpuri, Bhim palasi with Raga Yaman, Bihag, Kalyan and Sudh kalyan constituting the evening ragas. The night ragas would include Darbari Kanada and Adana.

Music therapy is being used extensively in a hospital here for patients of neurology and gynaecology departments with amazing results. Dr Prakash Khaitan, neurosurgeon here says, "We are using music therapy along with medicines and it has been seen that the recovery has been much faster than with just medicines." He recounts recent cases where post operative recovery has been quicker due to music therapy."I operated a 60-year-old woman who was suffering from haemaephalagia (half body is paralysed). She was given music therapy along with the medicines and we saw that she regained consciousness, vision, sensations and movement of body parts much faster than in earlier cases. The recovery period came down to nearly half, he recalled." Dr Khaitan mentions another case of an agitated 40-year-old male patient with a severe head injury. "We performed a CT scan on him and as we were preparing for the operation, we played music which had a becalming effect on him. A repeat scan immediately thereafter showed reduced inflammation in brain which implies that music therapy leads to some kind of activation of brain cells. These indications are extremely encouraging," he gushes.

Many ailments can be cured with music only. Raga Bhairavi helps in curing asthma and cold as also sleeplessness. Raga Malhar, Raga Sorath, Raga Jaijiwanti are used to get rid of mental stress. Further, Raga Sarang cures headache, Raga Darbari improves heart condition, Raga Pancham reduces stomach disorders and Raga Shivranjini enhances memory. To energise the body, refresh the mind, to mitigate migraine and even in treatment of psychiatric cases like insomnia, music therapy is very effective. "In severe cases we start the therapy with only instrumental music which is later upgraded to vocal music, informs," Dr Sucheta.

"We recommend that the patient should listen to the music during the advised time period with a headphone. In operative recovery cases, we give the music therapy to patients twice a day (mornings and evenings). Usually each session is an hour long. The room should be dark and if that is not possible then eyes should be covered with a dark coloured eye band. The patient should be comfortable so that musical vibrations seep into the body," she adds.

Dr Vandana Bansal, gynaecologist and IVF specialist, feels that music is the essence of life and has an immense becalming effect on the mind. "I personally, too, believe in music therapy. When I perform operations, I prefer to play a soothing music in the operation theatre. Also after a tiring day I listen to the recommended music and feel rejuvenated," she says.

Music therapy helps cure infertility and autistic children (children born with a handicap). Both these are directly related to mental stress. Music therapy is showing positive results in post delivery and post operative recovery of patients. "We plan to use music therapy in our IVF techniques also," informs Dr Bansal.

With the world's first music therapy programme launched in Michigan State University in 1944, today music is also being used to overcome depression, to enhance concentration and memory in children as also develop intellect and creativity in youth. The seven notes of music may soon turn out to be the seven wonders of the medical world!

SaSha

FOR MORE INTERESTING POSTS, LIKE AND JOIN US Indian Sage Warriors

****YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI****

****YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI****

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 196 Indian sūtras (aphorisms) that constitute the foundational text of Rāja yoga. Yoga is one of the six orthodoxāstika schools of Hindu philosophy, which, according to the Yogatattva Upanishad, is divided into four forms – Mantrayoga, Layayoga, Hathayoga and Rājayoga– the last of which is the highest (or royal) practice. 
Although the Yoga Sutras have become the most important text of Yoga, the opinion of most scholars is that Patañjali was not the creator of Yoga, which existed well before him, but merely a great expounder. 

Compilation and dating

Various authorities attribute the compilation of the sutras to Patañjali, who is also referenced as the author of a major treatise on Sanskrit grammar, theMahabhasya. It is considered that Patañjali was not the first to write about Yoga - other authors had written before him, and he used their writings in his work. However, as it often happens, his text became the authority on the subject.
Radhakrishnan and Moore attribute the text to Patañjali, dating it as 2nd century BCE, during the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE). Scholars such asS.N. Dasgupta claim this is the same Patañjali who authored the Mahabhasya, a treatise on Sanskrit grammar. However, Indologist Axel Michaels disagrees that the work was written by Patañjali, characterizing it instead as a collection of fragments and traditions of texts stemming from the 2nd or 3rd century. Gavin Flood cites an even wider period of composition, between 100 BCE and 500 CE. 

Contents

In the Yoga Sutras, Patañjali prescribes adherence to eight "limbs" or steps (the sum of which constitute "Ashtanga Yoga", the title of the second chapter) to quiet one's mind and achievekaivalya. The Yoga Sutras form the theoretical and philosophical basis of Rāja Yoga, and are considered to be the most organized and complete definition of that discipline. The Sutras not only provide yoga with a thorough and consistent philosophical basis, they also clarify many important esoteric concepts which are common to all traditions of Indian thought, such as karma.

Structure of the text

Patañjali divided his Yoga Sutras into four chapters or books (Sanskrit pada), containing in all 196 aphorisms, divided as follows:
Samadhi Pada (51 sutras). Samadhi refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One. Samadhi is the main technique the yogin learns by which to dive into the depths of the mind to achieve Kaivalya. The author describes yoga and then the nature and the means to attaining samādhi. This chapter contains the famous definitional verse: "Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodhaḥ" ("Yoga is the restraint of mental modifications").

• Sadhana Pada (55 sutras). Sadhana is the Sanskrit word for "practice" or "discipline". Here the author outlines two forms of Yoga: Kriya Yoga (Action Yoga) and Ashtanga Yoga(Eightfold or Eightlimbed Yoga).

• Kriya yoga, sometimes called Karma Yoga, is also expounded in Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, where Arjuna is encouraged by Krishna to act without attachment to the results or fruit of action and activity. It is the yoga of selfless action and service.

• Ashtanga Yoga describes the eight limbs that together constitute Rāja Yoga.

• Vibhuti Pada(56 sutras). Vibhuti is the Sanskrit word for "power" or "manifestation". 'Supra-normal powers' (Sanskrit: siddhi) are acquired by the practice of yoga. The temptation of these powers should be avoided and the attention should be fixed only on liberation.

• Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras). Kaivalya literally means "isolation", but as used in the Sutras stands for emancipation, liberation and used interchangeably with moksha (liberation), which is the goal of Yoga. The Kaivalya Pada describes the process of liberation and the reality of the transcendental ego.
The eight limbs of Yoga
Ashtanga yoga consists of the following limbs: The first five are called external aids to Yoga (bahiranga sadhana)

• Yama refers to the five abstentions: how we relate to the external world. (The five vows of Jainism are identical to these).

• Ahimsa: non-violence, inflicting no injury or harm to others or even to one's own self, it goes as far as nonviolence in thought, word and deed.

• Satya: non-illusion; truth in word and thought.

• Asteya: non-covetousness, to the extent that one should not even desire something that is his own; non-stealing.

• Brahmacharya: abstinence, particularly in the case of sexual activity. Also, responsible behavior with respect to our goal of moving toward the truth. It suggests that we should form relationships that foster our understanding of the highest truths. "Practicing brahmacharya means that we use our sexual energy to regenerate our connection to our spiritual self. It also means that we don’t use this energy in any way that might harm others."[16]

• Aparigraha: non-possessiveness; non-hoarding

• Niyama refers to the five observances: how we related to ourselves, the inner world.

• Shaucha: cleanliness of body and mind.

• Santosha: satisfaction; satisfied with what one has.

• Tapas: austerity and associated observances for body discipline and thereby mental control.

• Svadhyaya: study of the Vedic scriptures to know about God and the soul, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and God within,

• Ishvarapranidhana: surrender to (or worship of) God.

• Asana: Discipline of the body: rules and postures to keep it disease-free and for preserving vital energy. Correct postures are a physical aid to meditation, for they control the limbs and nervous system and prevent them from producing disturbances.

• Pranayama: control of breath. Beneficial to health, steadies the body and is highly conducive to the concentration of the mind.

• Pratyahara: withdrawal of senses from their external objects.
The last three levels are called internal aids to Yoga (antaranga sadhana)

• Dharana: concentration of the Chitta upon a physical object, such as a flame of a lamp, the midpoint of the eyebrows, or the image of a deity.

• Dhyana: steadfast meditation. Undisturbed flow of thought around the object of meditation (pratyayaikatanata). The act of meditation and the object of meditation remain distinct and separate.

• Samadhi: oneness with the object of meditation. There is no distinction between act of meditation and the object of meditation. Samadhi is of two kinds:

• Samprajnata Samadhi conscious samadhi. The mind remains concentrated (ekagra) on the object of meditation, therefore the consciousness of the object of meditation persists. Mental modifications arise only in respect of this object of meditation.
This state is of four kinds:

• Savitarka: the Chitta is concentrated upon a gross object of meditation such as a flame of a lamp, the tip of the nose, or the image of a deity.

• Savichara: the Chitta is concentrated upon a subtle object of meditation, such as the tanmatras

• Sananda: the Chitta is concentrated upon a still subtler object of meditation, like the senses.

• Sasmita: the Chitta is concentrated upon the ego-substance with which the self is generally identified.

• Asamprajnata Samadhi superconscious. The Chitta and the object of meditation are fused together. The consciousness of the object of meditation is transcended. All mental modifications are checked (niruddha), although latent impressions may continue.
Combined simultaneous practice of Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi is referred to as Samyama and is considered a tool of achieving various perfections, or Siddhis. But as stated above, siddhis are but distractions from Kaivalaya and are to be discouraged. Siddhis are but Maya. The purpose of using samadhi is not to gain siddhis but to achieve Kaivalya.
According to I. K. Taimni, the cumulative and collective mastery of the eight limbs aids one in performing Samadhi efficiently. Samadhi then becomes the main tool used by the yogi to descend through the various layers of consciousness towards the very center of consciousness. Mastery of the eight limbs is only the prerequisite to begin the descent through consciousness to its center (bhindu or laya center). The descent through consciousness involves mastery of samskaras and overcoming the kleshas, and constitutes an effort of will perhaps greater than mastery of the eight limbs. It is through the descent of consciousness to its center, and passage through this center by dharma mega samadhi that the Atman is realized and Kaivalya is achieved. Kaivalya is related to "isolation" not because a relative being becomes isolated from all other relative beings, but because consciousness becomes its essential nature: the wholeness and fullness of the Absolute, of which there is only one. There is no other next to the Absolute; hence it is isolated. This state is the fullness, completeness, and total freedom of being (svatantra). In this state Atman is Brahman. Thus, the eight "limbs" are the means to samadhi, and samadhi is the means to the end which is Kaivalya.

Philosophical roots and influences

The Yoga Sutras are built on a foundation of Samkhya philosophy, an orthodox (Astika) and Atheistic Hindu system of dualism, and are generally seen as the practice while Samkhya is the theory. The influence of Samkhya is so pervasive in the Sutras that the historian Surendranath Dasgupta went so far as to deny independent categorization to Patañjali's system, preferring to refer to it as Patanjala Samkhya, similar to the position taken by the Jain writer Haribhadra in his commentary on Yoga. Patañjali's Yoga Sutras accept the Samkhya's division of the world and phenomena into twenty-five tattvas or principles, of which one is Purusha meaning Self or consciousness, the others being Prakriti (primal nature), Buddhi (intellect or will), Ahamkara (ego),Manas (mind), five buddhindriyas (sensory capabilities), five karmendriyas (action-capabilities) and ten elements. The second part of the Sutras, the Sadhana, also summarizes the Samkhya perspectives about all seen activity lying within the realm of the three Gunas of Sattva (illumination), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (lethargy).

The Yoga Sutras diverge from early Samkhya by the addition of the principle of Isvara or God, as exemplified by Sutra 1.23 - "Iśvara pranidhãnãt vã", which is interpreted to mean that surrender to God is one way to liberation. Isvara is defined here as "a distinct Consciousness, untouched by afflictions, actions, fruitions or their residue". In the sutras, it is suggested that devotion to Isvara, represented by the mystical syllable Om may be the most efficient method of achieving the goal of Yoga. This syllable Om is a central element of Hinduism, appearing in all theUpanishads, including the earliest Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads, and expounded upon in the Mandukya Upanishad.

Another divergence from Samkhya is that while the Samkhya holds that knowledge is the means to liberation, Patañjali's Yoga insists on the methods of concentration and active striving. The aim of Yoga is to free the individual from the clutches of matter, and considers intellectual knowledge alone to be inadequate for the purpose - which is different from the position taken by Samkhya. However, the essential similarities between the Samkhya and Patañjali's system remained even after the addition of the Isvara principle, with Max Müller noting that "the two philosophies were in popular parlance distinguished from each other as Samkhya with and Samkhya without a Lord...." The Bhagavad Gita, one of the chief scriptures of Hinduism, is considered to be based on this synthetic Samkhya-Yoga system.
Samkhya and Yoga are thought to be two of the many schools of philosophy that originated over the centuries that had common mystical roots derived from the early Vedic and Indus-Saraswati periods. The orthodox Hindu philosophies of Samkhya, Yoga, Vedanta, as well as the non-orthodox Nastika systems of Jainism and Buddhism can all be seen as representing one stream of spiritual activity in Ancient India, in contrast to the Bhakti traditions and Vedic ritualism which were also prevalent at the same time. The Vedanta-Sramana traditions, Idol worship and Vedic rituals can be identified with the Jnana marga, Bhakti marga and the Karma marga respectively that are outlined in the Bhagavad Gita.
The Yoga sutras incorporated the teachings of many other Indian philosophical systems prevalent at the time. In Vyasa's commentary to the Yogasutras, (Yogabhashya) and Vacaspati Misra's subcommentary it is stated that the samadhi techniques are directly borrowed from the Buddhists' (Jhana) with the addition of the mystical and divine interpretations of mental absorption. Karel Werner writes that "Patanjali's system is unthinkable without Buddhism. As far as its terminology goes there is much in the Yoga Sutras that reminds us of Buddhist formulations from the Pāli Canon and even more so from the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma and from Sautrāntika." Robert Thurman writes that Patañjali was influenced by the success of the Buddhist monastic system to formulate his own matrix for the version of thought he considered orthodox. However, it is also to be noted that the Yoga Sutra, especially the fourth segment of Kaivalya Pada, contains several polemical verses critical of Buddhism, particularly the Vijñānavāda school of Vasubandhu. 

The five yamas or the constraints of the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali bear an uncanny resemblance to the five major vows of Jainism, indicating influence of Jainism. Three other teachings closely associated with Jainism also make an appearance in Yoga: the doctrine of "colors" in karma (lesya); the Telos of isolation (kevala in Jainism and Kaivalyam in Yoga); and the practice of non-violence (ahimsa), though non-violence (ahimsa) made its first appearance in Indian philosophy-cum-religion in the Hindu texts known as the Upanishads [the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, dated to the 8th or 7th century BCE, one of the oldest Upanishads, has the earliest evidence for the use of the word Ahimsa in the sense familiar in Hinduism (a code of conduct). It bars violence against "all creatures" (sarvabhuta) and the practitioner of Ahimsa is said to escape from the cycle of metempsychosis/reincarnation 
It also names Ahinsa as one of five essential virtues .

Usage

Although Patañjali's work does not cover the many types of Yogic practices that have become prevalent, it forms the basis for the theory of Yoga that underlies all subsequent "schools" of Yoga, as it is the basis on which the following practices founded their existences. In other words, all later schools of Yoga presuppose Patañjali's work. 
The Sutras, with commentaries, have been published by a number of successful teachers of Yoga, as well as by academicians seeking to clarify issues of textual variation. There are also other versions from a variety of sources available on the Internet. The many versions display a wide variation, particularly in translation. The text has not been submitted in its entirety to any rigorous textual analysis, and the contextual meaning of many of the Sanskrit words and phrases remains a matter of some dispute. 
Commentaries

Adi Shankara who wrote a commentary on Yoga Sutras
Traditional commentary: Yogabhashya
The Yogabhashya is a commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali which has been attributed in the discourse of the tradition to Vyasa. TheYogabhashya states that 'yoga' in the Yoga Sutra has the meaning of 'samadhi'. Shankara in his commentary, the Vivarana, confirms the interpretation of yogah samadhih (YBh. I.1): 'yoga' in Patañjali's sutra has the meaning of 'rest'. The interpretation of the word 'yoga' as union is the result of later, external influences that include the bhakti movement, Vedanta and Kashmiri Sivaism. But "Svaroopa-pratishthaa" (last sutra of last chapter in Patañjali's Yoga-Sutra), i.e., "resting in one's real identity" is the ultimate goal of Yoga, and it can also be expressed as "union with one's real identity, after putting to rest all movements in the mind", because 'Yoga' literally means 'Union'.
Ganganath Jha (1907) rendered a version of the Yoga Sutras with the Yogabhashya attributed to Vyasa into English in its entirety. This version of Jha's also include notes drawn from Vācaspati Miśra's Tattvavaiśāradī amongst other important texts in the Yoga commentarial tradition. Even though Vyasa is credited with the Yogabhashya, many hold its authorship to Vyasa impossible, particularly if Vyasa's immortality is not considered.
Other commentaries
Countless commentaries on the Yoga Sutras are available today. A popular yoga internet site says " For those who are serious about practicing the profound teachings of the Yoga Sutra, it is recommended to have several translations and commentaries at hand. "A list of 22 Classical commentaries can be found among the listings of essential Yoga texts (mantra.org). This list doesn't include modern, contemporary works.
"Raja Yoga" - a book by Swami Vivekananda provides translation and an in-depth explaination of Yoga Sutra.
Among other recent thinkers and spiritual leaders who have attempted the task, Shri Shailendra Sharma, relying on his own experience as a practitioner of Kriya yoga, translated the Sutras into Hindi and included a commentary on them. Another modern yoga thinker, Ravi Shankar, taught a course in December of 1994 on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the substance of which was published as a new commentary. 
Non-dharmic contemporary response
There has recently been considerable debate in non-dharmic contexts regarding the philosophical debt that Yoga owes to the Hindu civilisational milieu that it arose in. Controversy has arisen from the claims by Christian and Muslim religious leaders that the practice of Yoga violates the core tenets of Christianity and Islam owing to its unmistakably Hindu content. This was attempted to be overcome by promoting Yoga as divorced from Hindu spirituality, which in turn led to protests from Hindu and Indian groups. 

SaSha


FOR FURTHER INTERESTING POSTS,PLEASE LIKE : www.facebook.com/IndianSageWarriors