Background
Indian ancient history is in fact the History of Hinduism. This was the onmipotent belief since the dawn of history in India. For a brief period there was a break during the period when the Maurya dynasty ruled India, at that time Buddhism became the state religion, but within a 100 years Hinduism and the Brahaminical cult came back with a vengence.
Over the centuries Indian Kings and rulers have always been equated with God. They were supposed to derive their powers from a pantheon of Hindu gods, who blessed them. One name that creeps up through out Hindu history is that of Vikramaditiya. Historians have not been able to identify who the real Vikramaditiya was or when he lived, but we know that this title has special significance for all Hindus. It represents an image and dream of a just and powerful king who was supposed to have divine powers. This title was used by many kings throughout Indian history.
The last King who used this name was also the last Hindu king who was crowned as emperor of Hindustan in 1555. He was Samrat Hemchand Tukuram Vikramaditiya. He ascended the throne in 1555 and was crowned emperor of Hindustan in the historic Purana Kila( Old Fort), built by Sher Shah Suri. This man had earlier ousted the Mughal rulers and seized power in Delhi. Hemchand Tukuram popularly called Hemu was a general in the army of Sher Shah, but by dint of his prowess and ability siezed power and crowned himself as emperor of Hindustan. He was the last Hindu king to be crowned at Delhi. Samrat Hemchand Tukuram is often referred to as the Napoleon of India as in a short span of 2 years, he defeated the Muslims and the Mughals in 22 battles on the trot and captured Delhi.
Subsequently by a quirk of fate, Hemu lost at the 2nd battle of Panipat(1556) and was beheaded by Akbar, when he was almost unconscious. But his names lives on as a great and powerful warrior. Why did Hemu assume the title of " Vikramaditiya"? The answer is that for centuries the name of Viramaditiya is revered as a king who was both just and wise and was blessed by the divine. Hindus look up to Vikramaditiya as a sort of super king who could do no wrong. But again as I have mentioned the real Vikramaditiya and his period has never been conclusively identified.
The Legend of Vikramaditiya
If one visits the complex of Kutab Minar built by Kutabbadin Aibik at Delhi, one will come across a metal pillar that for centuries has not rusted. Nobody till date has been able to analayse the metallurgy of the material with which this pillar was made. Historians have traced its origin to what is known as the Golden Age of India, namely when the Gupta Empire flourished in India, just after the demise of the Maurya dynasty.
This pillar has some inscriptions on it which point to the fact that this is the handiwork of Chandragupta II, who was one of the greatest rulers of the Gupta period. He also assumed the title of Vikramaditiya.His reign was probably from 375CE-415CE. Chandragupta Vikramaditiya was a great warrior and carried out many conquests. He probably had heard of the Legendary Vikramaditiya who was supposed to have ruled from Ujjain and so he made Ujjain his second capital in addition to Pataliputra( Modern Patna).From this one can make an estimate of the size of the empire of Chandragupta Viramaditiya.
From the pillar at Mehrauli in the Kutab Minar Complex we learn of the conquests of Chandragupta II and now we can estimate that he ruled over a gigantic empire that even encompassed Afghanistan.
He was one of the greatest kings, but again he was not the real Vikramaditiya.Chandragupta Vikramaditiya was like celestial kings fond of the fine arts, which he encouraged during his reign. He is supposed to have 9 gems in his court , who represnted the epitome of creative arts. Two of them are well known and are the poet Kalidasa and astronomer Varahamihira. To an extent the title Vikramadity does fit Chandragupta II.
Historians have been searching for the real Vikramaditiya. A study of history reveals another king who assumed this title and he was Vikramaditiya VI( 1076-1126CE). He belonged to the Chalukya dynasty and had the longest reign in his dynasty. He was often referred to as Permadideva and Tribhuvanamalla, literally meaning Lord of the Three Worlds. He was like Chandragupta II also a patron of the fine arts as well as a great warrior. His court had a multitude of Sanskrit and Kannada Poets.
Many historians also refer to Chandragupta Mauraya as Vikramaditiya. He came to power after the exit of the Greeks. He also conquered the entire North india and is considered as Vikramaditya also.
One thing that needs to be mentioned is that no legend is without any basis. Obviously there was some one who was the real Vikramaditiya. We have a clue if a person goes to Ujjain. This city as we know is one of the oldest cities in India and mention of this is made in the Puranas. It is also one of the recognised holy cities in Hinduism.
A tourist guide will take you to many places and along the banks of the Narmada river will take you to the Sihasan ( Throne) of Vikramaditya. This is a very old and dilipadated structure and one can make out that it must be very ancient. The guide will explain that the original Vikramaditya sat on this throne, which is in reality a replica as the original throne on which Vikramaditya sat ascended to heaven. I have seen this throne, but I am not sure I believe the story of the throne ascending into the skies and going to heaven.
I do believe that there was a Vikramaditya who probaly ruled from Ujjain. A refence to the Puranas gives a date of 1st century BCE. this is clearly mentioned in the Bhavishiya Purana. This book also states he was the son of King Ghandharvasena. Vikramadatiya lived to the age of 87 and probably died in 15CE. He was a man of great valor and infinite wisdom and in all probability subsequent kings took him as a role model and adopted his name.
The only source of information of this legendary king is the Bhavishiya Purana. Historians have not been able to uncover any further facts about him, despite extensive research. The only 'evidence' is his throne at Ujjain.
The Original Vikramaditiya
The great king Vikramadity has a number of legends. Again most of them have come down by word of mouth since centuries. Many stories abound about this king and the most famous ones are his encounters with a Vetala, a supernatural creature. The first of these is a set of 25 tales called the Panchvimshati. There are another additional 32 tales called the Simhasana- Dwatrimshika. In both these tales the central character is Vikramaditiya. There is however a subtle difference between the tales.
The first set of tales relate how the Vetala poses many intricate puzzles and questions to Vikramaditiya, who solves all of them. In the second set of tales Raja Bhoj another mythical king from Hindu lore tries to ascend the throne of Vikramaditiya which has 32 steps, each set is adorned by the statue of a beautiful female. Raja Bhoj is stopped at each step by the female statues till he finally ascends to the throne of Vikramaditiya, after the female statues are impressed by his humilty. There are many versions of these tales and one cannot say which is authentic.
The King Vikramaditya is part of Hindu Psyche. As already brought out the only mention of him is in the Bhavishiya Purana, but that does not mean it's not true. The Bhavishiya Purana is true in many other prophsies as well, like forcasting the arrival of Muhammad. In all likelihood there was a Raja Vikramaditiya, who was greatly loved by his people. He was also a wise and just king. This reverence for Viramaditiya has found expression in the modern age with the Indian navy's most powerful warship, the aircraft carrier being named after Vikramaditiya.
The legend of Emperor Vikramaditiya is both interesting and thrilling. I have litle doubt that a Vikramaditiya did exist in flesh and blood and by all acounts must have been a great and just king. It's about time Hindus glorified their wonderful heritage, which in most ways is unmatched all over the world
Recently I came across a news item stating that due to rising costs the height of the Ravana at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi this year is being reduced from 60-65 feet to around 40-45 feet. In some places they no longer put up Kumbhakarna's figure to save upon costs.
My thoughts went back to two statues in my city which had to be replaced and increased in height from the original when installed. This was a reverse phenomenon than the Ravana figure whose height had to be reduced. Both the statues were installed by the city municipality at public expense. That is where the problem arose.
The first statue was of Maharana Pratap the great warrior of Mewar and a much loved historical figure. It was announced with much fanfare that at a very important and busy crossing, a statue of the king in a standing position, holding his spear and shield would be installed.
Accordingly after a few months at a function the statue was unveiled admist lot of clapping and back slapping. But soon there was disappointment as the statue did not bring out the majesty of the Maharana. his statue looke a bit comical. The spear in his right hand was taller than him. The shield in his left hand covered a portion of his face too. The helmet on the head appeared a bit too big for the statues face.
It soon became a talk of the town and local papers also commented upon it. At the busy crossing many a driver would drive slow to have a longer look at it. Speculation was rife as to what happened. The statue simply did not do justice to the impressive figure of the Maharana and photographs of statues in some other cities were made available by local papers. The statue suffered terribly in comparison.
In the college I passed out from in Rajasthan, there was a museum, which had a room in which a life size statue of the Maharana was installed in full battle gear along with his spear, shield, helmet with chains protecting his face, These were supposed to be original and belonged to Maharana. It was a very impressive statue which was very uplifting to look at.
Therefore the pygmy statue of the Maharana on a pedestal of around 15 feet high, in fact made a mockery of the great historical figure. Soon there was a public uproar and protests followed. As usual the municipality took its own sweet time to respond.
Almost around the same time another statue was installed at another part of the city by the side of a not very busy road. The statue was of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose the legendary freedom fighter. The statue depicted Netaji in his famous pose in a marching position. However it also soon met the reaction similar to the above statue. The height if the statue was hardly three to four feet and it made Netaji look like a dwarf. I happened to pass by that road at least twice a day and developed a silent sympathy for Netaji being depicted in such a pygmy statue.
Both these dwarf statues created a sense of resentment in the city population. In fact some miscreants stole the spear from the statue of Maharana making it look still more comical. After a long period the city fathers grandly announced that both the statues will be replaced by new statues befitting their stature. It helped sooth the resentment among the citizens.
After a few months both the statues were replace with new statues. Proper care was taken to see that they were of appropriate height and looked as near to the real heroes. The citizens were satisfied and both the statues are today standing majestically at their original places.
There were lot of speculations as to why the original statues were not of proper height. After discounting the many theories, it was agreed by almost all that corruption was responsible for the shortening of the heights. It may look comical but it sounds logical. Especially because no other reason has been provided till date.
As happens most of the time, after awarding contracts the contractors are expected to return a certain amount to the contract value to the department officials in whose jurisdiction the contract is awarded. Generally the contract value is inflated to take this payment into account. Everyone gets their share and the quality of work also may not suffer for want of funds.
But what happens when a provision has not been kept for it and the contract gets awarded. No one wants to forgo their share.The beneficiary of the contract has to accommodate somehow. Usually he cuts corners in the job which anyway the same officials will be approving. Having got their cut they willingly approve the below performance job. everyone is happy.
So why did both the statues lose their heights so liberally?
Now in case of a statute how does its maker accommodate the demands of the order givers? He can do so only by cutting either the height or the girth of the full size statue. As the demand grows the more reduction he has to do in these vital statistics of a figure. That is what made both Maharana Pratap and Netaji's statues lose at first inches and then feet to finally emerge as pygmy statues. The officials had no option but to approve them and get them installed. When have they bothered about public resentment.
Whether the above is true or not can not be ascertained otherwise how could the commissioned life size statues result into almost half the size. How can such mistake occur not once but twice. Almost everyone is convinced that this was the reason why the original statues became laughably short in height.
Height of corruption!!
I recently read a book by Dr Ved Prakash " Muhammad in Hindu Scriptures". Dr Ved Prakash Upadhyay was a well known scholar of Sanskrit and he studied the ancient Hindu scriptures and came to some startling conclusions. The fact is that for long these books were under wraps as they were in sanskrit and hardly anyone in India knew Sanskrit except for some pandits. An enterprising Englishman, Sir william Jones learnt sanskrit and was the first to translate these books into English and later into Hindi. Sir Jones died in 1794 and is buried at the Park cemetery at Calcutta.
To understand what Dr Ved has written we must understand that there are 4 ancient books on Hinduism that form the bedrock of Hindu beliefs . They are the Vedas, The Upanishads, The Puranas and the Brahmanas. The Upanishads are held in high esteem as also the The Puranas.
The Puranas consist of 18 volumes and one of them is the Bhavishya Purana. In effect this granth gives forecasts of the future. it is in this book we find mention of Muhammad. The prophecy clearly states that a man would be born in Arabia and he will be a meat eater, who will eat everything except swine. He will destroy evil doers and wage a war and thus his followers will be known as Musalmans. He will be fond of dates and prunes. The forecast also says that the name of the man will be Muhammad. He will bathe in the sacred river Ganga and be purified. He will be like Raja Bhoj.
The Bhavishya Purana thus makes startling revelations. These are corroborated in the Vedas also. One can read the translations of the Bhavishya Purana and the Vedas to access the exact chapters and verses that make these revelations. Hindu scriptures also refer to Makkah, Kaaba, Arabia and Mohammad at many places.
Dr Ved Prakash also in an earlier article proves that 3/4 of the Vedas, draw inspiration from ancient Hebrew scriptures and the names in the Vedas and the Hebrew mythology are common. This is a very interesting phenomena and points to a deep link between the Middle East and ancient Hinduism .That perhaps is the reason that a Muslim friend told me that the Kaaba is in fact a Shiva lingam.
Coming to the forecasts in the Bhavishya Purana, they cannot be dismissed out of hand. What does this forecast mean? Does it mean that the 10th Avatar of Vishnu who is to come, was actually Muhammad ?. Dr Zakir Naik a Muslim scholar is firmly of the view that the Hindu scriptures clearly foretell the arrival of Muhammad as the apostle of god. This is confirmed by Ghulam Ahmed, spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam.
I do not take a negative view of this forecast and am convinced that Hindu thought and philosophy by these forecasts establishes itself as of divine origin. I cannot however explain the link with Muhammad. Perhaps MahaRishi Vyasa who compiled the Puranas had divine power and could see into the future and he saw the arrival of Muhammad.
I am wonderstruck that a book written 2000 years before the birth of Muhammad could so accurately forecast the birth of Muhammad as a slayer of evil doers.
The land Hindustan is the abode of the Hindus , a religion as well as a way of life for as long as civilization has existed. It is the oldest religion in the world and has a deep philosophy. But this religion presides over a fractured society, where deep divisions are effected with the Varna system. In a way it brings out a schism in Hindu society. In real terms this division of Hindu society has had a deleterious effect on India in its entirety as a great and significant part of the Hindu population were forbidden to bear arms or change their profession. This led to a psychosis of fear among the lower castes and it was manifested in implicit and expicit obedience and "Ji Huzoor" attitude.
When the Hindus faced the Muslim invadors from the 7th century onwards, the schisms in Hindu society came to the fore and despite tremendous bravery the Hindu were defeated. Then followed 900 years of subjugation and Muslim rule. The Southern states were overthrown by the Muslims a little later , but Muslim rule was firmly established in the southern bastions of Hyderabad and Mysore.
This 900 years of Muslim rule in their own land created a myth of the meek and mild Hindu. This is articulated by the famous Goan writer and Journalist Frank Moraes. The fact is that the rulers were only a fraction of the population at any given time, yet the bulk of the Hindu masses accepted their rule and paid Jizziya and other taxes willingly. This reinforces the myth of the meek and mild Hindu and is not something to be proud off. One can now realize that it must be an anamoly of history that a race that numbered anytime between 150-200 million were ruled by a handful of Muslim warriors. How did this happen ? Why could not these Hindus unite and throw the invaders out ? there are so many reasons , but caste and a laid back and fatalistic attitude are the culprits.
The arrival of the English in the guise of the East India Company was the call of history and Hindus could breathe freely again. But now even after 1947 the 'tolerence' of the rulers and lack of decisive approach may again spell doom for the Hindus. The fanaticism for religion and the nation is still missing and people are again talking as the old Hindus used to do. In that respect Hindu society has not changed and this tolerance may be the anchor around the neck. Maybe Frank Moraes was right after all.
“Dad, do you believe in God?”
The innocent question was from my 10 year old child. I was teaching him the fundamentals of English grammar. But, what has grammar to do with God? I was explaining him about the difference between proper noun and common noun. A common noun refers to the general name that is never capitalized, unless it is in the beginning of a sentence. But, a proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, thing, etc., and is always capitalized. And, along with the examples ‘India, ‘Gandhi’, and ‘Sunday’, appeared ‘God’ with a capital ‘G’; and the question captivated me.
“Yes, darling, I believe in God,” I told my child.
Suddenly a soft voice interrupted me from the innermost core of my soul: “Is God a person?”
My inner voice was questioning me, trying to test my discretion.
After a few seconds of silence I replied to myself, “God is a noun, but not a person!”
Personal God
The question whether God is personal or impersonal has been under debate for thousands of years. The word ‘God’ is the most complicated word in this world that lacks a clear definition. It is understood in different manner, in the popular sense as well as in the philosophical sense. In the popular concept, as per the widespread belief of the people, God is a person. This person has all traits of a human being, who can do everything that a human being can do, but in a most powerful manner. He is considered better than the best human being.
As per Vedas, in Hinduism, there were 33 Gods, led by Indra, the king of Gods and the ruler of Heaven. There were Asuras (demons) who were in continuous war with Gods, and could frighten them several times, but could never conquer them due to the timely interventions of super Gods, Vishnu or Shiva.
Vishnu and Shiva were the two supreme deities, who along with Lord Brahma form the Hindu Triad. It is believed that Vishnu had taken incarnations in the form of different species of life, starting from fish (Malsya), tortoise (Koorma), boar (Varaha), Man-Lion (Narasimha), and then different human forms, analogous to different stages of evolution. Lord Rama and Lord Krishna were considered as the most popular divine incarnations of Vishnu, and are still worshipped by majority of Hindus. Shiva, the God of destruction, is the supreme deity of the Shaivite sect. Most of the Hindus are either Vaishnavites or Shaivites, and they worship these two deities as well as their incarnations, simply referring them as “God”.
In addition to Gods, there were Goddesses too, called as Devi. Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, also known as Shakti or Mahadevi, is the female counterpart of Shiva, and is worshipped as the Supreme Goddess of the universe. In peaceful manifestation, she adorns different positions such as Parvati the wife of Shiva, Lakshmi the wife of Vishnu and Sarasvati the wife of Brahma. Her aggressive form is as Durga or Kali, born to destroy demons.
Generally speaking, a personal God means a God who is a person. We are all persons, and unlike animals, which also have feelings, instincts and impulses, we have a peculiar power; that is our power of thinking. We can think, we can dream, we can feel and we can achieve. There is no confusion regarding who a person is. May be the degree of personality may differ based on the intellectual faculty and the nature of mind. The power of thinking may vary; the feelings and emotions may vary. Everything depends on the society we live and the impressions of habits we develop.
When we consider God as a person, we are bringing him under the limitations of our mind. We are giving him some attributes, but the difference is that these attributes are of unlimited capacity. The concept of power and wisdom attributed to a personal God is not the same level “power” and “wisdom” as per the limited environment of humanity. His capacities are limitless and transcend all levels of human conceptions. He is considered as supremely personal, living somewhere in the sky, and ruling the universe with his mighty power. In addition to the main deities familiar to us through our Epics and Puranas, there are so many local Gods in different regions and sects. These Gods, usually consecrated in the temples of villages or mountain tops, are glorified and strengthened by the exaggerated stories created by the devotees.
It is believed that if you pray to your personal God, praise him or persuade him with money and valuables, he will fulfill your ambitions and make you wealthy and successful. If you do something against him or deny his divinity, he will punish you. This kind of superstition still exists in common people and even among educated masses. This is the calamity of humanity. Religious faith is good; but, superstition is dangerous. Superstition is sharper than the edge of a sword. It is too difficult to eradicate such superstitions from human race, because they are deeply enrooted within their soul from time immemorial. Your words will scatter on the surface of their skulls; the brain is far away beyond the adamant wall.
Impersonal God
Instead of condemning the old ideas of personal God as the ruler of the universe, the ancient sages began their journey to search the Supreme Reality within them. The result was the Vedanta philosophy and the Supreme Impersonal Absolute Reality. Shankaracharya, with his beautiful commentaries interpreted the Upanishads and extracted the gems of Advaita philosophy. Brahman is the Supreme Absolute, the oneness, which manifests itself in all beings in the universe. It is eternal and beyond all human conceptions, and transcends time, space and causation. Brahman is considered identical to the human soul, the Atman, thus reminding us that God is not something outside of you, but is the Supreme Reality, that is inside you.
God is the name given to Reality. We are facing a lot of realities in this universe: life, birth, death, rhythmic heartbeats of nature, all-devastating earthquakes, terrific death-dance of hurricanes, and violent vibrations of sky; and we cannot predict or control most of them. We are part of our experience and sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, we give some meaningful interpretations to the realities around us. Our interpretations may be fantasies or some analogies by which we try to create some meanings and images to the unknown truths. We exemplify realities using meaningful narrations and metaphors.
Are you safe in this life? Are you secure? Nobody is safe. Anything can happen tomorrow. You lose your job; a sudden cyclone takes all your possessions; your dearest one dies suddenly; anything unexpected can always happen. Life is delicate and uncertain, and we are mortal beings with our finite hopes and infinite pride. Uncertainty is the law of life and we don’t know how it happens or where it comes from. Is there any external force that binds us? Is there any external reality that makes us inescapable? Is there any mysterious something that makes our life unpredictable? It seems so. Some of us call it ‘fate’; others call it ‘God’.
If reality is termed as God, and it is God who makes our life uncertain and pushes us into an unpredictable world of solitude, it is the same God who blesses us with a world of happiness and prosperity. But when we are deeply involved in a world of luxury and pleasure, we rarely utter the word ‘God’. Happiness eradicates God from our mind and disaster recreates it. Thus God becomes a mirage in between happiness and misery. From the shore of misery we see God very clearly; but the farther we move away from misery and the closer we approach happiness, God disappears!
But, how can you make God responsible for anything? God is not a person. Only a person can take responsibility of something. God is the name given to Reality; and Reality is another name of Existence. God is pure Existence. We cannot even say God exists. By saying so, God becomes personified. But God is not a person or a thing. We create a God, personify him and make him responsible for everything. We convert the Infinite Reality into a finite image. We give him life. We talk to him. We pray to him. We worship him. We do everything to please him. We are living in an illusionary world.
We are the actors of a great drama that is consciously played every moment. Have you not watched your kids playing the role of ‘father and mother’, making houses in sand, preparing food using sand or leaves, serving the ‘food’ and acting as if they are eating real food? We are ‘bigger kids’ doing it in a bigger way, constructing great temples, installing the effigies of our favourite deities, worshiping them with rituals and prayers, offering them flowers and milk, and acting each scene so naturally as if they are real characters. Once we become mature and realize the reality, we will throw away the costumes and bid farewell to such dramas. But, majority of human race is having an immature mind, with a mental growth of a two year old kid. A time will come when will they get out of the darkness of ignorance and comprehend the glory of Truth.
We are the actors and we are the audience too. World is a large stage. There is a curtain in front of us; it is the veil of Maya. Maya does not mean illusion; it is another way of expressing reality. Maya is an expression of how reality happens in this world under the limitations of time, space and causation. Reality always frightens us. It involves tremendous contradictions in all facets of life. The world is a combination of good and evil. But why it happens? No such questions; it just happens. Contradictions are inevitable. It is the law of life. Just watch it; fight it. Life is a continuous fight against all odds. Fight incessantly till the light is visible. From the sanctuary of personal God, start your journey; not towards mountains and forests; not towards temples and churches; He is very near to you; nearer than anything; go within you and discover the real God in your own Self. It is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss!!!
* * * * * * *
I glanced through the notebook of my son. There were several ‘Gods’ at different levels from the horizontal line. I counted them. They were 33 in numbers. The first one had a capital ‘G’ and all others began with a small ‘g’. I looked at him questioningly. He read my mind that was tuned with the same frequency. He answered to my silent question:
“Papa, the first one is the king and has got a kingdom and hence a ‘capital’. All others are his subordinates, and hence small.”
“But I told you already to start a proper noun always with a capital letter.”
“But, Papa, where is the noun here? God is not a person, place or a thing. I cannot see it, touch it or feel it. So god is not a noun at all.”
“Okay, but listen to me. God is treated as a distinguished member in the noun family. We can use ‘He’ even though God is not a person. We can use ‘It’ even though God is not a thing. We have to respect the highness of the Existence. So, just do what I say; capitalize the G.”
* * * * * * *
The questioner is small and the questions are big. It is time for the windows of heaven to open. Through the layers of silky clouds two sharp eyes penetrate the universe. Brilliance of light spreads everywhere. The moment has come when there is no question or no questioner. The questioner and the question have become one. There is no more talk, no more prayer or no more dialogue. Words have disappeared in totality. It is a state of deep silence. In that tranquility, in that moment of celebration of self, in that state of ecstasy, Existence blossoms into hundred thousand flowers, radiating its luminous lustre in every molecules of life. That ultimate experience is God!
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SwansCygnus_olor.jpg
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