Issue No. 17. Aug 2012

P R E R A N A
A n
Issue : 17
I n s p i r a t i o n
T o
H i n d u
W o m e n
Raksha Bandhan 2012 / Vikram Samvat 2068
|| Raksha ka yah bandhan ||
Prerana e-zine
Raksha Bandhan 2012
Vikram Samvat 2068
In This Issue
Featured
3
Our Prerana : Netrutva
9
Swami Vivekananda: Being Hindu
Lifestyle
8
Food : Fat Vs Non fat Food Products
6
Yoga : Yoga for Asthma
13
Nidra According to Ayurveda
I want to share
11
Art and craft project : Mandir
Write to Prerana
Digests
15
6
On the Cover
The Raksha Bandhan stirs up one of the
deepest and noblest emotions in the human heart - the abiding and chaste bond
of love between the brother and the sister. The delicate cord tied by the sister
to the brother on this day pulsates with
this sublime sentiment. History and legends of Bharat abound in touching episodes of ladies seeking protection from
far-off, unacquainted heroes, through the
Raakhi. In short, it affords a most auspicious occasion to recharge ourselves
every year with the true spirit of service and sacrifice for the welfare of the
society,
The Legend of Somnath Temple
Story : Every Obstacle is an Opportunity
12
Crossword
15
Raksha Bandhan – Festival of Universal Brotherhood
4
Balagokulam - Children’s Magazine
Share your experiences with Prerana.
Send in your articles about your experiences in HSS, art and craft projects,
book reviews and stories. Not sure if
your article’s topic fits prerana? Have
questions or comments regarding this issue’s articles?
Send in your articles, questions and comments to:
[email protected]
Prerana Team
National Coordinators: Anjali Patel
Manisha Kand
Editor: Kadambini Dharap
Design : Anila Mula
Attribution
Thanks to Vikram Verma (Divik) [flickr.
com] for his image and Ananda k Maharjan [anandakm.com.np] for his fonts.
Visit www.hssus.org for more details.
Our Prerana
Netrutva
By Alka tai Inamdar
O
ur work is “Lok Sanghatana
Karya”, which means organizing
people. That is not an easy task. When
we talk about Hindu Sanghatan, it
becomes more difficult as the Hindu
inherits thoughts like, “Ekam Sat,
Viprah bahudha Vadanti”(Truth is
one; sages call it with many names) or
“Pinde Pinde Matir Bhinnah”. (Different individuals have different intellects and different opinions). But we
have accepted the challenge and taken
up the task of organizing the Hindu
society. Thus every Karyakarta has to
mould his or her character to suit this
challenging job. The karyakarta has to
develop the talent to lead the people
and to take them on the path of our
mission.
This quality is called leadership quality or “Netrutva Guna”. It
is all about managing the team. The
leader is at the center of the team. He/
she is not at the top position but the
leader takes his/her team with him/
her. The leadership is not demanded
but commanded. People should aspire
to follow the leader. For this the leader should be self-disciplined. He/she
should put continuous efforts to make
himself/ herself better and better. One
should have a clear and broader view
of the situation. The leader should
have open mind to accept the new
ideas and suggestions. She/he should
have adoptability and the talent of
change management.
The leader should have his/
her concepts clear about our goal. He/
she should know each and every piece
of the picture very clearly. Then and
then only a leader can lead the team
in proper direction and proper action.
Leadership is all about focused action
in the direction of our mission. A visionary leader is one who has learnt
how to focus on the summit while
clearing the path beneath the legs.
The leader should be
like a coach of the football team. The
coach trains each player of the team,
he develops the talents of each player,
and he gives affection to all but at the
same time he disciplines each player
thoroughly, when it comes to training the player, from his soul. But he
never plays in the actual match. If the
team wins the captain of the team receives the prize, and the coach feels
proud about it. He never thinks that he
deserves the appreciation. But if the
team loses then the coach takes the
responsibility. Similarly the ‘Neta’ or
the leader should be ready to accept
the responsibility of the failure, and
should give the credit of success to the
c o - k a r y a k a rtas. The leader
should not focus on the success; it should be the by
product, because if one eye is focused
on reward, then only one eye remains
to focus on the goal. The leader should
be keen on – Promise keeping, Aggressive listening, being consistently
compassionate, and Truth telling with
the team.
The most important thing
for a leader is time management; to
do right things at right time; to take
right decisions on right occasions.
The leader should have the habit of
reflecting on the incidents. We call it
‘Sinhavalokan’. It helps to find out the
errors and gives the chance to correct
them in future. A true leader will take
the leverage of the past errors for the
success of the future.
This discussion about the
leadership qualities reminds me of
Veera Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. When
the whole country was ruled by British and the people of Bharat were
exploited by British rulers, Rani Laxmibai stood as a savior. She was denied the right of adopting a son like
many other small Sansthanik (Rulers
or kings of small provinces). She decided to fight against the British. She
planned for the thread ceremony of
her adopted son. She invited all the
neighboring kings and rulers for the
ceremony. She used the occasion to
conspire the revolt against the British.
She inspired other rulers to join hands
in the fight against the British. She
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3
trained the women of Jhansi in war affairs- sword fighting, horse riding, operating the cannons, etc. She even trained
them in spying. She was always in the
forefront at the time of war. She made
some tough decisions whenever necessary.
One incident in her life proves
her leadership qualities. It tells about her
visionary nature. In the middle of the
war (1857) the Bharateeya army won
the fort of Gwalior, the soldiers were too
tired and wanted to celebrate the victory. Almost all the captains agreed to celebrate. But Laxmibai told that this is not
the right time to celebrate. She took her
women platoon and kept vigilance. She
was absolutely right. The British army
attacked back. It was because of Laxmibai and her platoon that Nanasaheb
Peshava and others were able to escape.
She fought till her last breath.
She never gave up. She was one of the
main inspiration for the first war of independence of Bharat. An excellent organizer, she gave the leadership to people of Bharat to come together and fight
against the foreign rulers.
If we study the life of Rani
Laxmibai, we find many inspiring incidents which show us the path of Lok
Sanghatana Karya. She was the ideal
leader. Let us get inspiration from Rani
Laxmibai of Jhansi and inculcate the
Netrutva Guna (Leadership Quality) in
ourselves
Lovingly known as Alka Tai, Alka Inamdar is the Sah Karyavahika (joint
secretary) of Rashtra Sevika Samiti.
She is from Bharat. She has done her
B.SC with Physics and Mathematics as
her majors and was a Kho Kho player
in her University team. She is a multitalented person with amazing energy.
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Saptaswara - The seven notes
shrutibhyah syuh svarAh ShaDjarShabhagAMdhAramadhyamAH |
paMcamo dhaivatashcAtha niShAda iti sapta te ||
teShAM saMGYAH sa ri ga ma pa dha nItya parA matAH ||
The seven notes drawn from the Shruti are
Shadjam, Rishabam, Gandharam, Madhyamam,
Panchamam, Dhaivatam and Nishadam.
Their other (short) names are
Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.
Digests
Balagokulam - Children’s Magazine
By Sailaja Malladi
M
any of us who grew up in Bharat (India) fondly remember
reading Chandamama, Tinkle or any other story books. Some
enthusiastic volunteers thought why don’t we have something
similar for children growing up here. Some thing these children can read
and grow along, something they can relate to, something close to the
Hindu Culture. Thus the idea of Balagokulam Magazine started.
Balagokulam has started as an e-zine and in 2003 it had
the first print edition. From that point on, it has gone through various
changes and stages, at every step making it better and more appealing
for the young audience.
The Magazine is geared towards young kids as well as teenagers, all the way to 18 year olds. It covers a variety of articles including stories: moral, Panchatantra, Jataka, Tenali Ramakrishna, Maryada
Ramanna; great personalities: legendary, inspirational, literary; information related to India: Bharat darshan, dance and music, various art forms
etc. As is well known, any magazine is incomplete without a ‘activities’
page! And yes, Balagokulam Magazine is no exception. The magazine
has a variety of activities like science, craft, crossword, puzzles, maze,
coloring, connect the dots etc..
The idea of Balagokulam magazine is, the young reader, gets
to know all the great stories, learn about all great people and be connected with the roots and be proud of the rich cultural heritage they have. It
aims at facilitating children to appreciate, learn and practice Hindu way of life. The
magazine instills pride and confidence in Hindu children about their identity and
“When I Asked
God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to
Face
When I Asked God
for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to
Solve
When I Asked God
for Happiness
He Showed Me
Some Unhappy
People
raises Hindu awareness in the society around. It also unleashes the creativity and
leadership skills among children.
One of the main attribute of the magazine is the “Annual Balagokulam
Contest”. The contest happens for various age groups and on a variety of categories
such as- Poems, artwork, stories, essays and creativity projects. A different theme
is given to each age group and to each category . Selected winners receive certificates and medals. Their entries are also published in the printed edition. You can
only imagine the immense joy the children get seeing their entry in the print edition. The smile on their face is priceless.
The magazine is currently published quarterly in April (Chaitra Maasa), August (Shravana Maasa), November (Kartika Maasa) and in January (Pausha
Maasa). We have a dedicated team spread all across the USA. The team is put into
three broad categories - content and editing, subscription management and contest
management. The Magazine is so fortunate to have such a great team, consisting
of youth editors, working professionals, home makers, new moms, newly wedded
and even grand parents !
Balagokulam is truly magazine ‘of the children, by the children and for
the children.’ It is available in the USA with an annual subscription. Gift cards of
the subscription are also available in various denominations. For more information
on the magazine or to subscribe on-line, please visit the web site,
www.balagokulam.org/
Happy Reading !
When I Asked God
for Wealth
He Showed Me
How to Work Hard
When I Asked God
for Favors
He Showed Me
Opportunities to
Work Hard
When I Asked God
for Peace
He Showed Me
How to Help Others
God Gave Me
Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed.”
-Swami Vivekananda
Sailaja Malladi is in the editorial board of the Balagokulam Magazine. She is also
the vibagh sevika pramukh of the Southern California vibagh.
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Digests
Every obstacle is an opportunity
By Snehal Kothari
L
ong time ago, there was a king who wanted to
test his subjects. So the king had a boulder placed
in the middle of a busy road. Then he asked his
men to keep a watch, to see if anyone would remove the
obstacle lying in their path.
Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and
courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many
others blamed the king’s administration for not keeping
the roads clear but none did anything about the stone.
Then a poor farmer came along carrying a
load of vegetables. He used to earn a living by selling
his vegetables. He was a hardworking man and used to
chant (repeat) the Lord’s name during all his activities.
He used to thank God for whatever he had in life. On
seeing the boulder, the farmer laid down his burden and
tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much
effort, he finally succeeded. As the farmer picked up his
load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying on the road
where the boulder had
been. The purse contained
many gold coins and a
note from the king. It said
that the gold was for the
person who removed the
boulder from the road.
The farmer thanked God
for this fortune and took the gold home.
Moral: Many times, when things go wrong, we
too, tend to blame others instead of taking responsibility
to improve the situation. Like the farmer, if we see every
obstacle as an opportunity to do the right thing, we too,
will be happy and content.
Snehal Kothari is a sevika from Watertown, South Dakota. She is an avid music lover, and is also interested in
socializing and cooking.
Lifestyle
Yoga for Asthma
By Smitha Vishwarupa
A
sthma comes from the Greek
word “panting.” Asthma
is defined as “a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways”.
The chronic inflammation is associated with airway hyper-responsiveness that leads to recurrent episodes
of wheezing, breathlessness, chest
tightness and coughing.
Asthma is a reversible disease. It is caused by a combination
of genetic and environmental factors, not to mention Stress, which
is a common asthma trigger next to
allergens. The prevalence of asthma
has increased significantly since the
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1970s. As of 2010, 300 million people were affected worldwide. In 2009
asthma caused 250,000 deaths globally. In the United States, about 20
million people have asthma. Nearly
9 million of them are children. Asthma can be reversible if one can adapt
to life style changes including Yoga,
right diet and managing the emotional stress.
Yoga Therapy:
Integrated approach of Yoga
therapy is proven to be very effective
in management of Asthma. The practices include the Postures (Asana),
breathing exercises (Pranayama),
Kriyas (Cleansing techniques), Yogic counseling, relaxation technique
& Meditation.
Asana:
Asanas are found to be
very useful in building the stamina.
Stiram Sukham Asanam – Asana
should be steady & Comfortable.
One should have an attitude of ease
and let go in the final posture. All the
asanas that open the chest and allow more breathing are very useful
for Asthmatics. Asana strengthens
and increases the blood flow to the
chest area. Various yogasanas help
to correct the postural abnormalities
which also improve the respiratory
stamina.
To name few asanas
• Ardha Chakrasana – Half wheel
posture
• Ardhakati chakrasana – Lateral
bending pose
• Trikonasana - Triangle pose
• Pada hastasana – Hand to foot
pose
• Vajrasana – Thunderbolt pose
• Bhujangasana – Cobra pose
• Shalabhasana – Locust pose
• Matsyasana – Fish pose
Kriyas:
Kriyas are yogic cleansing
techniques. Kriyas help to cleanse,
desensitize & strengthen the inner
organs. Kriyas help to develop deep
internal awareness. Simplified Kriyas like Sutra Neti, Jala Neti, Kapalabhati, and Vamana Dhouti are used.
Pranayama:
The breath is the most vital
process of the body, the most important aspect of life.
Pranayama or yogic breathing has been proven in clinical studies to help with many medical conditions. While learning to breathe
properly is beneficial to every human being, for those with Asthma
it is essential. A regular Pranayama
practice allows you to take control of your breath and it increases
your vital lung capacity. Some of the
Pranayama practices are:
• Kapalabhati is a breathing
technique used specifically for
cleansing. Practice rapid breathing with active and forceful exhalation and passive inhalation.
During each exhalation, blast
out the air by vigorous flapping
movements of the abdomen in
quick succession. Inhale passively by relaxing the abdominal
muscles at the end of each exhalation. Repeat the exhalation at
the rate of 60 strokes per minute.
At the end of one minute, stop
the practice & Observe the automatic cessation of breath. Wait
until the breathing comes back to
normal.
• Bhastrika- Breathe in by inhaling forcefully through both the
nostrils. Make sure that your
lungs are full with air. Once you
inhale fully, exhale with great
force making hissing sound. In
Bhastrika Pranayama one needs
to apply force while breathing in
and breathing out. You can determine how much speed to apply while inhaling and exhaling
keeping in mind your heath and
endurance power.
• Surya Anuloma-viloma – Close
the left nostril, inhale and exhale
through the right nostril only.
Keep the left nostril closed all
the time during the practice. One
inhalation and one exhalation
form one round. Practice nine
rounds.
• Nadishuddhi - Sit in any meditative posture. Fold your right index and middle finger & Adopt
Nasika mudra. Close the right
nostril with the right thumb and
exhale completely though the
left nostril. Then inhale deeply
through the same (left) nostril.
Close the left nostril with ring
and little finger & exhale through
the right nostril. Inhale through
the right nostril and close the
right nostril and exhale through
left nostril again. This completes
one round perform nine such
rounds.
• Bhramari – Sit in meditative posture. Touch the tip of the tongue
to the upper palate.
Inhale
deeply while exhaling produce a
low pitched humming honey bee
sound. Perform 9 rounds.
Meditation and Relaxation:
Medical research has long
sought the link between asthma and
the mind. Anxiety and emotions are
thought to play role in asthma. Yogic deep relaxation decreases the
overall activity of the Nervous system and provides a deep relaxation
to the physical body as well as the
nervous system. Meditation includes
techniques such as listening to the
breath, repeating a mantra, or detaching from the thought process, to
focus the attention and bring about
a state of self-awareness and inner
calm. Practices include• Deep relaxation technique
• Yoga Nidra
• Om meditation
Disclaimer:
Each individual is different and no
Yoga or exercise program is free from
the side effects of over doing or doing without an expert Yoga Therapist.
Please consult your doctor before you
start any Yoga program.
Smitha Vishwarupa is a Trained Yoga
Therapist & a counselor from SVYASA Yoga University,India.
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Lifestyle
Fat Vs Non fat Food Products
By Seema Pathak
Olestra was the shining (but soon to fall to
ground) star of nonfat substances. It started
the revolution in fat substitutes.
O
lestra (also known by its
brand name Olean) is a
fat substitute that adds
no fat, calories, or cholesterol
to products. It has been used in
the preparation of traditionally
high-fat foods such as potato
chips, thereby lowering or eliminating their fat content. (http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olestra). So when you read something which says” ADDS NOTHING” be very afraid to use it.
doubt their own kind of traditional knowledge that butter is
a good wholesome food, and
they got on the margarine bandwagon. So, we should have been
listening to the mothers, and we
shouldn’t have undermined their
confidence.
Our grandmothers were
right. They were more right by
and large than the whole public health government nutrition
information establishment on
things like fat. I remember the
move to get us off butter, evil
butter. “We should all switch
to margarine”, and that was the
more, up-to-date, high-tech, nutritionally-sound food because
it was made from vegetable oils
rather than the evil animal fats.
The basic question to
be asked is… Are fats in the
diet there to make me fat or do
they have more important things
to do in body?
Well, we all switched to
margarine, and lo and behold,
we learn a few years later that we
were better off with butter because the margarine was full of
trans-fats, a truly lethal fat, much
more serious than saturated fats.
That was a public health disaster for which we’re still owed an
apology, I would say. And along
the way so many grandmothers
and mothers were persuaded to
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For more on this topic see the link http://www.
npr.org/templates/story/story.
php?storyId=98690109&ps=rs
Only one example is
enough to clear the myth of fat
substitutes and fat free diet. Our
brains are more than 60 % made
of fats which come from natural
sources. Human body cannot use
fat substitutes as fat. I think this
is reason enough to know why
we cannot stop eating ghee.
Also, read this article http://www.devdelay.org/newsletter/articles/html/84-fat-movement-in-mouth.html
So what can we do?
The answer is, use our
traditional cooking knowledge;
Prerana
So what is Olestra??
•
Olestra = Mineral oil...I believe
this is another hoax and deception being
foisted on...the American people.” Dr.
Sheldon Margen, Public Health Nutrition, U. of California, Berkeley
•
“...would constitute a public
health time-bomb.” Dr. John S. Bertram,
Cancer Research Center of Hawaii (U.
Hawaii)
•
“This substance has the potential to do significant harm.” Dr. Ernst J.
Schaefer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center
on Aging at Tufts University
•
“We are concerned about the
high incidences of gastrointestinal effects, ranging from diarrhea to fecal urgency, that are caused by the consumption of modest levels of olestra.” Dr.
Mark Donowitz, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
•
“It would be inappropriate
to approve the use of olestra at this
time.” Dr. Mark Hegsted, Harvard
Medical School and former chief of human nutrition at the U.S. Department
talk to your grandmother about food combinations, when
to eat what. She never used refined oil. It was peanut,
sesame, mustard or coconut. Ghee is used for “tadaka”,
as ghee is the only fat which crosses blood brain barrier
to take essential nutrients to brain. So if you’re eating
extra haldi (turmeric) to postpone Alzheimer’s that will
not happen; for the curcumin in the haladi is not going to
brain at all due to the lack of a good fat carrier.
Who had ever heard of Vegetable oil?
Are
vegetables a fat source? No. Only oil seeds are. Remember all traditional Chinese cooking need peanut oil (not
soybean oil). Remember the science of nutrition information in this country is hijacked by the food industry.
One more important thing - the modern nutrition treats science like the story of four blind men and an
elephant. Whatever comes in their hand is the elephant…
which we eventually know is not true. But during this
learning time we have already paid by giving the price
of our health, killing our self-confidence, and in the process losing our treasured traditional knowledge which is
coming true through ages and is not lobbied by any food
industry.
I will pose a million dollar question before this
reader group Why do we eat refined oil? I await answers.
Seema Pathak did her Masters in Nutrition and worked
as consulting nutritionist at Nagpur for more than ten
years. During the same period, she started Malnutrition eradication programme in Bastar, India. She later
worked as professor of clinical nutrition at Sullivan Collage of Pharmacy. She is a sevika from Tampa, Florida.
Thanks to Marshall Astor from San Pedro, United States for the image.[CC-BY-3.0 (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Common
Swami Vivekananda
Being Hindu
By Dhanashree Paranjpe
Hindu Dharma is one of the oldest religions known to humanity. It is also one of the most complex and difficult to define
even for Hindus themselves and scholars as well. However, that
is not the reason we should shy away from trying to understand it. In this article we will focus on Swami Vivekananda’s
thoughts on being Hindu.
Origin of the word “Hindu”
The word “Hindu” today means a set
of people practicing a particular way
of life or people who follow a certain
religion. However, in earlier times
the word merely meant “those who
lived on the other side of the river
Indus” (in Samskritam it is Sindhu)
when it was first used by ancient Persians. In modern times, every person
living on that side of river Sindhu
does not follow the same religion as
they did in ancient times. Which is
the appropriate word then?
According to Swami Vivekananda we should refer to them as
“Vaidikas” (followers of Vedas) or
better still the “Vedantists” (followers of Vedanta) to distinguish them
from followers of other faiths such
as Muslims, Christians or Jains, etc.
Who all are Hindus?
We are all aware that most
of great religions owe allegiance to
certain books which they believe
are the words of God, or some other
super-natural beings and which form
the basis of their religion.
However, Hindu Dharma does not
have one single book or spiritual figure that everyone worships. Within
Hindu Dharma there are different
schools of thought and sects that follow various forms of God such as
“dwaiti (dualists), qualified monists
(Vishistadwaitis), monists (Adwaitis), Shaivas (people who worship
Shiva and his various forms), Vaishanvas (people who worship Vishnu and his various forms), Shaktas (worshippers of female forms
of God) and so on. These apparent
“divisions” within Hindu Dharma
may sometimes seem contradictory
and can cause social frictions if in-
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terpreted wrongly (as often they are
usurped by politicians and social evil
doers). However different the faiths
and sects within Hinduism may appear to us, they have common rootsall of them are in one way or an other based on the Vedas, Upanishads,
Puranas and Smritis (together called
Vedanta).
Swami Vivekananda recognized this and made it clear to the
world. He was worried about these
apparent divisions in the minds of
people and appealed to all Hindus
that,
“All of us have to be taught that we
Hindus —dualists, qualified monists,
or monists, Shaivas, Vaishnavas, or
Pâshupatas — to whatever denomination we may belong, have certain
common ideas behind us, and that
the time has come when for the wellbeing of ourselves, for the well-being of our race, we must give up all
our little quarrels and differences.”
“The one common ground that we
have is our sacred tradition, our
religion. That is the only common
ground, and upon that we shall have
to build.”
Why should we care about being
Hindus?
In his first address at the
World’s Parliament of Religions
held at Chicago on 11th September
1893 Swamiji said “I thank you (the
organizers) in the name of the most
ancient order of monks in the world;
I thank you in the name of the mother
of religions; and I thank you in the
name of the millions and millions
of Hindu people of all classes and
sects”. He represented and spoke
for Hindus on the world stage when
Hindus were mostly identified by
outside world as poor, oppressed and
defenseless people with crazy beliefs in multiple gods. With his clear
thoughts and very inspiring words he
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brought pride, hope and respect for
Hindus all over the world. How does
that situation compare with today’s
world?
In modern times, forces
of globalization seem to
homogenize the world,
erasing cultural differences, bringing people on
more common platforms.
We see people around
us confused, ignorant or
careless, often times even ashamed
about their roots and traditions, and
yet searching for unique identities
for themselves. In such a world, why
should we care about being Hindu or
for that matter of any faith?
Swami Vivekananda had
his words of wisdom for us in this
regard“When a man has begun to be
ashamed of his ancestors, the end
has come. Here am I, one of the least
of the Hindu race, yet proud of my
race, proud of my ancestors. I am
proud to call myself a Hindu, I am
proud that I am one of your unworthy servants. I am proud that I am
a countryman of yours, you the descendants of the sages, you the descendants of the most glorious Rishis
the world ever saw”.
He firmly believed that Hinduism has a lot to offer to the modern world and if we Hindus do not
recognize that or choose to ignore
the great wisdom our traditions have
to offer, we do so at our own peril.
“Upon us depends whether the name
Hindu will stand for everything that
is glorious, everything that is spiritual, or whether it will remain a
name of opprobrium, one designating the downtrodden, the worthless,
the heathen.”
He urged every Hindu with
such inspiring words“Stand up, assert
yourself,
proclaim
the God within you,
do not deny Him! Too
much of inactivity,
too much of weakness, too much of
hypnotism has been
and is upon our race.
O ye modern Hindus,
de-hypnotize
yourselves. … Power
will come, glory will
come, goodness will
come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come
when this sleeping soul is roused to
self-conscious activity.”
Let us take prerana (inspiration) from his wisdom, foresight and
be proud Hindus!
Dhanashree Paranjape is a sevika
from San Jose shakha, California.
Her interests include reading, hiking, poetry and music.
Be a hero.
Always say
“I have no fear”
--Swami Vivekananda
I Want to Share
Art and Craft Project: Mandir
By Anila Mula
Materials Required:
• Sketches, Glitter
glue ( for decoration)
• Ruler, Pencil,
Scissors and
Cello tape
• Play doh (needed
to hold frames in
place)
•
Craft Sticks (15
sticks for each mandir)
•
Wood bonding
glue (We used ‘Gorilla
glue’)
•
Craft glue
•
Craft paper
of the pattern
provided).Fold
inwards on all
the pencil lines.
Turn it around and
decorate using
sketches. Again
turn it around (onto
the side with pencil
markings). using glue or cello tape bind the flap to the
inside of the pyramid (Flap should not be visible outside). Bind all sides. Finish by using cello tape to hold
the top edges of the pyramid.
Step- 4 : Finishing the Mandir
Step- 1 :
Making Frames
Make two frames
as shown in the
picture using
gorilla glue. Let it
dry/ bond.
The side of the
cube with ‘+’
shaped craft sticks
is the bottom. Cut
out 2 squares of
craft paper and
glue them on the
top and bottom of
the cube. Glue the
pyramid on the top of the mandir. Finish decorating
with glitter glue and sketches.
Step- 2: Making
a cube using the
frames
Picture of the pattern for making
Craft paper Pyramid
Using play-doh to
hold the frames
straight, glue two
craft sticks (as
shown). Let it dry.
Turn the structure
around. Use play-doh to hold it in place (optional).
Glue the remaining two craft sticks and let dry.
Anila Mula is a sevika
from Cupertino Kapila Shakha, California.
She is interested in
reading, art and crafts
and photography.
Step- 3 :
Making Craft paper Pyramid
Cut out craft paper into the star shaped cutting (pic
Share your art and craft projects. Just send
in step by step pictures and instructions to
[email protected]
Prerana
Raksha Bandhan2012
11
Digests
Crossword
Answers on page 14
Down
Across
4
The literal meaning of this word is “remover of bad fate”. We celebrate this by burning a effigy of 10-headed demon
6
Festival celebrating birth of Rama, the 7thincarnation of Lord
Vishnu
8
The festival of lights
10
On the 4thday of the waxing moon of this month of Hindu calendar, we celebrate birth of Lord Ganesh
12
New year’s day in Maharashtra – celebrated by prominently hanging the symbol of Brahma dhwaj (flag)
15
These nine nights are dedicated for the nine forms of the mother
goddess, “shakti”, and celebrated by song and dance
18
This “color” festival comes in the month of Phalgun
19
On this day dedicated to lord Shiv, married women pray for the
well-being of their husbands and sons.
21
God of intellect and wisdom, he is honored at the beginning of
prayers and religious ceremonies.
22
He led the vaanar sena to Lanka to wage war against evil
1
This festival is celebrated in Puri,
Orissa to commemorate Lord Jagannath’s visit to Gundicha Maata’s Temple
2
Harvest festival mainly celebrated
in the state of Kerala.
3
There are total of 12 of them, but
the one celebrated during harvest season
marks the Sun’s transition from Dhanu
to Makar Rashi (Capricorn)
5
Holiest month of Hindu calendar
with many festivals
7
Wife of Rama, considered as
daughter of earth goddess.
9
Day on which devotees offer puja
to their gurus (teachers). This was also
the day on which Vyas was born.
10
Major festival of Assam
11
Goddess of Wealth
12
Goddess, mother of Ganesh, her
day is celebrated one day before Ganesh
Chaturthi.
13
This goddess’s victory is celebrated during a festival during first nine
days of month of Ashwin.
14
Girls tie this to their brothers to
symbolize love and emotional bond
shared by them
16
King of Ayodhya, Lord Vishnu’s
avatar
17
On the 5th day of this month,
Saraswati – goddess of knowledge, art,
and music – is worshiped.
Don’t look back—forward, infinite energy, infinite enthusiasm, infinite daring, and infinite patience—then alone can great deeds be accomplished.
--Swami Vivekananda
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Lifestyle
Nidra According to Ayur veda
By Akshata Prabhu
L
ife expectancy and health depend on 3 main and
supportive pillars of Ayurveda. Ayurveda has
given due importance to them. Those 3 pillars
are Vata, pitta and Kapha. Three supportive pillars are
Aahara (food), Nidra(sleep) and Brahmacharya (regulated sex). Acharya Charaka equated human body with
a building. Even powerful medicine is of little use if the
fundamental pillars of life are not strong and solid as that
of a building. Sleep is considered as the second useful
pillar. Quality sleep acts as a rejuvenator of mind and
body.
Onset of Nidra (sleep):
“Yadaa tu manasi klaante karmaatmaanaha klamaanvitaaha |
Vishayebhyo nivartante tadaa swpiti maanavaha ||”
When mind, sensory and motor organs are
exhausted, they disassociate themselves from their senses and stimuli. This makes a person to go to sleep. Sleep
affects our physical and mental health and is essential
for the normal functioning of all the systems of our body.
Types of Nidra according to Charaka samhita
•
Tamobhava - Nidra which appears due to the excess of tamoguna of manas (mind).
•
Sleshma samudbhava - Nidra which appears due
to excessive kapha dosha.
•
Mana sharira shrama sambhava - Body and mind
gets fatigued and one falls asleep. But if there is excessive exertion, this may cause vitiation of vata leading to
loss of sleep.
•
Vyadhyanuvartini - Sleep associated with disease. One with kaphaja roga will have excess sleep,
while in vataja and pittja disease the sleep will be decreased.
•
Agantuki - Nidra is caused due to disease. This
type of nidra is called ristabhuta i.e. the sleep, which
indicates the death signs.
•
Ratri svabhava prabhava - Natural sleep. It helps
maintaining the life of the human being hence called as
‘Bhutadhatri’.
The sleep described in the context of traya
upasthamba is ratri svabhava prabhava i.e. natural sleep.
The remaining types discussed above actually fall into
disorders of sleep.
Benefits of proper sleep:
Proper sleep gives us happiness, nourishment,
strength, virility, knowledge & longer life.
Effect of improper sleep:
Improper sleep leads to misery, emaciation,
weakness, impotence, lack of knowledge & death. Sleeping at improper time, excessive sleep or no sleep - all
these are described as “kala ratri” which destroys health
& longevity of the individual. One should avoid keeping
awake at night and sleeping in day time as these create
disturbances in doshas and one may become a victim of
diseases. As per acharya Sushrutha those persons, due
to their working pattern or one who are accustomed to
keep awake at night or sleeping during day won’t have
any effect on their health.
Effect of day sleep in summer season (grishma
ritu): In grishma ritu, naturally the vata dosha will
be predominant & also there is dryness in the environment due to extreme heat of the sun. Due to the increase
in vata dosha, dryness of the body increases. Along with
this the heat of grishma ritu also causes dryness in the
environment causing increase in dryness of the body.
The day is also longer than night in summer. All these
factors increase dryness in the body; hence there is need
for day sleep in summer. If one sleeps in the day other
than this season, it increases kapha and pitta dosha in the
body and one will get afflicted with disease.
Indication of day sleep:
Day sleep in all seasons is indicated for those
who are exhausted by singing, study, alcoholic drinks,
sexual acts, carrying heavy weight, walking long distances, those suffering from indigestion, thirst, diarrhea,
colicky pain, dyspnea, hiccup, those who are too old, too
young, weak and emaciated, injured by fall and assault,
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anger, grief and fear and those who are accustomed to
day sleep.
Contraindication of day sleep:
Day sleep is contraindicated in obese, one
who consumes oily food stuff daily, with kapha
prakruti(constitution) individual, kapha related disorders, disease of throat.
Nidravegadharanajanya lakshanas –
Symptoms which appear due to suppression of urge to
sleep are as follows: yawning, body ache, drowsiness,
disorders related to head , heaviness in the eyes. The
treatment for the above symptoms are, to take proper
sleep and light massage.
Treatment:
sleep inducing medicinal powders.
•
Shiroabhyanga : Head massage
•
Shiropichu : Keeping a cloth dipped in oil on the
head
•
Shirovasti: A special technique of bathing the
head for 45 minutes in medicated oils using a special
apparatus.
•
Padabhyanga: Foot massage with himasagara or
sesame oil.
•
Nasya karma: The procedure of instilling medicine through nasal route.
Sneha nasya with ksheerabala 101 is useful.
Internal medicine
•
Saraswatarista
•
Manasamitra vati
•
Sarpagandha
•
Tagara
•
Ashwagandha : Increasing stamina and strength
during the day, while also helping to remain calm and
focused for better sleep at night.
Akshata Prabhu is an ayurvedic doctor and a yoga instuctor. She is from Sunnyvale yuva shaka and she likes to
read, blog, hike, swim and play volleyball. She is also interested in photography and listening to music.
External therapies:
•
Abhyanga (massage)
•
Murdhni taila (therapies for head)
•
Samvahana (light massage)
•
Snana (bath)
•
Applying soothing paste to the face and head &
tarpana to the eyes
•
Diet: Rice with milk, curd or oily substances,
madya (alcohol) & also intake of soup of domestic,
marshy and aquatic animals.
•
Other: Aroma therapy, listening to soothing music, proper time and comfortable bed.
Specific prescription:
•
Abhyanga: Whole body massage with vata pacifying oils, like ksheerabala oil, dhanvantara oil, maha
narayana oil or simple sesame oil.
Special attention should be given to head and feet while
massaging.
•
Murdhini taila (therapies for head)
•
Shirodhara : The steady streaming of oil or liquid over the forehead of a recumbent person.
1. Oil used: Himasagara oil, Sesame oil, ksheerabala
oil.
2. Liquid used: plain water, buttermilk processed with
14
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Image by Ch-info.ch (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons
Answers to the Crossword Puzzle from Page 12
I want to share
T h e L e g e n d o f S o m n a t h Te m p l e
By Snehal Kothari
T
he legend of Somnath is associated with Moon and Lord Shiva. It is said
that the Chandra (Moon) married the twenty-seven stars, who were the
daughters of Prajapati Daksh. Chandra had a special affection for Rohini
which didn’t go well with his other wives, the sisters of Rohini. Unable to bear
this discrimination, the 26 sisters went to their father Daksh to complain. Unhappy with the proceedings, Daksh spoke to Chandra with the intent of convincing
him to change his behavior but could not succeed. Thus enraged, he cursed his
son-in-law to lose his Kala (Art) every day and decrease in size till he becomes
invisible. Aghast and grief-stricken, Chandra was counseled by Lord Brahma,
the creator, to worship Lord Shiva for a way out of the gruesome curse. Chandra
meditated and prayed to Lord Shiva for six months, at the end of which Lord
Shiva gave him the boon that after reducing in size for the first half of the month,
Chandra would grow back size in the other half of the month and become its
original full self on the full-moon day. The place where moon worshipped Lord
Shiva is known as Somnath which means the ‘Moon God’. It is believed that the
moon is the brightest in Somnath. The pool (Kund) at Somnath is believed to be
created by the Devas and hence, devotees believe that single dip in this pool can
wipe away all their sins. It is also believed that the Lord Shri Krishna took his
last journey to Neejdham, which adds to the holiness of this land. The Somnath temple was attacked by Muslim invaders as many as
six times but was successfully rebuilt each time. The last re-building happened
in 1947. The sheer faith and fame of this temple attracts millions of pilgrims
every year who find this place always resonating with Shiv Bhajans all around
the year.
Snehal Kothari is a sevika from Watertown, South Dakota. She is an avid music
lover, and is also interested in socializing and cooking.
Digests
Raks ha Ba nd h a n – Fe s ti val o f U n i ve rs al B ro th er hood
As per the annual tradition, HSS is
celebrating the Raksha Bandhan Uttsav in the month of Shravan (JulyAugust). This year the festival signifying the abiding bond of love
between the brother and the sister
falls on Thursday, 2nd August.
History and legends of
Bharat abound in touching epi-
sodes of ladies seeking protection
from far-off, unacquainted heroes,
through the Raakhi. A story is told
of Alexander’s wife approaching his
mighty Hindu adversary Pururavas
and tying Raakhi on his hand, seeking assurance from him for saving
the life of her husband on the battlefield. And the great Hindu king, in
the true traditional Kshatriya style,
responded; and as the legend goes,
just as he raised his hand to deliver
a mortal blow to Alexander, he saw
the Raakhi on his own hand and restrained from striking.
The sister-brother relationship highlighted by the Raakhi
goes far beyond the mere personal
protection of a female from a male.
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15
It also implies the basic element of an amicable and harmonious social life where all
members of the society look
upon themselves as brothers
and sisters and as children of
one common motherland.
The congregational
Raakhi function carries this
social content. Particularly,
the tying of Raakhi to the sacred Bhagavaa Dhwaj at the
start of the function signifies this social and cultural aspect. Not only do the participants in the function develop
a sense of love and affection amongst themselves but
they also affirm their loyalty and devotion to the society of which they are the children. Their commitment
to protect each other and also the society as a whole is
emphasized through this simple ceremony.
The spirit of Raksha bandhan is very
deep and all-encompassing. It is like the flow of bloodstream through every limb and organ of the body, carrying strength and nourishment to every cell thereof.
As a result, even a small wound anywhere in the body
is promptly attended to by the entire body. Every other limb spontaneously sacrifices a part of its blood and
energy to heal that wound and keep that organ healthy
and strong. This is how the society can live and prosper amidst all kinds of challenges either from within or
without. Especially, various types of internal stresses
and strains which are generated in the body-politic of a
nation because of ever-changing economic, political and
other factors can be overcome only on the strength of
this inner flow of mutual affection and amity.
A society imbued with this spirit will see to it that every
one of its members is made happy. The idea of the Hindu
has always been:
Sarvepi sukhinassantu, sarve santu niraamayaah |
Sarve bhadraani pashyantu, maa kashchit duhkhabhaag
bhavet ||
(Let everyone be happy, let everyone be free from all
ills, let everyone behold only the auspicious, let no one
be afflicted.)
This concept is far more comprehensive
than the concept of the `maximum happiness of the maximum number.’ In fact, spontaneous love and compassionate service for the poor and lowly in society is held
up as the highest form of worship of God Himself. The
spirit of selfless social service which makes for the uplift
of the needy and deprived sections is thus transformed
into a spiritual saadhanaa.
For the wicked, learning is for dry arguments, wealth is for satisfying vanity, strength for harassing others, but in the case of holy men these are for
imparting knowledge, offering charity and protecting
others.
In short, Raksha Bandhan affords a most
auspicious occasion to recharge ourselves every year
with the true spirit of service and sacrifice for the welfare of the society, and find therein the highest spiritual
fulfillment of human life.
Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own
shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.
All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves. Therefore,
make your own future.
Tell the truth boldly, whether it hurts or not. Never pander to weakness. If truth is too much for intelligent people and sweeps them
away, let them go; the sooner the better.
The secret of life is not enjoyment but education through experience.
--Swami Vivekananda
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