Lord Jesus reincarnated. Can human do may not be possible But......The Sanskrit word for rebirth or reincarnation is 'punarjanam' and 'samsara' (theround of births and deaths or transmigration of the soul).
Writes S. Rajmohan, research scholar at the Ramakrishna Mission, Chennai, India, in Tattvaloka (June-July 1995): "For death is nothing but the dissolution of the body, which is a mere cage for the jiva (soul). At the time of death, the self entrapped in the snare of the five elements leaves one body and enters another."
The scriptures further clarify that death is a mere point in the soul's journey to the ultimate goal of life—moksha or liberation from the cycle of life and death. Thus, this transmigration of the soul is defined as "the passage after death of the human or animal soul from a mortal body to a new incarnation in another body of the same or another species" in the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics edited by James Hastings. But this network of life is not limited to fables and fantasies. There is documented evidence of children remembering their past lives. However, the scientific community is unimpressed. "Reincarnation cannot be proven scientifically," says Delhi-based psychiatrist Dr Kulin Kothari. "It is a belief propagated by the spiritual and metaphysical schools."
So we have skeptics on one hand and on the other, those who do not need any evidence of reincarnation because they are rooted in a culture that believes in reincarnation. In between are researchers who try to analyze the claims of rebirth through a scientific approach.
KARMA AND REINCARNATION To understand reincarnation, we must know its origins. The Bhagvad Purana states: "Just as commodities like gold and other articles change hands, a jiva (soul) wanders from one species of existence to another." So we are reborn and get a life in accordance with our past karmas or deeds.
A little skeptical about this theory, filmstar Suresh Oberoi says: "I don't know about past lives, but I do agree that karma rebounds. Karma is action and just as whatever seed you sow becomes a plant of that species, so whatever action you perform must give its results. When it will materialize is very difficult to say."
Writes Swami Jyotirmayananda in Tattvaloka: "Though the Sanskrit word 'karma' literally means 'action', it implies the impressions of action that exist in the subconscious and the unconscious depths of the mind. Therefore, for every reincarnating spirit, there is a storehouse of karma from the past lives. All karmas don't bear fruit in the same life. Certain karmas continue to exist as seeds and may fructify in future lives."
But the law of karma does not bind you to fate or destiny. It is the propeller to surge you ahead in the evolution cycle. In The Problem of Life and Death, Swami Parmananda of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India, writes: "On the contrary it (karma) declares that no condition is permanent, but if man wishes to escape from the present fruits of his actions, he has only to direct his energies steadily in another channel and he will counteract the results of his past errors." For instance, if you have a bad habit such as smoking, you just have to fix your goal to a higher purpose to get rid of this habit. Swami Vivekananda is even more emphatic on the role of free will. He wrote: "We have the power to be what we are, and whatever we wish to be, we have the power to make ourselves." If what we are has been the result of our past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act."
But most of us forget our past lives. Why? Wrote Sri Aurobindo in The Life Divine: "The law that deprives us of the memory of the past lives is a law of the cosmic wisdom and serves, not disserves, its evolutionary purpose... A clear and detailed memory of the past lives, hatred, rancor, attachments, connections would be a stupendous inconvenience; for it would bind the reborn being to a useless repetition or a compulsory continuation of his surface past and stand in the way of his bringing out new possibilities from the depths of the spirit."
According to J. Bruce Long, it could be the fear of transference of karma. "As written in the Mahabharata, the transference of karmas, good or evil, is more prevalent in families. The chaste wife can release her husband from sin. Like all negatives, this too has a negative, so to destroy a man, destroy his wife," he writes in Karma and Rebirth in Indian Classical Traditions.
Most Buddhist sects agree with reincarnation. The Tibetan Book of The Dead describes the soul's passage after death and how it comes back to human form. The story of the Dalai Lama is the best example of children's past life memory. Each of the Dalai Lamas, over many centuries since the birth of the first in 1351 AD, followed the same line; each one was an incarnation of the last, retaining the spiritual wisdom acquired over many lifetimes. "JO HOTA HAIN ACCHE KE LIYEH HOTA HAIN"-- SRI KRISHNA THE TRUTH OF LIFE !!! :-)
The word "Kathak" is used in Brahma Mahapuran for dancers, actors and singers. In Mahabharata and Natyashastra one can find the word "Kathak" too. In Pali language "kathako" means "lecture". In Nepalese language the word "kathiko" is available which means 'who explains' or 'teacher'.
In excavation of Mohanjodro and Harappa, which are one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, people found some sculptures, which represent a sort of dance poses. Their hand gestures and body poses are quite similar to the existing kathak dance forms.
The most ancient known Indian book on art is "Natyashastra" which was written by Saint Bharat about 500 BC. After that "Sangeet Ratnakar" - basically music oriented book - which was written by Sharang Dev in 13th century, is the next strongest support to Kathak word. In its Nrityadhyay (chapter of Dance) it is written:
Kathaka Bandinshchatra Vidyavantah Priyamvadah Prashansakushlashchaanye Chatura Sarvamatushu It means: "who explains the characters and educated and sweet and soft speaking person, who is expert in explaining and is from good descent (i.e. Brahman), clever in making poems and explaining them is Kathak".
Long long ago when nat, bharat or kushilav people were explaining religious and mythological stories in the temple premises with the help of dance and music they had good position in the society. Later on some immoral practices became the cause of their degradation and they were expelled from the society. With time they came back again with a new face where they sang, danced and explained the religious stories and also had share in the religious ceremonies. Most of them were Brahman and they lived very strict and religious life. Again they retained name, position and money. Some technical words of Kathak dance like 'Tatkar', 'Gat' are used in ancient dance and music books like Sangeet Darpan, Sangeet Makrand and Kohal Rahasya.
Muslim invasion in Kathak Muslim king came to India and ruled more than 800 years. All Muslim kings brought dancers, poets, musician and other artist form Persia and Arab countries. To adapt their art to India and to establish its form in India they used many tactics. They are the following:
Indian music and dance was connected with Hindu religion very deeply so that they destroyed Hindu temples, the books about art were also destroyed. Some Indian instruments were changed, for example tabla was made by cutting the pakhawaj in two pieces and each was played with entirely different technique so that experts in playing pakhawaj could not compete with new artists, whom was given preference at the king's court. They stopped supporting Hindu artists, forced them to change religion and name and demoralized among persian artists. Good teachers and dancers were forced to dance for the king and not for the God. Spiritual values of dance were ignored and only materialistic values were approved. The dancers were asked to dance with glass of wine in hands and offer it to the king. If during dance wine fell on the ground dancer and teacher were punished, beaten and tortured. If dancer danced successfully, he was lifted up with prizes and intimacy with the king. As a result dance become game of foot rather then the whole body work. Love events or the dance in which there was description of love between Krishna and Radha, were remaining as it is because that satisfied the dirty thoughts of the king and courtiers. On the other hand dance included many gestures from Arab dances and work of wrist, Ghungru and facial expression were added a lot to dance. It was difficult for the king to speak Hindi words, that is why all the vocabulary of dance was supplanted by Urdu words; Urdu and Persian literature was introduced in Kathak dancing. Gazal, rubai, tarana are some of the compositions which were added to Kathak that time continue to be an important feature till today. Dance and music at king's court was performed alongside with some circus, magic show or other lower forms of art. For example one can see the pictures painted in 14th to 19th century showing courtiers enjoying circus and dance at the same time. Here start the different schools and traditions, which are now famous as gharana. Different Hindu and Muslim kings and nawab of different states gave support to different artists and there dance changed its shape in accordance with the condition and the mood of the sponsor. Mainly in three places dancers were concentrated and after these places the three main gharana of Kathak are named.
In Jaipur City Hindu kings supported Kathak and taandav oriented Kathak dance was cultivated and called 'Jaipur Gharana'.
In Avadh, which later on was named Lucknow, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, who himself was a good dancer, invited many Kathak artists and teachers. Lasya oriented Kathak dance was established in this tradition. Influence of Muslim culture was clearly visible in it. Softness and elegance was the specialty of this Gharana. This Gharana was named as 'Lucknow Gharana'. In Banarus third Gharana was established.
Benares Gharana
The Benares Gharana was developed by Janakiprasad. It is characterized by the exclusive use of the natwari or dance bols, which are different from the tabla and the pakhawaj bols. There are differences in the thaat and tatkaar, and chakkars are kept at a minimum but are often taken from both the right- and the left-hand sides with equal confidence. There is also a greater use of the floor, for example, in the taking of sam.'parans' are also done effectively in this gharana on the 'mrudunga'
Raigarh Gharana This was established by the Maharaja Chakradhar Singh in the princely state of Raigarh in Chhatisgarh in the early 20th century. The Maharaja invited many luminaries of Kathak (as well as famous percussionists) to his court, including Kalka Prasad (the father of Acchan, Lacchu and Shambhu Maharaj) and his sons, and Pandit Jailal from Jaipur gharana. The confluence of different styles and artists created a unique environment for the development of new Kathak and tabla compositions drawn from various backgrounds.Some of renowned dancers of this gharana are Late Pt.Kartik Ram,Late Pt.Phirtu Maharaj,Late Pt.Kalyaandas Mahant,Late Pt.Barmanlak,Pt.Ramlal,Alpana Vajpeyi,Suchitra Harmalkar,Mohini Moghe,Bhagwaandas Manik,Bhupendra Bareth,Vaasanti Vaishnav etc.
Her restless body and clothes are heavy with dust.
Her glistening smile shines again and again.
Shy, she raises her skirt to her lips.
Startled, she stirs and once again is calm,
As now she enters the ways of love.
Sometimes she gazes at her blossoming breasts
Hiding them quickly, then forgetting they are there.
Childhood and girlhood melt in one
And new and old are both forgotten.
Says Vidyapati: O Lord of life,
Do you not know the signs of youth?
Vidyapati
Thinner Than A Crescent
Her tears carved a river
And she broods on its bank,
Hurt and confused.
You ask her one thing,
She speaks of another.
Her friends believe
That joy may come again.
At times they banish hope
And cease to care.
O Madhava,
I have run to call you.
Radha each day
Grows thinner
Thinner than the crescent in the sky…
Vidyapati
Time And Love
As I guard my honor,
My love in a foreign land
Ravishes beauties
Who belong to others.
Safely he will come,
But he has left me dead.
O traveler, tell him
That my youth wastes away…
If time goes on
Life too will go
And never shall we love again…
Vidyapati
Vidyapati Thakur (1340 - 1430), also known by the sobriquet Maithil Kavi Kokil (the poet cuckoo of Maithili) was a Maithili poet and a Sanskrit writer. He was born in the village of Bishphi in Madhubani district of Bihar state, India. He was son of Ganapati. The name Vidyapati is derived from two Sanskrit words, Vidya (knowledge) and Pati (master), connoting thereby, a man of knowledge.
Vidyapati's poetry was widely influential in centuries to come, in the Hindustani as well as Bengali and other Eastern literary traditions. Indeed, the language at the time of Vidyapati, the prakrit-derived late abahatta, had just began to transition into early versions of the Eastern languages, Bengali, Oriya, Maithili, etc. Thus, Vidyapati's influence on making these languages has been described as "analogous to that of Dante in Italy and Chaucer in England."
Vidyapati is as much known for his love-lyrics as for his poetry dedicated to Lord Shiva. His language is closest to Maithili, the language spoken around Mithila (a region in the north Bihar), closely related to the abahattha form of early Bengali.
The mighty Ganga is not only the river but much more to the millions for whom the Ganga is a symbol of faith, hope, substance and sanity. Therefore the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared on November 4, 2008 that henceforth the Ganga would be known as India's 'national river'. The Prime minister has also announced the proposal to set up a separate high powered Ganga River Basin Authority to stop its pollution and degradation. Chaired by the Prime minister, the authority would have as the members the chief ministers of states through which the river flows, besides working closely with ministers of water resources, environment and forests, urban development and others as well as agencies working on river conservation and pollution management.
The first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru wrote in his book "The Ganges, above all, is the river of India which has held Indias heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Ganges, from her source to the sea, from old times to new, is the story of Indias civilisation and culture, of the rise and fall of empires, of great and proud cities, of adventures of man."
The Ganga will be pure and free of pollutants by 2020, the Centre promised before the Supreme Court on October 23, 2010. Without dwelling on the past when nearly 1,000 crore was spent under the failed Ganga Action Plan initiated in the late 1980s, attorney general G E Vahanvati assured a Bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar that the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) headed by the prime minister would deal with river pollution in a comprehensive manner.
In a significant step on November 1, 2010, the government has given in-principle nod for declaring the 135-km stretch of the Ganga between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi as an eco-sensitive zone seeking specific activities to protect the rich biodiversity of the region.
The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in its meeting held on November 1, 2010 also approved discontinuation of 3 hydro projects,-Bhaironghati, Pala Maneri and NTPC's Loharinag Pala proposed on the river.
On April 28, 2011 the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Project for cleaning of River Ganga to be implemented by the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) at an estimated cost of Rs. 7000 crore. The share of Government of India will be Rs 5100 crore and that of the State Governments of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal will be Rs 1900 crore.
On June 28, 2011 Indian officials signed an agreement with the World Bank to use a $1 billion loan to finance the first major new effort in more than 20 years to cleanse the revered Ganges, one of the world’s dirtiest rivers. The long-awaited loan is part of a government project that aims to halt the discharge of untreated wastewater into the river by 2020. The project, founded in 2009, replaced the 1986 Ganga Action Plan, the last large-scale attempt to address the pollution. That initiative was able to introduce waste water treatment in certain areas, it failed to halt raw waste disposal into the Ganges.
History The Ganga is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the earliest of the Hindu scriptures. The Ganga is mentioned in the nadistuti (Rig Veda 10.75), which lists the rivers from east to west. In RV 6.45.31, the word Ganga is also mentioned, but it is not clear if the reference is to the river. RV 3.58.6 says that "your ancient home, your auspicious friendship, O Heroes, your wealth is on the banks of the Jahnavi (JahnAvyAm)". This verse could possibly refer to the Ganga. In RV 1.116.18-19, the Jahnavi and the Gangetic dolphin occur in two adjacent verses. During the early Indo-Aryan Ages, the Indus and the Saraswati were the major rivers, not the Ganga. But the later three Vedas seem to give much more importance to the Ganga, as shown by its numerous references. According to the Hindu Purans, Goddess Ganga used to exist only in Heaven. Then prince Bhagirath worshipped Ganga to descend on earth.This is why Ganga is also known as Bhagirathi. In the Mahabharath this story is also mentioned. In fact, Ganga is a major character in the Mahabharath, where she is the mother of Bhisma. Another version of the myth tells us that Ganga descended to earth to purify the souls of the 60,000 sons of an ancient ruler, King Sagara, who had been burnt to ashes by an enraged ascetic. Ganga in Hindu religion According to Hindus the river Ganga is sacred. It is worshipped by Hindus and personified as a goddess, who holds an important place in the Hindu religion. Hindu belief holds that bathing in the river on certain occasions causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. Many people believe that this will come from bathing in Ganga at any time. People travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Ganga; this immersion also is believed to send the ashes to heaven. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along the banks of the river Ganga, including Haridwar and Kashi. People carry sacred water from the Ganges that is sealed in copper pots after making the pilgrimage to Kashi. It is believed that drinking water from the Ganga with ones last breath will take the soul to heaven. Hindus also believe life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in their lifetime.
In most Hindu families, a vial of water from the Ganga is kept in every house. This is done because it is auspicious to have water of the Holy Ganga in the house, and also if someone is dying, that person will be able to drink its water. Many Hindus believe that the water from the Ganga can cleanse a persons soul of all past sins, and that it can also cure the ill. The ancient scriptures mention that the water of Ganga carries the blessings of the Lords feet. Hence mother Ganga is also known as Visnupadi (Emanating from the Lotus feet of Supreme Lord Sri Visnu). Some of the most important Hindu festivals and religious congregations are celebrated on the banks of the river Ganga such as the Kumbh Mela or the Kumbh Fair and the Chhat Puja. Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in Kumbh Mela at the Hindu Holy city Prayaga (also known as Allahabad). The most important city sacred to Hinduism on the banks of the River Ganga is Varanasi or Banaras. It has hundreds of temples along the banks of the Ganga which often get flooded during the rains. This city, especially along the banks of the Ganga, is an important place of worship for the Hindus as well as a cremation ground.
Chhath an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the Lord Sun (सूर्य) is mainly celebrated in northeast region of India in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, some parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand on the banks of Ganga This year on November 12, 2010 Chath Puja the urban populace prefer to visit other water bodies like ponds or lakes or remain confined to their homes for performing the Chhath rituals as river Ganga has shifted away at different ghats and its water stands highly contaminated..
Economy The flora and fauna found along Ganga banks are vital to nutrient and water conservation, and control of soil erosion. 451 million people living in its basin are directly and indirectly dependent upon the Ganga. Watered by the monsoons, this silt-enriched land produces a significant portion of the rice, wheat, millet, sugar, and barley needed to feed the world's second most populous nation. The rain feds the land, dilutes the river's muddy stream, flushes out excess sediment and suspended matter, and revitalizes the river where its flow was sluggish. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area. The Ganges can swell a thousand-fold during the monsoons. Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi are the the source of tourism and attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims arrive at these three towns to take a dip in the Ganges, which is believed to cleanse oneself of sins and help attain salvation.
Ecology The Ganga has been described by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the world’s top ten rivers at risk. It has over 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species, and five areas which support birds found nowhere else in the world. According to studies reported by environmental engineer D.S. Bhargava of the University of Roorkee, the Ganges decomposes organic waste 15 to 25 times faster than other rivers. The Ganges has an extraordinarily high rate of reaeration, the process by which it absorbs atmospheric oxygen. When organic waste is dropped into it, as much as 60 per cent of the BOD is processed within an hour. The water quality samples also suggest that the Ganges retains DO much longer than does water from other rivers. In a recent finding, the scientists have observed that various species of fishes which helped in keeping the river water clean are facing extinction. In its place, numerous marine species are thriving in the river. Marine species like Sea Bass, Rostellascaris, Xenentodon Cancilla, Clarius Gariepinus or Thai Magur have been found in the fresh water of Ganga in Allahabad and its surrounding districts.
Gangetic dolphins were once found in abundance in the river Ganges. But over the years a steady increase in pollution in the river has dwindled the population of Dolphins. River Dolphin declared as National Aquatic Animal and on January 19, 2010, Ministry of Environment and Forests included in the Schedule I for the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Gangetic dolphins are in grave danger with their population declining at a rate of 10 percent annually. Industrial discharges, sewage, pesticides and the rotting remains of dead bodies have increased pollution levels in the River Ganges over the years despite government promises to clean-up the holy river. M Omair from the University of Michigan in the US has collected zooplankton samples from Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata. He found that many of the zooplanktons that are eaten by the small fish have tumours. The small fish are in turn eaten by the bigger fish and so on, so the ill zooplanktons are getting into the entire food chain, including humans who eat fish from the river. "It is a bad sign for the environmental health of the Ganga," Omair said.
Ganga a national heritage On September 22, 2008 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured giving river Ganga a national heritage status, a statement by the Hardwar-based Ganga Raksha Manch said. The prime minister pledged to revive the glory of the river and look into the issue of pollution in the river along its stretch from upper reaches in Hardwar to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal. In a boost to the Ganga cleaning programme, the government has cleared projects worth Rs 1,394.11 crore for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar.
