It had been a long trouble for all the Indian Webmasters, Affiliates and IT Professionals who have been using Paypal for years. Paypal had stopped its bank withdrawals service in India and also banned personal payments to and from India.
Now here is a good news for all the Indians. Paypal has resumed bank withdrawals in India and they will be able to withdraw their funds to their Bank account by 3rd march.
Farhad Irani, Vice-President, Asia Paypal business told us in an email that we will be notified by 1st march on how to withdraw funds from paypal account to bank accounts in India.
For your knowledge, Reserve Bank of India had halted Personal payments to and from India with Paypal saying that Paypal is not properly registered in India and does not have rights to remittance personal payments in india.
Paypal in its official blog www.thepaypalblog.com provided update :
We have been diligently working with the RBI and our business partners to resume Indian bank withdrawals for the thousands of Indian businesses who use PayPal to sell their goods or services in the global marketplace.
I’m pleased to tell you that the RBI has now allowed us to resume bank withdrawals for settlements for exports of goods and services. We are currently making changes to comply with Indian regulations for settlements for exports of goods and services, and we anticipate that as of Wednesday, March 3rd, we will be able to resume the bank withdrawal service.
They also added that we need to fill out a new field “Export Code” during withrawal will be soon added ot withdrawal form to get funds in your Bank account. you can get more details on how to get Export code here ” How to get an Export Code for paypal in India “.
But Personal payments are still not allowed by Reserve Bank of India as it need approvals to allow personal remittance in India.
We will be updating frequently as the situation changes. keep reading…
I know this video has been out a while (since 2007). I recently ran across it again on Youtube and thought it would be worth sharing. The video is a 90-second public service commercial that promotes urban rainwater harvesting in India. It was created for/or by The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi. It is a simple but powerful message. Enjoy.
SIMI was formed in Aligarh in 1977 and had thousands of members and offices in almost every district of the state before it was banned by the Centre in 2002. The group came under the radar of intelligence agencies after 1998 and the then SIMI president Dr Shahid Badr Falahi was arrested in Bahraich for an alleged provocative speech days after 9/11.
More than 1,200 SIMI members were arrested from the state after the ban. Police say they have evidence to prove that the SIMI was involved in the February 2005 blasts in Varanasi, the Shramjeevi Express blast in July 2005, the Varanasi blasts of March 2006, and serial blasts in courts in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi in 2007.
Among the prominent members arrested in the state are Abu Bashar of Azamgarh, who is said to have first revealed the existence of IM and its role in blasts across the country, and Shahbaz Ahmed of Lucknow, allegedly involved in the Jaipur blasts. State anti-terrorism squad officials say they are still looking for seven key IM operatives belonging to Azamgarh: Dr Shahnawaz, Ariz Khan alias Junaid, Mohammad Sajid alias Bada Sajid, Mirza Shadab Beig, Mohammad Khalid, Asadullah Akhtar and Salman.
Maharashtra
Mumbai and Pune were the main IM hubs with an extensive network of operatives capable of providing resources for an attack anywhere in the country. The arrests made in 2008 in these two cities laid bare the backbone of the IM. The outfit grew out of the seamy underbelly of Mumbai’s gangland, with Riyaz Bhatkal dabbling in underworld activities before becoming involved in SIMI operations in the Muslim dominated areas of Kurla and Cheetah Camp.
In fact, Riyaz was a suspect in the bomb blasts in Mumbai in 2002 and 2003 and a manhunt was launched for him then. In Pune, IM had set up base in the Kondhwa area, with a control room in an apartment in an upmarket housing society. Mumbai police arrested 21 IM members, including IT engineer Mansoor Peerbhoy, and charged them of forming an organised crime syndicate for terrorist activities and hacking into WiFi accounts to send e-mails claiming credit for bomb blasts.
Among the key missing operatives from the state are Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, the face of IM in 2008, Amin alias Raja Ayub Shaikh, Abdul Shakoor Khan alias Irfan, Abu Rashid.
Gujarat
The state has been more a target for SIMI-IM than a hub for the groups, with most men blamed for the 2008 blasts belonging to other states. The blasts were allegedly carried out under the direction, guidance and assistance of Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islam (HuJI) operative Amir Raza Khan from Pakistan.
Gujarat Police took custody of senior SIMI leaders Safdar Nagori and Abdul Sibli from Madhya Pradesh and others were taken into custody from jails elsewhere. So far, 57 people have been arrested for the blasts and 38 named in the conspiracy are at large.
Madhya Pradesh
The strong SIMI network in the state helped IM recruit and train members the way it did in UP. In 2008, 13 SIMI leaders, including the outfit’s general secretary Safdar Nagori and his brother Kamruddin, were arrested following raids in Indore. The police described the arrested as active members from Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The arrested also included SIMI’s Karnataka unit chief Hafiz Hussain and Shibli, the mainstay of the group in Kerala. In April 2008, the police neutralised a SIMI training camp in Choral, a popular holiday spot, 35 km from Bhopal. Qayamuddin Kapadia, suspected to be one of the main conspirators of the Ahmedabad serial blasts, was arrested from the state in November 2008. Last April, IM operative Saif-ur-Rahman was arrested from a train in Jabalpur. The Azamgarh resident is accused of planting bombs in Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
Kerala
Although Kerala has not been an IM target, the state is home to some of its key members and several places hosted secret indoctrination, arms training camps after 2005. According to Gujarat police, 37 hardcore SIMI activists had participated in a bomb-making and tough-terrain training camp in Vagamon in 2007. Aluva, Paravoor and Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, Erattupetta in Kottayam and old Kannur city are known to have been used by the IM while half-a-dozen men arrested for being linked to Lashkar are from Kannur city.
Prominent among the key SIMI-IM operators from Kerala are C A M Basheer, an aeronautical engineer from Aluva and the former national president of SIMI. Other SIMI leaders from Kerala are Peediyekkal Shibili, his brother Shaduli and Ansar Maulavi. They were arrested in Indore in March 2008. Sarfraz Nawaz, secretary at the SIMI Delhi office, was picked up by the RAW from Muscat last year.
The police had found that Nawaz financed the Bangalore blasts and knew Basheer. Sainudheen alias Satharbhai of Malappuram designed the explosives for Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Surat in 2008. Tadiyantavide Nazeer, who had played a key role in recruiting youth for training at Lashkar camps, was nabbed last November and is suspected to have been with the IM in 2008. Key players absconding from Kerala are C A M Basheer, Ayoob, Ummer Farook and Subaih.
Karnataka
While the Bhatkal brothers, Riyaz Shahbandari and Iqbal Shahbandari, used their coastal hometown of Bhatkal as an IM hub, the activities of the group elsewhere in the state were restricted largely to the northern districts of Bijapur, Bidar and Gulbarga. A spurt in SIMI activities occurred in 2007 when various senior members from Karnataka and Kerala tried to reorganise a hardline version.
While the core group had 25-30 members, the effort to revive the SIMI in 2007 saw training camps being held on the Karnataka-Goa border, in the Hubli-Dharwad region and at Ernakulam in Kerala through 2006-07. Much of the network that emerged during this period was busted by Karnataka police through 2008. The IM members blamed for the Hyderabad and Ahmedabad blasts were trained in a remote village in Chikamagalur district.
Although the IM is not held directly responsible for the July 2008 blasts in Bangalore, Riyaz Bhatkal and the perpetrators of the attack a small group of men from Kerala led by former Kerala SIMI activists obtained integrated chip timers for bombs from a common source. The Bhatkal brothers and the Bangalore bombers used a Hyderabad house as a hideout. Besides the Bhatkal brothers, key IM members from the state on the loose are bomb expert Yasin Bhatkal and Mudassar.
Andhra Pradesh
Mufti Abu Bashir, arrested for the Gujarat blasts, Maulana Abdul Aleem Islahi, a SIMI sympathiser who runs a madrasa in Hyderabad, Raziuddin Nasir and Safdar Nagori were involved in setting up the SIMI-IM network in the state. The SIMI set up several religious institutions to continue its activities after it was banned and police suspect Darsgah-e-Jihad-o-Shahadat and Tehrik Tahfuz-e-Shair-e-Islam were two among them.
Maulana Naseeruddin of Tehrik was arrested by Gujarat Police in 2004 for his involvement in the murder of former minister of state for home Haren Pandya. Scores of SIMI-IM members were picked up during the crackdown after the twin-blasts of August 2007 and the Mecca Masjid blasts. They included Raziuddin Nasir, Mohtasin Billa, Mohammed Nissar, Mohammed Muqeemuddin Yaser, Mohammed Sohail, Maulana Naseeruddin and Jaber Naseeruddin.
Police claim that they have managed to “finish off” SIMI-IM in the state after “tightening the noose around a few madrasas whose activities were suspect”. Vikar Ahmed, who shot at two policemen in Hyderabad last August, is the only one absconding, besides a few sympathisers against whom police say they do not have evidence.
Delhi
The Delhi module of IM was led by Atif Ameen and is blamed for the serial blasts of 2008 in the Capital. After the blasts, the Delhi Police cracked Ameen’s module in Batla House and killed two Atif and Mohammad Sajid. Five IM members were also arrested from Delhi: Mohammad Saif, Zeeshan Ahmed, Mohammad Shakeel, Zia-Ur-Rehman and Saqib Nisar. Two others, Shahzad Ahmed and Ariz Khan alias Pappu managed to flee but Shahzad was arrested from Azamgarh this month. The Delhi Police continues to look for 12 SIMI-IM members, including Amir Raza Khan, Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal, Mohammad Khaild, Salman, Asadullah Akhtar, Dr Shahnawaz, Mohammad Sajid and Ariz Khan.
With inputs from Bhupendra Pandey, Johnson T A, Sreenivas Janyala, Shaju Philip and Neeraj Chauhan
These youth need a foundation course on Islamic terrorism in India
History of Jihad and Islamic terrorism in India Pune youngsters vent anger in virtual world on blast
Pune/New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) ‘How dare they touch Pune?’, fumed an angry and anguished Swaroopa Sanap, a Pune youngster, on popular social networking website Facebook, a day after a blast ripped through the popular German bakery in the city leaving nine people dead.
Hapless and angry, hundreds of people – mostly youngsters – gave vent to their emotions in the virtual world after the blast took place.
A community created on Facebook, ‘In Memory of those who died in the Pune Koregaon Park bomb blast’, just hours after the terror bombing, immediately registered 1,339 members and is adding on more.
One of the members, Shivdeep Deokar, wrote how he tried to help the victims after the blast took place.
‘I was at the German Bakery 5 minutes after the bomb blast. Tried to help a lot of people there. My house is in lane five (at a distance from the bakery) but I felt the vibrations till my house. We rushed to see what’s wrong… there were around 10 to 15 bodies lying on the road,’ Deokar described.
Sharing his predicament, he wrote: ‘Did not know what to do. Only four cops were there. There were not less than 20-25 bodies, but reports say it’s much less.’
The Koregaon park where the German bakery is located, is a popular hangout zone for youngsters since it has a number of pubs, lounges and cafes. The area is often called a foodie’s delight.
Even as the city’s youngsters opened up their hearts in the virtual world, strangers offered condolences and motivation to fight back.
Said Akash Narangi: ‘Our city, our German bakery blown up – how dare these people torch anything and everything? What are our politicians doing? If our home ministry knew that Pune was a target, why didn’t they do anything to prevent it?’
Replied Ananya Sengupta of Delhi: ‘Don’t worry, Pune and German Bakery will fight back.’
The Facebook group has sent out a message to observe five minutes silence at 7.15 p.m. Sunday – the time of the blast Saturday – in memory of those who were killed and injured in the blast.
At least 60 people were also injured in the blast, including 10 foreign nationals.
Indo Asian News Service
Last week we had a photo shoot for parts of our Los Angeles collection that are focused on using pre-consumer remnants from the fashion industry. The photo shoot, by Orit Harpas, was at Hope Gardens. Thanks to Corban Poorboy for lending her styling skills (again!), as well as many of our own R&L volunteers and Hope Gardens women for being our models!
Below is one of the scarves from our Los Angeles collection, made with donated remnant silks from couture designer, Cynthia Vincent. Cynthia has been a supporter of Raven + Lily since the very beginning and we couldn’t have done any of this without her! Each scarf is handmade, unique, and the proceeds benefit the overall mission of Raven + Lily to support impoverished women around the world!
Through the generous donations of leather remnants by Marnie Bugs and Shani handbags, we were able to create some beautiful, one-of-a-kind leather pieces. What do you think of our new earrings and necklaces?
I am just in love with these leather flower hair pins. I think they would look lovely in a bride’s hair or for a special evening. They come in metallic copper too! Doesn’t all our hair need a little shazam?
You can see even more items from this fashion forward and eco-friendly collection at our online store. We’d love to know what you think of all our new items.
We know that Jaani Drucker and her husband Professor Al Drucker have long known, and indeed been the guests of, persons who carefully investigated accounts of Sathya Sai Baba’ sexual abuses of boys and young men, and other serious abuses.
In an email to me (see link just below), Jaani Drucker, who was brutally raped in a New York Sai center in February 1985 wrote: “what happens to the body is indeed not real, and has no effect whatsoever on who we are as immortal beings inhabiting a body for a moment”.
The fact is that many boys and young men (and others who have grown older) do not share, Ms Drucker’s notion. Neither will their families and many others.
My reply to Ms Drucker is here:
Barry Pittard Replies To Sathya Sai Center Rape Survivor’s Note To Him
Posted by Barry Pittard on February 8, 2010
I wrote back to her, with no reply, so I posted the above article. Having now seen the latter, she emailed just yesterday to say: “I did not see your e-mail to me, so it must have gotten into my spam folder”. Her reply is scarcely a reply at all. Although her website states that she “has truth, will travel” and that she is happy to discuss and debate issues, she avoids responding to the issues I raised.
Why will she not properly discuss or debate?
I would still like to know whether she sees no reason to defend the integrity of many former Sathya Sai Baba devotees for whom, over years, she and her husband had much respect for. They have long been extremely assailed – including with the assistance of prominent Sathya Sai Baba figures. Must they, too, be expected to live in the (perhaps rather Manichean) state of non-dualism which Ms Drucker in public discourse and on her website claims to be living in?
In her first email, Ms Drucker said, “As to Sai Baba – He needs no defense”. Whatever may be the case about that, it is clear from evidence from many parts of the world that boys and young men DO have, and have long had, need of defense against him. But there are those, including a number who were once in top positions in the international Sathya Sai Organization, who attest that Jaani and Al Drucker DID hear at first hand compelling testimony from families of (then) young males who have given accounts of his sexual molestation of them.
The issue is serious for most. Indeed, very keenly so for families who wish to protect their children against both harm and the bad advice that can lead to harm. In her second email to me, she writes:
“Is it necessary for a rape victim to receive professional counseling? This assumes that psychology has answers that TRUTH does not. I would disagree. In fact I would go as far as to say the only way to come into right relationship with any and all past traumas is to understand truly who we are. Then we see that nothing real can be threatened. We are all unaffectably whole and complete. When you know this at a deep level you are free of any past whether you were the victim or the victimizer. Then you have shifted out of the victim/victimizer paradigm into the God-consciousness where you know you cannot be a victim. This heals the past and assures you that you will not attract just experiences to yourself in the future”.
This is not what responsible parents will want their young to hear. It is not what mental health professionals think, aware as they are of how belief systems can be hazardously used to put survivors of abuse into states of denial.
Jaani Drucker extends such a notion in public discourse and across her website. It appears plain that Jaani Drucker is deliberately side-stepping points I put to her. Like so many well-informed Sai devotes, she entirely skirts issues but does not deny that he has long engaged in the actions that the rest of the world calls sexual abuse. In her second (just received) email, she says:
“Sai Baba has demonstrated powers of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. I am convinced of His divinity and that everything He does is in the service of the uplift of all. He knows the past, present and future of each of us, and He knows how to transform the world into a world of peace, love and joy for all. In order to understand Baba’s actions we have to hold the big picture… And when we know who we are, we will know a little better who Sai Baba is. So the task at hand is to know yourself, rather than spending your time trying to pin a crime on Sai Baba. However if you wish to pursue that course, Sai Baba does say Inimical Bhakti is the fastest path to truth, so I am sure it is serving the highest good.”
At a cost of great individual and family sacrifice, former Sai Baba devotees from many countries have assisted in submissions to UNESCO, the FBI, Interpol etc), and spoken out in other ways. For example, the Rahm family (formerly among the most prominent devotees in Sai Baba’s worldwide movement), went to tremendous effort in standing forth to protect young males from Sathya Sai Baba, as in their extensive testimony to the BBC and DR, submissions to the FBI, and much more. See independent British author Kevin Shepherd’s:
The Alaya Rahm Lawsuit in California (at 23.6) and
Alaya Rahm’s Lawsuit vs Sathya Sai Society of America – Joint Statement by the International JuST Group and the Rahm family
Has Jaani Drucker nothing to say about whether in Sai Baba’s international organization there should be proper processes in place for dealing with such serious allegations made by perfectly bona fide members of the organization? Have they no rights to be protected against such dereliction of duty that has been amply demonstrated in the Hislop letters. See:
Timothy Conway Ph.D – On ‘The Hislop Letters’
The Hislop letters – part one [Timothy Conway on Gerald Moreno]
The crucial John Hislop letters, Sathya Sai Baba, & Sathya’s defender Joe Moreno by Timothy Conway, Ph.D
In her earlier email, Jaani Drucker said,
“Is not the fact that He stays out in the open and has not gone into hiding, and charges have never been charged, evidence enough of His Divinity? Again, for pearls one cannot stay on the surface”.
Surely, Ms Drucker is being terribly naive. Countless offenders do not go into hiding. They prefer to tough things out. The retention of a public profile not closed to Sathya Sai Baba. He wields incredible political and religious power. There is a bleak scenario difficult to imagine for many outside India. The extent of corruption is immense. They need to count themselves fortunate that their democratic institutions tend to work more effectively. I have written of protections that the Indian power echelons afford him. See:
Why Has Sathya Sai Baba Not Faced The Indian Justice System?
Quote from this article:
“In 2001, the celebrated Indian advocate Kamini Jaiswal (who was a lawyer for the famous ‘Bandit Queen’ Phoolan Devi) attempted to mount, pro bono, a case against Sai Baba on behalf of a former Sai Baba devotee, Hari Sampath. apparently a former member of Sathya Sai Baba’s intelligence and security wing. They were thwarted in what lawyers, including eminent ones from different countries (their identities are available to bona fide investigators by writing me), have described by such terms as “a kangaroo court”. One used to democratic court procedures can hardly believe, as one reads the lawyer’s notes in transcript, that judges could be so blatant. See, Record of Proceedings document of Hari Sampath’s 2001 case against Sai Baba in the Supreme Court of India, and further comments on this case scuppered by Judges G.B. Patnaik and R.C. Lahoti with the concurrence of then Chief Justice Dr A.S. Anand”.
Sathya Sai Baba Disposed Judges
Another example of the appallingness that can pass for Indian justice (often an oxymoron) is illustrated by the conduct of a Sai Baba devotee Judge, Y. V. Anjaneyulu, in Sai Baba’s state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a judgement that contradicts India’s secular justice system and confounds those of our lawyer members who live in far more democratic countries than India who have seen the document. For this undeniable perversion of justice, see HERE.
In the face of all this (and so much other) testimony, where is Jaani Drucker’s compassion? Where is her sense of duty as a citizen, with responsibility towards transparency and accountability? Where does her “have truth will travel” philosophy lead to when she has so long been complicit in the workings of one of the most authoritarian cults in the world, the Sathya Sai Baba Organization?
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Select Further Reading
Will the Real Professor Alvin Drucker Be Upstanding?
Inequality before the law in India
Liberhan Commission Report, India: Names Some Long-time Close Associates of Sathya Sai Baba
Prominent Indians Berate India’s Rife Political Corruption
Will A Newer India Throw Off Old Oppressions?
India’s Chronic Addiction To Anacronistic Gurus. Any Sea-change?
India’s Painful Experience of Corrupt Leadership
Hazards For Abuse Survivors Both Timid and Bold
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Petition
Public Petition For Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization
There is a Spanish version available:
PETICIÓN PÚBLICA PARA ”INVESTIGACIONES OFICIALES DE SATHYA SAI BABA Y SU ORGANIZACIÓN A NIVEL MUNDIAL
Subscribe to Call for media and government investigation of Sathya Sai Baba
Text extracted from the book Tradado do Yoga. Master DeRose
WHAT IS YOGA?
Is it gymnastics? A religion?
A fighting style? A flower arrangement?
Once upon a time a famous dancer improvised instinctive movements that were, however, extremely sophisticated thanks to his virtuosity and, because of this very fact, absolutely beautiful. This body language was not exactly ballet, but it had undeniably been inspired by dance.
The captivating beauty of the technique moved all those who watched; they were overwhelmed with its expressiveness, and asked the dancer to teach them his art. And so he did. In the beginning, the method had no name. It was something spontaneous that came from within and only echoed in the hearts of those who had been born adorned by a more refined sensibility.
As the years passed, the great dancer was able to convey a good part of his knowledge until one day, long after, the Master passed on to the invisible planes. His art, however, did not die. The most loyal disciples preserved it and assumed the mission of re-transmitting it. The pupils of this generation understood the importance of also becoming instructors, and of modifying nothing, altering nothing of the outstanding teachings of the first Mentor.
At some moment in History, this art received the name integrity, integration, union: in Sanskrit, Yoga! Its founder was entered into mythology with the name of Shiva and with the title of Nataraja, King of the Dancers.
These facts occurred more than 5,000 years ago in the Northeast of India, in the Indus Valley, populated by the Dravidian people. Therefore, we will study the origins of Yoga in this period and find its original purpose, so that we can identify authentic teachings and distinguish them from others that have been compromised by consumerism and interference from alien and incompatible methods.
Srinagar, Feb 12: A senior BSF officer may have ordered his junior constable to fire on 16- year old Nishat teenager, Zahid Farooq, whose killing earlier this month triggered Valley-wide protests.
The BSF earlier this week admitted that one its men, Constable Lakhvinder Kumar of 68 battalion was involved in Zahid’s killing and handed him over to JK Police for further investigations.
However, a New Delhi based news channel NDTV on Friday said, “The BSF Commandant R K Birdi forced Constable Lakhvinder Kumar to shoot thrice at Zahid.”
“The accused constable has claimed before the police that he was forced by his senior to shoot the teenager,” the wire agency PTI reported.
It said the claim made by the BSF trooper was being corroborated and some of its officials, including Commandant, R K Birdi, may be questioned.
The police have registered a case of murder but their real investigation, according to the sources, is focused on whether the constable fired on his own, or took orders from his commandant. “The Commanding Officer of the 68th Battalion of the BSF concealed the incident for five days until an internal probe was ordered due to relentless protests and Union home Ministry’s directive to cooperate with the JK police.”
The Special Director General of BSF, PPS Sidhu, while addressing the media here earlier this week had admitted that BSF had no information about the involvement of their men till the inquiry was ordered.
The BSF initially denied any role in the killing, but were forced to admit what happened under pressure from Home Minister P Chidambaram and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Pertinently, on February 5, Zahid and his friends were on their way home after their cricket game in Nishat area was rained out. They came across three BSF vehicles, which stopped near them. Troopers got down and fired three direct shots towards the teenagers killing Zahid on the spot.
After the BSF admitted that one of its constables killed Zahid, his family did not agree. It accused the BSF of making the constable a scapegoat to save a senior officer.
“We are not satisfied with the arrest of the constable as eye-witnesses told us that an officer of the force actually shot Zahid in the chest after snatching the rifle from one of his subordinates,” victim’s father, Farooq Ahmad had said.
My site is dedicated to the organization Nalamdana.org and all profits go to support Nalamdana. Been on the board since I visited them in Chennai India in 2003. Amazing organization! Great impact.
6.ko addhA veda ka iha pra vocat kuta AjAtA kuta iyaMvisRSTiH |\
arvAg devA asya visarjanenAthA ko veda yataAbabhUva ||\
7.iyaM visRSTiryata AbabhUva yadi vA dadhe yadi vA na |\
yo asyAdhyakSaH parame vyoman so aN^ga veda yadi vA naveda ||\
Note: If you know who did this particular translation, please leave a comment. Thanks.
Then nothingness was not, nor existence then,
Nor air nor depths nor heavens beyond their ken
What covered it? Where was it? In whose Keeping ?
In unfathomed folds, was it cosmic water seeping ?
Then there was no life, no birth nor death,
Neither night nor day nor wind nor breath,
At last One sighed ” a self sustained Mother,
There was that One then, and none other,
Then there was darkness wrapped in darkness;
Was this unlit water, unseen, dry, wetless ?
That one which came to be, enclosed in naught,
Arose, who knows, how, from the power of what !
“But after all who knows and who can say
Who, how, why, whence began creation’s day ?
“Gods came after creation did they not ?
So who knows truly, whence it was wrought!_.
“Does that first Mother Herself know, now?
Did She create or was Herself created somehow;
She, who surveys form the heavens, above us all,
She knows ” or maybe She knows not at all.
“Did She Herself create the one god !
And gladly gave Him the Creator’s rod !
But so re- fashioned Time and Space
That He was more, and She was less ?
“Did She turn future into past ?
So He came first and She was last!
“But surely, She told Him all, all!
Then how could He not know at all?
“Or perhaps He knows it not, and cannot tell
Oh! He knows, He knows, but will not tell…
Beautiful, soul-stirring composition by Adi Sankaracharya. And the musical rendering of his composition is awesome also.
Thanks to Varun, who created this video and also the translation to the verses. I have pasted here that. Question is, who is the teacher that Sankaracharya is singing about?.
Ask yourself, and you might find out;) Let you be awakened, listening to this.
Sareeram suroopam thadha va kalathram,
Yasacharu chithram dhanam meru thulyam,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 1
Even if you have a pretty mien, a beautiful wife,
Great fame and mountain like money,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?
Kalathram Dhanam puthrapothradhi sarvam,
Gruham Bandhavam Sarvamethadhi jatham,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 2
Even if you have a wife, wealth, children grand children.
House , relations and are born in a great family,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?
Shadangadhi vedo Mukhe sasra vidhya ,
Kavithwadhi gadhyam , supadhyam karothi,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 3
Even if you are an expert in six angas and the four Vedas,
And an expert in writing good prose and poems,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?
Videseshu manya, swadeseshu danya,
Sadachara vrutheshu matho na cha anya,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 4
Even if you are considered great abroad, rich in your own place,
And greatly regarded in virtues and life,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?
Kshma mandale bhoopa bhoopala vrundai,
Sada sevitham yasya padaravindam,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 5
Even if you are a king of a great region,
And is served by kings and great kings,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?
Yaso me gatham bikshu dana prathapa,
Jagadwathu sarvam kare yah prasdath,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 6
Even if your fame has spread all over,
And the entire world is with you because of charity and fame,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?
Na Bhoge, na yoge, Na vaa vajirajou,
Na kantha sukhe naiva vitheshu chitham,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 7
Even if you do not concentrate your mind,
On passion, Yoga, fire sacrifice,
Or in the pleasure from the wife
Or in the affairs of wealth,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?
Aranye na vaa swasya gehe na karye,
Na dehe mano varthathemath vanarghye,
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorangri padme,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 8
Even if your mind stays away in the forest,
Or in the house, Or In duties or in great thoughts
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use? )
Democracy defined. India, the World’s Largest Democracy in action, if this is the definition of democracy and the so called claimer of world’s largest democracy then think about it what would be happening to the Innocent Kashmiris being killed everyday in Indian occupied Kashmir since last sixty years, where more than 600,000 Indian troops being deployed to rape Kashimir women, killed innocent kashmiris and damage their rights, and it’s being done just for the sake of small Land.
My last day in India, I visited Qutb Minar Complex — the first monuments of Muslim India. It was built under the reign of Qutb-ud-Din Aibak’s, to mark the victory over Delhi. The most famous structure in this complex is Qutb Minar, a red sandstone tower tapers upwards from the surrounding ruins, to a height of 72.5m. The tower was covered with intricate carvings and deeply inscribed Kufic style of calligraphy. Forgive me, I couldn’t comprehend, but I do impressed.
It’s every photographers’ nightmare when taking shots under strong light imbalance. My solution? Make it worse by increasing the contrast!
The complex was said to be a place which initially housed a complex of 27 ancient Jain temples. They were all destroyed and their materials were used in the construction of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque next to the Qutb Minar. Hence, don’t be surprise when you see Indian lotus along with Kufic-styled calligraphy and pillars with Hindu carvings on it.
RAWALPINDI (Online) – Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said Indian “Cold Start Strategy” is an aggressive strategy adding, Pakistan cannot close its eyes to this.
Giving briefing to mediamen and anchor persons here Wednesday, he said it was a wrong allegation that Pakistan was playing a double game. Had it been correct, we would have not offered unprecedented sacrifices in terms of lives and property.
The casualties of NATO and allied forces in war on terror stand at 1,582 during eight years but on the other hand 2,273 officers and Jawans of Pakistan army were martyred and 6,512 sustained injuries during one year. 73 Pakistani intelligence officers were martyred while 11 intelligence officers of allied forces were killed in Afghanistan.
“Our martyrs include one three-star general, one two-star general and five brigadiers,” he said. Deployment of Pakistani troops on western borders outnumbered NATO forces, he added.
“We have conducted operations in Swat, Malakand and South Waziristan with a successful strategy and have recovered arms in huge quantity with people’s cooperation,” he added.
To a question he said US and its allies have started understanding our reservations and apprehensions and situation of the region. “We have made it clear on US that it will have to keep in view interests of Pakistan before taking any decision with reference to Afghanistan, he added.
Pakistan has a key role with regard to Afghanistan, he said adding, that he had also stated this in the NATO military committee meeting.
As per media reports, army chief citing Pak-India ties said the whole nation, army and government are fully aware of the history of relations between the two countries. All the military and war preparations of India seem to be Pakistan-specific and Pakistan could not close its eyes to it, he added.
Kayani said Pakistan wanted lasting peace and stability in South Asia but the peace could not be held hostage due to any terror incident or non-state actors.
Army chief answered different questions in the perspective of national, political and internal situation of the country.
A message received from a brother in Christ, from India this morning:
======
SHALOM BROTHER,
PRAISE THE LORD…..
i m (name deleted) from HYDERABAD,INDIA. im a hindhu in the past. but i was blessed by god……on january 15, 2010. i believe in christianity nd im decided to take baptism. im a member of calvary temple,kukatpally,HYDERABAD… i am in need of HOLY BIBLE(s) in ENGLISH and TELUGU languages…… so i please in the name of GOD to send me the bibles to the below address….. (Deleted)
When I wrote my first book ‘Outsourcing to India’ I remember attending an event at London Business School and hearing a distinguished Indian business commentator tell me that he could have written a better book. My advice to him was to write his book rather than talk of the hypothetical possibility of him ever publishing it – even if it is better than my own effort.
I’ve never claimed that my first book was a masterpiece. It was an observation on the changing nature of business at that time and specifically dealt with India from the perspective of an outsider – so the critic would have struggled to achieve anything similar as it was intended to gaze at India through the eyes of a visitor anyway.
And that book did the job. It’s out of date now because the industry moves so fast in India, but it’s remarkable how much of that commentary is still valid today.
At present, I’m writing on the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum blog. The forum is the biggest IT and IT-enabled services event in India and takes place every February, I’m leaving for Mumbai on Sunday. I’m blogging in advance of the event and will be reporting on that blog with information about what is going on at the event itself.
It seems already that the debate over Indian companies using social media has touched a nerve. A recent blog post by Vishal Gondal criticised the lack of insight many Indian tech firms are showing when it comes to social media. He got several quite nasty comments. I added a comment suggesting that his views should be listened to because even if it is painful to hear, some of his observations ring true. Then “Oscar Lopez” commented on me!
“It is easy for someone like Mark Kobayishi Hillary to adopt a holier-than-thou attitude – he himself has been known NOT to respond to criticism of his views – especially in the wake of his diatribe against Indian software companies in the UK. Mark, you will do well to read your own words and follow them.”
Well , that’s a surprise. So now I have anonymous critics who won’t even put their own real name on blog posts or engage me in conversation about what they think and feel?
The real issue here is over opinions. Clearly I have expressed an opinion that has upset Oscar. But then if I never expressed any opinions, I couldn’t write or blog very effectively. However, I’d like to imagine that most of my opinions are formed from an intelligent analysis of research, facts, and experience. Clearly Oscar doesn’t agree.
I’d be interested to hear more from “Oscar”, in particular to understand what my diatribe against Indian companies in the UK might be all about. And as my contact details are all publicly available and I’m actively participating in a number of online forums, I’m not sure how I have failed to respond to some critical points.
Sathya Sai Baba Disposed Judges
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RAWALPINDI (Online) – Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said Indian “Cold Start Strategy” is an aggressive strategy adding, Pakistan cannot close its eyes to this.
