#022 Replies to Comments and Explanations

To Shri Latvin: Sanskrit is now mainly used in India for worship in temples, and formal worship in homes. Besides it is used in Hindu auspicious functions like marriages, and inauspicious functions like funerals and vardhantis (annual ceremony of death of elders). Sanskrit is mother tongue to very few people. But Sanskrit is taught in thousands of Colleges in India.

Most Indian languages have imported Sanskrit words upto about 50% of vocabulary (exception: Urdu which is linked to Arabic, Persian and Turkish). My mother tongue Telugu, spoken in Andhra Pradesh (South Central India consisting of Rivers Krishna, Godavari and Pinakini) has about 40% Sanskrit imported words. MalayAlam language spoken in kEraLa (deep South India), I understand, has 50% Sanskrit words. Thus, the Latvin and Lithuanian words given by you bear close similarity to our mother tongues. Example: sunuka is dog for you. Sunakam is dog in Telugu. Prateja is skill for you. Pragna is skill in Telugu. Pratigna is oath. Prasisana is asking for you. Prasna is asking/question in Telugu. bEda is sadness for you. bAdha is sadness in Telugu.

About similarity of languages, I am fully in harmony with you, now after studying about thousand words given by you.

All the credit should go to you.

TO ALL MY READERS:

There is a need to dig out some old mythological stories of Visn, lakme mate, 14 mAte (14 mothers) I found on one Latvian web site. Visn has 1000 names in Sanskrit. lakme mAte too has 1000 names. We have another Goddess named lalita. She too has 1000 names. For example bAla tripura sundari (young beautiful Lady of three cities). These are used in worshipping Lord Visn, Lakme and lalita. Many superior Gods have thousand names each. Probably some of these names, readers may find in pre-Christian mythological stories. VishNu's role in Hindu mythology is protector, by killing demons. Sun God is VishNu's brother (they are among 12 Adityas sons of mother Aditi). We have another meaning for Mihira i.e. Sun God. Lord Siva (Sankara) is also known as rudra (One who is red). He is among 11 rudras. God parjanya (God of clouds) is understood as God Indra. In the days of rigvEda he was the supreme God. Later he was reduced to the role of Chief of Demy God, in charge of one heaven. varuNa is for water and seas. He is Head of the Western direction. Austra (east) may probably be akin to Goddess of Dawn called ushas. Aushadha meaning medicine, Oshadhi medicinal plant may also be aushat.

For Hindus, North direction is very sacred. Sun's Northern motion (Northern solstice), though it starts on Dec. 22 according to astronomy, according to Hinduism it starts on Jan. 14 (the day on which Sun enters the constellation Capricorn - makara (crocodile). People prefer to die when the Sun is in Northern Motion. Visn temples open their Northern Gates on auspicious days during the Northern Run of Sun (approx. upto June 21).

About comment : that BrahmaNas moved away from Latvia after Celtics invaded Latvia.

This Brahma has two meanings in Sanskrit. Brahmam is supreme spirit, formless and attributeless. Another Brahma is Creator. He is visN's Son.

According my personal belief (provisional-temporary view), all the three top Aryan Castes Brahmanas, Kshatriyas (warriors) and Vysyas (Merchants and cultivators) might have come from Latvia-Lithuania.

At some stage in ancient Indian History, say 5000 years ago, there was a conflict between BrAhmaNas and kshatriyas (warriors). Kshatriyas seem to have had a upper hand. Brahma (Creator) seems to have lost his temples. Siva did not lose his temples, but lost his full-body-worship, replaced by phallus. Siva purANa (ancient story of Shiva) has an interesting story for the originating cause of phallus worship. Phallus worship need not be regarded as something to be totally looked down upon as extremely obnoxious.

After all 59% of Americans, according to research-surveys, indulge in oral sex. Phallus worship cannot be worse than oral sex, because in oral sex men and women actually insert their mouths. In phallus worship only stone images are worshipped. Linga or Lingam is one Sanskrit word for phallus. Lingam means symbol or icon. Stone Symbols seem to be better than real penises which ooze urine.

Today, the American President himself is selling/teaching the idea of tolerating gay sex (homosex) to Africans, apart from encouraging legislation in USA. Many American States and European countries are legalising homosex. If one penis can attack another penis or if one penis can go into anus of some other person, and if society can encourage it, why a society cannot consider stone-phallus worship as less objectionable? I am not supporting phallus worship here, but I wish to say that it can be granted equal tolerance on par with oral sex or homosex. I am writing this as an atheist and Marxist, personally.

There is no definition of Good Gods and Bad Gods. The same God (if he/she exists) creates Saints and Serial-murderers. The same God creates billionaires and beggars. Hence there is no question of some worship being superior and some other worship being inferior. Priests and Preachers in Hinduism, unable to explain this paradox of the same God being both benefactor and tormentor, attributed every thing to viShN mAya (the discombobulating magic of Lord viShN). Or some times, attributed it to virtues and sins of past birth.

I hope these ideas will explain the importance of North for Hindus (probably because their ancestors have come from North). I hope that readers will get some insight into Ancient Hindu Gods and probably Ancient Latvian Gods (whom Christian kings and priests branded as pagan Gods and removed them from history). Story of Shiva purANa for phallus worship. In the next post.