What is Bharat Mata

the latest addition to the phenomenon of worshipping god as mother was in the late nineteenth century . with the growing spirit of nationalism amongst the masses in india the idea of desamata or mother nation sprang forward into existence . it earliest roots can , however be traced back to the vedic era when our planet earth was compared to mother . phrases comparing earth with a feminine force is quite common for that era . but idea of the nation as a female principle is not that old .

this was perhaps because in a vast multicultural country like india each region differed from the other and identified itself as one particular nation . however it would be incorrect to say that there was absolutely no unity among different regions in india , common beliefs , practices , gods , scriptures maintened a definite national character which was properly projected in the colonial era .

the belief of earth as mother which was nourished in the minds of people for ages found its final shape in the personification of mother india . the most popular praise sung to her was composed by the renowned bengali writer vankim chandra chatterjee in the famous novel anandamath . it is the vande matram . it speaks of a sujala suphala ( plentiful ) green country which has the most beautiful moonlit nights abound with choicest flowers . she is ever smiling and has pleasing mannerisms . she herself is the durga of tem arms . it to her that we bow down .

in such a description we can see the way in which the prevalent shakta bhakti thought has merged into nationalistic ideals .

in this very book there is an interesting comparison between the past present and future of india . the past is shown as devi jagadhhatri , sitting on a lion .she is bedecked with every possible jewels and holds weapons in her arms . she is the queen of all nations -- rajrajeshwari . the present (those days) is compared to terrifying kali . she has been robbed of her jewels and stand naked . she is in ignorance and tramples her own good(shiva) under her feet . she resides in the crematorium like condition of colonial india under british subjugation. in the future she would become the durga . she would be at the top of all the nations once more . she has the complexion of molten gold . she has laxmi (wealth ) saraswati(knowledge and excellence) ganesh ( aupiciousness ) and kartik( strentgh ) at her disposal . she tramples all evil(mahishasur) at her feet . the king of beasts is her vahana.

numerous authors poets and politicians also contributed to the growth of this concept of mother india . some songs of rabindranath tagore stand out in particular--
you have come out of the heart of bangladesh(colonial state of bengal) in the form of a loving mother .
i keep on staring at your inexpressible beauty .
the doors have opened to a golden temple .
your right hand shines with a dreadfull scimitar,
but your left hand in raised in gesture of fearlessness (abhaya mudra) ,
your eyes are brimming with love and compassion ,
and yet your forehead is shining with anger .
o mother , what a form i behold before me !!

this expression of durga as mother india enabled the nationalist leaders to stck to their noble cause and ideals . somwhere in 1930's mahatma gandhi founded the bharatmata temple in varanasi . even today this thought remains strong in the country . quite unknowingly a predominantly shakta philosophy has found its way into and secured a firm foundation in the natinalist sentiments of modern india .

God, Soul & The World - Hindu Views on the Nature of Existence

In a very real sense, we are like the spaceman in the photo above, totally dependent on our body, mind, emotions and personal identity to persist in life, just as he depends on his space suit and its supply of oxygen to enable him to exist in space. Take away our body, remove our emotions, erase our identity and what is left? Do we cease to exist? What are we really? Rishis assure us that we are immortal souls on a journey of spiritual evolution. We will take on many bodies, many lives, many different identities through the repetitive cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Each advent into a new birth is like an astronaut's voyage into the great unknown. 

The soul's underlying joy throughout this adventure is to commune with a realize God, learning of its true nature in the great a classroom of experience, known as the world, or maya. The three realities of existence, God, Soul and World, constitute the fundamentals of Hindu theology, known as tattva-trayi in Sanskrit, describing a view in which Divinity, self and cosmos are a profound, integrated unity. Each and every soul is on the same journey, spanning many lifetimes. The path has been made clear by those who have gone before. The answers to life's ultimate questions have been given time and time again, but still must be asked and answered by each soul in its own  time: "Who am i?" "Where did i come from?" "Where am i going?"

Never have there been so many people living on the planet wondering, "What is the real goal, the final purpose, of life?" However, man is blinded by his ignorance and his concern with the externalities of the world. He is caught, enthralled, bound by karma. The ultimate realizations available are beyond his understanding and remain to his obscure, even intellectually. 

Man's ultimate quest, the final evolutionary frontier, is within man himself. It is the truth spoken by vedic rishis as the self within man, attainable through devotion, purification and control of the mind. On the following pages, we explore the nature of the soul, God and the world. Offered here is broad perspective that Hindus of most lineages would find agreement with, though in such matters there naturally arise myriad differences of perspective. To highlight the most important of these we offer a comparison of Hinduism's four major denominations. 

Next we explore the views of these four denominations on liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Finally, we present a chart of Hindu cosmology that seeks to connect the microcosm and the macrocosm and is a lifetime meditation in itself.

Places related to The Ramayana

Places related to The Ramayana

This image shows you the places which are related to the great epic of Hindus, The Ramayana.

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