Kamat's Potpourri

AnthoBLOGy: And Now, Free Web Domains!

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

HyperWebEnable is a new startup with Indian roots that is offering everything for free, and you can make money from your blog. And that includes a free domain name.Wow.

Check Out Hyper Web Enable

Amma's Column: The Ishavasya Upanishad

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

The Ishavasya Upanishad

It is usually believed that essence of Hinduism as revealed in theVedas lies in the Upanishads. There are more than a hundred Upanishads. All these deal with knowledge regarding Brahman or Brahmvidya. Sage Shankaracharya wrote commentary on the ten most important Upanishads. These are Isha or Ishavsya, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Chhandogya Aitareya and Brihadaranyaka.

Study of these ten Upanishads was part of basic education in ancient Indian spiritual lore and many learned people wrote commentaries on them besides the three Acharyas, to support their school of thought.

Ishavasya is the smallest among these Upanishads, consisting of only 18 verses. But due to archaic language and cryptic phrases it is a difficult piece. The real meaning gets elusive. But it throws light on nature of God, duty of average individuals in this world and the virtues one has to cultivate till the end, towards realization of God

The very first verse (or mantra to the pious people) declares that the whole world belongs to God.

All that exists in the world is covered by God. There is nothing which an individual can call his or her own. Hence do not aspire for other's money, the Upanishad says. Money here means worldly belongings or personal attachments. �Do your duties (Karma) without any attachment and live for a hundred years. Such a life makes you free of all external and impure traits," says the second verse. The ignorant ones go on repeating external rituals, which lead them only towards further darkness.

Self realization being the motto of all Upanishads some spiritual traits are to be developed by those who aim to attain it. The main discipline is detachment. One has to do all work without attachment. This discipline is called Karmayoga. Fruit of all our activities are to be surrendered at the feet of God.

Next comes freedom from hatred. The ideal of a spiritual aspirant should be to remain unaffected by attachment or hatred. He must have compassion towards one and all. This is possible only when a person sees the Self in all people and all people in the Self.

When the wise man perceives all is not distinct from his own Self, he would not hate any one, and the mind gets purified through detachment and self surrender. The Atman (Self) within, begins to shine, by and by.

God is the great purifier, self resplendent, formless, and untainted by evil.

Lokamanya Tilak advocated Karmayoga (selfless action) earliest traits of which before Bhagavadgita are found in this Upanishad. Mahatma Gandhi was very fond of this Upanishad and the first verse formed part of his daily evening prayer. Actually the Upanishad includes a prayer in the end that, this mortal body must turn into ashes, doing one�s duties, all the while and concentrating on God (here he is in the form of Agni) only.

Masti Venkatesh Iyengar (1891-1986) the great short story writer has written a beautiful story Mantrodaya on the life of a sage who worked hard using his hands, poured his love and affection on all living creatures and spoke very little all his life. His last utterances on the day he completed one hundred years, poured out in the form of mantras of Ishopanishad as depicted by Masti.

Aperture Photo Blog: Garuda in Indian Art

Fri, 30 May 2008 21:40:37 CST

Garuda is the name of a mighty bird depicted in Indian folklore as the vehicle of Lord Vishnu.

Garuda is a species of Indian Eagle.

The flying abilities of Garuda have prompted an airline to be named after the bird (Garuda Indonesia Airlines).

Indian artists over the centuries have imagined great many forms of Garuda and they are available today in paintings, sculptures, and temple artifacts. The following is a collection of pictures depicting Garuda in Indian Art.

(c) K.L.Kamat

Lord Krishna Rides the Bird Garuda
Garuda is usually shown as Vishnu's carrier; here the artist seems to indicate that Vishnu and Krishna are one the same.

Hindustani Classical Vocalist Vilayat Hussain Khan

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Vilayat Hussain Khan
Related to Fayyaz Khan of Baroda, his son Younus Khan was also a great singer.

Vocalist Siddheshwari Devi (1903-1977)

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Siddheshwari Devi
One of the four pillar of Tumri and Khayal, she learnt from her aunt Rajeshwari Devi, whose royal patron was Shayajji Rao Gaikwad, the Maharaja of Baroda.

Pictures of Freedom Movement

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
August 15, 1947
Pictures of India's Freedom Movement

Archaeologist A. M. Annigeri

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
A,.M. Annigeri
Picture taken at an Archeology luncheon, Mysore, 1985

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Patriotic Stamps of India
Stamp marking the 67th birthday of Subhas Chandra Bose

Bathing Ghats of Varanasi

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Spectacles of Kashi
Detail from an Indian Postage Stamp

Family Planning Stamp

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Indian Family Planning
Indian campaign to limit the size of the family to four

Folk Artists as Ramayan Characters

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Ramayana Street Play
Actors dressed as Rama, Lakshaman, Sita and Hanuman

Epigraphist S.R. Ritti

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Shrinivas R. Ritti
Ritti served as the Chairman of the Epigraphic Society of India

V. N. O'key and Jayantrao Tilak

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Felicitation of O'key

Elephant Carrying Water Pot

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Sacred Water
A sculpture in stone, Town of Sibi, 1982

Portico of Narasimhaswamy Temple, Sibi, 1982

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 CST

Picture
Temple of Sibi