The idea of a "Hindu Halloween" may sound offensive to some, just another attempt to inculturate the Hindu youth into Western culture. What would be the practical benefits of a "Hindu Halloween" anyway, why am I even suggesting this? I'm suggesting this because our Hindu children are celebrating Halloween already, whether we like it or not, but there is a twist, and that is Halloween is much less Christian and much more closely related to our own festival of Pitru Paksha than most Hindus know. What do the Hindu rituals of Pitru Paksha (fortnight of the ancestors) and the Western festival of Halloween have in common? More than some people might think, especially when we look at the pagan roots of the “ghostly” Halloween and how they relate to the Hindu “fortnight of the ancestors”, both which occur right around the same time.
PITRU PAKSHA
HINDU FORTNIGHT OF THE ANCESTORS
Pitru Paksha literally means “fortnight of the ancestors” and takes place during the 2nd paksha (forthnight) of the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada, which roughly correlates with late September to early October. During this time Hindus perform many rites and rituals to commemorate and propitiate their ancestors (known as Pitrs). Special meals are prepared and laid out for relatives who have passed on and who are welcomed back into the home during this two week period to bestow their blessing upon their descendants and families. The meals that are prepared for the ancestors (Pitris) are often fed to crows and these meals traditionally contain a gourd or pumpkin… sound familiar? Because the festival involves communing with the spirits of the dead and because the festival takes place during the “dark fortnight” when the moon is waning, Pitru Paksha is viewed as being inauspicious by many Hindus and can sometimes take on an eerie connotation, just like Halloween.
HALLOWEEN
NIGHT BEFORE COMMEMORATIONS OF THE DEAD
Now let’s take a look at the Western tradition of Halloween. Like Pitru Paksha, Halloween takes place during the fall (Oct 31st) and is associated with darkness, spookiness and the dead. The word “Halloween” is short for “All Hallow’s Eve” and is the night before the two-day Christian festivals of All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day. On All Saint’s Day many Christians commemorate the Saints of their church and on All Souls Day many Christians will commemorate the deaths of their own personal relatives or loved ones. Because Halloween is the evening before these two festivals of the dead, many believe that on Halloween night, the dead souls are rising up out of their graves in preparation for the celebrations, so that is why on Halloween many Westerners dress as ghosts and goblins. Because of its closeness to the fall harvest, Halloween is often associated with pumpkins, gourds and squash, crows and scarecrows, similar to Pitru Paksha.
SAMHAIN
THE ORIGINAL PAGAN HALLOWEEN
Even though Halloween is slightly associated with Christianity, it should be fairly obvious that the festival’s origins are pagan. There is no “All Saint’s Day” or “All Souls Day” in the bible and certainly no custom of dressing up as ghosts to celebrate the rising souls of the dead. Halloween was originally a Gaelic (Irish) festival called Samhain. Samhain took place at the end of the fall harvest in ancient Ireland. During this time it was believed that ancestors would come to the homes of their descendants and would require that a meal to be put out for them, the same exact ritual as Hindu Pitru Paksha, and right around the same time of year! Because it was believed that not only ancestors, but also fairies and other spirits could enter the world at this time, Irish pagans used to dress up in costumes to represent these spirits and dance around bonfires, thus the custom of dressing as ghosts and ghouls on Halloween.
HINDU ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN
COULD PITRU PAKSHA BECOME THE HINDU HALLOWEEN
As we can see there are many similarities between the Hindu “fortnight of the ancestors” or Pitru Paksha and the original Irish pagan Halloween celebration of Samhain. Both festival take place in the fall, both festivals involve laying out meals that memorialize our ancestors, and both festivals have a slightly inauspicious and ghostly or scary theme. However, some have suggested that the connection goes beyond just mere coincidence and points to a link between the two cultures. Linguists have theorized that Samhain is old Irish for sam (‘summer’) and fuin (‘end’) or “summer’s end”. However, others have not failed to notice that the old Irish word for summer (“sam”) is very similar to the Hindu Sanskrit term for season which is (sma). Even if this particular linguistic similarity is not a true connection between Samhain (also known as Halloween) and Pitru Paksha, we should always remember that the word “Indo-European” exists for a reason, meaning that it is agreed upon by all scholars of language and religion that there is a linguistic-religious connection between India and Europe, with Sanskrit and Hinduism being the oldest known language and religion in this continuum.
Could it be that Irish pagan Samhain is somehow related to Hindu Pitru Paksha? What would happen if Hindus started making om Jack-o’-lanterns and putting them out around Halloween? Could it be a conversation starter about our festival of Pitru Paksha? Could we blend Hindu and Western customs to make Hinduism more relevant to the new world? Wouldn't it be better to use the power of Halloween to turn people's attention back to ancient customs and their connections or even roots in Hinduism? What is being proposed here is not the erasure of Hinduism with Halloween but the Hinduization of Halloween, the reverse inculturation of our Hindu youth and the Western youth by using Halloween to remind both of them of an ancient Pagan past which is linked to a Hindu present. Time and experimentation will tell if and how Hinduism and Halloween can blend, but there is certainly room for Hindus to adapt to new (and old) customs while still maintaining our identity.
25 Aug 2017 - Nisha Ramracha, Raju Bathija, Sitangshu Guha, Vincent Bruno and Lydia Singh met with Nick Gulotta of the Queens Community Affairs Unit at the Mayor's Office to continue discussions which began last Thursday. The meeting concluded with the resolutions that not only would the NYC Hindu community be sending in periodic reports on Hindu issues to the Mayor's Office, but that the Mayor's Office would also establish a quarterly meeting between relevant City officials and the NYC Hindu Coalition. It was also agreed the group would meet again before the Mayor's Diwali party to further discuss the issue of Hindu Holidays.
HINDU HOLIDAYS ON THE AGENDA
The talks with the Mayor's Office began with the "Hindu Holidays Campaign", a movement brought forth by NYC Hindus for the addition of the Hindu Holidays of Holi and Diwali to NYC school calendars. The campaign began after the Mayor's Office gave two Eid holidays to the Muslim community and also added a holiday for Chinese New Year. NYC Hindus demonstrated outside City Hall in 2015 for the addition of Hindu holidays, their motive was simply to gain the same representation as Muslims, Jews, Christians and now the Chinese. There were also several community advertising campaigns directed at the Mayor's Office as well as the City Comptroller.
HOW TO PROCEED FROM HERE
The Mayor's Queens Community Affair representative Nick Gulotta was very helpful and provided the attendants with many strategies to hasten the inclusion of Hindu holidays in NYC schools. Besides quarterly meetings and periodic reports, Nick suggested the Hindu community take advantage of the City's new pre-K program which has been used by both Sikhs and Muslims to establish small City funded children's programs in their Gudwaras and Mosques. The NYC Hindu Coalition can also work with the NYC Department of Education to possibly open Hindu after school programs at public schools. The Coalition also suggested a meeting with CUNY to bring forth community concerns about misinformation on Hinduism as it is presented in City Universities. These can be used as a prelude to the official installment of Hindu holidays.
POLITICAL ORGANIZING FOR HINDU POWER
Besides a general education effort, the Community Affairs Unit also suggested that Hindus begin contacting City and State elected officials who's districts carry large Hindu populations, as they would be the most likely to lend their support to the campaign. It was also suggested that NYC Hindus works with Hindu businesses and the City administration to create a Hindu Business Association which would be linked to City commerce boards. Finally, Nick Gulotta advised the Hindu community to engage in interfaith forums and gain the support of Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and other religious institutions to join in the call for greater representation of Hindus in City schools and government. Thank you very much to the Mayor's Office for beginning a process for Hindu upward mobility in NYC and beyond.
What is the deal with idolatry? Why is it so hated and shunned and reviled? The Bible and Koran and Talmud describe it as perhaps the number 1 sin. Even in Hinduism we find controversy over idolatry. There are no Idols in the original Vedas and the Puranas say that idolatry only appears in the Kali Yuga (fallen age). There are a few reason I see why idolatry is such an issue to monotheists. First, an idol is a physical representation that human have chosen another god above the Abrahamic god. The God of the Christians and Muslims and Jews has an inferiority complex, because he is inferior and unlovable. This god cannot tolerate the presence of any other god, and when other gods do appear. people flee him in the droves, because he is a sadistic and ugly slave master.
There is another reason which is very possible, and one I am very willing to entertain, and that is that there could have been some abuse associated with idolatry. Now this is not to say that the monotheists engage in any less abuse, but far worse, they have reaped more death and war than any idolater ever dreamed. However, we do know form Hindu scriptures that idolatry only appears in the dark age, because the human mind had become to weak and distracted to envision or think of god without a physical representation. If this is true, and idols only appear with lower consciousness, than it is likely that idols also appear with more cruel and stupid practices, and so people begin to not only hate idolatry but the entire religion they represent.
The monotheists use this social discontent against the degraded Hindu and Pagan hierarchy and promise a better life under the one true god, but this is a trap, there is only one way in and no way out. In Kali Yuga, human have less control over themselves and thus they need more rules and regulations. While the Pagans try to adapt to the circumstances and become harsher, monotheism was born in these circumstances and so the monotheists have a better adapted rule system which keeps people in check, and the populace craves this. This is why we know from scripture that in the Kali Yuga, people will prefer the way of the Mleccha (non-Vedic) because these are actually better adapted to the modern declined state of humanity.
Yet there is another explanation, and one which I think is most fitting. Some schools of Vedanta teach us that the Hindu rituals of the Vedas are a series of reminders and concepts which help to break down the barriers between our individual consciousness (Atman) and the universal consciousness (Brahman). The realized link between the two would supposedly give the practitioner powers and abilities which seem like "magic" but are not, one could even create a god through his thoughts. Even the Vedas say that most of the gods are "fed" by our prayers.
The Bible, the Koran and the Talmud all make it clear that when they are outlawing idolatry they are also outlawing "sorcery". Could it be possible that in the fallen age, men and women would use idols rather than open air fires and chants to focus their minds in on an intention and thus produce a result? We all know everything can be used for good and bad, outlawing idolatry is not a movement to ban "child sacrifice" as the stoning of "rebellious" children and mass slaughter if infants in the Bible would suggest.
Now this brings us to those Hindus who deride idolatry because they do not come from the Vedas and are the product of Kali Yuga and tribalism. The Vedas are not opposed to foreign knowledge, they would only be opposed to that which attempts to attack or thwart them, and this simply be ignorance as we find in the Bible and Koran. Hindu idolatry does not detract from the Vedas, actually they expand the reach of the Vedas by molding their teachings to more modern practices. One cannot help but be brought back to the Vedas when engaging in Hindus idol rituals, the names of the gods, their stories, their symbols, many of these have Vedic influence and the Tribal influence is too scattered absorbed to pose any threat to the Vedas themselves. Idols are the Vedas in modern clothing, though most might find it hard to find the thread.
There are many reasons why the monotheists hate idolatry, it is a reminder to them that if given the choice people don't want their god, they also likely fear what can be done with idolatry, that people can use these images to focus their minds on an idea and thus gain certain metaphysical powers that the monotheists don't want people having. The god of the Bible and Koran wanted to keep people ignorance, he didn't want them having knowledge, and neither do his people. It is time to unleash the power of idolatry on our enemies, it is time to remind them that they are nothing but spiritual slavers and hypocrites. I am ready to die for idolatry, the monotheists have already killed a part of me, they killed whatever compassion and understanding I stupidly had for their devious minds. I am ready to die for idolatry, maybe I already have.
Today, both Hindus and the West are dealing with an existential threat from Islam, while many can easily perceive the physical dangers, many are less aware of the social and cultural threats. Islam does not only seek to transform non-Muslim societies through war, but also through the introduction of Islamic ideas and the denigration of non-Muslim ethic. However, beyond this, we also have perhaps one the the most potent forms of warfare upon our societies, that of "Love Jihad". Simply stated, Love Jihad is when groups of Muslim men conspire to groom a young non-Muslim girl into Islam and eventual marriage to a Muslim man. While sometimes individual Muslim men will capture the heart of a kafir girl on his own and make her conversion a demand for marriage, there are also orchestrated efforts among Muslims to lure young women into Islam. This "Love Jihad" may involve elaborate plans which often features the use of homosexual men to falsely flatter and date these women, breaking down their barriers and prepping them for their eventual heterosexual Muslim husbands.
While Hindus and Westerners may have a growing understanding of this threat, the best they are able to do is complain. There is a painful truth that both Western and Hindu men that many will find hard to accept but it is true all the same, their currently cramped and unassumingly repressive cultures and warped religious ideals have seeped into their outer physical appearance and behaviors, they have lost the natural charisma of free men. Muslim men are known for their bluntness, for their impetus, their craft at overtaking non-Muslim societies. While Islam has theologically and emotionally stunted its men, it has given them free reign on the physical level, particularly when it comes to issues of sex and war. It is easy to distinguish Muslim Pakistanis from Punjabi Hindus, even though they are of the same race. Islamic culture has simply rendered its men more masculine, fitter, more confident and yes sexier. These are the qualities women crave, it is biology, they are meant to breed with the finest, and so they are drawn to these handsome and forward men like moths to the flame.
This situation is compounded when women of Western and Hindu extraction see the men of their own culture can only cry and moan about this situation, and worse still they become angry with the women who are only following their natural impulses, slut shaming and harassing them. The modern deterioration of Hindu and Western culture has cursed the men of these civilizations, and if they do not take measures to remedy this quickly, they will soon shrivel up as their women do their organic duty and swiftly flee the sinking ship, only to serve as breeding slaves to the Muslim culture, which they will not see is a slave pit until it is too late. The way in which the Western man has fallen into this wretched state is much different from the way this plague has been brought upon the Hindu, but since it is Hinduism we are trying to revive here, let's first focus on what went wrong in India.
Hindus should be very well aware that the culture of passivity and "ahimsa" they live in now was not the culture of only a few centuries ago. If the Muslim invaders who established the Mughal Empire had been met with the modern interpretation of Hinduism there would be not reason to be writing this post as all of the Hindus would have been wiped out. India has remained majority Hindu today, despite the fact that it has suffered centuries of Islamic invasion and Christian colonialism, due almost entirely in part to the Hindu warriors who fought and died to protect the eternal religion and their lands. Shivaji Bhonsle is only the most famous of these warriors as he was responsible for striking a severe blow to Muslim rule and reestablishing a large Hindu kingdom, the Maratha kingdom. Shivaji was inspired to this warrior spirit by Hindu texts such as the Mahabarata and Ramayana, which do not preach passivity but noble warriorhood. There were also countless Hindu leaders who fought British colonialism, such as Queen Rani of Jhansi who became a leading figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
However, unlike the Islamic invaders, the Christian British were much more sly and practiced extended psychological warfare on the Hindu society. There were many steps in this war on the Hindu mind, but one of the earlier ones was the creation of "Anglo-Hindu Law". This system cleverly devised a scheme to make Hinduism look oppressive, prior to the arrival of the British there had never been any universal Hindu Law which ruled all Hindus, but what the Christians did is they found the law books of different kingdoms and different times, and implemented the most retrograde and caste based of these legal systems so as to make Hindus miserable under their own "religious laws" and turn their minds against Hinduism. Then there was "Macaulayism" the purposeful destruction of the ancient Hindu education system which the British openly stated was too superior and needed to be removed before they could enslave the Hindus.
"I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation." - Lord Macaulay's speech in the British Parliament on 2nd February 1835.
With these former Christian intrigues in mind, I would like to posit a very controversial theory. We do know that in order to destroy Hindu culture, the British likely employed the most unscrupulous Hindu traitors to mis-translate sacred texts, and so it would make sense that the British would also promote forms of Hinduism they believed would be easier to rule and control. There are many strains of apathetic and sexless Hinduism which run through India and the West today, the members of these groups tend to shame sexuality even more than any Christian and promote of version of "non-violence" which is actually suicidal. The most well known of these agamous groups are the Westernized "Hare Krishna" whom are well known for their child sex scandals and rampant closeted homosexuality. However, the Hare Krishna are only one groups which fall under the umbrella term of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
Gaudiya Vaishnavism was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who live in India during the 14 and 15 hundreds CE. Hinduism allows for spiritual and social experimentation, and this Guru tailored his sect to focus on the last avatar of Vishnu, Lord Krisha, and his wife Rhada. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu either chose to make his Hindu sect of Gaudiya Vaishnavism monotheistic, or this was a natural evolution as the sect focused in on only one or a few deities. Because the entire tradition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism surrounded Lord Krishna, the sect narrowed their scriptural readings to the Gita which features Krishna's philosophy, and the Bhagavata Purna which details the life of Krishna. All the the sect's art and songs and rituals also tend to focus mainly on Krishna as the supreme deity. and today it is understood that Krishna is the one true god, a part of Vishnu, and that all other gods are manifestations of the one and only one true god.
However, this religious experiment took a very odd twist under the British Empire when in the 1800s the sect was revised and expanded by a Bengali intellectual who also happened to be one of the first Hindus to be employed by the British Colonial Government, Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Bhaktivinoda Thakur was not only known to be employed as a Judicial Servant to colonial government, but also a critic of Indian society in general, which in and of itself is not a crime, however this coupled with how he transformed Gaudiya Vaishnavism makes his intentions very suspect. Bhaktivinoda began a campaign of criticism against those Vaishnava sects he considered to be "a-Vaishnava" (non-Vaishnava). He worked very hard to undermine any Vaishnava group who had hereditary priesthoods which claimed exclusive rights over Gaudiya Vaishnavism and was thus able to break any competing sects which could not be controlled by universalism. Bhaktivinoda's sect of Gaudiya Vaishnavism was unusually evangelistic and sparked India's most dynamic preaching mission, the Guidiya Matha, which resembles Christian missions in many ways. The founder of ISKCON, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896–1977) was a disciple of Bhaktivinoda's sect and he traveled to the United Sates where in the 1960s he founded the well known "Hare Krishna" movement.
Many Hindus may not take it kindly that I an others hold this reformed version of Gaudiya Vaishnavism with suspicion as today this extremely aggressive sects preaches a fanatical form of Hindu monotheism, attempts to focus all of its attention on a single holy book, the Gita, and is known to be constantly attempting to undermine all other forms of Hinduism. They also encourage a lifestyle of extreme non-violence, to the point that there members are known to be so passive that they could easily be discarded by any man wishing to rid himself of them. Their non-violence is only surpassed by their extreme and obsessive demonization of non-marital sex and love. Neither of these extremist positions of non-violence and near celibacy find their roots in the life of Krishna.
Besides his many other "reforms", the British employeed Bhaktivinoda also viciously attacked the sects of Vaishnavism which incorporated free sex as a spiritual practice. In Bhagavata Purana, which is the story of Krishna's life, we find many stories which involve himself and many of his followers engaging in free love and sex, in fact the free sex of the Bhagavata Purana is so obvious and explicit that it is used by anti-Hindus to defame the religion. Krishna was also a warrior and preached a war doctrine in the Gita. Modern followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, especially ISKCON, go to great lengths to explain away the obvious meaning of these free sex and war messages, stating that it is all allegory and never happened, or they rewrite these scriptures in order to edit out passages which do not fit in with their suspect Christian-like doctrines.
Let me lay my accusation out on the line, it would seem to me that the Christian British who are always plotting to steal India just as they did America used their dupe Bhaktivinoda to push Gaudiya Vaishnavism further into monotheism and remove its sexual and warrior nature so that they could rule over a herd of cowardly and feckless Hindus. An added dimension to this conspiracy would be that their "Christ" shows remarkable similarities to our Krishna and is an obvious copy, it is likely easy to use Krishna and the Gita to bring Hindus to Christ and the Bible. So this is my conspiracy theory and i am sure that few will find these accusations to be outlandish.
But now this brings me back to the original topic of this post, "Love Jihad" and the lack of a "Love Yuddha" response, but now I may use Christianity as a springboard to criticize current Hindu society and hopefully wake them up to the true potential of their original culture. The Christian Bible makes no bones about the fact that the Pagan which were wiped out of parts of West Asia incorporated sex heavily in their worship. The rival goddess of the Biblical god was Ishtar, the sex and war goddess of Babylon. The two Bible books of Kings are a history of Israel's civil war between those who wished to return to this Pagan sex worship and those who wished to control society with monotheism. The Bible shames sex and puts it on a level of filth which is only to be used between a man and his nearly enslaved wife, or between a man and his Pagan slave woman whom he wishes to break and convert. The free and open expression of sex is sin, but the use of rape to convert women is sacred.
The Bible and Christians know very well that sex is a natural need, and by making it a sin they control their populations. To see the ultimate destiny of India's current Christianized culture of sex shame, you need look no further then the wasting and drying up races of the West. The white races were not always Christian, the horrors of how they were brought to Christianity from Paganism are hardly ever told and I have to say that it makes me sad that the white race will likely fall with little to no sympathy as to the conditions which brought them to this horrible state. Yet this sex shamed race is what the future of Hinduism will be if you do not correct your culture quickly. The white Christians are of course more perverted and sexually sadistic than most any other race, perhaps with the exception of the Islamized races. Sex starved and sex suppressed, they do not engage in the elevating sex of Krishna and the Gopi but in debase and degrading sex, even purposely bringing in leather, the skins of dead animals, to represent how filthy and evil they believe they are, and they think they must celebrate their depravity.
The sexual exploits of Krishna and his Gopi, the free sex love we find in the Bhagavata Purana, is beautiful and clean and happy, it is not sex for its own sake but is such high love for the divine it must be expressed physically. Women are not debased as they are in the Christian west, they are not shamed, both men and women are given freedom to love, and with this love energy and experience they have the desire to defend their freedom, they fight the evil and slay the wicked. Sex has always been the spiritual energy of the warrior. Today in the West and in India where sex is demonized, we see not only a deterioration of the racial quality of the people, but a lack of will to fight, to be aggressive, to defend their "freedom". Take this in contrast with the Muslims who are encouraged to engage in sex and be sexual, but in a dark and controlling way, and they need little prodding to become militant.
For those who may say that I am calling the Indian youth to hyper sexuality, I ask you to be honest with yourself and realize they are already falling to this condition, that they are becoming like Westerners, porn obsessed, but this porn has no higher teachings, it is slavery, not Krishna's liberation. If you do not give the youth the power of Krishna and the Gopis, their natural sex need will be exploited by Muslims and Leftists who are quickly devouring them on your college campuses. The Christian suppression of sex has always admittedly produced a culture of rebellion in the youth, since the days of Israel they have been attempting to murder their children who return to Ishtar, and if you continue to follow their direction you to will find yourselves in constant civil war until you are taken by some foreign power.
Now as for "Love Yuddha", Hindus are still far from being able to seduce outsiders, but with proper guidance they can begin to at least retain the men and women they already have. The Hindu sages used sex to attract the mind to the teaching of Krishna, and the same can be used in other areas, a sexually free mind need not be distracted from work or school or duty, but if these are seen as a route to the love and sex energy, these will become the primary focus and occupation of youth today. Hindus who follow the path of Krishna must become sex symbols, not pathetic, pedantic and effete nerds. Likely, the Hindu girl must come to resemble the Gopis of Krishna, radiate girls running through the fields to find their god, not squashed and angry slut shaming "Krishna nuns". The only way to defeat Love Jihad is Love Yuddha, and no one can play the game of Love-War better than us.
I've been a little ashamed of the fact that while I have read most of the major texts of Hinduism, in these past five years I have not taken the time to start learning what many consider to the the heart of Hinduism, Vedanta. Vedanta literally means "Veda's End". Vedanta consists of the many different ideas which are brought forth in those texts which seek to examine the original four Vedas. Some of the more rigid Hindu sects take it as offensive when you begin breaking down the Vedic literature by when it was written, they consider the four Vedas and those later writings which seek to expand on their philosophy as one continuous volume inspired by the gods. However, I don't think this line of thinking is demanded in any of the Vedic literature itself. If I am going to continue writing on Hinduism, I am going to have to delve into the pervading philosophy of "Vedanta", but I have also always been very curious by what some have described as the "Vedic Power Religion", that Hindu philosophy which seeks to reveal the terrifying truth of nihilism, but at the same time develop systems of thinking and knowing which empower the individual to still find joy in life despite its inherit meaninglessness So I've started on Vedanta and will try to share what I learn and as I go along.
Vedanta does not only mean "Veda's End" but also "bound of the Vedas", and consists of several texts which appear as later addendums. Now my belief may be controversial to some, but when I say "Vedas", I am not including these attached texts, I am referring only to the four Vedas: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharava Veda, these four texts can be distinguished from the later body of literature by calling them Samhita. I personally take the logical and historical view the the Rig Veda is the oldest of the Samhita and is the basis for the other three, with the Soma Veda focusing on the song, Yajur Veda on ritual and Atharava Veda on the "magical" intent of the words. After reading the four Vedas I can see that within them is contained all of the knowledge of Hinduism, however nothing is drawn out or explained, it seems to me that these people were so much more connected to the essence of the universe that what would seem profound to us was simple to them.
Today the hyper-rationalists teach us that consciousness is an "emergent property", that our self awareness is nothing more than an accidental product of chemical processes. However, I don't see why it would be so irrational to at least entertain the idea that consciousness itself is a natural property. Only more than a century ago did many people believe that animals had no conscious or sentience of self awareness, but today most people can intuit from their own experience that animals are indeed self aware. We also know from intensive study of even the smallest of single celled organism that even these microbes have some degree of self-awareness even though they have no comprehensive brain structure. If what we though had no sentience, animals and microbes and even plants, if we can now accept that these can be aware of their own consciousness, isn't it possible that consciousness is a property and can even be found in inanimate objects? It is not irrational to propose that consciousness is a property like heat or gravity and that each atom possesses consciousness. If consciousness is a property that is even possessed by seemingly inanimate objects, can't it be detected through experience, isn't that how we realized animals and even plants have consciousness?
It would seem to me from what I have studied so far, the ancient Vedic Hindus simply understood that even the elements were conscious and could be called upon to help and teach, just as we can call upon any other conscious being, such as another human or an animal, we can affect their behavior. But if you want help or attention form another human or animal, aren't there better ways to do it than others, aren't their protocols of human behavior you must learn as you grow in order to get the best interaction with other people? The original four Vedas seem to show tribes who had developed very specific ways of speaking and thinking which gave them access to the consciousness of the elements which they could call upon for help and understanding. However since these people found their abilities and practices to be so common, they don't give deep explanation behind their actions and words, and so to later people it can seem like a mystery or legendary stories.
From what I understand the first philosophical texts to rise out of the four Vedas were the Brāhmaṇas, this would make sense since the Brahmanas seem to more or less continue with the mythopoetic language of the Vedas, however from what I have read they do attempt to explain the Vedic rituals and begin to describe certain aspects of the physical phenomena and philosophy behind what would seem like myth to us. The Brahmanas are followed by the Upanishads which go into depth on the metaphysical interpretations of the Vedic song and rituals and also the psychological processes these are supposed to stir in the mind. Finally we have the Āraṇyakas ("Forest-books"), which seek to encapsulate the more natural knowledge of the Vedic rituals which is the true source of Hindu power, it would seem that the rituals and prayers and songs are for the sake of the practitioners own knowledge, it is how these effect the mind that is important.
It is the combination of the philosophies of these later texts, the Brahmanas, the Upanishads and the Ananyakas, these together produce what Hindus call Vedanta. Many Hindus combine these texts with the original four Vedas and call this "Sruti", meaning what was heard and experienced by the Rishis, and thus it is implied that all of these texts together are the central cannon of Hinduism. While it is true that almost all of Hinduism is linked to these texts, I personally don't like the idea of labeling the later texts as "Sruti", first because they are hardly harmonious, and secondly because here is where a lot of cultural and social baggage is added to Hinduism. The four original Vedas, whether it was intended or not, seem much more a-cultural, meaning that if you didn't know their history it would be very difficult to pin the Vedas down to any race or nation, they accidentally have a universal appeal, because they are naturalistic.
Besides this, the four Vedas are free from rules and fear, in the later texts we sometimes find obsessive compulsive strictures regarding how to perform rituals, a slavish attachment to gurus and horrible damnations for seemingly minor offenses, such as reincarnating into lower forms for making a mistake during rituals. In terms of their appeal and practical acceptance, the original four Vedas would seem to be a much better skeleton upon which to grow Hinduism, with the later Vedanta texts being a take it or leave it situation, although because they are not harmonious and due to the general diverse nature or later Hinduism, Vedanta is not taken too rigidly by modern Hindus anyway.
However what the Vedanta texts do offer us is an evolving discourse on the original Vedas which provides us with many empowering concepts. From the original Vedas and the Vedanta texts Hinduism offers basically a naturalistic pantheism, there is only one existence, in nature there is not good or evil and thus no concept of sin, only cause and effect. The Vedas give us a very scientific explanation for the creation of the universe, their answer is we don't know. The Rig Vedas tells us that the "gods" did not create the universe, they are a product of it, and even the highest among them many not know the beginning of the world.
Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation? The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being? He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it, Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not. - Rig Veda 10.129.6-7
However there is a logical conclusion in Vedanta that the universe, even if it had no beginning, must be comprised of something and must be running on some force. The Vedantists created several concepts for the substance of the universe, but it eventually consolidated into a monistic form of Brahman, an unknowable intermediate between material, consciousness, space and time which is and moves the universe. Because of its general pantheistic nature, its non-dualism, there is a general believe (but it is not held by all) that there is no difference between creator and created. Brahman, the ultimate material and force and consciousness that is the universe, is all objects and forms of life, thus all that exists is a continuum of one power. However we obviously all experience our minds as ourselves, we don't naturally experience other people's lives or constantly feel we are the universe.
Our individual experience is our Atman, a part of the larger consciousness which seems to be atomized, segmented away from the universe, however we all have some degree of intuition into the consciousness of other people and we do all at times experience undeniable synchronicities. However if Hinduism is correct, and there is no duality, then our minds are no less the essence of the larger universe, our minds are a microcosm of the macrocosm. Further, if consciousness is an intrinsic element of nature, then our consciousness must be inextricably linked to the outer world. There is a noticeable difference in the temperament between the old Vedic Hindu and the Hindu of the Vedanta scriptures and today.
The Old Vedic Hindu showed a passion and joy and longing for life, he was lacking all pessimism. Later Hinduism becomes more focused on alleviating misery. The general theory is that these ancient Hindus had realized their own Atman, their own personal consciousness, was also the universal consciousness, and so they could use their own minds to alter their surroundings. Ancient Hinduism almost completely lacks any doctrine of reincarnation or past karma, while modern Hinduism is obsessed with reincarnation and karma, there is a constant effort to take certain actions now to create a better future, there is little concept left of the idea that one can transform their circumstances at will. Thus later Hinduism seems much more fatalistic, but this is likely a product of humanities growing powerlessness.
But if the ancient Vedic Hindus were able to connect their internal consciousness with outer consciousness and thus request help from the elements, how were they doing this? There are several distractions in Vedanta which can lure one away from the higher message of power, these sages had lost the power of the higher ages and were trying to retrace their steps, but the recurring theme is "though art that", meaning that your mind is Brahman, the universal principle, the macrocosm withing the microcosm. In Vedic mythology we find the universe often springs from two deities, Daksha whose name means "intelligence" or "skill" and Purusha who is an ideal man. The central theme of Vedanta is that with skill and intelligence, idealized humans can tap into the universal consciousness and actually create the universe. Thus the true power of Vedanta is only an increasing awareness of this fact, and the rituals and songs and words are tools to raise this consciousness in the practitioner. Many Vedantists conclude that once one has knowledge of their connection to the outer consciousness, they can even dispense with the rituals and the Vedas themselves.
But now this brings us to the modern day, we are centuries past the early Vedantists who were attempting to understand and recreate the abilities of the ancient Vedic warriors who supposedly could call upon the out consciousness of the elements, they did this by reminding their own minds of their universal connection through fire ritual and song. Many believe that we have lost this ability, that our minds have become weak. The Puranas teach us that in the later age humans will need to use idols and music and more and more elaborate ritual in order to remind their own consciousness of its connection to the outer world. Many look back upon the Vedic wizards with nostalgia, hoping to recreate these simple fire rituals and the ability to call down the gods through words alone. But were these fire rituals and song really the height of human power?
The Puranas also teach us that in the golden age there was not even need for song or ritual or liturgy, people needed no reminder of their universal selves, there was not even religion, humans had such immense power they wanted nothing, they searched for nothing. Vedanta gives this state of being the attributes of space (kham) and joy (kam), the individual as the universe self-aware has infinite realm and infinite happiness. The people of the Vedic age themselves were fallen, they had to live nomadic lives full of war and strife, compared to their ancestors they were weak and their powers diminished. Yet the Vedas speak of those among them who were so "wise" they became immortal, knowledge is the key to power, not ritual. So what does that tell us about today?
The ancient Hindus were able to call down the elemental consciousness in the form of "gods" using simple rituals and song, today we must use more vigorous methods such as idolatry and dancing and discussion. But the key is not the ritual but the understanding and awareness it triggers, awareness of the connection between the Atman and the Brahman is what brings power, not the ritual itself. But then here is a trick of the mind, unlike the Vedic warriors we must put so much time and effort into making the connection between our mind and the universal mind, it is so much more painful for us, we have to wonder why it is so hard. But isn't the point to understand, to become aware, and don't we have to think so much harder in this age to reach awareness, don't we have to think deeper than our ancestor? Some believe that in these darker ages great souls incarnate so that they can undergo the arduous task of attaining enlightenment, because the extra effort they must put in makes the enlightenment that much more profound. Greatness almost always rises out of misery and struggle, and who must struggle more than us? Is it possible that the stage is set for the return of the Vedic element benders?
I am very happy to say that the very first Temple I went to was a Kali Temple in Queens NY, this Kali Temple has also remained my favorite temple of all time and is likely the Temple I've visited most in my Hindu Quest. Many of my Hindu friends found it very odd that I ended up in Kali's realm so quickly seeing that even in Hinduism Kali is a rather controversial god. I didn't plan it out, but the way I was brought to Kali was simply divine.
I first came across Hinduism on my college campus, a Hindu student's group, and I immediately became enamored with my new religion. After years of searching and feeling nothing but pain, hate, despair and misery, the moment I came across the student group everything changed. I remember my experience when I first walked through the door, I cannot explain what happened but the air just immediate cleared, everything became more vivid, the eternal sootiness of life seemed to rush away for a moment, it was an intense experience which triggered my internal motions.
The first lectures I attended on Hinduism took place in early spring, right before our festival of Vasant (Spring) Navaratri. Navaratri literally means "night nights" and is dedicated to the nine forms of the warrior goddess Durga. the Nava Durga. The Caribbean Hindu pundit who gave us our lectures explained the significance of this spring festival which is repeated again in summer, fall and winter. We worship Durga during the change of season to give us the mentality to ward of the sicknesses and stresses that are common during this time. While we do worship a different version of goddess Durga every night of Navaratri, the nine nights are broken up into three nights each where we focus on one specific goddess to help us get through out troubles.
The first three nights are dedicated to Kali (or Durga), we are to focus on battling our sicknesses, our weaknesses, our illusions and confusions, we must wipe away the old season to be ready for growth in the new season. The next three nights are dedicated to goddess Lakshim (wealth), we have gotten rid of our internal struggles and we can now acquire wealth and pleasure in a healthy fashion. The final three nights are dedicated to Saraswati (wisdom) where we can contemplate the deeper meaning of Navaratri, the goddesses of the festival, our lives and the cosmos. I learned this lesson just before the first night of Spring Navaratri in 2012. I officially converted to Hinduism on the first night of Navaratri, the first night of Kali, I took up a vegan fast for the nine days to prove my dedication. I also just so happened to attend a college South Asian event that evening, though it had nothing to do with Hinduism.
During this Navratri period I not only researched the three major goddess, but also the nine forms of Durga worshiped during this time. I will go into all of the nine goddesses at some other time, but there was one form of Durga who was about to enter my life, likely the only goddess who would have taken me up at this time, Kateri. At this time my understanding of Navaratri was still vague, and I could not remember the nine forms of Durga, but I must have learned about the 6th Durga, Kateri.
As time went by I became more active in the student group on my college campus. To advertise our club we had "tabling events" where we would put out literature and project Hindu themed movies on a screen. In order to engage the student body further, we decided to try to set up a mini Temple during out table events with idols to show the world our assertive Hindu identity. Queens, New York has perhaps the most dense Hindu population in America, their could literally be more than a thousand small temples and plenty of "puja shops" where one can buy idols, decorative pieces, offering materials and books. The cross section of Liberty and Lefferts Avenue is known as "Little Guyana" and is perhaps the American center of Caribbean Hinduism.
At the time their was a special Puja shop here called "Pantajalis" or "Pretanjalis" or something close to this, on Liberty Ave a few blocks away from Lefferts. Of all the Puja shops in the areas this was my favorite, they carried many esoteric Hindu books and some very unique Hindu idols which I have never seen anywhere else. Even though our student club wanted to start building a small Temple for the public to see, we did not yet have any money or place to store our items as we were too small to have our own club room. I had become extremely dedicated to Hinduism and so decided to simply purchase an idol myself and donate it to the club.
I went to Pretanjalis and started looking around, depending upon which festival was upcoming the idols would have different prices. However, I noticed one idol that was extremely low priced, so low priced it was odd. In the back corner of the store, centered on a platform as if she were already in her temple, but covered in clear plastic, I found an idol of a woman, light skinned, with pitch black hair and eyes, and a pitch black dress, in her hand she held a trident and she leaned up against a lion. I had never seen a Hindu idol all dressed in black before, they are usually very colorful. Usually an idol of her size and quality would cost between 20 and 30 dollars, but this idol was only $2, why was she so inexpensive? As I was looking the clerk came up behind me and asked if I wanted her, he said she was so inexpensive because her festival had just passed... I would realize later this was not a lie but not fully the truth as to why she was so inexpensive. I thought about her dark appearance and if this would be a good image to put up during our tabling events, but something inside me said to take her and I did.
The next day or so I brought her to our next tabling event, I was apprehensive that the others might be concerned about her dark looks... I didn't even know who she was. When I took her out and told everyone I got her for only $2, they were all very surprised, but no one seemed too worried about putting her out to the public. One of the girls at the club knew who she was, and explained everything to me, and why she was so inexpensive. Here was Kateri, the 6th Durga, the Durga we worship on the 6th night of Navaratri. It is very hard to find Kateri's legends in scriptures, but her folklore is very well known. She is known as the "smallest Durga", she is the one who can take a small shape to enter your body when you are very sick and expel it. Because Kateri is a healer, one who can be around sickness, she can also appear in places where the gods will usually be absent, she can be called upon even when there is meat and alcohol present, she can be called upon even in the lowest of places to help.
But why was this 6th Durga so inexpensive? Kateri mother I found out also has somewhat of an undeserved bad reputation in Hinduism. Because she can enter sick places, and places where there is wickedness, many people who practice black magic or want to do evil will call upon her to gain power. She is a goddess who can easily be misused as she will appear even before the fallen. Due to her misuse by black magicians, many Hindus have learned to fear Kateri, and even though there are statues of her present during Navaratri festival, she is often not spoken of. Kateri was so inexpensive because few would ever buy her. But wouldn't it make sense for Kateri to be the first goddess to appear at our public temple? Our Tabling events were set up in a public place, near a cafeteria that served meat, and all sorts of common activities were going on. She would also not have a proper Temple spot until later, she would need to be carried around from place to place. Was it a coincidence that the first goddess to come to us was Kateri, the very form of Durga who can appear even in filth to clean it out?
Over time we began building up our table temple more and more, and our club began to grow, still Kateri ma remained our patron goddess. Then something very mysterious happened, a young woman at the college began coming up to our table, she would remain silent and seemed almost angry. Eventually I began a conversation with her, and her immediate desire was to know who this goddess was and why were were using her. I explained to her Kateri's background and her special powers, that she was a good goddess to use in the public ground as she was not insulted by unclean conditions. After she realized that we knew who the goddess was and her purpose, she softened a bit and explained herself. She was a Hindu American of Guyanese descent and devotedly attended the many Kali Temples in queens. Kateri ma appeared in her favorite temple and was actually a very special goddess to her.
This mysterious woman offered to bring me to her Temple to see Kateri there. I was told to not eat any eggs or meat (I was vegan) or masturbate or engage in sex for three days before going to the Kali Temple on Sunday. I was to bring fruits and flowers to offer the goddess and I was going to "fall before the mother". I was very excited to go to a Hindu temple, I had never been to one before. I spoke with this new friend on the phone several times before that coming Sunday, and she explained to me that the priests in the temple acted as mediums for the gods who would give you a special message, this is what she meant by "falling before the goddess", the message was supposed to stun you with its accuracy and potency. I took my fast and met this new friend the following Sunday.
On the morning of my first temple visit we had to take a rather long walk as the temple was some way away from the subways stations. As we walked we began to enter what appeared to be old industrial areas, it was a little creepy walking through the dark shadows of old rusted bridges. But eventually we reached the Temple. It was a metal popup structure, painted saffron, with a large om and trident on the front. From the outside it looked very small, but when you entered it was much larger, and amazing. They had winterized the structure by spraying the walls with a polystyrene insulator, it was lumpy and bumpy and so the inside looked like a cave, but they spray painted it blue and hung garlands, so it was like a psychedelic.
At the center was a large Mariamma statue, a south Indian goddess very popular among the Guyanese Hindu diaspora. She was flanked by male gods to her right, and female gods to her left. The devotees had laid out what must have been 100 pounds of fruit for the gods, and fresh flowers. The incense in the air smelled so good, and there were perfume bottles at the feet of each god which were sprayed upon them, this added to the unique smell of the temple, I love the smell. Besides fruit, there were also bottles of alcohol, and cigarettes, and cash thrown all among it. It was an artistic organized mess, and very waking to the eyes.
I washed my fruits and flowers and put them on an offering plate. My friend took me to each idol where we placed a fruit or flower, sprayed perfume and performed Aarti, a ritual where a lit wick is circled around the god or goddess. My friend told me about each god, their importance and significance, and what they helped you with. We finally game to Kateri, here she was dressed in blue and sat upon a chicken. I have since learned that many Hindus conflate Kateri with anther goddess named Bahuchara Mata, but it really didn't matter as the Temple knew her as Kateri and that was how she was worshiped. I could not believe that I was standing before a large idol of Kateri ma, a goddess whom few would speak of let alone worship, here she was in this temple, and I was worshiping before her. It felt like fate, destiny, a cosmic thread.
After we perfomed Aarti we sat down on the floor and the priests began their major Puja. Drummers began playing an extremely energetic and crazy beat, while the priest began cutting coconuts and lighting camphor cubes. The energy of the temple skyrocketed and girls and men began jumping up and dancing frenetically and screaming... people lost themselves to the drums and the fire and the rituals, it was a trance. After this period of frantic dancing and screaming, plates of rice and curry were passed out to the devotees, Caribbean style curry, which I will admit is my favorite.
After lunch we put our names on a list to speak to particular medium, there were four or five male and female pujaris who would be going into trances, each of them channeling a unique god. The drumming began again, along with the fires, and the priests threw themselves in trances until they seemed lost to another power, then devotees would approach for a reading. I had signed up to speak to mother Kateri, I was allowed to ask a question. I won't tell you the question, or the answer, not because I don't want to, the world is dangerous these days. But all I will say is that the goddesses' answer changed my life entirely, she set everything in motion to bring me to where I am today. I attended this temple regularly for a very long time, and eventually even I began falling into the trances, and I loved them, I love them.
I had never been to a Hindu temple before, but the first time I went it changed my life forever. None of this would have ever happened if I did not have the devotion to go and get our group an idol and place her on public display. Without knowing it, I found Kateri maa, the Durga who can go into every place, whose power is not diminished even before meat and alcohol, she became our group's patron goddess and she cleared the way for us. As for me, she sent one of her devotees to me, and brought me to her temple, and since then a hundred other temples. Yes their is power in idolatry, this is why our enemies fear it, they hate it, but Kateri maa can stand before hate, she can stand before evil, she can stand before everything, she is the smallest Durga, the 6th Durga, the Durga who enters the sick and castes out the sickness, she cast out the sickness in me and brought me here, I love here always and want her to be known and loved by the world.
Many know by now that my Ishta Deva (favorite deity) is Kama, the Hindu god of War, Love & Sex. I had explained why I worship this sometimes outcast god in another blog post (see here) but let me quickly repeat my love for Kama Deva here. Kama Deva first appears in the Atharava Veda where he is a dark and passionate warrior who burns up the enemies and infects them with evil thoughts to drive them mad. However, Kama Deva is not at all a possessive god, nor does he ask for center stage, he is noted for bringing all the other gods with him, for giving those who pray to him the friendship of the other deities. The Devi Purana says that Kama is this ultimate protector because he lacks jealousy, his supreme self confidence helps him rise above the petty rivalries of the other gods, and when all others are consumed with jealous battles, Kama Deva rises as the protector of human and animals.
"The Lokapâlas (gods of the directions), being overcome by the fever of jealousy and pride, become quite unable, either individually or collectively, to quit their jealousies and to protect the tripeds, quadrupeds, reptiles and snakes; so Thou art the God." - Devi Purana, Book 8, Chapter 9, Versus 19-23
Even though Kama is a confident and passionate protector, his confidence and passion tends to scare other gods and humans as he lacks many of the social apprehensions concerning both sex and hierarchy. Many fear his devious nature and his ability to distract their minds and inflame them with lust, and so Kama is often shooed away by the gods and hidden by modern humans who do not appreciate his great love for humanity. What I love most about Kama Deva is that even though he lives on the borders of Hindu society, he works in the shadows of the forest to guide and protect the unlikely heroes. The Hindu festival of Navaratri features Kama Deva as the god who aided prince Sudarsana in restoring not only his kingdom but also Durga worship. Sudarsana had been less favored by the people over his handsome but rather godless brother Sutrujit. When Sudarsana found himself an outcast in the woods, it was Kama Deva who brought him to the goddess Durga's power and thus his ability to retake his kingdom and restore dharma. Only Kama saw the potential of this unlikely and plainly hero.
The kings said :– “O king! You got afraid and went in your very early age to the forest; how is it, then, that you have been able to know the excellent Goddess Mahâmâyâ. How did you worship and pray to Her? That She, becoming so glad, has favoured you and so helped you?” 42-43. Sudars’an said :– “O kings! Early in my childhood, I got the excellent root-mantra of desires, Kâmavîja; daily I meditated and silently uttered that mantram. After that I came to realise through the Risis That Eternal Auspicious Mother; and since that time, day and night, I always used to remember that Highest Deity; with the greatest devotion.” - Devi Purana
However it is Kama's more lurid exploits which brings us to this Hindu penance of Anang Thriyodasi, yet another rather unknown festival to Kama, one even I was unaware of until only a few days ago. Is it fortuitous that yet another Kama festival should fall just before Easter, the holiday which Christians stole from our Pagan cousins in Europe? I've been writing vigorously in an attempt to expose the twisted nature of the Christian interpretation of Easter which is linked to Passover, a celebration of pagan child sacrifice (see here). My assertion has been that Easter was originally a festival to the German fertility goddess Ostara, who is likely a cognate of the Hindus goddess Ushas, goddess of the Dawn. There is another goddess who is likely at least distantly related to the Easter mythology and that is Ishtar, the warrior-sex-fertility goddess of Babylon, one of the arch enemy goddesses of the Christians. Ishtar bares an uncanny resemblance to our warrior-sex goddess Chinnamasta whose ancient festival also falls in April. I've been pushing the the idea that we should replace Christian Easter with Ushas and Chinnamasta pujas, the Hindu versions of Ostara and Ishtar whom the Christians believe they have defeated. It makes sense that Kama Deva has a festival at this very same time as Chinnamasta, as Kama Deva is the source of Chinnamasta's power, she stands upon a copulating Kama and Rati.
The penance of Anang Thriyodasi Vrata actually gives me a chance to introduce another goddess associated with Kama Deva and this is his consort Rati. The penance of Anang Thriyodasi Vrata actually focuses more on Rati than Kama himself. Rati is portrayed in scripture as a beautiful seductress who is able to rouse the passions of even the gods. Rati perhaps plays the center role in Anang Thriyodasi Vrata in that it involves her grief over the loss of her companion Kama Deva and Shiva's promise to restore him. To see the whole story behind Kama's first death please see "Why I worship the god of LOVE". In short, Kama Deva is sent out on a dangerous mission by the other gods to awaken Lord Shiva, the god of destruction. Shiva has fallen into deep sorrow at the lost of his wife Sandhya and has retreated from the universe. Without Shiva's powers of destruction, negative energies and "demons" begin to fill the earth and torment the gods. Shiva's wife Sandhya has since reincarnated as Parvati but she cannot rouse Shiva's love or passion. The god's ask Kama Deva to strike Shiva with his love arrows, knowing this is likely a suicide mission because Shiva will awake in burning wrath and immediate kill whomever has struck him.
Vedic Song To Rati
'Through many autumns have I toiled and laboured, at night and morn, through age-inducing dawnings. Old age impairs the beauty of our bodies. Let husbands still come near unto their spouses. For even the men aforetime, law-fulfillers, who with the Gods declared eternal statutes,— They have decided, but have not accomplished: so now let Wives come near unto their husbands. - Rig Veda 1.179.1-2
Being the ultimate protector that he is, Kama willingly awakes Shiva's passion to save the world, but he is burned to death in the process when Shiva expectedly strikes him with fire. However Shiva finally sees that his wife has returned to him in the form of Parvati and once again falls in love and finds happiness in life. But Rati is inconsolable, heart broken at the loss of her Kama Deva. The Gods go to Shiva and explain to him that it was not Kama's fault and that he was only acting to help save the universe. Shiva understands this and consoles Rati by granting that both Rati and Kama Deva will be reincarnated together in the same city sometime in the future and will marry once again.
Kamadeva became terrified, he started remembering god, but before the deities could come at his rescue the third eye of lord Shiva got opened and Kamadeva was reduced to ashes. Parvati got scarred after seeing Lord Shiva in such a destructive anger. She went to her house along with her companions. Rati- the wife of Kamadeva wept unconsolably. The deities arrived and consoled her by saying that by the grace of lord Shiva, her husband would be alive once again. After that the deities went near lord Shiva and did his worship. They told him that it was not the fault of Kamadeva, as he had acted in accordance with the aspirations of the deities. They also told him the mystery of Tarakasur's death. The deities then requested him to make Kamadeva alive once again. Lord Shiva told the deities that Kamadeva would take birth as the son of Krishna and Rukmini in the era of dwapar. A demon by the name of Shambar would throw him off in the sea. He would kill that demon and marry Rati, who too would be living in a city near the sea. - Vishnu Purana
The penance of Anang Trayodashi Vrata (aka Madhana Kama Thriyodasi) celebrate's Rati's committed love to Kama Deva. The penance takes place on the 13th day (Trayodashi means 13) of the Hindu month of Chaitra (March-April) and fell on April 8th this year of 2017. Fruits and flowers are brought to images of Shiva, his wife Parvati and Kama and Rati. Those who engage in this puja are granted marital love and harmony, as well as health and wealth and good forunte.
Anang Trayodashi Vrata - This austerity is related with the worship of Lord Shiva and
commences on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month Margashirsh and lasts for
a year. It concludes exactly after a year when 'Rati' and 'Anang' are worshipped with appropriate
rituals. Ten thousand offerings are made in the sacrificial fire. Brahmins are fed and donations
made to them. One who observes this austerity is blessed with health, wealth and good fortune. - Garuda Purana
I am very happy to find yet another penance to my lord Kama Deva as he is all to often shunned in mainstream society. Anang Thriyodasi Vrata celebrates the love Rati had for Kama and Shiva's grace in reuniting them through reincarnation. It makes sense that Kama appears during this spring festival time as he is a god of fertility. However their is something more auspicious in the uncovering of this holiday for me, I've made it clear I've declared war on Christian Easter, that I wish to unite the European and Hindu goddesses who are the rightful owners of this festival. Kama is not only a fearsome warrior but also the energy behind Chinnamasta, the very goddess we must call upon to thwart the Christian god and return Easter to its rightful place. Now with Kama and Chinnamasta puja in place, we are ready for this Easter battle and those in the future until we have claimed victory over the jealous Christian god and his reign.
