Ashwin Shukla 2 Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125 : 16 October, 2023: SM 5014 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS:
VIJAYA DASHAMI: Vijaya Dashami also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is
celebrated every year at the end of Navaratri. It is observed on the tenth day
of the month of Ashwin, this year it falls on October 24. It is celebrated in
the honour of Bhagwan Ram.
RSS was founded on this very day in 1925, therefore shakhas all over Bharat
celebrate this day every year by conducting shastra-puja and Path Sanchalan.
Main function organised at Nagpur is addressed by the Sarsanghchalak of RSS.
-GoTop
2. RSS SARSANGHCHALAK’S PROGRAMS: On October 7, speaking
during the Amritashatham lecture series in Kozhikode (Keral), RSS Sarsanghchalak
Dr Mohan Bhagwat highlighted the unique qualities of Bharat’s culture and
society that sets it apart from others. The function was presided over by Dr.
John Joseph, former Special Secretary and Member, CBIC. Dr. Bhagwat mentioned
that in the global context, the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is
one family) was gladly accepted within the G20, because it’s a view that goes
beyond the global market to encompass the global family, a concept that our
nation has lived for thousands of years. He explained the importance of
organising Hindu society to impart this unique knowledge and emphasised the need
for individuals to practice what they preach. He stressed that the
organisation’s goal is not for its own sake but for the betterment of the nation
and its people.
3. RSS SARKARYAVAH’S PROGRAMS: The Shiksha Bhushan
Samman 2023 has been given to Prof Meenakshi Jain from Delhi, Prof Kuldeep Chand
Agnihotri from Himachal Pradesh and Dr. Sanjeevani Kelkar from Maharashtra. It
was conferred by the RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale and spiritual guru of
Parmarth Ashram, Rishikesh Swami Chidananda at Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti, Reshim
Bagh, Nagpur on October 2. This Samman is given every year by Akhil Bhartiya
Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) and Shaikshik Foundation to three
educationists, who have contributed in the field of education and social welfare
by their extraordinary and remarkable work. During the ceremony Shri Hosabale
said that the Guru’s knowledge and his character acts like a gravitational force
for his or her students. The programme was attended by more than 600 ABRSM
members teaching at schools and universities representing 24 states.
4. ‘SWACHHATA HI SEVA’ CAMPAIGN: Pradhan Mantri Narendra
Modi on October 1 pitched for blending fitness and well-being with cleanliness
as he led a nationwide cleanliness drive in which thousands of people
participated in an hour-long “shramdaan” across the country.
5. SAINT VALLALAR’S 200TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: PM Modi on
October 5 delivered a heartfelt tribute on the 200th birth anniversary of Saint
Vallalar, also known as Ramalinga Swamigal. In a video address, he expressed his
deep respect for the revered saint, highlighting Vallalar’s enduring impact on
spirituality and social reform.
On the ocasation the Governor of Tamil Nadu R N Ravi emphasized the significance
of Vallalar’s contributions to Bharat and the need for society to embrace his
legacy. -GoTop
6. ‘SEVA IS IN THE BLOOD OF BHARAT’: SURESH BHAIYYAJI JOSHI:
On October 2, former RSS Sarkaryavah Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi while quoting
Sanskrit shloka “Seva Paramo Dharma" and "Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu
Kadachana” said, “Service has been in the blood of Bharat since ancient times.”
He was addressing the Sant Eshwer Samman Ceremony-2023, organised under the
joint aegis of Sant Eshwer Foundation, Rashtriya Seva Bharti and Ashok Singhal
Foundation in New Delhi.
7. SHAKTI 2023 – WOMEN’S CONCLAVE: Thrissur’s Mahila
Samanvaya organised a womens conclave ‘Shakti 2023’ in Thrissur, Keral on
September 28. It is a part of the national resolution to conduct such programmes
in 413 centres throughout the country in connection with the centenary
celebrations of RSS with the themes of Women Power for Country’s Development &
Social Reformation and Fight Against Drugs & Narcotics. 
8. ‘VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM’ PLAQUE UNVEILED AT UNITED NATIONS
HQ’S BHARATIYA MISSION: On October 11 a plaque with the inscription 'Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam' has been installed in the premises of the Permanent Mission of
Bharat to the United Nations in New York, embodying New Delhi's commitment to
unity and global collaboration.
9. IN HINDU HERITAGE MONTH, HINDU AMERICANS SEEK TO EDUCATE
THE PUBLIC — AND THEMSELVES: When Hindu Heritage Month was held for the
first time two years ago, its organisers hoped to educate their fellow Americans
about the contributions Hindus have made in the world. Now, the organisers of
this third Hindu Heritage Month hope their movement will educate not only the
wider public, but Hindu Americans themselves, about their faith’s growing
profile in the United States.
10. HINDU SPORTS FEST, DALLAS: On September 30, the HSS
Dallas Area organized the very first Hindu Sports Fest at Rice Middle School.
The event was geared towards DFW-area Hindu teenagers in grades 7-12 and aimed
to promote Dharma through sportsmanship. With 150 people in attendance, local
teens competed in track, volleyball, and basketball. During the opening
ceremony, an invocation to Bhagwan Ganesha and Bhagwan Hanuman was done,
followed by a rousing performance from HSS band composed of children and
teenagers.
11. UK TELUGU HINDU ORGANISATION (UTHO) SHIBIR: On July
2 over 100 Telugu families including children traveled from various towns &
cities in the UK to Bracknell, near Reading to participate in this year's
Parivar Shibir. Every year the Shibir is held with a particular theme and
various activities, be it the physical ones which called "Aatalu"(games) and
Bauddhiks based on theme. This years theme for Shibir was ‘Shakti’. Raveendra
Surange, Kendriya Karyawaha, HSS UK talked about the various regional Hindu
Communities active in the UK and Chandrakant Sharma HSS Pracharak for the UK
spoke about Dharma. The activities included Career Connect, a panel discussion
providing career advice to nearly 70 students starting from the age of 12.
12. HSS ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES COLLECTION:
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA Central Pacific Sambhag organised the annual
Vidyadaan - back to school supplies collection drive from June 26 to August 31.
It was concluded with the Samarop Ceremony on September 14. The event was well
received by the 14 Partner Organizations, 24 Beneficiaries/schools and the
participation of officials from 14 cities.
13. WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL 2023: The Art of Living
foundation conducted its World Culture Festival 2023 from September 30 to
October 1 at the National Mall in Washington DC, United States. Thousands of
people from across the world came together for the event. Union External Affairs
Minister S. Jaishankar and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon were among
the many dignitaries who attended the event. Speaking at the event, Art of
Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “We all belong to one global family”
adding that life is too short for conflicts and called for the world to face
challenges pragmatically and to dream for a better future.
14. AKSHARDHAM TEMPLE, 2ND-LARGEST IN WORLD INAUGURATED:
A Hindu temple, billed to be the second-largest in the world, and the
largest in the Western Hemisphere, has been inaugurated in the US state of New
Jersey. Spread over a sprawling 185 acres, the Akshardham Temple in Robbinsville
City New Jersey stands at 191 feet high. The temple, situated 99 kilometres
south of New York City, was inaugurated on October 8 in the presence of
Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) leader Mahant Swami Maharaj,
with several thousand people attending the event. The inauguration ceremony was
attended by Delaware Governor John Carney and Congressman Steny Hoyer.
The temple has the stories of Ramayana, Mahabharat carved on its stones.
Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of Bharat in New York delivered a message of
congratulations from Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi for the temple’s construction.
-GoTop
15. STUDENT-LED RATH YATRA ORGANISED IN TORONTO: Under
the coordination of Hindu Students Council (HSC) chapter leaders and members
from Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD) and the University of
Toronto (UofT), a historic Ratha Yatra event was organised, entirely driven by
students. This remarkable gathering occurred at OCAD University on September 30
drawing a crowd of 300 attendees.
The highlight of the event was a lively procession from the UofT Campus Mandir
to OCAD University, honouring Shri Jagannath along with siblings Shri Balaram
and Shri Subhadra, accompanied by the enchanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra Kirtan.
Aaditya Karthik, President of HSC UofT St. George Chapter, expressed his
delight, stating, “With the chanting of maha-mantra and the procession of Shri
Jagannath, I was thrilled to see non-Hindus pay their respects.” -GoTop
16. BHARATIYA-AMERICAN COUPLE DONATES USD 1.75 MILLION TO
CONSTRUCT FIRST HINDU YOUTH CAMPSITE: A Bharatiya-American couple from
Houston has donated USD 1.75 million to start the construction of the first
Hindu campsite in Texas, which will hold heritage youth camps every summer.
Similar to schools and colleges providing academic education, the Hindu Heritage
Youth camps provide a life-moulding education, a release said on October 6.
Subhash Gupta and Sarojini Gupta, who made the mega donation, said they are
passionate about the camp because it inculcates critical values and skills in
the next generation.
The camp started in 1985 and has historically been held at a variety of
campsites, such as Camp Lantern Creek in Montgomery. However, the organisers
said it had become increasingly difficult to find a location that could
accommodate the 1,200 plus youth who want to participate. The new campsite will
include cabins, a swimming pool, a dining hall that will accommodate 200 people,
covered basketball courts and classrooms. -GoTop
17. BHARAT’S HISTORIC ASIAN GAMES CAMPAIGN: Bharat has
made history at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, surpassing the 100-medal
mark for the first time. The nation has amassed a medal tally of 107 medals
including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze in Asian Games. Bharat had a
phenomenal performance on day 14 of the Games. With medals pouring in, the
contingent claimed 6 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze taking the medals tally to
exceptional heights. The hundredth medal for the country was won by the women’s
Kabaddi team, who beat Taipei in a thrilling match.
18. BHARATIYA ARMY’S PROJECT UDBHAV: The Bharatiya
Army, with the strength of 12 lakhs, is embarking on a journey to tap into the
rich reservoir of ancient wisdom in statecraft, strategy and diplomacy coupled
with warfare to prepare itself for the wars and battles of the future. This
endeavour, known as Project Udbhav, represents an initiative of the Bharatiya
Army to rediscover Bharat’s heritage of statecraft and strategic thought drawn
from ancient texts. Project Udbhav began in the year 2021 and has already
yielded a book listing seventy five aphorisms selected from ancient texts
offering valuable insights into Bharat’s Strategic heritage. The recent seminar
gathered scholars, serving officers and veterans to study ancient texts from the
4th Century BC to the 8th Century BC, with special focus and attention to
figures like Kautilya, Kamandaka and the Kural. -GoTop
19. BHARATIYA VACCINE TO ERADICATE MALARIA FROM WORLD:
Within the past two years, the world has witnessed the development of a second
low-cost and highly effective malaria vaccine known as R21/Matrix-M,
particularly made for children. Developed in a joint collaboration with Pune-based
Serum Institute of India (SII), a largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, and
the University of Oxford in the UK, the newly approved vaccine will cost less
than $4, cheaper than the current options available. “As a malaria researcher, I
used to dream of the day we would have a safe and effective vaccine against
malaria. Now we have two,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director
General. On this occasion Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist said, “Great
news that a second malaria vaccine is recommended by WHO to be manufactured in
Bharat. Will definitely help in malaria control and ultimately elimination.”
-GoTop
20. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Devbrat -
Netherlands
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: There is no sin as grievous as speaking ill of others.
-Sri Ramcharitmanas -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
---
SANATAN DHARMA: UNIVERSAL VISION FOR HUMANITY
The
attacks on Sanatan Dharma, both internally and externally, are rooted in
Hindumisia and the inability to stop this cosmic dance of Shiva, symbolising the
essence of universal existence. It is our national duty to awaken the masses to
the tactical alliance of Islamists, Evangelists and Communists, based on
monotheism and their designs to exploit the social faultlines and selfish
political interests to ‘eliminate the other’
DAVID
FRAWLEY (VAMDEVA SHASTRI)
The vision of Sanatan Dharma is of
an eternal and universal truth, consciousness, intelligence and Self-awareness
behind the whole of existence. We as human beings are connected to that supreme
truth at the core of our being, but only have a limited recognition of it as we
seldom look within deep enough to discover our true nature.
The eternal truths of life do not depend upon validation from we as individual
creatures, Sanatan Dharma is beyond any identification of name, belief, ideology
or institution. It is inherent and self-evident, like the light of the Sun.
Reflecting this cosmic vision, the Vedic view of truth is said to be apaurusheya,
beyond any limitations of person, place or time.
India (Bharat) can be best understood as a “Dharmic civilisation”. Dharma is the
key term of India’s cultural identity, view of truth, reality, life and the
Divine.
Dharmic Traditions
Dharma refers to spiritual teachings of India, starting with the ancient Vedas,
the oldest literature of India, including Yoga and Vedanta that have spread
worldwide today, but also India’s art, architecture, music, dance, poetry,
medicine (Ayurveda), mathematics, science, astronomy, cosmology, even
agriculture and cuisine, an entire civilisation and way of life. Everything in
life can be a way of Dharma as it can be a path of Yoga.
This Dharmic approach has many manifestations in the Hindu traditions that
include Shaivite, Vaishnava, Shakta, Ganapata, Saura and other formulations of
the universal intelligence along with their variations over time and location.
It has been highlighted by the many gurus of India who have taught
internationally since Swami Vivekananda 130 years ago. Yet Ankor Wat in Cambodia
remains the world’s largest Hindu temple.
Buddhism called Buddha Dharma spread throughout Asia, including China, Japan and
Tibet. Buddha Dharma similarly indicates universal dharmic principles and
practices, not just a monastic path but an entire culture, psychology and
cosmology.
Jainism or Jain Dharma has its own great architecture, mathematics, philosophy
and social values that endure in India today. The Sikh tradition or Sikh Dharma
has related concepts of karma, rebirth and liberation and similar practices of
chanting, temples and pilgrimage. Modern India since PM Narendra Modi is
honoring and reviving all these dharmic traditions.
Dharmic traditions have shared their values, practices and culture with many
countries, but have not invaded any country or sought to conquer or convert the
world to their beliefs. They embrace the whole of life as sacred, and see
consciousness as pervading the entire universe, with humanity as one family with
all of nature.
This is not to say that dharmic traditions can be reduced to any uniformity.
Dharma embraces diversity, adaptation and creativity, and allows for freedom of
ideas, debate and expression. It is defined by meditation-based inner experience
and direct perception at an individual level, which makes its spiritual approach
free of any outer control.
Yet while recognising a universal and eternal truth of oneness, Dharmic
traditions also honour the need for their adaptation according to time, place,
individual and karma, which are always changing.
Meaning of Sanatan Dharma
This enduring Dharmic tradition called Sanatan Dharma refers to that Dharma
which is eternal, perpetual, ever relevant and adaptable. Sanatan Dharma
encompasses dharma in all of its aspects, the natural laws and forces rooted in
the presence of cosmic intelligence, and harmonious action on all levels and in
all aspects of life. It is not a mere formula, code, creed or assertion, but the
enduring truth of life and consciousness that is interdependent and ultimately
one. It is rooted in the realisation of great sages, seers, yogis in every
generation, who share their teachings with all who value them.
To understand India/Bharat’s civilisation and global influence, one must
understand Dharma in its Sanatan aspect, which is ever capable of new name and
forms but preserves its transcendent origin and enduring prime values. Modern
civilisation, rooted in an outer political worldview, does not properly
understand or recognise dharma, but prefers to impose its changing opinions upon
all without any recognition of any universal principles. It needs the guidance
of Sanatan Dharma.
Sanatan Dharma mirrors the diverse forces of the greater Self-aware and
conscious universe, not just our human species based dominance. It cannot be
destroyed, possessed or controlled outwardly, because its roots are within us
and everywhere, not
in any external form or structure. Yet we can fail to recognise this universal
unity and instead follow divisive forces our own personal prejudices, we will
create negative karma for ourselves and our world. If we fall from Dharma, our
own life and consciousness must suffer, harming the world around us that we
control or influence.
Santan Dharma is one with the universe at its foundation beyond name and form.
Not to honour it is to deny one’s in most self and the comic reality. To deny
Dharma is to destroy one’s own integrity, culture and connections with all.
Challenges to Dharma
When political parties today like the Communists, Dravidian nationalists or the
dynasty-based Congress party look at India, it is to gain power and control at
an outer level. They do not respect Dharma, and some of their leaders now aim at
its eradication because it questions their personal privileges, as if the
universe should bow down to them.
Being in harmony with Sanatan Dharma is not simply to be politically correct
according to the latest social opinions that remain changing and contradictory.
It is to recognise the universe within us as our true nature, family and unity
for all time.
Sanatan Dharma is like the Himalayas where it has long been followed and taught
by innumerable great yogis, rishi and gurus. It holds our highest aspirations to
oneness, not simply the expediency of certain vested interests to divide and
control. To try to remove Sanatan Dharma is to try to remove us both the Earth
and the sky, leaving us no ground below on which to stand and no expanse above
to which to ascend.
Dharma must be protected because it is what protects us from wrong and
destructive actions. Dharma protects us and Adharma consigns to disintegration.
For global peace to arise we must respect the universal vision of Dharma, not as
a mere mental or emotional assertion but as an alignment with the unity of all.
That Sanatan Dharma will survive is certain, but those who follow Adharma will
perish by their own thoughts and actions, and can harm many others in the
process. (Organiser, 8 October 2023) -GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN samvadnewsletter@gmail.com http://shrivishwaniketan.
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