Agricultural Heritage

In ancient Indian literature, sutra denotes a distinct type of literary composition, based on short aphoristic statements, generally using various technical terms.

This literary form was designed for concision, as the texts were intended to be memorized by students in some of the formal methods of scriptural and scientific study. So, the ancient people were certainly technology focused. Technology is nothing but the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

Following sutras give us a glimpse of the rich knowledge and science discovered and practiced by our ancestors contained in the available texts as of today.

Meditation and the Thousand-headed Cobra!

If you look at the mythological pictures, you will find Mahavir sitting with a five headed cobra behind him. Or Lord Vishnu is sitting in meditation and there is a cobra behind him. Even in the pictures of Rishis, you will find a cobra with its hood open at the back. Have you seen such pictures? It is a very subtle thing!

See, when you are sitting in meditation, what is happening? Your consciousness is getting alert, opened and awakened, as though in your back ground there is a thousand headed cobra. Cobra signifies alertness.

Bhadrakali - The Auspicious One

Significance of Kali standing on top of Shiva

Kali is symbolic of enormous transformative energy; energy of destruction. When that stood on the Shiva Tattva, it became Bhadrakali, which means, the energy which only brings benevolent results. The whole thing is symbolic; it implies the energy that brings benevolent results only.

Shiva is the transcendental state; it means one who brings only benevolence and good to the world.

So when Kali, an enormous, destructive power was in rage; in that moment, Shiva came and lay down. As soon as she stepped on him, Kali’s power got controlled, channelized and became benevolent. So, even if there is destruction, it should be benevolent.

Marching into the New Year: April Fool!

Once upon a time, all over the world, everyone followed the same calendar; the Lunar Calendar. Even today, in Turkey and Iran, people follow the Lunar Calendar; March is the New Year.

Ancient cultures, including those of the Romans and Indian subcontinent, celebrated New Year's Day on or around April 1. It closely follows the vernal equinox (March 20th or March 21st.)

The conjunction of the earth, sun and moon coming in alignment near the vernal equinox every year – a perfectly balanced point in the earth-sun-moon system, was deemed by the ancient, knowledgeable people as an apt milestone to usher in a New Day, a New Year and new hopes.

New year celebrations in India

Earth, Moon and Sun in alignment near vernal Equinox – Ugadi

New year is celebrated in India in various regions in March–April. India has a variety of calendars, some are lunar based, some are based on the Sun, some are luni-solar and some are Jovian i.e. Jupiter based.

The New Year system is based on the cosmos, it begins when the Sun or the Moon enter the first point of Aries.

12 months and the Sanskrit connection

Do you know the meaning of the names of all the months? The English months are not in English; they are surprisingly connected with Sanskrit. 

Do you know what December means; Das means ten and Ambar means sky, so December means the tenth sky.

Nav means nine in Sanskrit. November means the ninth sky.

Holi

The 'Holi' festival is a very fun-filled and popular occasion in India. People play holi with Chandan and colored water.

This festival is celebrated around early March each year. People believe that the bright colors represent energy, life and joy. Huge bonfires are also burnt in the evening and people worship the fire.

There is a famous story associated with the festival in the puranas: