Monthly Archives: August 2006

The deva revanta: Mythology, iconography, history and ritualism

Posted on August 31, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Like kArttikeya, revanta, a once popular deity, has faded from the Hindu mind, with decline of Indic civilization. However, in the south his successor ectype shAstR^i is still worshiped in the folk religion.  We have long wanted collate a file … Continue reading →

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The hand of fate

Posted on August 29, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

After much struggle our forces fought their way to a strong position on the front of the dvayaM daNDakAH. We were close to taking this much desired and important outpost after a really long drawn conflict. But, just then the … Continue reading →

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The makings of "Islamic Science"

Posted on August 28, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

“In the time of the Hellenes and during the early days of the empire of the Rum the sciences were honoured and enjoyed universal respect. From an already solid and grandiose foundation, they were raised to greater heights every day, … Continue reading →

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The mythology of tirumUlar

Posted on August 25, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

It is clear from tirumantiram verses 337 onwards that tirumUlar was an extreme sectarian shaiva. He cites several elements of shaiva mythology, where the aim is plainly to show the supremacy of shiva over other gods. He also sees a … Continue reading →

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sundaranAtha (tirumUlar)’s lineage

Posted on August 25, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

In the preamble to the tirumantiraM tirumUlar (verses ) gives his lineage thus (translated only loosely during conversation with my clansmen who know the drAviDa bhASha/transliterated from a reading in an old book possessed by them): n^an^dhi aruLpeRRa n^Adharai n^ADiDinseek … Continue reading →

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The primitive ape, the red ape and Sivapithecus

Posted on August 24, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Long ago in our earliest youth, we were fascinated to no end by the evolution of anthropoid primates and spent endless hours considering the merits of the Orang, the chimpanzees and the gorilla as our closest cousins. When I was … Continue reading →

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Beauty in different degrees of recursiveness

Posted on August 22, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI
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Beauty of recursiveness

Posted on August 20, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI
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The Injun’s revenge

Posted on August 20, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

After a long time we spoke and she had much to say. She had given up active science, had been on travels to far of places, then worked as a clerk in her ancestral confectionary business and finally settled as … Continue reading →

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The early mysticete whale Janjucetus

Posted on August 18, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Janjucetus and Dakosuchus All extant whales belong to two major radiations: 1) the odontoceti which includes the marine dolphins (including killer whales), the river dolphins (might not be monophyletic), porpoises, beaked whales, narwhals and sperm whales 2) Baleen whales. The … Continue reading →

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The circle of yakShiNI-s

Posted on August 17, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

We bow to the great goddess of the trotalottaraM and pay worship to the great throng of yakShiNI-s that emerge from her. The yakShiNI-s are of diverse forms, all very wonderful and amazing. They bear many diverse facets of knowledge … Continue reading →

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Some considerations on Neoplatonism

Posted on August 16, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

I have always believed, since I was probably 11 years old, that it was important to study Neoplatonic thought and ritual. This is particularly important because it was one of the sister systems of our own, and was the only … Continue reading →

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Hekate

Posted on August 16, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Another point I shall consider is the role of the great goddess Hekate in Neoplatonic thought. Hekate in Neoplatonism plays a strikingly parallel role to mAyA in uttaramImAMsa and prakR^iti in sAMkhya. She is described in the Chaldaean oracles to have … Continue reading →

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gaNonmatta and tropanes

Posted on August 15, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

We had heard of the tale of that medieval luminary of our community, appayya dIkShita’s experiment with the tropane alkaloids. The story has it that he was seized with the urge to enter that state of ecstatic abandon, in which … Continue reading →

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The trayodashi rite of the kaTha dIkShita-s

Posted on August 15, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The following is courtesy of Rajita, whom the deva-s have given me the fortune to know. I have only worked [partially] on akShara-shuddhi of the mantra readings and put it together here with due permission. The kaTha dIkShita-s who were … Continue reading →

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Was there an unknown India script in Post-Harappan Kashmir ?

Posted on August 13, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Many interesting secrets have died with the indologist Hyla Converse of Oklahoma SU. One of them was the famous shudra story that was published by Arvind Sharma. But one thing that has remained a puzzle to me was her study … Continue reading →

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jIvamUlIya pa~ncha-koNaM cha shulbArIya halaM

Posted on August 12, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

We were ruing the crushing defeat on the field code-named jIvamUlIya pa~ncha-koNaM cha shulbArIya halaM by the five mlechCha attackers. We felt like Shivaji after the great fort of Purandar was taken by the ghazis. While we sat ruing our … Continue reading →

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The circle of mAtR^i-s

Posted on August 7, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The mighty bhairava stands in the midst of the circle of eight mothers (He is invoked by the formula: skhAM skhIM skhauM mahAbhairavAya namaH||). On either side of the mothers are positioned the roaring vIrabhadra who emerged from the hair … Continue reading →

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Simplified homA-vidhAnaM

Posted on August 6, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

oM gaM gaNapataye namaH X 4 tarpaNaM He first kindles the fire on the sthaNDila with formula: kravyAdam agniM pra hiNomi dUraM yamarAj~no gaChatu ripravAhaH |ihaivAyam itaro jAtavedA devebhyo havyaM vahatu prajAnan || (RV 10.16.9) He then sprinkles water around … Continue reading →

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Islamic potentates

Posted on August 6, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

By its very existance Islam is a threat to non-Moslems — this is the concept of Dar-ul-Harb and Jihad. Islam can by its very existence be a de facto death sentence for kaffirs like Hindus and is aggressive even towards … Continue reading →

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mahAvaiShNava krama

Posted on August 5, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Both the avaykta and the nR^isiMha-tApini explain that the yantra with the ugra viShNu formula should be tied as an amulet. The nR^isiMha-tApini explains the structure of the great yantra of viShNu that simultaneously encompasses :1) the bIja of nR^isiMha … Continue reading →

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The shR^i~NgAra-parituShTIya sAra

Posted on August 4, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The shR^i~NgAra-parituShTIya sAra is viewed with intense embarrassment by the modern Hindu. At every level he or she would not like to believe that such texts were composed by their ancestors. I admit that literally translating some of its terms … Continue reading →

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The links in the chain

Posted on August 2, 2006 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Our ancestors went to the great asura medhira when they were in such a state. But this time we went to deva indra. We extolled the great vR^itrahan: you who gave the yati-s to hyaenas, you who smashed the forts … Continue reading →

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