Jain

Published on 30th August, 2020, in Mid-day. The Harappan civilisation thrived in the Indus Valley 4,500 years ago, roughly around the time the pyramids were being built in Egypt. It is famous for its grid-like cities. Here, we find a seal of a man sitting in a yogic position, surrounded by wild animals. People have identified him as proto-Shiva and call it the Pashupati seal: Shiva's form surrounded by wild animals. But, in the Vedas, Pashupati is linked to domestic animals, not wild animals. So, is this Shiva? Or someone else. Few point to the possibility that this could be a Jain image of a ..

Published on 1st September, 2019, in Mumbai Mirror Giving in Hindu society can be categorised in three ways: dakshina, bhiksha and daan. Dakshina is repayment. Bhiksha is alms. Daan is charity. But meanings are often confusing, as people use the same term differently in different contexts. In Vedic times, poets were given daan. And poets would compose ‘daan-stuti’ in honour of the donor. This was more repayment than charity. Dakshina rather than daan. Go-daan was actually bhiksha, done to earn spiritual merit, especially by kings seeking legitimisation of kingship, and surviving relatives who wished to ensure a better future life for the dead. Dakshina is ..

Published on 4th March, 2018, in Mid-Day. When we use the word demon in English we are instantly drawn to dark and hideous evil creatures. This idea comes to us from the Christian world that gave us the mythology of the Devil, and from the Zoroastrian world before that, where all things ugly were attributed to Angra Manyu, the smoke to the fire that was the divine Ahura Mazda. However, it is fascinating to learn that until the Mughals painted Hindu mythology on orders of Akbar in the 16th century, demons of Puranas were never shown as having dark complexion. They were coloured red and ..