Sita, Rama's wife

She was faithful to her husband, but she, prisoner, had lived with another man. It was not good. And Rama, Lord of Ayodhya, tell to his beloved wife that the war against Ravana, the millions of deaths, the mythical bridge linking India to Sri Lanka, none of all this had been done for her, but to restore the order, the dharma. "I cannot live with you who lived so long with another man."
Rama and Sita, the couple shown as exemple of the perfect wedding even today in India, of what must be the relationship between husband and wife and that speaks volumes about the status of women in the Indian continent.
Sita was stunned, outraged that they doubted her loyalty, "light a fire - she ordered - if I have been faithful to Rama, though I have always respected, if any other man has touched me, Agni, the god of fire, protect me. Otherwise, I burn! " And she threw herself into the flames.
Agni protected her, held her and brought her to Rama, saying, "This woman is pure and have always been faithful."
She was the goddess Lakshmi, who, like Sita, she became the wife of Rama, seventh avatar of Vishnu and hero of the Ramayana epic. Her father found her in a furrow of earth and so called Sita. He married the Prince of Ayodhya, but she was kidnapped by the demon Ravana who took her to Lanka. Rama, with the help of monkeys Sugriva and Hanuman, rescued his wife.
The couple and Rama's army returned to Ayodhya, they lived happily, but the people whispered again. "She lived for more than a year with another man, she cannot live with our King." It was not good that she lived with the example of dharma, righteousness, of what is good, of the rules that make turn the universe.
This time Rama, although his wife was pregnant, forsed Sita to leave the kingdom. She will go in the forest near the hermitage of Valmiki, where the two sons of Rama born: Lava and Kusa.
Rama knew Kusa and Lava when they had children. Once he had kwown them, Rama wanted to return Sita to Ayodhya too.
The queen again declared her loyalty to Rama and her own purity and, before the assembly convened to receive her, said: "If in my mind I had no other man that Rama, if I was always faithful to my husband, you mother, earth, where I was born, give me the grace to get my body."
Having said that the earth opened and revealed a royal throne, where Sita sat before disappearing into the earth closed over her.
In a furrow she was born, in a furrow she returned.

Sita, la moglie di Rama

La prova del fuoco di Sita

Era rimasta fedele a suo marito, ma era vissuta prigioniera presso un altro uomo. Non era bene. E Rama, signore di Ayodhya, dichiara all’amata moglie che la battaglia contro Ravana, i milioni di morti, il mitico ponte che unisce la punta d’India a Sri Lanka,  tutto ciò non era stato compiuto per lei, ma per ristabilire l’ordine, il dharma. “Non posso più vivere con te che hai vissuto così a lungo con un altro uomo.”

Rama e Sita, la coppia modello portata ancora oggi ad esempio in India di matrimonio perfetto, di quello che deve essere il rapporto tra marito e moglie e che la dice lunga sulla condizione femminile nel continente indiano.

Sita rimase attonita, sdegnata che si dubitasse della sua fedeltà, “accendete un rogo – ordinò – se sono stata fedele a Rama, se sempre l’ho rispettato, se mai altro uomo mi ha toccato, Agni, il dio del fuoco, mi proteggerà, altrimenti, che io bruci!” E si gettò nelle fiamme.

Agni la protesse, la sorresse e la condusse da Rama dicendo “Questa donna è pura e ti è sempre stata fedele.”

Era la dea Lakshmi che, come Sita, divenne moglie di Rama, settimo avatar di Vishnu ed eroe dell’epica del Ramayana. Suo padre la trovò in un solco di terra e per questo la chiamò Sita. Si sposò col principe di Ayodhya, ma venne rapita dal demone Ravana che la condusse a Lanka. Rama, con l’aiuto delle scimmie Sugriva e Hanuman, liberò sua moglie.

La coppia e l’esercito di Rama tornarono ad Ayodhya e vissero felicemente, ma la gente mormorava ancora. “Ha vissuto per più di un anno con un altro uomo, non è bene che stia col nostro re.” Non era bene che vivesse con il campione del dharma, della rettitudine, di ciò che è bene, delle regole che fanno girare l’universo.

Questa volta Rama, nonostante la moglie sia incinta, la obbliga ad andarsene dal regno. Andrà nella foresta presso l’eremo di Valmiki dove partorirà i due figli di Rama, Kusa e Lava.

Rama seppe di Kusa e di Lava quando erano già fanciulli e, conosciutili, volle che tornasse ad Ayodhya anche Sita.

La regina dichiarò nuovamente la propria fedeltà a Rama e la propria purezza e, di fronte all’assemblea convocata per riceverla, disse: “Se nella mia mente non ho avuto altro uomo che Rama, se sono stata sempre fedele al mio sposo,  tu madre terra da cui sono nata fammi la grazia di riprendere il mio corpo.”

Detto questo la terra si aprì e ne emerse un trono regale dove Sita si assise prima di scomparire nella terra che si richiuse sopra di lei.

Dal solco della terra era nata, nel solco della terra ritornò.

The death of Swami Nigamananda against Ganges pollution

Ganges - Varanasi

It's been four months that he was fasting. Swami Nigamananda died June 13 at the age of 34 years to the hospital in Dehradun.
Nigamananda was fasting to protest against rampant corruption in India, against plans to uncontrolled exploitation of the ground in Uttarakhand and especially against the pollution of the Ganges, whose sources are located in this state in northern India.
Nigamananda had left home in 1995 to become a sannyasa, renouncer,  and engage in search of self. He lived at the ashram of Matra Sadan and was a recognized throughout India guru.
He had started his non-violent form of protest the February 19 against   illegal and systematic exploitation of mines in the Ganges.
This is an illegal system that produces huge profits and live thanks to collusion, connivance and corruption of all state apparatuses: the government, ministers, the forester, the police. Opponents will be deleted.
Political parties accuse each other and try to exploit the great amount of publicity that the event has had in India. The Congress Party accuses the BJP, the Hindu fundamentalist party in government in that state, which contends that the projects against which Nigamananda struggled existed during the administration of the Congress Party.
On the death of the spiritual leader has also opened a judicial inquiry as some say that the guru was even poisoned while others argue that he has not been properly cared for during the hospitalization.
Swami Nigamananda, whose karmic residue was exhausted and therefore did not need to be burned on the funeral pyre, was buried in the position of the padma asana, as the gurus who have made the moksha in this life that is stopping the samsara or cycle of of rebirth.

To go into

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/swami-nigamananda-dies-fasting-to-save-ganga-from-pollution/articleshow/8848525.cms

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2104810.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2109755.ece

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ne020711COVERSTORY.asp

Morte di Swami Nigamananda contro l'inquinamento del Gange

Gath sul Gange a Varanasi

Era da quattro mesi che faceva lo sciopero della fame. Swami Nigamananda è morto il 13 giugno all’età di 34 anni all’ospedale di Dehradun.

Nigamananda scioperava per protestare contro la corruzione dilagante in India, contro i progetti di sfruttamento selvaggio del suolo nello stato dell’Uttarakhand e soprattutto contro l’inquinamento del Gange le cui sorgenti sono poste proprio in questo stato dell’India settentrionale.

Nigamananda aveva lasciato la propria famiglia nel 1995 per divenire sannyasin, rinunciante, e dedicarsi alla ricerca del Sé. Viveva presso l’ashram di Matra Sadan ed era un guru riconosciuto nell’intero territorio dell’IndiaAveva cominciato la sua forma di protesta non violenta il 19 febbraio contro l’illegale e sistematico sfruttamento delle miniere presso il Gange. Si tratta di un sistema illegale che produce profitti enormi e vive grazie alla collusione, alla connivenza e alla corruzione di tutti gli apparati dello stato: dal governo ai ministeri interessati, dalla guardia forestale alla polizia. Chi si oppone viene eliminato.

I partiti si rimpallano la responsabilità e cercano di sfruttare il grande clamore che l’evento ha avuto in India. Il Partito del Congresso responsabilizza il BJP, il partito integralista hindu al governo in quello stato, il quale replica che i progetti contro cui Nigamananda lottava esistevano anche durante l’amministrazione del Partito del Congresso.

Sulla morte del leader spirituale è stata anche aperta un’inchiesta giudiziaria in quanto c’è chi sostiene che il guru sia stato addirittura avvelenato altri invece sostengono che non sia stato adeguatamente curato durante il ricovero all’ospedale.

Swami Nigamananda, il cui residuo karmico era esaurito e pertanto non aveva bisogno di essere bruciato sulla pira funebre, è stato sepolto nella posizione del padma asana, come i guru che hanno realizzato in questa vita terrena il moksha l’interruzione cioè del samsara o ciclo delle rinascite.



Per chi vuole approfondire

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/swami-nigamananda-dies-fasting-to-save-ganga-from-pollution/articleshow/8848525.cms

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2104810.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2109755.ece

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ne020711COVERSTORY.asp

Shantanu, Ganga e la morte dei loro sette figli

Il Gange a Varanasi

Shantanu, re di Hastinapura, stava cacciando nella foresta. Rincorrendo una preda, si ritrovò sulle rive del Gange e si accorse subito di non essere solo. Davanti a lui era infatti apparsa una ragazza misteriosa, bellissima, dalla pelle vellutata, gli occhi nerisissimi, i capelli sciolti sulle spalle. Shantanu se ne innamorò all’istante e, senza saper niente di lei, chiese la sua mano.

La fanciulla accettò l’offerta del potente re, ma ad una condizione: “Non mi farai mai domande né mi ostacolerai, né contesterai o criticherai qualsivoglia mio comportamento.”

Al re la condizione sembrò leggerissima, accettò e sposò la donna con una maestosa cerimonia ad Hastinapura.

La vita della coppia scorreva felice e questa felicità accrebbe quando il re seppe che la regina, che in ricordo al luogo in cui gli amanti si erano incontrati venne chiamata Ganga, attendeva un bambino. Ma la felicità durò poco perché la madre, non appena partorito l’erede al trono lo portò sulle rive del Gange e ve lo gettò. Il re rimase sconvolto, ma non disse niente alla moglie memore della condizione che aveva accettato e il cui peso cominciava a comprendere solo ora.

La regina rimase incinta altre sei volte e per altre sei volte condusse il proprio neonato sulle rive del Gange e ve lo gettò senza che il re facesse o chiedesse niente.

Ma quando la regina restò incinta per l’ottava volta e partorì un bel bambino, il re si recò sulle rive del Gange prima della moglie e quando giunse la regina col neonato la fermò. “Perché uccidi i tuoi figli – le disse -  perché ti comporti in modo così terribile?”

La regina sorrise, “hai rotto il tuo giuramento, vuol dire che hai proprio bisogno di questo figlio, ecco tuo figlio, è salvo, ma mi perderai, così le maledizioni si sono adempiute.”

Il re chiese spiegazioni e la regina gliele fornì. Lei era davvero la dea Ganga, ma in una precedente vita quando ancora mortali e dei vivevano insieme, Shantanu, che allora aveva il corpo del re Mahabhishek, alla corte di Indra si innamorò di Ganga. Un mortale, seppur re, non poteva unirsi ad una dea e pertanto gli dei maledirono i due amanti imponendo a entrambi di rinascere come mortali. In quella loro nuova forma si sarebbero potuti amare. E così era avvenuto.

La seconda più terribile maledizione riguardava i figli di Ganga, tutti, tranne uno, uccisi appena erano nati.

In realtà gli otto figli di Shantanu e di Ganga non erano altro che le reincarnazioni degli otto fratelli Vasu  i quali in una precedente vita per compiacere le loro mogli avevano rubato la vacca Nandini (chiamata anche Kamadhuk o Kamadhenu e citata da Krishna nella Bagavadgita 10.28) che apparteneva al saggio Vasishta. Quando il saggio tornò al sua ashram e capì cosa era accaduto, maldisse gli otto Vasu condannandoli a rinascere come mortali. I fratelli si recarono subito dal saggio a riportare Nandini e a chiedere perdono, ma una maledizione una volta che è stata lanciata non può essere revocata.  Vasishta però mitigò la maledizione acconsentendo che per sette fratelli la pena fosse breve, durasse cioè il tempo di una gravidanza e, una volta nati, avrebbero subito potuto riacquistare la libertà. Per l’ottavo fratello invece, colui che materialmente aveva rubato la vacca, la pena sarebbe durata per un’intera vita.

Per questo motivo  Ganga aveva ucciso i primi sette figli, per liberarli dalla maledizione, mentre l’ottavo restò vivo e visse una vita gloriosa. Venne chiamato Devavrata, che in sanscrito significa "Devoto agli dei", ma più tardi assunse il nome di Bhishma, il più saggio ed eroico personaggio del Mahabharata.

Shantanu, Ganga and the death of their seven children

Ganga and Shantanu

Shantanu, the king of Hastinapura, was hunting in the forest. Chasing a prey, he found himself on the banks of the Ganges and noticed right away was not alone. Appeared before him was indeed a mysterious girl, beautiful, smooth-skinned, black and deep eyes, her hair loose over her shoulders. Shantanu fell in love instantly, and without knowing anything about her, asked for her hand.
The girl accepted the offer of the powerful king, but on one condition: "Will never do any questions, will never hinders me, nor questions or criticize any of my behavior."
The king seemed a light the condition, he accepted and married the woman with a beautiful ceremony in Hastinapura.
The couple was happy and this happiness increased when the king heard that the queen, who to remember the place where the lovers had met was called Ganga, was pregnant. But the happiness did not last long because the mother, not just given birth to the heir to the throne, led him on the banks of the Ganges and she threw him. The king was shocked, but he said nothing to his wife, recalling that he had accepted the condition. Just now he understood the weight of the promise.
The queen became pregnant six times too and six times she led her own child on the banks of the Ganges and threw hin. And the king did not say or ask anything.
But when the queen became pregnant for the eighth time and gave birth to a beautiful baby, the king went on the banks of the Ganges before the wife and when the queen came stopped her with the baby. "Why kill your children - he said – why do you act so terrible?"
The queen smiled, "You broke your oath, that means you really need this son, behold your son is safe, but I’ll go away, so the curses have been fulfilled."
The king asked explanations and the queen provided them to him. She was really the goddess Ganga, but in a previous life when even mortals and gods lived together, Shantanu, who was the king's body Mahabhishek, at the court of Indra fell in love with Ganga. A mortal, even king, could not join a goddess and therefore the gods cursed the lovers by requiring both to be reborn as mortals. In their new form they could have been love. And so it was done. The second and most terrible curse was about the sons of Ganga, all but one were killed when they were newborn.
In fact, the eight sons of Shantanu and Ganga were nothing more than the reincarnation of the eight Vasu brothers who, in a previous life, to please their wives had stolen the cow Nandini (also know as Kamadhuk or Kamadhenu - Bhagavad Gita 10.28) that belonged to the sage Vasishtha. When the sage returned to his ashram and realized what had happened, he cursed  the eight Vasu sentencing them to be reborn as mortals. The brothers went back to wise man suffered and returned Nandini and asked forgiveness, but a curse when it was launched cannot be revoked. Vasishta, however, mitigated his curse by agreeing that the penalty for seven brothers was short, that would last the duration of a pregnancy, when born, they would have been able to regain their freedom. For the eighth of his brother instead, the one who actually had stolen the cow, the punishment would last a lifetime.
This is why Ganga had killed the first seven children, to free them from the curse, while the eighth was left alive and lived a glorious life. Devavrata was called (in sanskrit “Devoted to the Gods”) , but later took the name of Bhishma, the wisest and heroic character in the Mahabharata.

I don't like this India



Coffee

I don’t like this India.
It was, perhaps still is, the only important nation in the world who could have (or could) teach all people a different model of development and a different conception of the economy. But when - amidst the approval of the Western world attracted by huge profits with little cost - the Republic of India has opened up to capitalism, foreign investment and wild liberism, when in fact what is significantly called "westossification” took over, India is more and more towards a development model that favors a few riches and creates a mass poors of  that is unparalleled in the world, destroying territories, cultures, traditions, human beings.
It’s a few days ago yet another violent reaction of the police and army against farmers of Jagatsinghpu in the state of Orissa, where the locals were protesting peacefully against the project of South Korean Posco of a steelmaker huge plant, expropriating thousands of hectares of land belonging to farmers for a few rupees, destroying forty farms and putting an end to an important forest ecosystem.
Obviously, the Indian Ministry of Environment has given its approval for investment of about twelve billion dollars under the guise of development and creation of jobs. Were not using to anything the popular protests which began in 2005 and the results of independent studies underlining the environmental damage of that project.
But that of the Posco is just one of mega-projects which requires forced expropriation of land for farmers.Expropriations in Uttar Pradesh where the Jaypee Infratechin plans to build a new railway line, in Jaitapur where French Areva wants to build the world's largest nuclear plant, still in Uttar Pradesh where Jiaprakash Associates has acquired about 2,400 hectares of land to build residential areas and sports facilities, including a race track for Formula One and a railway line of 165 km, with the acquisition of the territory of 1,225 villages.
By outdated and unfair law, the price of expropriation is negligible, about  300 rupees per square meter (less than 5 €), but after the expropriation those lands are to 600 thousand rupees per square meter.International companies, Indian state governments, foreign governments, business organizations like the IMF are racing to invest in and encourage investment, wild mining, logging, factories and plants, intensive crops for biofuels, roads, dams and railways. The important thing is to get money. In reality in this way is fed into the corruption and the greed of international companies and governments with no advantage for India and Indians.
And the future does not bode well if the government set the objective of 85% of the urbanized population of India, it maintains the second largest army in the world and continues to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in military nuclear program.
It does not matter if the farmers are committing suicide for the debts incurred to buy GM seeds and patented by multinational companies, that the much acclaimed IT boom employs only 0.2% of the workforce while the survival of 65% of the population still depends on cultivation of land, 830 million people live on less than 20 rupees a day, 2 million children die annually before reaching the fifth year of life.
Think: the wealth generated by India, if properly used would allow, would be sufficient  to eliminate poverty and malnutrition, illiteracy and disease and underdevelopment.
Gandhi advocated the large India of the villages with a standard of living "simple, but dignified,"  an India that developed country houses, living in peace with the world. Swadeshi and Swaraj, self-sufficiency and self-government, "an India new and strong, not bellicose, not cowardly imitating the West in all its hatefulness," an India that "becomes the hope not only of Asia and Africa, but the entire world suffers. "
with a standard of living "simple, but dignified," developed an India that his country houses, living in peace with the world. Swadeshi and Swaraj, self-sufficiency and self-government, "an India new and strong, not bellicose, not cowardly imitating the West in all its hatefulness," an India that "becomes the hope not only of Asia and Africa, but of the entire world suffers. "

To go into

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2095863.ece

http://www.newstatesman.com/asia/2010/09/india-land-police-government

http://www.asianews.it/notizie-it/E'-guerra-per-la-terra-tra-agricoltori-e-governi-statali-21803.html

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ws020511BUSINESSII.asp