Mr. Badal's fondness for declaring holidays on the silliest of the excuse is very old. He is in the look out for such occasions rather than the ways to improve the health of the state's economy. But, what really hurts that he has no heart to visualize the discomforts and problems his this passion brings to the common man. We all know that nothing moves without the permissions from the govt. departments. Just imagine the plight of the people who in this bone chilling winter start from their places like Ferojpur, Amritsar and Bhatind in the morning so that they reach the concerned dept at chandigarh on time to be informed after reaching that holiday was declared. Plight of education in govt. schools hardly needs to be penned and the solution lies in making schools functional as Manpreet Badal said but our CM doesn't want to pay any heed. What is the use of that hospital where doctor is not available and what is the point in appointing doctors when they will not be allowed to work by creating holiday culture. Govt. is simply incresing expenditure at the expense of tax payers who are now fed up. Take the case of last seven days-Satuday, Sunday and monday were holidays, Tuesday working and again Wednesday holiday. Just imagine the plight of the patient who is taking treatment in the govt. hospital or goes to health centre for the delivery of child.
What is most shocking that ruling partner BJP rushes to make protest if any of their powers are curtailed but are silent on all matters directly related with governance. When it comes to governance we never expected Akalis to perform but it is the BJP which has disappointed the people.
Five days week is ok but let us allow the offices and the institutions to work for five days by not allowing closures on working days. What is most shocking that at least 10 times in a year offices are closed for half day to enable the employees to attend religious rallies?
Point is that if they are really so devout why can't they take leave and why are only govt. employees perceived to be religious. Are ninety percent others in the unorganized sector bereft of religious feelings. This is the most important issue which BJP should take up otherwise they are out from Panjab for ever as they are from the centre..
I request Tribune to continue to highlighting this issue till our law makers in Punjab come to realize people's concern. If media wants it can really force law makers
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Why delay in controlling the price of Sugar ?
The way things have gone give the impression that the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was sitting on the control panel. When pressure became unbearable he took the steps and prices came down by 20% i.e. rs 10 per Kg. not something small for an Indian household. He could have taken the step of importing raw sugar much earlier. Why were the prices allowed to spiral from Rs 16 per Kg to Rs 50 per kg in a span of three months? When we all know Sharad Pawar’s stake in Maharashtra sugar lobby is very high, fingers of suspicion automatically rise.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Mr. Gavaskar, We too have little islands in India
Last month while pronouncing his judgment on the CEAT player of the week, Indian’s legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar stirred the hornet’s nest with his remarks that Mahela Jayawardene is a world class batsman who gets little credit because he comes from the little island of Sri Lanka. If he had been an Australian or English batsman then he’d have been talked about as being another Bradman.
Gavaskar while sympathizing with Mahela conveniently forgot that it was happening in his own country too. The burning example is Rahul Dravid who completed 11000 runs in 135 tests while Tendulkar took 139 tests. Both have same test averages. Dravid has won countless tests for India with his innings which can’t be said about Tendulkar. But despite this Dravid’s place in the team comes for debate while Tendulkar is a super star and icon. Dravid despite having performed well with bat in Sri Lanka and the Champions trophy was not considered for a series against Australia on the pretext of his advancing age though he is younger to Tendulkar. When we talk about the best cricketer country has produced I think no body has better credentials than Kumble who with his 600 wickets has won more tests for India than any other player, but his name rarely figures.
Likewise no body other than Sehwag deserves to be rated as the super batting Star because of his his super heroics with bat.
Question is -are we fair and pragmatic while evaluating our own icons? Most of the times our experts go overboard and are seen swaying with media hype. We conveniently ignore Ponting who is running neck to neck with Tendulkar with better average and strike rate not to forget he achieved this while shouldering the additional burden of captaincy. We have the gumption of bracketing Tendulkar with Bradman whose test average of 99.9 is almost double that of Tendulkar. Look at our audaciousness we ignore greats like Sir Garfield Sobers who scored 8300 runs in 93 test matches at an average of 58.5, when minnows like Bangle Desh and Zimbabwe were not around. One should not forget that Sobers always batted lower in the batting order and it makes a big difference when it comes to accumulating runs. Top four batsmen are always at advantage. Those who have seen Sobers batting will vouch that when it comes to grace, courage, elegance, style and above all the ability to stand in crises very few could match him. I still remember his last appearance in Mumbai’s Bra brome stadium in 1967 series. Great and enigmatic Chandra had run through the top batting order and the Indian fans had started sniffing their first win against mighty West Indies but the way he hit out the spinners and took West Indies to victory spoke of his capabilities. This is the hall mark of the genius and this factor is much above the aggregate of runs or wickets. How Kapil with 434 in 131 tests could be rated higher of Sir Richard Hadlee with 432 in 86 tests.
It is important that logic and pragmatism and not the emotions cloud our judgment when we evaluate our icons. I liked the way Border evaluated Tendulkar-“We had Viv Richards and Greg Cheppel, then we had Tendulkar and Lara and now we have Ponting. Selecting one will mean being unfair to others.”
Mr. Gavaskar, Origin has little significance if it is a special talent. Sobers, Viv Richards, Akram, Imran Murli, Hadlee, Malcom Marshal and even you are admired, respected and awed universally though none is from from Australia and England. Likewise, players like Adam Gilchrist, Ponting, Macgrath and shane warne are revered universally because of their special talent and not owing to their Australian origin.
Gavaskar while sympathizing with Mahela conveniently forgot that it was happening in his own country too. The burning example is Rahul Dravid who completed 11000 runs in 135 tests while Tendulkar took 139 tests. Both have same test averages. Dravid has won countless tests for India with his innings which can’t be said about Tendulkar. But despite this Dravid’s place in the team comes for debate while Tendulkar is a super star and icon. Dravid despite having performed well with bat in Sri Lanka and the Champions trophy was not considered for a series against Australia on the pretext of his advancing age though he is younger to Tendulkar. When we talk about the best cricketer country has produced I think no body has better credentials than Kumble who with his 600 wickets has won more tests for India than any other player, but his name rarely figures.
Likewise no body other than Sehwag deserves to be rated as the super batting Star because of his his super heroics with bat.
Question is -are we fair and pragmatic while evaluating our own icons? Most of the times our experts go overboard and are seen swaying with media hype. We conveniently ignore Ponting who is running neck to neck with Tendulkar with better average and strike rate not to forget he achieved this while shouldering the additional burden of captaincy. We have the gumption of bracketing Tendulkar with Bradman whose test average of 99.9 is almost double that of Tendulkar. Look at our audaciousness we ignore greats like Sir Garfield Sobers who scored 8300 runs in 93 test matches at an average of 58.5, when minnows like Bangle Desh and Zimbabwe were not around. One should not forget that Sobers always batted lower in the batting order and it makes a big difference when it comes to accumulating runs. Top four batsmen are always at advantage. Those who have seen Sobers batting will vouch that when it comes to grace, courage, elegance, style and above all the ability to stand in crises very few could match him. I still remember his last appearance in Mumbai’s Bra brome stadium in 1967 series. Great and enigmatic Chandra had run through the top batting order and the Indian fans had started sniffing their first win against mighty West Indies but the way he hit out the spinners and took West Indies to victory spoke of his capabilities. This is the hall mark of the genius and this factor is much above the aggregate of runs or wickets. How Kapil with 434 in 131 tests could be rated higher of Sir Richard Hadlee with 432 in 86 tests.
It is important that logic and pragmatism and not the emotions cloud our judgment when we evaluate our icons. I liked the way Border evaluated Tendulkar-“We had Viv Richards and Greg Cheppel, then we had Tendulkar and Lara and now we have Ponting. Selecting one will mean being unfair to others.”
Mr. Gavaskar, Origin has little significance if it is a special talent. Sobers, Viv Richards, Akram, Imran Murli, Hadlee, Malcom Marshal and even you are admired, respected and awed universally though none is from from Australia and England. Likewise, players like Adam Gilchrist, Ponting, Macgrath and shane warne are revered universally because of their special talent and not owing to their Australian origin.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Spiraling Stress pushing kids to depression
It hardly needs to be stressed that those kids who miss the parenting by their mothers miss something which has no substitute. This has to be understood by the parents. Cars, bigger flats all can be purchased later in the life but not the time mother should have spent with her child. Today when majority of jobs are in private sector who like our Govt. can’t be generous to the females, an idea can be examined to have half day job with 50% salary with two shift working.
This will increase employment also. Not all women at all the times work for money.
This will increase employment also. Not all women at all the times work for money.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
“If there is a God------“
Countless such instances come before us when the people are seen linking their faith in God to some magic like happenings in their lives. Instances of people in deep distress mumbling before God in temples, Churches, Mosques and other places of worship “If you are really there then save my-----------.” are encountered very often. Why should God’s powers and existence be put to test and who are we to test Him?
In other words we expect God to create a miracle to bring a realization in all atheists that He really exists and has the powers which no body else has as many demon kings were seen doing in various mythological epics.
Sometimes back I had read the story of a pilot who came out from a certain death in a plane crash while his companions numbering about five were killed. This incident changed him from an atheist to a believer in God. To me it is a flawed perception of god. That pilot should have put this question to him why his companions all of whom probably were not atheists like him were killed. Why did God choose to save him only and not others? This can lead to some flawed conclusions –First, God is not kind to those who accept his existence but is kind to them who do not accept his existences. Second, God wants to prove his existence to those who don’t believe him with his miracle like act.
Death or an escape from death is the part of law of karma and it has nothing to do with God’s existence. Fact is that He is a creator as well as destroyer. Everything what he creates undergoes a change like the flowing river which ultimately loses its identity after submerging in to a sea. Same is true of a man and other living creatures they take birth undergo a constant change and then death takes them away. After death what form the soul takes depends upon its karma. If God starts prolonging the life of those who start praying to Him seeing death approaching them then probable no body will die simply because every creature wants to live as long as it is possible and this universe will be like a pond with still water which emanates foul smell
In Mahabharata after losing all her hundred sons when Gandhari was inconsolably weeping with all her wrath directed against Krishna whom she considered to be the cause of her family’s annihilation. Krishna approached her and said “Mother you shouldn’t weep. Death is a natural law. One who is born will die. When and how he dies all depends upon his karma. No body who is born can escape this law of karma. The heinous acts of your sons could invite only self-destruction and nothing else. I don’t come in to picture at all. Even with all my powers I could not have saved them” This message of Krishna resonates what Vedas speak about law of karma. One should always constantly work to improve the quality of his present and future karma but if he think that by prayer or good karma he can escape the punishment of his past bad karma, he is wrong. Vedic philosophy is very clear, one will reap the fruit of his actions and there is no way to escape the resultant reaction. No doubt our good karma will get good reward in future in this life or next life.
The truth is that this Universe by itself shadows forth his greatness and existence. All of us working together can not create one tree and even if it looked like a tree it won’t grow. Those who love nature can only realize what a great creator he is. It has not been possible to count the type of birds and animals that exist and existed at any time. This planet is abode to billions but no two have same looks and habits. Behold the wonderful organization of the body! Even the most learned are wonderstruck with it. One day the same body becomes limp and all functions come to stand still and we pronounce that man is dead. If you dissect that body nothing physical will be seen missing but all the time that physical was functional due to a force called God or Cosmic force or anything else one may like to name. Then look at the myriads of earths, suns, moons and other heavenly bodies. Even the best machines and mechanisms designed by a man develop snag but what He has designed are flawless since millenniums. The longest day and the longest night come exactly after a year and a leap year never gave a miss and comes after every fourth year. All these things around us are not happening accidentally. Hence certainly there is a creative force behind us and His existence doesn’t need to be put to test as we generally do in distress by linking it with the survival of our near and dear ones.
In other words we expect God to create a miracle to bring a realization in all atheists that He really exists and has the powers which no body else has as many demon kings were seen doing in various mythological epics.
Sometimes back I had read the story of a pilot who came out from a certain death in a plane crash while his companions numbering about five were killed. This incident changed him from an atheist to a believer in God. To me it is a flawed perception of god. That pilot should have put this question to him why his companions all of whom probably were not atheists like him were killed. Why did God choose to save him only and not others? This can lead to some flawed conclusions –First, God is not kind to those who accept his existence but is kind to them who do not accept his existences. Second, God wants to prove his existence to those who don’t believe him with his miracle like act.
Death or an escape from death is the part of law of karma and it has nothing to do with God’s existence. Fact is that He is a creator as well as destroyer. Everything what he creates undergoes a change like the flowing river which ultimately loses its identity after submerging in to a sea. Same is true of a man and other living creatures they take birth undergo a constant change and then death takes them away. After death what form the soul takes depends upon its karma. If God starts prolonging the life of those who start praying to Him seeing death approaching them then probable no body will die simply because every creature wants to live as long as it is possible and this universe will be like a pond with still water which emanates foul smell
In Mahabharata after losing all her hundred sons when Gandhari was inconsolably weeping with all her wrath directed against Krishna whom she considered to be the cause of her family’s annihilation. Krishna approached her and said “Mother you shouldn’t weep. Death is a natural law. One who is born will die. When and how he dies all depends upon his karma. No body who is born can escape this law of karma. The heinous acts of your sons could invite only self-destruction and nothing else. I don’t come in to picture at all. Even with all my powers I could not have saved them” This message of Krishna resonates what Vedas speak about law of karma. One should always constantly work to improve the quality of his present and future karma but if he think that by prayer or good karma he can escape the punishment of his past bad karma, he is wrong. Vedic philosophy is very clear, one will reap the fruit of his actions and there is no way to escape the resultant reaction. No doubt our good karma will get good reward in future in this life or next life.
The truth is that this Universe by itself shadows forth his greatness and existence. All of us working together can not create one tree and even if it looked like a tree it won’t grow. Those who love nature can only realize what a great creator he is. It has not been possible to count the type of birds and animals that exist and existed at any time. This planet is abode to billions but no two have same looks and habits. Behold the wonderful organization of the body! Even the most learned are wonderstruck with it. One day the same body becomes limp and all functions come to stand still and we pronounce that man is dead. If you dissect that body nothing physical will be seen missing but all the time that physical was functional due to a force called God or Cosmic force or anything else one may like to name. Then look at the myriads of earths, suns, moons and other heavenly bodies. Even the best machines and mechanisms designed by a man develop snag but what He has designed are flawless since millenniums. The longest day and the longest night come exactly after a year and a leap year never gave a miss and comes after every fourth year. All these things around us are not happening accidentally. Hence certainly there is a creative force behind us and His existence doesn’t need to be put to test as we generally do in distress by linking it with the survival of our near and dear ones.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Why stop Jagan?
It smacks of Congress Party’s double Standards.
No body disputes that ours is the most successful democracy in South East Asia but this can also not be ignored that its interior is dynastic. We Indians like dynastic subjugation which gets amply demonstrated by the events of last sixty two years of our country's democratic rule. Even where the progenies of the leaders were seen reluctant to enter politics we forced them to occupy the thrones. This is nothing but the old mind set of bowing before the people who already have blue blood rather than to elevate somebody who is one of us. How the reluctant Rajiv, a green horn in politics, was made to assume Prime Ministership of this vast country is still fresh in the minds. Go to any erstwhile state even today people kowtow before the one time rulers and their present generations. So it should not be difficult to understand the clamour of leaders and masses in Andhra Pradesh to install YSR’s son as his successor whose popularity with the masses of the state probably had very few parallels.
To be fair with Jagan, by putting his claim he has not asked for the Moon. He has demanded what people in his position get on platter as these facts will show.
Who will forget that in sixties after the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, despite the presence of stalwarts like Morarji Desai, Kamraj, C.B. Gupta, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, Subramanium and many others heavy weights we wanted the so called doll Priyadarshini Indira to be installed as the Prime Minister and once she could find that streaks of dynastic subjugation run deep in our veins she didn’t look back and obliged the Indian masses by projecting herself as the eternal Prime Minister and exercised the hold which even the most powerful Monarch in the long history of our country never had. Having known that this country will not settle for a person other than Nehru Gandhi scion after her death, first she groomed her son Sanjay and after his untimely death it was the other son Rajiv. Events that followed proved that she was right.
But, it is not only with Gandhis. The record of others is equally glorious in maintaining dynastic hold? Thakeray clan in Maharashtra ( father put his son though it meant tremendous loss to the party by the estranged nephew), Mulayam Singh is all set to hand over the party reins to his son, Charan singh to Ajit sing and now he is set to pass on the baton to his son Dushyant, Devi lal to Om Prakash Chautala and now his son Abhay is ready to have his mantle, NTR to Chander Babu Naidu though it was after a brief family battle of succession, , Naveen Patnaik has inherited Biju’s mantle, Vasubndhra Raje is grooming her son. In Panjab, Sukhbir Badal is firmly on the saddle much to the delight of his septuagenarian father. Then we have Chennai Super Kings. M. Karunanidhi who wants to give slice of power to all his family members. Stalin should take his place in Tamil Nadu, son Azhagiri and daughter Kanimozhi should control at Delhi. Not only this, the tradition of supporting the family successor is evident even in second rung leaders also. Sachin Pilot taking over from Rajesh pilot and Milind are following the footsteps of his father Murli Deora. But this all can not happen without the huge public support who by and large are happy with dynastic succession.
Then we should not forget that Dynastic succession and dynastic subjugation are pan-India phenomenon-kashmir se kanyakumari tak bhart ek hai , not confined to some particular region. If down south Karunanidhi has successfully demonstrated it then in the extreme North we have the Abdullah family in Jammu and Kashmir, Farookh making way to Omar and incidentally their opponents PDP also have same dynastic tradition. In nut shell subjugation to dynastic rule runs deep in our veins.
One can question why Sonia Gandhi has not put Rahul on PM’s chair so far which any other Indian politician would have found difficult to resist. Answer lies in her foreign origin. Had she been an Indian by birth Rahul would have been the PM long back.
Under the situation to restrict Jagan Mohan Reddy is totally un-Indian like. Sonia Gandhi will do well to understand what we Indians like. Democracy is OK for us, but it has to be with a dynastic interior.
Bhartendu Sood
No body disputes that ours is the most successful democracy in South East Asia but this can also not be ignored that its interior is dynastic. We Indians like dynastic subjugation which gets amply demonstrated by the events of last sixty two years of our country's democratic rule. Even where the progenies of the leaders were seen reluctant to enter politics we forced them to occupy the thrones. This is nothing but the old mind set of bowing before the people who already have blue blood rather than to elevate somebody who is one of us. How the reluctant Rajiv, a green horn in politics, was made to assume Prime Ministership of this vast country is still fresh in the minds. Go to any erstwhile state even today people kowtow before the one time rulers and their present generations. So it should not be difficult to understand the clamour of leaders and masses in Andhra Pradesh to install YSR’s son as his successor whose popularity with the masses of the state probably had very few parallels.
To be fair with Jagan, by putting his claim he has not asked for the Moon. He has demanded what people in his position get on platter as these facts will show.
Who will forget that in sixties after the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, despite the presence of stalwarts like Morarji Desai, Kamraj, C.B. Gupta, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, Subramanium and many others heavy weights we wanted the so called doll Priyadarshini Indira to be installed as the Prime Minister and once she could find that streaks of dynastic subjugation run deep in our veins she didn’t look back and obliged the Indian masses by projecting herself as the eternal Prime Minister and exercised the hold which even the most powerful Monarch in the long history of our country never had. Having known that this country will not settle for a person other than Nehru Gandhi scion after her death, first she groomed her son Sanjay and after his untimely death it was the other son Rajiv. Events that followed proved that she was right.
But, it is not only with Gandhis. The record of others is equally glorious in maintaining dynastic hold? Thakeray clan in Maharashtra ( father put his son though it meant tremendous loss to the party by the estranged nephew), Mulayam Singh is all set to hand over the party reins to his son, Charan singh to Ajit sing and now he is set to pass on the baton to his son Dushyant, Devi lal to Om Prakash Chautala and now his son Abhay is ready to have his mantle, NTR to Chander Babu Naidu though it was after a brief family battle of succession, , Naveen Patnaik has inherited Biju’s mantle, Vasubndhra Raje is grooming her son. In Panjab, Sukhbir Badal is firmly on the saddle much to the delight of his septuagenarian father. Then we have Chennai Super Kings. M. Karunanidhi who wants to give slice of power to all his family members. Stalin should take his place in Tamil Nadu, son Azhagiri and daughter Kanimozhi should control at Delhi. Not only this, the tradition of supporting the family successor is evident even in second rung leaders also. Sachin Pilot taking over from Rajesh pilot and Milind are following the footsteps of his father Murli Deora. But this all can not happen without the huge public support who by and large are happy with dynastic succession.
Then we should not forget that Dynastic succession and dynastic subjugation are pan-India phenomenon-kashmir se kanyakumari tak bhart ek hai , not confined to some particular region. If down south Karunanidhi has successfully demonstrated it then in the extreme North we have the Abdullah family in Jammu and Kashmir, Farookh making way to Omar and incidentally their opponents PDP also have same dynastic tradition. In nut shell subjugation to dynastic rule runs deep in our veins.
One can question why Sonia Gandhi has not put Rahul on PM’s chair so far which any other Indian politician would have found difficult to resist. Answer lies in her foreign origin. Had she been an Indian by birth Rahul would have been the PM long back.
Under the situation to restrict Jagan Mohan Reddy is totally un-Indian like. Sonia Gandhi will do well to understand what we Indians like. Democracy is OK for us, but it has to be with a dynastic interior.
Bhartendu Sood
Vedas speak of one God Who has different names
When we want to know somebody it is natural that we look for his name. It holds good for God also. Katha Upanishad says “ He, Whom all the Vedas declare worthy of homage, Whom all devotion and righteous actions lead to, and for Whose realization life of chastity is led, is called AOM.
Sage Patanjali in his Prastut sutra has referred to God by the name ‘Pranav’ which is nothing but synonym of AOM. Our sages of yore also referred to God either by AOM or by Pranav. But, in Vedas and Upanishads God has been referred mostly by the name AOM.
AOM is the highest name of God; it is composed of three letters A, O and M. This one name comprises many other names of God. A stands for virat, Agni and Vishwa etc. O stands for Hiranyagrabha, vayu and yaijas etc. M stands for Ishwara, Aditya and Prajan etc. Rig Veda says, “He is one, but the wise call Him by different names; such as Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Diviya and many others which manifest his qualities and attributes.”
For example, He is called Shiva being Blissful and benefactor of all. Being Creator of the Universe He is called Brahma. Being All pervading he is called Vishnu. Being Protector of all and All-powerful many call Him Inder. All glorious, some call Him Agni. He illuminates this multiform universe so many call him Virat. Many call him vishwa because all the world and worldly objects dwell in Him. He is called Taijas because He is resplendent and gives light to the Sun and other luminous bodies. Being embodiment of all true knowledge others call Him Manu. Since He is the source of life, many call Him Prana. He punishes the wicked many call Him Rudra. Many know Him as Akshara because he is immortal and omnipresent. We call Him Swarat since He is Self-effulgent: Kalagni-because he is the cause of the dissolution of the world and regulator of time; Chandrama-the true source of happiness
.
Similarly He is called Varuna because he is the greatest among the great; Holiest among the holy and purest among the pure. He is called mitra because He loves all and is worthy of being loved by all.
Because His qualities, nature, attributes and activities are infinite so He has infinite names. Generally we call Him by the name what we look in Him. For example when a man is in trouble and seeks His support, he calls Him Data and dayalu( the one who is kind). Those who look to Him as source of Power to scare the wicked call Him Shakti. This behaviour can be best understood when we look in to the way we call our beloved child or any of our bosom friends. Most of the times out of love we call them by the quality which strikes us utmost in him, likewise different people call Him by the attribute which appeals to them. But, God is one though has different names depending upon the qualities and attributes we look in to Him.
Therefore, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj has described God like this -He, who is called Brahma or the most High; who is Parmatma or the Supreme Spirit, Who permeates the whole Universe; who is a true personification of Existence, consciousness and bliss, whose nature, attributes and characteristics are Holy; who is omnipresent, All glorious, resplendent, All knowledge, All holy, formless, All pervading like ether, Unborn, Infinite, Almighty, just and merciful; Who is the author of the Universe, sustains and dissolves it; who awards all souls the fruits of their deeds in strict accordance with the requirements of absolute justice and is possessed of all like attributes, Who is Lord of all and is above all devtas. I believe Him to be the great God and He alone should be worshipped.
Differentiating between devta and God, Vedas say whosoever possesses useful and brilliant qualities is devta and he who is the sustainer of all devatas is the adorable God. They are greatly mistaken who take the word devata to mean God, though in Vedas he is described as Devata of devatas.
Yajur Veda xiii 4 says “O men, God existed in the beginning of the Creation. He is the Creator, Support and the Sustainer of the Sun and other luminous worlds. He was the Lord of the past creation. He is the lord of the present. He will be the Lord of all future creations. He is eternal bliss. May ye all praise and adore Him as we do.”
It should set aside the notion being carried by many especially in foreign countries that Hinduism speaks of countless Gods. All great men like Rama and Krishna were great souls and devata but not God as God is one who is unborn.
Bhartendu Sood
Sage Patanjali in his Prastut sutra has referred to God by the name ‘Pranav’ which is nothing but synonym of AOM. Our sages of yore also referred to God either by AOM or by Pranav. But, in Vedas and Upanishads God has been referred mostly by the name AOM.
AOM is the highest name of God; it is composed of three letters A, O and M. This one name comprises many other names of God. A stands for virat, Agni and Vishwa etc. O stands for Hiranyagrabha, vayu and yaijas etc. M stands for Ishwara, Aditya and Prajan etc. Rig Veda says, “He is one, but the wise call Him by different names; such as Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Diviya and many others which manifest his qualities and attributes.”
For example, He is called Shiva being Blissful and benefactor of all. Being Creator of the Universe He is called Brahma. Being All pervading he is called Vishnu. Being Protector of all and All-powerful many call Him Inder. All glorious, some call Him Agni. He illuminates this multiform universe so many call him Virat. Many call him vishwa because all the world and worldly objects dwell in Him. He is called Taijas because He is resplendent and gives light to the Sun and other luminous bodies. Being embodiment of all true knowledge others call Him Manu. Since He is the source of life, many call Him Prana. He punishes the wicked many call Him Rudra. Many know Him as Akshara because he is immortal and omnipresent. We call Him Swarat since He is Self-effulgent: Kalagni-because he is the cause of the dissolution of the world and regulator of time; Chandrama-the true source of happiness
.
Similarly He is called Varuna because he is the greatest among the great; Holiest among the holy and purest among the pure. He is called mitra because He loves all and is worthy of being loved by all.
Because His qualities, nature, attributes and activities are infinite so He has infinite names. Generally we call Him by the name what we look in Him. For example when a man is in trouble and seeks His support, he calls Him Data and dayalu( the one who is kind). Those who look to Him as source of Power to scare the wicked call Him Shakti. This behaviour can be best understood when we look in to the way we call our beloved child or any of our bosom friends. Most of the times out of love we call them by the quality which strikes us utmost in him, likewise different people call Him by the attribute which appeals to them. But, God is one though has different names depending upon the qualities and attributes we look in to Him.
Therefore, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj has described God like this -He, who is called Brahma or the most High; who is Parmatma or the Supreme Spirit, Who permeates the whole Universe; who is a true personification of Existence, consciousness and bliss, whose nature, attributes and characteristics are Holy; who is omnipresent, All glorious, resplendent, All knowledge, All holy, formless, All pervading like ether, Unborn, Infinite, Almighty, just and merciful; Who is the author of the Universe, sustains and dissolves it; who awards all souls the fruits of their deeds in strict accordance with the requirements of absolute justice and is possessed of all like attributes, Who is Lord of all and is above all devtas. I believe Him to be the great God and He alone should be worshipped.
Differentiating between devta and God, Vedas say whosoever possesses useful and brilliant qualities is devta and he who is the sustainer of all devatas is the adorable God. They are greatly mistaken who take the word devata to mean God, though in Vedas he is described as Devata of devatas.
Yajur Veda xiii 4 says “O men, God existed in the beginning of the Creation. He is the Creator, Support and the Sustainer of the Sun and other luminous worlds. He was the Lord of the past creation. He is the lord of the present. He will be the Lord of all future creations. He is eternal bliss. May ye all praise and adore Him as we do.”
It should set aside the notion being carried by many especially in foreign countries that Hinduism speaks of countless Gods. All great men like Rama and Krishna were great souls and devata but not God as God is one who is unborn.
Bhartendu Sood
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