Welcome to Eternal Path! This week we feature: the last hymn of the Rigveda and its message, Indian “Secularism” at work, and an Aesthetic!
Text Highlight: Rigveda 10.191
The Rigveda is a central text, venerated by all Hindus, and Aryamsa masterfully uses the last sukta (hymn) to underscore why Hindu unity and Hindus helping Hindus is something we should all be doing. Screenshot of his tweet below, with Sanskrit version below that.
संसमिद्युवसे वृषन्नग्ने विश्वान्यर्य आ । इळस्पदे समिध्यसे स नो वसून्या भर ॥
saṃ-sam id yuvase vṛṣann agne viśvāny arya ā | iḻas pade sam idhyase sa no vasūny ā bhara || 10.191.1
सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । देवा भागं यथा पूर्वे संजानाना उपासते ॥
saṃ gacchadhvaṃ saṃ vadadhvaṃ saṃ vo manāṃsi jānatām | devā bhāgaṃ yathā pūrve saṃjānānā upāsate || 10.191.2
समानो मन्त्रः समितिः समानी समानं मनः सह चित्तमेषाम् । समानं मन्त्रमभि मन्त्रये वः समानेन वो हविषा जुहोमि ॥
samāno mantraḥ samitiḥ samānī samānam manaḥ saha cittam eṣām | samānam mantram abhi mantraye vaḥ samānena vo haviṣā juhomi || 10.191.3
समानी व आकूतिः समाना हृदयानि वः । समानमस्तु वो मनो यथा वः सुसहासति ॥
samānī va ākūtiḥ samānā hṛdayāni vaḥ | samānam astu vo mano yathā vaḥ susahāsati || 10.191.4
Hinduphobia Highlight: Karnataka Tax Revenue
Many are unaware that in India the state actually runs and extracts revenues from Hindu temples, while Christians, Muslims, and others are allowed to run their own religious institutions. This is one extreme blindspot that “secular” critics of an assertive Hindu politics have. Taken to its logical end, it culminates in Hindu temple revenue being used to fund programs for Muslims and Christians, like the example in Karnataka below.