Baba
Namaskar,
It would have been far better if those in charge referenced specific sections of Baba's discourses and directed the reader to learn about viva’ha in that manner. Or if they wanted a shorter definition for their glossary they could have defined viva’ha as 'the special system of a dharmic marriages first introduced in Lord Shiva's time', or 'a union between husband (male) and wife (female) based on the fulfillment of forming an ideal family for raising an ideal child' etc. Any of these types of definitions would have been much more appropriate. Because to only say 'viva’ha means marriage' is very misleading.
The Ananda Marga Dictionary by Gurukul Publications falls into this same problem. If you look up viva’ha in the Ananda Marga Dictionary all you will find is the singular mundane term 'marriage' - nothing more. By this way people will think that viva’ha just means one union between a man and a woman approved of by the court or religion etc. According to Ananda Marga philosophy, vivaha and the general concept of marriage are not synonymous.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Viva'ha is so much more than marriage
But in the true sense, viva’ha stands for a lifelong commitment where:
(1) both male and female take vows in the name of Parama Purusa to watch for each other’s growth and development in the physical, psychic, and spiritual stratums;
(2) both male and female are committed and ready to sacrifice for the welfare of their progeny;
(3) both male and female are granted equal rights and they are standing on level ground; this is not found in any religion rather this was first given by Lord Shiva and remains wholly unique to tantra;
(4) the male as father is 90% responsible for the livelihood of the family and providing financially for the progeny;
(5) the female is primarily responsible for raising the children - providing love and care - and in her spare time she may do some work to earn for the family;
(6) the term bharata means ‘feeder’ and that is why bharata refers to the father as he is the one who must provide financially for the wife and progeny.
It would have been far better if those in charge defined viva’ha using all of the above points and added phrases like 'the special system of a dharmic marriages first introduced in Lord Shiva's time' or 'a union between husband (male) and wife (female) based on the fulfillment of an ideal' etc. Any of these types of definitions along with the above listing of points would have been much more appropriate. That would have been a proper definition befitting an Ananda Marga dictionary. Because to only say 'viva’ha means marriage' is very misleading and insufficient. According to Ananda Marga philosophy, vivaha and the general concept of marriage are not synonymous.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Earliest foundations of family life
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "It was not easy to know the fathers of children even in the case of the so-called householders, far less in that of the libertines. Children would know only their mothers. And after they were weaned, they would forget their mothers also. Thus being deprived of motherly love and affection at a very early age, they had no opportunity to develop the sweeter and finer sensibilities of the human mind. The human mind, the human intellect, was nipped in the bud; those people had no opportunity to blossom, to gladden the heart of the world with their sweet joy. By declaring the males to be bharttá [husbands] Shiva fulfilled a major portion of His task for human society." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Shiva made the rule that regardless of whether women were capable or incapable of earning a livelihood, men would have to take on the responsibility of supporting them; thus the Sanskrit word for “husband” is bharttá. The word bharttá is derived from the root verb bhr + suffix trń; the root bhr means “to support” and bharttá (in the first case-ending) means “one who supports someone”." (2)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "As a result of this arrangement, it became easier for the women to maintain the children, since they were relieved of the onerous responsibility of providing their food and clothing. Not only that, when the children became a bit older the direct responsibility for their maintenance shifted from the mother to the father." (3)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "But Shiva did more than that: He declared that women must be kalatra, which means that women must discharge their obligations to their husbands and their children in such a way that the latter will not have the least difficulty.” (4)
Publications mistake: faulty Ananda Marga dictionary
Just imagine if in the dictionary someone defined dharma as 'religion' - without saying anything more. Then people would think dharma was just something dogmatic. How misleading and unjust that would be. Similarly to define viva’ha using one simple mundane term like marriage is to do injustice to the ideal of viva’ha because the marriage term inherently fails to encapsulate all that viva’ha stands for.
So in this materialistic era where the institution of marriage has nothing to do with the dharmic ideal of viva’ha, the publishers of the Ananda Marga Dictionary must not define viva’ha as 'marriage'. The Dictionary definition must carry the inner spirit or dharmic quality of the term. Because Ananda Marga means dharma; so without that, the goal of making an Ananda Marga Dictionary remains deficient, lacking, or faulty.
Baba has graciously given various special teachings including His divine teaching on 'viva’ha' for building up a spirited and singular human society. However, certain publishers have defined viva’ha in an ordinary and mundane way. Yet we know Baba's grand guideline of viva’ha is not common and ordinary, but extraordinary.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Conclusion
So viva’ha is one special way for developing the society; it is a revolutionary form of marriage that brings the fulfillment of human potential, responsibility, commitment, and spiritual growth. Viva’ha cannot merely be defined by a single mundane term, i.e. marriage. The Sanskrit word viva’ha cannot merely be translated or defined as marriage. The ideal of viva’ha is so much more than that. That is why Baba takes several paragraphs to explain the meaning of viva’ha. Baba never merely defines viva’ha as marriage.
Unfortunately, if you search for a definition of viva’ha in the note sections of various Ananda Marga books, you will find that certain members of the Publications Dept merely define viva’ha as marriage. That means in certain specific sections like the glossary and the footnotes, the publishers themselves chose to define the ideal of viva’ha as marriage.
The term viva’ha might also be defined in this way: A special union between a husband (male) and a wife (female) based on a dharmic ideal where both parties shoulder a great responsibility in raising a family while caring and watching for each others physical, mental, and spiritual development so they may best provide for and raise the child. Plus one should always refer readers to Baba's discourses that offer a more thorough explanation.
in Him,
Madhurii
~ In-depth study ~
Baba has taken numerous steps and has given guidance on how to repair, address, and solve society's ills. In this way And He has identified and provided the solutions to cure society from: Religious dogmas, casteism, racism, communalism, sentiments, exploitation, untouchability, economic disparity, etc. As we know, Baba has given the solution to so many inequalities and injustices in the society.
Vivaha: special union between male & female
Overall, the idea of making an Ananda Marga dictionary is very good - if done properly. That means the dharmic definitions must be given according to the word and spirit of Ananda Marga ideology. Then surely it will be beneficial.
But when a dictionary itself offers misleading, incomplete, and wrongful definitions, then that undermines the entire purpose of making a dictionary. Rather it is harmful. Best will be if stringent efforts are made to create a proper, well-referenced dictionary based purely on Ananda Marga teachings.
Bogus one word definition
(a) In the book, "Shrii Sarkar's Short Stories Part 1" - the publishers inserted a footnote in the story - "The Headmasters' Contest". Here is the entirety of that footnote: "Viváha is the Sanskrit word for marriage."
So they merely defined viva’ha as marriage when in fact it is so much more than that. Remarkably, the publishers took special efforts to create a footnote for the term viva’ha. In that situation they could have described viva’ha in so many positive and practical ways according to Baba's dharmic explanation. But instead they merely defined it as marriage. That is completely misleading to the reader and it undermines the ideal of viva’ha.
It would have been far better if those in charge defined viva’ha as 'the special system of dharmic marriages first introduced in Lord Shiva's time' or 'a union between husband (male) and wife (female) based on the fulfillment of forming an ideal family for raising an ideal child.' Any of these type of definitions would been much more appropriate. Because to only say 'viva’ha means marriage' is very misleading.
(b) In the book, "The Awakening of Women", the publishers inserted a glossary where they merely define viva’ha as marriage. They wrote one word - that's it. Here again the publishers created a special place to define and describe the term viva’ha but they failed to use any of Baba's dharmic tenets. Yet viva’ha itself is such a key component for the upliftment of humanity and grants women and mothers an entirely new status. And in the book "The Awakening of Women" the publishers utterly neglected to put a proper definition of viva’ha in the glossary. That undermines the very purpose of the book.
The problems associated with the Ananda Marga Dictionary's definition of viva’ha do not exist in isolation. Verily there are dozens and dozens of terms - even hundreds - that are improperly defined in that Dictionary by those publishers. Unfortunately, many of the definitions do not reflect Baba's given teachings of Ananda Marga. That is why the entire dictionary needs a comprehensive review, not just one single definition.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
References
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
2. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
3. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
4. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
हे बाबा! तुम अनादि अनन्त हो, तुम्हारे नाम और गीतों को गाते हुये मेरा जीवन
प्रभात संगीत 2147 अपार अनन्त तुमि, कि वा जानि आमि...
भावार्थ
हे परम पुरुष! तुम अंतहीन और अनन्त हो, मैं एक छोटा जीव, मैं तुम्हारे गुणों का वर्णन कैसे कर सकता हूूॅं। बाबा, मेरे दिन केवल तुम्हारी कृपा से गुजर रहे हैं। मैं तुम्हें प्रेम करता हॅूं, तुम्हारा चिंतन करते हुए और तुम्हारे गीत गाते हुये, तुम्हारी इच्छा और अपार करुणा से तुम्हारे रास्ते पर चल रहा हॅूं।
हे परमपुरुष ! हे बाबा! तुम्हारे दिव्य प्रेम प्रवाह में डूबकर उन स्पंदनों को अनुभव करते हुए रोता हॅूं, हंसता हॅूं। हे प्रभो! मैं तुम्हारे कार्य के लिये धरती पर बार बार आता हॅूं। तुम मेरे जीवन को जिस प्रकार उपयोग में लाना चाहते हो, वैसा इसे चलाओ।
हे दिव्य सत्ता! शास्त्रों की विवेचना, दर्शनशास्त्र या जड़-विज्ञान के अध्ययन से कोई भी तुम्हें नहीं जान सकता, तुम्हारा पता भी नहीं लगा सकता। बाबा! तुम्हारी इच्छा और अपार करुणा से ही सब कार्य होते हैं ।
हे परमपुरुष, हे बाबा! तुम अनादि अनन्त हो, तुम्हारे नाम और गीतों को गाते हुये मेरा जीवन तुम्हारी इच्छा के अनुसार ही चल रहा है। (1)
Reference
1. Trans: Dr. T.R.S
Ananda Marga ideology states, “In sleep if the flatulent gas moves upwards on account of stomach trouble or if there is some nervous disturbance, the brain and the sub-conscious mind will become agitated. Our previously imagined or felt objects reappear in our subconscious mind in a disjointed form. This we call a dream. Obviously such a dream is of no consequence. Not only that, the story formed therein will not be well-knit as it consists of merely the re-appearance of the objects, stored in the different parts of the brain. There is yet another type of dream. The Atimánas kośa (supramental mind) is the store-house of all knowledge. At times a premonition of a coming be great happiness or sorrow, which only the omniscient causal frame can visualize, is created during deep slumber in the subconscious mind of an individual, who is deeply concerned with that particular happiness or sorrow. Such dreams do not take place very often. Nevertheless such a dream does carry the prognosis of a true event.” (1)
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 2, The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 4
Recent postings Other topics of interest
Viva’ha in AM
Namaskar,
It would have been far better if those in charge referenced specific sections of Baba's discourses and directed the reader to learn about viva’ha in that manner. Or if they wanted a shorter definition for their glossary they could have defined viva’ha as 'the special system of a dharmic marriages first introduced in Lord Shiva's time', or 'a union between husband (male) and wife (female) based on the fulfillment of forming an ideal family for raising an ideal child' etc. Any of these types of definitions would have been much more appropriate. Because to only say 'viva’ha means marriage' is very misleading.
The Ananda Marga Dictionary by Gurukul Publications falls into this same problem. If you look up viva’ha in the Ananda Marga Dictionary all you will find is the singular mundane term 'marriage' - nothing more. By this way people will think that viva’ha just means one union between a man and a woman approved of by the court or religion etc. According to Ananda Marga philosophy, vivaha and the general concept of marriage are not synonymous.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Viva'ha is so much more than marriage
But in the true sense, viva’ha stands for a lifelong commitment where:
(1) both male and female take vows in the name of Parama Purusa to watch for each other’s growth and development in the physical, psychic, and spiritual stratums;
(2) both male and female are committed and ready to sacrifice for the welfare of their progeny;
(3) both male and female are granted equal rights and they are standing on level ground; this is not found in any religion rather this was first given by Lord Shiva and remains wholly unique to tantra;
(4) the male as father is 90% responsible for the livelihood of the family and providing financially for the progeny;
(5) the female is primarily responsible for raising the children - providing love and care - and in her spare time she may do some work to earn for the family;
(6) the term bharata means ‘feeder’ and that is why bharata refers to the father as he is the one who must provide financially for the wife and progeny.
It would have been far better if those in charge defined viva’ha using all of the above points and added phrases like 'the special system of a dharmic marriages first introduced in Lord Shiva's time' or 'a union between husband (male) and wife (female) based on the fulfillment of an ideal' etc. Any of these types of definitions along with the above listing of points would have been much more appropriate. That would have been a proper definition befitting an Ananda Marga dictionary. Because to only say 'viva’ha means marriage' is very misleading and insufficient. According to Ananda Marga philosophy, vivaha and the general concept of marriage are not synonymous.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Earliest foundations of family life
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "It was not easy to know the fathers of children even in the case of the so-called householders, far less in that of the libertines. Children would know only their mothers. And after they were weaned, they would forget their mothers also. Thus being deprived of motherly love and affection at a very early age, they had no opportunity to develop the sweeter and finer sensibilities of the human mind. The human mind, the human intellect, was nipped in the bud; those people had no opportunity to blossom, to gladden the heart of the world with their sweet joy. By declaring the males to be bharttá [husbands] Shiva fulfilled a major portion of His task for human society." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Shiva made the rule that regardless of whether women were capable or incapable of earning a livelihood, men would have to take on the responsibility of supporting them; thus the Sanskrit word for “husband” is bharttá. The word bharttá is derived from the root verb bhr + suffix trń; the root bhr means “to support” and bharttá (in the first case-ending) means “one who supports someone”." (2)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "As a result of this arrangement, it became easier for the women to maintain the children, since they were relieved of the onerous responsibility of providing their food and clothing. Not only that, when the children became a bit older the direct responsibility for their maintenance shifted from the mother to the father." (3)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "But Shiva did more than that: He declared that women must be kalatra, which means that women must discharge their obligations to their husbands and their children in such a way that the latter will not have the least difficulty.” (4)
Publications mistake: faulty Ananda Marga dictionary
Just imagine if in the dictionary someone defined dharma as 'religion' - without saying anything more. Then people would think dharma was just something dogmatic. How misleading and unjust that would be. Similarly to define viva’ha using one simple mundane term like marriage is to do injustice to the ideal of viva’ha because the marriage term inherently fails to encapsulate all that viva’ha stands for.
So in this materialistic era where the institution of marriage has nothing to do with the dharmic ideal of viva’ha, the publishers of the Ananda Marga Dictionary must not define viva’ha as 'marriage'. The Dictionary definition must carry the inner spirit or dharmic quality of the term. Because Ananda Marga means dharma; so without that, the goal of making an Ananda Marga Dictionary remains deficient, lacking, or faulty.
Baba has graciously given various special teachings including His divine teaching on 'viva’ha' for building up a spirited and singular human society. However, certain publishers have defined viva’ha in an ordinary and mundane way. Yet we know Baba's grand guideline of viva’ha is not common and ordinary, but extraordinary.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Conclusion
So viva’ha is one special way for developing the society; it is a revolutionary form of marriage that brings the fulfillment of human potential, responsibility, commitment, and spiritual growth. Viva’ha cannot merely be defined by a single mundane term, i.e. marriage. The Sanskrit word viva’ha cannot merely be translated or defined as marriage. The ideal of viva’ha is so much more than that. That is why Baba takes several paragraphs to explain the meaning of viva’ha. Baba never merely defines viva’ha as marriage.
Unfortunately, if you search for a definition of viva’ha in the note sections of various Ananda Marga books, you will find that certain members of the Publications Dept merely define viva’ha as marriage. That means in certain specific sections like the glossary and the footnotes, the publishers themselves chose to define the ideal of viva’ha as marriage.
The term viva’ha might also be defined in this way: A special union between a husband (male) and a wife (female) based on a dharmic ideal where both parties shoulder a great responsibility in raising a family while caring and watching for each others physical, mental, and spiritual development so they may best provide for and raise the child. Plus one should always refer readers to Baba's discourses that offer a more thorough explanation.
in Him,
Madhurii
~ In-depth study ~
Baba has taken numerous steps and has given guidance on how to repair, address, and solve society's ills. In this way And He has identified and provided the solutions to cure society from: Religious dogmas, casteism, racism, communalism, sentiments, exploitation, untouchability, economic disparity, etc. As we know, Baba has given the solution to so many inequalities and injustices in the society.
Vivaha: special union between male & female
Overall, the idea of making an Ananda Marga dictionary is very good - if done properly. That means the dharmic definitions must be given according to the word and spirit of Ananda Marga ideology. Then surely it will be beneficial.
But when a dictionary itself offers misleading, incomplete, and wrongful definitions, then that undermines the entire purpose of making a dictionary. Rather it is harmful. Best will be if stringent efforts are made to create a proper, well-referenced dictionary based purely on Ananda Marga teachings.
Bogus one word definition
(a) In the book, "Shrii Sarkar's Short Stories Part 1" - the publishers inserted a footnote in the story - "The Headmasters' Contest". Here is the entirety of that footnote: "Viváha is the Sanskrit word for marriage."
So they merely defined viva’ha as marriage when in fact it is so much more than that. Remarkably, the publishers took special efforts to create a footnote for the term viva’ha. In that situation they could have described viva’ha in so many positive and practical ways according to Baba's dharmic explanation. But instead they merely defined it as marriage. That is completely misleading to the reader and it undermines the ideal of viva’ha.
It would have been far better if those in charge defined viva’ha as 'the special system of dharmic marriages first introduced in Lord Shiva's time' or 'a union between husband (male) and wife (female) based on the fulfillment of forming an ideal family for raising an ideal child.' Any of these type of definitions would been much more appropriate. Because to only say 'viva’ha means marriage' is very misleading.
(b) In the book, "The Awakening of Women", the publishers inserted a glossary where they merely define viva’ha as marriage. They wrote one word - that's it. Here again the publishers created a special place to define and describe the term viva’ha but they failed to use any of Baba's dharmic tenets. Yet viva’ha itself is such a key component for the upliftment of humanity and grants women and mothers an entirely new status. And in the book "The Awakening of Women" the publishers utterly neglected to put a proper definition of viva’ha in the glossary. That undermines the very purpose of the book.
The problems associated with the Ananda Marga Dictionary's definition of viva’ha do not exist in isolation. Verily there are dozens and dozens of terms - even hundreds - that are improperly defined in that Dictionary by those publishers. Unfortunately, many of the definitions do not reflect Baba's given teachings of Ananda Marga. That is why the entire dictionary needs a comprehensive review, not just one single definition.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
References
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
2. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
3. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
4. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Disc 9
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
हे बाबा! तुम अनादि अनन्त हो, तुम्हारे नाम और गीतों को गाते हुये मेरा जीवन
प्रभात संगीत 2147 अपार अनन्त तुमि, कि वा जानि आमि...
भावार्थ
हे परम पुरुष! तुम अंतहीन और अनन्त हो, मैं एक छोटा जीव, मैं तुम्हारे गुणों का वर्णन कैसे कर सकता हूूॅं। बाबा, मेरे दिन केवल तुम्हारी कृपा से गुजर रहे हैं। मैं तुम्हें प्रेम करता हॅूं, तुम्हारा चिंतन करते हुए और तुम्हारे गीत गाते हुये, तुम्हारी इच्छा और अपार करुणा से तुम्हारे रास्ते पर चल रहा हॅूं।
हे परमपुरुष ! हे बाबा! तुम्हारे दिव्य प्रेम प्रवाह में डूबकर उन स्पंदनों को अनुभव करते हुए रोता हॅूं, हंसता हॅूं। हे प्रभो! मैं तुम्हारे कार्य के लिये धरती पर बार बार आता हॅूं। तुम मेरे जीवन को जिस प्रकार उपयोग में लाना चाहते हो, वैसा इसे चलाओ।
हे दिव्य सत्ता! शास्त्रों की विवेचना, दर्शनशास्त्र या जड़-विज्ञान के अध्ययन से कोई भी तुम्हें नहीं जान सकता, तुम्हारा पता भी नहीं लगा सकता। बाबा! तुम्हारी इच्छा और अपार करुणा से ही सब कार्य होते हैं ।
हे परमपुरुष, हे बाबा! तुम अनादि अनन्त हो, तुम्हारे नाम और गीतों को गाते हुये मेरा जीवन तुम्हारी इच्छा के अनुसार ही चल रहा है। (1)
Reference
1. Trans: Dr. T.R.S
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Useful and useless dreams
Ananda Marga ideology states, “In sleep if the flatulent gas moves upwards on account of stomach trouble or if there is some nervous disturbance, the brain and the sub-conscious mind will become agitated. Our previously imagined or felt objects reappear in our subconscious mind in a disjointed form. This we call a dream. Obviously such a dream is of no consequence. Not only that, the story formed therein will not be well-knit as it consists of merely the re-appearance of the objects, stored in the different parts of the brain. There is yet another type of dream. The Atimánas kośa (supramental mind) is the store-house of all knowledge. At times a premonition of a coming be great happiness or sorrow, which only the omniscient causal frame can visualize, is created during deep slumber in the subconscious mind of an individual, who is deeply concerned with that particular happiness or sorrow. Such dreams do not take place very often. Nevertheless such a dream does carry the prognosis of a true event.” (1)
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 2, The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 4
== Section 2: Links ==
Recent postings Other topics of interest
