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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00065 Sep 2002

 
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Contd: From Part I (Vedics and Hindu) Q&A Session.

=====================================================
Q 3: If we are called Vedics, then what does Hindu actually mean then?
=====================================================

One popular notion is that Hinduism is the derivation of a series of geographic
landmarks: 

HIMALAYAM SAMARABHYA YAVAT BINDUSAROVARAM
HINDUSTHANAMITI QYATAM HI ANTARAKSHARAYOGATAH 

"The country lying between the Himalayan mountain and Bindu Sarovara 
(Cape Comorin sea) is known as Hindusthan by combination of the first letter 
`hi' of `Himalaya' and the last compound letter `ndu' of the word `Bindu.'"

This thought may have some basis in fact. 
History reveals that the term Hindu came from the Arabic word Al-hind, 
denoting the land south of the Indus River valley from which the Arabs took 
slaves. 

The word Hindu was derived from the Iranian word sindhu, literally referring to 
the 
?Indus river? and the culture pertaining to Sind, the Indus Valley. 

Due to the phonetics of the Persian language, the ?S? of Sind became an H. 
This is how the people to the South of the Indus Valley came to be known 
as ?Hindus? by the Persians. This name has been used by Mid-Easterners 
and was later re-enforced by the invading Moguls, who used it in a derogatory 
way to refer to their slaves.

It is important to note that this name "Hindu" refers to a people, 
not the faith that they practice. 

Vedic religion is universal in its precepts, and is available to anyone, 
irrespective of race, caste, creed or gender.

=====================================================
Q 4: How do you explain the term Indian? 
=====================================================
India is simply an ancient Greek form of Hindu, with the ?H?in Persian, 
changed to ? I? in Greek. Ancient Greek: Indikos and Latin: Indicus 

=====================================================
Q5: So ?Hindus? are the people born in India, and not the followers of
a religion. This is not what is being understood today. How do you explain?
=====================================================
Over the years of Mogul and British rule, our desire for spiritual knowledge
and proper Vedic understanding has become less and less important to the 
thirst for material success that these outside rulers have infused into our 
thoughts and lives. 
Consequently, even basic knowledge of what is truly Vedic is being lost to 
what is at best, a more cultural understanding of the importance of religion 
in our lives. But, whatever be the popular opinion, the fact remains that 
Hindus 
do not make up a religious community. 

The term Hindu has little to do with religion

=====================================================
Q 6: So what makes a Vedic religious community? 
=====================================================
A proper understanding of Vedas and Vedic life is something that does not 
only better us on individual levels, but can better us as a community, and 
indeed, as a society as a whole. 

Such an understanding, however, can only come about through a commitment to 
learning from proper teachers, who represent a pure non-diluted understanding 
of our Vedic wisdom. 
Such teachers, the Acharyas and gurus, are pillars for religion in Vedic 
society, 
because people don?t normally ?belong? to churches or temples as do people of 
other faiths. 
So, a community that is centered on service to the Acharyas and service to
their disciples is what makes a good Vedic community, and it is this community 
that is the very 
heart of what the Vedic religious tradition is all about.

======================================================
Q 6: So who are the True Acaryas?
======================================================
We had a session on Acharyas and their unique role. The transcipt of that 
session is available at http://www.radioramanuja.com/docs/mag.htm. 

Further questions to ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
======================================================
azhwAr emperumAnAr JeeyAr thiruvadigalE sharanam

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi
http://www.radioramanuja.com




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