This Is A Call Out Post. This Is Not Coming From A Feminist, But A Hindu.

Sant Tulsidas (2/2)

Sant Tulsidas’ influence extended far beyond literature.

He is often credited with popularizing Ramlila, the dramatic retelling of the Ramayana. Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, and the language of choice Awadhi, inspired its widespread adoption, making it a central part of cultural and religious celebrations across India.

Monuments dedicated to Tulsidas, such as the Tulsidas Smarak Bhavan in Varanasi and the Tulsidas Temple in Ayodhya, stand as tributes to his lasting legacy.

Tulsidas’ works, especially the Ramcharitmanas and Hanuman Chalisa, are still widely referenced in pop culture, from television shows to films and music.

You shouldn't expect a reward for something that is expected of you.

Just like when you're a parent, you are expected to support your kid, give them a good upbringing. You shouldn't expect rewards in return. The same goes for feminism. If you think your feminist views deserve a clap or a pat on the back, choose a better reason.

men lose their masculinity (the social reward for correctly performed manhood) through advocating for, sympathizing with, or doing labor that is allocated to women.

(and I'm not talking about some innate, spiritual, or psychological masculinity. I mean social masculinity--being regarded by higher ranking men as masculine.)

you genuinely do lose your current standing if you meaningfully and consistently object to the economic, legal, and interpersonal status of women, especially in ways that implicate men around you.

many men believe that if they are willing to do this, occasionally, then they are owed a recuperation of their masculinity through some other means.

if they are sacrificing masculinity through advocating for women politically, then they expect to bolster their masculinity through receiving expressions of gratitude and adoration by women ("feminist men are so hot" "consent is sexy" "pro-choice men get laid more" etc.) or they expect to bolster their masculinity through emasculating other men by asserting the standards of masculinity they adhere to are the "real" masculinity ("real men support women" "sexists are immature boys, I'm a man" "I'm secure in my masculinity and they're insecure" etc.)

to dismantle patriarchy, you need to be able to advocate for women even when it means losing gendered status. other men mostly will not respect you, and many misogynist women will not respect you either. it might not get you laid or praised or validated. in fact, it will probably subject you to increased scrutiny and criticism (because feminized subjects are always subject to such, and if you lose social masculinity, you too will experience this to some degree).

will you still advocate for women even if there is no social benefit and only social cost? do you have principles, or do you just want the fantasy of being a benevolent ruler?

The amount of मटका-s and सुराही-s I've broken as a kid and as a teen in summers is insane. I don't know how my parents found the courage to forgive me each time. We used to buy it in UP during summer vacation but never were able to carry it to Mumbai. All thanks to me.

सुराही-s have those intricate details and my mother is fond of such pottery. And I've broken multiple. It's the American equivalent of breaking your mother's favourite vase or favourite china dish

matke ka paani has no right to be so goddamn delicious!

Understanding Hindu Scriptures-

Hinduism consists of an extensive collection of ancient religious writings and oral accounts that expound upon eternal truths, some of which Hindus believe to have been divinely revealed and realized by their ancient sages and enlightened individuals. Hindu scriptures (such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, and Puranas), epics (the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana), lawbooks, and other philosophical and denominational texts, have been passed on for generations through an oral and written tradition.

Since spiritual seekers have different levels of understanding, scriptural teachings are presented in a variety of ways to provide guidance to all seekers. Scripture in Hinduism, however, does not have the same place as it does in many other religious traditions. While the Vedas and other sacred writings are considered valid sources for knowledge about God, other means of knowledge, such as personal experience of the Divine, are regarded highly as well. Some Hindu philosophers have taught that these other means of knowledge should be seen as secondary to scripture. But other Hindu philosophers have taught that religious experience can be considered equal or even superior to scriptural teachings.

Hindu scriptures are classified broadly into two categories: Shruti and Smriti. The word Shruti literally means "heard", and consists of what Hindus believe to be eternal truths akin to natural law. Hindus believe these truths are contained in the vibrations of the universe. It was the ancient sages, Hindus say, who realized these eternal truths through their meditation, and then transmitted them orally. The term Shruti is generally applied to the Vedas and includes the Upanishads, which constitute the fourth and final part of the Vedas. These texts are revered as "revealed" or divine in origin and are believed to contain the foundational truths of Hinduism. Eternal truths are said to be realized by those with open and spiritual minds.

The second category of scripture is Smriti, which literally means "memory," and is distinguished from Shruti in terms of its origin. These texts are designed to help Hindus "remember" the teachings of Shruti. For many Hindus, all other scriptural texts are loosely classified as Smriti. Teachings in Smriti texts are meant to be read and interpreted in light of changing circumstances over kala (time), desha (land), and guna (personality). These texts are intended to create structure for society, and must be flexible in response to changing history, geography, and communities.

Although there is variation across Hindu denominations in regard to what is classified Shruti or Smriti, a discussion of the major Hindu scriptures follows.

Shruti Texts -

Vedas:

The word Veda means "knowledge". There are four Vedas: Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva, of which the Rig Veda is the oldest. It has over 10,000 mantras that deal with a wide range of topics. Some Hindus see the Vedas as texts expounding on rituals and Gods, whereas others see them as teaching metaphysical and spiritual truths about God and the soul. While there is general agreement that the Vedas are at least over three thousand years old, there is little agreement on just how old they are. Evidence is scarce and estimates of their age vary widely, from 1200 BCE to thousands of years earlier than that.

Upanishads: These texts contain an extensive exploration of the methods of understanding the self, God, and the nature of the world. There are more than a hundred Upanishads. The Upanishads, along with the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras, constitute the primary basis for the practice of Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge.

Smriti Texts -

Upavedas: The Upavedas consist of four main texts. The first text deals with ayurveda, the science of health and life, and outlines how to cure disease and prevent it. Dhanurveda is about the science of warfare. Gandharvaveda is the study of aesthetics, and delineates art forms such as singing, dancing, writing poetry, creating sculptures, etc. The Arthashastra deals with public administration, governance, economy, and politics.

Vedangas: There are a number of auxiliary texts known collectively as Vedanga- some of them are considered Shruti, but they fall under Smriti for the most part. They cover a range of topics: oral chanting of scripture (shiksha), grammar (vyakarana), prosody (chhandas), etymology (nirukta), astronomy (yotisha), and obligatory rituals (kalpa).

Puranas: Stories in the Puranas translate the meanings of the ancient Shruti scriptures and teach them to the masses by explaining the teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads through stories and parables. There are eighteen major Puranas (Mahapuranas) and many minor ones (upapuranas) that have compiled stories and narratives over many centuries, Each Purana tells stories around a principal character- either about a specific form of the Divine (or God) or a sage. They cover a wide range of sacred and secular topics such as the manifestations of God; teachings on dharma, karma, death, and rebirth; the use of mantras and other religious observances; the significance of sacred sites for pilgrimages; the importance of service; genealogies of kings and sages; cosmology; ayurveda; and astrology. Ancient, modern, and contemporary Hindu beliefs and religious practices are derived in large part from the Puranas.

Ramayana: This popular epic tells the life story the noble prince named Rama, whom Hindus believe to be an incarnation of the Divine. Prince Rama suffers year of exile and many hardships while destroying powerful demons before returning to rule his kingdom. This epic portrays several characters who embody ideal qualities and conduct. Among them are Rama himself as the ideal man; Sita as the ideal woman and emblem of strength; Hanuman as the ideal devotee of Rama; and Lakshmana and Bharata as devoted brothers. There are numerous versions of the Ramayana, of which the most well-known are those by the original author Sage Valmiki and the poet-saint Tulsidas. These texts are recited by devoted Hindus at the home and in devotional gatherings, and are also the basis for popular children's stories, dances, and dramatic performances. Additionally, many consult the scripture for guidance on everyday life. Homages to the Ramayana can be seen all around Southeast Asia through architecture and dramatic renderings of the epic.

Mahabharata: With over 100,000 verses, the Mahabharat is a historical epic, and is the longest poem the world has known. It is seven times the combined length of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Based on an extended conflict between two branches of the Kaurava family, the Mahabharata is a trove of stories and discourses on the practice of Dharma. As a scripture, its primary messages are the importance of truth, justice, self sacrifice, and the upholding of Dharma, the need for complete devotion to God, and the ultimate futility of war. Embedded in the Mahabharata is a text of special scriptural significance -- the Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is a primary scripture for Hindus. Although it is a tiny part of the Mahabharata and technically classed as a Smriti text, it is traditionally accorded the rank of an Upanishad. The Bhagavad Gita is believed to divulge a number of truths and life lessons by Krishna, who Hindus believe to be an incarnation of the Divine. Krishna is speaking to Arjun, a warrior prince, who is in the middle of a battlefield trying to decide whether it is dharmic or not to fight in a war with his family members, friends, and teachers. Krishna describes to Arjun why it is dharmic for him to pick up arms in this situation, and fight the force that is disrupting peace for citizens all over India. Though fighting goes against the idea of ahimsa, or non-violence, Arjun's dharma as a prince is to use his skills to fight injustice to make his kingdom a safe and peaceful place for all his citizens. The Bhagavad Gita is meant to help one understand that upholding dharma can be challenging, especially in situations where there is not a clear right or wrong. In modern times, many people, including non-Hindus, have read the Gita.

Dharma Shastras: This class of texts that explains how Dharma is maintained in daily life. The texts deal with a wide range of topics: the responsibilities of each ashrama (stage of life), civil and criminal law, dietary rules, festivals, pilgrimages, charity, etc. Since these texts are part of Smriti, not Shruti, their teachings are subject to re-interpretation to suit differences in time and place. There are numerous texts composed by various authors over many centuries.

Darshana Shastras: These are six philosophical texts that are the basis for the six major schools of Hindu philosophy. Two of the most widely studied are the Brahma Sutras by Sage Vyasa and the Yoga Sutras by Sage Patanjali.

Agama Shastras: Ancient and numerous, including many that have been lost over the centuries, these texts deal with practical aspects of devotion and worship, including personal and temple rituals and practices.

Bhakti Texts: From ancient to contemporary times the teachings, poems, and songs composed by saints in regional languages have been a major source of inspiration. They convey simple messages of devotion, dharma, and spiritual practice through the language of the local people throughout all parts of India and beyond

The plethora of scriptures is not as bewildering as they might appear at first sight. Most Hindus receive their religious education from family traditions and discourses by spiritual leaders. Individual Hindus follow the prayers and teachings of the sect to which they belong and possibly the more specific teachings of a guru (spiritual teacher). Few directly access the Vedas and Upanishads that provide the foundation for all other scriptures in Hinduism, many read commentaries about these scriptures instead. The stories from the Puranas and epics and songs composed by saints are the most common vehicles of religious education.

Key Takeaways-

• The Vedas are the foundational texts of Hinduism

• Hindu scriptures are numerous and diverse and are meant to provide a guide to each individual on their unique path

Any idiot.. and by that I mean ANY FUCKING IDIOT who is moaning and groaning that terrorism has no religion and are curtaining the issue by general ass statements like it is a humanitarian issue not a religious issue are not only ignorant ass fools salivating for a disembowelment by their so called Muslim brothers but are also the worst kind of cowards I have come across. You dont have the balls to call a spade a spade. You dont have the guts to look truth in the face.

So take your pseudo secular bullshit and selective compassion and whinning about Hindu Muslim unity and fuck right off.

We have had enough.

We have had ENOUGH!

Hindus have been invaded and forcefully converted and mercilessly slaughtered and inhumanly raped and hacked and cut and beaten and thrashed out of their homes and livelihoods and humiliated, their places of worship uprooted and desecrated, their voices strangled under the guise of the Gandhian idea of secularism and their very right to exist threatened time and again from an era immemorial.

We have had fucking enough of the so called liberal West and their ideas of how we should live. We have had fucking enough of Pakistan's nonsense and Bangladesh's problems and the supposed 'minority' community's victim posturing. We have had enough of sidestepping and whitewashing and glorification of the Islamic invasion and their relentless terrorist attacks on us.

We have had fucking enough of showing the other cheek.

I will not live my life with the fear of practicing my own religion. I will not live in the shadows, spine bent, and apologetic about my own existence. I will not live my life catering to the hypocrites and the cowards who consistently blind themselves to my people's pain and humiliation.

We cannot live in peace and harmony with these fuckers no matter how ideal and utopian it sounds. They won't let us. Their religion won't let us. Their faith and belief and the so-called education they have received from generations won't let us. These people who laugh at the misery of those poor hindu women and children crying beside the bodies of their husbands and fathers. These animals who celebrate this horror show on social media and congratulate the terrorists. These monsters who would rather be politically correct and appear secular than open their eyes to the reality of this nightmare.

Stop enabling this stupid foolish phyrric dream of Hindu Muslim unity and come back to the fucking ground from the clouds you idiots.

And to the rest, go the hell for real.

Take your sucidal ideations and your superiority complex and your religeous beliefs which call Hindus infidels and kafirs and ask you all to tear down our existence for some hedonistic faith of purification and your fucking 72 fairies and burn in hell.

If I had even an iota of ascetic merit, I would have cursed you all to get wiped off the face of the Earth.

You've read Middlemarch? No one in my friend circle has. And no one would given how long it is.

U know the book is good when you start the review like this.

Their source is a random x/twitter post. The xenophobia is so evident here.

Indian lies exposed by a plethora of international audiences, all singing praises of PAF and the befitting response it gave to the bleak Indian cunts.

India has now broken their ceasefire after begging U.S. for one (source: https://x.com/sumonkais/status/1921255188800958668?t=dq3PuFCIOmcqcLbNduigZQ&s=19) and attacked further airbases. Pussies. Asked for the CF and then stabbed again.

Adding to it

1. Karn was a grown up adult picking fights with literal teenagers. He wasn't some poor guy getting bullied. He was trying to climb the ladder and he knew Dhritarashtra sits on the throne and Duryodhana is the crown prince so he became friends with him instead of the Pandavas. And the result - he was made king of Anga. The same duryodhana who insulted Vidur for being born to a handmaiden bestows an entire kingdom to another low-born man. Isn't that surprising?

2. Eklavya was also a grown up adult. He's Krishna's contemporary not Pandavas'. He was a prince and yes he was also a cousin to Krishna. And Dronacharya was a rajguru. A rajguru is dedicated to teaching the kids of only that particular royal family. Think of Rishi Vashisht being the rajguru for Suryavansh.

3. Vidur was a prime minister to the Kuru kingdom. And later to the Pandavas. Krishna decided to eat and stay at Vidur's home instead of the Kuru palace. Duryodhana insulted Vidur right before the Kurukshetra war and Vidur broke his bow and decided not to side with the Kauravas in the war. Now why would he own a bow? Was he trained in archery? Does that mean he was treated equal to his half brothers? The answer is yes. Oh also he was married to a princess from some unnamed kingdom( or maybe I just don't remember it). Also he left for the forest along with Kunti, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. Because guess what? he was family.

I would actually like to add here that Vishwamitra was a Kshatriya first and then turned into a rishi, to become a brahmrishi. So yes the caste system was based on karma and not janma like someone mentioned already

One of my favourite things that I came across while reading ancient history is when Varahmir straight up countered Budhhist Sutras’ and Dharmshastras’ claims of women being “seductresses capable of straying learned men” by pointing out “bro. Its you. You’re the one whose looking at her the wrong way. You’re the problem here.”

Sri Rama Setu