Sanskrit Mysteries Of Vedic India

Located in the city of Dwaraka, on the west coast of India in Gujarat, is the famous temple of Dwarakadhish, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna, the Lord of Dwaraka. Among the seven holy cities of India, it is considered to be one of the most sacred. Another list includes Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanchipuram, and Ujjain. It is believed that the original temple of Dwarakadhish was built by the great-grandson of Krishna, Vajranabha, on the ruins of Krishna's own palace, which survived the tsunami intact. The ancient, famed city of Dwaraka did exist during the Krishnavatara's reign some five thousand years ago. It is no longer visible since it lies at the bottom of the ocean. The poets, writers, saints, and sages of ancient India have all praised the majesty and beauty of Dwaraka. Several Hindu texts, including the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Skanda Purana, the Vishnu Purana, Harivamsha, and the Mahabharata, refer to it as the "Golden City.". A verse in the Bhagavatam says: "The golden fort of Dwaraka City had its yellow glitter all around it, as if the flames of Vadavagni (the fire of eternity) had come out and tore the sea asunder." It was a thriving port and had a harbor on an island nearby. Dwaraka must have been the largest port on the Indian coast during the third millennium BC according to the number, size, and variety of stone anchors. Some fifty stone anchors are visible, but hundreds have been buried in the sediment. It is probably because of this that the city received its name. Dwaraka, which means "gate" in Sanskrit, was perhaps the gate that enabled ancient civilizations to access the ports. Cities of the West used seafaring to enter India's vast subcontinent. Ka in Sanskrit also means "Brahma," so perhaps it was devoted to Brahma, the creator of the Hindu trinity.

The Hinduism of today is a vast and diverse religion, but its roots can be traced back thousands of years to the Vedas. The Rig Veda is an ancient text that outlines the beliefs of early Hindus, including their pantheon of deities. There are many different types of gods in the Hindu tradition (more than 330 million). Still, some hold special significance in the ancient texts: Rudra, Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva are just some examples. The word "Hinduism" is derived from Sindhu, which means river. The Indus River flows through Pakistan and the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. The religion is also called Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law) or Bhagavata Dharma (Divine Faith). Hinduism is the world's oldest living major religion. Ancient India's first civilization developed around 2200 B.C., with its roots in Vedic civilization dating back to 1500 B.C. It has no founder, but various sages have written many religious texts over some time, including Vedas (the hymns), Upanishads (philosophical treatises), Puranas(mythology), Ramayana, and Mahabharata epics, as well as treatises on ethics like Manusmriti. The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and one of India's most important ancient texts. It is a collection of over 10,000 Sanskrit hymns that many different poets wrote. The hymns are dedicated to the gods and goddesses of ancient India, including Indra, Agni (the God of fire), Ushas (Dawn), Sarasvati (Goddess of wisdom), Soma (Moon), and Varuna (God). There are many deities in Hinduism, but they can be broadly categorized into two main groups: Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons). The Devas represent the forces of good, while the Asuras represent the forces of evil; however, there is often an overlap between these two categories. Some well-known Devas include Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), Shiva/Rudra/Pashupati (the Destroyer), Indra/Agni (king of gods who controls rain and thunderstorms), etc. Some well-known Asuras include Vritra ("dragon"), Hiranyaksha ("golden arm"), and Hiranyakashipu ("lord with golden arms"). The names of these deities may vary from region to region depending on which text you reference; for example, Vishnu may also be known as Narayana or Hari among some communities within South India.

Deep in lost history, did high civilizations and advanced knowledge thrive? The ancient Vedic literatures of India describe a worldwide civilization that flourished at a time when modern historians insist that humans like us existed simply as hunter-gatherers. This Vedic civilization, centered in India, employed technologies based on a scientific under­standing of the physical elements and forces we know today, as well as more subtle conscious elements. Devamrita Swami, who has spent a lifetime in his own search for Vedic India, takes us on a journey of intellectual discovery through the history of the remarkable Vedic civilization and its knowledge, locked in the ancient literatures of India. His wit and wisdom combine to make our search for Vedic India not only illuminating but entertaining. He tells us not only the truths of Vedic India, but how they are again coming to be. Searching for Vedic India thus takes us not only into the past, but into the future.