[world-vedic] Vedic/Indian/Hindu?Holy Days

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Hello Jan, thank you for joining and for your interest in Vedic Culture. About

the terms Vedic/Indian/Hindu, I personally believe Vedic is the most accurate

term to use. However Hindu and Indian are also applicable. Yet the latter two

terms are a bit more limited when referring to the vastness of Vedic culture.

 

 

Most scholars agree that the term Hindu is a foreign application. It is said

that the Persians called the people in and beyond the Indus region, the Hindus.

One is actually quite challenged to find the term Hindu in any of the Vedic

literatures, though I have seen one report which says the term Hindu is derived

from the region bordered by the HI-malayas on the north etc. I can’t recall the

exact statement but I have it somewhere in my archives. (This reminds me to look

it up.) However, it is generally believed that just as the Native Americans were

arbitrarily named “Indians” the people of Bharat (the Indians) were called

Hindus. I personally use the term when dealing with the public in general

because there is no doubt that Hinduism is rooted in Vedic Culture and it is

often the easiest way to orient people in the right direction.

 

 

The Vedic name for India is Bharat and to this day India is called Bharat by the

Indian people. Thus we have the current government of India known as the BJP/

Bharatiya Janata Party or Indian People’s Party. The term Indian, when applied

to Vedic Culture can be misleading because India is home to many traditions and

cultures, some of which actually reject Vedic Culture. India is the place that

has managed to maintain the Vedic Culture and has kept it a living culture to

this day.

 

 

According to the Vedic conclusion, up until the 2nd millennium BCE Vedic Culture

was flourishing worldwide. That is why the Vedic Scriptures call the Earth

planet, Bharat-Varsha. As the centuries went by, the various Vedic societies

around the world lost the guidance of the Vedic scriptures and Vedic Sages. Even

in India this was the case. By the time Lord Buddha appeared, Vedic Culture

declined to such a point that the sacred Yanja (Yagya) Fire Sacrifices were

being used to slaughter animals on a mass scale. This along with the abuse of

the caste system created a condition of cultural degradation. Therefore Lord

Buddha rejected the Vedas and thus arrested the decline of Vedic Culture. It is

a complex subject. However in other parts of the world, the decline of Vedic

Culture continued. Thus we find such a high incidence of human sacrifice and

other horrendous abuses of Divine doctrine and tradition in various ancient

cultures.

 

One of the greatest Vedic scholars of the modern era, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada, stated that the responsibility for the degradation of Vedic Culture

lies with the caste conscious members of the Brahmana, or priestly caste. By

fanatical application of the caste system, Vedic culture was at times so rigid

and harsh that people became completely disenchanted and welcomed the philosophy

of Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism, etc. as an alternative.

 

 

Fortunately, many great saints and Avatars continued to restore the essence of

Vedic culture and its practical application throughout the ages. The story of

Jesus and the Pharisees is echoed over and over again in the struggles of many

Vedic Saints who were constantly opposed by fanatic members of the priestly

class. Of course a majority of the Brahmanas were high and pious souls, and we

have them to thank for preserving the Vedic record. I am referring to the

negative activities of a fanatic minority, which abused their positions as the

leaders of Vedic society. Fanatics can be found in virtually any group and the

damage they can do is dependent on the amount of power they wield.

 

 

 

After the spread of Buddhism in India, Vedic Culture was finally restored by

Shri Shankaracharya who taught a philosophy similar to Buddhism. To do this,

rather than reject the Vedic scriptures, he promoted them as the source of

Knowledge. Since his time, Vedic culture has been flourishing in India. Not

until recent times has it begun to take root once again in the rest of the

world. So it is important to recognize that Vedic Culture is the World’s

Heritage and it is not solely an Indian domain. But because 80% of India’s

people practice Hinduism which is rooted in Vedic Culture, the three terms are

all inter-related.

 

 

 

About the festivals and holidays; It is interesting to note that holiday comes

from the word Holy Day. Traditionally holidays have always been related to

special days with a high spiritual significance. Even the various auspicious

astrological events almost all have a connection to God, a Goddess, Demigod, or

Divine Being. Actually there are many sacred Vedic occasions that commemorate

saints and Divine Beings who are not considered Gods etc. but through their

actions they are respected as much as God because they are Godly and Divine in

their characters.

 

 

 

Within every week, Mondays are considered holy and many devout Shaivites,

followers of Lord Shiva, observe fasts on this day.

 

Tuesdays are special days for honoring Hanuman, the Great Monkey Devotee of Lord

Rama and incarnation of Lord Shiva.

 

Also every 11th day of the Moon is called Ekadashi. This occurs about twice a

month and it is a very sacred day to the Vaishnavas, or devotees of Lord

Vishnu/Krishna. On this day, one refrains from eating grains and beans.

Following this fast, along with chanting the Holy Names of God, is considered

one of the best ways to clear up bad karma and develop pure devotional love for

God.

 

The Vedic calendar goes by the moon rather than the Sun, so Holy days are not

observed on the same calendar day every year. What follows is a list of some of

the primary auspicious days for the next 2 months.

 

April 18: Chandana Yatra starts and lasts 21 days.

 

April 23: Appearance of Goddess Sita Devi, the consort of Lord Rama, and the

Appearance of Goddess Jahnavi Devi, Consort of Lord Nityananda.(A very good day

for worshiping the Divine Mother.)

 

April 26: Mohini Ekadashi 11th day of the moon

 

April 28: Nrisimha Chaturdashi, Appearance of Lord Nrisimha, (Vishnu’s Lion Man

Avatar)

 

April 30: Full Moon and Appearance of Madhavendra Puri and Shrinivasa (2 great

Saints frm Medieval India)

 

May 5: Disappearance of Ramananda Ray (Another Saint frm Medieval India)

 

May 11: Apara Ekadashi

 

Appearance refers to Birth and Disappearance Passing away

 

So I hope I have answered your questions satisfactorily. I have posted your

message for all the list members to read and I am hoping they can also add some

of their wisdom, in reply to your questions. Namaste and Pranam, Brin Davan

 

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