The Dharma Dispatch

“Come, I am now going to Dictate the National Song!” This is the firsthand story narrating the origins of how Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed India's national song, Vande Mataram. Some excerpts from the story are given below. ---- Vande Mataram was the off-spring of much thinking and dreaming. It was not composed until the [Anandamath] volume had been half finished. Suddenly the two younger men, who lived close to Bankim’s house, heard a voice and a knock at their door. They got up and found Bankim himself, his handsome features aglow. Bankim said: “Come, I am now going to dictate the National Song!” --- Read the inspirational story in full! https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/come-i-am-now-going-to-dictate-the-national-song-or-how-vande-mataram-was-composed

Why Dāna-śāsanas are Central to Hindu History https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/the-three-elements-of-hindu-inscriptions-and-why-d%C4%81na-%C5%9B%C4%81sanas-are-central-to-hindu-history

The World of Saarthas: Concluding Notes A deep and sustained study of the Saartha system is one of the definitive guides to learn the real history of Bharatavarsha. We see the continuity of the Saartha system in our own day in the form of handloom exhibitions, toy fairs, etc., held in various cities and towns throughout India. --- This is the concluding episode of our series on Saarthas. Do read and share widely. 🙏🪔 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/the-world-of-saarthas-concluding-notes

The Saartha as a Reflection of the Harmonious Sanatana Social Order A Saartha was also a vast, living proof of the social and cultural unity and indivisibility of ancient India, reflected through trade and commerce. An extensive study of the Saartha system helps us in puncturing the mass of deliberate falsehoods regarding the Hindu social system. It conclusively shows that people from all Varnas, professions and classes and philosophical sects mingled with one another in great harmony. --- Read this important essay in full! https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/the-saartha-as-a-reflection-of-the-harmonious-sanatana-social-order

Jadunath Sarkar spent a fortune from his pocket for building a vast and invaluable personal library, which became the single-most hub for studying the medieval history of India https://www.dharmadispatch.in/dispatches/when-jadunath-sarkars-personal-library-became-the-single-source-for-studying-the-medieval-history-of-india

Maritime Saarthas: An Invitation to an Active Life of Adventure, Health and Karma Yoga The more we explore ancient India, the more we realise how less we know. Here's a miniature of the awesome universe of Samudra Saarthas or Maritime Caravans in ancient India. Did you know for example, that Sopara, the present-day suburb of Mumbai, once had a thriving college that taught Nautical Science or Niryana-Sutra? This and a wealth of other precious information is contained in this episode. Read the whole thing! 😀📑🪔⛵ https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/maritime-saarthas-an-invitation-to-an-active-life-of-adventure-health-and-karma-yoga

Exploring the Mindboggling Universe of a Saartha Even a cursory study of the functions of the Saarthavaaha is nothing short of mind-boggling. The Saarthavaha represents the very pinnacle of business leadership, and our contemporary corporate heads might greatly benefit from an exhaustive study of these genius-level business leaders of ancient India. The Indian caravan leaders extended their activities from Tamralipti in the Bay of Bengal to Antioch in Syria, from Java to Kedah, and to the ports of Cholamandala and to Alexandria and East African ports. The Saarthavaha and his activities present a moving picture of the two millennia of Indian trade. --- Read this phenomenal essay in full! https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/exploring-the-mindboggling-universe-of-a-saartha