The Dharma Dispatch

The Dharma Dispatch Bestsellers 2022   A list of the most read pieces on The Dharma Dispatch in 2022. ---   AT THE OUTSET, the entire Dharma Dispatch team takes great pleasure to wish our readership a very happy 2023, according to the Gregorian calendar.   In 2022, we published 200-plus essays woven around our core focus areas: Hindu civilisation, culture and history. Without further ado, here is a list of the 10 essays that elicited the maximum response from you.  As always, it was an year full of learning and exploration and a continued reaffirmation of our commitment to bring the best elements of the Sanatana civilisational heritage to our readership. We measure the extent of our success in our pursuit of this sacred endeavour by the nature and mien of your response. And your response has been rather overwhelming to say the least.  So, a heartfelt note of thanks for all of you who have loved our content and supported our sacred work with contributions and messages of encouragement.  -- Happy reading! 🪔🛕🙏📑📝🪔 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/dispatches/the-dharma-dispatch-bestsellers-2022

A Case Study of the Colonised World of Indian Publishers in English https://open.substack.com/pub/thedharmadispatch/p/a-case-study-of-the-colonised-world?utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

When Jadunath Sarkar’s Personal Library Became the Single Source for Studying the Medieval History of India   After 1897 when I set myself to making truly original researches in Indo-Muslim history, I devoted my resources mainly to acquiring Persian, Marathi and French manuscripts and printed volumes of State-papers.   The result is that today my collection of Persian manuscripts and Marathi printed sources is indispensable to the students of our mediaeval history, as it has brought together in one place the necessary works which are scattered in many towns of India and the famous public libraries of Europe —  India Office, British Museum, the Bodleian, the Bibliotheque Nationale of Paris, and the then Royal Library of Berlin, besides Kazvini’s metrical history of Nadir Shah of which there is only one manuscript in the world, in Leningrad.   There is no end to this quest, this search for buried truth, which we call research. Truly has the ancient Sanskrit poet said: “Time has no end and the world is vast.” -- This is how one must pursue an abiding passion -- with total dedication and unwavering focus. Read the whole inspirational piece! 📑📝🕉🪔 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/dispatches/when-jadunath-sarkars-personal-library-became-the-single-source-for-studying-the-medieval-history-of-india

*Aurangzeb and the Art of Conversion with Sandeep Balakrishna* -- Please do watch and share 🙏🏽☺️ https://youtu.be/lYlmmrTs8Mk

How Acharya Jadunath Sarkar Built his Personal Library -- Here are some delightful and hugely inspiring excerpts from the reminisces in which Acharya Jadunath Sarkar tells us how he built his personal library. Excellent read! ☺️👍 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/dispatches/how-acharya-jadunath-sarkar-built-his-personal-library

Aparigraha: An Original Sanatana Ideal and Societal Value   An outline exposition of Aparigraha or non-covetousness, one of the profoundest ideals birthed by the Sanatana genius. -- Aparigraha aims at gradually reducing and finally eliminating ahanakara or ego, a key aspect embodied in all our Darshanas. A person that has fully cultivated aparigraha eventually comes to embody it, and releases himself/herself of the psychological states of fear and the need to always be in control, and ultimately enjoys that highest freedom: that which comes from leading a life unfettered by anxiety of any sort.   Aparigraha has been recognized by all Dharma Shastra texts as a foundational and powerful motivator of Daana or charity. This shared cultural and civilizational consciousness is at work behind why even to this day we witness enormously wealthy people standing by the wayside at say the Vaishno Devi or other yatras and serving buttermilk or food to the pilgrims, erecting massive pandals, free rest houses and so on. -- Do read the ennobling essay in full. 🛕🕉🪔🙏 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/aparigraha-an-original-sanatana-ideal-and-societal-value

The Chilling Parallels Between the Mughal Dynasty and the Congress Dynasty: The Sleazy Character of the Courtiers   WHAT WAS THE BASIC CHARACTER and mindset and motivation of these foreigners who were allowed by the Nehru dynasty to acquire such fearsome power?    For the answer, we turn to the next parallel with the Mughal empire.   One of the most popular methods to secure a job in the Mughal empire was to find a patron who would introduce him to the sultan. If the sultan liked the candidate, a formal appointment letter was granted. The emphasis is on the word like because there was no test of fitness, and no educational qualification or work experience was sought. No rules were set for increments or promotions, and everything was based on whim and loyalty and intrigue.”   This is more or less how the Nehru dynasty ruled. By creating a durbar.  All democratic institutions and rules and procedures were meant only to subserve the durbar. Creating a durbar culture simultaneously creates a sprawling ecosystem of dalals — brokers, fixers, pimps — who sustain it and cocoon the sultan. -- Read the whole piece! 📑👍📝💪🛕 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/commentary/the-chilling-parallels-between-the-mughal-dynasty-and-the-congress-dynasty-the-sleazy-character-of-the-courtiers

When the Hindu Community Once took Pride in Maintaining Sanskrit Pathashalas https://thedharmadispatch.substack.com/p/when-the-hindu-community-once-took

Seven decades of agitations and Sanatana way of conflict resolution The history of independent India can be encapsulated in just four words — no decade of peace. My latest column in Firstpost. https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/seven-decades-of-agitations-and-sanatana-way-of-conflict-resolution-11840111.html

The Chilling Parallels Between the Mughal Dynasty and the Congress Dynasty: The Foreign Element   The Dharma Dispatch begins a series exploring the scary similarities between the Mughal dynasty and the Nehru dynasty. ----   Muslim rule set back Bharatavarsha by its concomitant duration: of eight centuries. And the Congress dynasty, by seven more decades.   we can trace chilling parallels between the dissolute administrative and the scrofulous judicial system of Muslim Empires and that of the Congress “Governments“ after “independence.”  To explore these parallels, this essay considers the Mughal administrative system and its judicial setup as the role model which the Congress dynasty adopted if not aped. The reason for this selection is straightforward: the Mughal Empire is still regarded as a showcase of religious tolerance, syncretism, liberalism, magnanimity, magnificence and good governance.      The first parallel is that like the Mughal Government, the Congress Government too, was a regime populated by foreigners at the highest levels. -- Read the whole eye-opening piece! 📑🕉🛕👍 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/commentary/the-chilling-parallels-between-the-mughal-dynasty-and-the-congress-dynasty-the-foreign-element

The Sprawling Cultural World that Hindu Inscriptions Reveal   This is the seventh and concluding part of this introductory series on Hindu inscriptions. -- The treasure-trove of Hindu inscriptions is perhaps the most glaring proof that Hindus did have a sense of History.   Purely on the physical plane, our inscriptions reveal an extraordinarily intricate system of administration and governance, a robust military machinery, a Dharma-based jurisprudence, a well-oiled and stable social order and a sprawling economic system bursting with material abundance. And an incessant continuity underscoring all these despite waves of alien invasions.     Our inscriptions are the mute witnesses waiting to narrate the story of our civilisation, culture, and our ancestors to the willing listener. They will reveal their inner lives to the earnest and dedicated artist who is patient and diligent and modest enough to acquire intimacy with them.   The whole experience of writing this series has been delightful at one level and sanctifying on a deeper plane. The purpose of this introductory series will be fulfilled if I have succeeded in transmitting my experience to the reader.  🕉🛕🪔🙏   Īśāvāsyamidam sarvaṁ https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/the-sprawling-cultural-world-that-hindu-inscriptions-reveal

The Three Elements of Hindu Inscriptions and Why Dāna-śāsanas are Central to Hindu History   Read all about the three vital elements of Hindu inscriptions and what they reveal about our history, society and culture. -- It was the duty of the king or donor, and not the donee, to issue Dāna-śāsanas or charitable grants.   The intent behind writing these grants was to enable the entire lineage of the recipient to enjoy the munificence in perpetuity. Even as recently as the 1970s, it was common to witness villagers safeguarding such grants in metallic or wooden trunks akin to a prized treasure. Some had even buried these grants in their farm or backyard. Some of these grants dated back to four or five hundred years.    In fact, Dāna-śāsanas are a splendid class in their own right and merit a serious study for its own sake.       -- Read the whole educative essay! 🛕🕉📑🪔 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

[COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT] Kautilya's Arthasastra: A Comprehensive Study   VIBHU ACADEMY offers a new online course titled "Kautilya's Arthashastra: A Comprehensive Study."   The course covers a wide range of topics from Arthasastra including but not limited to Kautilya's theory and practice of statecraft, governance, administration, bureaucracy, fortification, taxation, defence, and town planning. It is led by acknowledged experts in the field who will acquaint the participants with knowledge, insights and lesser-known details of the Arthasastra. Details of the course are as follows: Start Date: 17 Dec, 2022 Total Sessions: 20. Every Saturday and Sunday Timings: 6 am to 7:30 am Tutors: Led by Dr Arathi V.B. and Arjun Bharadwaj. Guest speakers: Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh, Prof B. Mahadevan (IIMB), and others. To register: Send an email to: vibhuacademygurukula@gmail.com or Contact: 9480318113 or 9611131760 or 6362372013 Registrations are open to all. Last date for Registration: 15 December, 2022. Hurry up! 📑🛕👍📖☺️ -- For full details and to register, click this link: https://www.dharmadispatch.in/dispatches/course-announcement-kautilyas-arthasastra-a-comprehensive-study

The Intrinsic Character of Hindu Inscriptions and their Classification   The Indian word for inscription or charter or grant is Śāsana, which generally means, “decree,” “legislation,” “fiat,” “order,” “statute,” or “law.” In a general sense, Śāsana means “rule” or “regime,” in the sense of “Government.” In other senses, it also means “grant,” “endowment,” “deed” and so on.   It would be signed off by the king, the relevant official and sealed with the royal seal and emblem. This is entirely consonant with an ancient dictum recorded by the Smritis: that any king who did not pronounce an order or issue a charter in the written form was not a king but a thief. It was also held that an official who carried out administration without the king’s written order to the effect was also a thief.    Thus, Indian inscriptions are actually Government records. They provide us the most authentic and firsthand information about the historical events that they record. -- Do read the full essay! 🛕📑🙏📑 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/the-intrinsic-character-of-hindu-inscriptions-and-their-classification

Sarvepalli Gopal lured a Madras professor to Delhi and entrusted him to do a biography of Indira Gandhi promising him to pay in lakhs. But he was only paid living expenses in Delhi, which was so paltry that he was required to spend from his own pocket. https://www.dharmadispatch.in/commentary/introduction-to-the-theory-and-practice-of-marxist-history-writing-in-india-indira-gandhis-forgotten-time-capsule

The Nehruvian and Marxist Slaughter of Hindu Inscriptional Studies   How the Nehruvian establishment aided and abetted by Marxists masquerading as historians destroyed Indian epigraphy. -- The downfall of Indian epigraphy after independence is a familiar chapter in the tragic saga of our cultural destruction manned, helmed and directed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, and frontally executed by Communist Party workers disguised as historians and scholars.   A new breed of “historians” began to pass conclusive verdicts over crucial points in our history in a messianic tenor without knowing even a syllable of Sanskrit, forget understanding inscriptions, which are the most authoritative raw material for writing Indian history.   Up to 1961, for 32 years, Archeology and Epigraphy was a compulsory subject in the History Honours course. After that, the Honours degree itself was abolished. -- The story is quite painful but do read it. 🛕📑😔🕉   https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/the-nehruvian-and-marxist-slaughter-of-hindu-inscriptional-studies

The Sunday Club - NDTV buy out and the changing media landscape - Do join me in the discussion. Link: https://youtu.be/xh6CrgzBG7Y

Deciphering Hindu Inscriptions: A Brief Tour   INDIAN EPIGRAPHY IN PARTICULAR, is one of the toughest disciplines and a highly demanding profession. It calls for expert-level — or at any rate, a highly advanced knowledge in multiple disciplines including but not limited to mathematics, geometry, chemistry, language, linguistics, grammar, literature, poetry, art, folklore, painting, sculpture, history, geography, genealogy, dating, orthography, sacred and secular lore, history of our religions and sects, ancient and medieval jurisprudence, material history… the common metaphor, “oceanic knowledge” fits like a glove to the discipline of epigraphy.   MULTIDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE APART, extensive and intensive field work is both the foundational and inseparable part of epigraphy. The decipherment of every inscription typically follows a broad pattern described in this essay series.   A career in epigraphy is not only rewarding but fulfilling.  -- Do read this instructive piece in full! 📝🛕🕉📑 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/history/deciphering-hindu-inscriptions-a-brief-tour

NDTV: The Ultimate Lutyens Party Venue has Finally Shut Down The resignation of NDTV founders, Prannoy and Radhika Roy marks the end of a dark and sordid chapter of Indian media. --- NDTV was the most high-profile racketeering monster that the decadal Nehruvian ecosystem had birthed. It was not a journalistic or media endeavour by any definition of the term. It was the ultimate Lutyens party venue. Only pedigreed dogs were allowed in the zone. Islamic terrorists were rehabilitated on camera in their studios. Financial fugitives invested in their channel. The laundry list of its sins is widely familiar.    In the pre-Sonia Gandhi era, there was no shortage of media houses that were besotted with or servile to the Nehru-dynasty. They still exist. But it was only NDTV that corporatised slavery and made it look glamorous and aspirational.   The resignation of Prannoy and Radhika Roy is the final act of this dark drama. And the country’s conscience is all the better for it.  -- Read the full piece! 📑📝👍🗞 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/commentary/ndtv-the-ultimate-lutyens-party-venue-has-finally-shut-down