The Dharma Dispatch

Svadharma, Rajadharma, Jurisprudence and the Philosophy of Life in the Manusmriti   This episode contains profound gems from the Manusmriti. A few excerpts follow.   For the sake of earning a living, one should not, in any circumstances, resort to the common ways of the world. One should live in the straightforward, guileless, pure way of life devoted to the pursuit of Brahman. Do not humiliate yourself by thinking of past deficiencies and failures. Strive after good fortune until your death. You should never think success is unattainable The eighth chapter, which is also the longest, concerns itself with legal principles and judicial administration. Punishable offences include the following: cart-drivers who hurt others by their rashness or negligence and the owners of such carts, and of those who are cruel to bird and beast.  The period of the composition of the Manusmrti was one of inter-social fluxion and growth. Conditions had not become rigid.  In which age the process of assimilation ceased and why or how, it is not easy even to guess. And not only did the inter-flow of Varnas into one another stop, but each Varna hardened its borders and went in the opposite direction. -- Extremely illuminating piece. Do read in full! 🪔🪔🕉🛕 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/svadharma-rajadharma-jurisprudence-and-the-philosophy-of-life-in-the-manusmriti

The Exalted Life of Manu and a Chapter-wise Synopsis of the Manusmriti   In this episode, DVG provides a brief sketch of the life of Rishi Manu along with a brief, chapter-wise synopsis of the Manusmriti. --- MANU lived in the part of North India called Brahmavarta, situated between the rivers Sarasvati and Drshadvati, a tract of land he singles out for praise as the home of traditions of worthy conduct. He was a married man and had children. He delighted in music and was proficient in medicine. He performed Yajnas, and taught a large number of pupils.   The greatness of Manusmrti is that, side by side with the antiquated, there is so much in it that belongs to all time and all mankind. It is this universal and enduring part of it that should chiefly engage our attention.   In the case of the Manusmriti, what should command our allegiance is his scheme of values. There is unanimity among the Smrtikaras or law-givers on this point: that no law or code can be the same for all time, and that the substance-material of Dharma should be put in fresh moulds to suit the conditions of changed times. The important requisite is that the substance of Dharma should not be lost. -- Read the full piece! 🛕🕉🪔📑   https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/the-exalted-life-of-manu-and-a-chapter-wise-synopsis-of-the-manusmriti

Manusmriti as a digest of the Hindu Philosophy of Life   In this episode, D.V. Gundappa examines the Manusmriti from the premises set out by Manu himself. ____   Dharma is individual life lived in harmony with life around us. It is the Bridgeway connecting the temporal with the Eternal, the finite with the Infinite. Herein is seen the distinction of Manu’s Code from the other law books of the world.   The very foundation of Manu differs as wholly from the others’ as spirit from the flesh. It would be erroneous to evaluate Manu by the same canons as are applied to Justinian or Gaius, Maine or Macaulay. Manu’s basic point of view is not theirs at all. He should be judged from the premises he set out.    The Code of Manu is not simply a treatise of personal ethics and duties of varnas and and inter-varna relationships. It is the sourcebook of civil law and canon-law. It is a manual of political economy and government. It is a handbook of etiquette and social decorum and a digest of the Hindu philosophy of life.  ___   Read the full brilliant essay! 🛕🕉🪔   https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/manusmriti-as-a-digest-of-the-hindu-philosophy-of-life

Portrayal of Society in K. Viswanath’s Cinema   This episode explores some valuable aspects of the depiction of society in K. Viswanath's movies. -- One of the most striking aspects of Viswanath’s depictions of our traditional and rural society is the seeming effortlessness with which he showcases raw nativity. Subtlety and restraint are their hallmarks. Pain and tragedy are sublime, not loud. Pleasure and joy are endearing, not raucous.   The contrast is the difference between Dhvani (suggestion) and Vachyata (explicitness).    The opulent tapestry of the Godvari-Krishna region's temple traditions, rural beliefs, customs, family and community life, and folk arts became the staple ingredients using which Viswanath served us cinematic feasts.  -- Do read the full piece! 🛕🕉🪔🕉 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/portrayal-of-society-in-k-viswanaths-cinema

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Depiction of Bharatavarsha’s Sacred Geography in K. Viswanath's Movies   K. Viswanath’s acclaimed cinematic corpus exquisitely reflects the timeless conception of Bharatavarsha's sacred geography. This is predominantly portrayed in numerous song sequences and scenes shot in the sacred cultural sites spread across Bharatavarsha.   Because his conviction was rooted in the Bharatiya ethos, he never felt the need to step out of Bharatavarsha. The Alps for example, might be breathtaking for their natural beauty. But no Rishi or Tapasvi has made it his abode.    THE SECOND FACTOR related to Viswanath’s depiction of Bharatavarsha’s sacred geography is the manner in which he blends these locales. These are integral parts of his movies, a feat he accomplishes in an organic fashion.   In no movie does he miss the inseparable connection between Bharatavarsha’s scenic beauty and its spiritual content.   This connection becomes most pronounced in his touching and realistic depictions of the social and family life set in the Godavari region, the artistic life-blood and hub of classical Telugu culture for centuries. The Godavari region in Viswanath’s cinema is also a miniature of the cultural life of Bharatavarsha. -- Read the whole piece! 🙏🪔🛕📽 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/depiction-of-bharatavarshas-sacred-geography-in-k-viswanaths-movies

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Sanctifying Cinema: An Appreciation of K. Viswanath’s Artistry   We begin a new series exploring the art, craft and aesthetics of K. Viswanath's acclaimed body of cinema. This is The Dharma Dispatch's tribute to the legend who joined the ranks of the immortals today. --   Few movies have delivered such widespread cultural and social impact as "Sankarabharanam" did. In an era when the phrase “pan Indian film” is being tossed around with thoughtless and fact-free impunity, it is opportune to remind such folks that Sankarabharanam arguably remains one of the finest pan-Indian movies in the real sense of the term.   The lyrics of the movie’s song, Omkara naadanu… was retained as is when it was dubbed in Malayalam with zero loss in translation. In fact, Sankarabharanam’s success in Kerala almost rivalled its blockbuster status in Telugu.     Almost overnight, the film reopened the eyes of Indians to the greatness of their own classical musical heritage. In the realm of art, great exaggerations contain abiding truths in their womb. Kumbhakarna’s bi-annual ritual of waking up counts as one such exaggeration. Likewise, Sankarabharanam awakened the masses – especially in South India – from their cultural slumber.   This essay series attempts to chart a different course. Of treating Viswanath’s artistic legacy as Bharatiya cinema – a fundamental differentiator from the obscenity known as “pan-Indian cinema.” The simplest definition of Bharatiya cinema is cinema in which art itself is, and transcends the language. -- Read the whole piece! 🪔🛕🕉📽   https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/sanctifying-cinema-an-appreciation-of-k-viswanaths-artistry

The Vedic Basis of the Manusmriti Explained by DVG in 14 Postulates -- DVG's crystal-clear explanation of the Vedic philosophy is unparalleled for its simplicity and logical flow. Manusmriti derives is authority from the Veda. Delinking it from these Vedic roots has precisely what has caused such damage and confusion about the Manusmriti.   At the core, the Manusmriti prescribes both individual and institutional disciplines. They are disciplines for the mind and the senses as well as for the body. These exercises in taming the ego are the central purposes of Manu.    -- Do read the extraordinary piece in full! 🛕🕉🪔📑🪔 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/the-vedic-basis-of-the-manusmriti-explained-by-dvg-in-14-postulates

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The Manusmriti Special Series: DVG’s Guide to Understanding the Manusmriti   This is the first episode of a new series on correctly understanding the Manusmriti, drawn from D.V. Gundappa's brilliant treatise titled The Code of Manu. --- DVG’s treatise on the Manusmriti is perhaps the clearest, simplest and the most accessible to the proverbial common man. Here is an excerpt from it:   The Manusmriti is an authoritative sourcebook of Hinduism on its practical side. It is the oldest systematic treatise known to the world on the ethics of community living and the science of social organization.   The Smrti of Manu derives its title to respect from its being a complement to the Veda. The two are indeed but one book, the Veda enunciating the philosophy and Manu prescribing the discipline. The Veda maybe described as the substantive and the Manusmrti as the adjectival part of the Hindu law of life. --- Read the whole brilliant essay! 🛕🪔🕉🙏📑 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/the-manusmriti-special-series-dvgs-guide-to-understanding-the-manusmriti

Walking with the Colossus: A Tribute to the Himalayan Spirit of Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa   My heartfelt tribute to the Indian literary colossus, Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa, on the occasion of receiving the Padma Bhushan award. -- I've jotted down some of my enriching experiences of interacting with Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa, one of the towering litterateurs of Indian literature.   I regard Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa as a devout cultural savant and a national treasure whose true value is yet to be fully comprehended. In all my conversations with him, I have sensed his deep and abiding concern about Bharatavarsha's irreplaceable and grand spiritual heritage that continues to suffer erosion beyond belief, an erosion that hurtles on at a rapid pace.    Just as how the Ganga is not merely a river, Dr. Bhyrappa’s body of work is not merely literature but has transcended literature.   -- Do read the full piece! 🛕🪔🕉🙏📑   https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/a-tribute-to-dr-sl-bhyrappa-the-transformation-of-a-himalayan-spirit-into-a-national-treasure

Since T M Krishna has opened his mouth again, let's remind him who he really is: a Musical Urban Naxal. https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/t-m-krishna-the-musical-urban-naxal

The Liars School of the BBC   The history of the BBC shows that it was always a propaganda arm of the colonial British Government and that its anti-India propaganda dates back to its founding days. --- IN THE GARB OF A DOCUMENTARY, THE BBC has attempted to launch a jihad against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And it has failed spectacularly.   The rise of India and the expansion of its footprint across the globe under Modi’s premiership is a phenomenal story for a more fundamental reason: this expansion has been  bloodless, non-aggressive and largely non-confrontational.    Since its inception until today, the BBC has regarded India as a subject country. Who or what gave it the right to meddle in our internal affairs?   The BBC documentary-jihad stems from the accursed Abrahamic mindset. The “documentary” targets Narendra Modi because deep down, the BBC views India as a Hindu majority country headed by a leader who wears his Hindu Dharma unapologetically.   Propaganda factories like the BBC derive their confidence to make such “documentaries” maligning an elected Prime Minister of an independent nation from a section of Indians. This is how the BBC got away for several decades with the most egregious propaganda against India — the number of traitors per square feet, especially in the Indian academia and media, made its job a breeze.  -- Read the full piece! 📑💪🛕📑   https://www.dharmadispatch.in/commentary/the-liars-school-of-the-bbc

A Frankenstein’s monster to British: How Surendranath Banerjee transformed Congress into a nationalist organisation -- My latest column for Firstpost 📑📖🙏 https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/frankensteins-monster-to-british-how-surendranath-banerjee-transformed-congress-into-a-nationalist-organisation-12028812.html

[SUNDAY READING] Art begets the artist. So profoundly impactful is the Belur Chennakeshava Temple that DVG was stirred to write a collection of verses titled Antahpurageete, a lyrical exploration of the artistic nuances of its sculptures. -- Do read 🕉️🚩 https://www.dharmadispatch.in/culture/a-brief-history-of-the-breathtaking-belur-chennakeshava-temple

The Romila Thapar Saga: All the Oxygen of the World Won’t Revive a Fossil -- Romila Thapar & Co became irrelevant in their own lifetimes. They met their Waterloo at Ayodhya. In a way, they had invited their own doom. Their reckless and prolonged falsification of our history stood on the sand-pillar of confidence that lulled them to believe that their political patronage and protection would last forever.    Over the last decade, the Left has almost totally given up writing history or engaging in historical research. A tangential proof for this lies in a straightforward question: how many in the contemporary Left ecosystem openly identify themselves as Marxists?    Romila Thapar's distortion of Indian history was motivated by her unswerving devotion to Marxism. Like the brainwashed Jihadi who actually believes that 72 succulent, young virgins are awaiting his triumphant entry into Jannat. Romila was a True Believer who eventually became a failed Marxist Ghazi. -- Read the whole piece! 📑🛕🙏📖   https://www.dharmadispatch.in/commentary/the-romila-thapar-saga-all-the-oxygen-of-the-world-wont-revive-a-fossil