By Dirgha Raj Prasai : Nepal was bigger during the ancient time. ‘Himwatkhanda-Nepal’ extended from Bramhaputra in the East to Hindukush in the west, Kailash Mansovar in the North and Ganga in the South. In time the ‘Himwatkhanda Nepal’ disintegrated into many smaller nations. The fact is mentioned in the Prayaga archive of Samudra Gupta, the son of Bikramaditya, that ‘Nepal’ is a place lying in between Kamrup (current Assam) and Karkarpur (current Kumau). We can infer from these facts that Himwatkhanda Nepal in the ancient times was bigger than what is today. This area of the Himwatkhanda is the golden land. A veteran Rishi (Hindu’s ascetic Guru) in a special Vedic scripture has mentioned about Himwatkhanda, “Bharatbarshe Utarayane Himalaya Tate Swarnabhumi, Swarnabhumi,” meaning ‘the northern part of Bharatkhande, the Himalayan mountains is the golden land and just haven’. We can draw inference as to the greatness of this land. Kalidash in his ‘Kumaar Sambhav’ has mentioned, “The land from Eastern Himalayas to the Western Himalayas is the Arya land.” Before the Muslim and English regime, Bharatbarsha had comprised 25 nations. After the unification of India by East India Company, then India was called Hindustan. But, before the King, the creator of greater Nepal- Prithvi Narayan Shah 1800 B.S (Bikram Sambat era) had said- ‘Nepal is the real ‘Hindusthana’ at 1800 Bs (1753, AD)
During the time when Himwatkhanda Nepal remained a unified country the current powerful nations were divided into many smaller nations. Bismark had unified Germany, which had existed in the façade of many smaller nations, a hundred years after Nepal’s unification. Italy was also divided into many smaller nations a hundred years before Nepal’s unification, which was transformed into a greater Italy by good sons as Kabur and Gyalibhardi. Japan came out of the dark-age under the leadership of its King after Mehiji restoration hundred years after Nepal’s unification. Two decades before the unification of Nepal the now superpower America was a British colony. Prithvinarayan Shah had already unfurled the flag depicting the Sun and the Moon and unified the small kingdoms into a Himwatkhanda Nepal to save the tradition of this area. The Sanskrit language was the popular language of ancient Nepal and India. A famous Scholar Max Mucller has written in his book- ‘India-What Can it teach us’-‘ Sanskrit no doubt has an immense advantage over all other ancient language of the East. In a certain Sense we are still speaking and thinking Sanskrit or more correctly Sanskrit is like a dear aunt to use and she takes the place of a mother who is no more. Let us take a brief look at additional evidence to help verify the ides that Sanskrit was the original language of the world, and that it is connected with numerous countries and cultures. Latin and Persian are dialects of Sanskrit. Greek has borrowed a lot from Sanskrit. French & English are full Sanskrit words, roots and speech forms.
So, the identification of Himwatkhanda Nepal is associated with the ancient Vedic Hindu religion. May all be happy in the world and let no one suffer from disease and be sad. May no one keep ill will towards another being.May all be liberal and compassionate? All humans of the world are our relatives. ‘Basudhaiv Kutumbakam’. May all receive equal amount of food, relation and shelter. Let us become a liberal character of compassion and be active for omnipresent. May all worlds be well? ‘OM- Shanti’ is Vedic Hindu customs cleansed indicative. The welfare and happiness of all is the supreme system which is the belief of the Vedic Hindu society. Dr. Basudev Krishna Shastri writes, “Hindus worship the Sun. The light that emanates from Sun is common for all. Without water no living being can survive. This is everyone’s right. Such things are beyond divisions, and consumed by all as per their necessity. For the prosperity of human life there must remain equal right and prerogative among us. No one should be hindered from contributing to their nation. So it is mentioned in the Veda, ‘Let us all rise for national awareness.’” This shows that Hindu religion is the vehicle that would show path to all human societies. Bramha- Bishnu-Maheshwor (the three Lords) is the guidance of Vedic Hindu life. In the ancient, Vedic Hindu religions the supreme is the ocean where anyone can swim anyhow.
United HinduFront defines- The word “Veda” means knowledge, or wisdom. “Anta” means the
culmination. The philosophical school of Vedanta represents the very highest teaching on the nature of man, God and creation in the whole of Sanatana Dharma-Hinduism. Even more, Vedanta represents the highest philosophical and spiritual teachings on earth. Vedanta is the
culmination of all divine and human wisdom. An Indian Cultural analyst writes-‘There is another hymn in Atharva Veda stating that we are all co-workers for prosperity and make riches flow amongst the people on the path of Dharma and Rta (A.V 1-15-2, 4). There is also a common prayer in Rig-Veda for the welfare of all human beings. We should create concord amongst the human beings, love each other as the cow loves the calf born to her, we all speak gently and in a friendly manner, let our water store be common and common also our share of food. Morning and evening let there be loving heart in all of us (R.V 10-191-2 to 4), (A.V 3-30-1 to 7).’
Vedic Hindu ancient religion is the devotee of Panchadev (the five Gods). ‘OM’ is the follower of Vedic Hindu Panchadev. A suffering man will remember one of the Pachayan Devs (the five Gods). Panchayan means- it is compulsory to worship the Gods Ganesha, Devi, Surya, Shiva and Bishnu. If one of them is discriminated while carrying out the ritual of worship then the worship will not be complete. However, some Hindu communities have developed their own definition which has created controversy in the ancient Hindu beliefs. We are all the same. We Hindus and Buddhists do not want to invite controversy and dispute. Nepal is stable as a Hindu and Buddhist nation. Our respect to our compatriot is based on the ancient Vedic Hindu religion. Our concern and that of Buddhists’ corresponds to each other. Like God and Goddess, Cow is known as a shrine for all Hindus and the Buddhists. The cow was venerated as the mother goddess in the early Mediterranean civilizations. The cow became important in Nepal & India, first in the Vedic period (1500 – 900 BCE). The lord Bhishma also observes that the cow acts as a surrogate mother by providing milk to human beings for the whole life. The cow is truly the mother of the world. Cows as Gifts of all gifts, the cow is still considered the highest in rural Nepal, India and the Hindu world. So the holy animal- ‘COW’ has declared a National animal in Nepal.
Swami Chandresh says, “It is clearly mentioned in all Hindu scriptures as Geeta, Vedas, Yoga and Tantras that this particular religion is supposed for all people of the world. Hindu religion does not believe in creation of factions and conversion of religion. It believes in turning an animal-like man to a human and a human to God. In accordance with all Hindu scriptures a man earns his pride, power, knowledge and money through Karma. The Vedic Hindu religion was born of intense meditation, Yoga and deep interpretation of knowledge and truth carried out by Rishis (sages) in the steppes of Himalaya. It will be unwise to compare Nepal’s social conditions with Indian cultural lifestyle. India has been influenced by Muslim religion and Christian rule which had forced them into a slavish mentality for many centuries, and they have been forced to live in compulsion, and have been defiled.” We Nepali people are somewhat fortunate in a sense that sovereignty of Nepal has not been defiled by foreigners.
‘Athmana Pratikulani Paresam nasamacharet’ meaning, ‘Don’t do so for others which you dislike to do or talk’. This is the chief policy of Hinduism. But, a concerning crisis seen in the Hindu communities is the growth of Vaisnav religion, Krishna Pranami, Jain, Shikh along with different definitions and interpretations of religious Gurus has created crisis in the Hindu communities. This has plunged the Hindu religion into controversy. There have been foul attempts to create artificial lacking in the ‘OMKAR’ (followers of OM).
A Hindu priest Keshav Dahal has analyzed the defects in the Hindu belief in his book ‘Swadharma Nirnaya’ saying, “Those following the Baisnav will not recognize other Gods save Bishnu. Those of Baisnav Dharma drink the water which has rinsed a Guru’s feet and body. If the wife is Baisnav then what the husband has touched will not be used in a sense that it may defile. If the husband is Baisnav what his wife cooks he will not touch. If a son is Baisnav then he will not recognize his parents following the ancient Hindu religion. A Baisnav despite changing his Gotra (ancestoral identity) will become a Gotri whom has not fallen of the religious status. He does not carry out the final rituals of his parents. In a final ritual of Baisnavs, they must be present, no other. There are many examples of this causing rifts in the family members; differences rising between son and father, brothers and sisters, and relation between wife and husband ending up.”
Likewise, those following the Krishna Pranami do not worship any Gods other than Krishna. They discard worshipping the idols. They only worship the pictures of Krishna. It is said that those following the ancient Hindus marrying with a person following the Pranami will have to spend days weeping. In Nepal OM Shanti religion or Bramhakumari has been growing for few years. In this religious belief living together is forbidden. Those following this belief are made to speak against the ancient Hindu religion. A woman following this belief will have to live a life of spinster while a man will have to live a bachelor. So the ‘OMKAR’ family of the ancient Hindu religion is facing crisis. Following the Vedic Hindu Pachayan Devs (the five Gods), Jain and Shikh are following their own beliefs.
Many Hindu families have even stopped speaking due to this aura of competition that has pervaded the ancient Hindu religious communities. Due to the presence of evil imperialism the ancient Hindu religion has failed to organize itself. ‘Panchayan’ is the religion of any Hindu. Those deciding to follow Baisnav, Krishna Pranami or Bramhakumari must not detach themselves from the mainstream Hindu religion. In order to make this possible the religious Gurus must not disseminate illusion among their followers in an unacceptable way. The religious followers that have grown with Rigved, Yarjuved, Arthaved and Samved recitals should not distort the truth of Srimad Bhagwat Mahapurana, and try attaining an imaginary enlightenment.
It is inappropriate to pollute the Hindu ocean by choosing the path of four streams when the main stream is available. We must reach understanding to rid the Hindu religion of the defects that were advertently or inadvertently born of us. There are people (some foreigners and brokers) wanting to destroy our civilization and create division within us. It is our duty to be alert of these things. We don’t need the knowledge of foreign religions. Hindu world is in itself sufficient and Vedic Hindu religion is the pioneer of world’s civilization. The reality is that in Hindu world, we need only to evaluate the ‘Bishnu Avatar’ then we will find the world in it. The ten avatars (incarnation) of God Bishnu, in order are- Matsyaroop (Fish), Kurma (tortoise), Baraharoop (pig), Narsighroop (lion and man), Baman (pigmy), (Brahman), Parashuram, Rama, Krishna, Buddha. We can infer that ancient Vedic Hindu religion has remained creative in guiding the civilization and human life. Hindu’s faith lies in Bhramha- Bishnu- Maheshwor. In this way it has the ancient Vedic Hindu religion bestowed its guidance in the growth of civilization and human life?
Indian Scholar Prem Sabhlok writes-‘ since the entire cosmos and universe both visible and invisible continues to expand and is described as Brahamand so (cosmic) the Vedic metaphysicists and wise sages (Risis and Munnies) found an appropriate epithet for the nameless God. In the Rig Veda He is also mentioned as Vishnu- one who spread in Viswo (earth). In Yajur and Atharva Vedas epithets for God are mentioned as Shiva, Shankar and Shambhu. Rig Veda 6-15-13, 14 mentions that He is a pure illuminator, unifier, remover of all miseries, commands all to observe non-violence and other rules of righteousness, which are a-priori principles beyond any sense experiences. Thus, toleration is an important teaching of Vedic metaphysics. Vedic hymns clearly mention that He is at your disposal but on His terms and not your terms. He expects you not to disturb violently His Design of the earth and the universe.’
We are proud to be Nepali. We want to be free of foreign intervention pertaining to our national unity, our traditional culture, and we will be free. Since the ancient times democracy has been a system that has been exercised and recited in Himwatkhanda. We have been adopting as the chief policy of giving equal opportunity to all to exercise their freedom, and we have tried to provide food and shelter for all. Religious freedom is our belief. Everyone has the right to follow their own religion. However, by showing the attraction of money, Christians have been alluring people to convert their religion; they have become one of the destroyers the foundation of Hindu religion, which we regard as enemies. Against such people all Hindu world must unite. We must all know that to bring secularism is to invite war. Regardless of who we are; Rai, Limbu, Magar, Gurung, Newar, Brahman, Chetri, Kami, Damai, Sarki, Maithali, Bhojpuri, Awadhi among others, we are all either Hindu or Buddhist. Some Sherpa, Tamang and Newars are affiliated to Buddhism. No matter who follows what Pashupatinath and Swayambunath lay in the same world?
Hindu religion is highly liberal in nature. Whether one worships an idol or one is either vegetarian or non vegetarian we are all Hindus. Hindus are free to live as they see fit. This religion is regarded as highly democratic and liberal. However, there are conspiracies in Nepal against Hindu and Buddhist religion. The Indian government should realize the facts. We Nepalese people must act to retain our identity. The ancient Vedic Hindu religion must drape these religions that have chosen to go against humanity with the cloak of civilization and harmony. Long live- ‘Hinduism’ in all over the world.