CULTURE THREE

Arthashastra

by Asheen Phansey

The Arthashastra is a treatise on the policy of a successful kingdom. It goes even farther than that however; it describes how the king himself should live his life, how he should choose his aides, and how he should manage the finances of the empire.

First, Kautilya describes how his king should live. The king should divide his day and night into eight parts each, for the purposes of administration of his empire, and leaving only two parts of the night for sleeping! Kautilya believes that it is in the king's best interest to employ agents to espy the government agents of the empire, and the citizens of both his and the surrounding empires. Kautilya also describes in great detail how the king's capital and fortress should be structured.

"A single wheel can never move the vehicle, and be in steady balance. Hence [the king] shall employ ministers and hear their opinions." (1) Kautilya writes. He details the selection process concerning all public servants, from the ministers (king's advisers) to the treasurer. He insists that they be of high birth, honest and intelligent. Kautilya describes various tests and temptations that his ministers will have to pass in order for the honesty to be ascertained.

"All undertakings depend on finance. Hence, foremost attention shall be paid to treasury."(2) Kautilya details the duties of the chamberlain or treasurer, the superintendent of the mint, and the Superintendent of the Gold. He describes penalties to be doled out to offenders to the government treasury, in the form of monetary fines. He also lists the qualities of silver, gold, diamonds and other gems, that their quality, purity and authenticity may be assured. Kautilya also describes the values of grains and other commodities. He leaves no form of income unexplored.

'Kautilya' is believed to be a pseudonym of the ancient Indian sage - Chanakya, who is famous for first inciting nationalism into the Indians, united for the first time in the Mauryan dynasty.

The Arthashstra, if he indeed wrote it, is a brilliant work, as pertinent today as it was in 312-296 B.C, during which time it was inscribed.

1. Kautilya, Arthashastra, p.15

2. Ibid, p.50.

Chanakya

by Runjini Murthy

About 2,5000 years ago, Alexander the Great invaded India. He defeated many small, disunited kingdoms. A Brahman teacher named Chanakya was worried about his students. They were afraid to come to his ashram because of the enemy soldiers. Chanakya decided to make one very large kingdom to defeat the enemy. A few days later, Shaktar, a minister of Maghadha, passed by Chanakya's ashram. Shaktar had recently been insulted by King Nanda. He stood amazed as Chanakya pulled out grass in front of his ashram. "Why are you doing that?" Shaktar asked. "The stupid grass hurts my feet!" Chanakya angrily replied. Shaktar thought that Chanakya was what he needed to take revenge on King Nanda. "Would you like to meet the king? He would be very pleased to meet you." said Shaktar. Chanakya agreed to come.

At the court of King Nanda, Shaktar led Chanakya in. King Nanda was drunk and unknowingly belittled Chanakya. Infuriated, Chanakya promised that he would destroy him and his sons. Before he could be arrested, Chanakya cleverly got away with Shaktar's help. Shaktar told Chanakya that King Nanda was not fit to rule, but there was someone else. His name was Chandragupta. He was Nanda's eldest son, but could not succeed to the throne because his mother was low caste. Chanakya and Shaktar met with Chandragupta. Chandragupta told the peasants of the kingdom of Nanda's stupidity. Thus, he won many followers. Chanakya met with kings to follow Chandragupta. One king was Parvatak. Chanakya said, "If you help Chandragupta become king, and fight King Nanda, I will give you half of the kingdom." Parvatak anxiously agreed. Chandragupta's army fought King Nanda's army. After hours of fighting, Chandragupta's army was victorious. Chanakya warned Chandragupta that Nanda's army could once again organize. Through Chanakya's spies, he bribed Nanda's favorite maid servant into poisoning him and his eight sons. Now, Chandragupta could become king and rule.

Rakshas, who was Nanda's chief minister, wanted to avenge for Nanda's death. He had a plan to do so. Rakshas spoke in private with Parvatak. "Without your help, Chandragupta would have never won. Therefore, it is you who rightfully deserves to rule over Maghadha." Rakshas told him. At about this time, Chandragupta was slightly ill. Rakshas had bribed the physician to poison Chandragupta. Just as Chandragupta was about to drink the medicine that the physician had given him, Chanakya stopped Chandragupta. "The physician must always try the medicine before the king." he said. So, the physician drank the medicine and died instantly. Rakshas mourned over the physician's death. Just then, one of Rakshas spies came in and reported that Chandragupta would move into Nanda's palace. Rakshas once again, devised a plan. just before Chandragupta was about to move in, Chanakya decided to check the whole palace. As he was about to leave, he saw ants carrying rice from the basement below. He told the guards to burn it up. "Why did you do that?" asked Chandragupta. Chanakya showed him the soldiers who were under the palace. They would have killed everyone in the night.

Chanakya by Runjini Murthy (continued)

Rakshas would not give up. One evening, he brought a beautiful dancer to Chandragupta. As usual, Chanakya immediately knew the trick. He told Chandragupta later, that the girl had been a Visha-kanya, a poison girl. Anyone who touched her would die instantly. "But why did you send her to Parvatak?" Chandragupta asked. "Parvatak is no longer on our side." explained Chanakya. Rakshas still had another plan. He persuaded Malayaketu, Parvatka's son, and five other kings to attack Maghadha. Chanakya's spy wrote a fake letter in Rakshas name. It said that the other five kings would betray him. Malayaketu quickly killed them. Rakshas was ready to give up. Then, Chanakya came to him and asked him to Chandragupta's chief minister. Finally, he agreed. Just before Chandragupta was to fight with the Greek invaders, Chanakya left to go back to his ashram. Chandragupta defeated the Greeks and married the daughter of their leader, Seleucus.

This story is a non-fiction story. To me, this is a very interesting story. Chanakya is very alert and very, very smart. He knew every move of Rakshas. I would recommend this book to anyone. Anyone would love this story, because it doesn't seem like another boring history lecture. It really happened, but it seems quite a myth. One of the good points in this story is how determined Chanakya is, especially in uniting the country. Chanakya is a great story. In this story, you get cheated out - but in a good way! You actually learn something, while you enjoy how the story actually happened.

City of Delhi

by Prashant Dilwali

Delhi is a city with a lot of history. This goes back to the Mahabharata 3,000 years ago. Delhi consists of two parts, an old and a new section. New Delhi is the center of business and government. The total population of Delhi is 6,000,000 people. Delhi is about 1,500 square kilometers. Delhi is about 27 degrees north of the equator, which is at a latitude similar to southern Florida, Houston, Texas and northern Mexico. Delhi is located in the northern part of India. New Delhi is now the capital of India.

In Delhi, there are many places to visit such as India Gate, which is 42 meters high and has 36,000 names of soldiers who died in World War I. Hamayun's Tomb is in a garden complex and was built by Hamayun's widow Haji Begum in the 16th century. Lakshmi Narayan temple built in 1938, is popularly known as Birla Mandir. Delhi was where my father was born. He grew up there, studied there, and was married in Delhi. I, myself, have been there once. I would like to go there again soon to visit more of these wonderful places.

Diwali

by Nikhil Nadkarni

Diwali is the biggest and mot joyous festival of India. The word Diwali or Deepawali means a cluster of lights. Thus, it is a festival of lights. It is celebrated in various forms all over India. Family and friends send Diwali greetings cards to each other. It is believed that on this day, Lord Rama returned from his fourteen years of exile, and the people of Ayodhya greeted him with a blaze of lights. Diwali celebration is usually a five day affair.

On the first day of Diwali, houses are cleaned and doorsteps are decorated with artwork called "Rangoli". Also, oil lamps called "Diwa" or "Panati" and lanterns called "Aakash Kandil" are lit from this day onward.

On the second day, it is believed that Lord Krishna defeated the tyrant Narakasura. This day is heralded by fireworks and firecrackers. All the family members get up early before sunrise, get a scented oil massage, take a bath and put on new clothes. Diwali sweets are then offered to God with a pooja, and the family eats them together. Kids get to celebrate this day with fireworks.

On the third day, Goddess Laxmi, who is Goddess of Wealth, is worshipped. This is also observed by many businessman as the last day of their business year.

In Maharashtra, the fourth day is seen as a festival to keep evil King Bali away, by lighting lamps. Lord Vishnu granted King Bali the favor of being King on Earth for just one day, but he could rule only the areas where no lamps had been lit. This day also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. Doors are decorated with flower garlands. This day is celebrated with a famous family feast, and the husband presents his wife with a new year's gift.

The fifth and final day is called "Bhau Biz". On this day, brothers and sisters exchange gifts with each other.

Overall, Diwali is a celebration of lights over darkness, which symbolizes victory of good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

Elephanta

by Neha Ohri

This book is about the roots of the caves on the island called Elephanta. This book shows how the island got it's name. It also shows pictures of the statues of Shiva, and the stories that go with them such as : The Killing of the Demon Andhaka, How Parvati Won the Love of Shiva, How Shiva Helped the River Ganga Come to Earth, and some other stories. I liked the book. It combined legends with facts.

Hsuan-Tsang's Journey To India

report by Ishan Sachdev

Hsuan-tsang was a Chinese scholar and a follower of Buddhism. He was not satisfied with the translated versions of the Buddhist texts available in China, and wanted more complete information on the specifics of the religion. To this end, he decided to make a pilgrimage to India to study under one of the Buddhist scholars there at the age of 28 in 630A.D. On his joumey, he would face many perils and hardships, and not the least of them was just getting out of China!

The Chinese leaders had many laws in place to keep people from leaving China, and there was the Yuh-men Barrier to make sure those rules were followed. Beyond the barrier there were 5 signal towers where guardsmen kept a lookout for any who tried to sneak past the borders. Before he even reached the towers, though, 4 different guides left him, but he still persevered. He was caught by the guards in one of the towers, but the commander was pleasant, and liked him. He gave him a guide to the next tower. There, he was told to avoid the fifth tower, which lay along his route by entering a massive desert. In the desert, though, he got lost, and his water bag tore, releasing all of his water! Even through the driving windstorms, he kept on going. Praying once to be find his way, after five days without water he finally reached an oasis. After two more days, be reached Hami.

After Hami, Hsuan-tsang visited the oasis of Turfan, which was larger and richer. The King of Turfan, though, would not let him leave his kingdom! He wanted him to stay on in Turfan, and when Hsuan-tsang declined as his travels were not complete, the king threatened to send him back to China after all that he had done to escape it! Because of this, Hsuan-tsang went on a hunger strike, After four days of this, the king was overcome with shame and released him. Hsuan-tsang agreed to stay for a month and teach the king one of the scriptures. On his departure, the king presented Hsuan-tsang with many gifts to aid him on his travels and a large escort for protection.

On the next leg of the journey to Kashmir in India, Hsuan-tsang encountered many hardships and danger, but also some pleasures. The first event that occurred was a meeting with a large group of bandits! The bandits slaughtered the traders traveling with Hsuan-tsang's party who had gone on ahead and stole their wares. Hsuan-tsang and his party barely managed to escape from a group of about 2000 or so of these bandits by sneaking around some sand dunes!

Hsuan-Tsang's Journey To India report by Ishan Sachdev (continued)

The next portion of their journey to Kashmir was equally treacherous, but the threat this time was provided by Mother Nature. It was a trip through the arctic Badel Pass in the Tsung Ling mountain range, The wind and snow storms were dreadful, and there was nowhere that they could safely stop. Finally, after seven days, they exited the pass. Fourteen men and even more horses and oxen were frozen to death. They ended up, after the pass, at Issik Kul, a great lake where they encountered Yeh-hu, the Khan of western Turks, They were finally to experience some pleasures after all of their hardships.

The Khan was delighted to see Hsuan-tsang, and invited him to stay for a while. Hsuan-tsang agreed since he knew that his escort would be thankful for the rest after the Badel Pass. The Khan gave them fine food and gifts, and after a short while, Hsuan-tsang and his party left to continue their journey. The next stops for Hsuan-tsang were the kingdoms of Balkh and Bayan where Buddhism was flourishing and they viewed some relics and monuments of Buddha. He next visited the Kabul Valley, visiting more monuments.

Next, they finally arrived in India on the borders of Kashmir. Hsuan-tsang spent two years in Kashmir, making notes about the land and the people there and visiting the many Buddhist monasteries that were prevalent in the area. He read many of the scriptures he saw, and was given copies of those that he wished to study further. In the spring of 633, he left Kashmir to visit other parts of India.

Hsuan-tsang traveled through all of the places where the Buddha had preached, taking it easy. He went through Jalandhar, Kulu, and to Mathura in northern India, part of the empire of the powerful King Harsha. After this, he reached the Ganges liver where he boarded a boat with about eighty other passengers to go down the river. Unfortunately, that boat was soon trapped by five pirate boats! The pirates then took all of the valuables from the passengers in the boat, and then began looking over the people. Hsuan-tsang was told that they worshipped the Goddess Durga and kill a handsome young man and give his flesh to the Goddess. They hadn't found a suitable man yet this year. By a stroke of bad luck, Hsuan-tsang was chosen to be the sacrifice to the Goddess! Hsuan-tsang told them that he had come to worship the Buddha, and that the purpose of his journey was incomplete, so he felt that bad luck might fall on them if they failed to release him. Still, the pirates refused to release him. They built an altar then and there in front of the watching crowd, Even though he knew that his fate was approaching, he showed no fear. He asked for some time to pray, and that was granted.

Suddenly, after a short while, with no warning, a large typhoon formed and began whipping the trees around and tossing the boats all over! The pirates were overwhelmed by this and asked who their sacrifice was and how he could do this? They were told that he was a monk come from China, and that the typhoon was small considered to what would happen if they killed him. They immediately cut him down from the altar and became Buddists.

Hsuan-Tsang's Journey To India report by Ishan Sachdev (continued)

Continuing his trek through India, Hsuan-tsang visited the cities of Sravasti and Kapilvastu next. In these places, he was able to view the Great Hall of Law where Buddha preached, the spot where Buddha met his father after attaining Perfect Enlightenment, and the area of Buddha's birth. He took notes one each place.

After this, he traveled to the places which were landmarks of Buddha's life. He traveled to the kingdoms of Kusingara (where Buddha died), Varanasi, Samath and Magadha, continuing his growing section of notes on India, In Magadha, there was a place called Bodghaya, where the Buddha attained Enlightenment under a bodi tree. This place held a lot of emotion for Hsuan-tsang.

Next, he journeyed to the famous monastery of Nalanda to study under the greatest scholar there, Siibhadra. Silbhadra had already had a dream about his coming and agreed to teach him. Hsuan-tsang spent several years based in Nalanda, but also managed to visit the rest of India during this time. He was impressed with the knowledge and ability of the monks, and vice versa. Hsuan-tsang impressed all of the monks at Nalanda, and was an active member in all of their debates.

After finishing his studies at Nalanda, he decided to go home, but had to make a detour to the kingdom of Assam since the king of Assam, King Kumara, threatened to destroy Nalanda if he didn't come. The king was very pleasant, though, and a lover of the arts. Next, King Harsha requested that Hsuan-tsang be sent to his court, so he was shuttled of there. King Harsha held an assembly of monks from all over India, and all were impressed by Hsuan-tsang's wisdom. After this, Hsuan-tsang stayed for the time, every five years, when Harsha gave away all of his wealth from the previous five years to the poor and the religious monks.

Soon after, Hsuan-tsang took his leave of India and returned to China in 645, to be well received by all, even the emperor.

I think that Hsuan-tsang was a very courageous person, and also a great scholar, going to the great lengths and through all of the hardships that he did to attain more knowledge, I think that he might have been a little bit over the edge on his quest for knowledge when he said that it was "better to die than to return to China" (before reaching India. I really can't explain why he would think this, but it might have been because he felt contained in China, not able to access what he wanted. I don't think that some aspects of the history are believable, though, such as some of the kings threatening violence to see a monk, yet then being courteous, and the typhoon when he is captured by the pirates. This also raises more questions. Did Hsuan-tsang know that he could call upon such forces to make the typhoon? Was it his prayers being answered by the Gods? Could he cause something like this to happen whenever he wished?

Overall, I believe that Hsuan-tsang was a very important person in the flow of Buddhism to China, and to the people in other lands who listened to him speak.

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India

by Amita Sarin

report by Priti Patel

India, also known as Bharat is the second largest country in population. India is on the other side of the globe. It lines up with Mexico, about half way around [the world] from the United States. India is the seventh largest country in the world. Like the United States, India has many mountains, plains, forests, beaches, deserts. and swamps. The Himalayan Mountains are located in the north. They are one of the highest mountains with height over 27,000 feet. Many people live in the northern plains, which are crossed by the great Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. The Ganges river is sacred to the Hindus, because in legend it flows from the head of God Shiva. The south is high, flat land, with mountains called the Ghats along the coast. India is very hot and dry in the summer, but winds called monsoons bring heavy rain to the northeast every year. Most people are farmers and live in small villages. They grow rice, wheat, tea, cotton and jute. India's capitol is New Delhi and it's official languages are Hindi and English. The currency they follow is the rupee. The Taj Mahal is in India, built by the Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. Mahatma Gandhi was also a very famous person whose leadership and nonviolent methods of protest helped India become an independent nation, but then he was assassinated in 1948.

In November, rows of flickering lights and homes are lit with lamps. This is a festival of lights called Diwali. On this day, Hindus celebrate Rama's return after his years of exile. It is also a day to worship Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune. Diwali is the beginning of the New Year. People make sweets and exchange greeting cards and gifts of sweets. They also play with firecrackers after dark. Preparing Indian meals takes a long time, because the things have to be done by hand. Many people are vegetarians, or only eat chicken. Roti is eaten by people all over India. Roti is round flat pancake like bread.

Many children, especially girls, do not go to school at all. Others drop out quickly. Girls stay home to help out and watch their brother or sister. Paper and books are very expensive, and are used very carefully. Most schools have uniforms. Girls wear Indian clothes, and boys wear pants or shorts and a shirt. In most schools, students and teachers get together every morning after the bell rings for assembly. Here, prayers are said, announcements are made, and uniforms are inspected. Some schools have a short class period after assembly where values and current events can be discussed. The government is working on courses in moral education, [where] all school children can be taught values like honesty, fairness, and pride in their nation. Students take tests, and ones who pass are placed in first, second or third divisions, depending on what grade you got. Final exams are very important, because if you fail, you will not be able to go to the next grade. When the children get home from school, they change out of their uniforms and do their homework. After they finish, they go out and join their friends for a game of cricket. Cricket is thought of as a national game of India. Indian school children play cricket, field hockey, and soccer. They also play netball, basketball, and volleyball. School girls also swim. Families in India are wealthy, poor or middle class. Poor people live in mud huts, and wealthy [people] live in large homes with televisions, cars and servants. Middle class families live in smaller houses or in apartments called flats. India is not a rich country, but is growing slowly.

Map of India report by Priti Patel (continued)

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India - Pakistan Wars

by Samir Sarna

The series of conflicts between India and Pakistan occurred since 1947, since the Indian sub-continent was partitioned by the British, as British rule there ended. The roots of the conflict lie in the long-standing hostility between the Hindus and Muslims. More than one million people are believed to have died in the religious rioting that took place immediately after partition, and many millions more were forced to relocate. The status of Kashmir was particularly troublesome. An uneasy peace was worked out and lasted until 1965, when fighting broke out in the Rann of Kutch, a border region between India and West Pakistan. Fighting spread to Kashmir and the Punjab, but a UN sponsored cease fire went into effect in 1966. In 1971, East Pakistan, with the support of India, revolted against the rule of West Pakistan. Again, brutal fighting and massive relocations took place. East Pakistan declared itself independent as Bangladesh, and in 1974 Pakistan recognized that status.

The Jar That Was Not Empty

(from Chandamamma, June 1985)

by Kruti Ravalia

This story is about a jar that was not empty. Here is the story behind it:

An old man went to the bazaar everyday to sell the strings that his daughters and wife made. One day, the old man did not go. Instead, his eldest daughter went. At the bazaar, the girl sold the strings at the regular price, and bought loaves of bread.

On her way home, she decided to take a shortcut. As she walked through an alley, she heard moaning and groaning that was coming from a hut in the middle of the road. She looked inside to find to her astonishment a woman and her two children lying on the floor of the hut. She asked "Why are you moaning?" The woman replied "We have had nothing to eat for the past three days, and my kindlesmen are in the next town, but we have no strength, or we would go". The girl told them, "if I give some food, will that be enough for you?". The woman answered "Yes, but do you see that jar over there? Take it, and believe me it is not empty". So, the girl took the jar just to please the lady.

When she got home, she told her family about her foolishness. Her mother said, "Well, we had food in the morning, so that should keep us full", and they went to bed.

The next day, the old man sent his youngest daughter out to the bazaar to sell the jar. Just before the closing time, a fisherman walked by and wanted to sell the fish to the girl. So, he asked her "I'll sell you the fish for a low price.", but the girl answered "I have no money to buy fish, but we could exchange our things." So, the fisherman said yes, and they exchanged their things.

The girl brought back the fish, and her mother said "well, something is better than nothing". The mother went to the kitchen and cut the fish, and you wouldn't believe what happened. Out came a sizable pearl!

The old man brought the pearl to his friend who was a jeweler. The jeweler said it cost more than he was allowed to buy. So, he took him to another jeweler, who bought it and the family lived happily ever after.

One evening, as the family sat down at the dinner table, the old man said "Now, I understand why the old woman said the jar was not empty", and the family said "What do you mean?", and the old man replied "it was not empty because it was full of love".

Karla

by Rishi Palriwala

Once upon a time there lived a boy named Jimut. He was talking to some strangers, who were talking about monks. They said "First the monks help you, and then you help them in return". So, Jimut's mother told him to take the goats to their pasture. On the way, he met a monk. The monk gave him some food. The next time he brought the goats to their pasture, he gave the two monks some bread. For a while, Jimut had a fever, and didn't see the monks. Then, he got better. He took the goats up to the pasture, and the monks told him about the monastery. After that, one of the monks said "If you ever need help, just say 'Om Mani, Padme Om; Buddha is on his Throne". So, when Jimut counted 14 goats, and he needed 15, he went to look for him. He found the goat, but there was a leopard trying to kill it. So, Jimut said 'Om Mani, Padme Om; Buddha is on his Throne". The leopard died, and they lived happily ever after. The end.

Karna

From Amar Chitra Katha

report by Rusik Mundhe

King Kuntibhoja had no children, so he adopted his niece and named her Kunti. Later, the sage Durvasa visited. Durvasa was known for his terrible temper, so Kunti took him into her hospitality for one whole year. Durvasa was pleased with her at the end of his visit, so he gave her a special mantra. This mantra gave her the power to call upon any god and bless her with a perfect son. One day, Kunti called down Lord Surya to see if the mantra worked. It did, and Kunti was given a son that she didn't know what to do with. Thus, Kama was born, wearing magical armor and earrings. Kunti put Kama in a basket and sent him down the river. The charioteer Adhiratha found Kama and raised him as his own. Kama grew up to become a healthy young boy.

Meanwhile, Kunti had married King Pandu of Hastinapura. King Pandu was under a curse, so he couldn't have children. Kunti used her mantra and thus, the five Pandava brothers were born. When King Pandu died, his second wife Madri killed herself. Kunti left the Pandavas under the care of Dheesma. The Pandavas were brought up along with their cousins, the Kaurava princes. At once, a rivalry broke out between the cousins. Kama, who often came to watch the cousins train in princely arts, saw that he would not be allowed to learn with the princes.

Karna From Amar Chitra Katha report by Rusik Mundhe (continued)

So, Kama went to sage Parashurama disguised as a Brahman. Parashurama taught Kama many important skills, but one day Parashurama took a nap on Karna's lap. An insect began viciously biting Kama, but Kama did not move, even after bleeding. Parashurama saw the blood when he woke and became angered, for only a Kshatriya (Parashurama's enemies) could bear such pain to protect another. The sage put a curse on Kama. It said that Kama's knowledge would fail him when he needed it the most. As he walked home, Kama shot an arrow and accidentally killed a Brahman's cow. The Brahman cursed Kama and said: "You too will be killed when you are helpless to defend yourself ".

Kama regained his confidence after a few days, just in time for a public archery tournament. Arjuna looked like the champion, when Kama came in. He proved himself to be equal to Arjuna and challenged Arjuna to a single combat match. The King agreed if he would just reveal his parentage. Kama was cast out when the court learned he was a charioteer's son. Duryodhana, a Kuarava, befriended Kama, as they both hated Arjuna. As years passed, Duryodhana slowly gained control over Kama.

In the meantime, Indra was concerned about his son, Arjuna. He plotted to take Kama's magic armor and eaffings. Surya warned Kama about Indra's attempts in a dream. The next day, Indra approached Kama as a Brahman asking for his magic amulets. Kama told Indra he knew who be was, but he gave his charms away because he never refused anyone anything. Indra was touched and granted Kama with one usage of his invincible weapon, the Shakti.

Kama the story of his birth. Kama listened, but refused to not fight his brothers. He swore he would kill only Arjuna. Kama also asked Kunti to keep his birth a secret until his death, in order to keep his friendship with Duryodhana. Kunti reluctantly agreed. Kama then entered the battle. Twice, he had the opportunity to kill Nakul and Bheema. He abided by his oath and let them go. That night, the Pandavas had a Rakshasa fight for them. This Rakshasa was wreaking havoc among the Kuaravas. Dutyodhana pleaded with Kama to use the invincible Shakti weapon. Kama did not want to use this weapon because he was saving it for Arjuna. However, as the Rakshasa continued to massacre the Kuaravas, Karna reluctantly used the Shakti on the Rakshasa. The next day, Kama met up with Arjuna. The two began to fight furiously. Then, Karna's chariot wheel got stuck in deep rut. His memory failed him and he could not recite a magical mantra. Arjuna raised his bow and ended glorious Kama's life. At the end of the war, Kunti told the five Pandavas about the great life of Kama.

I recommend this book to children of any age because it teaches a great lesson. In addition, it is very simple to understand and uses very basic language. Kama, whose goals in life were to be loved, recognized and honor, received these with his death. In some ways, Karna was a bigger hero than Arjuna. Even though fate was not on his side, he managed to get through life and with his death, into glory.

Our Past

by Rohini Gokhale

India is known for its oldest civilizations and great artifacts. One of the oldest civilizations known to India is the Indus Valley civilization, who lived in India 5,000 years ago. People have found seals, toys, and things of daily uses. The Indus Valley civilization people wore clothes made of cotton and wool. They loved ornaments, and were fond of arts and crafts. People soon learned of the great wealth, and soon the Aryans attacked in 1,500 B.C.

The Aryans were very active people. They had better weapons, and were great horsemen. They were the ones who introduced the horse and chariot. They first lived in Punjab, and settled into tribes, and later moved onto other parts of India. The tribes soon formed into kingdoms. Soon, four main castes evolved. The highest, a Brahmin, then the Kshatriyas, after that was the Vaishya, then the last caste Kshudra. After that was the untouchables (which was not really a caste). People like Mahatma Gandhi tried to get rid of this.

As more Aryan kingdoms spread, people became unhappy with the way the Hindu religion was being practiced. Then started Buddhism and Jainism. In 330 B.C., Alexander the Great came and attacked Punjab, and brought it under his control. After his death, Chandragupta Maurya defeated the Greeks, whom Alexander the Great left behind. He also attacked King Nandas of Magadha. Then, with his counselor, Chanakya, he built the first great empire of India.

After the death of Ashoka, the Mauryan kingdom lasted another hundred years, before it vanished. After that followed a time when North India was ruled by various kings and subjected to attacks by north-west Indian tribes. It was around 320 A.D. when the Gupta kingdom began. The following two hundred years were going to see success. The Gupta period was also known as the Golden Ages of Hinduism.

*Note: References taken from the chapter "Our Past" from This India by Shahana Dasgupta

Ramayan

by Divyanshu Soni

A long time ago, a king had three wives. One day, every wife had one or two babies. There were four babies, whose names were Shri Ram, Bharat, Luxman, and Shuthrugan. One day, one of the wives wanted Ram to go to exile, because she wanted her son to be king - not Ram. So, Ram was married with Sita, and they went to exile. Luxman wanted to go with them. So, he did. When Bharat and Shuthrugan find out what their mother did, they get mad at her. So, Ram, Sita and Luxman go on a journey. They build a house, and Ram said he was going to get something to eat. When they were gone, a bad person named Ravana comes to get Sita, because of her beauty. When Ram returns, he starts looking for her, but can't find her. So, they search for her and find a kingdom of monkeys. Hanuman recognized Ram and said "I worship you. I can help you". So, they set off to Ravana's kingdom to free Sita. Hanuman gets Sita and burns Ravana's kingdom.

Roopmati

by Shanti Mahajan

Roopmati was the daughter of the king of Dharampuri. She was skilled in singing and playing the been, a stringed musical instrument. She was brought up on the banks of the River Rewa, and worshipped Goddess Rewa with all her devotion.

One day, when Roopmati and her friends were playing in a nearby forest, Baz Bahadur, sultan of Mandu was on a hunting expedition. Baz Bahadur, persuaded by a deer, heard Roopmati singing for her friends. After the song was over, Baz Bahadur bravely introduced himself to Roopmati, praising her of her talents. Baz Bahadur then took courage and asked Roopmati to marry him. Roopmati said she would be destined to be his wife after the goddess Rewa sent her waters through Mandu. Baz Bahadur then left, hoping it would happen soon.

Roopmati and Baz Bahadur were pining for each other. Baz Bahadur was neglecting his duties at court, and Roopmati spent most of her time alone, yearning for Baz Bahadur.

Champa, Roopmati's best friend had a friend at Baz Bahadur's court. Champa had received a love letter for Roopmati from Baz Bahadur!

Roopmati's mother worried about Roopmati, so she asked Roopmati's friends what was going on. Roopmati's friends told her all about how Roopmati had met Baz Bahadur in the forest. Finally, Roopmati's mother took courage and told the Thakar. The Thakar was furious, and threatened to have Roopmati killed, However, the priest convinced the Thakar that he couldn't kill his own flesh and blood. The Thakar decided to imprison Roopmati in her room.

Roopmati by Shanti Mahajan (continued)

Roopmati was now locked in her room, and spent much of her time sobbing. When she awoke from a nap, the goddess Rewa was standing before her. Rewa told Roopmati that the imprisonment would soon end, Roopmati and Baz Bahadur would soon be reunited, and a spring would burst forth from the River Rewa in Mandu.

Baz Bahadur heard of Roopmati's imprisonment, and was very angry. That night, she decided to attack Dharampuri and free Roopmati.

Dharampuri had been taken by surprise, and Baz Bahadur won the battle easily. He freed Roopmati, and the lovers were reunited! Then, Baz Bahadur asked Roopmati once again to marry him, and Roopmati accepted. Long live the king and queen!

At Baz Bahadur's palace, Roopmati sang for Baz Bahadur, who listened with rapt attention. Roopmati, after singing, told Baz Bahadur of her midnight vision, and wanted to see the spring.

The next day, Baz Bahadur and Roopmati found the spring. Baz Bahadur built a

beautiful palace on this place as a token of their union, built for Roopmati.

When Baz Bahadur was busy with court affairs, Roopmati would sit on the terrace of the palace, singing songs and playing the been. However, Baz Bahadur was never away from her for too long.

The Mughals wanted to take over Mandu, and decided to plan an attack. The Mughals chose a man named Adham Khan to lead their army.

Baz Bahadur fought in this battle, but not for long. Baz Bahadur was killed - by Adham Khan.

Adham Khan marched to the palace, and demanded for Roopmati's hand in marriage, but Roopmati declined the offer. Adham Khan was furious - and made poor Roopmati his captive.

Roopmati, full of memories of Baz Bahadur, did not eat or drink for three days. Finally, on the third day, she put on her bridal attire for Adham Khan, who was ecstatic.

Roopmati knew she could not go on with her life without Baz Bahadur, so she planned to end her life that very night.

Late into the night, Roopmati summoned Adham Khan to her chamber. Adham Khan took her hand - and discovered she was dead. Roopmati was buried by the side of Baz Bahadur in a tomb in Sarangpur. In this tomb of these lovers, it is said if you call out the name 'Roopmati', the call that answers is 'Baz Bahadur',

Roopmati by Shanti Mahajan (continued)

Answers To Given Questions

Q: What kind of fiction book was this?

A: This fiction book was a kind of folk tale, passed from generation to generation.

Q: What was the theme?

A: The theme was about a girl named Roopmati who was in love with Baz Bahadur.

They persuaded on to marry, but then Baz Bahadur dies, Roopmati loved him so much,

that she ended her life so they could be together in heaven

Q: What is your opinion of the story?

A: I think that the story is very romantic, but the end is heart-piercing.

Q: Did you like the ending?

A: I think the ending was very sad, but also happy because Roopmati and Baz Babadur

would still be together (in a way).

Q: Did you like the topic? Why?

A: I liked the topic because I kind of like romance stories, but not really in movies.

Tales of Sai Baba

by Shailini Vimal

The book, Tales of Sai Baba, has many different stories about how generous, caring and nice Sai Baba was. For example, I'll give a short summary about one of his stories called "Baba Comes to Shirdi".

A man named Chandbhai had lost his horse, and had been looking for it. Baba heard him mumbling, and helped him find the horse. In honor of finding the horse, Baba had promised to come to Chandbhai's house. After Chandbhai's wife's nephew's marriage, they went to Shirdi. There Baba decided to stay, and found himself a mud-walled house to live in. There he'd always do good deeds to everyone and lived happily.

This is a good book that I enjoyed very much. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Shakuntla

by Monica Midha

A long time ago, King Vishwamitra left his kingdom to become a brahmin, and acquired the power of a great sage. Vishwamitra became greedy and in order to acquire the throne of Lord Indra, (the king of Gods and Goddesses) he began to perform penance on the bank of Godavri River. Lord Indra got scared and sent Menaka, the most beautiful dancer of his court, to distract Vishwamitra and break his penance.

Lord Indra's plan worked. Menaka danced in front of Vishwamitra and when he opened his eyes, he saw Menaka and fell in love with her, and soon after he married her. He lived with her for a while, but left her when she was going to have their baby. Menaka gave birth to a very beautiful girl, but had to go back to Lord Indra, and left the baby outside a hut which belonged to Kanva, a sage.

Sage Kanva found the baby and by his great powers knew the whole story of Vishwamitra and Menaka. He brought the baby home and named her Shakuntla. Shakuntla grew up in the ashram with the other children. Once Sage Kanva had to leave and left Shakuntla in charge. One day the king of Hastinapur, Dushaynta came there on a hunting trip and saw Shakuntala. He liked her very much and Shakuntla liked him too. They quietly got married in the garden in front of her two best friends.

Dushyanta had to go back to Hastinapur, and before leaving gave a ring to Shakuntla and promised her that before long he would take her to Hastinapur. Shakuntala was always lost in his thoughts and one day Sage Durvasa came to the ashram and found Shakuntla lost in her thoughts. He took her preoccupation as an insult and cursed her by saying, "The man you are thinking about will forget you." Shakuntla didn't hear the curse but her friends did and they pleaded with the sage. Sage Durvasa realized he had been too quick in putting the curse on Shakuntla. He told the friends that he could not withdraw the curse but the curse will cease by showing some ornament of recognition.

Shakuntla by Monica Midha (continued)

Time went on and no one came to get Shakuntla. Sage Kanva came back and found out about Shakntla and Dushyanta by a divine announcement. He was very happy and arranged for her to leave the same day for Hastinapur. On their they stopped to take a bath in Ganga River. Shakuntla dropped her ring given to her by Dushyanta in the river without realizing it. They reached Hastinapur, and after meeting with Shakuntla Dushyanta refused to recognize her. Shakuntla was very unhappy and was crying when Menaka came down and took her away. Menaka took her to Hemkunt mountain and told her to go to the ashram of sage Mareecha, where she will be looked after by his wife.

The next day a fisherman caught a fish and as he was cleaning it he found a ring inside it. He thought that he could sell it and get lots of money for it, but the jeweler thought he was a thief and called the city police. The police took him to the king and as soon as Dushyanta saw the ring his memory of Shakuntla came back. He felt very bad as to what he had done.

Shakuntla was greeted by sage Mareecha and his wife very warmly and was living at their ashram Dushaynta on the other hand had lost his sleep over what he had done to Shakuntla. Shakuntla gave birth to a strong boy, who looked just his father.

Then one day Lord Indra heard about a group of demons who could not be destroyed by the Gods, but could be destroyed only by a strong man from the earth. He ordered his charioteer, Matali, to go and get Dushyanta to get rid of the demons. After Dushyanta defeated the demons, Matali stopped at Hemkunt on a pretense. There as they were resting Dushyanta saw a little boy playing with a lion. Dushyanta was really impressed. After talking to the women who were taking care of him Dushyanta found out that he was his son. Skakuntla was happy to see Dushyanta after he apologized to her for what he had done to her. They both went to get the blessings of sage Mareecha and lived happily in Hastinapur.

Tansen

by Amar Lalaji

Tansen, who was a contemporary of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, is the symbol of the supreme achievements in Indian music. He was not only a great performer, but he was also a great composer and musicologist. He was a pioneer who opened up new vistas by breaking down conventions of Jatis and Ragas.

Tansen

by Shailini Vimal

Tansen was one of India's best musicians. Since he was a child, he loved to listen to the animals, and copy them. He wasn't at all interested in learning anything else. One day, Tansen was heard growling like a lion. He was heard by Swami Haridis, who sent him to a place where he was taught to sing and play sitar. After his mother and father, Tansen was sent to Mohammed Gaus, for it was his father's last request. There, he found a beautiful queen, named Mriganaini, whom he married. Though Tansen was always a great singer, he became very popular and famous. He had four sons and one daughter. They all were interested in music.

Soon, Tansen was invited to royal King Akbar's palace to sing and play the sitar for him. There, he was asked to sing a song in Deepak Raag. When someone sings that Raag, it starts to get very warm until it starts to burn up. When Tansen was asked to sing in Deepa Raag, he knew he was going to die unless his daughter would help him to sing and play the sitar in Megh Raag. When you play the sitar and sing in Megh Raag, then things cool down.

That is how he saved his life, and didn't die. However, because of old age, after a long time, he died. The End.

Tulsidas

by Sunil Lalaji

Tulsidas was a devotee of Ram. He wrote Ramayan. His mother died when Tulsidas was born. He had a hard childhood. He became a devotee of Ram when he went to a temple, when he was unhappy. He went to Vishwanatha temple. He prayed to Lord Shiva.

STORIES OF VALOUR

written by Rajendra Awasthy

illustrated by S. Sen Roy

report by Pamposh Koul

Stories of Valour is a book of bravery and courage. Valiancy is the major theme and is shown throughout the book in the characters of the six stories. I would like to share with you three of these stories.

The first story, called The Pilgrems, is about an old couple who live with their son, Shravan. Shravan takes good care of them, being their eyes as they are blind, giving them their meals, making their beds, and massaging his father's feet. However, the couple's last wish is to go on a pilgrimage to all the holy places in India. Although the father sighs in discontentment, the mother chides him, saying how he should count his blessings that they have such a good son who will be their eyes for them and take care of them in their old age. Shravan is clearly shown as the valiant one in this story, the exact opposite of his two - faced wife who acts sweet in front of Shravan, but once he is gone immediately becomes insolent to the old couple. Shravan's parents never complain, and they too show valiancy.

One day, Shravan goes to the carpenter and asks him if he could make a kanvar, a beam with two baskets hung on each side, to be carried with the beam horizontally over the backs of the shoulders. Shravan wants to use this kanvar to take his parents on a pilgrimage. Although the carpenter warns Shravan against the difficulties of taking this journey, Shravan's mind is made up and he asks only for the carpenter's blessings.

Slowly, but surely, day by day, Shravan made his way through the village. People turned to stare at the old blind couple in a kanvar, and many were so emotionally touched by a son's devotion to his parents that they were brought to tears. Shravan and his parents traveled for weeks and months, walking during the day and resting by night. One night, in a particularly enchanting forest, Shravan and his parents were resting, enjoying the cool breezes and the sweet chirping of birds when Shravan's father asked for some water. Going to a nearby stream to fetch a pitcher full, Shravan was shot in the chest with an arrow.

King Dashrath had shot the arrow, thinking Shravan was an elephant. The king was immediately filled with guilt and remorse. As the king asked Shravan for forgiveness, Shravan used his last breath to tell the king to bring his parents the water they needed. King Dashrath lifted Shravan's body, took up the pitcher, and looked around for the old couple. When he found them and told them what had happened, both the man and the woman began to cry. When Dashrath told the couple that he would serve them as their son from now on, they replied that it would never be the same, "You too will suffer when you are parted from your son." The couple soon died of grief. Several years later, Dashrath remembered the words of the old couple when his son Rama went away into the forest.

STORIES OF VALOUR report by Pamposh Koul (continued)

The next story, An Offering to the Guru, shows the devotion of one boy to his teacher. Eklavya was the son of the valiant king Hiranyadhanu respected by many Kshatriya kings. While out in the forest one day, Eklavya came across a prince who could shoot an arrow with amazing accuracy. The prince told him that his guru was Dronacharya. Eklavya went back to his father and asked him about this guru. Hiranyadhanu told him that he is the world's greatest archer and that he teaches archery to Dhritarashtra's sons. Eklavya also wanted to learn archery from this great master. However, his father told him to put the idea out of his head. Dronacharya would never accept him as his pupil because he did not belong to the warrior caste of Kshatriyas. But no one could stop Eklavya and he set off the next day for the capital where Dronacharya lived. Unfortunately, when he arrived at the hut of Guru Dronacharya, everyone laughed at the Bhil boy expecting to learn archery from Guru Dronacharya. Guru Dronacharya turned him down, but instead of going home, Eklavya decided to live in the forest. He built a statue of Dronacharya and a hut near by. He lived there alone practicing archery. One day, a dog barking nearby Eklavya distracted him from his target, so Eklavya tried to shoo it away. Finally, he shot him in the mouth and it ran away. The dog belonged to the Kaurava and Pandava princes who were hunting in the forest. When they laid eyes on the clean shots of arrows in the dog's mouth, they were amazed by such accuracy that had sealed the dog's mouth so effectively. When the dog was shown to Dronacharya, he was also amazed. They all set out at once to look for this unknown archer. When at last they found Eklavya, he told them the whole story, and that Dronacharya was his guru. Finally, Dronacharya accepted him as his pupil, asking, "What offering will you make to me?" Eklavya replied "Whatever you order." When Dronachrya ordered his right thumb, Eklavya chopped off his own right thumb and gave it to Dronacharya, whose eyes were filled with tears, and was overcome by this devotion.

The next story is the story of Krishna's Childhood, my personal favorite. It was a dark and stormy night, and Devaki and Vasudeva were in their dungeon cell, held by Kamsa, Devaki's tyrant brother. Devaki was expecting her eighth child, the one who was prophesied to kill Kamsa. At midnight, the star Rohini was in the ascendant and Devaki's eighth child Krishna, was born. The entire cell was flooded with heavenly light. Krishna's shining effulgence made both parents realize that this was no ordinary child. So, Vasudeva put him in a basket and sneaked out. Vasudeva put the basket on top of his head and tried to cross the waters of the Yamuna River which had swelled from the rain. The waters of the river receded and Vasudeva was able to cross effortlessly into Gokul. Vasudeva went to his friend Nanda's house, where his wife Yashoda had just given birth to a baby girl. Vasudeva quietly switched the two babies and ran off into the night, again crossing the receded waters of the Yamuna River back into Mathura. As soon as the baby began to cry, the guards awoke. Kamsa immediately snatched up the baby girl and was about to throw her to the floor to kill her when she flew up into the air and appeared with eight arms as the younger sister of Vishnu, saying, 'The one who is to kill you is still alive!" Kamsa grew infuriated and ordered a search for the missing baby. When he did, he sent Putana, a demon with the ability to change form into the village. Putana began to nurse him, but she had coated herself with poison to kill Krishna. However, Krishna sucked the very life and breath out of her and she lay dead.

STORIES OF VALOUR report by Pamposh Koul (continued)

Later, Kamsa sent his brother Bakasura to kill Krishna, but he too died. When Aghasura was sent, he also lost his life. Years later, Kaliya, a giant poisonous serpent who lived in the Yamuna River was defeated by Krishna, who rapidly stamped on the snake's body, forcing it out of the river. Later, around the time of a festival in honor of Indra, the god of rain, Krishna came up with the idea that clouds shed the rain when they hit the mountains. So, the people decided to worship Mount Govardhan from that day. Indra got very angry and began a tremendous deluge. Krishna, however, simply picked up Govardhan hill on his pinky and the people climbed under it for shelter. Eventually, Krishna did indeed kill Kamsa in a wrestling match. Krishna was then reunited with his parents Vasudeva and Devaki, and later left with his brother Balarama for Avantipura where they studied under Sage Sandipani.

I enjoyed reading this book and about the devotion that these people had to their loved ones and the people whom they most respected. My favorite story was about Krishna's childhood. Even though I have known that story for quite a long time, I still enjoy reading about it. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a few good stories about people who are kind and respect each other.

The Wonder That is India

by Nikhil Shetty

This book is about India, its history, culture, landmarks, etc. In the beginning, he [the author] tells about India's history on the wars, and Gandhi. Then, he gets into Hinduism and it's gods. He mainly talks about Ram. He really emphasizes on the Taj Mahal, and the Christians. Then, he talks about how he likes India. I really liked this story. I would not end any other way!