Lohri

Lohri is a popular Punjabi festival, celebrated by people from the Punjab region of South Asia. The origins of Lohri are many and link the festival to Punjab region. Many people believe the festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice. The belief is that Lohri represents the longest night before winter solstice as Lohri was originally celebrated on the night before winter solstice followed by the shortest day of the year which is observed on Maghi. About sixteen centuries ago, these festivals were actually observed at the point of winter solstice.

Origins

There are many origins of Lohri: all forming part of folklore. However, the main theme of Lohri is the belief that Lohri is the cultural celebration of the winter solstice. According to folk lore, in ancient times Lohri was celebrated on the eve of winter solstice day. It is for this reason that people believe day light is meant to increase from the day after Lohri when the sun starts its northward journey. Accordingly, the day after Lohri is celebrated as Maghi Sangrand from when the days are meant to start getting longer. People believe nights gradually shorten "by the grain of one sesame seed" once the winter solstice passes.

However, instead of celebrating Lohri on the eve of when winter solstice actually occurs, Punjabis celebrate it on the last day of the month during which winter solstice takes place. This is due to linking Lohri to the Bikrami calendar and the twinning of the festival with Makar Sankrati which is celebrated in the Punjab region as Maghi Sangrand. Therefore, Lohri commemorates the passing of the winter solstice.

Scientifically, the shortest day of the year is around 21–22 December with the longest night preceding it on the day before, after which the days begin to get longer. Accordingly, winter solstice begins on 21 December or 22 December and Lohri ought to be celebrated on the longest night before winter solstice day followed by Maghi (Makar) Sangrand on winter solstice which marks the point when daylight will increase.

Bonfire

A key feature of Lohri is the bonfire. Lighting of the fire has been common in winter solstice festivals throughout time and the world: it signifies the return of longer days. The bonfire is an ancient tradition, forming a key part of Lohri traditions. The bonfire also represents the new life of the sun which begins to reinvigorate itself on winter solstice day.

Lohri and harvest festival

Lohri is traditionally associated with the harvest of the rabi crops. The traditional time to harvest sugarcane crops is January and therefore, Lohri is seen by some to be a harvest festival. The general time to sow sugarcane is January to March and the harvesting period is between December to March with a 12 to 18-month cycle. Sugarcane products such as gurh and gachak are central to Lohri celebrations, as are nuts which are harvested in January. The other important food item of Lohri is radish which can be harvested between October and January. Eating mustard and spinach (sarson da saag) on Lohri is an ancient tradition. Mustard greens are cultivated mainly in the winter months because the crop is suitable to the agro-climatic conditions. Accordingly, mustard greens are also a winter produce.

Other legends of the origin of Lohri festival

Some people believe that Lohri has derived its name from Loi, the wife of Saint Kabir. There is a legend amongst some people that Lohri comes from the word 'loh', which means the light and the warmness of fire. Lohri is also called lohi in rural Punjab. 

According to another legend Holika and Lohri were sisters. While the former perished in the Holi fire, the latter survived with Prahlad. 

Eating of til (sesame seeds) and rorhi is considered to be essential on Lohri day. Perhaps the words til and rorhi merged to become tilorhi, which eventually got shortened to Lohri.

Vedas

The Vedas Sanskrit: veda, "knowledge" are a large body of knowledge texts originating in the ancient Indian subcontinent. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. Hindus consider the Vedas to be apauruseya, which means "not of a man, superhuman" and "impersonal, authorless".

Vedas are also called sruti ("what is heard") literature, distinguishing them from other religious texts, which are called smrti ("what is remembered"). The Veda, for orthodox Indian theologians, are considered revelations seen by ancient sages after intense meditation, and texts that have been more carefully preserved since ancient times. In the Hindu Epic the Mahabharata, the creation of Vedas is credited to Brahma. The Vedic hymns themselves assert that they were skillfully created by Rishis (sages), after inspired creativity, just as a carpenter builds a chariot.

There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharveda. Each Veda has been sub classified into four major text types – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). Some scholars add a fifth category – the Upasanas (worship).

The various Indian philosophies and denominations have taken differing positions on the Vedas. Schools of Indian philosophy which cite the Vedas as their scriptural authority are classified as "orthodox" (astika). Other sramana traditions, such as Lokayata, Carvaka, Ajivika, Buddhism and Jainism, which did not regard the Vedas as authorities, are referred to as "heterodox" or "non-orthodox" (nastika) schools. Despite their differences, just like the texts of the śramaṇa traditions, the layers of texts in the Vedas discuss similar ideas and concepts.

Chronology

The Vedas are among the oldest sacred texts. The Samhitas date to roughly 1700–1100 BC, and the "circum-Vedic" texts, as well as the redaction of the Samhitas, date to c. 1000-500 BC, resulting in a Vedic period, spanning the mid 2nd to mid 1st millennium BC, or the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The Vedic period reaches its peak only after the composition of the mantra texts, with the establishment of the various shakhas all over Northern India which annotated the mantra samhitas with Brahmana discussions of their meaning, and reaches its end in the age of Buddha and Panini and the rise of the Mahajanapadas  (archaeologically, Northern Black Polished Ware). Michael Witzel gives a time span of c. 1500 to c. 500-400 BC. Witzel makes special reference to the Near Eastern Mitanni material  of the 14th century BC the only epigraphic record of Indo-Aryan contemporary to the Rigvedic period. He gives 150 BC (Patanjali) as a terminus ante quem for all Vedic Sanskrit literature, and 1200 BC (the early Iron Age) as terminus post quem for the Atharvaveda.

Transmission of texts in the Vedic period was by oral tradition, preserved with precision with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques. A literary tradition is traceable in post-Vedic times, after the rise of Buddhism in the Maurya period, perhaps earliest in the Kanva  recension of the Yajurveda about the 1st century BC; however oral tradition of transmission remained active. Witzel suggests the possibility of written Vedic texts towards the end of 1st millennium BCE. Some scholars such as Jack Goody state that "the Vedas are not the product of an oral society", basing this view by comparing inconsistencies in the transmitted versions of literature from various oral societies such as the Greek, Serbia and other cultures, then noting that the Vedic literature is too consistent and vast to have been composed and transmitted orally across generations, without being written down. However, adds Goody, the Vedic texts likely involved both a written and oral tradition, calling it a "parallel products of a literate society".

Due to the ephemeral nature of the manuscript material (birch bark or palm leaves), surviving manuscripts rarely surpass an age of a few hundred years. The Sampurnanand Sanskrit University has a Rigveda manuscript from the 14th century; however, there are a number of older Veda manuscripts in Nepal that are dated from the 11th century onwards.

Sacred Hindu Texts

Hindu texts are manuscripts and historic literature related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as Hindu scriptures. These include the Vedas and the Upanishads. Scholars hesitate in defining the term "Hindu scripture" given the diverse nature of Hinduism, many include Bhagavad Gita and Agamas as Hindu scriptures, while Dominic Goodall includes Bhagavata Purana and  Yajnavalkya Smriti to the list of Hindu scriptures.

There are two historic classifications of Hindu texts: Shruti - that which is heard, and Smriti - that which is remembered. The Sruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts, without any author, comprising the central canon of Hinduism. It includes the four Vedas including its four types of embedded texts - the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the early Upanishads. Of the Shrutis (Vedic corpus), the Upanishads alone are widely influential among Hindus, considered scriptures par excellence of Hinduism, and their central ideas have continued to influence its thoughts and traditions.

The Smriti texts are a specific body of Hindu texts attributed to an author, as a derivative work they are considered less authoritative than Sruti in Hinduism. The Smrti literature is a vast corpus of diverse texts, and includes but is not limited to Vedāngas, the Hindu epics, the Sutras and Shastras, the texts of Hindu philosophies, the Puranas, the Kāvya or poetical literature, the Bhasyas, and numerous Nibandhas (digests) covering politics, ethics, culture, arts and society.

Many ancient and medieval Hindu texts were composed in Sanskrit, many others in regional Indian languages. In modern times, most ancient texts have been translated into other Indian languages and some in Western languages. Prior to the start of the common era, the Hindu texts were composed orally, then memorized and transmitted orally, from one generation to next, for more than a millennia before they were written down into manuscripts. This verbal tradition of preserving and transmitting Hindu texts, from one generation to next, continued into the modern era.

The Vedas

The Vedas are a large body of Hindu texts originating in ancient India, before about 300 BCE. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. Hindus consider the Vedas to be apauruṣeya, which means "not of a man, superhuman" and "impersonal, authorless".

Vedas are also called Sruti ("what is heard") literature, distinguishing them from other religious texts, which are called Smriti ("what is remembered"). The Veda, for orthodox Indian theologians, are considered revelations, some way or other the work of the Deity. In the Hindu Epic the Mahabharata, the creation of Vedas is credited to Brahma.

There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (text discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).

The Upanishads

The Upanishads are a collection of Hindu texts which contain some of the central philosophical concepts of Hinduism.

The Upanishads are commonly referred to as Vedānta, variously interpreted to mean either the "last chapters, parts of the Veda" or "the object, the highest purpose of the Veda". The concepts of Brahman (Ultimate Reality) and Ātman (Soul, Self) are central ideas in all the Upanishads, and "Know your Ātman" their thematic focus. The Upanishads are the foundation of Hindu philosophical thought and its diverse traditions. Of the Vedic corpus, they alone are widely known, and the central ideas of the Upanishads have had a lasting influence on Hindu philosophy.

More than 200 Upanishads are known, of which the first dozen or so are the oldest and most important and are referred to as the principal or main (mukhya) Upanishads. The mukhya Upanishads are found mostly in the concluding part of the Brahmanas and Aranyakas and were, for centuries, memorized by each generation and passed down verbally. The early Upanishads all predate the Common Era, some in all likelihood pre-Buddhist (6th century BCE), down to the Maurya period. Of the remainder, some 95 Upanishads are part of the Muktika canon, composed from about the start of common era through medieval Hinduism. New Upanishads, beyond the 108 in the Muktika canon, continued to being composed through the early modern and modern era, though often dealing with subjects unconnected to Hinduism.

Post-Vedic texts

A 19th century manuscript of the Hindu text Bhagavad Gita

The texts that appeared afterwards were called smriti. Smriti literature includes various Shastras and Itihasas (epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata), Harivamsa Puranas, Agamas and Darshanas.

The Sutras and Shastras texts were compilations of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area. The earliest are dated to later half of the 1st millennium BCE. The Dharma-shastras (law books), derivatives of the Dharma-sutras.

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a 700–verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. This scripture contains a conversation between Pandava prince  Arjuna and his guide Krishna on a variety of philosophical issues. Commentators see the setting of the Gita in a battlefield as an allegory for the ethical and moral struggles of the human life. The Bhagavad Gita's call for selfless action inspired many leaders of the Indian independence movement including Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who referred to the Gita as his "spiritual dictionary". Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad Gita with widely differing views on the essentials, beginning with Adi Sankara's commentary on the Gita in the 8th century CE.

The Puranas

The Puranas are a vast genre of Hindu texts that encyclopedically cover a wide range of topics, particularly myths, legends and other traditional lore. Composed primarily in Sanskrit, but also in regional languages, several of these texts are named after major Hindu deities such as Vishnu, Shiva and Devi.

There are 18 Maha Puranas (Great Puranas) and 18 Upa Puranas (Minor Puranas),[49] with over 400,000 verses. The Puranas do not enjoy the authority of a scripture in Hinduism, but are considered a Smriti. These Hindu texts have been influential in the Hindu culture, inspiring major national and regional annual festivals of Hinduism. The Bhagavata Purana has been among the most celebrated and popular text in the Puranic genre.

The Tevaram Saivite hymns

The Tevaram is a body of remarkable hymns exuding Bhakti composed more than 1400–1200 years ago in the classical Tamil language by three Saivite composers. They are credited with igniting the Bhakti movement in the whole of India.

Divya Prabandha Vaishnavite hymns

The Nalayira Divya Prabandha (or Nalayira (4000) Divya Prabhamdham) is a divine collection of 4,000 verses (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand') composed before 8th century AD, by the 12 Alvars, and was compiled in its present form by Nathamuni during the 9th – 10th centuries. The Alvars sung these songs at various sacred shrines. These shrines are known as the Divya Desams.

In South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, the Divya Prabhandha is considered as equal to the Vedas, hence the epithet Dravida Veda. In many temples, Srirangam, for example, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham forms a major part of the daily service. Prominent among the 4,000 verses are the 1,100+ verses known as the Thiru Vaaymozhi, composed by Nammalvar (Kaaril Maaran Sadagopan) of Thiruk Kurugoor. 

Mummified 200-year-old monk 'NOT dead' but in 'very deep meditation'

A mummified monk found in the lotus position in Mongolia is 'not dead' and is instead one stage away from becoming a real-life Buddha, it has been claimed.

Forensic examinations are under way on the amazing remains, which are believed to be around 200 years old, having been preserved in animal skin. But one expert has insisted the human relic is actually in 'very deep meditation' and in a rare and very special spiritual state known as 'tukdam'.

Over the last 50 years there are said to have been 40 such cases in India involving meditating Tibetan monks.

Dr Barry Kerzin, a famous Buddhist monk and a physician to the Dalai Lama, said: 'I had the privilege to take care of some meditators who were in a tukdam state.

'If the person is able to remain in this state for more than three weeks - which rarely happens - his body gradually shrinks, and in the end all that remains from the person is his hair, nails, and clothes. Usually in this case, people who live next to the monk see a rainbow that glows in the sky for several days. This means that he has found a 'rainbow body'. This is the highest state close to the state of Buddha'.

He added: 'If the meditator can continue to stay in this meditative state, he can become a Buddha. Reaching such a high spiritual level the meditator will also help others, and all the people around will feel a deep sense of joy'.

Initial speculation is that the mummy could be a teacher of Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov. Born in 1852, Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov was a Buryat Buddhist Lama of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, best known for the lifelike state of his body.

Ganhugiyn Purevbata, who is the founder and professor of the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art at Ulaanbaatar Buddhist University, said: 'Lama is sitting in the lotus position vajra, the left hand is opened, and the right hand symbolizes of the preaching Sutra.

'This is a sign that the Lama is not dead, but is in a very deep meditation according to the ancient tradition of Buddhist lamas'.

The mummified remains, which were covered in cattle skin, were found on January 27 in the Songinokhairkhan province of Mongolia. However, there is more to the story and now police have revealed that the monk had been stolen from another part of the country and was about to be sold off.

An unnamed official said that it was taken from a cave in the Kobdsk region by a man who then hid it in his own home in Ulaanbaatar. He had then been planning to sell it on the black market at a 'very high price', with local media claiming he wanted to take it over the Mongolian border. Police uncovered the plot and quickly arrested a 45-year-old, named only as Enhtor. 

According to Article 18 of the Criminal Code of Mongolia smuggling items of cultural heritage are punishable with either a fine of up to 3million roubles ($43,000) or between five and 12 years in prison. The monk is now being guarded at the National Centre of Forensic Expertise at Ulaanbaatar.

What does your soul want you to know?

We get so involved in the nitty-gritty of life that we often forget the most important lessons we came here to learn – the lessons that our inner spirit is trying to teach us during our relatively short stay here on earth. Since the soul is the fountainhead of wisdom of guidance, it is always trying to communicate with us. Each life experience is an invitation to live as closely as possible to our soul’s true essence. This is what your soul wants you know.

You are OK just as you are

The main goal of life is to not really change, grow or transform yourself. It is to be at peace with who you are at any given moment despite what you have done or not done; said or not said. Transformation is a choice we all have, but from the soul’s perspective, it is not the greatest priority.

You are meant to feel deeply

You are meant to REALLY feel. Don’t hold back your tears, and don’t think it is wimpy, soft, or overly sensitive to expressive yourself. It is healthy to feel deeply and to give yourself permission to experience the richness of human emotion. Feel love. Feel sadness. Don’t walk in between as you daydream, really take the time to amerce yourself in the moment. This is what life is all about.

Be mindful

Mindfulness is simply the focus of your attention on the present moment, but it is anything but simple. With chaotic schedules, multi-tasking and an over-worked society, it is often hard to remain in the present and not get lost in the chaos that surrounds us. Mindfulness has roots in Buddhism, but most religions and spirituality practices include some attention towards love, kindness, and appreciation for a perspective on life that is bigger than oneself.

Your soul wants you to know stillness

When we are still, we can truly listen. As we listen we open ourselves to understand and it is within the stillness that we can feel the greatest connection to our soul’s wisdom. That is why meditation, being still in nature and finding a quiet moment for ourselves feel so appealing. They are opportunities to connect with who we truly are Kind, compassionate, gentle and wise. We just have to listen.

Let go of outcome

When we work hard at something, it’s natural to want some kind of “reward.” But when you become attached to outcome, it can take the joy out of the process. Life presents us with infinite variations of this important distinction—between what we can change and what we can’t, between what is within our control and what isn’t.

The present moment is the most precious thing

People don’t realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind. Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now. “As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease.

Perspective is a beautiful thing

Typically, when we’re worried or upset, it’s because we’ve lost perspective. Everything that is happening in our lives seems so big, so important, so do or die, but in the grand picture, this single hiccup often means next to nothing. The fight we’re having, the job we didn’t get, the real or imagined slight, the unexpected need to shift course, the thing we wanted, but didn’t get. Most of it doesn't really matter.

Self worth cannot be verified by others

If you constantly seek outside yourself for approval and validation, you will never be happy. We are all different and we all perceive things in different ways but your reputation is not something you can really control. Your reputation is not really in your hands, so stop trying to please everyone around you and start pleasing your own SELF.

All that you need is already within you

In this moment you have it all, right NOW and right here, there is nothing lacking. Take time to be quiet at least 5 minutes per day and in time you will discover that you do have access to HAPPINESS, PEACE, ABUNDANCE and all that is good at all times.

Everything in life is temporary

Every time it rains, it stops raining. Every time you get hurt, you heal. After darkness there is always light – you are reminded of this every morning, but still you often forget, and instead choose to believe that the night will last forever. It won’t. Nothing lasts forever.

Accept

To complain is always non acceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.

Go out of your way to be loving and kind

Almost everything comes full circle. People who love themselves come across as very caring, generous and kind to others too; they express their self-confidence through humility, forgiveness and inclusiveness. So seek to understand others before you attempt to judge.

You need to clean the clutter

As Einstein once said, “Out of clutter, find simplicity; from discord, find harmony; in the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” Sometimes we make life more complicated than it is. We attach our happiness to achievement and then look for it in all the wrong ways and in all the wrong places. Of course, you don’t have to live like this. If you feel like you are, it’s time to simplify things. It’s time to clear the air and get back to the basics.

Your troubles are gradually improving you

Someday when you least expect it life will blindside you with necessary chaos. And once the chaos has ended, you won’t remember exactly how it all transpired, how you made it through, or where you found the strength you needed to carry on. You won’t even be sure whether the chaos has completely ended. But there is one thing you can be sure about: When it does finally come to an end, you will be a much stronger person than who you were before it happened, which is precisely why it was necessary.

We’re Part Of A Living, Breathing Cosmos

By: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

With all the advances made in science and technology, today we have tools that are powerful enough to make or break the planet several times over. That the United Nations declared June 5 as World Environment Day is a reminder to us all to live more mindfully, and wherever required, to take urgent measures to reverse any process that is causing ecological harm, the effects of which could impact all life on the planet. However, human consciousness has become so fragmented that most people have forgotten that what you consider to be your ‘body’ is not just a piece of the planet, but much more.

Interdependence is not just a philosophical theory. It is a reality. Your physical existence is possible only because of your body’s seamless ability to respond to the entire universe. Without this, you wouldn’t be able to exist for a moment. 

I lived on a farm for a few years. There was a man in the locality with a hearing impairment, an object of ridicule for the villagers. I employed him to help me on the farm. He was a nice companion because I wasn’t particularly interested in talking, and he couldn’t talk because he could not hear. So, no problem! 

In those days before tractors, life on the farm was all about bullocks and ploughs. One day, suddenly, at four o’clock in the morning, I saw him preparing the plough and asked him what he was doing. He said, ‘It will rain today. I am preparing to plough.’ I looked up. It was an absolutely clear sky. I said, ‘What? Where is the rain?’ He said, ‘No, sir, it will rain.’ And it did. 

I sat up for days and nights after this. Why couldn’t I feel what this man could feel? I sat, holding my hand in different positions, trying to feel the moisture, the temperature, trying to read the sky. I read all kinds of books on meteorology, but was up against a wall. But gradually, with careful observation of my own body and environment, I discovered the fundamental mistake that most of us make: the fact that we view the ingredients which constitute our body, like earth, water, air and food, as commodities and not as an organic part of the life process. 

If it is to rain today, some change will happen in your body. Most urban-dwellers cannot feel it, but many rural folk all over the world, sense this. This is not astrology or magic, but a surmise based on the minute observation of a completely different level of the human system and its ongoing transaction with the cosmos. Most insects, birds and animals can feel it. A tree for sure knows it. 

Modern physics has established that the universe is a great dance of energy, and every subatomic particle in your body is in constant dialogue with the entire cosmos. The aim of the spiritual process is to make this scientific fact an experiential reality for you. 

Yoga reminds us that the physical body is just an accumulation of food -- or what is called annamayakosha. The food that you eat is just the produce of the earth, which, in turn, is a fragment of the universe. You are a small outcrop of this planet, claiming to be an autonomous entity! But with some inner work, a dimensional shift occurs. Suddenly, the human body becomes what it was always intended to be – an instrument of extraordinary refinement, a barometer, an antenna capable of downloading the entire cosmos. We realise that we inhabit a living cosmos.

Was Human Cloning Known to the Vedic Sages?

What is cloning exactly?

Cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a living being by reproduction of cells and tissue. The possibility of human cloning has raised controversies. Many ethical concerns have prompted several nations to pass laws regarding human cloning and its legality. But if I say cloning was known to man even in the Pauranic era, does it sound absurd? Perhaps not! There are lots of indications in various Hindu Puranas and Shastras. Let’s explore.

History of cloning

Although the possibility of cloning humans had been the subject of speculation for much of the twentieth century, scientists and policy makers began to take the prospect seriously in the 1960s. With the cloning of a sheep known as Dolly in 1996 by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the idea of human cloning became a hot debate topic.

Cloning in ancient Vedic scriptures

In Vedic age, cloning of animals was done by sages to clone the species of powerful horses and productive cows under the order of king/administration. In the next few slides I will narrate some mind-blowing stories on cloning from Vedic age. Note that each story has its own symbolism and necessarily does not reflect real life events.

The Story of Rubhus

Rubhus were three brothers (Rubhu, Vajra and Vibhu) created from the cell of their father. Their father was old but they were cloned young to bring back the youth of aging parents. Additionally, they also created a cloned horse and cow. Cloning of Rubhus is mentioned by seven different sages in seven different verses of Rigveda. All of these sages were from different generations thus depicting that such a technology existed over a long period of human life.

Reference in Rigveda

These seven sages along with the hymns they composed on Rubhas are as follows: Kanva Medhatithi- Rigveda, Book 1, Hymns 20; Angirasa Kutsa - Rigveda, Book 1, Hymns 110 & 111; Deerghatamas - Rigveda, Book 1, Hymns 161; Vishvamitra - Rigveda, Book 3, Hymns 60; Vamadeva - Rigveda, Book 4, Hymns 33; Vasistha Maitravaruni - Rigveda, Book 7, Hymns 48 and Shrunu Arbhava - Rigveda, Book 10, Hymns 176.

Verses on cloning

Now let’s take a look at some of the Verses on cloning along with their translation - Rigveda, Book 1, Hymn 20, verse 3 - तक्षन नासत्याभ्यां परिज्मानं सुखं रथम| तक्षन धेनुं सबर्दुघाम || Translation: They for the two Nasatyas wrought a light car moving every way: They formed a nectar-yielding cow.

Cloning the cow

The next task of Rubhas was to create a high-yielding cow that yields copious milk. Puranas describes this method in details where there is a description on cells taken from back skin of cow to create a cloned cow. Rigveda, Book 1, Hymn 110, verse 8 निश्चर्मण रभवो गामपिंशत सं वत्सेनास्र्जता मातरं पुनः | सौधन्वनासः सवपस्यया नरो जिव्री युवाना पितराक्र्णोतन || Translation: Out of a skin, O Rubhus, once ye formed a cow, and brought the mother close unto her calf again.

A lot of hard work

यत संवत्सम रभवो गाम अरक्षन यत संवत्सम रभवो मा अपिंशन | यत संवत्सम अभरन भासो अस्यास ताभिः शमीभिर अम्र्तत्वम आशुः || Translation: As for a year the Rhubus kept the Milch-cow, throughout a year fashioned and formed her body. And through a year's space still sustained her brightness, through these their labors they were made immortal.

Great minds at work

Elder brother wanted to make only two clones of a single cell but younger brother insisted him to make three clones. Rigveda, Book 4, Hymn 33, verse 5 जयेष्ठ आह चमसा दवा करेति कनीयान तरीन कर्णवामेत्य आह | कनिष्ठ आह चतुरस करेति तवष्ट रभवस तत पनयद वचो वः || Translation: Two beakers let us make- thus said the eldest. Let us make three - this was the younger's sentence.

Time spent

Below verse states that after year of hardship, finally a clone of a cow and horse is born - Rigveda, Book 1, Hymn 111, verse 1 तक्षन रथं सुव्र्तं विदम्नापसस्तक्षन हरी इन्द्रवाहा वर्षण्वसू | तक्षन पित्र्भ्यां रभवो युवद वयस्तक्षन्वत्साय मातरं सचाभुवम|| Translation: Ingenious Rubhus prepared a chariot for Indra, prepared two powerful horses (2nd being cloned from 1st), made their old parents youthful again and gave new mothers to orphaned calves or children.

Cloning reference in mythology: The story of Vena

King Vena was a great but cruel king. He banned all Vedic practices and challenged the sacred rituals of Vedic priests. This created immense fury and anger among the sages. One of the sages killed him using his spiritual powers thus ending the tyranny of Vena. When monarchy of vena ended, anarchy took its place and the kingdom became miserable without a king. Sages decided to create a new king from the dead body of vena.

The clone of Vena

The sages churned the thigh of the dead king wherefrom came a dwarf clone of vena who inherited the evil mind and qualities of vena. “What shall I do?” asked the cloned king. Seeing the newly formed clone deficient of kingly qualities, Sages asked him to Nishada (sit down) thereby giving him the name ‘Nishada’. King Nala and Eklavya of Mahabharata were descendants of Nishada.

Further cloning and the birth of Prithu

Now that all evil was removed from his thigh, Sages then churned the right hand of Vena wherefrom came the healthy illustrious king "Prithu" who inherited all the good leadership qualities of Vena. Prithu went on to become the universal guardian of entire earth and so, the earth was called as ‘Prithvi’ in Sanskrit. Thus as depicted in the above story, there is a concept of creating multiple clones from the same dead body.

Cloning reference in mythology: The Story of Rakhtbija

Rakhtbija was a powerful demon who got the boon of cloning his blood cells from lord Brahma. Making the wrong use of his boon (each of his blood drops spilled on the ground would create a clone of him); he defeated all the demigods and overtook the three worlds (Earth, heaven and hell). His destruction across the three worlds forced all humans and gods to invoke Goddess Shakti (Durga). Goddess Kali, born out of their sacrifices, marched out to war against the demons.

The death of Rakhtbija

Lifting Rakhtbija high in the air, she pierced his body and swallowed each of the blood drops flowing out of his body with her enormous tongue so as to stop him from making any clone. Finally, when the dead body was devoid of blood drops, she threw away the corpse. But Demon Rakhtbija blood contaminated her mind which caused her to perform dance of destruction. Lord Shiva came to the rescue by falling down under the feet of goddess Kali.

Cloning reference in mythology: The story of goddess

While Lord Rama was in the forest, Agni approached him and said “O lord, you are going to kill Ravana and Sita is going to suffer many atrocities. Therefore, you should put Sita in my safe custody and I shall give you an illusion Sita - an exact replica of your real wife. After killing Ravana, send the false sita into the fire to test her purity. That would be the time when I will take my replica back and would return you your wife”.

The phantom Sita

Rama gave his consent and a phantom sita was created by Agni and handed over to Lord Rama. This incident was kept as a secret. After killing Ravana, when Rama moved forward to accept Sita, he was stopped by bystanders who demanded Sita to prove her chastity. Bowing down to public opinion, Sita was requested to enter the fire to prove her purity. When Sita went inside the fire, Agni took back his replica and let the real Sita come out of the fire unscathed.

The Maya Sita concept

It is interesting to note that the reference of ‘Maya Sita’ is available in regional version of Ramayana and not in Valmiki’s version. Pauranic sources like Kurma Puran, Brahmabaibarta Puran, and Regional Ramayana like Adhhyatmik Ramayan, Ramchari Manas, Orriya Balaram Ramayan, Dharma Kanda Ramayan and Kashmiri Ramayan mention about Maya Sita concept.

In the epic Mahabharata

Did Ancient Hindus perfect the science of cloning or were Kauravas products of a technology that modern science has not even developed yet? According to the description in Mahabharata (Adi Parva/Sambhava Parva), the Kauravas were created by splitting the single embryo into 100 parts and growing each part in a separate Kund or container.

The birth of Ganesha

Lord Ganapati was produced from the ‘Mala’ (ey), which means the superficial layers of skin of Parvati. This is possible according to the modern science. However, here a male is cloned from a female. Whether it is possible or not is not conceived by the modern science.

Just a coincidence?

Indian mythology has many examples where certain persons could not only create replica but can transform the ‘subject’ into any other animate. For example, Marich took the shape of Golden Deer to allure Sita. In another context we find when Lord Buddha was meditating, Mara the Devil, in order to detract Buddha’s attention, created many ferocious figures and beautiful females. Thus we get an indication that creation of dangerous creatures and beautiful damsels was within the power of some persons. So many clues can’t be fluke!

An expert’s opinion

Dr. Satkari Mukhopadhayaya, an expert Indologist and Pandit of various ancient scripts, a Linguist having knowledge of 20 classical and regional languages said that ‘there is no scientific proof available whether those ancient people had any knowledge of Cloning or not. But we get some idea that replicas were created which has many references and much of it is related to illusions or Maya. No scripture has ever directly dealt this concept but indications are many.’

Human cloning in ancient times: Is it a myth?

Its matter of interest whether there is any hidden knowledge available in ancient texts which can enthuse the modern Genetic Engineers! Actually Genetic Engineering by the term as we know today is not decipherable in ancient texts. But if one reads through the roots of creation there are some concepts available which can become a subject of ‘scientific quest’ for exploring newer frontiers of human knowledge and research.

Why is the knowledge lost?

In ancient texts we find a lot of mind boggling concepts but no formulas of creation were passed down to us! That is perhaps because ancient sages knew the human tendency of misusing their acquired powers. As today we are talking about creation of human clone in thousands, at the hour when population explosion is knocking at our doors misbalancing the nature in many ways and causing world-wide distress! Maybe…!