Sati pratha and Bal wiwah in Hinduism

Hinduism in contrast to other organized religions is not governed by dictates from prophets once and and for all. The more appropriate word for Hinduism is Sanatan or Vedic dharma. Sanatan means ever new and ever changing. 'Ved' means knowledge. Hinduism never advocates to stick to the old knowledge and always accepts developments in our understanding of human being and also the universe around us. There are many such evidences where you find conflicting argument in upanishads and also the manusmruti was revised for almost 17 times. As time passed this process of argument and counter argument slowed down and everything became stagnant. This is also natural because from a bacterium to a human society a law of sigmoid curve of growth is applicable. During the plateau phase of our culture in the history we have all kind of short sighted customs incorporated which were never part of our philosophy.

| शास्त्रात् रुढी बलिर्यसि | It means customs become more powerful than the philosophy in course of time during period of stagnation. During this period we had all such customs which we are still following. Sati, child marriage, untouchability, cast based on birth, samudra bandi are few to name. We will talk about probable reasons for first two in this article.

Sati pratha:

Hinduism accepts woman as complete as man and she was free to learn (eg. Gargi, Matrayi) and marry (eg. Swayamwar system) with her choice from beginning unlike in europe where woman was thought to be produced from a rib of a man for his entertainment and granted voting right as late as 1920 AD. So the point is, custom of sati was never inherent to our philosophy. The major reasons i could see are:

1) Stagnation of our culture leads to virtually stopping women education and thus compels them to be at mercy of men in both family and society.

2) Evolving Buddhism as a fallout of fading vibrant vedic culture made our society vulnerable to outside attacks.

3) Hapless women were the first target of barbaric invasions who believes in enjoying women as their legitimate right.

4) We never thought women as pleasure object and hence physical intimacy was always for reproduction instead of just animal instinct. That leads to moral values still we believe in, as explicitly mentioned in Geeta (1.41) Thus protecting virginity and/or monogamy becomes utmost important for a woman by religion.

5) This lead to encourage sati trend of widow who is absolutely unprotected after the death of her husband.

Bal Wiwah:

As mentioned earlier marriage and subsequent reproduction was primarily for continuation of the species. In that case it hardly matters when ones marry because in any case the couple stays together only after attaining puberty. During brahamcharyshram one is suppose to stay with guru and then after coming back one use to start grihasthashram with a early wedded guy or gal. If you look positively then the major issues we are facing today may become irrelevant. But i am not for reviving it because it certainly does not fit for todays society where individual matters most over family or society.

I am not here to justify the things. I am simply trying to put things in perspective. They may not even look logical for few. But if you follow the process of evolution and apply it not only to individual but to society as a whole then according to me nothing is good or bad, true or false, etc. The customs that we follow today (e.g. dating) my become totally irrelevant after few centuries. That doesn't mean that it is wrong today. We are living in ever changing world (Sansar by meaning is changing)

So now in toadys world where Hinduism is coexisting with other religions we first should start the internal debate which will help to get rid of outdated customs (like sati etc which may be suitable for that point of time) and inculcate new customs which suits for toadys world. But for this healthy debate we first have to look to our culture without western angle or any prejudice. Then we are in better position to change it for generations to come. If we want to distance from all we had in the name of 'wrong' or 'inhumane' then not only we do injustice to our forefathers but also to ourselves because by law of 'survival of fittest' we as a race never would have survived for so long if there are so many wrong customs with us. The only thing lacking is that we forgot how to evolve as a race. If we could restart at any point of time then our philosophy is the best possible answer for most of the problems facing by modern civilization.

I would like to add a ending note that, this changes need to be done by highest religious authorities like Shankaracharyas and not by government or law or by NGOs.

TAJ MAHAL : A Temple Converted Into A Mausoleum
Dr. R. Brahmachari

Professor, Department of Applioed Physics, University of Calcutta,


It is well known that Emperor Akbar got Akbarnama, a history of his reign, written by his court-chronicler Abul Fazl and in a similar manner, Shahjahan had the history of his reign titled Badshahnama written by his court-chronicler Abdul Hamid Lahori. The original Badshahnama was written in Persian using Arabic alphabets and the pages 402 and 403 of the edition published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal (see the fascimile of the page 402 and 403 of the edition in Figure-1) contain the true history of the building now known as Taj Mahal. An English translation of the contents from line 21 of page 402 to line 41 on page 403 of Badshahnama is given below.
“Friday, 15th Jamadiulawal, the sacred dead body of thrtraveller to the kingdom of holiness Hazrat Mumtazul Zamani, who was temporarily buried, was brought, accompanied by Prince Mohammad Shah, Suja bahadur, Wazir Khan and Satiunnesa Khanam, who knew the pemperament of the deceased intimately and was well versed in view of that Queen of the Queens used to hold, was brought to the capital Akbarabad (Agra) and an order was issued that very day coins be distributed among the beggers and fakirs. The site covered with a majestic garden, to ther south of the great city (of Agra) and amidst which the building known as the palace of Raja Man Singh, at present owned by Raja Jai asingh, grandson of Man Singh, was selected for the burial of the Queen, whose abode is in heaven. Although Raja Jai Singh valued it greatly as his ancestral heritage and property, yet he agreed to part with it gratis for Emperor Shahjahan, still out of sheer scrupulousness and religious sanctity, he (Jai Singh) was granted Sharifabad in exchange of that grand palace (Ali Manzil). After the arrival of the deadbody in that great city (of Agra), next year that illustrious body of the Queen was laid to rest and the officials of the capital, according to royal order, hid the body of that pious lady from the eyes of the world and the palace so majestic (imarat-e-alishan) and capped with a dome (wa gumbaje) was turned into a sky-high lofty mausoleum”.
`The name of the Queen in whose memory the Taj Mahal is being said to have been erected was Arjumand Banu. She was married to Shahjahan in 1612 A.D. and in 18 years of her married life she gave birth to 14 children and in fact she died in 1630 (or in 1631) while she was delivering her 14th child. According to Badshahnama she was buried temporarily at Burhanpur and in the same year her body was brought from Burehanpur to Agra and the next year her body was permanently buried at the majestic palace of Raja Man Singh. From the Badshahnama it bcomes evident the edifice, now known as Taj Mahal, was not authored by Emperor Shahjahan. So the question naturally arises-Who built that magnificent building?
A locality in, nearly 4 km away from Taj Mahal, is called Bateswar and in 1900 A.D., General Cuningham, the then Director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), conducted an excavation at Bateswar and discovered an edict, now known as the Munj Bateswar Edict and kept at the Lucknow Museum. The epigraph contains 34 verses written in Sanskrit, out of which 25th, 26th and 34th verses are important in the present context. An English translation of the above verses reads – “He built a marble temple which is the abode of Lord Vishnu and the King bows down to touch His feet” (25). “The King has built another marble temple which has been dedicated to the Lord Who has the moon as His ornament on His forehead” (26). “Today, the 5th day of the bright half in the month of Ashwin, the Sunday, in the year 1212 of the Vikram Samvat, the edict is being laid” (34).
Mr. D. J. Kale, a well known archaeologist, has mentioned the said Munj Bateswar Edict in his celebrated work Epigraphica India. On page 124 of the said book, Mr. Kale writes, “The sais Munj Bateswar Edict was laid by King Paramardidev of the Chandratreya dynasty on Sukla Panchami in the month of Ashwin, in the year 1212 Vikram Samvat (or A.D. 1156). ... King Paramardidev built two magnificent temples with white marble , one for Lords Vishnu and the other for Lord Shiva and they were desecrated later on by the Muslim invaders. Perhaps a farsighted man took the edict to a safer place at Bateswar abd buries it beneath the ground”. Perhaps, after the said desecration, the temples were no longer used as religious places and due to this reason Abdul Hamid Lahori mentioned them as palaces, not as temples. According to the renowned historian Mr. R. C. Majumdar, the other name of the Chandratreya or Chandel King Paramardidev was Paramal and their kingdsom was known as Bundelkhand, a.k.a. Jejakabhukti (History & Culture of Indian People, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Vol-5, p-122).
Today, there are two marble palaces in Agra, one is the Mausoleum of Idmat-ud-Daula, the father of Noorjahan and the other is Taj Mahal, and it is evident from the Munj Bateswar edict that, once upon a time, one of them was the temple of Lord Vishnu and the other was a temple of Lord Shiva. Experts believe that it is the temple of Vishnu that has been made the mausoleum of Idmat-ud-Daula, and the temple of Shiva has been converted into the mausoleum of the queen Arjumand Banu. A few evidences in favour of this conclusion are given below.
The pinnacle on the top of the main dome of Taj Mahal bears the trident (trishul), which is an exclusive emblem as well as the weapon of Lord Shiva. Inside the Taj Mahal, a chain hangs from the ceiling of the main dome, which is of no use today. But before its desecration by the Muslims, a pitcher was attached to it and water used to drip, drop by drop, on the emblem of Lord Shiva. Today’s Taj Mahal is a two-storeyed mausoleum; the real grave and cenotaph on the lower storey while the fake cenotaphs of Shahjahan and Arjumand Banu on the upper storey, and it an unique feature of Taj Mahal alone. But two-storeyed Shiva temples with emblems of Lord Shiva in lower as well as in the upper storeys exist at Ujjain and some other places in this country.
No Muslim mausoleum has the facility for circumvolution, but Taj Mahal provides this facility. It indicates that in the pre-Muslim era, devotees used to avail this facility to move round the emblem of Lord Shiva. Tavernier, a French traveller of that time, wrote in his annals that a bazaar used to be held within the Taj complex and it is solely a Hindu tradition to hold bazaars and fairs within a temple complex, which is totally unusual for a Muslim mausoleum.
The interested reader may find many other infallible evidences in Taj Mahal: The True Story by Mr. P. N. Oak.
In 1973, Professor Marvin Mills of the Pratt Institute, New York, took a piece of wood, collected from the southern door of Taj Mahal, to USA and gave that sample to Dr. Evan Williams, Directyor of the Brooklyn College, to determine the age of that sample by ‘carbon-14 test’. It was found that the said sample was 610 years old, with an experimental error of 39 years plus or minus. So the test confirmed that theedifice, now known as Taj Mahal, existed three centuries before the time of Shahjahan.
From the above discussions it becomes evident that the white marble building, now known as Taj Mahal and portrayed as a Muslim mausoleum, was a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, before the arrival of the brute and uncivilized Muslim invaders. Furthermore, the emplem of Lord Shiva enshrined was called Tejolinga and the temple was known as Tejomahalaya. The other name of the emblem was Agreswar Mahadev and it is important to note that from the word Agreswar, the name of the city of Agra has been derived.
Presently an attempt is being made to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Taj Mahal as the present distorted Indian history bestows the credit of building the edifice to Emperor Shah Jahan and claims that he completed the task of building Taj Mahal in 1654. But according to the Munj Bateswar Edict, the age of the building is 848 years and hence the said effort of celebrating 350th anniversary of the 848 year old Taj Mahal would be totally nonsensical and extremely ridiculous. At the same time, the Muslims of this country are demanding to declare the same as a Wakf Property and hand the building over to them. So, before taking any decision regarding the building, it is highly necessary for the Central Government in Delhi to undertake elaborate archaeological and scientific tests to ascertain the true antiquity of Taj Mahal.

Great Hindu Pioneers of Science

ARYABHATT (476 CE)

MASTER ASTRONOMER AND MATHEMATICIAN
Born in 476 CE in Kusumpur (Bihar), Aryabhatt's intellectual brilliance remapped the boundaries of mathematics and astronomy. In 499 CE, at the age of 23, he wrote a text on astronomy and an unparallel treatise on mathematics called "Aryabhatiyam." He formulated the process of calculating the motion of planets and the time of eclipses. Aryabhatt was the first to proclaim that the earth is round, it rotates on its axis, orbits the sun and is suspended in space - 1000 years before Copernicus published his heliocentric theory.

He is also acknowledged for calculating p (Pi) to four decimal places: 3.1416 and the sine table in trigonometry. Centuries later, in 825 CE, the Arab mathematician, Mohammed Ibna Musa credited the value of Pi to the Indians, "This value has been given by the Hindus." And above all, his most spectacular contribution was the concept of zero without which modern computer technology would have been non-existent. Aryabhatt was a colossus in the field of mathematics.


BHASKARACHARYA II (1114-1183 CE)

GENIUS IN ALGEBRA
Born in the obscure village of Vijjadit (Jalgaon) in Maharastra, Bhaskaracharya's work in Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry catapulted him to fame and immortality. His renowned mathematical works called "Lilavati" and "Bijaganita" are considered to be unparalled and a memorial to his profound intelligence. Its translation in several languages of the world bear testimony to its eminence. In his treatise "Siddhant Shiromani" he writes on planetary positions, eclipses, cosmography, mathematical techniques and astronomical equipment. In the "Surya Siddhant" he makes a note on the force of gravity: "Objects fall on earth due to a force of attraction by the earth. Therefore, the earth, planets, constellations, moon, and sun are held in orbit due to this attraction." Bhaskaracharya was the first to discover gravity, 500 years before Sir Isaac Newton. He was the champion among mathematicians of ancient and medieval India. His works fired the imagination of Persian and European scholars, who through research on his works earned fame and popularity.

ACHARYA KANAD (600 BCE)

FOUNDER OF ATOMIC THEORY
As the founder of "Vaisheshik Darshan"- one of six principal philosophies of India - Acharya Kanad was a genius in philosophy. He is believed to have been born in Prabhas Kshetra near Dwarika in Gujarat. He was the pioneer expounder of realism, law of causation and the atomic theory. He has classified all the objects of creation into nine elements, namely: earth, water, light, wind, ether, time, space, mind and soul. He says, "Every object of creation is made of atoms which in turn connect with each other to form molecules." His statement ushered in the Atomic Theory for the first time ever in the world, nearly 2500 years before John Dalton. Kanad has also described the dimension and motion of atoms and their chemical reactions with each other. The eminent historian, T.N. Colebrook, has said, "Compared to the scientists of Europe, Kanad and other Indian scientists were the global masters of this field."


NAGARJUNA (100 CE)

WIZARD OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE
He was an extraordinary wizard of science born in the nondescript village of Baluka in Madhya Pradesh. His dedicated research for twelve years produced maiden discoveries and inventions in the faculties of chemistry and metallurgy. Textual masterpieces like "Ras Ratnakar," "Rashrudaya" and "Rasendramangal" are his renowned contributions to the science of chemistry. Where the medieval alchemists of England failed, Nagarjuna had discovered the alchemy of transmuting base metals into gold. As the author of medical books like "Arogyamanjari" and "Yogasar," he also made significant contributions to the field of curative medicine. Because of his profound scholarliness and versatile knowledge, he was appointed as Chancellor of the famous University of Nalanda. Nagarjuna's milestone discoveries impress and astonish the scientists of today.

ACHARYA CHARAK (600 BCE)

FATHER OF MEDICINE
Acharya Charak has been crowned as the Father of Medicine. His renowned work, the "Charak Samhita", is considered as an encyclopedia of Ayurveda. His principles, diagnosis, and cures retain their potency and truth even after a couple of millennia. When the science of anatomy was confused with different theories in Europe, Acharya Charak revealed through his innate genius and enquiries the facts on human anatomy, embryology, pharmacology, blood circulation and diseases like diabetes, tuberculosis, heart disease, etc. In the "Charak Samhita" he has described the medicinal qualities and functions of 100,000 herbal plants. He has emphasized the influence of diet and activity on mind and body. He has proved the correlation of spirituality and physical health contributed greatly to diagnostic and curative sciences. He has also prescribed and ethical charter for medical practitioners two centuries prior to the Hippocratic oath. Through his genius and intuition, Acharya Charak made landmark contributions to Ayurveda. He forever remains etched in the annals of history as one of the greatest and noblest of rishi-scientists.


ACHARYA SUSHRUT (600 BCE)

FATHER OF PLASTIC SURGERY
A genius who has been glowingly recognized in the annals of medical science. Born to sage Vishwamitra, Acharya Sudhrut details the first ever surgery procedures in "Sushrut Samhita," a unique encyclopedia of surgery. He is venerated as the father of plastic surgery and the science of anesthesia. When surgery was in its infancy in Europe, Sushrut was performing Rhinoplasty (restoration of a damaged nose) and other challenging operations. In the "Sushrut Samhita," he prescribes treatment for twelve types of fractures and six types of dislocations. His details on human embryology are simply amazing. Sushrut used 125 types of surgical instruments including scalpels, lancets, needles, Cathers and rectal speculums; mostly designed from the jaws of animals and birds. He has also described a number of stitching methods; the use of horse's hair as thread and fibers of bark. In the "Sushrut Samhita," and fibers of bark. In the "Sushrut Samhita," he details 300 types of operations. The ancient Indians were the pioneers in amputation, caesarian and cranial surgeries. Acharya Sushrut was a giant in the arena of medical science.


VARAHAMIHIR (499-587 CE)

EMINENT ASTROLOGER AND ASTRONOMERA
renowned astrologer and astronomer who was honored with a special decoration and status as one of the nine gems in the court of King Vikramaditya in Avanti (Ujjain). Varahamihir's book "panchsiddhant" holds a prominent place in the realm of astronomy. He notes that the moon and planets are lustrous not because of their own light but due to sunlight. In the "Bruhad Samhita" and "Bruhad Jatak," he has revealed his discoveries in the domains of geography, constellation, science, botany and animal science. In his treatise on botanical science, Varamihir presents cures for various diseases afflicting plants and trees. The rishi-scientist survives through his unique contributions to the science of astrology and astronomy.


ACHARYA PATANJALI (200 BCE)

FATHER OF YOGA
The Science of Yoga is one of several unique contributions of India to the world. It seeks to discover and realize the ultimate Reality through yogic practices. Acharya Patanjali, the founder, hailed from the district of Gonda (Ganara) in Uttar Pradesh. He prescribed the control of prana (life breath) as the means to control the body, mind and soul. This subsequently rewards one with good health and inner happiness. Acharya Patanjali's 84 yogic postures effectively enhance the efficiency of the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, digestive and endocrine systems and many other organs of the body. Yoga has eight limbs where Acharya Patanjali shows the attainment of the ultimate bliss of God in samadhi through the disciplines of: yam, niyam, asan, pranayam, pratyahar, dhyan and dharna. The Science of Yoga has gained popularity because of its scientific approach and benefits. Yoga also holds the honored place as one of six philosophies in the Indian philosophical system. Acharya Patanjali will forever be remembered and revered as a pioneer in the science of self-discipline, happiness and self-realization.
ACHARYA BHARADWAJ (800 BCE)

PIONEER OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY
Acharya Bharadwaj had a hermitage in the holy city of Prayag and was an ordent apostle of Ayurveda and mechanical sciences. He authored the "Yantra Sarvasva" which includes astonishing and outstanding discoveries in aviation science, space science and flying machines. He has described three categories of flying machines: 1.) One that flies on earth from one place to another. 2.) One that travels from one planet to another. 3.) And One that travels from one universe to another. His designs and descriptions have impressed and amazed aviation engineers of today. His brilliance in aviation technology is further reflected through techniques described by him:
1.) Profound Secret: The technique to make a flying machine invisible through the application of sunlight and wind force.
2.) Living Secret: The technique to make an invisible space machine visible through the application of electrical force.
3.) Secret of Eavesdropping: The technique to listen to a conversation in another plane.
4.) Visual Secrets: The technique to see what's happening inside another plane.
Through his innovative and brilliant discoveries, Acharya Bharadwaj has been recognized as the pioneer of aviation technology.


ACHARYA KAPIL (3000 BCE)

FATHER OF COSMOLOGY
Celebrated as the founder of Sankhya philosophy, Acharya Kapil is believed to have been born in 3000 BCE to the illustrious sage Kardam and Devhuti. He gifted the world with the Sankhya School of Thought. His pioneering work threw light on the nature and principles of the ultimate Soul (Purusha), primal matter (Prakruti) and creation. His concept of transformation of energy and profound commentaries on atma, non-atma and the subtle elements of the cosmos places him in an elite class of master achievers - incomparable to the discoveries of other cosmologists. On his assertion that Prakruti, with the inspiration of Purusha, is the mother of cosmic creation and all energies, he contributed a new chapter in the science of cosmology. Because of his extrasensory observations and revelations on the secrets of creation, he is recognized and saluted as the Father of Cosmology.

www.hinducounciluk.org

My understanding of chaturvarna

Refer to the shloka in geeta (chaturvanyam maya srushtam…4.13.). The meaning of guna and karma means your karma in both, present and past life. What you obtained as heredity is due to past karma and at the same time you are free to choose karma in present life. The cumulative effect will be your next birth. (prarabdha and prayatna)

Is four varnas and present day cast system (in India) is comparable? I believe varnas are universal in all societies. It may have different names or meaning but each and every society has teachers (Brahman), soldiers (kshatriyas), traders (vaishyas), and service providers (shudras). It is in no way mandatory for any brahmin to follow same tradition in the present life. Then he may be fitted in particular varna according to his karma. Now there may be this wrong notion that only particular varna is superior. The society as a whole cannot function without any of them, so all are equally important.

Depending on the present karma you will get next life, not necessarily only as brahman, but may be to the parents of any of the varnas. If you were brahman in past life and did certain karma expected from you as brahman, but you had karmas which suits more to the specific varna, then you will born to the parents in that varna but with possibility of continuing your specialization of last life. (shuchinam shrimatam gehe …6.41.) If you choose to do karma of different varna in this life, then the next birth will depend on cumulative karmic balance. Now if you were brahman in past life and did things not expected from brahman, and again your karmas suit to specific varna, then you will born to those parents with all kinds of troubles and least possibility of prospering further without effort. But at the same time you are free to do the karmas in this life to change the fate (its called praytna) and gather sufficient momentum for future better life, not necessarily brahman but any of the varna depending on your karma. If you are moving in the same direction what ever you do towards the perfection only to understand that there is unifying principle in everything we do and there is no fight with nature but have inherent harmony, then you are free. There is no other definition of moksha.

Now how we can relate present cast system prevailed in India to this universal varna system. Our philosophy was always centered in revealing the inner nature of the mankind than the outer one. That obviously gives benefit to brahmans as superior, but we have many examples beginning from vyasa, wishwamitra, jabali, vivekanda, tukaram and whole lot of sant parampara in Maharashtra are non brahmins and still could attain what we can called salvation. The point is that, cast system is faulty and rigid interpretation of flexible and scientific varna system in the due course of time. More than one reason is there for this development which is not happened overnight. Your deeds are certainly play major role in your birth but irrespective of cast you born in you can attain highest truth. When we see this meaning of social structure beyond superiority or inferiority then I do not see conflict in the varna (cast) system.

I hope this nullifies the superior nature of brhmans.

I personally whole heartedly believe that varNa system makes sense but the caste system does not. I think we both agree on all these. My argument was only related to relating the past karma and its effect on the birth in the current incarnation.

The fact that any person from any varNa is capable of reaching moksha should suffice to justify equality of varNas.

Another way to argue against birth based caste system or against the superiority of one caste over another would be the argument I had given you sometime ago about number of humans. Considering the exceeding human population (and extinction of other species) the evolution of souls to attain moksha through human birth can be demonstrative of another thought that humans are stuck in this current cycle more due to the materialistic attachments. Using the same argument, one would have to gauge the quality of human life based on number of people in different castes. That in itself would be ridiculed even by a kid, thus it does not make sense that castes can be the measure of superiority or inferiority.

The reason intelligence came into argument is, then can we relate intelligence to the past karma? Is a mentally retarded person carrying loads of bad-karma than a superficially normal murderer? If there is differential intelligence how would it relate to karma?

If there is same intelligence but differences arise due to the ability to express it through this materialistic body, it would make more sense in relating it to the karma. Because then effect of karma is not on the inherent nature or ability of the soul but its expression as in expression of human intelligence. I would like to believe and argue about perfectly equal intelligence at birth in all kids and then environmental effects controlling the ability to express it or cultivate it.. like same quality seeds but one in desert and one in farm. I think this line of thinking could deal with your concern about using karma to relate to different levels of intelligence.. which could be interpreted as different levels in the ability to express or use or apply intelligence.

But personally I find it hard to digest.. one because I would rather find an explanation without relating it to past karma.. but then that always has been the hurdle.. I will talk about that later. Secondly, I find it harder to convince myself with what I want to believe, the concept of equal intelligence because medically we all have different sizes of brain and our intelligence is more or less the ability to use certain % of our brain. That % is a mere 7 to at the most 10% and thus intelligence seems to be in parallel to a physical quantity like strength which can easily be seen to be different in different beings from birth. (By Shekhar Gosavi)

About intelligence, I think we all are born different. There is no same level of intelligence in everyone. If we accept everyone at same level then there is no meaning of past karmas and no justification of different levels of understanding of same subject even by providing similar or identical atmosphere in present birth. The intelligence for specific thing is I think comes as genetic information which is prone to mutation and hence the reason we can expect more intelligent human race in future. What is common at birth for all is the possibility to excel in whatever we possess and acquire new by praytna in this birth. There is another saying (amantram aksharam nasti….) meaning there is nothing useless in this world, we only do not know how to use it. So no one is actually dumb if he/she is weak in maths for ex, but the thing is that he doesn’t now what he possess as heredity. But at the same time there is nothing wrong on anyone’s part to start something new altogether in this life, as not a single karma (good or bad) goes waste and we have to accept the outcome of it. (uddharet atmanatmanam …6.5.) Again from geeta means one is responsible for his present or past or future fate and no one else. As karma defines everything, we even can not blame god (for ex.) for that. The consciousness (god) filled everywhere is inert and doesn’t take responsibility of good or bad deeds.

The ultimate goal of life is to understand this unifying principle either by present day modern science ( which I personally doubt, but I do not deny the possibility) or by inner revealing to get rid of this birth-death cycle (punarapi jananam …..) and be one with the consciousness. The whole subject in geeta is to break this karmic cycle by doing karmas without expecting fruit of it, and then we are not attached with anything.