Theory of Language

Theory of Language

---

Special Note: The essay is open to alteration, modification, addition and editing.
It had been written before I read a book on post modernism. After reading the book, I brought out this writeup which remained stacked in my notes.

---

The actual truth is beyond the reach of language. Language is mere a codification of sounds. There are numerous languages. Numerous statements in numoerous languages about a single truth can exist. Numerous people knowing numerous languages may say the same thing in their respective speech but they may not understand each other even if they may be talking about the same thing of the same dimension. This the actual truth about the language. It conveys that the truth exists and can exist without a language. The truth can be preceived and the language may fail to convey it.

However in a day to day life we live in the world of langauge and sound. It is so much prevalent that we just forget the actual activity and just respond to the langauge. Sometimes it happends that language is misuded to cheat and intentionally misuded to convey something else. With that a new world keep on emerging.

Page 2

Language is a subtle and sophisticate process of codificiation. It is inate to the brain. Even if all the languages are just snapped and liquidated in a snap of a second, the brain will again discover and invent it. It may be a hypothesis but here it is emphasizing a truth that it is a natural ability of the brain to invent the codifiction. Uttering sounds, making gestures and looking at the things to sooath the mind or convey something are all the internal procedures of making cofification.

It seems that those who reached a level of spiritual achievement, they have discovered a new language, a new set of symbols and a new grammar. The pure truth conveys or transmit a new set of rules of languages. These people have not shared it with the rest of the humanity that particular language. They have tried to convey those truths in some langauges,

Page 3

like in Sanskrit, Latin, Greece, Hebrew etc. but then they also placed restrictions on its spread. As a result the langauges referred above have suddenly become out of use.

Another feature of Language: The motive of langauge is to communicate, to transmit and exchange. But what is the thing which it communciates, transmits and exchanges? It is the factum which is at the core of the activity. However the sounds produced and the symbols made are not the actual factum. They correspond to the 'factum'. They are never in a position to touch the factum. You have an abstruse thought. You are troubled because you are not able to pinpoint it. You use a number of sentences to say that thing. Suddenly you locate an assertion which is near to that factum. You feel relieved and soothed. But that assertion is not the prefect expression of the factum. But you stop there and then. It becomes the

page 4

cause of confusion.

The world of marketing and shrewd politicians and businessmen know about the above mechanism. They dod not talk much. They actually play the mind game. The mind game is nothing but an attempt to play on the gap between language and what actually it is conveying in place of what actaully is the factum.

If you want to live a fruitful life, the real life and the actual life, then you must be attentive to real nature of the langauge and the mechanisms which exists behind it.

The another scenario which can be explained as well as the scenario that can act as an evidence for it is the field of music. The notes, the strokes, the tabs are set of sound symbols which are treated in a different way by the experts and musicians. An illiterate to the field of music, which I mean to say, a person who does not know th egrammar of music, who does not know how to play a meaningful note on a muscial

Page 5

instrument, even he can enjoy the music. There people, who do not know anyting about the grammer of music, but they sometimes are the expert listerns who can tell like an expert that which music is right and perfect and which one is out of ruthm. Most of the people enjoy music. Why is it so? Music sooathes, Music touches you. But what is in you that is sooathened? What is in you that is touched in you? It is the 'factum' which is the answer. The factum is something which is real and exist even without the existance of humanity. The language is there for that factum. But in actual use we become oblivious of the real activity which is going on and become prisoners of the langauge. It is again because of the language. The langauge is not the true replica of the factum. It is corresponding to a factum. It can be ultered

page 6

in numerous sets of sounds for a single factum. But simlutaneously it is creating its own owrld. The humanity posess it. It uses it but become oblivious of the true activity. It starts giving importance to the utterances but not to the actual core which is behind it.

Physic Remedies:

The above theory if understood and imbibed well, can be effectively used to correct numerous physic maladies. It is highly useful for correcting or at least controlling phases of anger, angst, and despondencies.

Silence Please:

This phrase 'Silence Please' is highly effective remedy. You may call it a mantra. However, in order to get benefit out of it, one must understand the talk, thought and theory behind it. Ou can start re-reading the essay from the beginning.however, some fo the points which must be gleaned and carried along in order to exploit the efficacy of 'Silence Please' are collected the following paragraph.

Page 7:

You must give recognization to 'Language'. Now, here, it can be called 'your speech'. Secondly you have to get into the core of the theory that our speech or language is merely a codification of some thought or factum. The sounds which you produce or speak in order to convey some meanging or message or a communication is merely a codification build by your brain but behind it lies some other fact which you call 'factum' or 'thought'. ( Kindly note, the ideas here are different from the 'Ghost in the Machine'. Here it has been borrowed from the theories dominating the computer languages which in turn are being derived from the working of the brain.)

Page 8

Nature of Thought and Language:

The heading can be reframed. It should be called the nature of relation betwen language and thought.

'Language' or 'an assertion' or 'a statement' is corresponding to a thought or factum. It is never an exact replication of the factum. The same thought can be conveyed by different means. The fatum may visit and cause an effect without allowing itself to be identified. It practical terms, the use of language or other means of transmission in form of a set of symbols, are practical and efficacious in use. You can not completely depend on it. You can only have faith in its efficacy. The factum/thought is paramount.

The above theory can give new interpertation to psychonalaysis and sub concious theories. Freud was using language to reach the inner psychic world. The thought had made its presence felt to him and he was expressing it in words. The rest of his efforts of giving clinical reports and

page 9

and making experiments were mere rituals to make his work earn the certification of being scientific.

Mathmaticians and the act of doing mathematics is th real activity. Therein, the thought acquires a new form and it is the mathematic notations which are meant here. The mathematic notations are the set of symbols which only a mathematician understands. It is his language. Similar thing is more clear and apparent in writing a computer programmes especially for compilers.

Best Season for reading

Dan Abbe of Book Search Support Team of Books Google dot com believes that it is the warm climate of summer which is more appropriate time to read. He knows that in cosy environment inside the house during the winter can also be a good idea for reading. However, he finally believes that it is the summer which is the best time to read.
I quote,
“I do think summer is the best time to read a book. Some might say it would be winter, because you’re inside so much, but I’m not so sure about that. Something about heat makes it even more pleasant to read: coldness demands motion, or at least bundling up, but the paltry effort required to turn a page is suited to a warm day.”
Dan come to India in June/July months to Northern regions. You will learn about the right climate for reading. By sitting in Mountain View or region around that, you may enjoy the leisure ideas from Japan. But it was in India that Buddha got enlightenment and it was not in the summer season.

How to select a correct religion

First of all I seek pardon if I am offending any of the reader by my diction and formation of the title. I am not much concerned about religion as such. I am not an atheist even. I do not consider myself noble and superior enough to comment on religion or religiosity. I am rather a most ignorant creature in the world who happens to live among the books or digitized facsimiles and pdfs. I am like a silver fish hiding in the bindings of the books and when anyone rearranges or opens the books, it runs for a cover in fear of death. I may be called an atheist but at present stage of my life, I wish to respect every religion. I may be critical of each religion but if someone calls me to pass a verdict if I am so sound in criticising every religion, then as a criminal who has realised his crime, I would seek an earnest pardon.

However, here I am quoting Lala Hardyal, who had in a way suggested a method to a select a religion in his book “Hints for self Culture”, chapter 1, page 10.

“Astronomy elevates and inspires your soul, and gives you the purest poetry of Science. Thus it develops your imagination and ennobles your emotional life. But it does much more. Now, it is of the first importance for a civilized man or woman to have some sound and scientific ideas about Cosmogony. False Cosmogony has been the basis of false religion and false re1igion is as dangerous for you as a pet snake. It is your duty to understand the scientific theories of the origin, evolution, and destiny of the Universe. All religions, from the crudest African fetishism to the most advanced modem cults, have taught some sort of Cosmogony. Their peculiar superstitions are always derived from their doctrines about the origin and destiny of the Universe. There lies the root of the evil. If you wish to choose a religion that will lead you to Truth and Life, and not to Error and Death, then you must first have the right notions about Cosmogony. If your Cosmogony is wrong, your religion will also be all wrong, and then yours will be a wasted life.


Astronomy will free your mind from your inherited superstitions in this respect.”

Servile Mindset Refuse to Die

Today I had a verbal tussle with one of a lecturer of Hindi language. He was talking about the IT paper in the Language study. Soon, he was praising the efforts of the Government of India in promoting the language on the net by providing the different resources. He was quite excited that the some times back Sonia Gandhi had issued some softwares on the languages.

jutted into the discussion and objected to the enthusiasm shown by him. I pointed out that there was not doubt that the government of India had tried to bring some devices on the net as well softwares which could help the people of language to use the computer for their literature but most of the were not user friendly. In order to substantiate my claim I pointed out that through various centuries of the C-DAC the government of India had tried to make the Hindi literature available on net. But the manner that it was displayed on the net, they are not user friendly. They do not run on Window 98. It is a big shortcoming. Secondly they are mostly given in PDF. They are not shown in HTML. But the lecturer countered me by praising the government. He said that there was glimmer of hope.

I objected to his positive approach to the changes which were taking place. I pointed it out that he was not able to see that it was being done in a very unimaginative manner. It was done merely to show that well we were also in computers and IT or in short ICT. But if a common man want to use these resources, he will be forced to learn something of engineering or the IT technology. Whereas, the IT technology has in its power and range, the ability that any one, who may not have any understanding of this technology, can make use of the resources. The government has overlooked this aspect.

I pointed out the case of Munshi Prem Chand stories. The stories had been posted by Raman Kaul on his portal after borrowing it from C-DAC site. The difference between his work and C-DAC is that any novice can read the stories of Dhanpat Rai on the site of Raman Kaul with any of the operating system. Whereas, in case of C-DAC portal you need only specific DOS and specific fonts to read them.

However, the lecturer, did not accepted my version. He was happy with the fact that Hindi is on cyberspace. He was happy that there are some softwares which are freely available from the government offices and he has some friends in bureaucracy from whom he can procure those resources. He does not know that how far this technology has come and how fast it is improving and changing. He does not have the understanding that visiting Internet does not solve your problem. You can not get what you desire only by wishing it on internet. It requires some experience and understanding to exploit the potential of internet for particular purpose. But before that, it is required that the information and data which could be exchanged through Internet should be made available in a manner that it could be used and accessed by all the people without any hindrance of any kind. But no, there is peculiar tendency among the Indians to accept whatsoever is given. There is absence of ability to change or modify or demand a thing in a particular form. There is a peculiar colonial mindset which they are ready to shed. There is peculiar mindset of a slave which is not ready to go away. There is peculiar tendency to praise a thing out of promotion and decry or criticize a thing without understanding the actual dimensions. I may be called of criticizing and not appreciating what is being made available. But, those who can understand, they can support me that the manner it is being made available is rather making the mockery of very idea of using IT to share the information and promote the cause of a language.

Paint Brush of Triambak

Triambak Sharma is son of Sumir Sharma, the blogger. Triambak is now five years old. When Sumir is not sitting at his computer, Triambak will invariably come to his room and ask hesitantly, "Papa may I sit at the computer". If he is permitted, he will open the paint brush and make some drawings. Most of the time, he deletes his paintings before saving. However, I have saved some of his works. Earlier, I was foolish enough to delete some of his work which was incomplete. Now I save them. I am showing some of them below.

Triambak is a name of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is propitiated in Mahamritunijiya Mantra as Triamabakam. Triambak means three eyed (Tri means Three and Amba means eye. Amba is also the name of Mother Parvati.).

The first one is the sun.

The second paint brush: His idea of a Greeting Card assisted by his mother Anu. He posted his first letter, a greeting card, to his friend at Goraya in April 2006.





पापा मै कुछ बना रहा हँु" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3633/875/320/untitled.1.jpg" border="8">
The third paint brush: When I asked, what had he made here, he said in a pensive tone, "पापा मै कुछ बना रहा हँु" I.




The fourth paint brush: Probably an incomplete assignment of school assisted by my sister Sucharu, a good artist herself. (Soon it will be uploaded. Uploading accomplished)

Jitters

I am not a computer expert. The knowledge about Internet Technology is equally scanty. However, I am now hooked to computer and Internet. I am able to make good use of computer and Internet. As a result, I have become dependent upon both the things. Therefore, if any disruption in my computer or in my access to Internet comes, I become jittery. In case of Internet, there are more problems. In case of Internet, the main disruption which is hated by me is any obstruction in accessing the Internet. The second disruption was experienced during the month of July 2006, when the Government of India had banned some of web sites. The incidence is now hovering on the mind as a fear.

On September 14, as I have pointed out in my postings at Blogspots again Banned in India and then at Blog Ban Revisits and then at Blog Ban Revisits , I faced the same problem somewhere around 3.30 p.m. I immediately reacted and made the above mentioned postings. I faced not only one problem. It had exploded like a bombshell to me when I found that I could not open those sites even with the help of proxy servers. The proxy servers did not display the site. One of the proxy site which was developed during July 06, that was indblogs.com did not open at all. The search option of the explorer opened totally a different site. I typed an immediate reaction. It reads,
Earlier, the people were able to access their banned blogs from the proxy server. However, this time it is not that easy. The various proxy servers are not showing the results. Secondly, the pkblogs and inblogs are also not showing the results. The pkblogs returns a null result. The inblogs takes to totally a strange site. This time, the government is showcasing its technical expertise also. However, this time, the typepad blogs have been spared.

However, before I made more comments, and I was thinking and forming in my mind many more responses, I found that the sheets which I have opened for civil war memories was being displayed. It was nearly 4.15 p.m. Soon I tried to open my own site. I found that everything had turned to normal. But before that I have already made the crises posting on my blogs.

It seems that there was a technical problem during that hour. I have not found similar reporting by any other blog or web site. May be there was some problem with my ISP. But some of the web sites were easily accessible. In any case, I have again learned a lesson, that I have yet to learn more about working on Internet. Earlier during the Reservation Issue, I had learned to wait and watch before making any controversial postings. I have matured to some extent. But it was different when I was not able to access the sites and even proxy servers were not responding.
I can think about other possibilities of that blackout of the web sites during that hour. But, now everything this functioning in a normal manner as before, I do not think that I should stretch it further. I am sure that the problem was there. It may be a problem with my ISP or some other technical glitch about which I do not have any understanding. Now, I am more particular in making my postings. Next time, I will make such postings only on Cyber Mole.

Blogspot Blogs Again Banned in India

It is nearly 3.30 pm in India. I am trying to access blogger blogs. I am not able to access them. I am receiving an error message "HTTP 500".

It seems that the incidence of July 14, 2006 is being repeated. If the other bloggers are also encountering the same problem in India, then kindly raise your voice again. It seems that the people who matter, have not learnt the right lessons.

Magic Terms to Increase the Hits to the Blog

It is a wish and dream of every blogger to receive a large number of hits everyday. There are web sites which are ready to increase hits to your site for some consideration. There are bloggers who have developed their blogs exclusively on this theme.

It is definitely a desire worth cherishing. You are on the cyberspace. You know people visit it by visiting various sites. They have made many sites popular. They have made many sites the fortune churning machines and made the owners wealthy. It is the visitors to your site which impart a type of status, recognition, a pride and an identification to you. Many search engines and syndication sites list the top sites. There are sites which list only such sites which are being visited by a large number of people. The directories are developed for this purpose only. There are Wiki sites wherein the site owners are encouraged to display their sites. The frequently visited sites is an asset for the owners. The dream of every site maker is that its product shall become the most popular thing on the cyberspace. It is just like having a shop keeper mentality. You have opened the shop and now you want that the customers should step. You desire that they should at least step in even if they are not interested in buying anything from your shop. It is the same case with the bloggers.

I also cherish this dream. I am not a computer expert. I have read about RSS feeds and many such other technical terms which can increase the visibility of the site. I have learned about putting your site on different directories which are place where knowledgeable people cruise for the right information. But I am not able to understand much about them.

I am however receiving regular visitors. Some of them have my address in their favourite folder and they directly reach my site. Most popular engines would display my site in their result for some specific terms. I am otherwise satisfied with the traffic which I am receiving. No doubt, I want to increase it.

However, I have identified with the help of Site Meter that there are some Magic Terms in my different blogs which bring people to my sites. I remember how I have located those terms. After I have added them in my posts, the traffic to my sites has increased substantially. One can easily check the authenticity of the claim by checking the site meter or by visiting Indian Blog and Blog Top Site icons which I have placed on three of my blogs.

Before, I say anything further, let me give out those three magic terms.

These terms are
Civil Services which forms the part of the address of my blog titled Civil Services Prelims.
The Second Magic Term is Munshi Prem Chand. Well, this term is definitely a magic term. Add something on Munshi Prem Chand on your blog and then see the result. You will yourself learn the results.
The Third Magic Term is Teej, which literally means ‘Three". I have written two articles on Teej on the demand of my sister and later added them with some modification on my blog. I never have dreamt in my wildest dreams that this word would attract so much of traffic to my site. I wonder for what actually people are looking for on the Internet.

The term Civil services was identified by me through the Site Meter. I have already mentioned this event on this very blog that how I turned to writing on Civil Services blog.

The second term was also identified through Site Meter. I think that I had made some remark about Indian social history wherein I had mentioned the name of Danpat Rai alias Nawab ji alias Munshi Prem Chand. I started receiving visitors who came searching for the Munshi Prem Chand. Later, I myself got attracted towards this personality. Through my search, I located Hind Granth Karayalya, a publishing house of Mumbai. There were three versions with the same name. In there, I found the life history of Munshi Prem Chand and list of the works of the illustrious writer. I made a noting first on my Hindi blog at Sumir Hindi Main and later, I added additional posting on this very blog titled Sumir Sharma. I started receiving a larger number of visitors to my site. I had identified some Pakistani Blogs wherein they had discussed the Urdu works of Munshi Prem Chand but foolishly I did not make a note on them. Anyhow, it brought traffic to my site. Later, I located the blog by Raman Kaul who had done a tremendous job by placing all the short stories on Munshi Prem Chand on his blog. I made a noting of that blog on my Sumir-history blog wherein I was, in those days, discussing the democratization of knowledge through sharing on Internet in response one highly technical post by William of Digital History Hack that I was some how able to understand. After that, there was a flood of visitors to my site because people came searching for the original stories by Munshi Prem Chand. The most fascinating thing was that all these stories are available on a government site at C-DAC of Noida before that. They have displayed it in such a manner that I was not able to access. Raman Kaul had just converted the stories in HTML and displayed it on the blog. The second fascinating thing is that those who come searching for Munshi Prem Chand stories on my Sumir-history blog, they definitely use the link to Raman Kaul site. The site meter always shows it on its out click link column. Some of them remain on my site for thirty to forty minutes. It happens because the Raman Kaul site opens on a separate sheet. He has displayed the stories in such user-friendly manner that the visitor definitely read one or two stories. But he forgets to quit my site. My site records the timing of visitors for thirty to forty minutes. I have made many comments on this aspect of display and flayed the activity of the government of India in its efforts to pursue e-governance and e-awareness. I do not know whether the people who matters had taken any note of it but I am definitely benefited from it as it has increased visitors to my blog.

The third term is Teej. As I have already told that Teej means Three. It means the third day of a month, a lunar calendar month of Hindus. Well, this term was my discovery for the blog. I have already mentioned that I had written a write up on a demand from my sister and later I have posted it on my blog. I never knew that so many people wanted to know about Teej. They are mostly interested in Hartalik Teej of Bhadra month. Well for the benefit of the general public especially those who are visiting from America and Canada I give the names of all the twelve Desi Mahinas. I have mugged them up during my civil services examination and I remember them well. They are mostly found written on Desi Calendars and Government of India Calendars which has adopted Saka Samvat as the official Calendar of India. These twelve months are as follows.

Chaitra or Chet (Punjabi)
Vaishaka or Baishakha
Jayaishtha or Jeitha or Jeith
Ashadha or Hadda or Haddi
Sravana or Sawana
Bhadrapada the month of Hartalik Teej and Karvachauth. (Chauth is ‘Four’ and Teej is Three. In Bihar, it is Hartali Teej which is celebrated in place of Karvachauth. This is the most fascinating aspect which I would like to explore further. Kaajri praises Radha Krishna, Hartalika Shiva Parvati, and Shiva Parvati love is propitiated in whole of India whereas in Rig Veda Shiva is only worshiped as Rudra.) or Bhadaon
Ashvina
Karttika or Kattak
Margshirsha or sishar
Pausha
Magha or Maghi
Phalguna or Phaggan

Well, what may it adds up to, the above mentioned terms have definitely increased the visitors to my sumir-history and civil services prelims blog.

xixixixi

Editorial Note:

The relation between Sawan and Teej has been deleted. Similarly the relation between Bhadrapada has been explained by one friend who is from Bihar. I have yet to fully verify it.

Why do people Blog?

Why do people Blog?

Well this is a very wide question. It is wide in the sense because every act is preceded by some initiation of a kind and one never knows why he or she has started doing that act. There are many acts about which we do not know why we do them. Now I consider blogging as an act in that category.

In present days, there are well established scientific methods to find answers to all the wide and obfuscating questions. The marketing people have practiced the science of field research and operational research to a degree of perfection. The companies take decision on production, pricing, placement and selling factors on the basis of such research. Nothing is now left to hunches. They are able to seek answer for every “why”. In such a scenario, I am just trying to give an armchair answer to the above question.

If I have collected the right information, then the blogging started somewhere in 1997. However, it was only from 2000 onwards, that it has become more popular. I am with Blogger. I have been visiting different blogs sites on Wordpress, Typepad etc. I have found that most of the bloggers have started this activity in 2005. I have particular choice for selecting a blog. Most of the time it is an academic blog or a blog relating to issues of history. Therefore, my observation may have only limited truth and validity. Secondly, it is mainly an observation which has not been authenticated by any established research model. Anyhow, I now have this impression that there are more bloggers since 2005. In case of my favourite blogs, I have found that many of them have started blogging only in 2006. It may suggest that blogging is catching up. In case of most popular blogs in my favourite category, they are started in 2006. Well, it is again an opinion on the basis of general observation. There is no concrete methodology adopted to reach that conclusion.

As I understand the blogging is working as a source of catharsis for many people. That is the main motive behind most of the regular bloggers. Such bloggers are in one profession and their interest lies in different field. Somewhere, there is sense of dissatisfaction. They are not able to adjust with this arrangement in their lives. The blogging has given them an outlet to showcase their talent in other field. This gives a soothing effect when they indulge in the blogging.

In some cases, it shows that it has become their alter ego. They are pursuing it as if blogging is the only pursuit for which they are meant. The blogging introduces them to different people from different regions. They showcase their talent. They receive back feedback through comments and references. They again come out with more work on their blog with greater force. They are very particular about the display of their blog. They are very particular to respond to the comments which they receive and make it a point to respond to them.

There are people who are undertaking blogging as a mission to promote some of their views and thinking. They promote one particular language. They promote some particular cause. Some of them are really contributing to the society by such a type of activity. I have learned Hindi blogging through such types of crusaders headed by Debashish.

Another set is just treating it as a general journal or a personal diary. They are very regular. For them also, it is turning out to be a source of catharsis of hidden desires.

Somewhere, I feel, that many bloggers feel that they have a writer hidden in them and they can win Bookers or Nobel Prize. They come out with whatsoever they consider as the best in the literature. Well some of them are really good. Some of them really deserve some prize for the literary work which they have brought on the cyberspace.

There are those people who are related to computer sciences. They are more productive. They are discussing such things which are bringing changes on the internet also. I am not conversant with this field. I am totally illiterate in the field of computer sciences and the Information Technology. I am not in a position to categorize their activity. It seems that they are definitely talking something substantial. One this is sure, they are more fertile and productive.

Those who indulge in political talks are also there. I am not interested in them. There are many of them. They are the people who make more noises and get recognized. I am with history and we history people just call them as our small siblings who are growing into brats. That is other thing that along with money, it is the field of politics which matter more than anything else. It is the case with sex sites also. I do not apologize for having clubbed sex blogs with politics.

However, by now, blogging is not being taken as seriously by the rest of the human community. Sometime, they definitely make waves. But, on the whole, the human community just treats them as a hobby of those who have luxury of time. They are not taken seriously. The rest of community has not given must importance to Internet. The Internet is considered as a good source of information. What kind of information is available on Internet? Is it authentic or not? Who are the people who place the information on Internet? How actively is the information updated? Is the information a knowledge in itself? All such types of questions are not given any importance.
Blogging as such is the next revolution. It is a revolution far greater importance than the printing of books or Gutenberg type printing which brought the Renaissance. I can declare this thing because I am student of history. I consider blogging as more important than nano technology which is the next generation activity. Blogging is here and will soon come up as the biggest and substantial thing in the field of knowledge. It is the thing which will make Internet more meaningful.

However, I still wonder that why the people blog!

Inventing Spiritualism or Identity Crises

In my childhood, I was overawed by talks about a God man. The God man was Sat Sai Baba. Those were the days when Readers Digest, Illustrated Weekly and Blitz were the magazines of the elite. Being a son of a gazetted officer, I had the privilege of reading those magazines. This was the position during the early seventies.

During eighties, I had listened the whispers about the people who called themselves as Radha Swamis. I was not attracted much by them as they were closely held community visiting a place called Beas Dera. I did not have the idea where it was situated. I lived for some time in Amritsar but did not learn much about Beas Dera. In the early nineties, another God man, Bhagwan Rajneesh became popular. By that time, I was able to read English. I tried to read about him. Soon he became a rich God Man Osho. In between, somewhere by that time, electronic Media started dominating the general public opinion. It was through it, one Murari Bapu became popular. He became popular as a Kathakar, or sermon deliverer who based his sermons and songs on Tulsi Dass Ramayana. Gradually, Assa Ram Bapu became more popular when the cable net work and private television channels became a rage among the masses. Along with Assa Ram Bapu, Swami Sudhanshu ji Maharaj also became popular. He was also a sermon chanter who made Bhagvat Gita as the basis of his sermons. After that, I soon learned about rather more popular Sri Sri Ravi. A soft spoken, smiling face, speaking in simple sentences pervaded the print and electronic media with his art of living. Now these days, it is Ram Dev who has become popular along with Yog and controversies of medicine and threat perception. He has become so popular, that I found, Sikh, Muslims and people from different sects referring to his Anulum Pratilom Pranayama, rubbing of nails of both hands against each other and his ‘yoga’ books. The people talk as if it is he who has invented YOG Shastra.

I do not know if the admirers of Ram Deva know about Rishi Patanjali. Or for that matter, do they know about Naya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimansa and Vedanata? Do they know about Akkshapada Gautama or Rishi Gautama, Uluuka Kannada or Rishi Kannada, or Rishi Kapila or Rishi Patanjali, Rishi Jamini and Shankaracharya.

It seems that there is miserable situation of identity crises among the Indians. There is a great crisis of Indian Social identity passing through transition due to changed economic equations and technological advancement pervading all the spheres of life. Somewhere, the Indians come across their real heritage roots which provide answers to their present desperation but unfortunately they do not know that their answers were always with them. It was they who had been ignoring their roots. But, when one mortal clad in scarlet red or violet or milk white robes introduces them to their real self, they make a God man out him. Ram Deva or Sri Sri Ravi may be God to westerners, but for Indians their real teachers were Rishi Patanjali, Rishi Gautam, Rishi Jamini, Rishi Kannada and Shankracharya. Their God is an Advaita for those who have urge to seek him through knowledge and Advitya Advaita for those who just seek through utmost Bhakti because they believe in Him.