Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Copulating snakes

Copulating snakes

Few days back in this summer evening rather afternoon around 530 pm when I reached my health centre, I saw health centre worker Lalu(not Railway Minister,India) was watching closely copulating yellow snakes of 1.5 meters each. Those were in the flower garden full of romance. He said me that those were non poisonous. Soon nurse Dhan came and then sweeper Pratima who said to have some cloth . I asked why to disturb them. She told that with such cloth one will have victory wherever one goes. True, for Minister Lalu it would have been the best as he needed votes in this election season of India.
What surprised me that this cloth notion was alike prevalent among all of my staff from Mithila of Bihar(Lalu of Samastipur) to sister and sweeper of Jharkhand.
Only I was not aware of nor I had a camera in mobile to capture that rare scene.

Tirhuta in Nepal’s Maithili books

Tirhuta in Nepal’s Maithili books

A few Maithili books were presented to me recently and I was surprised to note that Tirhuta is being used simultaneous with Devnagari.
An album song’s printed version, “Banki achhi Hamar Doodhk karj(by Vineet Thaku)r,” and a story book “Posput(by Santosh Kumar Mishra) are like that. While Tirhuta and Devnagari is given face to face in Vineet’s book which is better for any new learner for Tirhuta, Mishra’s book has separate sections. I feel Vineet’s model be taken for next 10-20 years for propagating Maithili in Tirhuta.
I also congratulate them for such ventures which Indian Maithils so far did not and in fact have been influenced unnecessarily by words and idioms of Hindi(rather Urdu) so much so that it was a problem for Maithili protagonists to establish Maithili’s unique identity which is incomplete without its script.

Tirhuta at Darbhanga junction

Tirhuta at Darbhanga junction


Recently I had seen Darbhanga junction was written there in Tirhuta but that was as if a mere formality written in a small corner of Station pillar after Hindi, English and Urdu. It was after a protest by me as spokesman of the Anarrashtriya Maithili Parishad in a Darbhanga Press conference where Pramod Kr. Jha,President Mithila Vikas Party also present who had informed me that a journalist present in our conference had put the same question before GM of Railways next day who promised that announcement in Maithili will be done soon which I was informed that had also been implemented there. That story started when on the previous night of the press conference we were waiting at Madhubani station for Dhuriya Passenger after visiting Benipatti and attending Vidyapati Parva at Madhubani(where though I had gone seeing news in newspaper, I was honoured and was given time to speak before leaders of many parties including Shri Hukum Deo Yadav.
Pramodji tolld me that the ASM was talking on railway phone including official instructions in Maithili. Since the train had crossing I got time to him and asked for suggestion book to enter announcements in Maithili but he did not give that to me saying I should rather write directly to higher official. It has prompted me to ask for Maithili announcement in Mithila in the press conference and ultimately it was done.
It shows that despite recognition in VIII Schedule of Indian Constitution, Maithili’s path is not easy till we have Mithila state. Chhattisgarhi is not in the VIII Schedule but railway announcement and radio news are done in it because it has a state. When Orissa was carved out in 1936 some 150 Oriya magazines started within a year or two.
So, Maithili cannot be developed till has a state and our goal is that.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Vachaspati I: The great writer of Bhamati

Vachaspati I: The great writer of Bhamati

Vachaspati I was born in Mithila at Andhra Thadi village.

He has mentioned 898 Shakabd i.e. 976 AD. For his book Nyay Suchi from which his time period can be assumed.
His all books are:

1.Nyay Kanika---on Mimansa Darshan
2.Tatrtwa Bindu-- on Mimansa Darshan
3.Brahmtattwa Sameeksha—on Mandan’s Adwait Darshan
4.Nyay Suchi Nibandh--- on Nayay Darshan
5.Nyayvartik Tatparya teeka ---on Nayay Darshan
6. Sankhyatattwa Kaumudi- On Yog Darshan
7.Yog Vaisharidi --- On Yog Darshan
8.Bhamati -- On Shankar’s Adwait Vedant Darshan

Since last day I had written about my villager Vachaspati II’s books, I felt it was my duty to mention about Vachaspati I.
It is difficult to say which Vachaspati was greater scholar.
Mithila has unparallel scholars and time sequence of
Vachaspati I followed
Udayanacharya (born at Karian in Samastipur district) then
Gangesh then
Vachaspati II, Shankar was also his contemporary who was said like Shankaracharya
And so contemporary was Pakshdahr Mishra who was said brilliant like Vachaspati I.
Vachaspati II was senior in age from Shankara and Pakshdhar however.

Pakshadhar’s one disciple was Bengali Raghunathshiromani. Raghunathshiromani and Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu were disciple of Basudeb Sarvbhaum Bhattacharjee. Bhattacharjee was not able to contest Vachaspati II and Shankar Mishra in Nyayashastra and then he started criticizing Vachaspati I’s Nyaya from Vedant point of view.

Vachaspati is synonym of scholarship and hence the higest degree is conferred by this name(D.Litt is Vidya Vachaspati, Ph D is Vidya Varidhi and like wise M.d. is Aayurvigyan Vachaspati- I ‘ve seen kanpur University’s certificates by this name).

We should be proud of Vachaspati and erect suitable monument on their names.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Vachaspati-II and other great philosophers of Mithila

Vachaspati-II and other great philosophers of Mithila
Vachaspati-II of 15th Century was my villager(Samaul 7 km south-west of Madhubani)
He had written following 41 books(10 on Darshan and 31 on Smriti and):
10 on Darshan:

1. Nyay Tatwa Lok
2. Nyay Sutroddhar
3. Nyay Ratnaprakash
4. Prtyaksha Nirnay
5. Shabd Nirnay
6. Anuman Nirnay
7. Khandanoddhar
8. Tika on Gangesha’s Tatw Chintamani
9. Tika on Anuman Khand
10. Tika on Nyay -Chintamani Prakash Shabd Khandan


31 on Smriti:

1. Kritya Chintamani
2.Shudhhi Chintamani
3. Tirth Chintamani
4. Achar Chintamani
5. Anhik Chintamani
6. Dwait Chintamani
7.Neeti Chintamani( Maybe with Lootan
Jha of Navtol but No manuscript found but referred in Vivad Chintamani)
8.Vivad Chintamani

9. Vyavhar Chintamani

10. Shudrachar Chintamani

11.Shraddha Chintamani

12. Tithi Chintamani

13. Dwait Nirnay
14. Mahadan Nirnay
15. Vivad Nirnay
16. Shuddhi Nirnay
17. Kritya Maharnav
18. Gaya Shraddha paddhati
19. Chandan Dhenu Praman
20. Dattak Vidhi or Dattak Putreshti
Yajna Vidhi
21. Chhatra Yogo Dhut Doshanti Vidhi
22. Shraddha Vidhi
23. Gaya Pattalak
24. Tirth Kalplata
25. Tirthlata
26. Shraddhakalp
27. Kritya Paradeep
28. Sar Sangrah
29. Pritibhakti Taringini

? 30. Vrat Nirnaya k Purvardh
?? 31.



From Dr. Sureshwar Jha’s “Mithila Me Doo Got Vachaspati(manuscript seen in April 2009).
He is a great socialist leader and author of Maithili and a Mithila Protagonist.
He said that he had recently visited Andhara Thadhi(near Jhanjharpur where Vachaspti I or Vriddha Vacaspati lived in 9 th century whose Bhamati Teeka is of world fame. Sorrily his abode has still grass only though Chanda Jha’s statue was there who was a son in aw of that village.
Similarly Karian village of Udayanacharya and Bhatpura village of Kumaril Bhatta need statues.
Present Holi Shankaracharya Of Puri, who is a Maithil from Deeh Tol, Kaluahi had suggested that the abode of these great persons should be recorded as such in the Land revenue department so that these cannot be encroached by others.
Dr. Sureshwar Jha also narrated how in 1982 at Gooroovyoor he listened to a song comparable with Shenai of north.

Monday, April 6, 2009

regional development is not an antithesis to nationalism

Thanks Jyoti for writing Jiendra who represent two types among thousand plus readers of mithila_vasi mails while few persons like Jyoti comments and even come to personal introduction face to face for which this forum was started , Jitendra ike persons are probably in other minority spectrum who read and are making up their mind to do something while majority may be just neutral.
I always think whether time I spend on net is of any worth or my earlier postcard writing and foot/cycle marches or later mobile telephony contact is better.

“ I will definitely work for the development of Mithila economically/educationally, socially and politically.” Is probably a vision statement on ,”Above three dimensions reflect my order of preference though all are intricately linked and all at once needs to be taken seriously” I also have been thinking.
However, the order just may look different for AMP working at present and possibly its evolutionary history for the cause our motherland.

'Mother land", I used to think is India (which is true by all means), however, my perspective too has changed with time like Jitendra has . My father being in RSS, though I imbibed tenets of nationalism, I cannot today think that a thought of Mithila is anyway anti-national or I am against any other ethnic or linguistic group.

True, “As compared to many regions in India, like Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, Maharashtra, Maithils do not have a strong regional feeling and identity.”
As I spoke to Jitendra 5 crore people(2001) is less for India for immediate state formation in comparision to Nepal. The problem is those 5 cores(in fact now 8 crores by 2009) are divided in various multitudes- Angika and Vajjika, Brahmins and non-Brahmins, Hindus and Muslims and what not. Maithil is not synonumous with all nor Maithili is all encompassing.

True many who are less in number and talent they have there own state our Maithils themselves are negative on this point. Many had long discussion on mail..Many are frightened to invite me in functions and many organisations to honour that I was meddling with political work- Mithila’s demand is political and so..many taunted and many wished that I was ushering the dreams of CM of Mithila.

What Jitendra says,” Few days back I had a discussion with very important figure in India(I will not name). I told her about our struggle for Mithila state to which she remarked, Desh ko kitna baantoge. I laughed and laughed and laughed and asked her back Is the formation of Bengal (She was from Bengal) Country's division or growth. Cold Bengal, Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra contribute to national development if they were not separate states. Then she asked are there sufficient talented people who can run a state in Mithila. To this I asked back..If there are sufficient people to run states like Nagaland, Assam and Mizoram among others, Mithila has lot of talent. Many Jha's. Mishra,s and Prasad's have contributed significatly to national development. She kept quite.,” I face every day such question and apprehension that Mithila means division of India to which my reply is almost like that of Jitendra.

I have same feeling as jitendra’s .” that we need to take responsibility politically and socially. If we do not do it today, we will persih. We will be greatest criminal in the eyes of younger generation. Considering today's Indian reality Mithila will never get developed if does not create a pressure group in the parliament in the form of Maithil community. See India through eyes of Mithila not from Delhi and Bombay. See today Punjabi culture is so dominant that you can see in almost all popular cinema. Teleserails project Gujarati culture etc. This is because they saw India through the eyes of there own culture. Never thought to get assimilated in the so called Indian mainstream, though they have but in different sense. We foolish Bihari's and Maithils never understood the true reality of India. forgot our own culture. Saw India through the eyes of Delhi and what not. Caste has to give way to regionalism,” with a simple difference that India;s culture is one and it looks different and it should look with Maithil vision too for which we need clear our concepts of nationalism- regional development is not an antithesis to nationalism rather is important ingredient to improve scales on economy or human development. Regional bigotry and secessionism I do not advocate.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: “ SayJai Siyaram not Jai Shree Ram.”

Blog 3.4.09
Atal Bihari Vajpayee: “ SayJai Siyaram not Jai Shree Ram.”
Last night incidentally I listened to Sushil, Organising Secretary, Bajaran Dal,Bihar, on the occasion of Ram Navami akhada.I know him since his early childhood when he used to come RSS shakha at Sukhdeonagar when I was a trainer there being a college student. Turned to a neutral person, I listened his speech from outside. He spoke well with slogans Jai Shree Ram.

I asked him later that one of the Maihtil journalist(Ashsish Jha) had rightly pointed out that Jai Seeta ram had been turned to Jai Shree Ram by Sangh parivar. In fact being Maithil we proud Mother Seeta as our though She is Jagajjani(Mother of the Universe) as being married to Awadhpati Ram,our claim to Her is only emotional.
I had told that journalist and Sushil also that I know Shree itself is a feminine adjective and in Geeta Lord Krishana has counted it as one of His Bibhuti (Chapter 10:Shloka34)”as among women He is Kirti, Shree, Vak, Smriti, Medha, Dhriti and Khasma).

Sushil on this narrated an episode that before becoming Prome Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited Ranchi and a programme was at Rani Sati Mandir, Ratu Road. Sushil was there with youth and when Vajapayee’s car passed nearby they shouted, “ Jai Shree Ram.”
Vajapyee’s car stopped. He patted Sushil and said,”Jai Siyaram kahiye, Nahee to Matayen Naraj ho jayengi(Say ‘Jai Siya Ram] lest womenfolk will be angry).

What a great vision Vajpayee had.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Way toAraria villages: prepare directory of eminent persons of area working anywhere for developmental purpose.

Way toAraria villages: prepare directory of eminent persons of area working anywhere for developmental purpose.

My journey to home, Forbesganj was truncated at Araria as by the time I reached Purnea on 29th night, the last bus had left and I had to return from the villages f Araria itself with a memory of my childhood the names I have listened to but had not visited those.

The road to Kishanganj from Arariya is also well constructed now, some 75 KM and next

Because I was late at Jhandapur, from naugachhia the bus I got for Purnea was also late and I crossed the area of Koshi's end again and reached Purnea ,eating two delicios Prda at Gedabadi(from where one can go to Katihar), around 730 pm I reached but could not get a bus to my home, Fornesganj and I had to contact Vinay Tarun to ask his address and I had a nice ricksahw journey through well-heard Bhattha Bazar to Teachers colony where I stayed that night with father of Vinay where last time Vinay's sister Pinki had taken us.

From Araria Sudhir Mishra with me to Tarabadi by small bus. I liked the area where Kursakanta-Kuadi-Ramai , rangeli etc. were near.

Soon two young Maithils escorted us and we halted first at a big house of late Balkrishna Jha who was also MLA. His brother and son talked with us and we explained Mithila movement.

We went to Jamua village. We first went to Binodanand’s home and met his father who was critical of Jaggannath Mishra for many reasons.

Ajay escorting me was a MSc(Zoology) and did practice Artificial insemination in village. He was an expert driver and we were crossing through ploughed fields and not well roads to Rampur where on 25th administration was brutal to ladies in a no confidence poll and untoward incident has occurred.

In the way I listened to Bhagawati Geet for Chaiti Durga in Maithili and I recalled it was in Hindi in Jaril where I had asked them for Maihtili sonorous geets and even translated in Maithili afterwards Geet press’s popular Jai Jagajanani and Jai Ambe Gauri..

I talked Ajya for Jitendra Prasad’s requirement for Biotechnology Park and he told that he himself was ready to donate 2 acre lands for that.

I think Mithila can be rebuit economically if we can persue and promote such activites.

Meeting panic-stricken villagers in night was an experience. My stomach was upset for drugs and I wanted to reach soon Pategna , the night halt. We reached there.

There too villagers came and we had talk om Mihtila and Maihtuili. It was sasur of Sudhirbabu whose father in law was an early graduate of the area who has built a school. Sudhirbabu’s uncle Madhav Mishra was first MA of Purnea Commissionary.

The area is full of talent. At Jamua over 100 engineers and doctors are. One Randhir Jha was 3rd in IAS 2 years back. I was shown a dilapidated house which has IIT graduate. I asked to prepare a directory of such persons for developmental and organizational use.




Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad
www.geocities.com/maithili_parishad