ACK-056: Mangal Pandey

ACK #334 (#675)

Acknowledged as one of the first freedom fighter and martyr of India, Mangal Pandey was born on 19 July 1827 in the village of Nagwa in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. A sepoy (soldier) in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) of the English East India Company, he entered the annals of Indian history for attacking his British officers, sparking off the First War of Indian Independence or as the British termed it, the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. At Barrackpore near Kolkata on March 29, 1857, Pandey attacked and injured his British sergeant, besides wounding an adjutant. A native soldier prevented him from killing the adjutant and the sergant-major. He was arrested and sentenced to death. He was hanged on April 8, 1857.

The primary reason behind Mangal Pandey's behavior was because of a new type of bullet cartridge used in the Enfield P-53 rifle. It was rumoured that the cartridge was greased with animal fat (pig and cow fat), which neither Hindus nor Muslims consumed. The cartridges had to be bitten off to remove the cover, which was detested by both the Hindu and Muslim soldiers in the army. The general feeling was that British intentionally did it. What added to the discontent was that the Commandant of the 34th BNI (Bengal Native Infantry) was a known Christian preacher.

A stamp issued by the Government of India on October 5, 1984 commemorating the 'freedom fighter' Mangal Pandey.

Read more: Wikipedia

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-055: Kunwar Singh

An out of print ACK (#311)

(Actually we have an English version without cover. That is why contributor has added Hindi cover. We try to post a English cover later.)

Kunwar Singh epitomises not only the spirit of liberty but also unparalleled courage and the will to resist injustice at all costs and under any circumstances. Babu Kunwar Singh was already past his prime being nearly eight years old. Despite his age and failing health, when the call to fight came, the old lion plunged into the thick of it and for nearly a year battled against the British forces with grim determination and undoubted courage. The great warrior that he was, he gave a good fight and harried British forces for nearly an year and remained invincible till the end.

Kunwar Singh was one of the leading figures of the Indian Movements of 1857-59. A scion of Rajput nobility he was born in Jagdishpur in the Shahabad District of Bihar about 1777 and was detained to die as hero in the Great rising of 1857.

Kunwar Singh, zamindar of Jagdishpur near Arrah, in the state of Bihar, was the chief organizer of the fight against British in Bihar. He assumed command of the soldiers who had revolted at Danapur on 5th July. Two days later he occupied Arrah, the district headquarter. Major Vincent Eyre relieved the town on 3rd August, defeated Kunwar Singh's force and destroyed Jagdishpur. Kunwar Singh left his ancestral village and reached Lucknow in December 1857. In March 1858 he occupied Azamgarh. However, he had to leave the place soon. Pursued by Brigadier Douglas, he retreated towards his home in Bihar.

It is believed that while crossing the Ganga on his way to Jagdishpur he was wounded in the arm by the pursuing forces and the old warrior severed the injured limb and flung it into the Ganga as his last offering. Soon after he fought his last battle near Jagdishpur on 23rd April, 1858 in which the British forces led by Captain Le Grand were completely routed. Kunwar Singh passed away the next day.

The mantle of the old chief now fell on his brother Amar Singh who, despite heavy odds, continued the struggle and for a considerable time ran a parallel government in the district of Shahabad. In October 1859 Amar Singh joined the rebel leaders in the Nepal Terai.

To honour his memory and his contribution to India’s freedom movement, the Republic of India issued a commemorative stamp on 23 April 1966. Veer Kunwar Singh University named after him, was established by Government of Bihar near his birth place.

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-054: The Elusive Kaka

This out of print ACK (#289) is based on Masti Venkatesha Iyengar's play KAKANA KOTE.

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar: 1891-1986

He was born in Masti village of Kolar district. He passed MCS examination in 1913 and securing M.A. in 1914. As a civil servant, he held various positions of high responsibility in different parts of Karnataka, before retiring voluntarily in 1943. His long and diverse career of 3 decades was marked by total dedication to public service and exceptional administrative ability. And his wealth of experience as a bureaucrat gave immense inspiration for his literary works. His pseudonym Srinivasa is as popular as his native village Masti, in Kannada literary circles today.

Eventhough he started composing stories right in his earlier student days, his first published work became the history of modern Kannada short stories. And he was recognized as the “Brahma of Kannada Stories” (Forefather of Short Stories) . His works carry the best elements of literature in story form and with their inimitable language, narrative style and richness of theme and realities, powerfully relate to the readers. His story Subbanna, based on the life of a musician is a good example of this and it has been translated into several Indian and foreign languages.

Honours and awards:
1. “Brahma of Kannada Stories” (”Forefather of Short Stories”)
2. Jnanpith award which came to him in 1983 for his historical novel Chikkaveera Rajendra

Works:
1. ‘Kelavu Sanna Kathegalu’
2. Channabasava Nayaka
3. Chikkaveera Rajendra
4. 3-volume autobiography ‘Bhava’
5. Subbanna
6. Edited the monthly journal ‘Jeevana’ from 1944 - 1965
7. Written more than 120 books in Kannada
8. 17 books in English

Plays

• Kakanakote
• Kalidasa
• Yashodhara

(~ From Karnatakavision)

Read more about him: Wikipedia

Many many thanks to an Anonymous friend” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-052 & 053: Tukaram; Shrenik and The Hidden Truth

An out of print ACK

#68 Tukaram

A great saint who lived only for his God vittala -an incarnation of Lord Krishna, who in turn, is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu- in Hinduism. He faced varieties of difficulties with astonishing patience. He refused diamonds and opals offered by Shivaji Maharaj himself. He is also believed to be spiritual guru of Shivaji. His devotional songs are an invaluable contribution to Marathi spiritual literature.

Biography

Tukaram was born in 1608, in the small village of Dehu in the West Indian state of Maharashtra to Bolhoba and Kanakai a couple belonging to the lower Sudra* class. He had two other brothers. Despite their lower class status the family was well to do and enjoyed good social standing in the village. Tukaram's troubles started with the illness of his father, due to which he had to start supporting his family at the tender age of thirteen. Shortly thereafter, both his parents died. Tukaram's problems only mounted; death of his family members and economic hardship seemed to plague him.

Tukaram was married twice, his first wife Rakhumabai died due to starvation during a famine, his second wife Jijabai or Avali as she was called, was much younger than his first had been and had little patience with his devotion and for God and she nagged him continuously. He had three sons. Tukaram was initiated without any intermediaries as the other saints usually were. He dreamt that he was initiated by the Lord Hari himself dressed as a Brahman.

Tukaram continuously sang the praises of the Lord, he sang it in the form of abhangs which he wrote. These were in his mother tongue Marathi. The abhangs express his feelings and philosophical outlook. During his 41 years, Tukaram composed over 5,000 abhangs**. Many of them speak of events in his life, which make them somewhat autobiographical. Yet, they are focused on God, Pandurang, and not Tukaram. His abhangs became very popular with the masses of common people. It was this very popularity that caused the religious establishment (the high caste Brahmins) to hate and persecute Tukaram as, he was causing them to lose their power over the people.

There are many miracles attributed to Tukaram.

(~Biography from Oldpoetry.com)

*Tukaram’s family belonged to the Kshatriya (warrior) caste. His forefathers had embraced martyrdom while fighting the enemy on the battlefield. The family was also very cultured and religious. Worship of Lord Vithoba had been its hallmark for generations together and so was the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur. The family also had the distinction of being mahajans (money-lenders). It owned farmland engaged in money-lending and trade. The family owned two wadas (houses) at Dehu: one for residence and the other, in the marketplace, for trade and business. It enjoyed the respect of the villagers and also of those living in the immediate environs. They were called kunbis (farming community), because they engaged in agriculture and vanis (trading community) because of trading. However, Tukaram abjured all these, because of which he came to called gosavi (someone like a fakir). Nevertheless, ‘Gosavi’ was never the surname of the family. It was ‘More’ and ‘Gosavi’ was an honorific.
The vaishya (trader) community had come to be included among the shudras (the lowest in the social scale) about the time of the Bhagawad-geeta and during Jnanadev’s time, the Kshatriyas were also being counted among the shudras. Only two castes (Varna) had remained: the Brahmins and the shudras. Thus Tukaram also came to be called a shudra.

**Abhang means 'indestructible'. A true Abhang is supposed to carry in its lyrics, the ageless truths of life and spirit that know no death. Not every devotional song in Marati is an Abhang either.

Many many thanks to “Anonymous friend” for providing ACK scan.
*************************************************************************

#322 (#730) Shrenik and The Hidden Truth

Inside cover story

The two Jain tales in this Amar Chitra Katha deal with Shrenik and Jinadatta whose stories teach the importance of bring astute and insightful without necessarily indulging in shrewdness or deceit.

Jain monks took a keen interest in the spiritual emancipation of the common people. To make their terse philosophy intelligible and interesting to any ordinary individual, they used the medium of stories. Thousands of such didactic stories in Sanskrit and Prakrit have come down to us.

‘Shrenik’ is retold from Harishena’s Bhrihat Katha Kosha (10th century) and ‘The Hidden Truth’ from Rajashekara’s Vinoda Katha Sangraha (14th century).

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-051: Ashwins to the rescue

ACK #319 (#669)

Ashwins, the twin brothers, twin deities (Devata-s) are generally identified as the father of the founder of Ayurveda. Ashwins are son of Surya (The sun ) & Sanjna (the daughter of Viswakarma) . The word 'Ayurveda' comes from the word 'ayur' meaning 'life' and the word 'veda' meaning 'to know'. Ayurveda means 'the science of life', and is a medical system practiced in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal till day & well known in the world.

In Vedic literature Ashwins are among the 33 Devata-s. They are ever young and handsome, bright, and of golden brilliancy, agile, swift as falcons, and possessed of many forms; and they ride in a golden car drawn by horses or birds, as harbingers of Ushas, the dawn. "They are the earliest bringers of light in the morning sky, who in their chariot hasten onwards before the dawn and prepare the way for her." Roth.

As personifications of the morning twilight, they are said to be children of the sun by a nymph who concealed herself in the form of a mare; hence she was called Aswini and her sons Aswins. But inasmuch as they precede the rise of the sun, they are called his parents in his form Pushan.

Mythically they are the parents of the Pandu princes Nakula and Sahadeva.

Their attributes are numerous, but relate mostly to youth and beauty, light and speed, duality, the curative power, and active benevolence.They were the physicians of Swarga, and in this character is called Das and Nasatyas, Gadagadau and Swarvaidyau ; or one was Dasra and the other Nasatya.

Other of their appellations are Abdhijau, 'ocean born;' Pushkamsrajau, 'wreathed with lotuses;' Badaveyau, sons of the submarine fire, Badava. Many instances are recorded of their benevolence and their power of healing.

It can never be doubted that ancient sages and Ayurvedic surgeons had a very good knowledge of anatomy of body. Various body organs also find there name in Vedas. There structural anatomy has also been described in the Vedas (1700-500 BC - the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism).

These are four:
the Rigveda (1700–1100 BC),
the Yajurveda (1,400 - 1000 BC),
the Samaveda and
the Atharvaveda.

Rig veda has also contains certain references regarding the conditions of vaidya (physician) in those days. They were paid for there services and had a high reputation in the society. They are just considered equivalent to Gods. During those days there were three categories of vaidya (physicians), these were:

• Shalya vaidya (surgeons)
• Bhisohaks (physician)
• Bhishk athatvans (faith cures)
  

It will be very surprising for many that surgery is mentioned in Vedas. Ashwani kumar, the twin brothers were the celestial physicians and surgeons who were extolled in many hymns for their cures of disease and feats of surgery. It is believed that they were experts in the orthopedics.

According to Hinduism, Brahma is the creator of the universe. He is said to be the originator of Ayurveda. The knowledge was the passed to Prajapati (lord of creatures). This knowledge was again passed to the Ashwins and then to Lord Indra* (the lord of all deties) who intern taught to seven rishis who approached to him. Thus the science of Ayurveda has been brought into the world through the celestials.

This ACK contains two stories in which Ashwins came to help their devotee.

*Indra - King of the Devas or Devata-s or Deties. The King of Kings. Handsomest of the handsome. More powerful than the most powerful. Hero of the Rig veda. A warrior par excellence. Ruler of the heavens (Svargaloka). The god of War and Weather. One who can grant any boon. The eldest son of Kasyapa and Aditi. Resplendent with his loyal elephant and brilliantly bedecked horse. Wielding the vajra (thunderbolt) for a weapon, Indra, marks the beginning, the tallest figure in the Hindu pantheon in ancient times.
Above him only the principal trinity God of the Hinduism - Brahma , Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva).

Many many thanks to “Ajay Misra” for providing this ACK scan.