The Thread that Links Us All
Posted on December 21, 2006
Filed Under Hinduism, brahmin, sects | Leave a Comment
The Sankethis are a brahmin sect that originate from Sengottai (literal translation: Red Fort) in Tamil Nadu.
Historically, they are known to have migrated to Karnataka from Sengottai sometime in the last 200-400 years. There is a very interesing legend as to how they came about:
Long ago, in a ‘Sabha’(Congregation of Brahmins), one Acharya made a mistake while reciting a Shloka. A lady in the audience pointed out the mistake. Male chauvinism being as old as manking itself, she was punished for her arrogance. The punishment meted out was that she had to prepare and serve food to the Brahmins while wearing a saree coated with chalkstone. Now chalkstone would make the saree slippery and difficult to hold in place. The resourceful lady conceived a new way of tying the saree which would be held in place with a knot. Nowadays this style of wearing the saree is called the “Gandi” style (from “Gath” which means knot, perhaps).
Later, the community split and several members moved to places in the Hassan, Mysore and Shimoga districts in Karnataka, where they have remained to date. Their Tamil has since been corrupted, and is sometimes irrecognizable in itself. Some even go so far as to say they might be from the Trichur district of Kerala, which might have acted as a stopover on the way to Karnataka via Coorg.
Sankethi.org and Sankethi.com are two websites where you can learn more about them.
There is a lot of work that needs to be done when it comes to tracing the migratory paths of communities in India. Little or no historically verified information is available regarding the origins and family trees of many sub-sects. With the slow but progressing dispersion of people from their homelands, the challenge seems all the more steeper.
Posted on December 20, 2006
Filed Under Hinduism, stories, mythology, soma, mushroom, Hindu Gods | 6 Comments
The Soma plant and the drink derived from the Soma, also called Soma is referenced in the Rig Veda and many of the other scriptures. This plant (and drink) find references in the Persian Avestan tradition too. Over a period of time, I think the same term started referring to a lot of different plants. Soma, the drink, is the Indian equivalent of Ambrosia - the drink of the Gods.
In the Vedas, drinking soma is said to make one happy, satisfied, and even immortal. In the modern world we live in, no one seems to have a very clear idea of which plant is actually the Soma plant. One opinion is that it is a mushroom that grows in the dark. Amanita Muscaria is one such mushroom with psychotropic properties. The book Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, (Ethno-Mycological Studies) describes the Soma mushroom and the ethnic connotations in various cultures, primarily the Persian and Vedic cultures.
In modern Hindu tantric practices in the southern state of Kerala, however, Soma is a different quantity. The botanical name of Soma is `Sarcostemma Brevistigma`. It is a creeper(vine) that is commonly found in the Western Ghats of South India. The stem is used to make the Somarasa for many yagas in Kerala. The King of Kollengode, an erstwhile principality in Kerala, is obliged to supply the soma stems for yagas. It is described in the book Agni by Frits Stall. 
The search for the Soma plant continues — if someone were to find it, as described in the Veda and the Avesta, it would bestow immortality, the light of knowledge/awareness, and heal many ills(according to Susrutha and the Atharva Veda). In later Hinduism the Soma was replaced by the Rhubarb plant due to Soma being unavailable. Susrutha also mentions that the best Soma can be found in Kashmir and the Upper Indus region.
There is also a mythological god Soma, who was depicted as a bull or bird, and sometimes as an embryo. What is interesting is that he is never shown as a mature adult. In Hinduism, the god Soma evolved into a lunar deity, and became associated with the underworld. The moon is the cup from which the gods drink Soma, and so Soma became identified with the moon god Chandra. This explains why in Hindi, “Somvar” means “Monday”. A waxing moon meant Soma was recreating himself, ready to be consumed. Soma had twenty-seven wives all of whom were daughters of the great King Daksha (the Daksha who conducts the Daksha yaga, father of Dakshayani or Parvati), who felt he paid too much attention to just one of his wives, Rohini (the star). He cursed him to wither and die. His wives would have none of that and so they intervened and the death became periodic and temporary. Soma is perpetually condemed to die and be reborn once every 28 days.
To add to the confusion, there is a drug called Soma, and some contend that Soma is nothing but the common Marijuana plant. I find the concept of Soma very alluring - does it suggest that the ancients had knowledge of hallucinogenics, and the “awakening” they speak of is the same as Huxley’s Doors of Perception being opened wide?
Posted on December 19, 2006
Filed Under about | Leave a Comment
My soul often nags me for ignoring it. So I will ignore it no more. I will write about India, about Hinduism, about Dharma, Karma, Yaga, Yoga and about Hindu Mythology. I will write so I don’t forget - so my children have something besides celebrity gossip to read.
The way it works is this - I am in the process of reading a lot of material on Hinduism, partly due to interest, and partly due to necessity (as a student). As I go, I will make notes here and share them with you, my esteemed audience. Nevermind that I don’t have an audience right now, but as they say, perform and they will come!
This is also a great new experience at blogging. Setting up WordPress was a snap, the theme was there to be used. I edited it a little, to the best of my knowledge, using bits and pieces of information gleaned from the web. I will keep tweaking the design, I guess. The problem is time - if I had a week to tend to this blog, I’d be really happy - but its not to be, and so work will proceed at a lazy pace, if I dare say so.
Hang around, a we’ll share a few stories and legends. We’ll see old things in a new way, and learn together!
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