#Thread

A poet, philosopher, metaphysician, bhakti song writer, establishing 4 peethas and what not : all this in just 32 years.

He wrote Bhashyas on ten major Upanishads, the Brahman sutras and commented on Bhagavad Gita.

#ShankaraJayanti

Have anyone heard of Savarkar working for untouchables and opening a temple in Ratnagiri?

When Savarkar was under house arrest at Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), he toiled hard and persistently, for decades, to eliminate casteism (Jaat-based discrimination).

Result? Well, as Ambedkar himself noted, because of Savarkar's work Ratnagiri district and parts of Konkan were totally free of caste-based discrimination.

(We were always taught of Gandhi fighting for untouchables 😏)

He organised community feasts where people of all castes sat together and ate, he got temples opened for all castes, where properly trained priests from, what were traditionally considered, lower castes presided, he got thread-ceremony (Upanayana) performed on

thousands of ex-untouchable children, to raise the status of women in their own eyes and those of the society, he organized gatherings for women. There are hundred other things Savarkar did to end casteism.

Savarkar had said, "The Kashi Vishweshwara, Jagannath Puri, Dwarka, Rameshwar and other temples should be subject to certain rules and regulations, open to darshan for all Hindus of all castes. No Hindu shall be denied access on the basis of birth - based caste distinction.

Dopamine, SM and Addiction

#Thread

Please check where you fit and act accordingly.

‘Like’ it or not, using social media can cause anxiety, depression, and other health challenges.

A study performed by California State University found that individuals that visited any social media site at least 58 times per week were 3 times more likely to feel socially isolated and depressed compared to those who used social media fewer than 9 times per week.

How does SM affect our brain?

According to a new study by Harvard University, self-disclosure on social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that also ignites when taking an addictive substance.

The reward area in the brain and its chemical messenger pathways affect decisions & sensations. 

When someone experiences something rewarding or uses an addictive substance, neurons in the principal dopamine-producing areas in the brain are activated & dopamine levels rise.

Therefore, the brain receives a “reward” and associates the drug or activity with positive reinforcement.

This is observable in SM usage; when an individual gets a notification, such as a like or mention, the brain receives a rush of dopamine & sends it along reward pathways,

"When the Dalit Icon Came Out in Support of the Hindutva Icon"

Most Indians saw assassination of Gandhi as a national tragedy. But Nehru saw it as a stupendous opportunity to eliminate his arch political rival, Savarkar, the icon of Hindutva, who was revered by millions.

What Nehru feared most was resurgence of Hinduism. And the appeal of Savarkar’s Hindutva philosophy and his mass following was a sword hanging for ever on Nehru’s head. Nehru decided to have it removed, once and for all, by implicating Savarkar in Gandhi’s murder.

Accordingly, he got Savarkar arrested on Feb 6, 1948 , without any specific charge, under the Preventive Detention Act.

When Gandhi Murder trial started in Delhi, his lawyer, Bhopatkar was at a loss to know as to how to defend Savarkar against whom no specific charge was laid.

One fine morning, Bhopatkar got called to the phone at the place where he was staying. When he took the call, he discovered that the caller was Dr Ambedkar.

 ‘Please meet me this evening at the sixth milestone on the Mathura Road’ is all that Dr Ambedkar said.

Accordingly, Bhopatkar drove down the Mathura road that evening and found Ambedkar already waiting for him at Milestone 6. Ambedkar motioned Bhopatkar to get into the car which Ambedkar himself was driving.

#GuruPurnima #गुरु_पूर्णिमा #Thread

Changdev was a Yogi who had achieved several siddhis. He had defied death 42 times using his siddhis & hence lived for 1400 years.

He liked being respected by people.

1/8

One day he came to know about Sant Dynaneshwar. He wondered why such a young boy like Dynaneshwar was getting so much attention.

Slowly, he started feeling jealous of Dynaneshwar and his increasing popularity among people.

#GuruPurnima2022

2/8

Muktabai, Dnyaneshwar’s sister responded to Changdev saying, "Only a sant can understand a Sant. Even though your age is 1400 but you are still as blank as your letter". Reading this Changdev decided to meet Dnyaneshwar himself.

#गुरु_पूर्णिमा_पर्व_2022

3/8

Changdev had developed pride due to his extraordinary achievements. He came to visit Dnyaneshwar with pomp, riding a tiger, wielding a serpent as a whip.

Dnyaneshwar was sitting on a masonary wall with his siblings, when he came to know about Changdev’s arrival.
#गुरु_कृपा
4/8

Dnyaneshwar thought that he should personally welcome & honor Changdev.

He immediately instructed the wall to take them to Changdev. The wall started moving.

When Changadev saw this, he was convinced of Dnyaneshwar’s supremacy.

5/8

Jassa Singh - The man who rebuilt Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)

In 1762, Punjab was fighting for freedom. Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani) was the karta dharta of Punjab in those days.

1762 was known for Sikh genocide/massacre as 25k - 30k sikhs (expected either 1/3rd or half the population of Sikhs) were slaughtered at Kup.

Ahmad Shah Durrani was part of a long line of conquerors that invaded Punjab since Mahmud of Ghazni in 1001.

Ahmad Shah then marched to Sri Harmandir Sahib & blew it up using gunpowder without leaving a single brick intact.

Too sprinkle salt on their wounds he filled the holy tank with the carcasses of dead cows. (Can Sikhs of today forget this?)

This boosted Ahmad Shah's confidence.

Around Diwali, he decided to finish off the Sikhs at Lahore with his 50000 Afghan soldiers.

The Sikhs were waiting to take revenge. They charged the Afghans with their war cry "Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguruji ki fateh" and forced Ahmad Shah to draw off his army.

Once in 1761, Ahmad Shah was returning triumphant after winning the third battle of Panipat against Marathas. He was taking his booty of 22000 hindu and muslim women to be sold in Afghanistan.

Jassa Singh rescued these women and gallantly escorted them to their families.

AGAMA SHASTRA:THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE MARVELS OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE

Agama Shastra is a Sanskrit word that means the manual for worship, temple building, rituals etc in Hindu Tradition.From Sanskrit,agama means handed down by tradition and Shastra means a commentary or treatise.

Therefore, Agama Shastra is a collection of ideas that drafts the rules for worship, temple construction, spirituality and rituals. It has been a guideline for many Hindus from ancient times. It's a collection of Sanskrit, Tamil and Grantha scriptures that mostly contains...

...methods of temple construction, idol creation, philosophical doctrines and meditative practices. It came into being after years of assimiliation and from a variety of sources. Some parts of it are pre-vedic while some are post-vedic.

Hindu Temples are not just temples, they are the pride and identity of Hindus. They are the symbols of Hindu unity and their religious aspirations. Temples are the places of spiritual healing and are our connection with the creator almighty.

Temples are the priceless treasure of our History, Heritage ,Art & Architecture. Architecture that mesmerises and spell bounds you. And Agama Shastra is that very text which is responsible for such a mesmerising and spell binding quality and beauty of our Hindu Temples.

NARHARI AND BHAGWAN PANDURANG/VITTHAL

Once a goldsmith by the name of Narhari lived in Pandharpur. He excelled in his craft. He had vowed not to look at Pandurang or visit his mandir ever, as he was a Shiva Bhakt.
One day, a wealthy merchant visited him.

He wanted a gold girdle studded with precious gems, to be made for Prabhu Vitthal. Narhari refused to make it as it was for Vitthal.
After many requests, he agreed to make the girdle but asked the merchant to bring the measurement from the mandir as he himself would not go there

The measurement was given n he made the girdle. When the girdle was put on Vitthal, it was loose. Narhari had to shorten it. Now the girdle became tight. So Narhari was forced to take measurement on his own. He had to go to the mandir but went blindfolded to avoid seeing Vitthal

In the Mandir, when blindfolded Narhari touched Vitthal, he felt as if he was touching Shiva with matted hair, the moon, snake in His neck and Trishul in His hand. Ecstatic with joy, he removed the blindfold to see Shiva but he found the murti of Vitthal with Rukmini there.

He realised the truth that there was no difference between Vitthal and Shiva. Narhari at once fell at the feet of Panduranga. He then took the measurement of the waist of Vitthal and this time the ornament fit the Murti perfectly.

Narayan Hari🙏🏻

#Thread
Lessor known facts of Sudarshan Chakra or Neela Chakra of Puri Jagannath Temple.

The metal wheel at the top of Bhagwan Jagannath temple is also known as Neela Chakra (Blue Wheel). The wheel is made of eight metals comprising of.. 1/n

iron, copper, zinc, mercury, lead, brass, silver & gold. It's circumferance is about 36 feet & it is so designed that there is a wheel within the wheel. The circumferance of the inner wheel is about 26 feet. Eight hubs join together the inner and the outer wheels. 2/n

There are decorative designs on the outer wheel. The thickness of the Neela Chakra is 2 inches.The wheel is said to be Bhagwan Vishnu's most powerful weapon, Sudarshana Chakra. Inside Jagannath temple, Lord Vishnu's wheel is also worshipped in the name of 'Sudarshana'. 3/n

But inside the temple Sudarshana is not in the shape of a wheel, but in the shape of a small wood pillar placed to the left of image of bhagwan Jagannath. It is believed that the same Sudarshana is also at the top of the temple and is known by the name of Neela Chakra. 4/n

There is a specific category of people among the temple sevaks to serve the Neela Chakra and they are known as Garuda Sevaka or Chunara Nejoga. The pilgrims hold these sevaks in high esteem because everyday at Sunset. 5/n

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Giveaways are smashing the Twitter algo.

I've gained dozens of followers & newsletter subs.

Small accounts NEED to use them.

They drive growth, but also experience & trust.

Because a Twitter giveaway is a mini-product launch.

Steal my blueprint to create 1 in an afternoon🧵

The phases of a Twitter giveaway launch:

1. Ideate
2. Build
3. Promote
4. Deliver
5. Follow-Up

Let's break them down:

IDEATE

Grab a piece of paper and write down 3 lists:

1. Concepts you've learned in the last WEEK
2. Problems you've solved in the last MONTH
3. Questions you've been asked the most in the last YEAR

You're Twitter giveaway is somewhere on these lists...

FILTER

Combine the best from your 3 lists into 1 based on these criteria:

1. Quickly actionable
2. Easily explainable
3. Broadly relatable (beginner)

Once done, you're going to pick ONE that sings to you the most.

But don't throw out the rest. They'll be your next giveaways

BUILD

Pick 1 the easiest medium to convey your idea:

• Loom video
• Checklist (Notion)
• Written guide (Google Doc)

Give yourself ONE HOUR to script & edit your giveaway.

You get an additional 15 minutes to record, if applicable ;)