Do you know?

The Akbar-Birbal tales that you have been hearing since childhood are fake.

This could come as a surprise to all of u.But the stories of Akbar-Birbal that we have grown up listening are all fake. You have been fed lies.We have excellent contemporary records from..

..the period of Akbar.We can look upon 'Akbarnama' and 'Ain I Akbari'as official court histories of Akbar.The works of Badayuni and Sirhindi were contemporary narratives that were not very favourably disposed to Akbar.Besides, we have official farmans,regional histories, Jain..
..narratives, Vanshavalis and inscriptions from all over India.Not even one of these sources tells us a single story of Akbar and Birbal. Sure, there was a courtier of Akbar by the name of Birbal. But he was not known at all for his wit.
The first occurance of any hint of Birbal's 'wit' is from an 18th century biographical narrative named 'Ma'athir Al Umara'. It is seperated by more than 200 years from Birbal and was written by a person of Deccani origin who had access to the tales of Vijayanagara emperor..
..Sri Krishnadevaraya and his witty minister Tenali Ramakrishna.

The stories of Krishnadevaya and Tenali Ramakrishna were famous throughout the Deccan and South. The Deccani Urdu poets had access to these tales.
After Aurangzeb's invasion of Golkonda in 17th century, there was a massive exodus of Urdu poets from Deccan to the North. They brought with them the stories of Sri Krishnadevaraya and Tenali Ramakrishna.These stories were recast in a Mughal frame.
Akbar took the role of Krishna Devaraya. A brahman, Birbal was an ideal representative of Tenali Ramakrishna. And thus the stories of Akbar and Birbal became prevalent throughout 19th century into the present day.

No wonder then, that many stories are direct borrowings.
Akbar was smartest among all the Mughal Emperors as he tried to erase all his dark history and projected himself as a great ruler whereas reality was something else.

Source: Meenaxi Khurana's works on Medieval India.
Courtesy: True Indology

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THE MEANING, SIGNIFICANCE AND HISTORY OF SWASTIK

The Swastik is a geometrical figure and an ancient religious icon. Swastik has been Sanatan Dharma’s symbol of auspiciousness – mangalya since time immemorial.


The name swastika comes from Sanskrit (Devanagari: स्वस्तिक, pronounced: swastik) &denotes “conducive to wellbeing or auspicious”.
The word Swastik has a definite etymological origin in Sanskrit. It is derived from the roots su – meaning “well or auspicious” & as meaning “being”.


"सु अस्ति येन तत स्वस्तिकं"
Swastik is de symbol through which everything auspicios occurs

Scholars believe word’s origin in Vedas,known as Swasti mantra;

"🕉स्वस्ति ना इन्द्रो वृधश्रवाहा
स्वस्ति ना पूषा विश्ववेदाहा
स्वस्तिनास्तरक्ष्यो अरिश्तनेमिही
स्वस्तिनो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु"


It translates to," O famed Indra, redeem us. O Pusha, the beholder of all knowledge, redeem us. Redeem us O Garudji, of limitless speed and O Bruhaspati, redeem us".

SWASTIK’s COSMIC ORIGIN

The Swastika represents the living creation in the whole Cosmos.


Hindu astronomers divide the ecliptic circle of cosmos in 27 divisions called
https://t.co/sLeuV1R2eQ this manner a cross forms in 4 directions in the celestial sky. At centre of this cross is Dhruva(Polestar). In a line from Dhruva, the stars known as Saptarishi can be observed.

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