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Ancient Sanskrit texts rich in history, geographical knowledge: Bibek Debroy

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New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) People should read ancient Sanskrit texts as not only they have beautiful poetry, but are rich in history and contain a treasure of geographical knowledge, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman Bibek Debroy said on Sunday.

Debroy, who has over the years translated the Bhagwat Gita, the Mahabharata and the Valmiki Ramayana, urged people to read those texts, and others, in their original form.

“One reason why one should read all that literature in Sanskrit, and not just in translation, is because it is beautiful poetry. The second reason is because there is an enormous amount of geographical detail,” Debroy, who is now translating the Puranas, said at the Times Litfest here.

Giving an example of the geographical treasure in those texts, he said: “Not far from here is a place we know as Rohtak, which earlier used to be Rohitak. And there is an entire history (in those texts) as to why it was called Rohitak.

“There is a place called Varahamula (Baramulla) and most of us do not know that it is known as Varahamula because that was the place where Lord Vishnu in his Varaha incarnation rescued the earth from the waters,” he said.

The NITI Aayog Member added that the third reason why one should read the Sanskrit texts was because “they are history”.

“The word that is used is ‘itihaas’ – this is indeed what happened. These are not myths.

“Now don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting for a minute that everything happened as is described. Because obviously, in a process of oral transmission for a period of time, there will have been embellishments and additions. But in its core, this is itihaas,” Debroy said.

“Today we don’t read them, we don’t try to take them seriously, and that’s why they are neglected.”

Debroy added that one should also read those texts because “they represent dharma”, which he said was “unfortunately widely mistranslated, abused, misunderstood”.

“I don’t think it (dharma) should be translated as religion. Dharma in certain context means the duty of kings – ‘rajdharma’. Today, we call it governance.

“In certain context, it means ethics, morality; in certain other context it means what you and I do in our daily lives; and in certain other context, it means ‘moksha dharma’: emancipation – the metaphysical and the spiritual,” he said.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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