11/29/2016

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGoodHindu.MyWayIsFine.byRohiniBakshi

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGood
Hindu.MyWayIsFine.
SponsoredLinks byTaboola

Sponsored

NYSID Students Design for the Homes of the Future

(Design In Color New York)

Your Life With COPD: 9 Tips To Clear Your Airway

(HealthCentral.com)

The Potential Risks of Over-the-Counter Eye Drops

(Livestrong for Healthline)

Ivanka & Donald Trump's Throwback Photo Has

Everyone...(Detonate)
Linda Hamilton Terminated Her Workouts(Healevate)

RohiniBakshi
Forthelastthreeyears,adedicatedcommunityofSanskritlearnershavebeenfollowing
somethingcalled#SanskritAppreciationHour(SAH)onTwitter.Onit,expertsand
enthusiaststranslateshlokas,stotrasandsubhashitas.Beginnersgettoseetheverses
unfoldandaskquestionsaboutgrammarandvocabulary.Itwasdevelopedasand
continuestobeaplatformtopromotetheSanskritlanguage.
ButthenaivevervewithwhichSAHbeganhadtocomeofagequiterapidly.Apparently,
lovingSanskritwasnotenough.TherewerechallengesIhadtomeet.Onewasto
demonstratethatlearningSanskritcanbeapoliticalandinclusive.Thebiggerchallenge
wasinsulatingthefledgingeffortfromtheselfappointedbossesofHinduismand
Sanskrit.
MyTwitterbioreads'Sanskritjunkie,Founder#SanskritAppreciationHour,Womens'
Empowerment,...DevoutHindu,Egalitarian,Liberal'.
AnarmykidgrowingupalloverIndia,nothinginmyupbringingorlaterinmyprofessional
lifesuggestedthatthesewereincompatiblebeliefs.Thatthereweresides,andIneeded
topickone.ThatifIwereadevoutHindu,Iwasexpectedtosubscribetoaversionof
Hinduism.ThatifItaughtSanskrit,IhadtobeacertaintypeofHinduandsubscribetoa
particularpoliticalopinion.Andanydeviationfromthe"partyline"meantthatIwasa
traitorto"thecause"ofHinduismandSanskrit.Inshort,ifIwereadevoutHinduand
taughtSanskrit,Icouldnotbea"liberal".
Mymotivationwasputunderascanner.IwaspressuredTwittertrollstodenounce
academicaffiliations,disrespectteachersIrespected.EventhetextsIchosetotranslate
onSAHhadtobeofaspecificvarietytoprovemy"Hindu"credentials.Forinstance,

http://www.ndtv.com/blog/iteachsanskritontwitterandencountermanyhaters1622384?site=full

1/7

11/29/2016

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGoodHindu.MyWayIsFine.byRohiniBakshi

onSAHhadtobeofaspecificvarietytoprovemy"Hindu"credentials.Forinstance,
versesfromtheRamayanawhichtalkedaboutthephysicalbeautyofSitawouldelicit
commentslike"Kyonlafdakarrahiho?raatkawaqthai(Whyareyoucreatingtrouble?
Anythingcanhappenatnight)"or"Don'ttalkaboutSitamatalikethat."TowhichIwould
respondedbysayingdiscussthiswithValmikiplease,Ididn'twriteit,I'monlytranslating
it.IwasmadetofeelthatIwasnotagoodHinduunlessIdenouncedeverythingthose
selfappointedbossesofHinduismandSanskritthoughtwasinimicaltothefaith.

Arefusaltocomplybroughtontremendousunpleasantness.Threats,abuse,personal
attacks.Morethanonce,Idecidedtogiveuptheeffort.Tillawomanjournalistfriendsaid
tome,"Igetthreatenedwithrapeandacidattacksregularlyformyviews.Youarelucky
youcanleave.Ican'tbecausemeritohnaukrihai(that'showIearnmyliving).Butifyou
leave,remember,you'veletthemwin."Andthatwastheturningpoint.

Ibecamedoublydeterminedtomake#SanskritAppreciationHoursucceedonmyown
terms.Ironically,mylifelinebecameagroupofhighlylearned,orthodoxBrahmin
AcharyasonTwitterwhosharedmyloveforandcommitmenttoSanskrit.Sincetheywere
sowellversedinthescriptures,theyknewIwasnotmanipulatingancientwisdom.They
wereconfidentintheirknowledgesuchthattheydidnotfeelthreatenedbyanytopicor
selectionoftexts.Wedifferopenlyandwidelyonmanysocialissues,butithasnot
lessenedourrespectforeachother.TheynotonlysupportbuteventeachonSanskrit
Hour.Andwithoutfail,Inoticeapattern.ThemoreSanskritliteratesomeoneis,theless
likelyheorsheistomisunderstandtheintent,contentandapproachof
#SanskritAppreciationHour.

http://www.ndtv.com/blog/iteachsanskritontwitterandencountermanyhaters1622384?site=full

2/7

11/29/2016

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGoodHindu.MyWayIsFine.byRohiniBakshi

CoverofRohiniBakshi'sbookLearnSanskritThroughYourFavouritePrayers
http://www.ndtv.com/blog/iteachsanskritontwitterandencountermanyhaters1622384?site=full

3/7

11/29/2016

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGoodHindu.MyWayIsFine.byRohiniBakshi

Theaforementionedjournalistfriend,whowasadevoutHindu,hasnowrejectedherfaith
andherishtadeva.Shenolongergoestothetempleshewenttoreligiouslyfornearly40
years.ShesaysthatthebelligerenceofcertainHindushasruinedHinduismforher.That
theirbullyingandtheirhorrificattitudetowardsminoritiesmakeshersick.ToherIsay
whatsheoncesaidtome:"Ifyouleave,you'veletthemwin."Hinduismhasalwaysbeen
aboutamultiplicityofpathsandcoexistence.Inmyownfamily,myfatherisakattar
(hardcore)AryaSamaji(noidolworship),andmymothertheproductofasanatani
mohyalBrahmaniandaSikhfather.WedidmurtipujaeveryDiwaliasafamily,wenttoa
gurudwaraoneveryGurpurab,andhadahavanforeveryimportantevent.MysisterandI
havedifferentishtadevas,andareequallycomfortableinNorthernandSouthernIndian
temples,havinglivedinbothregionsforextendedperiodsoftime.Whoisanyonetotell
uswhattherightwayofbeingHinduis?
MyloveaffairwithSanskritisanoldone(despitenearlyflunkingatschoolbecauseitwas
taughtsobadly!)MywayofbeingagoodHinduistolearnSanskritandreadallthebooks
thatareconsideredholyintheiroriginalform.TheGita,theRamayana,Mahabharata,
theUpanishads.Toimbibefromthemthatwhichmakesthespiritsoar.Thatwhichmakes
oneabetterhumanbeing.Idon'tagreewithpeoplewhosaySanskritisalanguageof
oppression,nordoIbendtopressuretomakeitanexclusiveone.Idonotbowtothose
bosseswhosaythereisonewayofbeingagoodHindutheirway.Nobodyowns
SanskritorHinduism.Wecanonlyservethem,eachinourownway.AndIbelievemy
wayisasgoodasanyone's.
5mantrasforeveryoccasionfromRohiniBakshi'snewbookLearnSanskrit
ThroughYourFavouritePrayers
Wanttogetagoodstarttoyourworkweek?RecitetheGaneshaPancharatnam.
SaidtobecomposedbyAdiShankaracharya,youcaninvokeLordGaneshafor
protection,liberationandtheremovalofobstacles.Worshipoftheelephantfacedgod
givesusbothintelligenceandgoodsense(buddhi),andsuccessandachievement
(siddhi).
It'sthemiddleoftheweekandyou'regettingboggeddownwithpointlessemails,excel
sheetsandphonecalls?ListentoBhajaGovindamevenifyoucannotreciteitinfull.
AlsobelievedtocomposedbyAdiShankaracharyawhenheencounteredapandit
memorisinggrammarrules.Amused,theAcharyaspontaneouslysaidthatgrammarwould
notsavethepanditwhentheappointedhourofhisdeatharrived.Hethencomposed
versesadvisinghumanitynottowastepreciousmomentsonroutineactivities.Only
adorationofGovindawillbringliberation.
Don'thavetimetopayavisittothetemple?Toomuchtodo?Justtakealittletimeoffat
yourdeskorinthekitchenandthinkofHari.
ShriHaryashtakamwascomposedandrecitedinpraiseofHaribyPrahlada,oneofthe
greatestdevoteesofHari.Itsaysjustrecitingthetwoletters,'ha'and'ri',isequivalentto
allthegooddeedsprescribedforliberationlikepilgrimagetosacredspots,performanceof
variousyajnasandgivingawaypreciousofferings.
http://www.ndtv.com/blog/iteachsanskritontwitterandencountermanyhaters1622384?site=full

4/7

11/29/2016

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGoodHindu.MyWayIsFine.byRohiniBakshi

Feelingsickthankstothechangingweatherandsmokyair?Recitethe
Vaidyanathashtakam.
Shivaisworshippedhereasthelordofphysicians(vaidyanatha).Heisworshippedas
suchparticularlyatVaiteeswaranKovil(TamilNadu),atemplerichwithlegend.Shivais
alsoworshippedinthisformatParali,Beed,Maharashtra,oneofthetwelvejyotirlingas.It
isbelievedthatJatayuwascrematedherebyRama,thatSkandagothisspear(vel)here,
andthattheplanetMars,afflictedbyleprosy,wascuredatthisveryspot.Thispowerful
mantraservesasaprophylacticaswellasacurativeforthedevotee.
Exhaustedbytheendoftheday?Stillhaveworklettodo?MeditateontheAditya
Hrdayam.
ThisenergisingstotratotheSunGodwasimpartedtoRamabythesageAgastya
immediatelybeforehisfinalconfrontationwithRavana.Itisbelievedthatanyonewhois
disheartened,fatigued,orfacedwithaseeminglyinsurmountableobstacleorenemywill
betriumphantiftheyrecitethisstotrawhilemeditatingonSurya.
(RohiniBakshiisfounderofSanskritAppreciationHouraTwittercommunitydedicatedto
theSanskritlanguage.Herbook'LearnSanskritThroughYourFavourite
Prayers'isavailableinbookstoresandontheJuggernautapp.)
Disclaimer:Theopinionsexpressedwithinthisarticlearethepersonalopinionsof
theauthor.Thefactsandopinionsappearinginthearticledonotreflecttheviews
ofNDTVandNDTVdoesnotassumeanyresponsibilityorliabilityforthesame.
FROMTHEWEB

SponsoredLinks byTaboola

Published:November18,201611:13IST

GiveYourTrainingRegimeaBoost!WeartheLatestJaggadMerinoActivewear
Merino

SeeHowMultitaskingCanAffectWorkplaceProductivity
Travelers

BillGatesLivesInAMassiveHouseThatGoesBeyondHumanImagination
CreditTipsToday

'Jawdropping'SecretPhotosSmuggledOutofNorthKorea
Detonate

The15RichestBillionairesinSouthAfrica
retiringtipstoday.com

http://www.ndtv.com/blog/iteachsanskritontwitterandencountermanyhaters1622384?site=full

5/7

11/29/2016

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGoodHindu.MyWayIsFine.byRohiniBakshi

30GreatCarsThatNobodyBuys
BuzzDrives

byTaboola

MOREFROMNDTV

ShilpaShettyAdmitsSheHasNeverReadBookSheWasTrolledOver

WomanArrestedForAllegedlyBeating75YearOldMotherForBedwetting

SoldierBeheading:PakTerroristsLeftBehindUSGovernmentNightVisionDevice

KatrinaKaif,ManishMalhotraAreHavingALotofFunInMaldives.SeePics

IndianOriginUKMPWritesToPMModiOverDemonetisation

10BestIndianWinterVegetableRecipes

ANONINSULINOPTIONFORADULTSWITHTYPE2DIABETES

Helploweryourbloodsugarinassoonas
2weeksawithVictoza
a

Victozastartstolowerbloodsugarinassoonas2weeks
andhasbeenshowntokeepitdownina2yearmedicalstudy.

http://www.ndtv.com/blog/iteachsanskritontwitterandencountermanyhaters1622384?site=full

ScrolltoseeImportantSafetyInformation

SelectedImportantSafetyInformation
WhatisthemostimportantinformationI
shouldknowaboutVictoza ?
Victoza maycauseserioussideeffects,
including:
PleaseclickhereforPrescribingInformation.

6/7

11/29/2016

Don'tTellMeHowToBeAGoodHindu.MyWayIsFine.byRohiniBakshi

http://www.ndtv.com/blog/iteachsanskritontwitterandencountermanyhaters1622384?site=full

7/7