Masters Voice

'His Masters Voice' (HMV) had once published a pamphlet giving the history of gramophone record.

Gramophone was invented by Thomas Alva Edison in the 19th century.

Edison, who had invented many other gadgets like electric light and the motion picture camera, had become a legend even in his own time.

When he invented the gramophone record, which could record human voice for posterity, he wanted to record the voice of an eminent scholar on his first piece.

For that he chose Prof. Max Muller of England (a German by ethnicity), another great personality of the 19th century.

He wrote to Max Muller saying,

“I want to meet you and record your voice. When should I come?”

Max Muller who had great respect for Edison asked him to come on a suitable time when most of the scholars of the Europe would be gathering in England.

 Accordingly, Edison took a ship and went to England. He was introduced to the audience. All cheered Edison’s presence.

Later at the request of Edison, Max Muller came on the stage and spoke in front of the instrument.

Then Edison went back to his laboratory and by afternoon came back with a disc & played it on the gramophone.

The audience was thrilled to hear the voice of Max Muller from the instrument.

They were glad that voices of great persons like Max Muller could be stored for the benefit of posterity.

After several rounds of applause and congratulations to Thomas Edison, Max Muller came to the stage and addressed the scholars and asked them,

“You heard my original voice in the morning. Then you heard the same voice coming out from this instrument in the afternoon. Do you understand what I said in the morning or what you heard in the afternoon?”

The audience fell silent because they could not understand the language in which Max Muller had spoken.

It was ‘Greek and Latin’ to them as they say.

But had it been Greek or Latin, they would have definitely understood because they were from various parts of Europe.

It was in a language which the European scholars had never heard.

Max Muller then explained what he had spoken.

He said that the language he spoke was Sanskrit and it was the first sloka of Rig Veda, which says "Agni Meele Purohitam”

This was the first recorded public version on the gramophone plate.

अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवं ऋत्वीजम।

होतारं रत्नधातमम।।

(Rig Veda 1.001.01)

Why did Max Muller choose this? 

Addressing the audience he said,

“Vedas are the oldest text of the human race. And “Agni Meele Purohitam” is the first verse of Rig Veda.

In the most primordial time, when the people did not know how even to cover their bodies and lived by hunting and housed in caves, Indians had attained high civilization and they gave the world universal philosophies in the form of the Vedas.”

When “Agni Meele Purohitam” was replayed, the entire audience stood up in silence as a mark of respect.

The verse means :

“Oh Agni, You who gleam in the darkness, to You we come day by day, with devotion and bearing homage. So be of easy access to us, Agni, as a father to his son, abide with us for our well being."

Proud to be part of a truly glorious ancient civilization ...

 following points:

1. Edison 1st recording was his own voice and that is a nursery rhyme "marry had a little lamb".

2.Max Mullar did spoke Agnimeede in London but it may be 1st demo in London or some other time demo, which is not clear. But this is true that he used gramophone and recite Agnimeede but as its not 1st recording therefore got no special meaning.

3. There is no role of HMV as HMV had recorded voice of one human and that voice was used to be heard by his dog( when that man ie master died) and hence company name called as "His Master Voice" -HMV.

So, in short,  this story of Agnimeede is 1st gramophone recording is just a hoax.

Thanks to all and special thanks to our Guruji Sh. H.N Bhat Ji

EIGHT STAGES OF YOGA

Yoga is practiced in eight different stages:

1) Yama

2) Niyama

3) Āsana

4) Prāṇāyāma

5) Pratyāhāra

6) Dhāraṇā

7) Dhyāna

8) Samādhi

But in Kali Yuga, this system of attaining the lotus feet of the Lord, is highly impossible. Hence it is recommended to chant the holy names of the Lord, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, for very easily and quickly attaining the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.

For more, refer Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.27.6

A.M and P.M

All these days, we were made to believe that, the terms A.M. and P.M. stands for :

A.M. - ante meridian

P.M. - post meridian

( _ante_ of *what*) and ( _post_ of *what* ) never clarified ... !!!

(what = the subject

itself is missing)

Now our ancient SAMSKRUTAM texts have blown off the ambiguity and the things are now Crystal clear.

Just take a look:-

A.M. = Aarohanam Marthandasya

P.M. = Pathanam Marthandasya

Explanation:-

The ‘Sun’ who is vital to the calculation remains un-mentioned. This is unthinkable and unjustifiable. That lacuna arises because it is not realized that the letters A.M. and P.M. are the initials of the hoary Sanskrit expressions -

(आरोहणम् मार्तडस्य्) Arohanam Martandasaya

_(i.e. the climbing of the sun)_

and

(पतनम् मार्तडस्य्) Patanam Martandasaya

_(i.e. the falling of the sun)

Indian Medical Knowledge & Surgery.

Ayurveda is the treasure house of Indian medical knowledge & Surgery.

This "knowledge-chest" is a gift to world from the great seers of yore like Bharadwaj, Atreya, Agnikaya, Charaka, Dhanvantari, Susruta and many others. In fact, it is an eternal gift of India to the world.

In Rigveda the verses (1.116.14 & 15), mention that, a woman warrior called "Vishpala" the queen of king Khela.

had been fitted with an artificial Iron leg by the Asvini physicians, when she lost her leg in a war. These physicians were adored for eye transplantation in the next verse.

Indians pioneered surgery ages ago, Suśruta (500B,C) was the World's earliest Surgeon.

He learnt the skills of surgery from Dhanvantari (considered to be God Visnu) and wrote a treatise on surgery and Ayurveda called "Susruta Samhita" which had stood the test of time and is even now being followed.

In his text he had divided the methods of surgery into eight parts:

1. Chedya-cutting

2. Lekbya separating

3. Vidhya-removing the toxic objects from the body. 

4. Ishya-probing the blood capillaries for finding the cause of disease.

5. Abarya kriya-eliminating the production of harmful elements in the body.

6. Visradarya-removing water from the body

7. Cira-suturing

8. Bedbya kriya-making holes and performing surgery

We find the mention of advanced level of surgery. the plastic surgery mostly Rhenoplastary in Susruta Samhita.

There are many references about Caesarean operations. Indians not only performed sur geries, but also studied the human Anatomy by dissecting dead bodies.

In Susruta Samhita, we find many methods of preserving dead bodies for dissection. Susruta had mentioned about 125 surgical instruments in his treatise.

In Bhoja Prabandha (927AD), it had been mentioned that king Bhoja had undergone a surgical treat ment, for getting a tumor removed from the brain.

The King had been administered Anesthesia called "Sammohini" while the surgery was being performed.

Ayurvedic knowledge adopts surgery as a last measure treatment, but it focuses mostly on prevention than cure Today, Western world had understood its potentiality and has become crazy after Ayurvedic technique's.

Madhava's "Nidana Sastra" contains diagnosis of various diseases by observing human gestures and smells that emitted from the body.

ALEXANDER VS PORUS

"After Alexander's failure to gain a position in India & the defeat of Seleucus N,relationships between the Indians & the Greeks & the Romans later,ws mainly through trade & diplomacy.The Greeks & other ancient peoples didnt see themselves as in any way superior, only diff."

This statement by Russia's Marshal Gregory Zhukov on the Macedonian invasion of India in 326 BCE is significant because unlike the prejudiced colonial and Western historians, the Greeks and later Romans viewed Indians differently.

For instance, Arrian writes in Alexander Anabasis that the Indians were the noblest among all Asians. In fact, Arrian and other Greeks say the Indians were relentless in their attacks on the invaders.

They say if the people of Punjab and Sindh were fierce, then in the eastern part of India "the men were superior in stature and courage". All this is glossed over by Western historians, in whose view the one victory over king Porus amounted to the "conquest of India".But the Greeks made no such claim. Greek contemporary writers describe the Battle of Hydaspes (Jhelum) as the hardest fought of all Alexander's battles.

Frank Lee Holt, a prof of ancient history at the University of Houston,writes in his book, Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions: "The only reference in Arrian's history to a victory celebration by Alexander's army was after the battle with Porus."Alexander's army did not indulge in celebrations after the Battle of Gaugamela where they defeated 200,000 Persians. No wild festivities were announced after the Battle of Issus where they defeated a mixed force of Persian cavalry and Greek mercenaries. The fact they celebrated after the Battle of Hydaspes suggests they considered themselves extremely lucky to survive after the clash with the Hindu army, with its elephant corps.

According to the Greeks, Alexander was apparently so impressed by Porus he gave back his kingdom plus the territories of king Ambhi of Taxila who had fought alongside the Macedonians. But This is counterintuitive. Ambhi had become Alexander's ally on the condition he would be given Porus' kingdom. So why reward the enemy, whose army had just mauled the Macedonians?

The only possible answer is at the Battle of Hydaspes,the Macedonians realised they were dealing with an enemy of uncommon valour. Sensing defeat they called for a truce, which Porus accepted.

The Indian king struck a bargain in return for Ambhi's territories, which would secure his frontiers, Porus would assist the Macedonians in leaving India safely.

Alexander's post-Hydaspes charitable behaviour, as per Greek accounts, is uncharacteristic and unlikely.

For, in battles before and after, he massacred everyone in the cities he subdued.

Description of the War.

The Greek force, after having lost several thousand soldiers fighting much smaller Indian mountain cities, were terrified at the prospect of fighting the Paurava army.

They had also heard about the havoc that Indian war elephants were supposed to create among enemy ranks. The modern equivalent of battle tanks, the war elephants also scared the wits out of the horses in the Greek cavalry. According to the Roman historian Marcus Justinus, the battle was savagely fought.Puru challenged Alexander, who charged him on horseback.

In the ensuing duel, Alexander fell off his horse and was at the mercy of the Indian king's spear (and this is where legend meets history) when Puru perhaps remembered his promise to his rakhi sister (probably a Trojan horse sent in by the Greeks).

He spared the Macedonian's life, and Alexander's bodyguards quickly carried off their king. The Greeks may claim victory but if Alexander's troops were so badly mauled by the petty regional fiefdoms, how could they have crushed the comparatively stronger army of Puru?

An unbiased re-examination of suggests the Greeks had lost the battle.

In his epic, The Life Exploits of Alexander,a series of translations of the Ethiopic histories of Alexander, E.A.W. Budge, Egyptologist, orientalist & philologist, has given a vivid account of same.

According to Budge, in the Battle of Hydaspes the Indians destroyed the majority of Alexander's cavalry? Realising that if he were to continue fighting he would be completely ruined, the Macedonian requested Puru to stop fighting.

True to Hindu traditions, the magnanimous Indian king spared the life of the surrendered enemy. A peace treaty was signed & Alexander helped Puru in annexing other territories to his kingdom.