NEWS LETTER

Issue 5 August 2010

INSIDE
Hindu Unity Day - 2010 1
Celebrating Hindu Unity 2
Acharya Sabha message 3
Program Schedule 3
Why Hindu Unity Day ? 5
Theme for 2010 7
Update on WAVES Conference 10 The Hindu Unity Day of 2010 is being celebrated across 2 days,
SDF Achivements 17 featuring two landmark events.
Sanatana Dharma Foundation 19
Krishna Janmastami Information 20
Wisdom to live by ...
Day I - Saturday
The Spirit in Man has one aim
before it in all Mankind; but Hindu Unity Day
different continents or peoples Seminar & Dinner
approach it from different sides
with different formulations and
in a differing spirit. Not recogniz- August 21st -2010 - 5 pm to 9 pm
ing the underlying Unity of the
ultimate divine motive, they give at Plano Pavilion
battle to each other and claim 3415, 14th Street, Plano, TX 75074
that theirs alone is the way for
mankind.
Day II - Sunday
Spirituality is indeed the Master-
Key of the Indian Mind; the Hindu Unity Day
sense of the infinite is native to Seminar & Panel Discussion
it - Sri Aurobindo
August 22nd - 10 am to 3 pm
Published by :
Sanatana Dharma Foundation at DFW Ekta Mandir
Dallas, Texas
http://www.sdfglobal.org 1605 N Britain, Irving, TX 75061
E-Mail : info@sdfglobal.org
Page 1
This year’s Hindu Unity Day theme will focus on the extra-ordinary historic con-
tinuity that the civilization based on Sanatana Dharma has exhibited, through
at least 7 millennia or more. No other civilization has exhibited this continuity
through such a long period of time, through so many changes and transforma-
tions. The Hindu Unity Day of 2010 will focus on various aspects of this continuity,
ranging from the times of the Indus Valley Civilization, our understanding of vari-
ous epochs of India’s history, as well as the challenges facing the transmission of
the Dharma to future generations.

The Hindu Unity Day is being held across two days: Saturday, August 21st and
Sunday, august 22nd.

Page 2
 Message On Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha

August 21, 2010

The various Sampradayas (Spiritual Traditions)

of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) have been
living in harmony for centuries without one
attempting to change the other. That comes
from the religious and spiritual culture of Hindu
Dharma, that accommodates different modes
of prayer and worship.

On this Hindu Unity Day, this truth has to be

highlighted more than any attempt to forge
unity.

Swamy Dayananda Saraswati,

Convener, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha

Hindu Unity Day - Program Schedule

Seminar & Dinner - August 21st 2009 - 5 PM to 9 PM

Plano Pavilion 3415, 14th Street Plano, TX

• Dr. S. Kalyanaraman – Decoding the Indus Valley Script and what it really
means to the Hindu Civilization
• Dr. Kosla Vepa – Distortions in India’s History – Causes, consequences and
Remedies
• Dr. Kusum Vyas – Preserving and Protecting our Planet’s Ecosystem, the Hindu
Way
• Presentation on Sanatana Dharma Foundation and its activities
• Presentation of Awards and Recognition of Donors and Well Wishers
• Buffet Style Dinner starting 8.30 PM

Seminar & Panel Discussion - August 22st 2009 - 10 AM to 3 PM

DFW Hindu Temple, 1605 North Britain Road Irving Texas

• Panel Discussion (10.00 AM – 12.30 PM) - Preserving Sanatana Dharma Engag-

ing the next generation: Challenges and Opportunities
• Mahaprashad (12.30 pm – 1.30 pm at the cultural Hall)
• Guest Lectures (1.30 – 3.30 PM)

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Page 4
 Why Celebrate a Hindu Unity Day ?
What is the point ? What possible value is there in creating such an occasion ?

E ver since the Rig Veda said “Ekam Sat Viprah Bahauda Vadanti”, Sanatana Dharma has fos-
tered a diversity of beliefs, systems, paths and practices. Even in the conception of the one Brah-
man, being manifested as many Gods, i.e. many Devatas, this essentially pluralistic, liberal framework
has prevailed in our Bharatavarsha. Even as a spirit of “Live and Let Live” has informed and permeated
our civilization, it has progressively given rise to numerous sects, sub-sects and sub-identities, that
learnt to live together in harmony and without conflict.

Today, with the long and hoary passage of time, Hindus generally have a stronger attachment to Sub-
Identities, rather than their over-arching Hindu Identity. For example, Hindu people identify them-
selves as linguistic groups such as Tamil, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi etc. Secondly, they also identify
themselves by caste - such as Brahmin, Bania, Reddy, Yadav, Jat, Kamma, Ezhava etc. Thirdly, they
are also divided by Sampradaya identities - such as Vaishnava., Shaiva, Kashmir Shaiva, Vedantin,
Vishishtadvaitin, Gaudiya Vaishnava, etc. Fourthly, many Gurus and Acharyas, emphasize their own
specific version or aspect of the Shastras, and create new Paramparas and followings. Thus we have
amongst us this abundance and diversity of expressions such as Ammachi followers, Sai Baba devotees,
Art of Living group, Swaminarayan group, Hare Krishna group, Chinmayananda Group, Gayathri Pari-
var and numerous other groupings today that constitute the vast family of Sanatana Dharma.
United we stand, divided we fall is an old adage,
but never more true in a democratic society, where num-
bers count in a fundamental way. We all know that it is
very easy to divide Hindus into various conflicting groups,
which don’t agree with each other. Some of us are com-
fortable being called Hindus – And others are very much
ill at ease with that term. If we start a conversation on the
question of What is Hinduism, there will be so many views
and perspectives, that we may never reach a consensus on
what it is.

This then is our civilizational weakness – this inability to

come together and forge a sufficient consensus on some
common issues, some common themes, some common
challenges that we share with all fellow Hindus.

Hindu Unity Day then is an attempt to create an opportunity to come together at least for
one day in a year, where we affirm our solidarity and belonging to that vast Eternal stream – called
Sanatana Dharma. While a rose and a daffodil, a jasmine and a lotus are very different flowers –
still they all belong to the same family of flowers. Hindu Unity Day represents an opportunity –
for experiencing ourselves as part of a bouquet of flowers, as being a stream in the larger ocean of
Sanatana Dharma, a note in the majestic symphony of Hinduism or as a branch in that great eter-
nal Tree. It is an opportunity for us to appreciate each flower for what it is, experience each fra-
grance and color and variety for its own intrinsic uniqueness and not get caught up in a divisive
thought such as my flower is better than your flower (which is the legacy of a competitive world).
And as we gather thus, we may in time to come even exercise the opportunity to discuss and
debate the common themes, problems, challenges that face our Dharma today. And who knows, we
may even embrace our collective responsibility to bring forth new leadership, create new initiatives
and projects that will yet shape the emerging future of Sanatana Dharma.

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Page 6
 Theme of Hindu Unity Day 2010

Historic Continuity of Sanatana Dharma!

This year’s Hindu Unity Day theme will focus on the extra-ordinary historic continuity that
the civilization based on Sanatana Dharma has exhibited, through at least 7 millennia or
more. No other civilization has exhibited this continuity through such a long period of time,
through so many changes and transformations. The Hindu Unity Day of 2010 will focus on
various aspects of this continuity, ranging from the times of the Indus Valley Civilization, our
understanding of various epochs of India’s history, as well as the challenges facing the trans-
mission of the Dharma to future generations.

The Hindu Unity Day is being held across two days: Sat, August 21st and Sun, august 22nd.

The Ancient Past

Starting off the Hindu Unity Day, we will focus on the work of Dr. S. Kalyanaraman, on deci-
phering the Indus Valley Script. The Indus Valley Seals which carry a kind of pictorial hiero-
glyph has been largely deemed by scientists and archeologists around the world as a script
that has not been deciphered to date. Dr. S. Kalyanaraman, will explain his extraordinary
journey of deciphering this Script, and what it really means for the Civilization of Sanatana
Dharma.

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman – Decoding the Indus Valley Script

and what it really means to the Hindu Civilization.

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman holds a PhD in Public Administration, University of

Manila, and was a senior executive in the Asian Development Bank for 18
years until 1995, and a Financial Advisor to the Indian Railways, for 17
years. Today, he is the Director of the Sarasvati River Research Centre and
has done considerable research on the discovery of the courses of Vedic
River Sarasvati and the possibility of this river flowing again as part of a
national network of rivers, as well as decoding the Indus Valley Script. He
is also the President of the World Association of Vedic Studies in Bharat,
as well as President, Rameswaram Ramasetu Protection Movement.

Our understanding of our history

Next we will focus on the work of Dr. Kosla Vepa’s, which explores various aspects of India’s
history which have been either misrepresented or distorted deliberately or erroneously. He
will share his journey on seeking a right understanding of India’s past and the ways in which
he challenged long held assumptions regarding dates of various eras and ages. In particular
he will focus on the issue of Greek synchronism and the age of the Mahabharata.

Page 7
Page 8
 Dr. Kosla Vepa – Distortions in India’s History – Causes, con-
sequences and Remedies

Dr. Kosla Vepa’s holds a PhD in the area of Engineering Mechanics, and
had a fulfilling career with IBM, Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, Gen-
eral Atomics and Pratt and Whitney, before retiring and pursuing his
new interests in the areas of Ancient Indian history, Vedas and Vedanta,
Mathematical Sciences and Astronomy in India during antiquity, the
growth and evolution of civilizations. He established The Indic Studies
Foundation, which seeks to propagate a more accurate and rational ap-
proach to the study and dissemination of the Indian Civilizational ethos
in the world.

A pressing contemporary issue

Rounding off the set of invited speakers will be Dr. Kusum Vyas who will focus our attention
on a very contemporary issue – that of caring for our environment. She will share her efforts
to create a set of Green Hindu Pilgrimage sites in India, by promoting their ecological sustain-
ability, conservation and restoration which will be recognized by the UN.

Dr. Kusum Vyas – Preserving and Protecting our Planet’s Eco-

system, the Hindu Way

Dr. Kusum Vyas, who holds a PhD in Education, is founder of the Gulf
of Mannar World Heritage Site campaign, created to protect the Rama
Sethu and its ecology. Dr. Kusum Vyas currently serves on the Steering
Committee of the Green Pilgrim Cities Initiative facilitated by ARC in
partnership with ICLEI and supported by UNDP, an initiative which the
United Nations described as “potentially the world’s largest civil society
movement on climate change.” She is currently working on the green-
ing of Hindu pilgrimage places, promoting their ecological sustainabil-
ity, conservation and restoration as well as their inclusion in an interna-
tional network of Green Pilgrimage sites. Dr. Vyas is also the founder of
Living Planet Foundation, based in Houston.

Maintaining the Dharma in the future

An invigorating panel discussion will complete the Hindu Unity day, by exploring the chal-
lenges and opportunities facing the new generations, born and being raised in the USA, in
continuing and maintaining Sanatana Dharma in an environment, not particularly condu-
cive to this continuity. The dialogue between generations will be an opportunity for all of us
to share, listen and learn.

Page 9
With Best Compliments From

Page 10
 World Association of Vedic Studies Conference 2010
A Report

W orld Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES) held a successful Eighth International Confer-
ence in Port of Spain, Trinidad-Tobago from August 4 to August 7, 2010, with the co-spon-
sorship and support of a number of organizations in Trinidad-Tobago (TT), the Indian High Com-
mission to Trinidad, Saraswati Mandiram of Trinidad, National Council for Indian Culture and the
University of West Indies. Working in close collaboration with WAVES 2010 was the First Interna-
tional Conference on Ayurveda organized by the Indian High Commission, in coordination with the
Mahatma Gandhi Institute and the University of West Indies, Mt. Hope Campus.

The Ayurveda Conference had participation from experts from various parts of the world includ-
ing India, and deliberated on Ayurveda as an Alternative Medicine System. Dr. Suruj Ratan Ram-
bachan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trinidad & Tobago inaugurated the conference, while Mr. Ma-
lay Mishra, Indian High Commissioner to Trindad and Tobago welcomed the scholars participating
in the Conference. Professor Clement Sankat, Principal of University of West Indies, through his
office, welcomed the WAVES 2010 delegates at a banquet and offered his felicitations. Sashi Kejri-
wal, President of WAVES, thanked the citizens of TT, the representatives of the TT Government and
University of West Indies for the hospitality and support extended to the Conference.

A Section of the Audience, showing the 100’s of Schol- One of the many highlights of the WAVES conference - An
ars who attended the WAVES conference from the USA, animated Panel Discussion, conducted entirely in Sanskrit
Greece, Canada, India, Belarus and Trinidad and Tobago
Mr. Malay Mishra announced that the Government of India is offering scholarships for students
from Trinidad and Tobago for a five and half year graduate degree in Ayurvedic Medicine in India.
Discussions elaborated the prospects for promoting Wellness Tourism in TT and building up Ay-
urvedic resorts and protection of a vast array of Herbal medicinal plants in the rainforests of the
twin islands of TT.

The proceedings of WAVES 2010 in the three tracks got off to a start with a Vedic invocation and
performance of Yajna in the premises of St. Augustine campus of the University of West Indies. The
Yajna was a demonstration of the essential continuity of Vedic tradition as a living tradition for over
5 millennia, and offering of prayers for the welfare of the global village that the globe has become.
Over 100 scholars of Vedic studies and practicing Vedic scholars from countries such as India, US,
Greece, Belarus, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago participated in the WAVES 2010 conference and
covered a variety of topics related to the evolution of languages and cultures since Vedic times, the
validation of Vedic wisdom by a number of scientific disciplines such as genetics, biology, neurosci-
ences and consciousness studies.
Page 11
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Page 12
The central theme of the conference was the significance of Vedic knowledge for civilizational har-
mony and continued relevance of Vedic traditions for present times. In several sessions the confer-
ence addressed some of the major challenges facing the world today, such as the ongoing religious
and ethnic conflicts, economic downturn, environmental degradation, violations of human rights and
presented the applicable Vedic principles to provide effective solutions to these problems.

One of the highlights of the conference was the tour of Trinidad and Tobago islands, organized by
the Ministry of tourism and the Trinidad and Tobago convention Bureau which exposed the WAVES
delegates to the cultural microcosm of Trinidad and Tobago. The tour took the delegates to various
spots of historical significance to the Hindus of TT, who first came to the island as indentured labor-
ers, brought by British ships in the year 1845, to work in the Sugarcane fields and farms

A view of some of the delegates at the WAVES conference

Sanatana Dharma Foundation, Dallas, Texas in addition to contributing financially to the success-
ful conduct of the WAVES conference, also presented a paper entitled “Varna and Jati – A re-
evaluation of India’s Caste system”. While the paper was generally well received, the subject of
Caste and the need for a definitive Hindu position on Caste was debated by the Board of Directors of
WAVES.

As a result a special committee of WAVES Scholars has been formed to write a position paper on the
Caste System. This committee will be headed by Professor Dr. R.N.Jha, Special Center for Sanskrit
studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University, and will include as other members, Dr. Ved Nanda, Rajiv
Malhotra, Dr. Subash Kak, Dr. David Frawley, Dr. S. Kalyanaraman, Dr. Bal Ram Singh, Dr. Santosh
Kumar Shukla, Kalyan Viswanathan of SDF and Vishal Aagarwal among others. It is hoped that the
resulting position paper will be reviewed and validated by the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha and in
course of time become a standard to be used by all advocacy groups, and Hindu institutions and com-
munities as a basic resource book on the Caste System.

Page 13
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 SDF Achievements
An organization such as Sanatana Dharma Foundation can make a real impact, only with the support
of committed Hindus like you, who care about the importance of protecting our Dharma, and are will-
ing to support initiatives and institutions which are sustainable, and are built to last, and make a real
difference over time. We consider you not just a well-wisher but an important stakeholder in the de-
velopment of this institution.

Here is a brief summary of some of our accomplishments in the last 3.5 years, and why
we require your support.

1. In 2007, we hosted a premier Human Empowerment Conference (HEC) in Dallas, in which over 250
Hindu Scholars and Activists attended.

2. During this conference, we ran a parallel track on Hindu Dharma and the Media during this Confer-
ence which launched the ‘Festivals Project’ - bearing fruit in the year 2010 through Hinduism Today
Magazine’s special efforts.

3. In the year 2009, we started an initiative called Vidya Daanam, an educational initiative through
which we have so far donated over $125,000 to support children.

4. We started and have been running a Hindu Radio program in Dallas, every week for 2 hours, for
the last 3.5 years – it is currently airing on Radio Hot Pepper, AM 1220. This program has touched
hundreds of families through the children’s section and has aired hundreds of valuable and thought-
provoking interviews with eminent Hindus.

5. We have created a “Hindu Unity Day” annual event in Dallas, which brings together numerous Hin-
du organizations and is now entering its third year in 2010.

6. We have instituted the “Hindu Dharma Rakshaka – Kshatriya” Award, for honoring Hindu Leaders,
who are doing courageous work in supporting the cause of Dharma.

7. We started the web site for the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, in January 2007, and have been con-
tinuing to keep it up to date. Please see www.acharyasabha.org

8. We have prepared a booklet called “How to start a Hindu Radio program in your city” and presented
it at the Hindu Mandir Executive Conference in Detroit, in 2008.

9. We have organized several educational seminars and workshops which are aimed at making Hindus
aware of the issues and challenges that face them.

10. We have also presented papers at numerous conferences such as WAVES, HCI and HMEC, which
are intellectual in nature and address a contemporary subject.

We require your continued support in order to sustain the kind of impact that SDF can make. We need
your leadership, time and effort as well as your financial contibution.

Page 17
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Page 18
 In the Bhagvad Gita, the principal Kshatriya
of that age – Arjuna, argues with Bhagvan
Shri Krishna that he would rather walk away
from the conflict altogether or rather
die without striking a blow.

Bhagvan Shri Krishna asks his protégé Ar-

juna to rise up resolved to do battle with the
Adharmic forces of his time, and advises him
that even death in the cause of his Dharma is
a superior end.

He further asks him to act while being un-

attached to the outcome, to discharge his
Dharma, without regard to pleasure or pain,

The purpose and mission of the Sanathana Dharma Foundation is to strengthen Hindus,
Hindu Communities, Hindu Culture, Institutions and Society in the US, India and the
world as a whole by :

1. Promoting Research, Education and Awareness of Hindu issues and concerns

2. Facilitating Harmony and Unity amongst Hindus and Hindu organizations, and enabling Collabora-
tive Action

3. Clarifying, Preserving, Protecting and Strengthening the Hindu Identity, spanning its various Sam-
pradayas (Ancient Traditions) represented by its Acharyas and Gurus (Hindu Saints deeply learned in
the Hindu Scriptures)

4. Sponsoring Strategic Initiatives that are aimed at Strengthening Hindu Society, Hindu Institutions
and People, especially its vulnerable sections in India

5. Positioning issues and concerns of Hindus in the World bodies and World Media, in such a way that
representation of Hindu issues are fair, accurate credible and well informed

Sanatana Dharma Foundation has instituted an award called “ Hindu Dharma Rak-
shaka Kshathriya” Award. This annual award highlights and recognizes the con-
tributions of people who have demonstrated courage in protecting and preserving
Sanatana Dharma. In 2010, we are honored to recognize Dr Kosla Vepa and Dr Ku-
sum Vyas with this award.

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