Drutakarma Das Working on New Book About Extreme Human Antiquity

 By: Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on Nov. 21, 2020

Drutakarma Das, October 2016

Drutakarma Das (Michael Cremo), co-author of Forbidden Archeology, is at work on a new book, tentatively titled “Extreme Human Antiquity.” 

The book, Drutakarma says, “Is composed of new cases of archeological evidence that are consistent with Vedic and Puranic accounts of very ancient human presence on this planet.”

Expected some time in Spring or early Summer 2021, each chapter of “Extreme Human Antiquity” represents a different geological epoch, starting with the most recent and going back to more and more ancient times.

“Most scientists now think that humans like us first appeared about 300,000 years ago,” says Drutakarma Das, a research associate of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. “So I’m interested in discoveries that show human beings like us existed more than 300,000 years ago.”

In the book’s introductory chapter, Drutakarma explains what he means by the terms “anatomically modern Homo sapiens” and “extreme human antiquity.” In chapter two, he looks at archeological discoveries from the Pleistocene Epoch, typically defined as ending about 11,700 years ago and going back to about 2.6 million years ago. In chapter three, he looks at the Pliocene Epoch, spanning from around 2.6 million years ago to some 5.3 million years ago. The next chapter discusses discoveries from the Miocene Epoch, spanning from about 5.3 million years ago to 23 million years ago; and so on.

Each chapter is divided into sections on biological evidence, such as skeletal remains, teeth and footprints; and cultural evidence such as stone tools, weapons, carvings and figurines of the kind made by humans.

Drutakarma says that in the Miocene chapter, for example, cases in the biological evidence section include, “human footprints, about 5 million years old, found in Bolivia; a human-like tibia (shinbone) found in Greece, 12 million years old; a human skeleton, found in Slovakia, 13 million years old; a human tooth found in Kansas, 13.6 million years old; and a human skull found in Virginia city, Nevada, 14 million years old.”

The cultural evidence section, meanwhile, includes “a female stone figure from the Netherlands, 5 million years old; stone tools from Italy, 5 million years old; stone tools from Portugal, 7 million years old; cave paintings from Bulgaria, 7.5 million years old; carvings on stone from Australia, 10 million year old; an iron object found in Austria, 11 million years old; stone tools from the Czech Republic, 13 million years old; and stone tools from France, 20 million years old.”

These discoveries, Drutakarma Das explains, are dated “by the age of the geological formation in which they are found.”

The new book is part of Drutakarma’s mission, based on his guru Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, to demonstrate the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Puranas’ conclusion that human history goes back many millions of years.

Because Drutakarma’s work challenges mainstream scientific theories, those in the field generally consider him a pseudoscientist or his work pseudoarchaeological, with one anthropologist dismissing it as “a veritable cornucopia of dreck” and “creationist drivel.”

Some, Drutakarma says, do appreciate certain aspects of his work – with one academic journal commenting in 1996, “It must be acknowledged that Forbidden Archeology brings to attention many interesting issues that have not received much consideration from historians; and the authors’ detailed examination of the early literature is certainly stimulating and raises questions of considerable interest, both historically and from the perspective of practitioners of sociology of scientific knowledge.”

Drutakarma reaches out to a variety of different audiences with his work. His 2012 book “My Science, My Religion” features a collection of twenty-four papers presented at academic conferences around the world, and he has continued to present at such conferences. 

“In 2012, I spoke at the European Association of Archaeologists Meeting in Helsinki, Finland,” he says. “In 2013 and 2016, I presented papers at the World Archaeological Congress. And in 2019 I went to a meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in Bern, Switzerland, where I explained my Vedic perspective on archeology at a session there in front of an audience that included the President of the European Association of Archaeologists, as well as the head of the World Archaeological Congress.” 

According to Drutakarma Das, he has sold over 500,000 copies of his books in 26 languages. He also regularly does radio interviews such as Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (which has a cumulative weekly audience of around 2.75 million unique listeners), has appeared on TV shows like Ancient Aliens, and has done several lecture tours across India and other countries.  

His ultimate goal, he says, is to create interest in Vedic literature such as the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita amongst his audience.

“My book Human Devolution goes beyond the stones and bones, to the idea that there’s more to life than chemicals, more to life than matter,” he explains. “There’s consciousness, which ultimately comes from the supreme conscious being, Krishna.

“I get emails from people who read my books,” Drutakarma continues. “One guy wrote to me and said, ‘I read your book Forbidden Archeology, I really like it. And now I’m looking at your book Human Devolution, and you talk about the Vedas. Where can I study them?’ I replied, ‘I’m a member of a society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. I suggest you go to the nearest ISKCON center, where they have lectures in the morning and evening about the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Vedic literatures.’

“So he did. It turned out he was living in the Los Angeles area, and he visited the temple and started coming regularly, attending the programs, and chanting. 

“So that’s the ultimate goal. That’s the hope.”

British Queen Elizabeth Grateful for Back To Godhead Article

 

By: Anuttama Dasa for ISKCON News on Oct. 1, 2020

Photo Credits: women's world

Queen Elizabeth II. 

A letter was recently sent to the president of Bhaktivedanta Manor, Visakha dasi, from Her Majesty the Queen of England, via her Private Secretary's Office. The letter thanked Vishaka for her recent Back To Godhead article about the Queen, entitled, "Royal Duty - Divine Duty" that was published in the July/August edition of BTG.  

"It was a very positive article praising the Queen's devotion to her duty, and how everyone can get closer to God through our own attention to duty and service," reports Radha Mohan Das, ISKCON Communication spokesperson at the Manor.  

The Queen has had multiple interactions with ISKCON in recent years, including inviting ISKCON leaders to the Buckingham Palace for special events, and a personal royal visit to the Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow, UK, with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, during her Majesty’s Jubilee celebrations in 2012. 

Lord Sri Krishna and Balarama are not avataras of black and white hairs of Lord Vishnu

Posted by MANOHAR PATILonMARCH 30, 2017

From Sri Tattva Sandarbha of Srila Jiva Goswami

Objection:

Is it not so that (Krishna and Balarama), who appeared in the Yadu dynasty, are incarnations of a black and white hair of Lord Vishnu. This is clearly described in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.26):

“When the world is overburdened by the fighting strength of kings who have no faith in God, just to diminish the distress of the world, a black and white hair of the Lord incarnate on the earth. To expand His transcendental glories the Lord acts extraordinarily. No one can properly estimate how great He is.”

Many translators have interpreted the above verse of Srimad Bhagavatam, a verse from Vishnu Purana and Mahabharata to mean Lord Krishna and Balarama are incarnations of black and white hairs of Lord Visnu respectively.

Refutation:

(To this objection I (Srila Jiva Goswami) reply:) O, don’t interpret this verse in that way. Please listen and I will now give the proper interpretation of the verse. The word “kalaya” means with great artistry”, “sita” means “bound”, and “krishna” means “very dark”. The compound word “sita-Krishna-kesha” means “He whose beautiful black hair is neatly tied”. The word “kalaya” indicates that Lord Krishna was the most expert of all artists.

Note: The entire verse may then be interpreted in the following way:

“When the world is overburdened by the fighting strength of kings who have no faith in God, the Lord, just to diminish the distress of the world, descends in His original form, with beautiful black hair neatly tied on His head. The Lord is the most expert of all artists, and just to expand His transcendental glories, He performs many graceful and extraordinary pastimes. No one can properly estimate how great He is.”

The word “kalaya” may also be interpreted to mean “with His plenary portion”. If this meaning is accepted the verse may be interpreted in the following way:

“Lord Krishna, the Supreme performer of pastimes, has beautiful black hair. He descended to the material world, accompanied by His plenary portion (kalaya).”

[Note: That Krishna appeared with his planary portions will be explained later in detail with scriptural references as it is big topic ]

In the Vishnu-dharmottara Purana, Markandya Muni describes to Maharaja Vajra (the king’s) father, Aniruddha, who appears on the ocean of devastation:

Vajra’s question: “Who is the person in the form of a child that again and again you see at each millenium’s end? I do not know, and I am very eager to know.”

Shri Markandeya Muni’s reply:

“Again and again I saw the Supreme Lord, the master of the universes. Still, as the kalpa was being destroyed I was bewildered by maya, and I could not understand who He was. When the kalpa’s destruction had passed, I could understand that He was Your father, Aniruddha, the master of the universes, and that He was an avatara manifested from your grandfather, Lord Krishna.“

Explanation: Had it been otherwise (in other words, had it been that Lord Krishna is an avatara of Kshirodakashayi Vishnu), then the best of sages would have said “tam shri-krishnam vijanami prapitamaham” (I know that Your grandfather is Lord Krishna). In this way the mistaken idea (that Lord Krishna is) an avatara of (Lord Vishnu’s) hair is refuted.

Note: What He did say was “prapitamahat” (Aniruddha is an avatara manifested from your grandfather, Lord Krishna).

Sri Jiva Goswami’s refutation on this topic of Black and White hair of Vishnu : Krishna Sandarbha Anucheda 29 text 54 -91:

Objection:

For example, our critic may quote the following verse from Vishnu Purana (5.1.59):

ujjaharatmanah keshau
sita-krishnau maha-mune

Our critic may interpret this verse to mean:

“O great sage, Lord Vishnu then plucked a white and black hair from His own transcendental body, and these two hairs became His incarnations known as Balarama and Krishna.”

Our critic may also quote the following verses from the Mahabharata:

“Lord Vishnu snatched two hairs, one white and one black, from His head; These two hairs entered the wombs of Rohini and Devaki, members of the Yadu dynasty. Balarama was born from Rohini, and Krishna was born of Devaki. Thus Balarama appeared from the first hair, and Krishna appeared from the second hair.”

Answer:

In his commentary on the verse which begins “bhumeh suretara-varutha” (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.26), Shridhara Svami gives the proper explanation of these passages from the Vishnu Purana and Mahabharata:

“Sometimes in the Vedic literatures Krishna and Balarama are described as white and black `keshas’. In this context the word `kesha’ does not mean `hair’, but it is used in the sense of `splendor’. The phrase `sita-krishna-keshau’ means Balarama and Krishna who have beautiful white and black complexions. It does not mean that black and white hairs grew at a certain time on the head of the changeless Supreme Person.”

“The Vishnu Purana explains: `ujjaharatmanah keshau’. This phrase means: `The Personality of Godhead, in His splendid original forms as Balarama and Krishna, relieved the burden of the earth.’ If one tries to interpret the word `kesha’ in these passages as hair, and contends that Balarama and Krishna are incarnations of two of Lord Vishnu’s hairs, he will contradict the clear statements of many verses in the Vedic literatures, and he will especially contradict the authoritative statement of the verse `krishnas tu bhagavan svayam’ (Shri Krishna is the Original Personality of Godhead) found in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28).”

Even if one insists that the word “kesha” must mean “hair” and cannot mean anything else, it is not at all necessary that one interpret that Balarama and Krishna are incarnations of Vishnu. One may also interpret that Vasudeva and Sankarshana are incarnations of a black and white hair from the head of Lord Krishna. Understood in this way, we may conceive of the following conversation between Lord Krishna and the demigods, in order to properly understand these two quotes from the Vishnu Purana and Mahabharata. Lord Krishna may have said to the demigods:

“My dear demigods, why do you ask Me to personally appear in the material world? I do not need to personally come, but rather I shall send my expansions of Sankarshana and Vasudeva, who are like white and black hairs on My head. Sankarshana and Vasudeva will certainly fulfill your request by removing the burden of the world.”

The statement “ujjaharatmanah keshau” is explained by Bopadeva Gosvami in his commentary “muktaphala-tika:

“The word `keshau’ consists of the two words `ka’ and `ishau’. `Ka’ means `blissful’ and `ishau’ means the two Personalities of Godhead. In the phrase `sita-krishna-keshau’ the word `sita’ is a name of Balarama. This phrase therefore means: `Balarama and Krishna who are the two blissful Personalities of Godhead’.”

The interpretation that these words mean Balarama and Krishna are incarnations of two hairs of Lord Vishnu is not correct, for it is contradicted by the following explanation found in the Hari-vamsha:

“After thus instructing the demigods, the Supreme Personality of Godhead traveled on Garuda to a concealed mountain cave. In that cave the Lord assumed His Original form as Lord Krishna. Ordering Garuda to wait for Him in that cave, the Lord then descended to earth in His original form.”

What to speak of the Personality of Godhead, even the inferior demigods are free from the defects of old-age. Because the Personality of Godhead is always free from the symptoms of age, His hairs do not turn gray or white with age, as those of a conditioned human being. The Vedic literatures always describe the hairs of the Supreme Lord as black; there is no description of white hairs, hairs either naturally white, or turned white with age in the spiritual body of the Personality of Godhead. For this reason the story of white and black hairs from the head of Lord Vishnu is not very plausible. The learned will not accept it.

In the descriptions of Krishna and Balarama’s descent to this material world, we generally do not find any mention of the word “kesha” to describe them. In the following quote from the Narasimha Purana, They are described as “sita-krishna” (white and black), without any use of the word “kesha” which our critics are so eager to interpret as “hair”:

“Lord Krishna and Balarama, the original black and white forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of all transcendental potencies, appeared in the Yadu dynasty as the two sons of Vasudeva and Devaki. In the future these two transcendental personalities will kill King Kamsa and many other demons.”

SRI CHANAKYA NITI-SASTRA TRANSLATED BY HIS GRACE PATITA PAVANA DAS ACBSP

CHAPTER ONE

1. Humbly bowing down before the almighty Lord Sri Vishnu, the Lord of the three worlds, I recite maxims of the science of political ethics (niti) selected from the various satras.

2. That man who by the study of these maxims from the satras acquires a knowledge of the most celebrated principles of duty, and understands what ought and what ought not to be followed, and what is good and what is bad, is most excellent.

3. Therefore with an eye to the public good, I shall speak that which, when understood, will lead to an understanding of things in their proper perspective.

4. Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with the miserable.

5. A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.

6. One should save his money against hard times, save his wife at the sacrifice of his riches, but invariably one should save his soul even at the sacrifice of his wife and riches.

7. Save your wealth against future calamity.

Patita Pavana Prabhu praying to Srila Prabhupada 

Do not say, "What what fear has a rich man of calamity?" When riches begin to forsake one even the accumulated stock dwindles away.

8. Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.

9. Do not stay for a single day where there are not these five persons: a wealthy man, a brahmana well versed in Vedic lore, a king, a river and a physician.

10. Wise men should never go into a country where there are no means of earning one's livelihood, where the people have no dread of anybody, have no sense of shame, no intelligence, or a charitable disposition.

11. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.

12. He is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of need, misfortune, famine, or war, in a king's court, or at the crematorium (smasana).

13. He who gives up what is imperishable for that which perishable, loses that which is imperishable; and doubtlessly loses that which is perishable also.

14. A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family even if she is deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class family, through beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is preferable.

15. Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal family.

16. Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge (Krsna consciousness) from a low born person; so also a girl possessing virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she be born in a disreputable family.

17. Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to men.

SANT TUKARAMA’S DEHU DHAMA AND PUNE YATRA VISITING HOLY PLACES

Sant Tukarama’s Dehu Dhama

and Pune Yatra

Sant Tukarama

Sant Tukarama (AD 1609-1650) was a saint-poet of towering stature. Tukarama was among the most prominent saints to have come out of the holy land of Maharashtra. He hailed from the village of Dehu, near Pune, and was born in the Warkari community who are devotees of Lord Vitthala (or Panduranga). Srila Prabhupada occasionally referred to this great saint, “The great saint of Maharashtra known as Saint Tukarama was also initiated by the Lord Caitanya. Saint Tukarama, after initiation by the Lord, over-flooded the whole of the Maharashtra Province with the sankirtana movement and the transcendental flow is still rolling on in the southwestern part of the great Indian peninsula.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam - Introduction)

MADURAI YATRA MATHURA OF SOUTHERN INDIA (DAKSINA-MATHURA)

Madurai Yatra

Mathura of Southern India (Daksina-mathura)

Southern Mathura (Daksina-mathura), presently known as Madurai, is situated on the banks of the Vaigai River and is one of South India’s great temple towns. Madurai is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. On the day the city was to be named, as Lord Siva blessed the land and its people, divine nectar (Madhu) was showered on the city from Lord Siva’s matted locks. This city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. During His South India tour in 1510 AD, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Madurai twice, once while going to Rameswaram after meeting the brahmana Ramdasa Vipra, who was a staunch devotee of Lord Ramacandra. The next time was on the way back from Rameswaram with a copy of the Kurma Purana scripture, which had a verse stating that Ravana had kidnapped an illusory Sita, and that the real Sita was safely hidden by Agnideva. Lord Caitanya personally gave this copy to Ramdasa Vipra to dispel his doubts about mother Sita’s kidnapping.

A great Vaishnava, Srila Narayana Bhatta Gosvami, who was a very close associate of Srila Sanatana Gosvami appeared in Madurai. the identity of Srila Narayana Bhatta Gosvami is revealed as Narada Muni. Lord Balarama visited Madurai during His holy pilgrimage [Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 10 chapter 79 verses 11-15]. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura visited Madurai in the year 1904 and collected all the information about the rites and rules of Vedic tridanda Vaishnava sannyasa from a Ramanujan tridandi Swami at Perambalur. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada also visited Madurai once during his household days for business. “It was at Madurai that Abhay showed some of his writings to Muthuswamy Chetty, another medical salesman. Mr. Chetty was impressed and felt he could persuade his wealthy friend Dr. Alagappa Chettiar, the famous Birla of the South, to finance the printing of Geetopanishad manuscript.” - Prabhupada Lilamrita. However this project could not progress ahead as Abhay found his original manuscript missing from his house which he could never ever find. Probably stolen by servants or given out for some money by family members.

This place of pilgrimage is specifically meant for the devotees of Lord Siva; therefore it is called Saiva-ksetra, that is, the place where Lord Siva is worshiped. In this area there are mountains and forests. There are also two Siva temples, one known as Ramesvara and the other known as Sundaresvara. There is also a temple to Devi called the Minaksi-devi temple, which displays very great architectural craftsmanship. It was built under the supervision of the kings of the Pandya Dynasty, and when the Muslims attacked this temple, as well as the temple of Sundaresvara, great damage was done. In the Christian year 1372, a king named Kampana Udayar reigned on the throne of Madurai. Long ago, Emperor Kulasekhara ruled this area, and during his reign he established a colony of brahmanas. A well-known king named Anantaguna Pandya is an eleventh-generation descendant of Emperor Kulasekhara. [Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila chapter 9 verse 179]

Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD. It was the capital city for the great Pandya kings. The Pandyan King Kulasekhara built a great temple and created a lotus shaped city around the temple. Madurai is famous for Jasmine Flowers.

SRI AMRITSAR YATRA PUNJAB INDIA

Sri Amritsar Yatra

The Holy city of Amritsar derives its name from Amrit Sarovar, literally a Pool of Nectar, the holy tank that surrounds the fabulous Golden Temple. Historically also known as Ramdaspur and colloquially as Ambarsar, Amritsar is in Punjab state in north-western India, 25 km east of the border with Pakistan. Amritsar is home to the magnificent Harmandir Sahib, commonly known as the Golden Temple, the spiritual and cultural centre for the Sikh religion. The Golden Temple “gurudwara”, as Sikh temples are called, is a serene place and the holiest of shrines, radiating a calm that makes people bow their heads in reverence. Amritsar was founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das. The fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, designed Harmandir Sahib to be built in the centre of this holy tank, and upon its construction, installed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, inside Harmandir Sahib and is regarded as the abode of God's spiritual attribute. This sacred shrine is equally revered by all faiths. Harmandir Sahib Temple is open 24 hours, and inside the Temple there is constant Kirtan.