Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

Last minor update on 10th Jan. 2023 The same Sai divinity came as Shirdi Sai Baba Avatar based in Shirdi, Maharashtra from mid 19th century to early 20th century ( believed to have come to Shirdi as 16 year old lad in 1854 and died in 1918, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sai_Baba_of_Shirdi ), and then as Sathya Sai Baba Avatar based in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh from early 20th century to early 21st century (born 1926 and died 2011,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sathya_Sai_Baba ). How these two Sai Avatars lived their lives and preached their messages is interesting to compare and contrast. The underlying message of both the Sai Avatars is the same - God being one with various religions like Hinduism, Islam and Christianity being different paths to the same one God, having faith in God (and his miraculous power to help his devotees) and praying to him, being truthful, ethical (Dharmic) and loving towards others including animals etc. But Shirdi Sai Baba wore the dress of a Muslim fa

Last updated on 10th Jan. 2023 This follows up on my previous and recent posts on this topic.  [On PC desktop/laptop, to open pic in larger resolution (if available), right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.] Above pic: Stacked bar chart history timeline of Shirdi Area Rulers from 1000 to 2000 AD Spreadsheet and stacked bar chart history timeline of Shirdi Area Rulers from 1000 to 2000 AD Google sheet for above stacked bar chart (force copy):  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cCuwxFlZB2IBKR0Lv-w5ob4Yv5epHpVTwuI0KCz473Q/copy . Single stacked bar chart history timeline of Shirdi Area Rulers from 1000 to 2000 AD Spreadsheet and single stacked bar chart history timeline of Shirdi Area Rulers from 1000 to 2000 AD Google sheet for above single stacked bar chart (force copy):  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pMohAwT094q0_o_vBp4rWdkvwwGhYfqEaACCFkcpzdU/copy .

My previous post, Seuna Yadavas most probably ruled Shirdi area: as vassal of Rashtrakuta dynastry from c.860 CE, as vassal of Western Chalukyas from c.1000 CE & as independent rulers from c.1187 to 1317 CE, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/seuna-yadavas-most-probably-ruled.html , covers how the Delhi Sultanate became the ruler of Shirdi area from 1317. This post looks at the period after that. Note that Devagiri (Daulatabad) fort (& town/city) was the capital of the Seuna Yadavas. It is reasonable to presume that when Delhi Sultanate annexed the Yadava kingdom, they would have governed the new territory (including Shirdi area) from the old capital of Devagiri (Daulatabad) fort (& town/city). So ruler of Daulatabad fort till rival towns/cities/forts like Ahmednagar and Aurangabad got founded, would most probably have been ruler of Shirdi area. Delhi Sultanate to Bahamani Sultanate to Ahmadnagar Sultanate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi_Sultanate#Tughlaq_dynasty

Last updated on 21st Dec. 2022   Note: This post follows up my previous and  recent  posts on history of Shirdi area from 1000 AD to 2000 AD (CE). The post first has details about these periods of rule mainly, or wholly, based on Wikipedia pages. Then it has a conclusion section. Seuna Yadavas ruling Nashik and probably Shirdi area as vassal of Rashtrakuta dynasty From the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seuna_(Yadava)_dynasty : The earliest historically attested ruler of the dynasty is Dridhaprahara (c. 860-880), who is said to have established the city of Chandradityapura (modern Chandor).[9][3] He probably rose to prominence by protecting the people of Khandesh region from enemy raiders, amid the instability brought by the Pratihara-Rashtrakuta war.[9] Dridhaprahara's son and successor was Seunachandra (c. 880-900), after whom the dynasty was called Seuna-vamsha (IAST: Seuṇa-vaṃśa) and their territory was called Seuna-desha.[18][9] He probably be

Minor update on 20th Dec. 2022 This post follows up on my previous post: 13th century AD history of kingdom that ruled Shirdi and nearby areas, related to name Hemadpant used by Shirdi Sai Baba to refer to Govind Raghunath Dabholkar ,  https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/13th-century-ad-history-of-kingdom-that.html . Around 1000 AD, the cities close to Shirdi (around 100 kms or less by road) that existed about whom info. is easily available on Internet today, were Nashik, Sinnar, Paithan and Devagiri (later renamed to Daulatabad). See below pic. [On PC desktop/laptop, to open pic in larger resolution (if available), right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.] But wiki page of Sinnar provides no data related to it being a major city of ancient empires. That leaves us with Nashik, Paithan and Devagiri as the 1000 AD or earlier cities close to Shirdi. Paithan and Devagiri are close to Aurangabad. h

Last updated on 4th Jan. 2023 This post follows up on my previous post: Shirdi area history of rulers in 2nd millennium (1000 to 2000) AD may be similar to Nashik, Ahmednagar and Aurangabad history, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/shirdi-area-history-of-rulers-in-2nd.html . The origin of the name Hemadpant used by Shirdi Sai Baba to refer to his chronicler Govind Raghunath Dabholkar is in 13th century history of the Seuna Yadava dynasty that ruled Shirdi and other areas from their capital of Devagiri (later named Daulatabad), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daulatabad_Fort , with Devagiri being only around 97 kms from Shirdi by road today. Dabholkar wrote the Shri Sai Satcharitra, https://www.shirdibaba.org/publication/ShriSaiSatCharitra.pdf , which is the famous book on Shirdi Sai Baba's life, miracles and message, and is revered as a holy book by millions of Shirdi Sai devotees (including me). Now I knew that Hemadpant was a famous intellectual and writer of the past and

Last updated on 4th Jan. 2023 I am now reading up on history of Shirdi area from 1000 AD to 2000 AD to gain a better perspective of life during times of Shirdi Sai Baba. Note that Shirdi is in Maharashtra state of India and I was born, bred and earned a livelihood in Maharashtra (Mumbai mainly, with residence at Dombivli near Mumbai for some years) from 1962 to 2002 (with few years outside India). So I had studied Maharashtra history in school and even in later life I would read articles & view programs that came in mainstream media about Maharashtra history, besides general conversation with friends about Maharashtra history and public cultural events with focus on Maharashtra history. A lot of this coverage was about Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Maratha leader, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivaji (born 1630, died 1680), and the Maratha kingdom he founded. While I surely remember some aspects of Maharashtra history before Shivaji Maharaj that I had studied in school,

Last updated on 4th Jan. 2023 Given below are contents of two of my recent Facebook posts: From  https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0LbiY651YyqJn7MqFQ3ZTJGHJSPUp7f6KJVXLikweaFrYUuCZwoGXtKsSwzLx4mQxl : Wadali Brothers singing what seems to be a Sufi song in Punjabi. The video shows a series of pics which are quite fascinating, capturing life of common people (mostly Muslim going by their dress) in what seems to be mostly Indian subcontinent (India and/or Pakistan and perhaps some other countries of this area) though initial pics of whirling Sufi dervishes may be from other countries/areas like Turkey. The audio stops at around 7 min. 15 secs. Echoes of Sufi Chants - Kafi Bulleh Shah (Ni Main Hunay Sunya) Wadali Brothers, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM-jmPOpsHM , 8 min. 49 secs. The lyrics with English translation are provided here: http://qawwal.blogspot.com/2015/02/ni-main-hunay-suneya-kafis-bulleh-shah.html . But in this song rendition, only some lines of the son

Last updated on 4th Jan. 2023 When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer). To save time, I am usually not providing my FB post links but only contents. I am also not hyperlinking links. So readers may have to copy-paste links from this post onto a browser link box and then browse to that link. ========================================== Around 1966 footage of Tibetan Buddhist church (sect) masters with commentary: Raw footages of Dalia lama, Gyalwa karmapa, Sakya Rinpoche, Ling rinpochea and mamy more., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rMtFZrMKP0 , 15 min. 33 secs. The young Dalai Lama's teachers followed by Dalia Lama himself can be seen from around 9 mins in the video. ------------------ On FB post: https://www.facebook.com/terry.reiskennedy/posts/pfbid02X1s6Z4kDvsUkYUQQQW67m3FignDtQg2mApfdRhJw9CDZGWjo6C2DSM7YcqCUCS3il , I wrote (slightly edited): Just in case you were not aware, the Phuktal monastery, https://en.wikipedia.org

Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavat Purana) Skandha (Canto) 3, Adhyaya (chapters) 18 and 19 relate the challenge for battle issued by powerful demon Hiranyaksha to Varaha (boar) avatar of Vishnu, followed by demon Hiranyaksha being killed by Lord Varaha. [Elaborate Wikipedia page on Lord Varaha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varaha and on Hiranyaksha, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiranyaksha .] The links for above chapters and verses are: 1) Bhagavata Purana Motilal Banarasidass (only English),  https://archive.org/details/BhagavataPuranaMotilalEnglish/page/n324/mode/1up?view=theater (viewer page 325, book page 320) [starting verse] A few extracts from above link with some comments from me within [Ravi: ...comment(s)...] , are given below: Chapter 18, verse 4. [Ravi: Hiranyaksha taunting Lord Varaha and challenging him to battle:]   Are you employed by our enemies for destroying us? You kill Asuras by Maya and thus conquer them by fraudulent means. Oh dunce, I shall wipe out the sorrows of