SCIENTIFIC REASON BEHIND FASTING

 Why do we fast?

Most devoted Indians fast regularly or on special occasions like festivals. On such days they do not eat at all, eat once or do it with fruits or a special diet of simple food.

Fasting in Sanskrit is called Upavaasa. Upa means "near" + Vaasa means "to stay". Upavaasa therefore means staying near (the God), meaning the attainment of close mental proximity with God.

Scientifically every system needs a break and an overhaul to work at its best. Rest and a change of diet during fasting is very good for the digestive system and the entire body.

The more you indulge in the senses, the more they make their demands. Fasting helps us to cultivate control over our senses, sublimate our desires and guide our minds to be poised and at peace.

Fasting should not make us weak, irritable or create an urge to indulge later. This happens when there is no noble goal behind fasting.

The Bhagavadgita urges us to eat appropriately – neither too less nor too much – Yukta-Aahaara and to eat simple, pure and healthy food (a saatvik diet) even when not fasting.

The ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda believes that the digestive system is central to optimal health. When our digestive system is weak, toxins accumulate in the body leading to illness and disease. Fasting gives our digestive system a break, allowing the body to clean and remove any buildup of toxic materials for better overall health. However, Ayurveda does not recommend prolonged fasts. Fasting for just one day a week is believed to be most beneficial.

FIRST CHIEF OF MARATHA NAVY

 Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre

Kanhoji Angre was the commander of the Maratha Navy. He fought against the British and Portuguese on the coast of India. He was nicknamed as ‘𝐏𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞’ by his enemies and was undefeated until his death. Such was his might that he became the undisputed master of the sea on the western coast of India, right from Surat up till Vengurla.

As per the official history of his family, Kanhoji was a Maratha by birth, and his family name was 'Sankpal', which later changed to Angria or Angre, based on the name of their village 'Angarvadi'. His father Tukoji had served under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and in his footsteps, Kanhoji too joined the service of the Marathas. The Maratha ruler, Rajaram, appointed him the admiral of the navy in 1698 and gave him the title of 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐞𝐥.

Kanhoji led the Maratha navy established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

He used his ships to protect Maratha merchants from the pirates operating in the Malabar, and in securing the sovereignty of the sea for the Maratha state. To fulfill these aims, Kanhoji set up a base in Kolaba, a small island fort close to Alibag, and established stations at Suvarndurg and Vijaydurg in Ratnagiri. He compelled the foreign traders to buy a pass or a license issued by him to enter the Indian waters. Any failure on their part was met with swift retribution, by way of the capture of men and the destruction of vessels.

This brought him into direct conflict with the colonial powers, namely the English at Bombay, the Portuquese at Goa and the Dutch at Vengurla. In 1718 open hostilities broke out between Kanhoji and the English. The latter sent many expeditions to Kolaba, but none were successful. Then the combined forces of the English and the Portuguese launched an offensive battle against him in December 1721. This expedition too, came to nought as Kanhoji beat them through both war and diplomacy.

Not only did he defend his fort and other inland stations, but he also managed to get the Maratha army under Pilaji Jadhav to come to his aid. Kanhoji passed away on 4 July 1729, undefeated, unrivalled and unmatched. His might was such that even when he was fighting his rivals, their subjects continued buying the passes issued by him.

Kanhoji Angre was one of the most notable admirals of the Maratha Navy. At the peak of his power, he was the commander of more than hundred ships, some of which were even European. He established a township called Alibag towards the end of the seventeenth century and even issued his own currency in the form of a silver coin called the Alibagi rupaiya.

He established a base in the Andaman Islands, and is credited with attaching those islands to India.

As a tribute to this hero of India, the shore-based logistics and administrative support establishment of the Western Naval Command, in Mumbai was named INS Angre, on September 15, 1951.

THE TRUE MEANING OF WISDOM

The true meaning of wisdom

This story dates back to the time when Kauravas and Pandavas (figures from the Mahabharata) went to a Gurukul (an ancient school system of India) for education.

There was an atmosphere of keen competition among the students. Each one wanted to be the best in all the subjects that were taught in the ashram, and wished for their teacher, Guru Dronacharya to praise them.

They all studied hard and the teacher was happy with his pupils.

One day, in the middle of summer, Guru Dronacharya had to visit another town for some work. He expected to be away for one week. He called all his students and told them that he would not be around for a few days, and asked them to study a few lessons while he was away.

The next week passed by quickly. On returning, he called the students to the classroom. All the students were looking very happy and entered the classroom with happy faces.

After the class, the Guru asked the boys to tell him what and how much they had studied while he had been away.

Each prince came forward and explained how hard he had worked. One had studied three lessons, another four; some had studied five and so on. The guru made them stand one by one, and wrote down what they had accomplished. At last, it was Yudhishthira’s turn. The teacher looked at him expectantly, as he was the most sincere student in the class.

However, Yudhisthira did not speak out loudly and confidently like the rest had done. His voice was low and he seemed to find it difficult to say anything.

“Tell me, Yudhishthira,” the teacher said encouragingly, "What did you do while I was away? I am sure you finished all the lessons and did some extra work too.”

Yudhishthira answered in a low voice, "I studied, understood and learnt only one sentence, sir.”

Dronacharya was stunned. He could hardly believe his ears. "Just one sentence?” he asked.

“Yes Sir. I could master only one sentence in this short time,” Yudhishthira repeated.

What had happened to Yudhishthira? Why had he spent the whole week learning just one sentence? Yudhishthira was older than all the other pupils and he ought to have worked the hardest. Guru Dronacharya had expected him to serve as an example to the others.

But here was the boy shamelessly declaring that one week was not enough to complete the task set by the teacher! Guru Dronacharya was puzzled.

He didn’t like scolding his pupils. He was never unfair or unreasonable. The children also liked him. They always obeyed him. But now they had worried frowns on their foreheads. Everyone expected the teacher to be very angry with Yudhishthira. They knew that he would have to scold Yudhishthira for his laziness. The children were whispering to each other now. “Will he punish Yudhishthira? How will he punish him? What will he ask him to do? Will he excuse him?"

"After all, this is the first time that he hasn’t done his work,” they said. The guru looked sternly at Yudhishthira. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” he roared. “Everyone in this class is younger than you. They have worked hard and completed the work set by me and you..!" He stopped midway and wiped his face. His hair were standing on end. His face was shining with perspiration. He was trembling with fury.

Yudhishthira’s face remained quiet and tranquil. "Sir, I couldn’t help it. I could finish only this much.” The teacher lost his patience at this.

But Yudhishthira remained calm and tranquil. “I am sorry to have disappointed you, Sir”, he said, "I could study only this much.” Now all the little princes in the class were very worried.

They thought, "First he doesn’t do his work and then he argues with the teacher. He will surely get into a lot of trouble." They expressed their concern to each other through their silent face expressions.

The teacher could not control himself any longer. He said angrily, "I am going to punish you for your disobedience. You are not only lazy, you are being rude and unrepentant too!” Again Yudhishthira said in a low voice, remaining calm and cool, "I am sorry to have disappointed you, Sir. I could only study this much.”

The whole class was surprised. They all liked Yudhishthira. They liked their teacher too. Why didn’t Yudhishthira apologize? The teacher would have forgiven him. He could do the work now and they would help him too. Everyone would be happy once again.

Yudhishthira was being scolded badly. But, the more the teacher scolded him, the more he remained calm and tried to put across his point calmly. It suddenly occurred to the teacher that something was not right. Perhaps, Yudhishthira had done something very unusual! How was he so calm even when he was being scolded? “What is this sentence that you have learnt?” he asked.

Yudhishthira brought out his book and showed the sentence : "CONTROL YOUR ANGER!"

In one flash, the teacher and all the pupils understood what Yudhishthira had done. He had not just learnt the sentence. He had actually practised what he had learnt. It had taken him seven days to master his anger.

Guru Dronacharya's eyes filled with tears when he realized how wise Yudhishthira was. He embraced the boy and said, “My son, forgive me for having been unjust. Today you have taught me, how lessons should be studied! If everyone was like you, the world would be a heaven on earth."

Lesson Summary "Having one application and one goal at a time, will take us somewhere through an optimum utilisation of our inner resources."

BRANCH OF SCIENCE, PHYSICS

 Physics

Physics is the science of matter and its motion. It is an interesting science that deals with concepts like force, mass, energy, and charge. Its goal is to understand the natural world by finding quantitative physical laws for everything from the atoms to the planets, solar systems, and galaxies that occupy the cosmos. Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines and due to its study of astronomy it may be the oldest of all. The basic laws in physics are universal. Many of the technological inventions that we now see are the result of discoveries in physics. Physics today is such a vast field that many subfields are almost separate sciences.

The early Greeks established the first quantitative physical laws like the Archimedes principle of levers and the buoyancy of bodies in the water. However, they were just bits and pieces of knowledge of physics because they were not organised experiments and documents. Physics started progressing properly only in the 17th century when scientists like Galileo and later Issac Newton helped pioneer the use of mathematics as a fundamental tool in physics. This led to rapid advances in describing the motion of heavenly bodies, the laws of gravity, and the three laws of motion. Later, the laws of electricity, magnetism, and electromechanical waves were developed in the 1800s by Faraday and Maxwell. And soon many others contributed to our understanding of optics and thermodynamics.

Modern physics is said to have started around the turn of the 20th century, with the discovery of X-rays by Roentgen, radioactivity by Becquerel, quantum hypothesis by Planck, relativity theory by Einstein, and atomic theory by Bohr. Quantum mechanics by Heisenberg and Schrödinger in the early 1900s also gave scientists a better understanding of chemistry and solid-state physics, which led to new materials and better electronic and optical components. Nuclear and elementary particle physics have now become important fields, and particle physics is now the basis for astrophysics and cosmology. Advances in electromagnetism have led to the widespread use of electrically driven devices like televisions, computers, home appliances, etc. Advances in thermodynamics have led to the development of motorized transport. Advances in mechanics led to the development of calculus, quantum chemistry, and the use of instruments like the electron microscope in microbiology.

Physics and Mathematics - Physics is closely related to mathematics as it provides the logical structure in which physical laws may be formulated and quantified. Many physics definitions, models, and theories are expressed using mathematical symbols and formulas.

The main difference between physics and mathematics is that physics is primarily concerned with descriptions of the material world, whereas mathematics is focused on abstract logical patterns that may extend beyond the real world. Since physics concentrates on the material world, it always tests its theories through the process known as observation or experimentation. However, without mathematics the physics of the modern world is impossible.

Now let us look at the wide array of subdivisions or branches of physics where one can make a lifelong career in each of them.

Acoustics – This is the study of sound and sound waves.

Astronomy – This is the study of space.

Astrophysics – This is the study of the physical properties of objects in space.

Atomic Physics – This studies atom, specifically the electron properties of the atom.

Biophysics – This is the study of physics in living systems.

Chemical Physics – This is the study of physics in chemical systems.

Computational Physics – This is the application of numerical methods to solve physical problems for which a quantitative theory already exists.

Cosmology – This is the study of the universe, including its origins and evolution.

Cryophysics and Cryogenics – This is the study of physical properties in low temperatures far below the freezing point of water.

Electromagnetism – This is the study of electrical and magnetic fields.

Electronics – This is the study of the flow of electrons in a circuit.

Crystallography – This is the study of crystals and crystalline structures.

Fluid Dynamics and Fluid Mechanics – This is the study of the physical properties of fluids, which comprises both liquids and gases.

Geophysics – This is the study of the physical properties of the Earth.

Laser Physics – This is the study of the physical properties of lasers.

High Energy Physics – This is the study of physics in extremely high energy systems, generally within particle physics.

Molecular Physics – This is the study of the physical properties of molecules.

Mechanics – This is the study of the motion of bodies in a frame of reference.

Nanotechnology – This is the science of building circuits and machines from single molecules and atoms.

Nuclear Physics – This is the study of the physical properties of the atomic nucleus.

Optics and Light Physics – This studies the physical properties of light.

Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Physics – This is the study of science where the smallest discrete values, or quanta, of matter and energy.

Relativity – This is the study of systems displaying the properties of Einstein's theory of relativity, which generally involves moving at speeds very close to the speed of light.

Thermodynamics – This is the study of heat.

30 JANUARY

 Martyrs' Day

Martyrs' Day, also known as Shaheed Diwas, is observed on January 30th every year in India to pay homage to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nation's independence.

The day is also the death anniversary of the nation's 'Bapu', Mahatma Gandhi.

It was on this day in 1948 that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in the compound of Birla House in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse.

Gandhi, who was born on October 2, 

1869, was one of the most influential leaders of India and played a significant role in the independence of the country. He led major movements against British rule through a non-violent approach. 

His philosophy was based on the principles

of non-violence, the fight for truth

(satyagraha), and political and individual

freedom (Swaraj).

EXCLUSION CULTURE

They bring the nine chairs for ten children, and they tell the children that the winner is the one who gets the chair and whoever remains without a chair is out of the game.

Then they reduce the number of chairs each time and a child comes out every time until one child remains and he is declared the winner.

The child learns the culture of “Myself, myself, and in order to succeed, I must remove others.”

And in Japanese kindergartens, they play the game of chairs too.

They also come with nine chairs for ten kids with a difference!

There they tell the children that you have no more chairs. If one of you remains without a chair, everyone loses.

All the children try to hug each other so that all ten children can sit on nine chairs.

And then they reduce the number of chairs successively with the rule remaining that they must make sure that no one remains without a chair or else they will all lose.

The child learns culture:

“I cannot succeed without the help of others to succeed!”

From exclusion to inclusion.

Isn’t that simply awesome?

We should all change over to this beautiful version of Musical chairs.

WORLD SURYA NAMASKAR DAY

 

Surya Namaskar day is a day to express gratitude to the sun and is observed on Rathsaptami i.e. seventh day (saptami) in the bright half (shukla paksha) of the Hindu month ‘Magha’.

It is customary to perform Surya Puja (worship of sun) on this day.

Haldi-kunku, which starts on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, ends on this day.

Both religious and scientific reasons are given for celebrating Rathsaptami. It is also called Arogya Saptami.

Sun God is known as the most brilliant, powerful, intelligent and omniscient. He is the creator and controller of the world.

To seek His blessings, after sunrise in the morning, Surya Namaskar is performed in an open space on empty stomach, in controlled breathing, with proper postures and chanting shlokas.

This improves our physical health and sharpens memory. This exercise not only gives you a great workout but also gives you spiritual, mental and physical strength.

This ritual is also called Surya upasana.

The mantras of Surya namaskar are

related to the chakras in the body.