Indian History – What Do We Really Know?
Have we been looking at ancient Indian history through the wrong lens? Kalki Dasa investigates the revolutionary theories of Kota Venkatachalam, whose research challenges mainstream dating and offers a bold new perspective on the chronology of India's most celebrated historical figures.
A Response to Bose Saheb’s Questions
The following essay by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda was published in Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā (Vol. 1, Issue 5) in 1949. In an earlier issue, the magazine had published a letter from Mr. Jitendra Narayana Bose containing a number of philosophical questions. In this article, Śrīla Prabhupāda responds to the first of those questions, examining who may properly be described as a pure Vaiṣṇava, while also distinguishing pure devotees, mixed devotees, and those who are Asuras.
Along The Silk Road
In this article Kalki Dāsa examines how the ancient Silk Road and Indian Ocean trade networks facilitated the spread of Vedic ideas, sciences, and cultural practices across Asia. It highlights parallels between Indian and Chinese philosophy, the transmission of meditation traditions and astronomy, and the lasting influence of Vedic culture in China and Southeast Asia through trade, scholarship, and religious exchange.
Misuse of Money in the Name of Religion?
This article (originally in Hindi) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, was first published in Bhāgavat Patrikā, Vol. 7, Issue 1 (June 1961). In it, Śrīla Prabhupāda reflects on a speech by the then prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru concerning misuse of money in the name of religion in āśramas and maṭhas. Prabhupāda proposes the establishment of a ‘Bhagavad-gītā Department’ within the government, and includes a personal letter to Nehru offering suggestions for guiding India toward a more spiritually grounded national direction. This article is as relevant today as it was sixty-four years ago - if not more so.
Monsoon Trade Winds: India’s Ancient Maritime Links
In 'Monsoon Trade Winds: India's Ancient Maritime Links', Kalki Dāsa explores the ancient maritime and cultural connections between India and the West, tracing how Vedic knowledge and commerce reached the shores of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. From early Indus Valley trade routes to the libraries of Alexandria, the article reveals a forgotten history of East-to-West transmission that shaped the foundations of Western civilisation.
Vedic Knowledge in The Golden Age of Islam
In 'Vedic Knowledge in the Golden Age of Islam', Kalki Dāsa examines the transfer of ancient Indian knowledge to the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age. This intellectual exchange, which later influenced Europe, played a pivotal role in shaping modern science, mathematics, and philosophy, profoundly impacting the course of history.
Did Darwin Borrow His Theory of Evolution from the Vedas?
Kalki Dāsa explores the history of the development of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. He raises the question whether this theory put forth in Darwin's book 'On the Origin of Species' was borrowed from the Vedic texts and discovers some very interesting answers.
The Kaulīnya Tradition (Kaulīnya Prathā)
This article was written by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja just after his acceptance of initiation from Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and was first published in Dainik Nadīyā Prakāśa on Monday, June 4th, 1928. Herein, Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja discusses the Kaulīnya tradition established by King Ballāl who desired to create an elite class of brāhmaṇas in Bengal based upon their virtuous behaviour. Such brāhmaṇas were called ‘kulīna’ (noble). Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja asks why the brāhmaṇa caste was initially seminal, and why this is not the case today.
Rational Vedānta
'Rational Vedānta' was written by Swami B.G. Narasingha in October 2006 as an opening statement for a new website he had begun which compared western philosophies with eastern thought. In this article, Narasingha Maharaja explains the meaning of 'Rationalism' and 'Vedānta'. Vedantic and Pythagorean thinking, the stages of realisation according to Vedānta philosophy, and the defects of the so-called Rationalism in today's world.
“Here Be Dragons!”
In 'Here Be Dragons!' Kalki Dāsa explores the mythical fire-breathing monsters of yore, and discovers that although these creatures are present within many different ancient cultures, the dragon prototype seems to be found in the Vedic literature.
