shaheediyan

Dalsingh, Tony is just a modern day Sucha Nand, he would have no problem with the removal of evil child Muslims.

Tony, me having respect for everyday people making a choice to improve their lives does not make me dhimmi.

You however clearly remain a Nazi. It wouldn't surprise me if you were one these pathetic supporters of the BNP and EDL, hoping these Knights in shining armour will rid your adopted country of the Malech, as you can't personally do much to help the cause yourself except for typing a few hate posts in the safety of your armchair whenever you see an opportunity. Pathetic. I bet if it ever came down to the crunch, loud mouthed internet Ninjas like you (clearly devoid of any of Gurus mat and pyaar) would be 1st to stick a pakistani flag outside your house.

Tell the truth Tony, you are Kanto Lall aren't you, lol.

Lol, the only worrying mentality in that debate was your friend 'Kanti Lall'... unbelievable!

To stereotype millions of hardworking and well educated people around the world who find some beauty and peace in Islam as idiots is the height of hate and idiocy. The people who converted in the show all seemed like nice, sensible and peacable people who all seem calm and happy with their new life. Good luck to them.

westerners convert to Buddism, Hinduism, Sikhism (mostly 3HO)and many other religions/philosophies as is Gods wish. I know plenty of westerners following all the above paths, including Islam - they are all very nice and 'content' people.

More important than the religion they convert to is the deeper meaning of life that they find - which follows similar lines in most of these faiths - it's just a matter of coincidence where people end up. What all these new converts have in common is their fresh outlook, questioning and researching ability - they seek rather than plain accept as most who are born into these faiths - meaning they find much more.

There doesn't need to be a super plan, let me tell you what I have heard in terms of what some 'proud Sikhs' told me: Their lumberdaar grandfather personally rounded up the sikhs from their and surrounding villages and told them about the attrocities on the other side of the border, khoon ka badla khoon, they got their jathai into a frenzied state and told them not to leave one Muslim alive (killing innocent old, female and children in the process). That mate, is plan enough for ethnic cleaning to take place. Later they were celebrating their act, and the lumberdaar of course celebrating his bigger property/land portfolio.

This doesn't take away from the fact that many henious crimes were exacted on Sikhs and Hindus on the other side of the border, but to bury your head in the sand and say 'they started it', whilst justifying or twisting the actions of our people is the heigh of primitive thinking.

If everyone simply admitted to the true story, especially that coming from their side, the matter could be put rest. But the seed of hate is buried deep.

Hahaha... the not so 'publicly known' side of the popularly perceived 'subservient' Punjabi house Wife!

Just passing by.

Not here to argue meat - for or against, just wanted to clear up some 'facts'.

Irrelevant of what personal opinion on meat consumption (or any other subject) is, we should always strive to present facts honestly and in a balanced fashion:

"The closest cousin of Humans ,Chimpanzee hunt and eat meat".

Chimps are just 1 of 7 members of the great ape family, with humans at the apex. The Chimp/Human theory is just one of many (there are other explanations as to why genetics are similar), but there are other valid theories which show humans are actually more closely related to Gorillas, Orangutans and Bonobos. Orangs actually share many, many more physical similarities to man than Chimps. In any case, the chimps that actually hunt (they don't all hunt, only some populations), still prefer fruit as their favorite food, and eat leaves, roots, nuts, berries as the large part of their diet, only occassionally supplmenting with a hunt.

"Now today some are debating that the origin of various illnesses is to do with meat consumption which is against some of our function. Even carnivores seek fibre from certain plants themselves tigers have to eat grass for fibre."

To equate ourselves to Carnivores is stupidity. We are not Carnivores. The only possible exception in the human race would possibly be Inuits who live in the most extreme northern hemisphere and solely depend on meat (and don't forget that is their adopted home, it's not where humans evolved). At best (or worst depending on your angle) we are Omnivores, with more weight on the Herbivore side.

"Apart from Brahmins jains some Budhists and few other castes of Hindu's almost the entire world ate non veg food ,yet there is no evidence that these people were healthier or even stronger ,infact Indians are weakest in Athletic sports and more prone to various diseases"

In India, there are hundreds of Hindu Pehlvani/Kushti Akharai where vegetarianism is practiced. These guys are very strong, muscular, fit and their diet without meat is very high in nutrition and protein. Even the traditional Punjabi wrestlers didn't introduce meat (chicken/goat) into their diet until teenage years as per old traditions. For many years (when growing up) diet was beefed up with Bufallo milk, pure ghee and almonds. Let's not also forget the 2 groups who in my opinion are the most advanced fighters, super tough in mind and physically superior (without muscle bulk) in the world... the Shaolin Buddists and Wudang Daoists. Japan and the Golden Triangle also have famous tradiitons of ferocious warrior monks. Lastly, don't forget the near mythical 'Bodhi Dharma' was also a Buddist Monk. All these traditions believe in perfection of the self in this lifetime - this strictly includes not eating any flesh.

"Also through meat eating humans wiped out the dodo bird, which we replaced with chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) which came from"

The Dodo was discovered by and exterminated to extinction by Dutch Sailors in less than 100 years in the 1500/1600s. Chickens were used in the west long before that, and the Dodo only ever existed in Mauritius.

"So what, so many species were gone extinct ,some by natural causes some by humans.Infact humans cutting down tree's and making farmlands is the biggest destroyer of eco system.so many carnivores were hunted down and made extinct by humans because they were dangerous to humans".

Maybe a few millenia ago, but far worse damage is being done today by clearing millions of hectares of rainforest to breed and graze cattle to feed the worlds growing appetite for burgers and steak. Add to this the many more millions of hectares cleared to grow cattle cereal crops to speed up their growth. The majority of South Americas environmental destruction is not for growing veg, but for supporting cattle. Let's not even mention water usage and the massive effect of green house gases (which is no longer a theory).

"the opposite can also be said that almost all vegetarian communitties became coward and they were unable to defend themselves.Jains were never known as warriors, Budhists and hindu's lost massively against muslims .also most of developed countries were meat eaters and most of them are now peaceful .Vegetarianism is recent phenomina in most of them"

Again, see my response re Hindu Pehvaans i.e. in Benares and the extant Daosit and Buddist Warrior Monk traditions. Most of the martial arts in China today were born in these 2 vegetarian traditions (except for the highly dangeous and secretive traditional Chinese combat wrestling, which predates the Buddist/Daoist faiths).

Ok, that's 10 minutes of my life mis-spent... have fun :-)

The famous 'Bar-Tenders'. The original guys from NYC are amazing, I have friends who have trained with them. The original Bartenders developed their resistence training system in Prison when the guards didn't let them out their cells and eliminated their access to the gyms.

The original guys and present hardcore Bartenders developed amazing strength and muscular defintion without supplements/steriods or any form of weight training!

Lol no, I'm very normal. I don't have the inclination in my life to use precious time for the purpose of 'body sculpture'.

Although I respect the dedication these guys have, that is all (bar exercises) most of them have, on a good note they are at least taking people away from crime and giving them something positive to focus on. Plus they are now creating training DVDs, natural supplements and starting to get employed as trainers. Good luck to them. Most people can achieve an amazing body, but in order to do so, that needs to be singular focus and passion in your life. IMHO better to incorporate a little good form of resistance training in your daily routine, some of which can be got from training in a good martial art.

After drug/alchoholism, Body Building is probably the 2nd most popular pass time in Punjab. There are already many gyms (even in small pinds) and the numbers are growing daily. Sadly, steroids are also very popular. Many people from the Kabaddi scene go down this route to develop 'good looking' bodies, and in doing so, the time spent body building means less time is spent on the traditional kabbadi exercises and practice sessions, which is what would otherwise make them very good players. Same sad story for Pehlvani, more and more are ditching the thousands of years old traditional training methods and diets and going for high meat, steroid and body building route, again, they suffer in later years and the quality of the wrestling is much lower.

There are actually plenty of people in Indian and Punjab with muscular/sculpted physiques. I had a relative in Birmignham who was a professional Body Builder and won some small international competitions back in the late 80s. I recall his Pita Ji telling me his diet:

Roti, Daal, Roti, Daal, Chanai, Raajma, Milk, Badaam, Lassi. Specifically I remember him saying he cooked with no or extremely little oil! That was because as SD says, apne put on fat quite quickly!

Sehaj-dhari... Slow adopter. What do they eventually aim to adopt?

Dasmesh Pita gave open invite to all Sikh Sangat to attend 1699 Vasakhi. His aim, to replace charan amrit with Khande de pahul.

The spirituality of keeping kesh and taking amrit for a Sikh is simple, the mysticism lies in pleasing the Master of both world, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. We keep kesh as they are our Gur-Pitas moar (stamp/identity) and we his children carry his identity.

Next - baana by it self is not complete, there must also be baani. The tuks shared re outward appearance are relevant to hypocrites in the Guru times... and of course in our times. The tuks are sadly totally relevant to our people today also, many of whom have baana but no baani. Baani is knowledge and manifest personality that knowledge (divine) creates. It is jaagrita.

We should not ostracise Sehaj-dhari, but do quality sangat with them, and through personal example, they themselves will be drawn towards the Khalsa Panth. We should also not shy away from doing parchaar (not in a talibanic fashion, but in a highly educated way), puratan sampyrada replenished the Khalsa Panth during times of war, by doing constant parchaar - today we are fighting wars on many levels.. Inside and outside our own community. We must all unite on one thing irrelevant of differences, that is educating ourselves, making our jeevans sucham and sharing our Guru's divine philosophy unapologetically with the world.

It is the beauty of our Gurbani and ithihaas which has historically taken care of Khalsa numbers. Today the quality of delivery of both is not what it used to be, especially in our Gurdwarai. This is where all efforts must be made - to change the spending culture of Gurdwarai. Invest in quality parcharaks rather than buildings. Every Gurdwara should have their own Sant Singh Maskeen, and the career of a gyani should be one that people are incentivised to take and inspire to. The first step is to make it financially attractive, so that aspirants will happily invest 10-15 years of their life studying full time and know that it will not go to waste, and that they will be able to live a sustainable grisht jeevan.

There are many more actions which need to be taken, but this would be a good start.

Taken from Veer Kamalroop Singhs blog.

When it comes to fighting, Sikhs were never some old fashioned hardened traditionalists who would not adopt and evolve with the ever changing field of battle (unlike some like to make out).

Below is an excellent example of how Singhs adopted the dragoon blades to great affect, using them effectively against the inventors of the weapon.

Same way, during the Mughal/Afghan battles, Singhs got hold of shastar where ever they could and evolved their vidya to use these 'faranghi' shastar to normally more devastating effect than the original battle seasoned owners. This is why when one sees the many collections of shastar in Gurughars across India, most include Irani, Deccani, Afgani and even European pieces.

A true yudh vidyaarthi should be able to pick up absolutely anything and after handling for literally moments, make it an extension of his own hands

Cavalry Swords.—In the Sikh war, arms , heads, hands, and legs of British soldiers were lopped off by the enemv on all sides, while swordsmen laboured often in vain to even draw blood, let the Sikhs, it was found, used chiefly our own cast-off dragoon blades, fitted into new handles, sharpened until they had a razor edge, and worn in wooden scabbards, from which they were never drawn except in action. In such scabbards they were not blunted and they were noiseless; they made none of that incessant clanging which almost drowns the trumpet or bugle, and quite word of command, in the ranks of our own cavalry regiments; and which, unless the men wrap hay about the steel, renders any attempt at surprise by cavalry perfectly absurd. The wooden scabbard, it was found upon inquiry, are even less brittle than steel ones. A squadron of the Third Dragoons charged a baud of Sikh horsemen under Major Unett. The Sikhs let the squadron enter. A dragoon of the front rank thrust with his sword point at the nearest Sikh. The weapon broke into the skin, but did not penetrate so far as to do any serious mischief. The Sikh, in return , struck the dragoon across the mouth, and took his head off. A Sikh at Chillianwallah galloped up to the horse artillery, cut down the two first men, and attacked the third. He, seeing that his comrades had been unable to save their lives by the use of their blunt swords , left his sword in the scabbard, and fought off the assailant with his riding-whip—flogging away the Sikh's horse, to keep the fatal arm at a safe distance. So he saved himself. There can be no doubt that heavy riding-whips would be more formidable weapons in all warfare than the cavalry swords now in use.—Dickens's " Household Words."

My point was, being called 3 Mudrai or 5 Kakaar, its a non-issue.

Evidently, they have been called both, today, all sections of the Panth agree on 5 kakaar, end of.

5 hathiyaar was simply Maharajs hukum to ensure all Singhs were adequately armed at all times - this hukum was relayed especially to those that were going to have his audience. The number 5 is somewhat auspicious in Sikhi. Nihangs still keep this maryada.

3 mudrai and 5 kakaar are one and the same - there is no big debate. The only difference is that Kes, Kachh and Kirpan are the primary kakaars, Kara complimenting the Kirpan )worn on the fighting hand as wrist protection and a shastar in its own right. The Kes complimenting the Kes - used to keep them tidy and clean.
The Kachh being complete in its own right, a complete form of dress if need be.

Thanks Amardeep, Guru Nanak Dev Ji says:

ਮੂਲ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਸਾਇਣੁ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪੂਰਾ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੫॥

Bhai Gurdas Ji - original scribe of Sri Ad Granth Sahib and and 1st true Sikh academic/intellectual/scholar.

Bhai Gurdas Ji's 2 works - Vaaran and Kabitts are both considered canonical by the wider Panth, alongside Bhai Nand Lal Goya Ji's ghazals.

The 3rd - the 6 Sanskrit Slokas -as far as I know, have now been lost and were never recorded by anyone.

The Kabitts have not been as popular as the Vaaran due to them being written mostly in Braj Bhasha.

Bhai Sahib is said to have written the Kabbits whilst residing in Benaras, and it is said they contain nearly no Persian or Arabic words. Bhai Sahibs command of Sanskrit and knowledge of the indic scriptures and schools was great.

The Kabitts are said to be the most brilliant example of Gurmat sidhant.

Hope that little helps.

What, you mean like Guru Gobind Singh Ji did, numerous times...

Grow up.

It's a beautiful sakhi of how Guru was truly egalitarian (no coincidence he built a maseet and mandhir in his namesake town also), alongside the understanding - that 'you shouldn't bite the hand that fed you'.

The actual details of the full Sakhi are excellent - especially the details of the fight between Guru Sahib and Painde Khan. The above is a very brief summary of the Sakhi.

Amardeep, I think it's pretty self explanotary.

The crux of Bhai Nand Lal's quote is that one should submit to their Guru in Kaljug - as the Guru is the boat of emancipation, without whom, all will drown in the darkness...

The reference to the Atharva Veda is fine, as Bhai Sahib quotes the truth from it. It simply shows Bhai Sahibs extensive knowledge, and maybe the writing was intended for the "Hindu" majority - and appropriate references used as such.

I may be wrong, but I think it's the section entitled "Glorification of the sun/primevel principle - as a Brahman disciple, which falls under the cosmogonic and theosophic hyms.

It talks of the bilateral devotion of a teacher and student.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe42/av210.htm

Nice perspecive on this much mis-understood topic:


http://www.nihangsingh.org/website/phil-shakti.html

Shiv-Shakti

There are various ways in which these two interrelated concepts can be looked at. Like the tre-gun they compose a vital part of the Nihang Singh philosophy. In the Chandi Chariter, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji writes;

'The Lord is Primal, Infinite, Account-less, Boundless, Deathless, Garbless, Incomprehensible and Eternal. He created Shiva-Shakti, four Vedas and three modes of maya and Pervades in three worlds. He created day and night, the lamps of sun and moon and the whole world with five elements. He extended enmity and fight between the gods and demons and Himself seated (on His Throne) scans it.1'. (Dasam Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 175)

The Sikh writings suggest a great significance of the union between Shiv and Shakti;

When the play of Shiv and Shakti comes to mind, one remains dead while yet alive'
(Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji, Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 1257)

'Wherever I look I see the Lord pervading there in the union of Shiv and Shakti.'
(Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 21)

'When Shiv and Shakti playfully united the whole world came to be.'
(Bhai Gurdas Ji, Vaar 2, Pauri 19).

There are various ways in which Indian philosophies understand the notion of Shiv-Shakti. Shiv may be seen as Shiva and Shakti may be seen as his consort or more generally a feminine counterpart of a deity. Thus, we have a concept of divine masculine and feminine energy. Within the Indian traditions Shiva without Shakti is referred to as Shava, meaning corpse. This can be compared to a human being whose conscious is not aware of Vaheguru; Shiv may also be interpreted as consciousness and Shakti as divine power, hence a conciliation of the two represents conscious absorption into the Divine. Shiv may also refer to the soul (which is the very form of Vaheguru) and Shakti the power of Vaheguru transcended from nargun (formless) to sargun (with form - i.e. the universe). The great treasure of knowledge, Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh Bhindranvale (1902-1961) discusses that within certain context Shiv can also mean Satogun and shakti can represent Tamogun.(Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Katha, Volume 12, .020). He also states that Shiv can be understood independent of the deity Shiva, and as the form of Parmeshvar (Primal Being) and that Shakti can be understood as maya (creation).

Mahant Om Nath Sharma in an article titled 'Navarati' gives the take on Shiva and Shakti from his school of thought that translates Shakti as Durga (the divine mother of the universe):

Durga represents the divine mother. She is the energy aspect of the Lord. Without Durga, Shiva has no expression and without Shiva, Durga has no existence. Shiva is the soul of Durga; Durga is identical with Shiva…Shakti is the omnipotent power of the Lord, or the Cosmic Energy.
(A Mystic World, Vol 1, Issue 1, page 18)

There are a wide range of complementary understandings all which allow one to analyse the interaction of Shiv-Shakti within the Nihang Singh at various levels. Shiv is believed to be represented by a half moon (Aad Chand), signifying calm and coolness. Shakti is represented by a sun and is believed to be a more powerful energy and the driving force of the universe, within the Sikh tradition Chandi (personification of shakti) or Durga is not worshipped as a deity, but in the form of Bhaguati (sword). The Aad Chand (crescent moon) representing Shiv has long been a trademark of Nihang Singhs as is the wearing of arms; representing the divine union of Shiv and Shakti.


Nihang Baba Hari Singh Ji - Baba Bakala Dal

The highly treasured Nihang Baba Hari Singh Ji of Baba Bakala Dal seen (above) adoring the Aad Chand in his dumalla (Nihang turban style ) surrounded by various small Bhagautis representing the game of Shiv and Shakti.

Shiv Shakti is not limited to mere symbology and external guise, it extends to spiritual practice. In line with the earlier explanation by Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh Bhindranvale, Shiv may also mean those who are inclined towards the Lord. Those inclined to this path follow the practice of Bhakti, devotional worship. Therefore, we also find that the relationship between Shiv-Shakti at times referred to as Bhakti and Shakti. Baba Tirath Singh Nirmala in his translation of Pundit Gulab Singhs Bhavrasamrit (p42-44) mentions the nine limbs of Bhakti which are referred to in the Sikh tradition as the Nvai Parkar (Nine methods):

1. Sravan - hearing the divine* praises.
2. Kirtan - singing the praised of the divine.
3. Simran - remembrance of the divines name.
4. Padsevena - service and offerings at the divines feet.
5. Archana - worship the divine.
6. Bandana - prostration before the divine.
7. Dasyam - developing feeling or emotion of being the divine's servant.
8. Sakhyam - cultivating the emotional bond of friendship.
9. Atma Nivedana - surrender of the self to the divine.

*Within the Sikh tradition it is the Divine or the Guru who is the centre of Bhakti, within Indian traditions it is often a deity around which one centres their spiritual practice.

By looking at the traditional practices of the Akali Nihangs, it will become clear how much of an important role is played by Bhakti. An example can be seen in case of Jathedar Baba Teja Singh 96 Krori who lead the Nihang Singhs of Budha Dal from 1907-1929. Unable to afford traditional instruments for the performance of kirtan, Baba Teja Singh upheld this import tradition by using his karray (iron bangles) as musical instruments. For many years he performed kirtan by banging his karray.

The nine limbs of bhakti form an everyday part of a Nihang Singhs life. Everyday involves hearing and singing the praises of the Divine, they are taught to engage in the remembrance of the Divine 24 hours a day. The Aarti prayer is read everyday in worship of the divine. Many Nihang Singhs dedicate to their life serving at one particular Gurdwara. Being the ladlian faujan, beloved army, of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji who they believe to be their eternal master portrays the deep bond they experience with their Guru. Many people overlook or actively undermine the Nihang Singhs without failing to realise the deeper esoteric value and spiritual philosophy behind their every action. Their lifestyle is their bhakti, Shakti they gain through their dedication to Bhagauti and Sabrloh (pure iron).


Jathedar Baba Chet Singh Ji 96 Krori, the 12th Jathedar of the Budha Dal

Well respected figure of the past century, Jathedar Baba Chet Singh Ji 96 Krori, the 12th Jathedar of the Budha Dal. Large sarbloh prayer beads (representing bhakti) can be seen around his neck and in his hand. He can also be seen adorning various weapons (representing shakti) by his side and in his dumalla. From the entire apparel of the Nihang Singhs one can witness the union of Shiv
and Shakti which is Divine.

The late Jathedar Baba Santa Singh 96 Krori of Budha dal discusses the meaning of 'shakti' which he believes is something many Sikhs fail to understand;

"We call that Shakti what Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji has written is the mother of the universe and who has created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (quotes 30th verse of Japji Sahib). God being confined within himself gave hukam (command) for his power to become manifest, that Shakti created the whole world and thus takes the form of the mother….some worship Shakti as Bhavani, others as Kalika and others as Chandi. We worship this shakti in the form of our weapons." (Audio Recording, April 1995)

Despite the great significance of Shiv-Shakti, Bhagat Namdev teaches it is useless to indulge in deep consideration on such philosophical matters if one does not meditate on the Master of the universe, which is the greatest of all acts. (Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 873). Such matters exist within our temporal realm and an understanding of them helps an individual on their spiritual path. When one reaches ultimate stages of divine bliss such matters cease to be important. The fifth Guru, Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji describes this state;

'There is no Shiva or Shakti, no water or wind, no world of form where the True Guru, the Yogi,
dwells, where the Imperishable Lord Vaheguru, the Unapproachable Master abides.'
(Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 883)

The Khalsa internally and externally illustrates the great divine play between these forces. These concepts should be used to aid ones understanding of creation and not hinder their relationship with the One Supreme Being. Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji reminds us that millions Shiv and Shakti are under the command of Vaheguru (Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 1156).

Hazuri Singhs and Nihangs (Nanded) use tilak in certain ceremonies. I saw many of them with orange and red tilak in Maharashtra.

"Also when doing parkarma circunambulation you keep the object of respect to your right and walk clockwise."

Nihangs do the opposite :-) probably because the kirpan is worn on the left, they do parkarma anti-clockwise. This is not really behm, more a sign of respect.

I remember some of those also Tony, I think they are Punjab wide, man, I thought I was the expert!

I still insist left palm itch is money gained! That may just be unique to me lol

Daughters - don't drink water with your head uncovered - it will cause our Father to go in debt!!

The artistic and stategic thought behind the Padma vyuha or lotus formation is really amazing...


Military History Of Ancient India
By Gorkhali, 2006; Revised
Category: South and Southeast Asia: Military History
The Persians are famed for their archers, the Turks for their horsemen, and India for its armies. - Arab proverb


India is one of the oldest civilizations on earth, going back more than 7,000 years. Although divided from the rest of Asia by the Himalayan mountains, India has for most of its history been fighting numerous and violent wars among itself. During its long history, there could be anywhere from 16 to more than a hundred kingdoms, all fighting each other, making and breaking alliances. In the harsh deserts to the northwest were the fierce Rajput (literally sons of kings) kingdoms, who fought on horseback and camelback. In central India were mighty kingdoms descended from the Aryan invaders who invaded India around 1500 BC. In the jungles to the south were other large and formidable kingdoms, more ancient than the Aryan ones, the original inhabitants of India. In the Deccan Plateau, where the Kingdoms of the north and the south met, were other smaller nations, but with some of the fiercest fighters on the subcontinent. To the east were the kingdoms of Bengal and Assam, to the north was the feared kingdom of Nepal.

Warfare in ancient India centered around the chariot. Indian chariots were nothing like the light, sleek chariots of Egypt. They were massive, made of wood and iron, and intricately decorated in gold. They had four wheels, and typically held two men-the charioteer, and an archer who also had a weapon for hand to hand combat. This archer, standing on the chariot, would be a good six or more feet off the ground, giving him a significant advantage over enemy infantry. Some chariots held more men, the largest could hold seven men. Indian chariots were so large and heavy that they required four to six horses to pull them. Unlike Egyptian chariots, which moved quickly and fired arrows into the enemy ranks, Indian chariots often charged right into melee battle. They crushed enemy soldiers under their wheels, trampled them under the horses, all while the soldier(s) on the chariot fired arrows into them, or fought it out hand to hand.

No description of India’s ancient military is complete without mentioning the elephant. India was the first nation to use the elephant in battle (~1500BC) and the last nation to stop using it in battle (1800’s AD). Wars were frequently fought over territories that had a great deal of elephants. Elephants from the tip of south India and Sri Lanka were the most prized as they were considered the fiercest in battle. Often times, a king’s wealth was measured in how many elephants he owned. A single Indian prince might own more elephants than all of Carthage. According to Kautilya, the army of the Indian emperor Chandragupta Maurya had more than 21,000 elephants. War elephants typically were heavily armored. They had a castle like structure on their back where several warriors and a mahout, who guided the elephant, would be housed. The number of warriors varied anywhere from one to six warriors, and would be armed with an arsenal of weapons, bows and arrows, long lances, javelins, tridents, and a variety of polearms. The elephants themselves had long daggers or swords, sometimes several feet long, attached to their tusks.

The way in elephants were used in battle varied widely as well. One common tactic, used by Porus at the Hydaspes, was to place the elephants a distance apart, anywhere from 40 to 100 feet. These elephants would act like mobile fortresses, where the rest of the army could rally around. Another common tactic, probably the most dangerous and effective one, was to use the elephants to directly assault enemy lines. The elephants would be arranged in a wall formation, and be heavily armored in iron or steel from head to foot. Long steel swords, often coated with poison, would be attached to their tusks. The mahouts would then drive them forward in a coordinated charge, wreaking havoc in enemy ranks. Archers or lancers on top of the elephants would pick off enemy soldiers as well. One king even went as far as to train his elephants to swing heavy iron balls on chains with their trunks. The very sight of a wall of heavily armored elephants charging, whirling huge iron balls with their trunks, their tusks tipped with poisoned swords, the soldiers on the elephant wielding enormous lances, would often cause the enemy to break ranks and flee.

The cavalry of Indian armies is, for the most part, not noteworthy. The cavalry of the Middle Eastern and Arab armies were probably superior. There are exceptions though. The Rajput cavalry was extremely skilled, and man for man, was more than a match for the Mughal cavalry, as they proved several times. They were lightly armored, and moved extremely swiftly. Armed with a light curved sword and a small circular shield, they could charge and fight with incredible speed. Many carried bows and arrows, and were expert archers. The Rajput army was almost entirely composed of cavalry, and were powerful enough that they were able to keep the Muslim forces in check for many years. In the other armies of India cavalry were also used, sometimes in large numbers, but rarely were they equipped with bows and arrows. Their role was either to protect the elephants and chariots, or to charge into melee battle.

The bulk of the Indian army, and most other armies in the world, were the infantry, or foot soldiers. The infantry were equipped with a huge variety of weapons, which differed hugely across India. Probably the most common weapon was the sword, but even this came in hundreds of shapes across India. Indian archers used a bow similar to the English longbow, in that it was as tall as the person using it. However, Indian bows were also recurved. Armies in India were typically larger than those of Europe. It was common to see armies of hundreds of thousands fighting on the battlefield, even thought the kingdoms themselves might be small in size. As infantry formed the majority of the army, a typical battle would look like a sea of infantry and cavalry fighting, while the chariots and elephants stood out.

India was one of the first nations to implement tactics, divisions, and formations. Armies did not simply rush out onto the battlefield; there were commanders who carefully put their massive armies in intricate formations. Some formations were: Chakra (wheel) Vyuha, Suchi (needle) Vyuha, Chayana (hawk) Vyuha and Mala (garland), and Garuda (eagle). Another one I read about recently was the lotus formation, where the archers would be on the inside, and the infantry and cavalry would be arranged like a lotus flower, protecting them.

Their armor differed greatly as well. Some kingdoms, especially in south India wore no armor, because of the extreme heat. Others wore tough sturdy armor, made of interlocking iron, steel, and leather plates. Many warriors wore no armor, but instead wore silk clothing. This actually worked to block arrows, which couldn’t penetrate the silk fibers.

Ancient India has been home to many unique weapons. The world’s first all steel bow was made in India. Some other weapons from the subcontinent are the famous kukri knife, the tiger claw weapon used by assassins, tridents, the long handled mace, swords, axes, and spears of all shapes and sizes.


The Army of The Mauryan Empire
The Mauryan empire was the first empire that managed to unite all of India. This was partially because of their complex army structure. Like most ancient Indian armies, the Mauryan army had 4 types of troops- elephant (gaja), chariot (ratha), cavalry (turanga), and infantry (pada).

The army was broken into many units. The smallest unit was called a patti, and had 1 chariot, 1 elephant, 3 cavalry and 5 infantry. The elephant and chariot would typically be in the center with the cavalry and infantry surrounding them. Three patti made up a Sena mukha, and three Sena Mukha made up a Gulma. Other divisions were the Gana, Vahini, Pratana, Camu and Ani kini, each of which was three times as big as the one preceding it. The Aksauhini was composed of ten Ani kini, and was the largest unit in an army.

The Mauryan army had multiple Aksauhini's. The standing army had three-quarter million troops, one of the largest armies in the world at the time.

A variety of formations were used in the Mauryan army. Formations were known as vyuha, each one had a center, two flanks and two wings. There were thirty main vyuha used, divided into four main categories. One example of a vyuha would be the Padma vyuha or lotus formation.

It would be easy to visualise the 'padma vyuha' if it is imagined as a six pointed star. The Deputy Commanders-in-Chief would be placed at each outer point of the petals and at the inner end, where each end of lotus petal joins with the other, to form an inner-circle resembling the corolla of the lotus, the Commanders-in-Chief would be stationed. The space between any two 'petals' is the only access to reach the centre of the 'lotus' where the Supreme Commander was placed. If a contingent of enemy soldiers moved between any two petals for this purpose, the petals would close in and crush the invader like the powerful tentacles of a crab.

The Garuda Vyuha or Eagle formation was another commonly used formation.

The Garuda Vyuha had a 'beak' where the best elite Kshatriya soldiers would be placed in tight wedge formation. The 'head,' behind the beak had a small contigent of reserves, also of good quality. Often, war elephants would be placed in the beak and head. Two broad 'wings' would sweep out behind the head, with the swiftest troops - the chariots and cavalry at the outside. Behind the wings, the body, would consist of reserves.

Some other formations:

Suchi vyuha - Needle formation
Chayana vyuha - Hawk formation
Mala vyuha - Garland formation
Karuncha vyuha - Heron formation
Makara vyuha - Fish formation
Padma vyuha - Lotus formation
Kurma vyuha - Turtle formation
Trishula vyuha - Trident formation
Chakra vyuha - Wheel or Discus formation
Garuda vyuha - Eagle formation

The Mauryan army was composed of people all over the subcontinent. In addition, Chandragupta Maurya did not discriminate against different castes, as he was of low caste himself (reputedly he was the son of a peacock tamer ). As a result, there were soldiers in his army from all castes, making the army very diverse.

The core of the army was composed of Uttarapathian warriors, from central and western India. Uttarapatha had many militaristic peoples – like the Kambojas, Yavanas, Sakas and Vardas. Other peoples in the Mauryan army were the Maghadas, Assamese, and Cheras. Even the Nagas (literally serpents, because they worshiped cobras), a mystical people to the east, were incorporated into the army.

Dastaar (Persian word last time I checked), is sign of respect and stature in many cultures including Indonesian, Malaysian, Iraqi, Iranian, Afghani, Rajputs, Even Native American Indians! None of these cultures sees it as 'polite' for anyone to touch the insignia of their respectability, what makes you thinks Sikhs (who are probably the last people to adopt this rivaaj) should be/or have been, any different?

Again, that is not a unique Sikh tradition. I have come across it personally in Borneo (Head Hunter decendants) and Indonesian marital circles. I am pretty sure the Samurai have a similar philosophy. The Borneons believe the sword has its own spirit and the more blood it tastes (the more it craves). The real swords to resect are those that have a tally! Nepalse and Filipino also have a culture of 'baptising' every weapon upon completion by taking a life with it (animal sacrifice).

At the most practical level, a weapon should be respected for it's purpose, hence the saying. Aside from training and maintenance, there is no need to keep dwawing a shastar from its sheath i.e. for fun/entertainment etc. These practices were made to create respect, today we laugh at them, which is not surprising, as most people have no idea how to use their kirpan/shastar (or items from personal collections), hence have no idea of their capability.

Being left handed is a sign of 'evil' to varying degrees in most historic cultures in the world. I know this via martial arts circles - where old school Indonesian, Filipino, Chinese Masters didn't take on lefties (or required them to learn right handed only), I think the same was true of Indian martial Akharas too.

I remember the fish and milk one, that might be something more traditional medicine (scientific) reltated possibly...

There is also the one about eyes twitching (bad luck), and scratching your left or right hand, right looses money and left gains... that one actually works lol! Also, black cat cutting your path (turn back). Not washing hair on Tuesdays... put something black on anything that looks beautiful (buri nazar etc)... dogs howling at night> someone is going to die (not sure if thats Indian or European actually).

I'm not an expert on this subject or anything :-0

Another one was loha nahi kharkhona, bad to hit metal on metal... I used to have a bad habit of jingling my keys whe I was a kid. Nowadays I take that to mean never strike a sword with another sword, only the hand/arm that controls it etc.