Hindu Arabic Nemeric system

Before the rise of the Arab empire, the Hindu-Arabic numeral system was already moving West and was mentioned in Syria in 662 AD
by the Syrian-Orthodox scholar Severus Sebokht who wrote:
"I will omit all discussion of the science of the Indians, ... , of their subtle discoveries in astronomy, discoveries that are more
ingenious than those of the Greeks and the Babylonians, and of their valuable methods of calculation which surpass description.
I wish only to say that this computation is done by means of nine signs. If those who believe, because they speak Greek, that they
have arrived at the limits of science, would read the Indian texts, they would be convinced, even if a little late in the day, that there are
others who know something of value."

Impact on Mathematics
The significance of the development of the positional number system is probably best described by the French mathematician
Pierre Simon Laplace (1749 - 1827) who wrote:
"It is India that gave us the ingenuous method of expressing all numbers by the means of ten symbols, each symbol receiving a value of position, as well as an absolute value; a profound and important idea which appears so simple to us now that we ignore its true merit, but its very simplicity, the great ease which it has lent to all computations, puts our arithmetic in the first rank of useful
inventions, and we shall appreciate the grandeur of this achievement when we remember that it escaped the genius of Archimedes
and Apollonius, two of the greatest minds produced by antiquity."

Tobias Dantzig, the father of George Dantzig had this to say in Number:

"This long period of nearly five thousand years saw the rise and fall of many a civilization, each leaving behind it a heritage of
literature, art, philosophy, and religion. But what was the net achievement in the field of reckoning, the earliest art practiced by man?
An inflexible numeration so crude as to make progress well nigh impossible, and a calculating device so limited in scope that even
elementary calculations called for the services of an expert [...]
Man used these devices for thousands of years without contributing a single important idea to the system [...] Even when compared
with the slow growth of ideas during the dark ages, the history of reckoning presents a peculiar picture of desolate stagnation.
When viewed in this light, the achievements of the unknown Hindu, who some time in the first centuries of our era discovered the
principle of position, assumes the importance of a world event."

Kaupina Panchakam

Kaupeena Panchakam by Sri Adi Shankaracharya
This is a very short poem with five stanzas written by Shankaracharya which glorifies the life of a Sannyasi. A Sadhu renounces every thing before entering in to Sannyas, and wears only a kaupina aka kaupeena (loin cloth). That too is for the sake of the world.

Vedantha Vakhyeshu Sada ramantho, Bhikshannamathrena trishtimantha, Vishokamantha karane charantha, Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha -1 Who is reveling in the thoughts of Vedantic declarations, Whom does a meager portion of begged-food satisfy, Who is walking around without a trace of sorrow The man with just the loincloth is indeed the lucky one. -1 Moolam tharo kevalam ashrayantha, Panidhvayam bhokthuma manthrayantha, Kandhamiva sreemapi kuthsayantha, Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha -2 Who rests (sleeps) at the roots of a tree, Taking only two hands-full of food Who is disregarding wealth as a torn piece of cloth The man with just the loincloth is indeed the lucky one. -2 Swananda bhava pari thushti mantha, Sushantha sarvendriya vruthi mantha, Aharnisam brahma sukhe ramantha, Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha - 3 Always contented in the joy of ones own self Who is peaceful by curbing desires his senses Who is immersed day and night in the bliss of Brahman The man with just the loincloth is indeed the lucky one. -3 Dehadhi bhavam parivarthayantha, Swathmana athmanyavalokayantha, Naantha na Madhyam na bahi smarantha, Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha - 4 Always witnessing the changes of his own body, Who is seeing himself as the Self, the changeless, And who never bothers to think about the end, middle and outside (of the world), The man with just the loincloth is indeed the lucky one. -4 Brahmaksharam pavanamucharantho, Brahmahamasmeethi vibhavayantha, Bhikshashano dikshu paribramayantha, Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha - 5 Always singing the sacred glory of Brahman, the eternal Always contemplating that ‘I am Brahman’, Who is wandering around just on alms obtained, The man with just the loincloth is indeed the lucky one. -5

The Kaupinam

The Kaupina It is a loin cloth passed between the legs and held by a string at the waist, just enough to cover the private parts. The remainder of the cloth acts as a curtain. Kaupina is a distinctly Indian form of clothing from ancient times. Even today (2006) one can come across priests, fishermen, craftsmen, laborers, tribals, and ascetics wearing only the kaupina. Even women (during their menstrual cycles) used to wear kaupina. People who wore other attires (like dhoti or sari ) also wore kaupina as an undergarment. But its use has decreased after the arrival of machine-made undergarments.

Kaupina in Indian Culture
Kaupina features often in Indian literature.
Sri Shankaracharya has written a poem containing five verses on praising the Kaupina called Kaupina Panchakam
. It is considered to be one of the highest Vedantic text of dispassion for the Sadhaks.
Kaupina is the attire of Lord Shiva, and sadhus who worship him wear the kaupina as the sole clothing as they beg or meditate.

In the recent times, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, a great Mahatma, used only a Kaupina as he walked around Arunachala hills in Thiruvannamala.

A part of the Hindu initiation ceremony involves teaching the boys how to wear the kaupina.
You will also see many drawings and temple sculptures with people wearing just a kaupina.

As part of the History Many illustrations of India drawn by visiting Europeans in 18th and 19th centuries feature men working in a kaupina -- either by choice or out of poverty. Many medieval poets and saints are also described as "clad in kaupina". Kaupina aka Kaupeena, Kaupinam.

Jal mahal

Jal mahal
Originally uploaded by dhyanji.

i never expected or even dreamt that this photo will be in the interestingness of flicker.
front page of explore? wow. a big wow.
thanks to Nikon D70s

Intention of McCauley

Lord McCauley in his speech of 2 Feb 1835, British Parliament

Intention of Lord McCauley

"I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber,that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem,their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation".

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