Dharm

Faith is where empathy is With rage there is sin

Hatred finds place in hell Forgiveness is where He is

Awaken! -

Dawn is breaking... -

Washing away the cover of darkness

Dawn is breaking...

Awaken!

May Lord Shiva bless you

Shake away the mist of dreams

Focus on the task at hand

It will take you down the path to salvation

Every direction beckons you -

Aboard the boat of life -

- You'll be carried by the holy river's tide

Dawn is breaking...

Awaken!

'Accept this offering O Keshava'

'Accept this offering O Narayana'

'Accept this prayer, O Mighty Sun God'

'O Lord, creator of the universe remove our miseries, vices and sorrows'

'Give us the ability to lead upright, good lives'

The fluttering leaves point the way

The river flows as it cleanses your sins -

- And the temple bells sound the presence of the Lord

Dawn is breaking...

Awaken! O traveler-

Life is passing you by-

- Hold on to that faint string... - and do what is only right

Dawn is breaking

Welcome

I seek your blessings Punditji

You're late as usual

It's almost afternoon

I reached home late last night after a wedding ceremony...

My 3 year old son was crying relentlessly...

due to an upset stomach

I fell asleep, putting him to bed

Before I knew it, the Sun God had risen

The sun doesn't rise according to your convenience, Daya Shankar

Leading life by the rising and setting of the sun is the duty of every Brahmin priest

And ostentation isn't the objective of prayer

You may find gullible customers...

but you won't find God

Forgive me Punditji, I didn't see you

How dare you touch and defile Pundit Chaturvedi!

I am sorry Punditji. Please forgive me

Kalua! Mallah! Come here... Hurry!

He's defiled Pundit Chaturvedi

Beat him up

Stop!

Stop! Don't hit him

'O Lord purify my mind, body and soul'

What's going on?

We are Brahmins

Lord Brahma himself gave us this most superior caste

Even the shadow of that lowly untouchable shouldn't fall on us

And he touched Pundit Chaturvedi!

'May this thread of Lord Brahma confer upon me knowledge and wisdom'

Greetings Punditji

That poor man was beaten up for your sake

And you didn't intervene?

Why should he?

That lowly fool has defiled Pundit Chaturvedi

The divine light created by the Lord is the genesis of all mankind

Then how can one man be different from another?

Our scriptures also state this. Don't they?

Are you trying to teach Punditji the scriptures?

We challenge you to a debate with him

Shyam!

Lord Shiva has blessed me with the knowledge of the scriptures

What about the truth of life?

Hail, the mighty Lord Shiva

- Awaken! - Dawn is breaking

I'm sending sweets to your house... offer them to the God sin your prayers

Thank you. My daughter will bring the money

Punditji, what did that mystic mean?

Knowing the meaning is not enough

To understand religion, one must live by its tenets

The world is full of so called mystics

If you want to grasp the true essence of the Hindu religion pay attention to Punditji's teachings

Understand Mr. Paul?

Goras Nath, I'm not going to change my mind,

I will not to be a part of any religious propaganda

My child, come back in an hour

'I recite the names of the places where you dwell'

'My sins from 7 lifetimes will be destroyed by this recollection'

'By merely looking at your image...

'I'll no longer be touched by sin'

'I pray to you morning and evening, O Lord'

'Detach me from Karma , so I can only live to please you'

'Hail, the mighty Lord Shiva! '

'You are the incarnation of compassion'

'You're the very essence of life'

'Your eternal abode is the heart of your devotee'

'I bow to you Lord Shiva and your consort Parvati'

'My Lord Shiva is the one in eternal bliss'

'The one who is resplendent and omnipresent'

'The one who embodies the scriptures'

'The one who is limitless and pure like the sky. I adore you'

'O beloved Lord of all...

with shimmering jewels in his ears'

'Your beautiful large eyes...

full of mercy and a cheerful countenance. I adore you'

'Hail, the mighty Lord Shiva'

May the mighty Lord Shiva bless you

Be careful. Do not eat street food or take a helping from others

Communal riots broke out in Bhadohi early this morning...

persons from a minority community are reported dead

Many homes have been burnt down

What sparked off this Hindu-Muslim riot?

Hindu-Muslim animosity is part of our history

Any small scuffle...

can trigger a riot

Which means...

father and son...

husband and wife...

relatives and brothers can forsake each other

But Mother Ganges never forsakes...

who-so-ever takes a dip in Her holy waters

The River Goddess Ganges...

washes away his sins and liberates him

In this modern world...

where virtues are disappearing...

we are fortunate for the presence of Mother Ganges

Are your students late today?

Or have I finished my chores early?

All you have been quick at, is forgetting, Parvati

Will you teach the students...

while I perform the prayers at Vishnu Singh's house?

Today, is the fire ritual for Surya Prakash, let's hope the Gods drive some sense into his head

He is unlike his father

So hot headed

This may take a lot of time

Many lifetimes I believe

I was referring to the fire ritual

That won't take much time

So, you won't be able to eat before noon

I am a Brahmin. I feed the soul first

But you must eat. Don't wait for me

The doctor has adviced you to eat on time

I am a brahmin's wife. I know what is good for my soul

I will wait for you

You're a woman

You needn't live by the rule sprescribed for men

I know

The scriptures also prescribe that every woman be a dutiful wife -

Pativrat

Punditji!

I read somewhere that a woman's... Pativrat Dharm

dictates she must obey all of her husband's wishes

It is written in the Manu Smriti

In chapter 9, verse 154 - 55

Very good my child

Paul, a woman without husband has no status in society

What are you learning from Punditji today?

We're on an interesting subject A woman's Dharma as a dutiful wife

You've performed good deeds in your past life...

to have the good fortune to come all the way to India...

and learn about our religion and culture from Punditji

And some unfortunate people, despite being born here...

Shut up! Just shut up!

Don't interfere, Prabha

I have decided she won't go

She wants to study. - Please let her go

Keep your mouth shut!

Punditji, do I have to be apart of the ritual?

It was difficult convincing father to let me study further

Today is the last day for submitting the application

But my brother says... - You've studied enough!

There is a ceremony in the house and she wants to go and study

You keep quiet, father!

Educated girls have neither virtues nor values

Values!

Good values require that you don't talk down to anyone...

especially to your father

As far as Mani is concerned...

she is not required at this prayer

Vishnu Singhji may allow her to leave

You may go, my child

Prabha will look after the prayer preparations

Then, I will not be a part of this ceremony

You'll do as I say!

His ritual will take place...

and you will be a part of it

Pundit Chaturvedi is encouraging her bad behaviour

If the elder brother is forbidding it, why does he need to butt in?

He thinks he is God

And father and the foolish people of Benares believe he is God

He is not!

And still he insists on controlling everyone's life

You scoundrel! Don't I know you'd love the same

You'd love to have Pundit Chaturvedi's job and status

Welcome, sir.

Come, pray. Peace for father, grandfather, your dead

That is ridiculous!

So what if he holds the highest post of priesthood...

My knowledge is no less than his

Welcome madam

Perform the invocation ceremony, seek the blessings of River Ganges

Ma'am, fees