Navya Shastra
Encyclopedia
Navya Shastra is an internet-based New-Age cult founded in the United States in 2002. Its head office is in Troy, Michigan. Navya Shastra translates to "New Rules" and as the name indicates the group seeks to formulate its own religious rules. Although the word Shastra originated in Hinduism, Navya Shastra wants to write its own rules and form its own religion and is therefore classified as a New Age group. What sets Navya Shastra apart from many other cults is that their focus is on social and political issues rather than spiritual matters.
In recent times, Navya Shastra has extended its focus beyond its New Age beliefs and has reached out to other groups. When it congratulated Pope Benedict XVI
upon his election to office http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4036-2005Apr20.html, it was an attempt to build bridges with the Vatican.
Navya Shastra's message regarding the entry of women to the sacred temple at Sabarimala http://www.shastras.org/PressRelease29.html was an anti-Hindu missive that clearly showed their separation from Hinduism and their establishment as a New Age cult. According to Navya Shastra's website, 'The rationale for the ban is unclear, though it has been suggested by many that it is rooted in ancient purity taboos; the unanimous orthodox support for it has never been seriously challenged until now. "The fear of a woman's pollution is ancient and pernicious." said Dr. Jaishree Gopal, Navya Shastra Chairman, "it is time to rid ourselves of the old prejudices and usher in a new era of spiritual equality," she added.'
However, the tradition at Sabarimala is rooted in the fact that the Indian state of Kerala has several temples devoted to Lord Ayyappa in various stages of his life and the temple at Sabarimala depicts him as a Sanyasi. http://prakashvis.blogspot.com/2008/12/sabari-mala-trip-ii.html Since the Hindu belief is that Ayyappa had taken up the vows of celibacy and become a Sanyasi, both women and men respect this decision of Ayyappa. This tradition has however come under attack by Christian missionaries and hence Jaishree Gopal's statement has not only been considered ignorant but has also been described as the missionary position. In addition to the tradition at Sabarimala, there are temples and festivals in India where women play a dominant role.
Since spiritual pursuit in Hinduism requires one to renounce the world, the statement about "spiritual equality" in order to prove a political point is seen as a statement that has nothing to do with Hinduism but is meant to cast Hindus in the image of the Whites in the West.
It has also been noted that although Kerala has a substantial number of Christians and Muslims, Navya Shastra has not objected to Indian Muslim women being forced to wear burqas and Christian women being forbidden from becoming members of the clergy.
Navya Shastra's positions are identical to those of Western groups that oppose Hindus. However, Navya Shastra has gone the extra mile and thinks up new reasons to blame Hinduism. For example, as an explanation for the abortion of girl children, they have turned the widely accepted reason of poverty on its head and instead come up with a fabulous claim that female fetuses are aborted because only males can perform funeral rites in Hinduism. Even Christian Missionaries did not think this up. This explanation clearly must have been the result of the hard work by VV Raman who must have sat up all night thinking up a new explanation to prove that they are a New Age Cult that can also give original explanations. An amusing point about the New Age cult is that they actually granted a title of "Acharya Vidyasagar" to VV Raman indicating that Navya Shastra thinks that granting titles to each other will make them important.
An important member of Navya Shastra has advocated the military invasion of India by a coalition led by an organization in which the membership to its most important forum is restricted to people of the White and Chinese Race. Navyashastra has also been termed a "Christist front" by a leading journalist in India.http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com/2011/02/lttecrypto-christist-we-at-navyashastra.html
In recent times, Navya Shastra has extended its focus beyond its New Age beliefs and has reached out to other groups. When it congratulated Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
upon his election to office http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4036-2005Apr20.html, it was an attempt to build bridges with the Vatican.
Navya Shastra's message regarding the entry of women to the sacred temple at Sabarimala http://www.shastras.org/PressRelease29.html was an anti-Hindu missive that clearly showed their separation from Hinduism and their establishment as a New Age cult. According to Navya Shastra's website, 'The rationale for the ban is unclear, though it has been suggested by many that it is rooted in ancient purity taboos; the unanimous orthodox support for it has never been seriously challenged until now. "The fear of a woman's pollution is ancient and pernicious." said Dr. Jaishree Gopal, Navya Shastra Chairman, "it is time to rid ourselves of the old prejudices and usher in a new era of spiritual equality," she added.'
However, the tradition at Sabarimala is rooted in the fact that the Indian state of Kerala has several temples devoted to Lord Ayyappa in various stages of his life and the temple at Sabarimala depicts him as a Sanyasi. http://prakashvis.blogspot.com/2008/12/sabari-mala-trip-ii.html Since the Hindu belief is that Ayyappa had taken up the vows of celibacy and become a Sanyasi, both women and men respect this decision of Ayyappa. This tradition has however come under attack by Christian missionaries and hence Jaishree Gopal's statement has not only been considered ignorant but has also been described as the missionary position. In addition to the tradition at Sabarimala, there are temples and festivals in India where women play a dominant role.
Since spiritual pursuit in Hinduism requires one to renounce the world, the statement about "spiritual equality" in order to prove a political point is seen as a statement that has nothing to do with Hinduism but is meant to cast Hindus in the image of the Whites in the West.
It has also been noted that although Kerala has a substantial number of Christians and Muslims, Navya Shastra has not objected to Indian Muslim women being forced to wear burqas and Christian women being forbidden from becoming members of the clergy.
Navya Shastra's positions are identical to those of Western groups that oppose Hindus. However, Navya Shastra has gone the extra mile and thinks up new reasons to blame Hinduism. For example, as an explanation for the abortion of girl children, they have turned the widely accepted reason of poverty on its head and instead come up with a fabulous claim that female fetuses are aborted because only males can perform funeral rites in Hinduism. Even Christian Missionaries did not think this up. This explanation clearly must have been the result of the hard work by VV Raman who must have sat up all night thinking up a new explanation to prove that they are a New Age Cult that can also give original explanations. An amusing point about the New Age cult is that they actually granted a title of "Acharya Vidyasagar" to VV Raman indicating that Navya Shastra thinks that granting titles to each other will make them important.
An important member of Navya Shastra has advocated the military invasion of India by a coalition led by an organization in which the membership to its most important forum is restricted to people of the White and Chinese Race. Navyashastra has also been termed a "Christist front" by a leading journalist in India.http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com/2011/02/lttecrypto-christist-we-at-navyashastra.html