World Cup an Example of the pitfalls of Vedic materialism

[Guest guest]

"Before every Brazil match, 'yagnas', or sacred fire ceremonies,

were performed across the state for the victory of the yellow-green

brigade, but for once both the god and the giants of Brazil failed

their die-hard supporters in this far away land where soccer is a

religion too."

 

 

 

Pall of gloom in football-mad Bengal over Brazil's defeat

 

By Sujoy Dhar, Indo-Asian News Service

 

Kolkata, July 2 (IANS) Firecrackers were ready but the Samba party

was cut short by a nemesis called France. So instead of bursting

crackers, in the wee hours of Sunday Bengal bid a tearful adieu to

its favourite team from the World Cup.

'I am crying. I cannot believe it still. It is shocking, to say

the least,' said Abir Das, an impassioned Brazil fan in south

Kolkata's Lake Gardens, mourning with wife Sonali.

 

Like the couple, countless fans shed silent tears in West Bengal

where soccer lovers traditionally root for Brazil like their own

country and watched every Brazil match and cheered for Ronaldo and

Ronaldinho.

 

With Brazil crashing out of the World Cup with a 1-0 loss to France

in the quarterfinal, powered by a resurgent Zinedine Zidane, a pall

of gloom has descended on Kolkata and rest of West Bengal where the

giants of Brazil are worshipped.

 

Before every Brazil match, 'yagnas', or sacred fire ceremonies, were

performed across the state for the victory of the yellow-green

brigade, but for once both the god and the giants of Brazil failed

their die-hard supporters in this far away land where soccer is a

religion too.

 

'I love Zidane and France. So perhaps even in grief I am happy. But

the exit of Brazil from the World Cup is too much to stomach,' said

a member of the Sabuj Sangha club in Kalighat locality of south

Kolkata.

 

But city soccer experts like former player Shyam Thapa are less

emotional in their reactions.

 

'What football did they (Brazil) play? It is not that France played

superior football. Take for example Ronaldinho, whom I consider the

villain of the tournament. He did not score a single goal in the

whole tournament,' said Thapa.

 

'They started too confidently yesterday but when Zidane started

playing they looked so nervous,' Thapa said.

 

Before the soccer carnival kicked off in Germany last month, Kolkata

clubs like Sabuj Sangha had performed prayers for the invincibility

of Brazil.

 

At a local temple, members of Sabuj Sangha club had performed an

elaborate ritual with the chanting of Vedic hymns and distribution

of sweets while the womenfolk had sat through the entire event.

 

'India may not be playing in the World Cup but Brazil is our

representative there and hence this ritual,' said one of the

organisers of the club in Kalighat, who now has to wait for another

four years for the gods to listen.

 

In a city where soccer mania is plain jingoism dividing the Bengali

population between arch-rival clubs of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan

for several decades, it is Brazil that unites the people when it

comes to international soccer.

 

City walls were painted yellow-green with larger than life

Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in dribbling motions.

 

Brazil-besotted youngsters had painted their faces with the colours

of the Samba nation while in the city's Maidan Market in downtown

Esplanade the scene was straight out of Rio de Janerio in the run-up

to the Cup with rows of sport goods shops selling yellow-green

jerseys, souvenirs, caps and flags of the Latin American country.

 

While the jerseys would be quietly hidden in the wardrobes, the wall

graffiti would stare as a mute testimony to the love and loss of an

Indian state in mourning for Brazil for quite some time.

 

For soccer fans here, there is little to look forward to in the

remaining part of the World Cup as their second choice Argentina has

also crashed out earlier.

 

Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/39096.php/Pall_of_gloom_in_football-

mad_Bengal_over_Brazils_defeat

[Guest guest]

Sir,

Kindly permit me to submit a second opinion.

This performance and use of Yagnas and Pujas as an 'antibiotic remote

control atomic bomb' to get a success in the material world is a phenomenon

which our pouranik tantrik karmkand has brought on our nation as one of

the reasons for lack of individual pursuit of & effort towards excellence,

and hoping that God's in heaven will give us all we ask for just by our only

performing these karmakand exercises, and that too by proxy as being

performed by the priests..

This is only due to even our best Vedic Scholars not making any efforts to

study and learn the deeper, rational and scientific linkages in Vedas.In the

recent Indian history two scholars Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Yogi

Aurobindo have shown the direction in which efforts are required by our

scholars to take up the study of Vedas. Performances of Bengal foot ball

fans such as referred by you , I hope do dispel the mythical claims made by

our priests at least from the minds of young people. But in the process the

true Vedic message also gets in to disrepute and doubt.

Subodh kumar

 

On 13/07/06, Vrndavan Parker <vrnparker > wrote:

>

> "Before every Brazil match, 'yagnas', or sacred fire ceremonies,

> were performed across the state for the victory of the yellow-green

> brigade, but for once both the god and the giants of Brazil failed

> their die-hard supporters in this far away land where soccer is a

> religion too."

>

> Pall of gloom in football-mad Bengal over Brazil's defeat

>

> By Sujoy Dhar, Indo-Asian News Service

>

> Kolkata, July 2 (IANS) Firecrackers were ready but the Samba party

> was cut short by a nemesis called France. So instead of bursting

> crackers, in the wee hours of Sunday Bengal bid a tearful adieu to

> its favourite team from the World Cup.

>

> 'I am crying. I cannot believe it still. It is shocking, to say

> the least,' said Abir Das, an impassioned Brazil fan in south

> Kolkata's Lake Gardens, mourning with wife Sonali.

>

> Like the couple, countless fans shed silent tears in West Bengal

> where soccer lovers traditionally root for Brazil like their own

> country and watched every Brazil match and cheered for Ronaldo and

> Ronaldinho.

>

> With Brazil crashing out of the World Cup with a 1-0 loss to France

> in the quarterfinal, powered by a resurgent Zinedine Zidane, a pall

> of gloom has descended on Kolkata and rest of West Bengal where the

> giants of Brazil are worshipped.

>

> Before every Brazil match, 'yagnas', or sacred fire ceremonies, were

> performed across the state for the victory of the yellow-green

> brigade, but for once both the god and the giants of Brazil failed

> their die-hard supporters in this far away land where soccer is a

> religion too.

>

> 'I love Zidane and France. So perhaps even in grief I am happy. But

> the exit of Brazil from the World Cup is too much to stomach,' said

> a member of the Sabuj Sangha club in Kalighat locality of south

> Kolkata.

>

> But city soccer experts like former player Shyam Thapa are less

> emotional in their reactions.

>

> 'What football did they (Brazil) play? It is not that France played

> superior football. Take for example Ronaldinho, whom I consider the

> villain of the tournament. He did not score a single goal in the

> whole tournament,' said Thapa.

>

> 'They started too confidently yesterday but when Zidane started

> playing they looked so nervous,' Thapa said.

>

> Before the soccer carnival kicked off in Germany last month, Kolkata

> clubs like Sabuj Sangha had performed prayers for the invincibility

> of Brazil.

>

> At a local temple, members of Sabuj Sangha club had performed an

> elaborate ritual with the chanting of Vedic hymns and distribution

> of sweets while the womenfolk had sat through the entire event.

>

> 'India may not be playing in the World Cup but Brazil is our

> representative there and hence this ritual,' said one of the

> organisers of the club in Kalighat, who now has to wait for another

> four years for the gods to listen.

>

> In a city where soccer mania is plain jingoism dividing the Bengali

> population between arch-rival clubs of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan

> for several decades, it is Brazil that unites the people when it

> comes to international soccer.

>

> City walls were painted yellow-green with larger than life

> Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in dribbling motions.

>

> Brazil-besotted youngsters had painted their faces with the colours

> of the Samba nation while in the city's Maidan Market in downtown

> Esplanade the scene was straight out of Rio de Janerio in the run-up

> to the Cup with rows of sport goods shops selling yellow-green

> jerseys, souvenirs, caps and flags of the Latin American country.

>

> While the jerseys would be quietly hidden in the wardrobes, the wall

> graffiti would stare as a mute testimony to the love and loss of an

> Indian state in mourning for Brazil for quite some time.

>

> For soccer fans here, there is little to look forward to in the

> remaining part of the World Cup as their second choice Argentina has

> also crashed out earlier.

>

> Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

> http://www.dailyindia.com/show/39096.php/Pall_of_gloom_in_football-

> mad_Bengal_over_Brazils_defeat

>

>

>

 

 

 

--

Subodh Kumar