Presenting
Author's note
My nine decades of experience during tumultuous changes in the world has strengthened my beliefs in the lesson contained in our Scriptures. Some of the traditions and methods found in the Hindu sacred texts like Prastanatreya, Puranas and Itihasas captured my interest and I decided to incorporate my views in a wider canvas by using Santana Dharma as a solution to our present predicament of destruction of our environment. Sanatan Dharma, as a way of life, which majority of people of the Indian sub-continent believe in, has taken care of the nation’s interest in all spheres of its peoples’ life. The traditional practices followed by us were based on our puranic lore and old scriptures. Its impact has positively influenced many countries of the near East for a long time. Many of the ancient practices like yoga and meditation have been acknowledged and followed by rest of the world as beneficial to mankind.
While science and technological advances have improved many aspects of the human life, the single-minded search for increased physical comfort and material happiness alone has corrupted our tradition and old cultural values to some extent. We have neglected the basic concept of a truly holistic and self-regenerative environment which has been our legacy from early days of our existence.
The aim of writing this book is to provide a clearer understanding of Hindu way of life or Santana Dharma, based on our Scriptures. It can help reverse the current travails facing us. I also want to emphasize that the opinions expressed in this book are based on my experiences and readings and if it offends or upsets anyone, that is not my intention at all.
I wish to record my thanks to well-wishers and friends for their support. Special mention to my daughter Vinita Srivalsan for editing the book and my grandson Tejes Srivalsan for building this website.
IN THE PRESS
Though the book is about Hindu philosophy, I learned so much about religion, science, and history!
Sukumaran Kundotil
About
Col Balagopalan was born in a middle class Hindu Nair Tharavad in Palakkad nearly two decades before India got Independence. Palakkad was earlier famous as a granary of Kerala and also boasted of 64 Agraharams (Brahmin villages) steeped in Hindu Vedic culture. The first decade of his childhood was spent in various townships in British Malabar ending in Palakkad where he did his schooling and graduation. Afterwards he moved out of Palakkad, passing out as part of the first batch of Engineering Graduates from the prestigious Madras University after Independence. Instead of joining immediately as a Junior Engineer with the local Malampuzha Dam Project under construction then, he spent one year travelling around India staying in the four metro cities visiting nearby places of interest and having a taste of Indian culture in those regions.
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Then he joined the Military Engineering Services as in-charge of Electrical and Water Supply of a Cantonment in Pune and for about two and half years before getting selected for Permanent Commission in Corps of EME. He has actively functioned in most areas of Army life, in command of workshops in peace and field areas at three different levels, training officers on technical and preventive maintenance aspects of Army mechanical equipment and in design and development of maintainability of equipment in High Altitude and desert terrains during his Army service. His regret was that he could take active part only in the 1971 war.
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As a civilian, he kept his engineering interest alive by managing a small industrial factory and coaching students for engineering diplomas till 1995. He is now enjoying his sunset years in company of relatives and friends trying to study the intricacies of Sanatana Dharma to find how it can improve our way of living. This book is a small beginning in that direction.