13/03/2010 09:53:49 K.Venugopal
If the first video of Swami Nithyananda purportedly having sex was shocking, the second video now showing on the net is even more shocking - I think it is a masterly evidence, released by the Swamiji himself, of his claim that the first video was morphed. This is exactly what the second video proves. There is no sex at all here. Massaging yes, but no sex. And massaging only of Swamiji’s face, shoulders, back and chest. The only question now is whether the Swamiji should have allowed a woman to even touch him, that too in his bedroom. This apart, the woman doing the massaging came through as a trained, disciplined and efficient professional nurse. Maybe she is a disciple - but then she could well have been a sister or mother or daughter, certainly not a sexual paramour.
Who released the second video? Certainly not the folks who released the first video. Why would anyone who wanted the Swamiji’s name tarnished release a video which does not incriminate the Swamiji in any way? Therefore it is obvious that it was released under the instructions of the Swamiji himself. This also reveals that Swamiji had a CCTV installed in his bedroom as a security measure and it was from these genuine tapes that the scoundrel of a driver got professionals to morph and "expose" the Swamiji. Now I understand why the Swamiji is silent about sex in the video - he feels it is absolutely below his dignity to talk about surreptitious sex. With the release of the second tape, he has let all critiques and the public in general do the talking to clear his name.
Now what is left is for the Swamiji is to bring hefty criminal charges against all those who sought to vilify him. He owes it to the Hindu society - for the real purpose of the vilifiers was to vilify Hinduism itself.
Jayaraj
16/03/2010 23:09:09 hi
The points of view of mr. vijaya must be his personal and not HK's. Its not out of question if some one belives that HK medium is used to protect a now notorious individual.
Murali S Thampan
16/03/2010 22:59:32 Opinion
Dear Dr. Vijaya Rajiva,
What is required is a cerebral analysis and not deluded theories. No body is interested in the issue of landed property of Sri. Nityananda. It seems you are trying to push him upon Hindus which majority will resist, howsoever strong the argumens appears to be . As for Sri.Nityanda is concrened-A conman is conman.
Thank you all for reading and airing their views.
Regards,
Murali
Raj Puducode
16/03/2010 21:56:20 Islamic Godmen
LUCKNOW: Heightened superstition coupled with blind faith in self-proclaimed godmen saw a middle-aged housewife being held hostage for three days, pinned to a charpoi, gagged and her throat and wrists slit, before she was stubbed with lit candles and beaten with a stick, simultaneously. The victim, somehow managed to escape on the pretext of going to the bathroom.
Writhing in pain, the victim approached the Lucknow police on Tuesday seeking action against the godmen and his associates who recommended treatment to get rid of evil spirits.
Talking to TOI, the victim identified herself as Nisaa Bano, widow of late Qurban Ali of Akbar Nagar under Mahanagar police station circle. “I was not keeping well since my husband’s death and regular visits to the local doctor were also not yielding results when a distant relative of my sister-in-law Ferozan asked us to meet a Maulvi duo Mubeen and Anees from Mehmoodabad in Sitapur. The two were supposedly learned people and vested with powers to help people rid of evil spirits,” said Nisaa Bano.
Moaning in pain every time she moved her head or hands which led to the pulling of the skin around the slit injuries on her neck and wrists, Nisaa said she met the duo at Ferozan’s house in Laxmanpuri of Lucknow on March 10 last. The moment they arrived on the scene, they announced that they could feel the presence of an evil spirit somewhere near them and eventually pointed out towards Nisaa, saying: “They are in you”. This was enough to impress Nisaa and convince her that the duo could help her out of her ailments.
Shortly thereafter, the treatment started on the first floor room of the house where the Maulvis asked her to lie on a charpoi with her eyes closed. “Moments later when I opened my eyes, I found myself pinned to the charpoi with my limbs tightly tied to it. Every time I cried for help, the duo would try to silence her saying that it was not Nisaa but the evil spirit in her that was trying to mislead everyone.
Hary Nambiar
16/03/2010 10:07:46 Receipie has changed and the pudding is not delicious any more
This pudding is now badly fermented. The odor it emanates is very unpleasant. Instead of serving it to the guests it must now be flushed into the sewage. We don’t deserve this lack of courtesy. I hope the publishers understand.
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
16/03/2010 02:25:05 To Dr.Murali Thampan
You continue to fail to understand the relevant point. It does not matter how many people say he is guilty, these are accusations. In a democratic society a person is innocent until proven guilty.
He is being judged by the media without any proof and you seem to be repeating this.
Mr. Venugopal has cited a second video.Let us wait and see that.
The Swami has also given interviews to Times Now (Arnaub Goswami).
Rajiv Malhotra has done 2 interviews with him. Mr. Malhotra is a highly respected intellectual and founder Chair of Infinity Foundation, at Princeton University.Here is a link to the first interview on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiFa5uOt7k
Rather than rush to judgment it is better to stand back and see what the situation is.
All the facts have not come in yet.There are other accusations against the Swami such as that the land has been acquired illegally. He replies to that in the interview.
It is very important that in these times, when the liberal media and other outside forces are trying to corner Hindus and Hinduism, that we keep a cool head and examine each situation carefully.
K.Venugopal
15/03/2010 13:55:58 Congratulations every one.
I am proud of all the comments that have appeared here so far. I think Mr. Kanchan Gupta - Daily Pioneer has hit the nail on the head in his article “Don’t block the ‘Internet Hindus’” quoted elsewhere in HK. I would have been spending sleepless nights wondering the fate of the Swami but all the comments I have read so far gives me much peace of mind. Hindus are robust. They are no longer going to take anything lying down. And Hindus no longer have any fear - they are willing to call a spade a spade (a bloody spade, in Osho's language, if I may say so!). I am glad HK has come to be a forum being used by a growing number of Hindus to have their say. Hindus cannot be straitjacketed and Hinduism does not believe in it. Congratulations every one. With the Swamiji or without him, we are going to ensure Hindu victory.
Murali S Thampan
15/03/2010 11:36:57 Hinduism and Sri. Nityananda
Some of my views here are to provide clarifications to Dr. Vijaya Rajiva and Mr. Nambyar.
1. The points raised by me cannot be "issues" but associated matters that is being discussed due to the haste in which an author and a group of people trying to protect an adharma and by taht process putting him on the tops of Hindusim. The question could be-where discussed. Many of our friends do discuss some of the contents of this site and the comments are an offshoot of that. Many things are being apprciated and when a fallacy is noticed, I would like to call it sas fallacy and not fantasy. Vast majority of the Hindu community will not tolerate any attempt to push Sri. Nityananda on this great religion.
2. Comparison is natural when some people tries to create confusion by equating accusations against a fake sanyasi as if they are against hindusim. Here is when the writer /commentator has offended or attempting to offend hindusim.
3. Where is the question of charges? It is a private matter of a man and a woman. That should end up there. As a Hindu I am not subscring to certain views that he is being castigated. He is destined to suffer now as he acted as if he was/is one of the wholesale dealer of a great religion or some of its tenats.
4.Due process of law is applicable if he has committed a crime?. I do not think Sri. Nityananda has done any crime under Indian laws. With the latest judgement of Delhi High Court, Sri.Nityananda has not committed any crime and consensual sex is perfectly fine under law, as long as that doesn't fall under "immoral acts" under Indian Penal Code.
5. People are free to conceive views. But allmost all whom I have interacted on this subject were sure that this man has caused certain nuisense to the society.
6. Swimming against current is perfectly legal. Hindus, naturally, will resist any attempt to malign their culture by such unholy men.
That is what we are seeing from many comments on this article.
Rajiva
15/03/2010 05:47:51 To Dr.Murali Thampan
It seems to me that you are bringing in too many issues which are not connected with Swami Nityananda.
First, you unneccessarily muddy the waters by talking about the HK website.That is not the issue. We are discussing the Swami's guilt or innocence.
2. Secondly, you are muddying the waters again by bringing in comparisons with the great saints of Hinduism. The issue is: the innocence or guilt of the Swami. In any democratic system, a person is deemed innocent until proven guilty.
3. So far, there have only been accusations, no charges. Anyone can make accusations. Charges are different, they are court based.
And those due processes should be allowed to take place.
Hary Nambiar
15/03/2010 04:47:20 Criticism is out of place. Publisher is free under the freedom of the press
It does not appear to me that the individual in this context needs amateur counseling. Except for several “ifs, buts, perhaps and probably” I don’t see much validity in Venugopal’s write up. However, he serves one important purpose, which is to highlight that what has been claimed originally had not taken place. If the original tape was lengthier than the one flashed by the TV station, there has been some mischievous editing by the vested interests, to say the least. If the original video was shown in the first place, arguments of any irregular act on his part could not have arisen and the vandalism could have been avoided. However, I see validity in the point of view that such an incident should have been avoided.
As I have repeatedly said, it is nobody’s business. The man has not done anything anywhere close what leaders of other religious groups, politicians and so called concerned citizens have done. Did he break laws? It is for the Court to determine. Did he break some hearts? It is not for me to make that judgment. Those who adore him and those who financially sponsor him would make appropriate judgment. Consider this against the news about the suppression of evidence and obstruction of justice so blatantly done by the community big wheels, the Kerala Police and some officers of the Indian judicial system in respect of the murder of Sister Abhaya. Besides, in some other religious context, sex by religious leaders is considered a boom for the young ladies. Dr. Thampan’s repeated insistence sounds like a mediocre record being repeatedly played just because the “disc jockey” likes it. I don’t believe that the publishers of the web site deserve all that criticism that he is throwing at them. The fact that the name of the author is indicated clearly provides a disclaimer. It is naïve to suggest that the publishers should routinely publish the address and other details of the author because it is against freedom of the press.
Nishant
15/03/2010 01:06:31 Sleeping Gaint which never wakes up!
The crux of the story is to erase hinduism.
SEX has no role to play.
The larger picture is clear, we all get get carried away by these sort of reality or fiction.
The truth is we Hindus been outplayed intellectually, economically, politically in every aspect.
All we can do is fight amoung ourselves, we don't have the courage to stand up and put the ball in their court.
Come on guys..this is ours lets give atleast one drop of blood to fight this evil.
Rajesh
15/03/2010 00:01:56 Jose, Christ Cannot Be Guru
Dear Jose,
Please note that when Shiva had Ganga on his head, it was not unknown to Parvati, and no one claimed Ganga was Shiva's wife! He merely held Ganga on his head when she threatened to destroy the earth with the force with which she was falling to earth. So understand the inner meaning.
BTW, how do you expect one 'born of a virgin' to be a true Guru? And how does one who can only 'save' others by dying himself? Why could he not save himself first, instead of claiming to save others? And finally, Christ was chosen as god by 'vote'. Character of Christ is too humourous for even a light hearted consideration as God!
Rajesh
Anil
14/03/2010 22:17:02 Swami
The best defense for Swami(A) is:
1. Publish news and views that attack on him is attack on Hindusim.
2. Castigate other religions and media for the current problem that he face.
3. Be communal and more communal in the coming days.
4. Challenge the courts also.
He is doing the first two now and we can expect the rest in due course.
Dr. Murali S Thampan
14/03/2010 21:19:46 Haindava Keralam Website
The purpose of my comments is to see that HK carries "weight" in its articles. Let me explain:
1.If the concerned article of Mr. Venugopal is not the views of HK, that shall be mentioned in a prominent place. You will see the "discliamer" in all articles, especially when such articles are from an independent source. It is high time that HK to introduce the "legal discliamer" clause in each of the individual articles.
2. Today HK is viewed by many people, I would say thousands across the globe. It is important that HK to come out with a proper editorial board to review and scrutinise the articles appearing in its site.
3. A major point I have is that HK should publish its full address and contact details. Why are we afraid of providing details in the website itself. If HK is 100% sure of its legal standing in the land, it should do that. There are many in this country and abroad who are willing to support the HK financially if it wants or desires to make this site more authentic and informative. In either case, proper publisher details is a must.
4. The discussion on this article is defintely helpful to understand the psyche of hindus. As some one in the discussion pointed out Hindus will not tolerate "adharma". If it is from one of its members, it will defintely oppose such adharma. The young men and women of this great culture are looking at Swami Vevekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahamsar and the likes as their ikons and not the one of Nityananda. Incase any one trying to protect Nityananda and his cult, that tantamount to doing grave injustice to Hindu dharma.
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 15:15:20 I appreciate the publisers of this web site.
I agree with Dr Thampan on more than a couple of issues. I agree with Mr. Pillai partly. If the individual under discussion is an avowed “brahmachari” he should not have contact with a female. He has the right to fulfill his unmet needs, but he should follow the proper procedure. If the man gives an impression of being a “brahmachari” he should refrain having contact with females. Did he take that vow? People have no right to assume things and condemn the man. I agree with Mr Ram that the subsequent tape only introduces more conflicts for the individual. Venugopal, no reader in this site has condemned the man. It is very important to note the views of Dr Thampan, Mr. Ram etc that Hinduism would survive without this individual or others. I have only respect for the publishers of this web site that they have highlighted the issue. They publish issues affecting our philosophy and our way of life which are brought to their notice. They also publish views in support and against those issues regardless of who submits them. If they maintain their current policies and standard, the readership of this site would only increase. I would say “Thank you” to them.
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 15:13:48 Why there is a double standard in his case
The contents of the second tape need Jack Daniel to swallow it down. Ever since I left Elementary School, I had noticed the difference between male and female anatomy. Even the very thought of a female incited changes in my anatomy. If a female massages a male, regardless of the location of the female touch, some other part of his anatomy begins to crave for her attention. Usually the feelings, actions and reactions of the individuals involved are not dissimilar. Then a relationship develops which is much more sublime than the relationship between a “devotee” and a “holy man.” The fact that she is not married to him and the fact that people have different expectations of him, brings up all kind of complicated legal issues of “Undue Influence,” “improper conduct” etc because he is in a position to influence her “mind.”
Nevertheless, the man has the charisma to attract a young female to his bedroom and to motivate her to massage his pressure points and the female involved has no complaint. My question to him (1) if he is doing it under his doctors advise (2) if she is a trained expert on “body massaging,” or a (3) “Physical Therapist etc arise purely out of jealousy. It is just my bad manners and none of my business, but what is new here? Many politicians complain heart disease, cancer and even cist in the uterus when faced with summons to attend the court. We hear that many important political leaders have stashed bribe money in Swiss banks amounting to billions. Some Chief Justices of High Courts have unexplained income of millions. Many religious icons in other religions have been charged for sodomizing minors. Some priests have been charged for sexual predation and even murder. We have not heard about vandalism of private property or private individuals filing law suits! Why this guy should be an exception?
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
14/03/2010 12:12:54 Dr.Murali Thampan
If you read my comment carefully you will see that I am asking that there should be no rush to judgment. I have cited the youtube interview done by Rajiv Malhotra and given the link.
This is normal procedure. Innocent until proven guilty. There are accusations only. No charges, because charges are legal and court based.
I am not surprised at the haste with which the media has rushed to judgment.
I also agree with Mr.Hary Nambiar's comments(see below) and Ram's comments.
In any case, this has nothing to do with the demise of HK or the publication of "calculated articles."
As far as I am aware HK publishes all articles concerned with the Hindu community.
The second interview that Mr. Venugopal mentions will probably come out in due time. That should make for interesting viewing.
It is not a question of whether Hindus need or do not need Swami Nityananda. It is a question of the democratic right of every citizen to be given a fair hearing and if it goes to court, then a fair trial.
Sudhakaran
14/03/2010 11:14:05 Subject of sex
Well,what about Parashar Muni ki kahani?He was the father of Vyasa,the great seer.He was the grandson of Vasishtha..son of Shakti muni.Yet he performed coitus with Matsyagandha,satyavati.That too inside a ferry boat.During the debate with Ubhaya Bharati,Adi sankara fell silent.Why? because he knew nothing about the erotic subject of sex.Then adi Sankaras soul left his body and entered into the body of a dead king (Amaraka)just to experience sex.
Sai
14/03/2010 10:44:40 A request to HK team.
I'm a regular reader of HK. This is really the worst article i've ever come across. I really admire the HK team for coming up with eye opening articles. But this article is certainly unfair and unfit to be hosted in HK. It is not good to defend Nityananda who was caught red-handedly. That video is not a morphed one. Unlike photos, It is not so easy to morph a video. A morphed video can be easily identified. A friend of mine works in blackstone forensics. He told me that the video may not be a morphed one.
If Nityananda is really innocent he would have already filed a petition in supreme court and urged the court to send the videos to most trusted forensic laboratories immediately for expert opinion. He should even have sent legal notices to news channels for telecasting morphed videos as if it were original. it hardly takes 24 hours to do all these things. If he had done those things then we can appreciate that there is a bit of sincerity in him. But He escaped the situation. Even today,He cannot even dare to challenge the Media persons and Mr.Lenin to settle the issue in prestigious forensic laboratories.
So beyond any reasonable doubt, Nityananda is guilty. He doesn't deserve any support from hindus. He did 'Adharma'. Hindus never support 'Adharma'.
Dr. Murali P Thampan
14/03/2010 09:44:26 Swami Nityananda
Dear Mr. Venugopal & Dr.Vijaya Rajiva,
There are many people - those who support and oppose- watch this site. What you have done is questioning the basic intelligence of the people reading the article appearing in this website. I think most of the viewers know that HK website may not the publisher of the article. But the problem is when such "calcluated articles" appearing in this site. Now we have two choice, either to ignore HK site or to hope for better quality stuff. The latter is more sensible and good for Hindu community. If HK and you are trying to redeem swami nitayanda, this site will also attain an early demise as in the case of other hindu sites. As some one says- lets call a spade as spade. Hindus do not need Swami Nitayanda. Now it is up to HK management to decide. They can either call all the commentators as anti hindus or they can think and understand the realities. Either way, Hindusim will not be impacted in this great country. It doesn't depend upon any swamis or any website.
Regards,
Dr. P T Murali
Coimbatore
Tag Pillay
14/03/2010 08:05:11 Swamis
There is no way a Swami can be touched by a female. Unthinkable. End of discussion. No point in allowing this debate to proceed.
VJ
14/03/2010 07:44:00 Massage out of Devotion??
http://timesofindia.hotklix.com/Hotklix/link/News/India/just-offered-seva-to-Swami-Tamil-actress-Ranjitha (see d pic)
^^^^
U call this massage out of devotion,Venugopal can call me an anti-Hindu,but I don't think so..
And Ranjitha says its out of devotion..ok she is sucetible to lust,afterall a devottee,but wat abt the 'Bramachari'??(ya counter it with sages disturbed by apsaras)
See I don't care about a "swami's" sex life,but atleast he should b candid enough to admit it.
Its not people who 'expose' these things dat r d enemies of Hinduism,its those who does these things and stoutly defend these 'un-holy' swamis
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 06:19:37 People have a right to make their own conclusions
This is issue is strictly personal to the individual. Hindus, Hindu way of life or Hindu philosophy has nothing to do with the individual’s conduct, irrespective of its right or wrong. He learned some Hindu scriptures and makes a living out of it. If people want to sponsor him or want to be his disciples, it is their business. One has the right to make conclusions based on the nature of information available, one’s state of knowledge, one’s beliefs and standards of expectations. Accordingly no one has a right to determine what the other person should or should not do. The media is hyping it and some vested interests are attacking properties and people associated with him. We know that the English language and electronic media in India have always used every opportunity to tarnish anything related to our religion, way of life, philosophy and everything indigenous. The fact that private properties are being vandalized by paid rowdies at every opportunity indicates the state of lawlessness. I am not surprised. In Kashmir Hindu families have been systematically driven out of states and they have lived in tents for a generation. We don’t see a SIT investigating the case! Terrorist attacks take place in crowded places at definite intervals. In various states, there are acts of violence against native people who follow the tenets of our religious principles seriously. The government has no control about it nor does it seem to have any qualm. If the government takes same approach it takes with the Maoists with the terrorists and fundamentalists who interfere with our way of life and try to convert us, situation would improve. However, the government has a double standard in its dealings with minority religions as compared to majority Hindus.
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 06:18:32 His benefactors would eventually decide whether or not to continue their sponsorship
Hindus are not united to deal with the relentless attack by the media, vested interests and the almost rowdy like behavior of the minority. They could boycott the negative media and refuse to watch those programs on TV. Until the situation changes we would have no control on the type of thing that is happening. The role of the man who calls himself “Lenin” also should be investigated. Apparently he is a “stooge” of the vested interests. There should be some investigations on his activities too. I would still leave it to the government to investigate the campaign of lawlessness. Investigating the incident and if the man himself is involved in a crime is also government’s business. His benefactors would eventually reexamine whether or not to continue their sponsorship of him. People who believe to be his disciples would also do the same in due course.
Ram
14/03/2010 04:45:15 lack of transperency
I am no follower of Swami Nityananda. I know nothing of him. But my first reaction was that this is a conspiracy due to the following incidents that started after the rise of Sonia Gandhi:
1. Mudslinging and attempt at character assasination of Pujya Shankaracharya and Kanchi math
2.Mudslinging and attempt at character assasination of Sant Asaram Bapu
3. Maligning the reputation of the brother of Sri Raghaveendra Saraswathi Swamiji by implicating him in some sex scandal. swamiji led the Go Gram Swaraj andolan through out the country.
4. Implicating Sundry poojaris in some scandal or the other and giving high level visibility to the same. I am conscious that I am using the word implication even though the probe may still be on.
5. Deliberate confusion created about when the Ugadi is for telugu's by Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy
6. Changing of Tamil new year by Karunanidhi!!!!!
7. Attempted christianization of the hindu piligrimage centers in Andhra Pradesh.
Points 1 through 4 relates to character assasiantion of hindu swamiji's. 5 through 7 are some examples from the innumerable attempts of the asuras.
But the way in which Swami Nityananda came forward saying that Ranjitha was his devotee and in his service and the subsequent release of the massaging video apart from Nityananda's interviews in which he said he did not do anything illegal is pointing towards the fact that he may after all be involved. Afterall having sex is not illegal. But his equivocity has seriously dented the faith of his followers and neutral observers like me. He says parts of the video or morphed etc. Without going into technicalities, it would be suffice to say that he get into grihastha ashrama and continue his activities. He himself said that he wants to start afresh. if he indeed had sex, let him shed the saffron and lead the life of his calling.
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
14/03/2010 03:32:58 I am surprised !
Rushing to judgment is no way to proceed! He is innocent until proven guilty. The Karnataka government has asked the Tamil Nadu government for documents and evidence so that charges can be laid. But nothing has come so far. Probably, for the reason that there is none !
Rajiv Malhotra, a well known figure amongst overseas Indians and who has written articles was in India for the Kumbh Mela when the story broke. He interviewed the Swami and brought out two tapes. Part 1 is on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiFa5uOt7k
The interview deals with each of the accusations, first on the list being the question of fraudulent acquisition of land. The Swami confirmed that the land was legally bequeated by a devotee and his family. The documents are there.
I recommend viewers to watch this interview before rushing to judgment.
VJ
14/03/2010 02:06:57 Solution..
Some here and d 'swami' himself say 1 thing,d swami's side was not heard,how do u know he is fake?.der was a planning in attacks..
Well and good!
The swami had little to say to defend himself,all he cud come up was a morphing babble which a 3yr old cd counter.
when u acuse me of me accusing without proper investigation,y r u certain(without any evidence) dat d attacks were planned?
The biggest strength of Hinduism is d individual's freedom to choose,and its also also our weakness,d lack of an organized structure renders us weak.
But as a swayamsevak I would be glad to join people who burn such Bhakthi factories.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh should concentrate more on Hindu reform,the rise of swamis and their bank accounts is not d rise of Hinduism
K.Venugopal
14/03/2010 00:56:01 Innocent till proven guilty.
Anti-Hindus, as expected, have right away condemned Swami Nithyananda because that is all they want – an opportunity to condemn Hinduism and Hindus. A large number of Hindus have taken the position that he is guilty till proven innocent. But I tend to think that he is innocent till proven guilty. The swami says the video is morphed. I expect him to prove it. If he is unable to, I would suggest that he gets married to the woman and settle down to a happy married life and continue his teachings.
K.Venugopal
14/03/2010 00:51:58 Innocent till proven guilty.
As the writer of the article, I would first request readers not to conclude that it reflects the opinion of HK management. I take it that HK published it to allow all opinions on the issue to be put across so that everyone would gain by a healthy debate. I would also like to elaborate my position.
If the swami has actually indulged in sex, then he would have no right to continue in the position he is in. Spirituality is all about being transparent - as opposed to the schizophrenic life all materialists live, that is, one face for the public and another in private. Schizophrenia is indeed the greatest disease the majority of mankind suffers from and spirituality is all about curing this disease. There are any number of scholars who would know more about, say, the Bhagwad Gita than any swami. But we do not worship scholars as we worship great swamis because it is our belief that sanyasins are transparent and their words and actions match.
seadog4227
13/03/2010 23:29:48 Swami Nityananda
From the article and the gaggle of responses below, one thing is clear-- reputations, once sullied, are practically irredeemable!
Hary Nambiar
13/03/2010 22:11:59 I would dump him and let him defend himself.
I agree with Dr Vijaya Rajeeva. There seems to be a concerted effort by the media, vested interests and the so called right minded people in painting the so called “Godmen” as a wicked womanizer. In fact that is there because of the so called secularism being promoted by the Indian politics. In Kerala anyone wearing saffron is way laid by the communists. There are no laws in Hinduism that an individual seeking to learn and promote spiritual knowledge must remain a celibate. Sage Vasishta was happily married and so were most other sages and religious teachers. Few rishis were celibates during their adult age. There are times for “brahmacharya” and “grihasthashrama.” However, one who pretends to be a celibate must stick to the standard expected of that concept. Most devoted spiritual teachers do remain celibates unnecessarily, but it is their business. One must not use the position of a religious teacher and engage in activities which normal people don’t practice. It is funny that the young man was getting his face, back and elsewhere massaged by a young lady. The man should get married and live a normal life, which would in no way interfere with his spiritual quest. Normal people don’t set up CC TV in their bedrooms. He should have known that whatever he does or does not could bring disrepute to our philosophy and way of life. There are many people who would like to exploit the situation especially in India. I watched some of his YouTube clips. He communicates in English to an educated audience. The simple information he disseminated is available in every library and on the Internet. People should read the content themselves rather than listening to people like him. I have no respect for the individual. I would dump him and let him defend himself.
chandra
13/03/2010 21:15:28 don't allow such articles
dear editor,
please don't allow persons to post such a absurd articles here, our web sites should be sacred, we need not support this self styled swamyjis who are frauds, cheating Hindu societies, we swayamsevaks should learn from karma yogis like our guruji and vivekananda not from these dirty fellows, hindus should bash up these fake swamyjees, and also for my learned columnist, please don't be ashamed of exposing the black sheep in our society, we should kick them out of our hindu society
krishnakumar
13/03/2010 21:13:48 Please stop this
Please stop supporting nityananda.. This is not a nice thing for HK to do. THis kind of swamis are a shame to hindus and India.
Ganesh
13/03/2010 20:52:32 Whitewashing
The writeup itself is unsure of what it wants to convey.If having sex is a guilt for a sanyasi,then Nityananda must be punished.One of the two characters in the video is Nityananda and the other is a female. The actions of the female is not that of a messager.Do not try to sheild the guilty by such obfuscating writeups.It is another matter that these acts are common among X'tian and Islamic priests and the community defends them because they are slaves.
Govind
13/03/2010 20:37:52 Very Very Bad
Very very bad that HK is trying to protect this Nityananda. No wonder on the criticizm that in Hindusim, we have small "minds" at work to protect it. HK is degraded a great extent by this single piece of article.
sree
13/03/2010 20:05:14 If he is innocent why he abscunding
If he is innocent why he abscunding.
This kind of sex loving and real estate buisness swamji's tharnishing hindu Samaj's image.
we shd hang these guys enjoying with woman.
even there is no sex,how can a brahmachari and do the massaging all with a women.
Hindu Saint's are not like christian preachers who eat meat and drink alchohol.Sleep with nuns and abuse kids
Hindu Siants should be highly morale.
No one should support these criminals
Abhilash Nambiar
13/03/2010 19:54:58 Menon is silly
We are not upset over sex, we are upset over double standard and hypocrisy.
Jahnavi
13/03/2010 18:54:45 Sanatana dharma
In this kaliyuga, people want to lead sinful life, and they want approval from so called saints for their sinful lives. So these so called swamijis and babas exploit this quality of kaliyuga souls. See so called Islam. People are more and more attracted to Islam, so that they can kill, rape innocents in the name of God. Christians also don't follow their scriptures i.e. "Though shall not kill". So called hindus, misguided by foolish scientists and so called babas, started animal slaughter. They want false shelters to approve their sinful life. These so called babajis and swamijis are there to exploit their sinful tendency. In case of Islam and Christianity, they lead simply rascal life doing all kinds of sins. So called hindus forgot "ahimsa paramo dharmah". Every street one rascal will come and claim that he is God. But, one should know our scriptures to identify them. One should not be a fool. Two days before this Nithyananda swamy incident, my colleague asked me his address in Bidadi. I went through his website and told him the he is fraud, still if you want to go, you can go. Now, he is anyway saved.
menon
13/03/2010 18:59:27 Why we are upset over sex?
Why we are all so upset over a swamiji having sex? We had enough on Sabarimala thanthri having sex. Media is always soft on 60+ sex offenders and criminals from Kerala christian churches or sex crazy islamic clergies.
Hindu never shied away from sex and it is not an offense in our religion too. I would say even if Swamiji had sex, which might not be true and usually swamijis follow strict Brahmacharya and can see everyone with equal eye, there is nothing wrong with that.
We all may have to read Yogi Rajaneesh's writings too. This is totally absurd as chirstianity and islam like religions brought us into this stage of shyuing away from sex.
EX-CHRISTIAN - NOW A PROUD HINDU FOR LIFE
13/03/2010 16:45:20 THIS MERE MORTAL HAS INCURRED LORD SHIVA'S WRATH
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THE READERS' COMMENTS BELOW.
THIS MERE MORTAL CLAIMS TO BE LORD SHIVA ("SHIVOHAM" - "I AM SHIVA")! HE HAS INSULTED LORD SHIVA (THE TRUE PERFECT GURU) and THEREFORE HE HAS INCURRED LORD SHIVA'S WRATH.
HINDUS - ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GURU? REACH OUT TO LORD SHIVA DIRECTLY - DON'T BE FOOLED BY MERE MORTALS WHO CLAIM TO BE "LORD SHIVA". LORD SHIVA IS THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GURU. HAR HAR MAHADEV. JAY SHRI KRISHNA.
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
13/03/2010 14:36:13 Mr. Syam Kumar,V.J. and Suresh Menon
We should not rush to judgment ! There is a video interview done by Rajiv Malhotra, an independent investigator, with Swami Nityanda. It is on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=tgiFa5uOt7k
Times Now (Arnaub Goswami)also has a 2 part interview. A very different picture emerges from both interviews.
There was a concerted attack on 10 different centres of the Swami and devotees houses were also attacked. The news media also found him guilty without any evidence. The video of him being with a woman was morphed. He admits he was being attended to by a woman because he was ill. But the sexual scene is a manipulation of the tape.
True, there are fake godment in all religions, but I believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
So far there have been mob scenes and media accusations. The Karnataka government has asked for evidence and documents from the Tamil Nadu government, but so far nothing has been provided.
Even so called godmen should be given a fair hearing !
Sasi Kumar
13/03/2010 13:58:49 Our Right
It is all Hindu belivers right to protect Hindu Dharma. We dont want to protect any one those who are doing bad things in the society and Hindutwa. So we whould wait and thing before giving any decision regarding swami ninthyananda.
sreeraj.r
13/03/2010 12:16:47 this is bad..
HK shouldn't try to make any early judgements...let the investigations prove it..itz hard to believe that a swamiji puts cctv in his bedroom...it all goes above the common logic...please HK heads...lets call a spade a spade..it is high time for us to teach a lesson to these pseudo GODMEN who tarnishes our image..I therefore humbly request whoever concerned to please remove this article,as this may give a wrong image about HK...and undoubtedly HK has put us down..
mariappan
13/03/2010 11:41:38 reply to some comments here
There are three comments in the comments section and all of them surmise that nityananda is guilty. This is nothing but flagellation of the self, can anyone tell me which sastra forbids a sanyasin is forbidden to be served by young women, shyam talks about consensual sex, may i ask where has shyam seen the actual act being performed, similarly VJ declares him to be a fake and suresh menon goes on to target venugopal for having written this article on haindava keralam. Mr.Suresh menon while people like u have no qualms in accepting deshabhimani quoting a figure of 25000 sevaks coming in 4000 buses to the RSS conference. Similarly hindutva doesnt differentiate between the shabby and the pure. The aghoras are as much hindus as the menons, draupadi is as much as hindu as sati savithri or sita, and krishna is as much a icon as ram. So instead of taking a commie posture please wait till the entire truth is out.
Abhilash Nambiar
13/03/2010 10:53:05 It is time to call a spade a spade
It is time to call a spade a spade. He has done nothing illegal. He is just a young man with urges like everyone else. Even an intelligent young man has urges. Learn the lessons and move on. The past cannot be undone.
This is what happens when young men of marriageable age do not get properly married off. They become a menace to society.
Hindu
13/03/2010 10:43:43 Nityananda is not paramhansa
I request the my fellow hindus not to support Nityananda. He had sexual affairs with actress Ranjitha. It is certainly not morphed.
Please remember that he is a Sanyasi of traditional dasanami order. he is not a OSHO sanyasi to break the traditions. He should not even had Massage with females.It is against the tradition to have intimacy with women in closed rooms. He claims himself as 'jeevan Mukta', 'Paramahansa', 'Enlightened master'..etc. but he is unable to get rid of his lust. He is certainly cheating people by comparing himself with Shirdi Saibaba, Rama krishna paramahansa, Ramana Maharshi..etc.
I'm not saying that having sex is a sin. But what i'm saying is that he should have had sex with Ranjitha after taking Grihasta ashrama but not in sanyasa ashrama.
Venod
13/03/2010 11:04:45 Nityananda Swami
He is a fraud in every angle. How can he let a lady massage his all the way up to ... Remove this article this is not in correct context. I thank the person who brought this is to public. This will not have a great religion in any way. Swamiji is just a powder.
Shyam Kumar
13/03/2010 10:33:07 Nityananda
I think HK should desist from trying to protect Nityananda.Let us be honest and call a spade a spade.It is very obvious that he is a scoundrel and sexual pervert.Such individuals should not have any place in Hindu society.There should not be any problem between 2 mature individuals having consensual sex but then they should not be preaching morality to others.Shame on him.
VJ
13/03/2010 10:11:10 Plss....
Don't take it as Hindu's primary duty to protect such people who malign this glorious culture.
It should be a swayamsevak's primary duty to throw out such fakes.
This site shouldn't take it upon itself the task of defending such people
Suresh Menon
13/03/2010 09:57:52 A humble request
I just heard a discussion in News X channel on the Sex, Godmen and the Lies. Mr. Rahul Eswar has correctly talked about the fallacy of Godmen who are caught in the sex tapes like the Nityanadas. True Hindutva is when we accept that in Hindusim, shabby and shoody characters have no place. We know that even Ravana abducted Sita by disgusing himself as a Swami(Maharshi). So fake Maharshi's are nothing new in Hindusim. If Mr. Venugopal throug his article is trying to "whitewash" Nityanada, that is backstabbing the Hindu traditions. Look Mr. Venugopal, millions and millions of Hindus in this country is not fools. You have a private right to go and worship him even after he conducted "*** pooja". But you have no right to thrust your peronsal belief through a channel like Haindavakeralam. We expect Haindavakeralam to maintain more standards. Nityananda is not at all important to Hindusim. If any tries to push such a person on Hindusim, that is nuthing but "hooliganism".
If the first video of Swami Nithyananda purportedly having sex was shocking, the second video now showing on the net is even more shocking - I think it is a masterly evidence, released by the Swamiji himself, of his claim that the first video was morphed. This is exactly what the second video proves. There is no sex at all here. Massaging yes, but no sex. And massaging only of Swamiji’s face, shoulders, back and chest. The only question now is whether the Swamiji should have allowed a woman to even touch him, that too in his bedroom. This apart, the woman doing the massaging came through as a trained, disciplined and efficient professional nurse. Maybe she is a disciple - but then she could well have been a sister or mother or daughter, certainly not a sexual paramour.
Who released the second video? Certainly not the folks who released the first video. Why would anyone who wanted the Swamiji’s name tarnished release a video which does not incriminate the Swamiji in any way? Therefore it is obvious that it was released under the instructions of the Swamiji himself. This also reveals that Swamiji had a CCTV installed in his bedroom as a security measure and it was from these genuine tapes that the scoundrel of a driver got professionals to morph and "expose" the Swamiji. Now I understand why the Swamiji is silent about sex in the video - he feels it is absolutely below his dignity to talk about surreptitious sex. With the release of the second tape, he has let all critiques and the public in general do the talking to clear his name.
Now what is left is for the Swamiji is to bring hefty criminal charges against all those who sought to vilify him. He owes it to the Hindu society - for the real purpose of the vilifiers was to vilify Hinduism itself.
Jayaraj
16/03/2010 23:09:09 hi
The points of view of mr. vijaya must be his personal and not HK's. Its not out of question if some one belives that HK medium is used to protect a now notorious individual.
Murali S Thampan
16/03/2010 22:59:32 Opinion
Dear Dr. Vijaya Rajiva,
What is required is a cerebral analysis and not deluded theories. No body is interested in the issue of landed property of Sri. Nityananda. It seems you are trying to push him upon Hindus which majority will resist, howsoever strong the argumens appears to be . As for Sri.Nityanda is concrened-A conman is conman.
Thank you all for reading and airing their views.
Regards,
Murali
Raj Puducode
16/03/2010 21:56:20 Islamic Godmen
LUCKNOW: Heightened superstition coupled with blind faith in self-proclaimed godmen saw a middle-aged housewife being held hostage for three days, pinned to a charpoi, gagged and her throat and wrists slit, before she was stubbed with lit candles and beaten with a stick, simultaneously. The victim, somehow managed to escape on the pretext of going to the bathroom.
Writhing in pain, the victim approached the Lucknow police on Tuesday seeking action against the godmen and his associates who recommended treatment to get rid of evil spirits.
Talking to TOI, the victim identified herself as Nisaa Bano, widow of late Qurban Ali of Akbar Nagar under Mahanagar police station circle. “I was not keeping well since my husband’s death and regular visits to the local doctor were also not yielding results when a distant relative of my sister-in-law Ferozan asked us to meet a Maulvi duo Mubeen and Anees from Mehmoodabad in Sitapur. The two were supposedly learned people and vested with powers to help people rid of evil spirits,” said Nisaa Bano.
Moaning in pain every time she moved her head or hands which led to the pulling of the skin around the slit injuries on her neck and wrists, Nisaa said she met the duo at Ferozan’s house in Laxmanpuri of Lucknow on March 10 last. The moment they arrived on the scene, they announced that they could feel the presence of an evil spirit somewhere near them and eventually pointed out towards Nisaa, saying: “They are in you”. This was enough to impress Nisaa and convince her that the duo could help her out of her ailments.
Shortly thereafter, the treatment started on the first floor room of the house where the Maulvis asked her to lie on a charpoi with her eyes closed. “Moments later when I opened my eyes, I found myself pinned to the charpoi with my limbs tightly tied to it. Every time I cried for help, the duo would try to silence her saying that it was not Nisaa but the evil spirit in her that was trying to mislead everyone.
Hary Nambiar
16/03/2010 10:07:46 Receipie has changed and the pudding is not delicious any more
This pudding is now badly fermented. The odor it emanates is very unpleasant. Instead of serving it to the guests it must now be flushed into the sewage. We don’t deserve this lack of courtesy. I hope the publishers understand.
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
16/03/2010 02:25:05 To Dr.Murali Thampan
You continue to fail to understand the relevant point. It does not matter how many people say he is guilty, these are accusations. In a democratic society a person is innocent until proven guilty.
He is being judged by the media without any proof and you seem to be repeating this.
Mr. Venugopal has cited a second video.Let us wait and see that.
The Swami has also given interviews to Times Now (Arnaub Goswami).
Rajiv Malhotra has done 2 interviews with him. Mr. Malhotra is a highly respected intellectual and founder Chair of Infinity Foundation, at Princeton University.Here is a link to the first interview on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiFa5uOt7k
Rather than rush to judgment it is better to stand back and see what the situation is.
All the facts have not come in yet.There are other accusations against the Swami such as that the land has been acquired illegally. He replies to that in the interview.
It is very important that in these times, when the liberal media and other outside forces are trying to corner Hindus and Hinduism, that we keep a cool head and examine each situation carefully.
K.Venugopal
15/03/2010 13:55:58 Congratulations every one.
I am proud of all the comments that have appeared here so far. I think Mr. Kanchan Gupta - Daily Pioneer has hit the nail on the head in his article “Don’t block the ‘Internet Hindus’” quoted elsewhere in HK. I would have been spending sleepless nights wondering the fate of the Swami but all the comments I have read so far gives me much peace of mind. Hindus are robust. They are no longer going to take anything lying down. And Hindus no longer have any fear - they are willing to call a spade a spade (a bloody spade, in Osho's language, if I may say so!). I am glad HK has come to be a forum being used by a growing number of Hindus to have their say. Hindus cannot be straitjacketed and Hinduism does not believe in it. Congratulations every one. With the Swamiji or without him, we are going to ensure Hindu victory.
Murali S Thampan
15/03/2010 11:36:57 Hinduism and Sri. Nityananda
Some of my views here are to provide clarifications to Dr. Vijaya Rajiva and Mr. Nambyar.
1. The points raised by me cannot be "issues" but associated matters that is being discussed due to the haste in which an author and a group of people trying to protect an adharma and by taht process putting him on the tops of Hindusim. The question could be-where discussed. Many of our friends do discuss some of the contents of this site and the comments are an offshoot of that. Many things are being apprciated and when a fallacy is noticed, I would like to call it sas fallacy and not fantasy. Vast majority of the Hindu community will not tolerate any attempt to push Sri. Nityananda on this great religion.
2. Comparison is natural when some people tries to create confusion by equating accusations against a fake sanyasi as if they are against hindusim. Here is when the writer /commentator has offended or attempting to offend hindusim.
3. Where is the question of charges? It is a private matter of a man and a woman. That should end up there. As a Hindu I am not subscring to certain views that he is being castigated. He is destined to suffer now as he acted as if he was/is one of the wholesale dealer of a great religion or some of its tenats.
4.Due process of law is applicable if he has committed a crime?. I do not think Sri. Nityananda has done any crime under Indian laws. With the latest judgement of Delhi High Court, Sri.Nityananda has not committed any crime and consensual sex is perfectly fine under law, as long as that doesn't fall under "immoral acts" under Indian Penal Code.
5. People are free to conceive views. But allmost all whom I have interacted on this subject were sure that this man has caused certain nuisense to the society.
6. Swimming against current is perfectly legal. Hindus, naturally, will resist any attempt to malign their culture by such unholy men.
That is what we are seeing from many comments on this article.
Rajiva
15/03/2010 05:47:51 To Dr.Murali Thampan
It seems to me that you are bringing in too many issues which are not connected with Swami Nityananda.
First, you unneccessarily muddy the waters by talking about the HK website.That is not the issue. We are discussing the Swami's guilt or innocence.
2. Secondly, you are muddying the waters again by bringing in comparisons with the great saints of Hinduism. The issue is: the innocence or guilt of the Swami. In any democratic system, a person is deemed innocent until proven guilty.
3. So far, there have only been accusations, no charges. Anyone can make accusations. Charges are different, they are court based.
And those due processes should be allowed to take place.
Hary Nambiar
15/03/2010 04:47:20 Criticism is out of place. Publisher is free under the freedom of the press
It does not appear to me that the individual in this context needs amateur counseling. Except for several “ifs, buts, perhaps and probably” I don’t see much validity in Venugopal’s write up. However, he serves one important purpose, which is to highlight that what has been claimed originally had not taken place. If the original tape was lengthier than the one flashed by the TV station, there has been some mischievous editing by the vested interests, to say the least. If the original video was shown in the first place, arguments of any irregular act on his part could not have arisen and the vandalism could have been avoided. However, I see validity in the point of view that such an incident should have been avoided.
As I have repeatedly said, it is nobody’s business. The man has not done anything anywhere close what leaders of other religious groups, politicians and so called concerned citizens have done. Did he break laws? It is for the Court to determine. Did he break some hearts? It is not for me to make that judgment. Those who adore him and those who financially sponsor him would make appropriate judgment. Consider this against the news about the suppression of evidence and obstruction of justice so blatantly done by the community big wheels, the Kerala Police and some officers of the Indian judicial system in respect of the murder of Sister Abhaya. Besides, in some other religious context, sex by religious leaders is considered a boom for the young ladies. Dr. Thampan’s repeated insistence sounds like a mediocre record being repeatedly played just because the “disc jockey” likes it. I don’t believe that the publishers of the web site deserve all that criticism that he is throwing at them. The fact that the name of the author is indicated clearly provides a disclaimer. It is naïve to suggest that the publishers should routinely publish the address and other details of the author because it is against freedom of the press.
Nishant
15/03/2010 01:06:31 Sleeping Gaint which never wakes up!
The crux of the story is to erase hinduism.
SEX has no role to play.
The larger picture is clear, we all get get carried away by these sort of reality or fiction.
The truth is we Hindus been outplayed intellectually, economically, politically in every aspect.
All we can do is fight amoung ourselves, we don't have the courage to stand up and put the ball in their court.
Come on guys..this is ours lets give atleast one drop of blood to fight this evil.
Rajesh
15/03/2010 00:01:56 Jose, Christ Cannot Be Guru
Dear Jose,
Please note that when Shiva had Ganga on his head, it was not unknown to Parvati, and no one claimed Ganga was Shiva's wife! He merely held Ganga on his head when she threatened to destroy the earth with the force with which she was falling to earth. So understand the inner meaning.
BTW, how do you expect one 'born of a virgin' to be a true Guru? And how does one who can only 'save' others by dying himself? Why could he not save himself first, instead of claiming to save others? And finally, Christ was chosen as god by 'vote'. Character of Christ is too humourous for even a light hearted consideration as God!
Rajesh
Anil
14/03/2010 22:17:02 Swami
The best defense for Swami(A) is:
1. Publish news and views that attack on him is attack on Hindusim.
2. Castigate other religions and media for the current problem that he face.
3. Be communal and more communal in the coming days.
4. Challenge the courts also.
He is doing the first two now and we can expect the rest in due course.
Dr. Murali S Thampan
14/03/2010 21:19:46 Haindava Keralam Website
The purpose of my comments is to see that HK carries "weight" in its articles. Let me explain:
1.If the concerned article of Mr. Venugopal is not the views of HK, that shall be mentioned in a prominent place. You will see the "discliamer" in all articles, especially when such articles are from an independent source. It is high time that HK to introduce the "legal discliamer" clause in each of the individual articles.
2. Today HK is viewed by many people, I would say thousands across the globe. It is important that HK to come out with a proper editorial board to review and scrutinise the articles appearing in its site.
3. A major point I have is that HK should publish its full address and contact details. Why are we afraid of providing details in the website itself. If HK is 100% sure of its legal standing in the land, it should do that. There are many in this country and abroad who are willing to support the HK financially if it wants or desires to make this site more authentic and informative. In either case, proper publisher details is a must.
4. The discussion on this article is defintely helpful to understand the psyche of hindus. As some one in the discussion pointed out Hindus will not tolerate "adharma". If it is from one of its members, it will defintely oppose such adharma. The young men and women of this great culture are looking at Swami Vevekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahamsar and the likes as their ikons and not the one of Nityananda. Incase any one trying to protect Nityananda and his cult, that tantamount to doing grave injustice to Hindu dharma.
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 15:15:20 I appreciate the publisers of this web site.
I agree with Dr Thampan on more than a couple of issues. I agree with Mr. Pillai partly. If the individual under discussion is an avowed “brahmachari” he should not have contact with a female. He has the right to fulfill his unmet needs, but he should follow the proper procedure. If the man gives an impression of being a “brahmachari” he should refrain having contact with females. Did he take that vow? People have no right to assume things and condemn the man. I agree with Mr Ram that the subsequent tape only introduces more conflicts for the individual. Venugopal, no reader in this site has condemned the man. It is very important to note the views of Dr Thampan, Mr. Ram etc that Hinduism would survive without this individual or others. I have only respect for the publishers of this web site that they have highlighted the issue. They publish issues affecting our philosophy and our way of life which are brought to their notice. They also publish views in support and against those issues regardless of who submits them. If they maintain their current policies and standard, the readership of this site would only increase. I would say “Thank you” to them.
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 15:13:48 Why there is a double standard in his case
The contents of the second tape need Jack Daniel to swallow it down. Ever since I left Elementary School, I had noticed the difference between male and female anatomy. Even the very thought of a female incited changes in my anatomy. If a female massages a male, regardless of the location of the female touch, some other part of his anatomy begins to crave for her attention. Usually the feelings, actions and reactions of the individuals involved are not dissimilar. Then a relationship develops which is much more sublime than the relationship between a “devotee” and a “holy man.” The fact that she is not married to him and the fact that people have different expectations of him, brings up all kind of complicated legal issues of “Undue Influence,” “improper conduct” etc because he is in a position to influence her “mind.”
Nevertheless, the man has the charisma to attract a young female to his bedroom and to motivate her to massage his pressure points and the female involved has no complaint. My question to him (1) if he is doing it under his doctors advise (2) if she is a trained expert on “body massaging,” or a (3) “Physical Therapist etc arise purely out of jealousy. It is just my bad manners and none of my business, but what is new here? Many politicians complain heart disease, cancer and even cist in the uterus when faced with summons to attend the court. We hear that many important political leaders have stashed bribe money in Swiss banks amounting to billions. Some Chief Justices of High Courts have unexplained income of millions. Many religious icons in other religions have been charged for sodomizing minors. Some priests have been charged for sexual predation and even murder. We have not heard about vandalism of private property or private individuals filing law suits! Why this guy should be an exception?
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
14/03/2010 12:12:54 Dr.Murali Thampan
If you read my comment carefully you will see that I am asking that there should be no rush to judgment. I have cited the youtube interview done by Rajiv Malhotra and given the link.
This is normal procedure. Innocent until proven guilty. There are accusations only. No charges, because charges are legal and court based.
I am not surprised at the haste with which the media has rushed to judgment.
I also agree with Mr.Hary Nambiar's comments(see below) and Ram's comments.
In any case, this has nothing to do with the demise of HK or the publication of "calculated articles."
As far as I am aware HK publishes all articles concerned with the Hindu community.
The second interview that Mr. Venugopal mentions will probably come out in due time. That should make for interesting viewing.
It is not a question of whether Hindus need or do not need Swami Nityananda. It is a question of the democratic right of every citizen to be given a fair hearing and if it goes to court, then a fair trial.
Sudhakaran
14/03/2010 11:14:05 Subject of sex
Well,what about Parashar Muni ki kahani?He was the father of Vyasa,the great seer.He was the grandson of Vasishtha..son of Shakti muni.Yet he performed coitus with Matsyagandha,satyavati.That too inside a ferry boat.During the debate with Ubhaya Bharati,Adi sankara fell silent.Why? because he knew nothing about the erotic subject of sex.Then adi Sankaras soul left his body and entered into the body of a dead king (Amaraka)just to experience sex.
Sai
14/03/2010 10:44:40 A request to HK team.
I'm a regular reader of HK. This is really the worst article i've ever come across. I really admire the HK team for coming up with eye opening articles. But this article is certainly unfair and unfit to be hosted in HK. It is not good to defend Nityananda who was caught red-handedly. That video is not a morphed one. Unlike photos, It is not so easy to morph a video. A morphed video can be easily identified. A friend of mine works in blackstone forensics. He told me that the video may not be a morphed one.
If Nityananda is really innocent he would have already filed a petition in supreme court and urged the court to send the videos to most trusted forensic laboratories immediately for expert opinion. He should even have sent legal notices to news channels for telecasting morphed videos as if it were original. it hardly takes 24 hours to do all these things. If he had done those things then we can appreciate that there is a bit of sincerity in him. But He escaped the situation. Even today,He cannot even dare to challenge the Media persons and Mr.Lenin to settle the issue in prestigious forensic laboratories.
So beyond any reasonable doubt, Nityananda is guilty. He doesn't deserve any support from hindus. He did 'Adharma'. Hindus never support 'Adharma'.
Dr. Murali P Thampan
14/03/2010 09:44:26 Swami Nityananda
Dear Mr. Venugopal & Dr.Vijaya Rajiva,
There are many people - those who support and oppose- watch this site. What you have done is questioning the basic intelligence of the people reading the article appearing in this website. I think most of the viewers know that HK website may not the publisher of the article. But the problem is when such "calcluated articles" appearing in this site. Now we have two choice, either to ignore HK site or to hope for better quality stuff. The latter is more sensible and good for Hindu community. If HK and you are trying to redeem swami nitayanda, this site will also attain an early demise as in the case of other hindu sites. As some one says- lets call a spade as spade. Hindus do not need Swami Nitayanda. Now it is up to HK management to decide. They can either call all the commentators as anti hindus or they can think and understand the realities. Either way, Hindusim will not be impacted in this great country. It doesn't depend upon any swamis or any website.
Regards,
Dr. P T Murali
Coimbatore
Tag Pillay
14/03/2010 08:05:11 Swamis
There is no way a Swami can be touched by a female. Unthinkable. End of discussion. No point in allowing this debate to proceed.
VJ
14/03/2010 07:44:00 Massage out of Devotion??
http://timesofindia.hotklix.com/Hotklix/link/News/India/just-offered-seva-to-Swami-Tamil-actress-Ranjitha (see d pic)
^^^^
U call this massage out of devotion,Venugopal can call me an anti-Hindu,but I don't think so..
And Ranjitha says its out of devotion..ok she is sucetible to lust,afterall a devottee,but wat abt the 'Bramachari'??(ya counter it with sages disturbed by apsaras)
See I don't care about a "swami's" sex life,but atleast he should b candid enough to admit it.
Its not people who 'expose' these things dat r d enemies of Hinduism,its those who does these things and stoutly defend these 'un-holy' swamis
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 06:19:37 People have a right to make their own conclusions
This is issue is strictly personal to the individual. Hindus, Hindu way of life or Hindu philosophy has nothing to do with the individual’s conduct, irrespective of its right or wrong. He learned some Hindu scriptures and makes a living out of it. If people want to sponsor him or want to be his disciples, it is their business. One has the right to make conclusions based on the nature of information available, one’s state of knowledge, one’s beliefs and standards of expectations. Accordingly no one has a right to determine what the other person should or should not do. The media is hyping it and some vested interests are attacking properties and people associated with him. We know that the English language and electronic media in India have always used every opportunity to tarnish anything related to our religion, way of life, philosophy and everything indigenous. The fact that private properties are being vandalized by paid rowdies at every opportunity indicates the state of lawlessness. I am not surprised. In Kashmir Hindu families have been systematically driven out of states and they have lived in tents for a generation. We don’t see a SIT investigating the case! Terrorist attacks take place in crowded places at definite intervals. In various states, there are acts of violence against native people who follow the tenets of our religious principles seriously. The government has no control about it nor does it seem to have any qualm. If the government takes same approach it takes with the Maoists with the terrorists and fundamentalists who interfere with our way of life and try to convert us, situation would improve. However, the government has a double standard in its dealings with minority religions as compared to majority Hindus.
Hary Nambiar
14/03/2010 06:18:32 His benefactors would eventually decide whether or not to continue their sponsorship
Hindus are not united to deal with the relentless attack by the media, vested interests and the almost rowdy like behavior of the minority. They could boycott the negative media and refuse to watch those programs on TV. Until the situation changes we would have no control on the type of thing that is happening. The role of the man who calls himself “Lenin” also should be investigated. Apparently he is a “stooge” of the vested interests. There should be some investigations on his activities too. I would still leave it to the government to investigate the campaign of lawlessness. Investigating the incident and if the man himself is involved in a crime is also government’s business. His benefactors would eventually reexamine whether or not to continue their sponsorship of him. People who believe to be his disciples would also do the same in due course.
Ram
14/03/2010 04:45:15 lack of transperency
I am no follower of Swami Nityananda. I know nothing of him. But my first reaction was that this is a conspiracy due to the following incidents that started after the rise of Sonia Gandhi:
1. Mudslinging and attempt at character assasination of Pujya Shankaracharya and Kanchi math
2.Mudslinging and attempt at character assasination of Sant Asaram Bapu
3. Maligning the reputation of the brother of Sri Raghaveendra Saraswathi Swamiji by implicating him in some sex scandal. swamiji led the Go Gram Swaraj andolan through out the country.
4. Implicating Sundry poojaris in some scandal or the other and giving high level visibility to the same. I am conscious that I am using the word implication even though the probe may still be on.
5. Deliberate confusion created about when the Ugadi is for telugu's by Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy
6. Changing of Tamil new year by Karunanidhi!!!!!
7. Attempted christianization of the hindu piligrimage centers in Andhra Pradesh.
Points 1 through 4 relates to character assasiantion of hindu swamiji's. 5 through 7 are some examples from the innumerable attempts of the asuras.
But the way in which Swami Nityananda came forward saying that Ranjitha was his devotee and in his service and the subsequent release of the massaging video apart from Nityananda's interviews in which he said he did not do anything illegal is pointing towards the fact that he may after all be involved. Afterall having sex is not illegal. But his equivocity has seriously dented the faith of his followers and neutral observers like me. He says parts of the video or morphed etc. Without going into technicalities, it would be suffice to say that he get into grihastha ashrama and continue his activities. He himself said that he wants to start afresh. if he indeed had sex, let him shed the saffron and lead the life of his calling.
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
14/03/2010 03:32:58 I am surprised !
Rushing to judgment is no way to proceed! He is innocent until proven guilty. The Karnataka government has asked the Tamil Nadu government for documents and evidence so that charges can be laid. But nothing has come so far. Probably, for the reason that there is none !
Rajiv Malhotra, a well known figure amongst overseas Indians and who has written articles was in India for the Kumbh Mela when the story broke. He interviewed the Swami and brought out two tapes. Part 1 is on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiFa5uOt7k
The interview deals with each of the accusations, first on the list being the question of fraudulent acquisition of land. The Swami confirmed that the land was legally bequeated by a devotee and his family. The documents are there.
I recommend viewers to watch this interview before rushing to judgment.
VJ
14/03/2010 02:06:57 Solution..
Some here and d 'swami' himself say 1 thing,d swami's side was not heard,how do u know he is fake?.der was a planning in attacks..
Well and good!
The swami had little to say to defend himself,all he cud come up was a morphing babble which a 3yr old cd counter.
when u acuse me of me accusing without proper investigation,y r u certain(without any evidence) dat d attacks were planned?
The biggest strength of Hinduism is d individual's freedom to choose,and its also also our weakness,d lack of an organized structure renders us weak.
But as a swayamsevak I would be glad to join people who burn such Bhakthi factories.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh should concentrate more on Hindu reform,the rise of swamis and their bank accounts is not d rise of Hinduism
K.Venugopal
14/03/2010 00:56:01 Innocent till proven guilty.
Anti-Hindus, as expected, have right away condemned Swami Nithyananda because that is all they want – an opportunity to condemn Hinduism and Hindus. A large number of Hindus have taken the position that he is guilty till proven innocent. But I tend to think that he is innocent till proven guilty. The swami says the video is morphed. I expect him to prove it. If he is unable to, I would suggest that he gets married to the woman and settle down to a happy married life and continue his teachings.
K.Venugopal
14/03/2010 00:51:58 Innocent till proven guilty.
As the writer of the article, I would first request readers not to conclude that it reflects the opinion of HK management. I take it that HK published it to allow all opinions on the issue to be put across so that everyone would gain by a healthy debate. I would also like to elaborate my position.
If the swami has actually indulged in sex, then he would have no right to continue in the position he is in. Spirituality is all about being transparent - as opposed to the schizophrenic life all materialists live, that is, one face for the public and another in private. Schizophrenia is indeed the greatest disease the majority of mankind suffers from and spirituality is all about curing this disease. There are any number of scholars who would know more about, say, the Bhagwad Gita than any swami. But we do not worship scholars as we worship great swamis because it is our belief that sanyasins are transparent and their words and actions match.
seadog4227
13/03/2010 23:29:48 Swami Nityananda
From the article and the gaggle of responses below, one thing is clear-- reputations, once sullied, are practically irredeemable!
Hary Nambiar
13/03/2010 22:11:59 I would dump him and let him defend himself.
I agree with Dr Vijaya Rajeeva. There seems to be a concerted effort by the media, vested interests and the so called right minded people in painting the so called “Godmen” as a wicked womanizer. In fact that is there because of the so called secularism being promoted by the Indian politics. In Kerala anyone wearing saffron is way laid by the communists. There are no laws in Hinduism that an individual seeking to learn and promote spiritual knowledge must remain a celibate. Sage Vasishta was happily married and so were most other sages and religious teachers. Few rishis were celibates during their adult age. There are times for “brahmacharya” and “grihasthashrama.” However, one who pretends to be a celibate must stick to the standard expected of that concept. Most devoted spiritual teachers do remain celibates unnecessarily, but it is their business. One must not use the position of a religious teacher and engage in activities which normal people don’t practice. It is funny that the young man was getting his face, back and elsewhere massaged by a young lady. The man should get married and live a normal life, which would in no way interfere with his spiritual quest. Normal people don’t set up CC TV in their bedrooms. He should have known that whatever he does or does not could bring disrepute to our philosophy and way of life. There are many people who would like to exploit the situation especially in India. I watched some of his YouTube clips. He communicates in English to an educated audience. The simple information he disseminated is available in every library and on the Internet. People should read the content themselves rather than listening to people like him. I have no respect for the individual. I would dump him and let him defend himself.
chandra
13/03/2010 21:15:28 don't allow such articles
dear editor,
please don't allow persons to post such a absurd articles here, our web sites should be sacred, we need not support this self styled swamyjis who are frauds, cheating Hindu societies, we swayamsevaks should learn from karma yogis like our guruji and vivekananda not from these dirty fellows, hindus should bash up these fake swamyjees, and also for my learned columnist, please don't be ashamed of exposing the black sheep in our society, we should kick them out of our hindu society
krishnakumar
13/03/2010 21:13:48 Please stop this
Please stop supporting nityananda.. This is not a nice thing for HK to do. THis kind of swamis are a shame to hindus and India.
Ganesh
13/03/2010 20:52:32 Whitewashing
The writeup itself is unsure of what it wants to convey.If having sex is a guilt for a sanyasi,then Nityananda must be punished.One of the two characters in the video is Nityananda and the other is a female. The actions of the female is not that of a messager.Do not try to sheild the guilty by such obfuscating writeups.It is another matter that these acts are common among X'tian and Islamic priests and the community defends them because they are slaves.
Govind
13/03/2010 20:37:52 Very Very Bad
Very very bad that HK is trying to protect this Nityananda. No wonder on the criticizm that in Hindusim, we have small "minds" at work to protect it. HK is degraded a great extent by this single piece of article.
sree
13/03/2010 20:05:14 If he is innocent why he abscunding
If he is innocent why he abscunding.
This kind of sex loving and real estate buisness swamji's tharnishing hindu Samaj's image.
we shd hang these guys enjoying with woman.
even there is no sex,how can a brahmachari and do the massaging all with a women.
Hindu Saint's are not like christian preachers who eat meat and drink alchohol.Sleep with nuns and abuse kids
Hindu Siants should be highly morale.
No one should support these criminals
Abhilash Nambiar
13/03/2010 19:54:58 Menon is silly
We are not upset over sex, we are upset over double standard and hypocrisy.
Jahnavi
13/03/2010 18:54:45 Sanatana dharma
In this kaliyuga, people want to lead sinful life, and they want approval from so called saints for their sinful lives. So these so called swamijis and babas exploit this quality of kaliyuga souls. See so called Islam. People are more and more attracted to Islam, so that they can kill, rape innocents in the name of God. Christians also don't follow their scriptures i.e. "Though shall not kill". So called hindus, misguided by foolish scientists and so called babas, started animal slaughter. They want false shelters to approve their sinful life. These so called babajis and swamijis are there to exploit their sinful tendency. In case of Islam and Christianity, they lead simply rascal life doing all kinds of sins. So called hindus forgot "ahimsa paramo dharmah". Every street one rascal will come and claim that he is God. But, one should know our scriptures to identify them. One should not be a fool. Two days before this Nithyananda swamy incident, my colleague asked me his address in Bidadi. I went through his website and told him the he is fraud, still if you want to go, you can go. Now, he is anyway saved.
menon
13/03/2010 18:59:27 Why we are upset over sex?
Why we are all so upset over a swamiji having sex? We had enough on Sabarimala thanthri having sex. Media is always soft on 60+ sex offenders and criminals from Kerala christian churches or sex crazy islamic clergies.
Hindu never shied away from sex and it is not an offense in our religion too. I would say even if Swamiji had sex, which might not be true and usually swamijis follow strict Brahmacharya and can see everyone with equal eye, there is nothing wrong with that.
We all may have to read Yogi Rajaneesh's writings too. This is totally absurd as chirstianity and islam like religions brought us into this stage of shyuing away from sex.
EX-CHRISTIAN - NOW A PROUD HINDU FOR LIFE
13/03/2010 16:45:20 THIS MERE MORTAL HAS INCURRED LORD SHIVA'S WRATH
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THE READERS' COMMENTS BELOW.
THIS MERE MORTAL CLAIMS TO BE LORD SHIVA ("SHIVOHAM" - "I AM SHIVA")! HE HAS INSULTED LORD SHIVA (THE TRUE PERFECT GURU) and THEREFORE HE HAS INCURRED LORD SHIVA'S WRATH.
HINDUS - ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GURU? REACH OUT TO LORD SHIVA DIRECTLY - DON'T BE FOOLED BY MERE MORTALS WHO CLAIM TO BE "LORD SHIVA". LORD SHIVA IS THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GURU. HAR HAR MAHADEV. JAY SHRI KRISHNA.
Dr Vijaya Rajiva
13/03/2010 14:36:13 Mr. Syam Kumar,V.J. and Suresh Menon
We should not rush to judgment ! There is a video interview done by Rajiv Malhotra, an independent investigator, with Swami Nityanda. It is on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=tgiFa5uOt7k
Times Now (Arnaub Goswami)also has a 2 part interview. A very different picture emerges from both interviews.
There was a concerted attack on 10 different centres of the Swami and devotees houses were also attacked. The news media also found him guilty without any evidence. The video of him being with a woman was morphed. He admits he was being attended to by a woman because he was ill. But the sexual scene is a manipulation of the tape.
True, there are fake godment in all religions, but I believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
So far there have been mob scenes and media accusations. The Karnataka government has asked for evidence and documents from the Tamil Nadu government, but so far nothing has been provided.
Even so called godmen should be given a fair hearing !
Sasi Kumar
13/03/2010 13:58:49 Our Right
It is all Hindu belivers right to protect Hindu Dharma. We dont want to protect any one those who are doing bad things in the society and Hindutwa. So we whould wait and thing before giving any decision regarding swami ninthyananda.
sreeraj.r
13/03/2010 12:16:47 this is bad..
HK shouldn't try to make any early judgements...let the investigations prove it..itz hard to believe that a swamiji puts cctv in his bedroom...it all goes above the common logic...please HK heads...lets call a spade a spade..it is high time for us to teach a lesson to these pseudo GODMEN who tarnishes our image..I therefore humbly request whoever concerned to please remove this article,as this may give a wrong image about HK...and undoubtedly HK has put us down..
mariappan
13/03/2010 11:41:38 reply to some comments here
There are three comments in the comments section and all of them surmise that nityananda is guilty. This is nothing but flagellation of the self, can anyone tell me which sastra forbids a sanyasin is forbidden to be served by young women, shyam talks about consensual sex, may i ask where has shyam seen the actual act being performed, similarly VJ declares him to be a fake and suresh menon goes on to target venugopal for having written this article on haindava keralam. Mr.Suresh menon while people like u have no qualms in accepting deshabhimani quoting a figure of 25000 sevaks coming in 4000 buses to the RSS conference. Similarly hindutva doesnt differentiate between the shabby and the pure. The aghoras are as much hindus as the menons, draupadi is as much as hindu as sati savithri or sita, and krishna is as much a icon as ram. So instead of taking a commie posture please wait till the entire truth is out.
Abhilash Nambiar
13/03/2010 10:53:05 It is time to call a spade a spade
It is time to call a spade a spade. He has done nothing illegal. He is just a young man with urges like everyone else. Even an intelligent young man has urges. Learn the lessons and move on. The past cannot be undone.
This is what happens when young men of marriageable age do not get properly married off. They become a menace to society.
Hindu
13/03/2010 10:43:43 Nityananda is not paramhansa
I request the my fellow hindus not to support Nityananda. He had sexual affairs with actress Ranjitha. It is certainly not morphed.
Please remember that he is a Sanyasi of traditional dasanami order. he is not a OSHO sanyasi to break the traditions. He should not even had Massage with females.It is against the tradition to have intimacy with women in closed rooms. He claims himself as 'jeevan Mukta', 'Paramahansa', 'Enlightened master'..etc. but he is unable to get rid of his lust. He is certainly cheating people by comparing himself with Shirdi Saibaba, Rama krishna paramahansa, Ramana Maharshi..etc.
I'm not saying that having sex is a sin. But what i'm saying is that he should have had sex with Ranjitha after taking Grihasta ashrama but not in sanyasa ashrama.
Venod
13/03/2010 11:04:45 Nityananda Swami
He is a fraud in every angle. How can he let a lady massage his all the way up to ... Remove this article this is not in correct context. I thank the person who brought this is to public. This will not have a great religion in any way. Swamiji is just a powder.
Shyam Kumar
13/03/2010 10:33:07 Nityananda
I think HK should desist from trying to protect Nityananda.Let us be honest and call a spade a spade.It is very obvious that he is a scoundrel and sexual pervert.Such individuals should not have any place in Hindu society.There should not be any problem between 2 mature individuals having consensual sex but then they should not be preaching morality to others.Shame on him.
VJ
13/03/2010 10:11:10 Plss....
Don't take it as Hindu's primary duty to protect such people who malign this glorious culture.
It should be a swayamsevak's primary duty to throw out such fakes.
This site shouldn't take it upon itself the task of defending such people
Suresh Menon
13/03/2010 09:57:52 A humble request
I just heard a discussion in News X channel on the Sex, Godmen and the Lies. Mr. Rahul Eswar has correctly talked about the fallacy of Godmen who are caught in the sex tapes like the Nityanadas. True Hindutva is when we accept that in Hindusim, shabby and shoody characters have no place. We know that even Ravana abducted Sita by disgusing himself as a Swami(Maharshi). So fake Maharshi's are nothing new in Hindusim. If Mr. Venugopal throug his article is trying to "whitewash" Nityanada, that is backstabbing the Hindu traditions. Look Mr. Venugopal, millions and millions of Hindus in this country is not fools. You have a private right to go and worship him even after he conducted "*** pooja". But you have no right to thrust your peronsal belief through a channel like Haindavakeralam. We expect Haindavakeralam to maintain more standards. Nityananda is not at all important to Hindusim. If any tries to push such a person on Hindusim, that is nuthing but "hooliganism".
