In this tutorial, we will explore how to use sed (stream editor) with examples in the Markdown language. sed is a powerful command-line tool for text manipulation and is widely used for tasks such as search and replace, line filtering, and text transformations. What is described below barely scratches the surface what sed can do.

Table of Contents

1. Installing Sed
2. Basic Usage
3. Search and Replace
4. Deleting Lines
5. Inserting and Appending Text
6. Transformations
7. Working with Files
8. Conclusion

1. Installing Sed

Before we begin, make sure sed is installed on your system. It usually comes pre-installed on Unix-like systems (e.g., Linux, macOS). To check if sed is installed, open your terminal and run the following command:

sed --version

If sed is not installed, you can install it using your package manager. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian-based systems, you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get install sed

2. Basic Usage

To use sed, you need to provide it with a command and the input text to process. The basic syntax is as follows:

sed 'command' input.txt

Here, 'command' represents the action you want to perform on the input text. It can be a search pattern, a substitution, or a transformation. input.txt is the file containing the text to process. If you omit the file name, sed will read from the standard input.

3. Search and Replace

One of the most common tasks with sed is search and replace. To substitute a pattern with another in Markdown files, use the s command. The basic syntax is:

sed 's/pattern/replacement/' input.md

For example, to replace all occurrences of the word "apple" with "orange" in input.md, use the following command:

sed 's/apple/orange/' input.md

4. Deleting Lines

You can also delete specific lines from a Markdown file using sed. The d command is used to delete lines that match a particular pattern. The syntax is as follows:

sed '/pattern/d' input.md

For example, to delete all lines containing the word "banana" from input.md, use the following command:

sed '/banana/d' input.md

5. Inserting and Appending Text

sed allows you to insert or append text at specific locations in a Markdown file. The i command is used to insert text before a line, and the a command is used to append text after a line. The syntax is as follows:

sed '/pattern/i\inserted text' input.md
sed '/pattern/a\appended text' input.md

For example, to insert the line "This is a new paragraph." before the line containing the word "example" in input.md, use the following command:

sed '/example/i\This is a new paragraph.' input.md

6. Transformations

sed provides various transformation commands that can be used to modify Markdown files. Some useful commands include:

• y: Transliterate characters. For example, to convert all uppercase letters to lowercase, use:

  sed 'y/ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ/abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz/' input.md
  

• p: Print lines. By default, sed only prints the modified lines. To print all lines, use:

  sed -n 'p' input.md
  

• r: Read and insert the contents of a file. For example, to insert the contents of insert.md after the line containing the word "insertion point" in input.md, use:

  sed '/insertion point/r insert.md' input.md
  

These are just a few examples of the transformation commands available in sed.

7. Working with Files

By default, sed modifies the input in-place. To make changes to a file and save the output to a new file, you can use input/output redirection:

sed 'command' input.md > output.md

This command runs sed on input.md and saves the output to output.md. Be cautious when using redirection, as it will overwrite the contents of output.md if it already exists.

8. Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have explored the basics of using sed with Markdown files. You have learned how to perform search and replace operations, delete lines, insert and append text, apply transformations, and work with files. sed offers a wide range of capabilities, and with practice, you can become proficient in manipulating Markdown files using this powerful tool.

The bridge collapsed overnight near Columbus, Montana causing several train cars to be immersed in the Yellowstone River.

Portions of a freight train plunged into the Yellowstone River due to bridge collapse. (Image: AP)

A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.

The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars.

David Stamey, the county’s chief of emergency services, said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.

The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he said.

Railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland. The river there flows away from Yellowstone National Park, which is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.

“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland said.

The bridge collapse also took out a fiber-optic cable providing internet service to many customers in the state, the high-speed provider Global Net said. “This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company’s phone line said Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”

In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials said they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The river was swollen with recent heavy rains, but it’s unclear whether that was a factor. The Yellowstone saw record flooding in 2022 that caused extensive damage to Yellowstone National Park and adjacent towns in Montana. Robert Bea, a retired engineering professor at the University of California Berkeley who has analyzed the causes of hundreds of major disasters, said repeated years of heavy river flows provided a clue to the possible cause.

“The high water flow translates to high forces acting directly on the pier and, importantly, on the river bottom,” Bea said. “You can have erosion or scour that removes support from the foundation. High forces translate to a high likelihood of a structural or foundation failure that could act as a trigger to initiate the accident.”

An old highway bridge that paralleled the railroad bridge — together, they were called the Twin Bridges — was removed in 2021 after the Montana Department of Transportation determined it was in imminent danger of falling. It wasn’t immediately clear when the railroad bridge was constructed or when it was last inspected. Bea said investigators would also want to look at whether there was wear or rust in bridge components as well as a record of maintenance, repair and inspections.

Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the scene working with local authorities. “As part of our investigation, we have requested and will thoroughly review a copy of recent bridge inspection reports from the owner for compliance with federal Bridge Safety Standards,” the agency said in a statement Saturday, noting that responsibility for inspections lies with bridge owners.

Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland. The Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office called the group Saturday morning to warn it about the collapse, Hitchcock said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.run/post/19113

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of using the grep command to filter Nginx logs based on a given time range. grep is a powerful command-line tool for searching and filtering text patterns in files.

Step 1: Access the Nginx Log Files First, access the server or machine where Nginx is running. Locate the log files that you want to search. Typically, Nginx log files are located in the /var/log/nginx/ directory. The main log file is usually named access.log. You may have additional log files for different purposes, such as error logging.

Step 2: Understanding Nginx Log Format To effectively search through Nginx logs, it is essential to understand the log format. By default, Nginx uses the combined log format, which consists of several fields, including the timestamp. The timestamp format varies depending on your Nginx configuration but is usually in the following format: [day/month/year:hour:minute:second timezone].

Step 3: Determine the Time Range Decide on the time range you want to filter. You will need to provide the starting and ending timestamps in the log format mentioned earlier. For example, if you want to filter logs between June 24th, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the time range would be [24/Jun/2023:10:00:00 and [24/Jun/2023:12:00:00.

Step 4: Use Grep to Filter Logs With the log files and time range identified, you can now use grep to filter the logs. Open a terminal or SSH session to the server and execute the following command:

grep "\[24/Jun/2023:10:00:" /var/log/nginx/access.log | awk '$4 >= "[24/Jun/2023:10:00:" && $4 <= "[24/Jun/2023:12:00:"'

Replace starting_timestamp and ending_timestamp with the appropriate timestamps you determined in Step 3. The grep command searches for lines containing the starting timestamp in the log file specified (access.log in this example). The output is then piped (|) to awk, which filters the logs based on the time range.

Step 5: View Filtered Logs After executing the command, you should see the filtered logs that fall within the specified time range. The output will include the entire log lines matching the filter.

Additional Tips:

• If you have multiple log files, you can either specify them individually in the grep command or use a wildcard character (*) to match all files in the directory.
• You can redirect the filtered output to a file by appending > output.log at the end of the command. This will create a file named output.log containing the filtered logs.

That's it! You have successfully filtered Nginx logs using grep based on a given time range. Feel free to explore additional options and features of grep to further refine your log analysis.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.run/post/19113

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of using the grep command to filter Nginx logs based on a given time range. grep is a powerful command-line tool for searching and filtering text patterns in files.

Step 1: Access the Nginx Log Files First, access the server or machine where Nginx is running. Locate the log files that you want to search. Typically, Nginx log files are located in the /var/log/nginx/ directory. The main log file is usually named access.log. You may have additional log files for different purposes, such as error logging.

Step 2: Understanding Nginx Log Format To effectively search through Nginx logs, it is essential to understand the log format. By default, Nginx uses the combined log format, which consists of several fields, including the timestamp. The timestamp format varies depending on your Nginx configuration but is usually in the following format: [day/month/year:hour:minute:second timezone].

Step 3: Determine the Time Range Decide on the time range you want to filter. You will need to provide the starting and ending timestamps in the log format mentioned earlier. For example, if you want to filter logs between June 24th, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the time range would be [24/Jun/2023:10:00:00 and [24/Jun/2023:12:00:00.

Step 4: Use Grep to Filter Logs With the log files and time range identified, you can now use grep to filter the logs. Open a terminal or SSH session to the server and execute the following command:

grep "\[24/Jun/2023:10:00:" /var/log/nginx/access.log | awk '$4 >= "[24/Jun/2023:10:00:" && $4 <= "[24/Jun/2023:12:00:"'

Replace starting_timestamp and ending_timestamp with the appropriate timestamps you determined in Step 3. The grep command searches for lines containing the starting timestamp in the log file specified (access.log in this example). The output is then piped (|) to awk, which filters the logs based on the time range.

Step 5: View Filtered Logs After executing the command, you should see the filtered logs that fall within the specified time range. The output will include the entire log lines matching the filter.

Additional Tips:

• If you have multiple log files, you can either specify them individually in the grep command or use a wildcard character (*) to match all files in the directory.
• You can redirect the filtered output to a file by appending > output.log at the end of the command. This will create a file named output.log containing the filtered logs.

That's it! You have successfully filtered Nginx logs using grep based on a given time range. Feel free to explore additional options and features of grep to further refine your log analysis.

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of using the grep command to filter Nginx logs based on a given time range. grep is a powerful command-line tool for searching and filtering text patterns in files.

Step 1: Access the Nginx Log Files First, access the server or machine where Nginx is running. Locate the log files that you want to search. Typically, Nginx log files are located in the /var/log/nginx/ directory. The main log file is usually named access.log. You may have additional log files for different purposes, such as error logging.

Step 2: Understanding Nginx Log Format To effectively search through Nginx logs, it is essential to understand the log format. By default, Nginx uses the combined log format, which consists of several fields, including the timestamp. The timestamp format varies depending on your Nginx configuration but is usually in the following format: [day/month/year:hour:minute:second timezone].

Step 3: Determine the Time Range Decide on the time range you want to filter. You will need to provide the starting and ending timestamps in the log format mentioned earlier. For example, if you want to filter logs between June 24th, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the time range would be [24/Jun/2023:10:00:00 and [24/Jun/2023:12:00:00.

Step 4: Use Grep to Filter Logs With the log files and time range identified, you can now use grep to filter the logs. Open a terminal or SSH session to the server and execute the following command:

grep "\[24/Jun/2023:10:00:" /var/log/nginx/access.log | awk '$4 >= "[24/Jun/2023:10:00:" && $4 <= "[24/Jun/2023:12:00:"'

Replace starting_timestamp and ending_timestamp with the appropriate timestamps you determined in Step 3. The grep command searches for lines containing the starting timestamp in the log file specified (access.log in this example). The output is then piped (|) to awk, which filters the logs based on the time range.

Step 5: View Filtered Logs After executing the command, you should see the filtered logs that fall within the specified time range. The output will include the entire log lines matching the filter.

Additional Tips:

• If you have multiple log files, you can either specify them individually in the grep command or use a wildcard character (*) to match all files in the directory.
• You can redirect the filtered output to a file by appending > output.log at the end of the command. This will create a file named output.log containing the filtered logs.

That's it! You have successfully filtered Nginx logs using grep based on a given time range. Feel free to explore additional options and features of grep to further refine your log analysis.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.run/post/15922

Running Commands in Parallel in Linux

In Linux, you can execute multiple commands simultaneously by running them in parallel. This can help improve the overall execution time and efficiency of your tasks. In this tutorial, we will explore different methods to run commands in parallel in a Linux environment.

Method 1: Using & (ampersand) symbol

The simplest way to run commands in parallel is by appending the & symbol at the end of each command. Here's how you can do it:

command_1 & command_2 & command_3 &

This syntax allows each command to run in the background, enabling parallel execution. The shell will immediately return the command prompt, and the commands will execute concurrently.

For example, to compress three different files in parallel using the gzip command:

gzip file1.txt & gzip file2.txt & gzip file3.txt &

Method 2: Using xargs with -P option

The xargs command is useful for building and executing commands from standard input. By utilizing its -P option, you can specify the maximum number of commands to run in parallel. Here's an example:

echo -e "command_1\ncommand_2\ncommand_3" | xargs -P 3 -I {} sh -c "{}" &

In this example, we use the echo command to generate a list of commands separated by newline characters. This list is then piped (|) to xargs, which executes each command in parallel. The -P 3 option indicates that a maximum of three commands should run concurrently. Adjust the number according to your requirements.

For instance, to run three different wget commands in parallel to download files:

echo -e "wget http://example.com/file1.txt\nwget http://example.com/file2.txt\nwget http://example.com/file3.txt" | xargs -P 3 -I {} sh -c "{}" &

Method 3: Using GNU Parallel

GNU Parallel is a powerful tool specifically designed to run jobs in parallel. It provides extensive features and flexibility. To use GNU Parallel, follow these steps:

1. Install GNU Parallel if it's not already installed. You can typically find it in your Linux distribution's package manager.

2. Create a file (e.g., commands.txt) and add one command per line:

   command_1
   command_2
   command_3
   

3. Run the following command to execute the commands in parallel:

   parallel -j 3 < commands.txt
   

   The -j 3 option specifies the maximum number of parallel jobs to run. Adjust it according to your needs.

For example, if you have a file called urls.txt containing URLs and you want to download them in parallel using wget:

parallel -j 3 wget {} < urls.txt

GNU Parallel also offers numerous advanced options for complex parallel job management. Refer to its documentation for further information.

Conclusion

Running commands in parallel can significantly speed up your tasks by utilizing the available resources efficiently. In this tutorial, you've learned three methods for running commands in parallel in Linux:

1. Using the & symbol to run commands in the background.
2. Utilizing xargs with the -P option to define the maximum parallelism.
3. Using GNU Parallel for advanced parallel job management.

Choose the method that best suits your requirements and optimize your workflow by executing commands concurrently.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.run/post/15922

Running Commands in Parallel in Linux

In Linux, you can execute multiple commands simultaneously by running them in parallel. This can help improve the overall execution time and efficiency of your tasks. In this tutorial, we will explore different methods to run commands in parallel in a Linux environment.

Method 1: Using & (ampersand) symbol

The simplest way to run commands in parallel is by appending the & symbol at the end of each command. Here's how you can do it:

command_1 & command_2 & command_3 &

This syntax allows each command to run in the background, enabling parallel execution. The shell will immediately return the command prompt, and the commands will execute concurrently.

For example, to compress three different files in parallel using the gzip command:

gzip file1.txt & gzip file2.txt & gzip file3.txt &

Method 2: Using xargs with -P option

The xargs command is useful for building and executing commands from standard input. By utilizing its -P option, you can specify the maximum number of commands to run in parallel. Here's an example:

echo -e "command_1\ncommand_2\ncommand_3" | xargs -P 3 -I {} sh -c "{}" &

In this example, we use the echo command to generate a list of commands separated by newline characters. This list is then piped (|) to xargs, which executes each command in parallel. The -P 3 option indicates that a maximum of three commands should run concurrently. Adjust the number according to your requirements.

For instance, to run three different wget commands in parallel to download files:

echo -e "wget http://example.com/file1.txt\nwget http://example.com/file2.txt\nwget http://example.com/file3.txt" | xargs -P 3 -I {} sh -c "{}" &

Method 3: Using GNU Parallel

GNU Parallel is a powerful tool specifically designed to run jobs in parallel. It provides extensive features and flexibility. To use GNU Parallel, follow these steps:

1. Install GNU Parallel if it's not already installed. You can typically find it in your Linux distribution's package manager.

2. Create a file (e.g., commands.txt) and add one command per line:

   command_1
   command_2
   command_3
   

3. Run the following command to execute the commands in parallel:

   parallel -j 3 < commands.txt
   

   The -j 3 option specifies the maximum number of parallel jobs to run. Adjust it according to your needs.

For example, if you have a file called urls.txt containing URLs and you want to download them in parallel using wget:

parallel -j 3 wget {} < urls.txt

GNU Parallel also offers numerous advanced options for complex parallel job management. Refer to its documentation for further information.

Conclusion

Running commands in parallel can significantly speed up your tasks by utilizing the available resources efficiently. In this tutorial, you've learned three methods for running commands in parallel in Linux:

1. Using the & symbol to run commands in the background.
2. Utilizing xargs with the -P option to define the maximum parallelism.
3. Using GNU Parallel for advanced parallel job management.

Choose the method that best suits your requirements and optimize your workflow by executing commands concurrently.

Running Commands in Parallel in Linux

In Linux, you can execute multiple commands simultaneously by running them in parallel. This can help improve the overall execution time and efficiency of your tasks. In this tutorial, we will explore different methods to run commands in parallel in a Linux environment.

Method 1: Using & (ampersand) symbol

The simplest way to run commands in parallel is by appending the & symbol at the end of each command. Here's how you can do it:

command_1 & command_2 & command_3 &

This syntax allows each command to run in the background, enabling parallel execution. The shell will immediately return the command prompt, and the commands will execute concurrently.

For example, to compress three different files in parallel using the gzip command:

gzip file1.txt & gzip file2.txt & gzip file3.txt &

Method 2: Using xargs with -P option

The xargs command is useful for building and executing commands from standard input. By utilizing its -P option, you can specify the maximum number of commands to run in parallel. Here's an example:

echo -e "command_1\ncommand_2\ncommand_3" | xargs -P 3 -I {} sh -c "{}" &

In this example, we use the echo command to generate a list of commands separated by newline characters. This list is then piped (|) to xargs, which executes each command in parallel. The -P 3 option indicates that a maximum of three commands should run concurrently. Adjust the number according to your requirements.

For instance, to run three different wget commands in parallel to download files:

echo -e "wget http://example.com/file1.txt\nwget http://example.com/file2.txt\nwget http://example.com/file3.txt" | xargs -P 3 -I {} sh -c "{}" &

Method 3: Using GNU Parallel

GNU Parallel is a powerful tool specifically designed to run jobs in parallel. It provides extensive features and flexibility. To use GNU Parallel, follow these steps:

1. Install GNU Parallel if it's not already installed. You can typically find it in your Linux distribution's package manager.

2. Create a file (e.g., commands.txt) and add one command per line:

   command_1
   command_2
   command_3
   

3. Run the following command to execute the commands in parallel:

   parallel -j 3 < commands.txt
   

   The -j 3 option specifies the maximum number of parallel jobs to run. Adjust it according to your needs.

For example, if you have a file called urls.txt containing URLs and you want to download them in parallel using wget:

parallel -j 3 wget {} < urls.txt

GNU Parallel also offers numerous advanced options for complex parallel job management. Refer to its documentation for further information.

Conclusion

Running commands in parallel can significantly speed up your tasks by utilizing the available resources efficiently. In this tutorial, you've learned three methods for running commands in parallel in Linux:

1. Using the & symbol to run commands in the background.
2. Utilizing xargs with the -P option to define the maximum parallelism.
3. Using GNU Parallel for advanced parallel job management.

Choose the method that best suits your requirements and optimize your workflow by executing commands concurrently.

As per reports, OceanGate's carbon fiber hull was unsuited for dives into such depths. In a video now going viral, CEO Stockton Rush is seen admitting that he knows there are issues, but he is taking the risk anyway.

OceanGate's sub Titan, (L), wreck of the Titanic on the seafloor (R)

The HMS Titanic had sunk on April 15, 1912, taking more than 1500 people with it. 111 years later, 4 high-profile passengers and the CEO of the OceanGate company, who was the pilot of the tourist submersible ‘Titan’, died after their sub imploded due to extreme pressure deep in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The US Coast Guard has confirmed that one of their ROVs from the vessel Horizon Arctic located the debris of a tail comb from the OceanGate sub-Titan approximately 1600 feet from the bow wreckage of the Titanic on the seafloor. Other debris was also found scattered in the general area. The debris was confirmed to be from Titan, the lost tourist sub from OceanGate.

Speaking to the media, OceanGate’s co-founder Guillermo Stohnlein said that in the case of any failure, the implosion would have been instantaneous.

It is notable here that the Titanic wreckage sits at a depth of around 3800 meters. As per reports, the implosion at a depth like that causes immediate crushing of the vessel and everything inside it. The pilot and the passengers would have died within a few milliseconds.

CEO of OceanGate was the pilot, the 4 passengers included the billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, a British-Pakistani father-son duo named Shahzada Dawood and Suleiman Dawood, and the popular ‘Mr Titanic’ Paul-Henry Nargeolet. Nargeolet, a French Navy veteran, was part of the first expedition to visit the wreck in 1987, just two years after it was found. He has earned the moniker ‘Mr. Titanic’ as he has reportedly spent more time at the wreck than any other explorer.

The deceased CEO’s wife is a descendant of an old couple who died in the Titanic disaster in 1912

Wendy Rush, the wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, is the great-great-grandaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, an old couple who had perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912. The old couple was depicted in James Cameron’s Oscar-winning movie too.

Isidor and Ida Straus were first-class passengers who had refused to board a lifeboat and had gone down with the ship on that fateful night in 1912.

Titanic tours

Tourists spend thousands of dollars to be taken to the wreckage of the liner, 12,500ft underwater. It is claimed that OceanGate Expeditions charges $250,000 (£195,270) for a place on its eight-day expedition.

It is important to note that submersibles are different from submarines. A submersible needs a mother ship that can launch it and recover it. Contrary to it, a submarine has enough power to leave port and come back to port on its own.

37 years ago, the wreckage of the Titanic was discovered in the Atlantic, around 400 nautical miles from Newfoundland, Canada. A team led by legendary explorer Robert Ballard had found the vessel.

OceanGate sub had ‘quality’ issues

As per reports, OceanGate’s carbon fiber hull was unsuited for dives into such depths. In a video now going viral, CEO Stockton Rush is seen admitting that he knows there are issues, but he is taking the risk anyway.

On Sunday morning, the surface crew of the accompanying tug boat had lost contact with the submersible one hour and 45 minutes after it went down the sea.

OceanGate staff had confirmed that in addition to a very limited oxygen supply, those onboard will also be experiencing frigid temperatures.

As per reports, David Lochridge, former director of marine operations associated with OceanGate, had refused to greenlight the sub, citing that the viewport is only certified to withstand pressure up to the depth of 1300 meters. The wreckage of the Titanic sits at a depth of 3800 meters on the ocean floor.

Lochridge was fired by OceanGate later. Months later, over 3 dozen people from the industry, including deep sea explorers and oceanographers included, had voiced concerns and warned the company of potential ‘catastrophic problems’ with their tours using that sub. Lochridge had also stated that OceanGate was unwilling to have the sub inspected and certified by established agencies.

Chapter 15, Verse 19

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् |

स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥19॥

Transliteration

*yo mām evam asammūḍho jānāti puruṣhottamam

sa sarva-vid bhajati māṁ sarva-bhāvena bhārata*

Word Meanings

yaḥ—who; mām—me; evam—thus; asammūḍhaḥ—without a doubt; jānāti—know; puruṣha-uttamam—the Supreme Divine Personality; saḥ—they; sarva-vit—those with complete knowledge; bhajati—worship; mām—me; sarva-bhāvena—with one’s whole being; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat

Translation

O scion of the Bharata dynasty, he who, being free from delusion, knows Me the supreme Person thus, he is all-knowing and adores Me with his whole being.

Authors: Jonathan Evans and Neha Sahgal

Sikh devotees light candles at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, on June 25, 2021. (Narinder Nanu/AFP via Getty Images)

India’s massive population is diverse as well as devout. Not only do most of the world’s Hindus, Jains and Sikhs live in India, but it also is home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations and to millions of Christians and Buddhists.

A new Pew Research Center report, based on a face-to-face survey of 29,999 Indian adults fielded between late 2019 and early 2020 – before the COVID-19 pandemic – takes a closer look at religious identity, nationalism and tolerance in Indian society. The survey was conducted by local interviewers in 17 languages and covered nearly all of India’s states and union territories. Here are key findings from the report.

How we did this

1. Indians value religious tolerance, though they also live religiously segregated lives.

Across the country, most people (84%) say that to be “truly Indian,” it is very important to respect all religions. Indians also are united in the view that respecting other religions is a very important part of what it means to be a member of their own religious community (80%). People in all six major religious groups overwhelmingly say they are very free to practice their faiths, and most say that people of other faiths also are very free to practice their own religion.

But Indians’ commitment to tolerance is accompanied by a strong preference for keeping religious communities segregated. For example, Indians generally say they do not have much in common with members of other religious groups, and large majorities in the six major groups say their close friends come mainly or entirely from their own religious community. That’s true not only for 86% of India’s large Hindu population, but also for smaller groups such as Sikhs (80%) and Jains (72%).

Moreover, roughly two-thirds of Hindus say it is very important to stop Hindu women (67%) or Hindu men (65%) from marrying into other religious communities. Even larger shares of Muslims oppose interreligious marriage: 80% say it is very important to stop Muslim women from marrying outside their religion, and 76% say it is very important to stop Muslim men from doing so.

2. For many Hindus, national identity, religion and language are closely connected.

Nearly two-thirds of Hindus (64%) say it is very important to be Hindu to be truly Indian. Among Hindus who say it is very important to be Hindu to be truly Indian, 80% also say it is very important to speak Hindi to be truly Indian. Most Hindus in India say being Hindu, being able to speak Hindi are very important to be ‘truly’ Indian

Hindus who strongly link Hindu and Indian identities express a keen desire for religious segregation. For instance, 76% of Hindus who say being Hindu is very important to being truly Indian feel it is very important to stop Hindu women from marrying into another religion. By comparison, 52% of Hindus who place less importance on Hinduism’s role in Indian identity hold this view about religious intermarriage.

Moreover, Hindus in the Northern (69%) and Central (83%) parts of the country are much more likely than those in the South (42%) to strongly link Hindu identity with national identity. Together, the Northern and Central regions cover the country’s “Hindi belt,” where Hindi, one of dozens of languages spoken in India, is most prevalent. The vast majority of Hindus in these regions strongly link Indian identity with being able to speak Hindi.

3. Among Hindus, views of national identity go hand-in-hand with politics.

Support for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is greater among Hindus who closely associate their religious identity and the Hindi language with being truly Indian. In the 2019 national elections, 60% of Hindu voters who think it is very important to be Hindu and to speak Hindi to be truly Indian cast their vote for the BJP, compared with 33% among Hindu voters who feel less strongly about both these aspects of national identity. These views also map onto regional support for the BJP, which tends to be much higher in the Northern and Central parts of the country than in the South.

4. Dietary laws are central to Indians’ religious identity.

Hindus traditionally view cows as sacred, and laws on cow slaughter have recently been a flashpoint in India. Nearly three-quarters of Hindus (72%) in India say a person cannot be Hindu if they eat beef. That is larger than the shares of Hindus who say a person cannot be Hindu if they do not believe in God (49%) or never go to a temple (48%).

Similarly, three-quarters of Indian Muslims (77%) say that a person cannot be Muslim if they eat pork, which is greater than the share who say a person cannot be Muslim if they do not believe in God (60%) or never attend mosque (61%).

5. Muslims favor having access to their own religious courts.

Since 1937, India’s Muslims have had the option of resolving family and inheritance-related cases in officially recognized Islamic courts, known as dar-ul-qaza. These courts are overseen by religious magistrates known as qazi and operate under Shariah principles, although their decisions are not legally binding.

Whether or not Muslims should be allowed to go to their own religious courts remains a hotly debated topic. The survey finds that three-quarters of Muslims (74%) support having access to the existing system of Islamic courts, but followers of other religions are far less likely to support Muslim access to this separate court system.

6. Muslims are more likely than Hindus to say the 1947 partition establishing the separate states of India and Pakistan harmed Hindu-Muslim relations.

More than seven decades after the Indian subcontinent was divided into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan at the end of British colonial rule, the predominant view among Indian Muslims is that the partition of the subcontinent was a bad thing for Hindu-Muslim relations (48%). Only three-in-ten Muslims say it was a good thing.

Hindus, however, lean in the opposite direction: 43% of Hindus say Partition was beneficial for Hindu-Muslim relations, while 37% say it was harmful. Sikhs, whose historical homeland of Punjab was split by Partition, are even more likely than Muslims to say the event was bad for Hindu-Muslim relations: Two-thirds of Sikhs (66%) take this position.

7. India’s caste system, an ancient social hierarchy with origins in Hindu writings, continues to fracture society.

Regardless of whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist or Jain, Indians nearly universally identify with a caste. Members of lower caste groups historically have faced discrimination and unequal economic opportunities, but the survey finds that most people – including most members of lower castes – say there is not a lot of caste discrimination in India. The Indian Constitution prohibits caste-based discrimination, including untouchability, and in recent decades the government has enacted economic advancement policies like reserved seats in universities and government jobs for members of some lower-caste communities.

Still, a large majority of Indians overall (70%) say that most or all of their close friends share their caste. Much as they object to interreligious marriages, a large share of Indians (64%) say it is very important to stop women in their community from marrying into other castes, and about the same share (62%) say it is very important to stop men in their community from marrying into other castes. These figures vary only modestly across different castes.

8. Religious conversion is rare in India; to the extent that it is occurring, Hindus gain as many people as they lose.

Conversion of people belonging to lower castes away from Hinduism to other religions, especially Christianity, has been contentious in India, and some states have laws against proselytism. This survey, though, finds that religious switching has a minimal impact on the size of religious groups. Across India, 98% of survey respondents give the same answer when asked to identify their current religion and, separately, their childhood religion.

An overall pattern of stability in the share of religious groups is accompanied by little net change from movement into, or out of, most religious groups. Among Hindus, for instance, any conversion out of the group is matched by conversion into the group: 0.7% of respondents say they were raised Hindu but now identify as something else, and roughly the same share (0.8%) say they were not raised Hindu but now identify as Hindu. For Christians, however, there are some net gains from conversion: 0.4% of survey respondents are former Hindus who now identify as Christian, while 0.1% were raised Christian but have since left Christianity.

Introduction to Upanishads

The Upanishads are a collection of ancient philosophical and spiritual texts that form the core teachings of Hinduism. These texts are considered the culmination of Vedic knowledge and are revered for their profound insights into the nature of existence, consciousness, and the ultimate reality. The word "Upanishad" is derived from the Sanskrit root words "upa" (near), "ni" (down), and "shad" (to sit), implying the act of sitting close to a spiritual teacher to receive esoteric knowledge.

Significance of the Upanishads

The Upanishads occupy a central position in Hindu philosophy and have influenced various schools of thought, including Vedanta, Yoga, and Buddhism. These texts delve into profound metaphysical and spiritual concepts, exploring the nature of the self (Atman), the ultimate reality (Brahman), and the interconnectedness of all things. They offer profound meditations on the nature of existence, the purpose of life, and the path to spiritual liberation (Moksha).

Profound Insights and Teachings

The Upanishads provide deep insights into the nature of reality, consciousness, and the human experience. They emphasize the unity of all existence and the interconnectedness of all beings. The texts offer profound teachings on meditation, self-realization, and the nature of the divine. They guide individuals on the quest for self-discovery and spiritual awakening, inviting them to transcend the limitations of the material world and realize their true nature.

Eternal Wisdom and Timeless Relevance

Despite their ancient origins, the wisdom found in the Upanishads remains timeless and relevant. The concepts and teachings presented in these texts continue to inspire seekers and spiritual aspirants across the globe. The Upanishads provide a comprehensive understanding of the human condition and offer guidance on leading a purposeful and fulfilling life. They encourage individuals to explore the depths of their own consciousness and seek answers to life's fundamental questions.

Conclusion

The Upanishads stand as a testament to the profound wisdom and spiritual insights of the ancient sages. Their teachings continue to resonate with individuals seeking to understand the nature of existence, consciousness, and the ultimate reality. By delving into the Upanishads, one embarks on a transformative journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth, uncovering the eternal truths that lie within.