Post No. 14,594
Date uploaded in London – 5 June 2025
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Why Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla carrying swan doll to space?
Reveals if he’ll talk to Modi as Rakesh Sharma spoke to ex-PM Indira Gandhi in 1984
New Delhi, Updated At : 07:41 AM Jun 04, 2025 IST
Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who will pilot the Axiom-4 mission that has been rescheduled for June 10, said he would carry the hopes and dreams of 1.4 billion Indians into space.
Urging people to pray for the mission’s success, he said, “This mission is a milestone for India’s space programme and I request India to pray for its success. Even stars are attainable, Jai Hind! We will do amazing things for 14 days in orbit.”
Speaking during the crew’s media interaction from the quarantine centre in Florida, Shukla called the preparation for the human space programme a journey of growth and discovery. “I reflect on the path that has brought me here. From diverse systems to advanced platforms, this training has been intense but fruitful. Your (India) strength and support has been my anchor HE SAID.
Shukla is carrying along souvenirs crafted by the National Institute of Design. “From the orbit, I will be speaking live with students and members of India’s space industry. I hope to ignite curiosity in young minds,” he said.
Responding to a query whether he would speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from space the way Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (retd) interacted with them PM Indira Gandhi, Shukla said there would be an interaction with VIPs. He, however, did not name any VIP.
Sharma flew to space in 1984 and Shukla said he was in constant touch with him. “Rakesh Sharma was like a mentor and has been a guide to me right from the selection process. He very well understands the challenges we face. I speak to him regularly. I am carrying something for him to space, which will be a surprise,” he said.
Shukla said observing the earth from a vantage point and floating in microgravity excited him.
The Indian astronaut will carry delicacies such as mango nectar, moong dal halwa and carrot halwa to space. “The food will be shared with colleagues. Going to space will be a mixed bag of emotions. I will miss my family and friends,” he said.
The crew will spend 14 days in orbit and carry a swan doll as a sign of zero gravity indicator. Zero-G indicators serve as a visual confirmation for astronauts and observers on earth that the spacecraft has reached space and is experiencing a state of weightlessness.
Swan holds religious significance for Indians. “Swan is believed to have the rare ability to separate milk from water, representing purity, wisdom and grace. Carrying this symbol reminds me of the delicate balance between knowledge and pressure, and it keeps me grounded in the values I hold dear. I feel inspired, fully prepared and confident as I embark on this journey,” Shukla said.
Peggy Whitson, a veteran NASA astronaut who is the commander of the space programme, said the mission would focus on science, technology and outreach activities. “These experiments will benefit people on earth. Our crew underwent rigorous training. We have trained for every scenario bonded as a team. We will be engaging with students around the world. Every mission is different and every crew make the difference. We want to see the impact of scientific experiments,” she said.
The mission crew also includes specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The crew will lift off aboard Dragon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
The launch was earlier scheduled for June 8. In a statement, NASA said, “This shift allows teams to account for predicted inclement weather during the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft transport in addition to completing final processing of the spacecraft ahead of launch.
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11 YEARS AGO, I WROTE IN MY BLOGS:
Mystery about Swan: Can it separate Milk from Water?
Why Saints are called Paramahamsa?
Research paper written by London Swaminathan
Post No.1153; Dated 6th July 2014.
From the days of the Rig Veda and Chandogya Upanishad, swan is always associated with the bright sun and saints.
All the water birds close to swan are grouped under the Anatidae family. Hindu mythology understood the unity pervading the family. Their approach was very scientific when they dealt with swans, geese and ducks.
Hamsa Gayatri
Om Hamsaaya Vidmahe
Paramahamsaaya Dhimahi
Tanno Hamsha Pracodayaat
“May we realise Hamsa that is our own Self as Swan. Let us meditate on that Paramahamsa, the Supreme Self. May Hamsa illumine us.”
This one of the several popular Gayatri mantras.
Great saints are called Parama hamsa. It means Supreme Swan. We have great saints like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1856) and Paramahamsa Yogananda (1893-1952) within the last two hundred years. Sadasiva Brahmendra composed short and sweet kritis in Sanskrit and had the ‘mudra’/signature “paramahmasa” in all his compositions.
When it used in the context of great Yogis (ascetics) it does not mean the bird Swan (Hamsa in Sanskrit). It is the combination of two words Aham + Sa= Hamsa. I am He. It is the essence of Advaita philosophy. God and Man are one at the highest level. All the famous Upanishads have this philosophy: Aham Brahmasmi/ I am Brahman, Tat Tvam Asi/ You are That etc.
When saints who are well versed in the Yogic techniques breathe in and out it sounds ‘Ham…… Sa…… ‘Ham…… Sa….’ leading to Soham+ He is I.
Chandogya Upanishad (4-7) included an instruction (advice) from a swan. Dattatreya learnt something good from everything in nature including a bird. Hindus used everything in nature for the spiritual advancement of man.
Is it true that swans can separate milk from water and drink only milk?
Another meaning at a different level:-
Hamsa is the vehicle of God Brahma and his consort Sarasvati. All are white in colour symbolising purity and knowledge. Hamsa is associated with Holy Ganges and holy lake Manasa Sarovar. It is one of the purest birds. Hamsa Gayatri confers the power of discretion on the person who recites it. Like that Hamsa separates the good things from the bad things, Water birds separate good water from the bad water. It has got a sieve like structure (lamellae) in its mouth which separates water from mud. Probably this is what lead to the belief that Swans can separate milk from water and drink only milk. In Sanskrit Ksheera means milk and pure water.
Hamsa in the Vedas
Hamsa in the RIg Veda (1-65-5; 1-163-10;2-34-5;3-8-9;;AV 6-12-1 etc) and later literature denotes the bird gander. These birds are described as dark in colour on the back( RV 7-59-7), they fly in troops ((RV 3-8-9), swim in the water (RV 1-65-5), make loud noises (3-53-10), and are wakeful at night (AV 6-12-1) according to Vedic Index.
The Hamsa is credited with the power of separating Soma from water (as later milk from water) in the Yajur Veda (Kataka, Maitrayani, Vajasneyi Samhitas and Taitriya Brahmana).
The soma plant when crushed exudes the juice with a hissing sound. This is compared to the hissing of a swan when disturbed on the water (RV 1-65-5)
The Asvins are invited to the soma sacrifice like a pair of swans hastening to the water (RV 5-78-1).
It is also sacrificed in the Asvamedha Yajna along with two hundred other animals, birds, plants and other grains.
Sun and Paramahmsa
The sun and the spiritually elevated man are compared with the wise swan in the Shivapurana (2-15-10).
The Mute Swans are known to go about in pairs and they are greatly devoted to each other. Even Buddhacharita of Asvagosha mentioned this in the context of appealing to Gautam Siddhartha to come back to his wife.
Ramayana described swan as god Varuna’s bird (7-18-28)
Nala Damayanti and Swan
The golden coloured swan (whooper) caught by Nala was mentioned in the Mahabharata (3-54-19). The bird promised to plead Nala’s cause with Damayanti and was thereupon released. He flew with his party to her place and allowed himself to be caught by her and then performed his mission.
Hamsavatara
One of the incarnations/Avatars of Lord Vishnu is Hamsavatar in the form of a swan. Apart from Dasavatar (ten incarnations) we have 11 more Avatars.
Kalidasa & Sangam Tamil Literature
I have already written about the Bird Migration in Kalidasa and Sangam Literature.
Kalidasa referred to the strange habit of swan ‘separating milk from water’ in Sakuntalam drama (Act 6-33). A Gatha Sapta Sati poet copied it. Naladiyar in Tamil also copied Kalidasa.
Paranar, a Brahmin poet of Sangam period used lot of similes from Kalidasa along with his colleague Kabilar. Paranar in his poem– Natrinai 356 — sang about a swan flying to the golden peaked Himalayas after feeding itself with fishes in the Southern Seas. Pisiranthaiyar said the same thing in Purananuru verse 67. All these are just echo Kalidasa’s poems.
Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsa and Meghaduta have got too many references to water birds such as swan and cranes, geese and ducks.
Pillows were stuffed with the feathers of swan in ancient India.
A woman’s gait is compared to the gait of a swan in Tamil (Aka.279) and Sanskrit literature.
The swans are remarkable for their stately flight very high in the sky and they seem to approach the sun, says Mankudi Kizar of Madurai Kanchi (385-38).
Different types of swans such as Raja Hamsa, Kala Hamsa, Maththa Hamsa, Maha Hamsa, Kshuta Hamsa and Kadamba Hamsa are found in Sanskrit literature.
Ramayana and Mahabharata have interesting stories about swans. One of them is about the white colour of the swan (7-18-29/31). Varuna avoided Ravana by transforming himself to a swan and later gave a boon to the bird for his help and made him permanently white! Since Brahma has it as his Vahana the bird is also called Surapriya (Friend of the Devas). Swan is always associated with glory, purity, affection, love, majesty and divinity!!
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Tags- swan, mystery, milk and water, Hindu literature, Paramahamsa, Indian astronaut, swan doll, carrot halwa, space , Shukla,
Tamil and Vedas 