Interview by The Ancient Heathen Horde

1. Om Shanti! Before proceeding to our main interview topic, do tell us about RUDRA. What is the meaning behind the name of RUDRA and why choose it? Why not play black metal?

Rudra is an epithet of Lord Shiva, one of the most popular Indian deity. Lord Shiva is considered to be the personification of the destructive aspect of nature. And the name Rudra best describes this terrifying nature. Extreme metal is often associated with the destruction of existing norms, popular notions and blind beliefs. So this name fits in perfectly with Rudra's vision of destroying all that is vile and unacceptable to the human mind. Moreover, the minds behind the band are Indo-pagans. So using this name is a cultural identity too, which serves well for what we stand for, which is none other than extreme metal musicians devoted to the ancient wisdom of our ancestors.

With regards to the kind of music we play, it is really very difficult to categorise it. Actually we really don't know what we are playing…you may call it Death Metal or some call it even black metal….but Extreme Metal would be a better word to name our music. But of course, the best word is indeed Vedic Metal.

2. As usual, do tell us a brief history of RUDRA and about the albums released by RUDRA.

Rudra has been around for about a decade. With very few line-up changes we have 2 full-length albums to date. The debut album was released under Sonic Wave International 3 years ago and the 2nd album The Aryan Crusade was released 3 months ago under Trishul Records. The first album did very well. Much better than we expected. The success of the 2nd album remains to be seen. Anyway, our principle is to do our best and leave the rest!

3. RUDRA's latest album, 'The Aryan Crusade', features superb death metal music with technical skills involve as heard in 'Anantarupa' , 'Rudrapatni', 'Aryaputra'. What inspired RUDRA to write such songs especially with Vedic/Hindu influence in them, and with all the Sanskrit verses in them?

Inspiration varies from person to person and people to people. What inspires Rudra is Timeless Wisdom! Knowledge that was relevant in the past, relevant in the present and relevant in the future is what I call Timeless wisdom. Speculating about a heaven up in the skies and a god passing judgement sitting on a throne are definitely not what we refer to as timeless wisdom. This timeless wisdom we are referring to is the teachings of an ancient Indian school of thought called Vedanta and it happens to be in Sanskrit.

4. I do know that RUDRA members, especially you, have been studying Vedic scriptures. How long have you been studying it?

I have been studying this subject generally for the past 10 years, but only in the last four years or so have I been doing an in-depth study on it. I don't confine my studies to just the Vedic scriptures alone. I do study the Bible, Quran translations, Buddhism, Tao Te Ching, Greek philosophies, Gnostic thoughts, Paganism and anything that interests me.

5. How old are the Vedic scriptures and who wrote them? What does the Vedic scriptures teaches us? Do describe it briefly for our readers.

The Vedic scriptures are probably 5000 to 7000 years old. Any one person or a number of people did not write them. The Vedas are considered to be unauthored actually. Because any authorship would presuppose only experiential knowledge, thereby limiting the knowledge contained in it. The Vedas were revealed to certain people we call rishis or seers. None of them mention a God or angels as the composer or giver of the Vedas. They view it as pre-existing knowledge found in nature, which expresses itself to people who are tuned to nature. The Vedic scriptures reveal that everyone is complete and adequate and in fact perfect. We don't require a heaven or a belief in a God up in the sky to make us feel adequate or perfect. In fact, it boldly declares that everyone is the supreme master from his/her perspective. This teaching is popularly called as Self-knowledge. But the Vedic teaching is not preaching. It is a more of a long learning process that immediately transforms into knowledge upon contemplation.

(The Ancient Heathen Horde: it boldly declares that everyone is the supreme master from his/her perspective ---> fellow neo-Satanists and Buddhists will definetely agree on this issue! Glory to thy-Self!!!)

6. As we move slowly to our main conversation of 'Aryan' and also to highlight to the readers on certain issues in Hinduism, which had created misunderstandings etc, what does the caste system means? And why did it ever exist?

The caste system was a social order. It is primarily based on 3 things: birth, mental disposition and occupation. The Indians had 4 castes: teacher or philosopher, warriors, merchants and employees (people who work for the other 3 castes). In fact, to be frank, this type of classification is already present in all societies. The only difference is in the basis of any such classification. A materialistic society would put the merchants as the most important caste. A militant society will put the warrior generals as the important caste. But in the ancient Indian society the teacher/philosopher caste was the most important as without them the society would be bereft of knowledge. Knowledge was indeed power in the Indian context. Even the greeks had a 3 caste system. So no matter what, social division cannot be avoided, similar to the rank and file of men. But the ancient Indian social order balances spirituality and materialism, thus fulfilling both physical and intellectual/emotional needs. I would not say it is the best model, as I don't subscribe to the belief in a universally acceptable solution for any problem. This is just one of the workable models. But of course down the line this 4-caste system was exploited by the privileged few.

7. As far as I know, certain beliefs in Hinduism contradicts with Indian cultures itself. Must we hold strongly to our beliefs or our culture?

I am no authority on this matter, nevertheless I will state my opinion based on my understanding. Firstly we have to throw away our beliefs, as the word 'belief' is a 'judgement before knowing'. So if we happen to have a belief, then it has to be converted into knowledge. That's why I can never say, "I believe I exist". I can only say, "I exist". The former statement is a mad man's uncertainty, while the latter is every man's knowledge. "I know that I exist and I need no external proof for my existence." This is knowledge. A belief on the other hand casts a shadow of doubt on what is assumed to be true. Existence of heaven, hell, eternal paradise etc… is all belief. So if these beliefs can't be converted into knowledge, then it is better to get rid of it from our minds. As they are no better than the belief in a 'triangular square'. Hahaha. A knowledgeable person is infinitely more valuable than a believer. So I would say knowing is any time better than believing. If there is no opportunity to convert a belief into knowledge, then it is better to discard it.

8. What does the word 'Aryan' means actually? Even Buddha refers his teaching as 'Aryan'. Please describe it.

Aryan is a Sanskrit word which means: wise, noble or intelligent. This word can be found in many early Indian scriptures and texts.

9. And how did the word 'Aryan' became linked to a particular race (which in this case, Aryans were referred to the whites). Please describe this event in detail for our readers to understand this in -depth. Is it true that the Christian missionaries play a role in distorting the real meaning of 'Aryan'?

The word Aryan was first linked to a race by many European historians and Indologists during India's colonial rule. These Indologists could not imagine the kind of philosophies which were found in India to be born in an agricultural land and thus opined that it must have come from outside India. So with this presumption, the Vedic texts were examined to support such a theory. So moreover, the colonialists also had another ulterior motive, which is to prove the superiority of their own religion. The letters written by the most popular Indologist Max Muller to his wife proves this point. So the Aryan Invasion theory was invented by such Indologists so that they have a reason to claim that the colonial rule was only a second tide of a similar invasion which took place thousands of years ago where 'fair, sharp nosed, nomadic Aryans' invaded India. Such a theory also helped the colonialists to keep a firm grip on India by dividing India into two racial groups; one Aryan and the other Dravidian. This strategy is popularly known as 'Divide and Rule'. And this Aryan fantasy was picked up by Hitler through another organisation in Germany which subscribed to this theory and he started claiming the Germanic race to be the Aryans. And we all know what happened after that. So it all started with those Indologists like Max Muller who started this theory for political reasons. Till today there is no single documentation of an Aryan invasion in any of the Indian texts. The word Aryan appears in both Vedic and Buddhistic texts but all of them refer only to wise men, not a race. The word Aryan denotes a quality not a race. And now we have many black metal bands too calling themselves Aryans. But the joke is they are hardly wise….only otherwise!!!

(The Ancient Heathen Horde: Hmm... according to David Frawley, even Max Muller rejected the idea of 'Aryans' as a term for a particular race!)

10. According to the Aryan invasion theory to India, the Indo-Europeans invaded India and thus contributed the fairer-skinned people in the north side of India and also contributed to one of the greatest civilizations in the world. Do you think such ideas are brought up by pro-Whites and pro-Nazis because they can't accept the fact that all races are indeed equal in superiority, be it the past and the present? What is the name of this great civilization in India anyway? Did the true Aryans (referring to the answer given to Question No. 7) contributed to this great civilization?

Such a theory wasn't created by pro-whites or Nazis. Like I mentioned earlier, the politically motivated Indologists created it. But these ideas spawned the pro-white movement and Nazis I would say. Anyone who thinks that a white race can be superior by virtue of its genetic features should take a look at their own history. 400 years ago the western world thought that the Sun was moving around the Earth. And poor Galileo was put on trial for knowing it to be otherwise. So where was that superiority among those races then? Racial and religious superiority theories are only invented by people suffering from inferiority complexes for people who are suffering from the same mental disorder. A little study of history is enough to point out that racial superiority theory cannot hold water. Deep-seated emotional beliefs are not easy to overcome. Only repeated study and contemplation can uproot these erroneous notions.

The Indian civilization had no name except for the ones the Indologists gave, like Harappa, Mohenjo Daro, Indus Valley etc…. As much as we know, people who were there for a long time built the civilisations.

11. Generally, what do you think of pro-Whites and pro-Aryans? I noticed that you couldn't care less on pro-Whites but you certainly give a damn to pro-Aryans? Why?

Like I said all these problems rise because of inferiority complexes. The superior ones need not proclaim their superiority to others. The very fact that their superiority isn't self-evident makes them drive to the extent of forming movements to imagine such beliefs to make them feel good about themselves. To me both the pro-whites and pro-Aryans are all suffering from the same problems. I don't limit this judgement to just them. I extend this judgement to all racial movements, be it Indian, Asian, Caucasian, Mongolian etc…, to be suffering from the same complexes if their mission is to proclaim their superiority.

I am much concerned about the pro-Aryan movements particularly because the fundamental premises in such movements are already incorrect. In fact, a pro-Aryan movement is a self-contradiction in terms. If you are an Aryan, then you must be wise enough not to be pro-Aryan. The Sun need not compare itself with a firefly. You get it!!! hahahaha

12. What about black metal bands that claimed they play 'Aryan Black Metal'? Is this misleading the metal followers?

Yes. Of course. Spreading such false ideas is highly misleading. But the funny thing is that no one cares to think these days. They don't question. Probably it is due to the 2000 years of indoctrination and dogma in the western world.

13. What about NSBM (National Sosialist Black Metal) bands that seem to be so much into these 'Aryanism' and thought that it's indeed a term for their race?

They have been misled first by the European Indologists, secondly by the Nazis and thirdly by their dysfunctional intellects. Humans naturally don't gather like the animals do because we are self-conscious beings. We are highly rational beings but the saddest thing is that we suspend reasoning power, which relegates us to mere herds. Non-thinking has become a virtue these days.

14. What about all these encyclopaedias and other referring materials, termed Aryan as race (and this is where most of this idiots get the information from and claim Aryan is a race)? Should there be a mass-reformation in the true meaning of 'Aryan'? What would happen to all these NSBM bands then?

There should be mass re-education. Non-Indians mostly wrote Indian history in the past and of course such theories have sunk deep into their veins in the last hundred years or so. But modern Indologists like Dr David Frawley and Vishal Agarwal have demolished the Aryan Invasion Theory and its offshoots. They have also adequately explained what the word Aryan means. I guess NSBM has to re-align their beliefs so as to not look like modern day fools.

15. In the Mahabrata (a Hindu epic); Arjuna (a great archer at his time) has to wage a war to reclaim his Kingdom from his evil brothers. But when the great-battle was about to start, he decided to give up because he wouldn't want to hurt his brothers and those that had taught him when he was a child and even his dear ones, friends, relatives etc. Now, according to Christ, this would be a noble act. But why in the end, Lord Krishna said to Arjuna that he HAS to wage this war and reclaim his Kingdom even many would perish including his loved ones. What Lord Krishna said indeed contradicts the teaching of Christ. Please explain this.

It contradicts Christ's teachings probably because it wasn't a holistic teaching. When deadly virus attacks one part of your body, would you think about how you can save those viruses in your body because they are living things? Similarly when there is a threat to freedom, peace and harmony, one should act to defend oneself and the rest. Showing the other cheek will definitely not work in this day and age. In the context of Mahabharata, Arjuna was a warrior therefore it was his duty to defend the people from the atrocities of the Kauravas. In the modern context, just imagine the general of your country's Army refusing to defend your country from terrorists. Try to see it from the citizen's point of view. Moreover, the Bhagavad Gita is a highly philosophical text, and has to be properly studied to understand its full import.

16. Lets get back to the issue of racism. How strong is racism in South East Asia? Are there any bands linked to it? What about the 'mighty' Impiety, which many people claim to be Asia's best black metal band? Do you think Muslims should play black metal and 'pretend' playing brutal with all their inverted cross and pentagrams and later on running to the mosques?

I have read about a few Malay bands that feel that rock music or metal is the sole property of the Malays in SEA. But they are only a handful. Like I said earlier, such beliefs are only for the few who desperately need such beliefs to make their life 'seem' superior. You know, people love crowns even if they are made of thorns!! Hahahaha…… I know Shyaithan of Impiety and we are casual friends. I am not aware of their views on this subject in question.

Basically in extreme metal music, there are two types of metal bands. The first type embraces an ideology and the second is more musically based. Many bands choose to play black metal as a form of art and ideology becomes either secondary or subservient to the music. There are many such bands in SEA. These bands change in the course of time as they run out of things to write about due to the lack of scholarship on the theme they are writing on. Bands such as these are of the second type. Then there are other bands that truly make the music the vehicle to carry their ideology. These bands never fade as they never run out of ideas and keep evolving with time only to express the same ideas in different fashion. These bands are of the first type. It is good to declare which type any band is. So that the listeners need not be confused with the bands' vision or mission. Black/Death Metal bands that are of the second type are often called as poseurs. So if we find bands that portray anti-religious image and in the next minute enter temples, churches or mosques, then there are no better words for them than 'hypocrites' and 'poseurs'.

17. Why do you support Paganism (be it at the West and the East)? How true is the story that Judeo-Christianity people destroyed the Hindu / Vedic temples in India? Must we, retaliate to bring high the banner of Paganism? What about in the rest of the world?

Paganism to me is a holistic way to live life. Nature too has part in this way of life. The trees, skies, planets, humans, animals and in fact the whole universe is seen as a design. The thing that makes Paganism great is that it makes the individual a part of that design and NOT out of it. So we become positive contributors. I support any such holistic view to life.

As far as I know, Judeo-Christianity didn't destroy Hindu Icons in India. It was the Moguls who did that. I think Pagans shouldn't retaliate the way the Moguls did as it will only show how we are non-different from them. We should start educating people and make them more aware and knowledgeable. I have read about Druids making a return and also other Pagan religions like Asatru and other Nordic religions. We should all come together and work together. Only then we can bring about a big change in the world filled with religious hatred and racial discrimination. That is how I view your The Ancient Heathen Horde as an effort to re-vitalise the pagan roots through extreme metal.

(The Ancient Heathen Horde: Moguls a.k.a. Mughals are Arabic Mongols - Muslims. Mughal Dynasty ruled most of nothern India from the early 16th to the mid-18th century.)

18. Lastly, what can you say about the next RUDRA's album? Any last words? Once again, thank you for sparing some time to explain all the questions we posted to you, HAIL RUDRA!!!

The next Rudra album will be out by the end of the year. This album will be completely different from the rest, as in it will be purely an album to display the ugly side to religions. Expect the album to be full of short blasts

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