Revelation of Vishnu Sahasranaamam

Revelation of Vishnu Sahasranaamam

I read with interest the two pieces of write-up on the above. First by Sree Raju Easwaran on the 12th; followed by the second of Sree Arun Kashyap on the13th Aug.
I was fortunate to be introduced (among many things in life) to these great slokas by my late father who had the knack of explaining them embellished with small stories. We have in our family a special attachment to these slokas too and I thought I could share some of the things I had been told. According to my dad (and as written in one of the issues in ‘Sruthi Vani’ Malayalam magazine), our ancestors (who were Iyengars perhaps followers of Ramanujacharya) after having been driven out by Tippu Sultan (from somewhere near Mysore) migrated to two villages in Palghat viz. Pallipuram and Tirunellayi where we continue to this day to practise Vaishnavaite Sampradayam or padhatis yet call ourselves ‘Smartha Iyers’. If I remember right one of our respected lady members obliquely and interestingly touched upon this subject of Vaishnavite-Smartha-Iyers’!! in one of her postings to the group.
For instance we start off by saying (during Samkalpam that is) “ Sree Bhagavath Aakhyaya Bhagavath Preetthyartham Sreeman narayana Preethyartham etc etc as different from “ Sree Parameswara Preetthyartham etc etc). Of course we put on Tiru Naamam(3 vertical lines) and not the Vibhuthi (3 horizontal lines). We have at home Vishnu Pooja (Saligramam 300 years old). But over a period of time we have accumulated Shiv-lingas too. We perform Vishvaksena Pooja at the start of everything ( I believe it is equivalent to Ganapathi Pooja etc.)
With this background one can imagine how deep rooted the recital of Vishnu Sahsranamam would be in our homes. My dad I remember mentioning something like this which summarizes the quintessence of the Naamaavali
“The Seers discuss three kinds of wealth - material wealth, knowledge, and devotion. The first two can be attained by anyone irrespective of their character etc. Those who have material wealth or knowledge are praised by the people of this world, and as a result get intoxicated with pride. But the third category of wealth is rewarded and praised by BhagavAn, and does not lead to anything except BhagavAn Himself.Lord RAma during His paTTAbhishekam gave away lots of material gifts to the participants, but He did not give any material gift to HanumAn. When SIta asked RAma about this, He told Her that He has already given to HanumAn what nobody else knows, and that She can find out what it is from HanumAn himself. When asked, HanumAn shows Lord RAma and SItA residing in His heart. This is what VishNu's nAma of ‘mahAdhanah’ indicates (in the following sloka); viz. that He gives away the greatest wealth there is, Himself, to His devotees. SrI Satyadevo VAsishTha adds that He is mahAdhanah because He has wealth that leads to absolute bliss, never diminishes, immense, cannot be counted or measured, and is prayed for by everyone else.” SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 46. vistArah sthAvara-sthANuh pramANam bIjam-avyayam artho_'nartho mahA-koSo mahA-bhogo mahA-dhanah I Seek the indulgence from all learned members of the group while I attempt to scratch on the surface of the profound philosophy behind the Slokas the regular recitation of which has indeed brought peace and tranquility in our homes.
V V R
17th Aug 2005.

ON RAVANA & MORE……..

ON RAVANA & MORE……..

The post by ‘Viji’ on ‘Ravana’ made an interesting reading. Say what you may, there is always something for every one in our Epics, Puranas, legends, mythology and the like. One can derive moral lessons or look the other way from the obvious. If as the author says, Ravana’s character shows that ‘piety without virtue is useless’ and highlighted the ‘danger of lust and ego’ I am intrigued at the character TRIJATA an amiable Raakshasi who befriended Sita when she was the captive of Ravana in Lanka, which seems to say that one needn’t get labeled as cruel or virtuous merely because one is born and brought up in not so conducive an environment. Trijata is also called Dharmajna (the meaning is obvious). We are told that Trijata is a kind-hearted ogress who has been standing by the side of Vaidehi ever since she was brought into Ashoka Vana. The poet Kamban refers to her with epithets like 'thaayinum iniyaaL,' one whose love is deeper than the love of one's mother, 'karuththal il sindhayaaL,' one whose mind is not given to dark-thoughts, etc. Trijata, the old demon-lady narrates to her colleagues in Ashoka vana of the dream (that too in the early hours of the dawn which would mean it is bound to come true) that she had in which Rama takes away Sita and Ravana is paraded on a donkey.
"What is the need for you to shed idle tears, O Sita, when I have told you already about my dream?" asks Trijata. 'MunnE sonnEn kaNda kanaavin mudivammaa,' Did I not tell you of my dream earlier? Did I not tell you that this Ravana and his lot would be razed to the ground and that Rama and Lakshmana - the twin lions that I saw in my dream - would emerge victorious? 'pinnE vaaLaa pEdhuruvIrEl pizhai,' If you continue to shed tears for no reason, no. It's wrong. You are not to worry. Not to weep”.
The narration of the dream of Trijata in Valmiki's (Canto XXVII- verse 6—swapno hi adya mayaa drishtah daaruno roma harshanah- meaning --a dream which makes my hair stand on end etc etc….) is relevant. In Kamban's version as well, it says 'I saw Mahalakshmi holding a lamp in her hand, walking from Ravana's palace to the palace of Vibishana,' she says. 'And it was at that time that you woke me up.' 'annayE adhan kurai kaaN endru aayizhai, innamum thuyilga endru iru karam kUppinaaL.' Sita is thrilled. She pleads to the ogress,
"Please go back to sleep. Please resume your sleep and let the rest of the dream appear again, o mother mine!" she tells her with folded hands. But the moving account above - Sita pleading with her to resume her sleep so that the rest of her dream continues - very clearly establishes the kind of relationship that existed between the two of them. Sita stands before her with joined palms and addresses her (the ogress!!) as 'annayE'. Mother mine.
In a later scene, when the war was on, Indrajit (after all he was an expert in sorcery) kills an illusory Sita in the presence of Hanuman. Rama is in the grips of sorrow, crestfallen at the news. At that time Vibishana sees through the grand design of Indrajit. Assuring Sri Rama that nothing untoward could have happened to her, he assumes the form of a bee and reaches Ashoka Vana to come back with the good news. The account of Vibishana to Sri Rama on the safety of Sita contains a reference to Trijata. "I saw her alive in the Ashoka Vana," he tells Rama and continues, 'thIrppadhu thunbam yaan en uyirodu endru uNarndha sindhai,' (I heard her saying) All my sorrow would come to an end only when I die. 'pErppadhu sem solaaL ath thirisadai pEsap pErndhaaL.' But she was relieved of her sorrow as Trijata spoke gentle words, restoring her to her own self.
Trijata plays the role throughout, standing by the side of Janaki whenever the sky darkens. And some say that Trijata was the daughter of vibhishana!!!


Warm regards
V V R
13th Aug 06.

Gayathri Manthram

Gayathri Manthram;
Posting 07Aug 05

I too have attempted here to piece together information on the subject gathered from some of my senior colleagues (as I threw the subject for discussion) when we sat together in the evenings for a chat and exchange of ideas. So pardon my indulgence.
“Gayatri mantram is the sacrifice which all Hindus have been offering daily to God for over 3000 years. By constant chanting of the divine name we purify ourselves.”
“We just did that, didn’t we?” (20th Aug? MitthyAdheetha prAyaschitthArtham; Doshavathu Apathaneeya prAyaschitthArtham; Samvatsara prAyaschitthArtham--- said the samkalpam!!.)
“Chanting has a universal power, requiring neither wealth nor strenuous effort….”
“The Sun symbolizes the divinity which illumines the world. By chanting to it, we meditate upon the radiance of God which sustains and protects the whole Universe.”
“The all pervading power of God permeates everything as the energy of the Sun permeates every atom….”
“The Gayatri mantram… acknowledges God as the master..”
“If due to negligence you could not practise your daily meditation then you have to purify yourself by fasting for a day and a night. If you have given up the Gayatri mantram and want to begin that meditation again, then you have to undergo Upanayanam once again. At least that is what Sage Saunaka seems to have said?” (!!!!!)
“The sacred thread Yajnopavita is the symbol of purity. It reminds you to meditate and maintain that purity. It marks the transformation of the boy into adulthood. The three strands of thread stand for Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. They also symbolize Saraswati, Lakhsmi and Kali; or past, present and future; or the three letters of OM i.e. A, U, M or like some say the three qualities of nature Sattva, rajas, and tamas;” The main knot in the thread is known as Brahmagranthi or the knot of Brahma. This knot protects our body from diseases and evil vibrations.”
“How? Well, that’s another matter altogether. I shall reserve the discussion on that for a later date”
“The Gayatri mantram contains the power of Goddess. When practised regularly, it will bestow on you, blessedness, power, brilliance and illumination. Gayatri meditation is the highest form of meditation known in the Vedas. By practising this meditation three times a day, one attains perfection of body, mind and spirit (suffice to know that it does good to us)”
Now a story, which my own late father related to me once, which may interest
very young readers. (May not be as good as Harry Potter! though)
When Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were just children, Gayatridevi put them
into a cradle of void (Akasha) or space, that was hung by the chains of the 4 vedas and with OM lullaby, she put them to sleep and the Devi disappeared. After a long time the Trimurtis got up and began crying. They grew up and were wandering in Akasha when they thought of finding their Mother. They sat in meditation for a long time. The fire of their austerity was scorching the universe. So the Universal Mother decided to appear before them. She manifested Her divine form. She came running for Her children to pacify them. The Trimurthis ran to their mother happily. Hence it is said that whenever any one during the times of confusion or difficulty sincerely prays for the Mother reciting the Gayatri Mantram, She is bound to rush to the child’s aid and guide him out of all troubles.
One’s own mother is said to be the first guru to the child. Under her loving care the child grows and follows her instructions. During the sacred thread ceremony the mother fixes a loincloth on the boy and teaches: “My son, treat every woman as your mother up to the age of twenty four. Until that time, maintain brahmacharya. Engage your mind in studying the Holy Scriptures and meditate on the great Gayatri mantram, which will be imparted to you ‘today’ (On the upanayanam day). May therefore Gayatri Devi protect you.” This is a mythological description of Devi Gayatri.

OM

V V R
20th Aug 2005

Query: The act of Charity/Giving

Query: The Act of Charity/Giving.

The question- “are we being selfish when we do charity?” like many other such queries in life is of paradoxical nature, meaning- though seemingly well founded, it is conflicting with our preconceived notion of what is reasonable. To attempt answering would therefore require intense profundity which I admit I do not possess. Nevertheless I thought I should share some of my views however illogical, unsound, mundane and unsavoury it may sound.
In any act of charity two important elements are involved viz. the giver and the recipient (keeping outside the purview of our discussions the item/material doled out during the act). Mercifully, the querist has directed that our focus needs be only on one element namely the giver. He has set the parameters unambiguously clear. He does not require any thesis or dissertation on the recipient, his status, recipient’s worth to deserve, but seeks an answer to the ethics of the act itself albeit through the giver. He wants to know “Isn’t the giver deriving mileage out of giving and being selfish in becoming happy?” To build up the discussions let me overlook the querist’s minor indulgence of presuming that ‘all givers dole out to get happiness for themselves’ which is not the case. But about that later.
Who is this giver? Who is this recipient? Whose item is being dished out? Who are we? Is there a difference? I thought Yajur Veda said “Ishaa vaasyam idam sarvam yatkincha jagatyam jagat? –God resides in all these whatever exists in this world”. So who gives what to whom? Didn’t Krishna remind us- “Aham hi sarvayajnaanaam bhokthaa cha prabhuhu ava cha”-I am the recipient and the Lord of all sacrifices? (Gita 9.24). Next, what is happiness in any case? Who is happy? Is the recipient happy after receiving? Is the giver truly happy before/during/after the act of charity/ gifts? Who knows for sure? Who set the threshold for happiness? Is it permanent? Or is it dynamically shifting? Who has the answers? Are we doing justice in voicing opinions on matters so profound that we know nothing about?
Generous, selfless giving is among dharma's central fulfillments. “Yajna tapah karma na tyaajyam….paavanani maniishinaam..-Acts of sacrifice, gift and penance should not be relinquished…..They when performed purify the heart.” (Gita 18.5) Hospitality, charity and support of God's work on earth arises from the belief that the underlying purpose of life is spiritual, not material. That is why Kahlil Gibran said on ‘giving’- “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give”. Now when some one does that kind of a giving can we cast aspersions on that giver and say he derives advantage? That he is being selfish? When you help someone, you are bound to feel pure, whole and purposeful. It will be a happier moment than you ever had in weeks before. But can this be taken to being selfish? Mind you there is a whole world of difference here. The giver may not have been motivated to give because of an ulterior motive to derive happiness. He gave and then he realized he was happy. Is that his fault that his giving unwittingly became the causative factor for his happiness?
Years of humble soldiering taught me that one of the qualities that separate us from many other creations on earth is compassion. It is what makes us stand up tall instead of crawling on all fours. And standing up tall is what frees our arms to reach out to a fellow being and say “Let me help you”. Granted that we are not ® not supposed to feel happy in return. In fact a person preparing to march towards spiritualism is expected to be not influenced by pairs of opposites- principle of Dwandvam. “Accept with equanimity both sorrow and happiness at all times”, our Gurus advise us. But till I reach that exalted status my philosophy in essence is the concept of man as a heroic being with his own happiness as the moral purpose of my life, with productive achievement as my noblest activity and reason as my only absolute. Even with the danger of being dubbed as a person of hypocritical humility or selfishness (if you like) I shall continue to go out of my way to help others. Or else why would any one say “Do unto others, as you would have them unto you?” Other wise why would any one say,
Paropakaaraaya phalanthi vrukshaah
Paropakaaraaya vahanthi nadhyaah
Paropakaaraaya dhuhanthi gaavaah
Paropakaaraaya sathaam hi jeevanam
Like many millions I too must have a second job- offering to suffering humanity. As a byproduct, if I get happiness so be it. Of course some people pay a compliment or give charity as if they expect a receipt. That is downright bad. “Asradhayaa hutam dattam…….asad iti uchyate...”(Gita 17.28). I shall be careful not to step into that pothole. On the other hand I shall keep reminding myself “Na eava kinchit aham karomi iti-I do nothing at all”. “Sarvaarambha parityaagi- renouncing the feeling of doer ship in all undertakings”. I have had no occasion to change this attitude as yet. I may be wrong. But I shall correct myself as I trudge along. Like in Mahabharatha, it is stated “I know the right but I do not wish to engage in it. I know the wrong but I do not wish to refrain from it—Jaanaami dharmam na cha me pravruthihi. Jaanaami adharmam na cha me nivruthihi”. Who is nishkalangam in any case? “There is a crack in everything, my son. But that’s how the light gets in as well”, my dad used to say.
Compassion does not mean to be solicitous to someone who appears to be stray, imperfect or needy. It means to look at that individual as we see ourselves; as unique human beings with wants hopes needs dreams and desires. Look at it this way- We have been given this privilege to have some space on this earth. So like Jerold Pamas said “Philanthropy and service is the rent you pay for this very privilege; for the room in the planet.” Stretch the argument further- As a society we have come to a point where people too often treat one another as objects and opportunities, rather than as fellow human beings. Respecting each other as individuals or not doing so seriously impacts the future for all of us. For fear of getting labeled as selfish, are we to lead a life whose theme is simply, “each one for himself?” Isn’t that really selfishness? Is it alright to be immersed only in “my life my achievement, my happiness, my person no matter what the circumstances I might encounter, I care two hoots for others even when they are less fortunate?” Isn’t there an attitudinal deficiency here?
Nowhere is giving better unfolded than in the ancient Tirukural, which
says, "Of all duties, benevolence is unequaled in this world, and even in celestial realms. It is to meet the needs of the deserving that the worthy labour arduously to acquire wealth." Even the poorest Hindu practises charity according to his means. In this unselfish tradition, guests are treated as God (Athithi devo bhava). Friends, acquaintances, even strangers, are humbled by the overwhelming hospitality received. In Assam (during my tenure in Tezpur), the most hospitable Bodos (when being sidelined) used to say “Sir, You can kill a person with hospitality!”
We share with the less fortunate. We care for the aged. We honour Gurus with gifts of food, money and clothes. We encourage the spirit of helping and giving, called daana, within the family, between families and our priestly communities. Many devout Hindus, I am told take the dashama bhaaga vrata, a vow to pay ten percent of their income each month to an institution of their choice to perpetuate Sanaatana Dharma. This centuries-old practice is called dashamamsha. The Vedas wisely warn, "The powerful man should give to one in straits; let him consider the road that lies
ahead! Riches revolve just like a chariot's wheels, coming to one man now, then to another." (My wife wonders when our turn will come to be rich??). “Mera number kab aayega?” she bemoans.
The giving which is made to one who does nothing in return with the idea that it is ones duty to give and with due regard to the place time and recipient of the gift is said to be Satvtic-Daatavyam ithi yad daanam deeyathe anupakaarine, dese kale cha paatre cha thad daanam saatvikam smrutham. (Gita 17.20.)
So be a Master Of Giving.

“Naraseva is Narayanaseva”

For spiritually unfolding ourselves let us learn to give and give and give and give until it hurts. Because that hurt is our block. Many people give and they give generously, up to the point where they feel, "I have given a lot," or "I have given too much," or "I gave as much as I can give," or "I will give more when I can," or "I enjoy giving and I used to give a lot, but I can't give so much right now." These are the little blocks that come up within us, undermine and bind us down to the depths of the negative areas of our subconscious mind. And then we stop progressing.
But when a man has unfolded to the power of giving, he doesn't think about himself so much, because he is spontaneous. He is always looking for an opportunity to do something good for someone else. On the other hand when someone has not unfolded into giving, he thinks about himself a great deal, and he calculates his giving and creates his future limitation.
I have seen this working in reverse gear too. A spiritual person even if he doesn't have material possessions to speak of, always finds something to give; he gives what he has. He knows that he is not the gift, that he is not the giver at all, and when something comes his way, he gives of it freely. He is a vehicle for giving, and finally he is so full of abundance in consciousness that he fulfills his mission in life. If you give and give freely and spontaneously, you feel good about it, and if you do it again, you feel even better about it. But if you give and give selfishly, you feel bad about it, and if you continue to do so, you'll feel worse. “If you give and give spontaneously, you will awaken your inner nature, and spiritual power will flow through you, and you will merge with God within you..But if you give, and give selfishly, by hanging onto your gift after you have given it, you close the door to spirituality”, so says a popular Guru. He continues, “Giving is in many, many forms. The best way is to rely on your intuition. Give freely, and your gift will come back to you often doubled soon after the gift is given. Then this opens the door for another gift to be given out and soon you will find yourself giving every minute of every day in the most spontaneous ways.”
I wonder if Daanaveera Karna was selfish in giving or selfless. But that will be another debate altogether. “Enough of your pazhayasaadam write up taking up much of our computer time “ as some of you complained. So let me stop here.

What we are is God’s gift to us
What we become is our gift to God!
--Found in the net. Author unknown.

Rgds
V V R

KRISHNA: THE ENTERTAINER.

KRISHNA: THE ENTERTAINER.
(This I dedicate to all chidren)

Now a days my fellow members of ‘Secret-8-Ivy league’ (average age being 10 to 11) are busy rehearsing a play they propose to stage on Krishna Jayanthi night in our colony.
“Have you ever acted, uncle?” asked a 5 year old.
What could I say? Are we not all acting day-in and day-out?
“Yes, I have in a similar kind of play titled ‘Bhakta Kuchela’ staged in my village when I too was a boy of five”
“And what were you uncle- Krishna or Sudama?”
“ Neither. I was given a Chaamaram (a fan) by my seniors and was asked to fan the actor
Krishna till the play ended- as a punishment”.
They all laughed.
“How come uncle?”
“Oh, on an earlier occasion I forgot to pull the curtain closed as soon as Kamsa was felled by Krishna. What could I do? It was late night and I fell asleep”.
Again a roar of laughter.
“Alright, uncle please do come for our final dress rehearsal and let us know how you liked it. This is a theme we adopted from a magazine”, said the Director (11 year old)

"veNNaikku aadum perumAL"

The dawn is about to break. It is always better to churn the thayir (yoghurt) just before the Sun is about to rise. Any undue delay may melt the butter making it difficult to gather. Yeshoda prepares to get up; gently puts away the right leg of Kannan thrown carelessly on her lap and without waking him up, she gets up. After the usual morning ablutions and attending to her other chores she gets ready with paanai and matthu to churn out the butter with that sar… sar .. noise. Kalla Krishnan had been awake. Pretending to be fast asleep, his watchful eyes were monitoring his mother’s movements. Hearing the noise, he walks up to Yashoda hugs her from behind and enquires,
“Amma, what is this noise?” as if the Maya Kannan does not know anything at all!
Yashoda could have said, “O it is the butter churning up”. But no; she decides to tell a lie. Or else Krishna will swallow up all the butter, mess the floor by spreading mOr (butter milk) all
over. She no doubt wants to give her Kannan all the butter he wants but Yashoda is afraid of the mischief and the pranks he will let loose making her life miserable for the moment.
“Inside this Paanai, there is a Bhootham (man eating ogre). So run away or else it will catch you”, she tells Krishna.
He holds the whole Universe in his mouth (as shown toYashoda later!)As a babe in the cradle He had handled Poothana. Later Sakataasura, Trinaavrita,Vatsaasura, Bakaasura – all got wiped out by this child.
“Amma, is the ogre really inside?” queries Kannan innocently.
“Yes. Inside it is. And if you do not run away it surely will swallow you”
“But amma, will it not catch you?”
Yashoda is in a great dilemma. One lie usually leads to another. Any way she decides to continue with her pretensions.
“ You see the ogre dare not catch big people”, replies Yashoda.
Immediately Kannan pushes an Oral (mortar) near his mother and stands on top of it.
“Look at me amma. Now I too have become big. The ogre dare not touch me now. Am I right?”
In later period, He who would give Upadesam to Arjuna (when in bewilderment he says (“Chanchalam hi mana: Krishna!...) decides to give some dose to His mother Yashoda!!
“Amma, you want me to run away now. Is it justified? Sooner I leave; the ogre will eat you up. What will the world say? Everyone will blame me saying, ‘look at him, this is the child who let the ogre eat up his mother’. If one’s mother at home is not taken care of, what earthly use is there of Teerttha yaatraa? If one’s hungry mother is not taken care of how will Annadaanam be useful? Mata is one’s first relation. Father comes later followed by others. I will therefore not leave you alone.” says the God child firmly.
Yashoda is tongue-tied.
“So Kannaa! What do you want me to do?” says wearily Yashoda.
“Ha! That’s it. Now you are talking some sense. You could have asked me this earlier. I am here to give you correct advice under all circumstances”
“Alright my son. Let me hear your great advice”, says Yashoda a bit irritant now.
“Amma put both your hands inside the paanai. The ogre who is afraid of me is inside the
Paanai in the garb of vennai (butter) hiding like a coward. Just grab and gather it. Hand over to me and you see I shall swallow it immediately.
Yashoda gets up gathers Kannan in a tight embrace, with tears in her eyes. She gives
Krishna plenty of butter-mouthful and handful of Vennai.
Nandagopan dances in glee.

Epilogue

In the Bhagavatham, the lessons you learn are according to the state of your mind. To understand the glories of the Lord as related in the Bhagavatham, you have to enjoy the leelas of Krishna and realize their inner meaning. Krishna had always eluded the gopikas after playing his mischief. But once, out of compassion for them, he wanted to provide a clue by which they could trace him. One day they all lay in wait round their houses to catch Krishna. Krishna went into a house stealthily, broke a pot of milk and quietly hid himself. The gopikas found that he had broken the pot and tried to trace him. The milk-white steps which he had left revealed to them his hide out. Then, Krishna revealed to them the spiritual truth that if they cling to the feet of the Lord they will realize Him. "Follow my footsteps and you shall find me", Krishna told the gopikas.
The childhood episodes relating to Krishna have an esoteric meaning. For instance, when his mother, Yashoda, chided Krishna for eating mud (as alleged by Balarama), Krishna replied: "Mother am I a child, or a silly brat or a crazy fool to eat mud". In this way Krishna, even though he was a child, He was affirming His divinity indirectly.
Devotees of Krishna subscribe to the concept of lila, or divine play as the central principle of the universe.

Happy Sree Krishna Jayanthi


V V R
23rd Aug 2005

Guru & Goal Setting

Guru & Goal Setting

Sree S..........ji! The day is not far before we get a knock on our knuckles for wasting the valuable time of our fellow members with our Sadhu, morals and Stories and (miss)using (the pun intended to mean ‘avoid’ using) the platform so generously provided by the moderator of the group. So here is my understandably last response titled ‘Setting realistic goals’ albeit through involvement of a Guru (read Sadhu if you like) despite fear of a yellow card being pulled out on us. Any way two is company. Be my guest.

There’s a legend about a group of people who sought the world over for the Guru who would tell them the secret to life. Finally, they discovered he inhabited one of the highest mountain peaks in Tibet. (Alright when it was still independent-ok?). After an arduous climb, they reached the top and found him sitting in his cave.
“What is the secret to life?” they asked. The mystical reply came back, “TANSTAFL”
“And what does TANSTAFL mean, oh holy one?” asked the bewildered group.
The wise old guru was silent for several minutes before he finally answered, “It stands for………….
I get a grown whenever I tell this story, but there is a truth in it that’s a little more subtle than appears at first. Umm….. Have I built up enough tension? Wait a while longer and hear this to know TANSTAFL.
Cut to 1958.
Prof. Chatterjee our humanities lecturer walked into our syndicate A class of 20 (IIT KGP-1958). He asked us to give him a helping hand to push the chairs and tables aside so that we could get some free space in the room. He then placed a hat in the centre of the room. He drew a figure of a small square (1 foot side) with his chalk at a distance of say 4 feet away from the hat. He had a few coins. He called at random each one of us in turn by name; gave us the coins and explained that the idea was to toss as many coins as possible into the hat. He went and sat in a corner taking notes silently. There was chaos, confusion, shouting, consultations and queries seeking all sorts of clarifications. Bur for Chatterjee ‘mum was the word.’ He wouldn’t speak a word and said he, “I have said it all. And that’s it. Period” At the end of the experiment he told us what each one of us was!
We all behaved no different from any of the present day students; but each one carried a uniquely different meaning to Prof. Chatterjee by the way we performed? How? Lemme get serious now.
In an interesting research experiment, children were given plastic rings to toss over a stake in the ground, with no rules on how close to stand. (Note this)
I Some of the children stood way back from the stake and let fly with the rings with little chance of scoring. (like some of us stood as far away as even 6 feet from the hat trying to toss the coins in).
I I Other children went right up to where they were standing over the stake and then dropped the rings over it so that they couldn’t miss at all. (like some of us went close to the hat and dropped all coins with much glee)
I I I Some children went to a reasonably medium distance from the stake and tried from there.(like some of us who went near the marked square and tried from that distance of say 4 feet from the hat to toss the coins) These children (who had been found in an earlier test to possess a high need for achievement) chose to make it an interesting challenge, (as you would have already noted) rather than a wild gamble as the I st group had or a lead pipe cinch as the I I nd group had done.
IV Then there was this group of children who stood at some reasonable distance and tossed the rings. If successful they increased the distance and tried again giving them some more challenge. If unsuccessful they inched a few feet closer and tried until they found an optimum distance for them. (Some of us tried this method too)

So what’s new?

There are no right or wrong methods in this experiment. Consequently there are no right or wrong groups either. And hence it follows there are no right or wrong people too. But each one of us heart of heart knows which group we belong to. It depends on the way we have been brought up; our Vaasanaas. Some of us may be the care free, risk taking fellows, some very conservative cautious types, some may like to challenge their own capacities and some may try to optimize. But the world needs all types. In fact, you can try this out at home on your kids and wives/husbands/relatives/friends. Soon you would know which category each one belongs to. Bye.
Oh! Not so fast you mean. Alright what did the Guru say?
“It stands for ‘There Ain’t No Such Thing As Free Lunch”
Sure, there ain’t no such thing as easy achievement either. If you have a need for a feeling of achievement, you can’t satisfy it by setting a goal so easy you couldn’t have missed. And you can’t take any personal satisfaction in winning by chance either; Lady Luck gets the credit for that not you.
The child ego state in us may choose a goal that’s a cinch. Or we select one that’s such a gamble that fate determines the outcome so that our egos won’t be bruised. The wise who wants to experience the feeling of real achievement will set moderate goals. This way he/she will experience some successes and not frustrate himself/herself unnecessarily. A corollary to the proposition of moderate goal setting is tolerance for temporary failure. We must learn to tolerate mistakes and suffer defeat without losing purpose and motivation. We will have some defeats and some victories. Some time we move ahead, or stand still or even fall back. Life is a series of mistakes and set backs intermingled with victories and successes.
And the last word as usual from my wife, “Why all these lengthy write up? Just say Ellu muriye pani cheithaal, pallu muriye thinnaam.” That is TANSTAFL for her.
I know you sure want to know which category I belong? Uuummm…. “Ask no questions you will be told no lies”

Rgds
V V R
21st Jun 06

God demands, “Just that; and no other”?

God demands, “Just that; and no other”?

At some time or the other we all must have heard or lucky few may even have experienced the incredible power of prayer in healing and redeeming. A vow (a sort of promise) (Vazhipaadukal) is kept with a request for help when faced with a problem that seems to have no solution and later followed up with Thanksgiving (returning of thanks for benefits received). It helps us to appreciate that one shouldn't be too quick to think God doesn't have an answer. It helps to remind that God not only is abundantly able to meet our needs, but willing to work in exceptional ways to do so when necessary. Prayer therefore, means recourse to God. So much of Scripture, it seems, is written to lift us to this higher conviction about God's role in our lives. Even the Christians quote their holy Bible: ‘Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you’ etc. etc. It's a pervasive theme of Scripture that the God, who created the rules of nature, can bend them when needed to accomplish his purposes. Time and again we see Him performing miracles in people's lives. Reflecting on these examples can help move us beyond the limits we tend to place upon how God might choose to work in our own life. It helps us, too, not to think too narrowly about what constitutes a miracle. It's easy enough to regard some events as miracles. When someone's cancerous tumour disappears overnight without explanation, even an agnostic physician will concede that a miracle has taken place.
Miracles come in many forms. But when ………………Hear this:

“Anybody who has offered the Tulaabhaaram prayer to Guruvaayoorappan will know what an effective prayer it is! There are many miraculous events associated
with that. Let me convey one instance which is known personally to me......
A widowed mother who was advised by her family priest to offer Tulaabhaaram to protect her ailing child prayed accordingly. The family was in dire straits and so she offered coconut husk as the material to be offered in Tulaabhaaram to save the child thinking God will not make a difference between costly materials or coconut husk! Her sincere devotion saved the child from danger. The mother died soon after, but the child remembered the promise about the offering. Being an orphan who was at the mercy of other relatives, he could not however perform the offering as a child....Soon after his basic education, he ran away and joined the armed forces, and gradually rose to the post of a Major in the Indian Army winning many laurels and medals for his gallantry. Due to professional commitments or Divine Design, though he remembered Guruvayoorappan, he could not actually make the offering during his service years. In his 60th year, he
wanted to offer the Tulaabhaaram. But being a man of higher status now, he did not want to offer mere coconut husk....So, he instead wanted to donate Ghee......When he sat in the Tulaabhaaram, much to the surprise of everybody around, the scales were not balanced even after more than 100 kg of ghee tins were placed! Then the authorities asked him whether this was the vow that had been made.....He sheepishly replied "no! My mother had actually made a vow to offer coconut husk equal to my weight when I was 9 years old because we were able to afford only that. But, before she could complete the offering, she died and it took so many years for me to come here and offer the prayer. So, I thought I will offer something that befits my current status!” The authorities advised him to prefer the offering of coconut husk only as that was the thing that was promised to Guruvayoorappan.
When they started placing the coconut husk on the opposite scale, another miracle happened. Only coconut husk weighing about 20 kg. were required to balance the well-built man who must have weighed at least 75 kg! Maybe, this man would have weighed only 20 kg. at the age of 9 years when the prayer was made on his behalf.... Probably, Guruvayoorappan wanted to show that it is devotion that matters to Him. This is not a mere hearsay story...... I can say this with confidence because, it was I who was the young child who was saved from death bed and the man who wanted to offer ghee instead of coconut husk was MYSELF!................

Charana sparsham.

Best regards,
M……………”

Post Script:

Before you charge at me with hammer and tongs and come down like a ton of bricks let me clarify that this real life incident is posted after I got the permission to do so from ‘M….’ a very elderly member of yet another Yahoo-group. (On my request he had agreed thus…., “Regarding the permission to post this in another forum, I wholeheartedly allow you to do that. Glory be to Shri Guruvaayoorappan. My blessings, etc. etc.”)

So when I read this amazing ‘posting’ of that member it left me bewildered no end and thought I could share with the members of this forum as well. Thanks for your time.

Rgds
V V R
02 May 06

Gem from Junk

GEM FROM JUNK
(Dandavat Namaskaram to Sree K V G. “Dhanyosmi”! For any reference to Pandava Gita brings that big lump in my throat and with moist eyes I seek the members’ indulgence when I take this liberty to post this piece which I had written last year for another similar forum.

PROLOGUE

Next month would be my dad’s Aabdikam.
One recent afternoon I was browsing his bookshelf looking for something to read. God was back on my radar screen and I was hungry to read something good about Him. For some unknown reason I was lead to a slim dog- eared book with an indistinct spine. I pulled it down; saw it was this book titled Pandava Gita, opened it up and noticed that it wasn’t one my dad had ever mentioned about. He had in his own hand inscribed to my son. “To V….., Find your Roots! like your great- grandpa. Love, from your grandpa”
I sat down on a chair and flipped dubiously through the first pages. And everything came back in a flash transporting me to those good old days. The book was no more an enigma.
The gem: the book or the Paper Boy?
Sigamani, a rag- picker came into our lives when he was just ten quite accidentally (pun intended). But that was 8/9 years back; for today he may be around nineteen or so. And to say that my old man had some contribution in shaping his life may well be an understatement. So we were not surprised to see him at my dad’s funeral (last year) extending a helping hand to all of us and wiping his own tears now and then as he went about quietly meeting our errands.
“I will be missing Thatha”, was all he could manage then.
Later around 4 PM when my friends, relatives and other mourners departed, Sigamani quietly handed over an envelope to me and was about to make his exit.
“Wait. What’s all this, Mani?” I had enquired.
“Ellai Saar,……uuuummmmm...” He had mumbled something. He was returning to us the loan he had taken from my dad for his bi-cycle; at least so he said because we never knew a thing about it. I promptly gave him back the money and bid him a fond ‘bye’ wishing him good luck.
But let me begin at the very beginning.
It seemed not too long back- one of those foggy winter mornings when my dad cut short his morning walk and came back home rather agitated with this then ten year old boy Sigamani in tow bleeding profusely from a leg injury caused by an accident.
“That reckless two-wheeler knocked this poor boy down. Of course it was not the scooterist’s fault. Nevertheless he didn’t even stop, you know”, my dad had burst out.
My daughter (a doc) administered the first aid and took him to the nearest clinic for further attention. Ever since that day Sigamani became the man ‘Friday’ for my dad. He would trim the grass, tend the plants, wash the car, pluck tender coconuts, and gather flowers for pooja-- all for some handsome pocket money, a nice chat with the old man and some sumptuous lunch. My dad later put him in the nearby government school. On dad’s recommendation, the boy was employed as a part time hand to handle the evening- rush- hour-customers at the grocery stores (owner being a generous naattukkottai chettiaar). In the morning the boy dropped the news papers and milk packets in our colony. Beginning of last year he decided to be more independent and became a Kabaadiwala, collecting old news papers, magazines and junks -- his last stop for the day sometimes being our house. My dad gave him our news papers free and held long parleys, having found in him a patient listener ‘like his grandson’. But in return, my dad was allowed to dig through Sigamani’s day’s collection of old papers, magazines and other junks and buy back what he liked.
“Years of visits to flea- markets have honed my skill to pick up gems from junks! Look at the ‘nice nice’ things these people throw away” my dad would say to my son.
“You are cool Thatha! But then you are dumping those ‘nice nice’ old books on to my shelves and messing it up”, my son would complain.
“De! De! Kazhuthakkii………….” my dad would start.
“I know what you are going to say”, my son would interrupt.
“What?” my dad would question.
“Kazhuthaikki theriyumaa karpoora vaasanai? Right?” my son would guess. He has heard this compliment number of times before.
“Yeah almost." “Bunder kya jaane adrak ki swaad” my dad would try his Hindi.
“Thatha, I am not a monkey and please remember my dad is your son too” my son would remind him. A sign that my son is striving to become his own person.
“That’s the whole point” the ld man would check mate.
Then there will be a roar of laughter. That would be a signal for my wife to join the discussion with an excuse to offer a cuppa to Appa and hear some juicy stories. I would be pricking my ears in the next room thinking “yaar mandai urularatho inrai dinam?”
“These old books tell tales, you know?” my dad would continue justifying his collection of junks.
“Oh?? Like what?” -that would be my son
“Look at this one: Pandava Gita. Have you heard of this?” - my dad would say.
“UUUmm No, Thatha” - my son replying disinterestedly.
How could he have? This was weird stuff to read for a guy who is being fed day in and day out on cricket, football and MTV. How can he appreciate this idea of a God who wants to woo him, court him and love him? Though it sounded weird, my dad’s imploration usually made my son to just go along with it for a while. But by the end my dad would have had him and all of us too firmly in his mesmerizing grip. His description of God made more sense to us than any we had ever have heard before.
“What God wants is for us to allow him to form an intimate relationship with us. He wants to hear from us, talk to us, and journey with us’, my dad would declare to no one in particular.
“See. This book, now thrown as garbage was first published in 1970@ Laburnum Road; Cost Re 1/-; published only 5500 copies. By the way who was Laburnum?” – my dad throws a question at my son.
“Must have been some British administrator, some one like Brabourne?” – ventures my son.
“Thought as much. Your GK can be written on the back of a postage stamp”.—my dad would say.” You know the name Bombay immortalized a city that was Kipling’s birthplace,” my dad would say of the author and poet Rudyard Kipling, the first Briton to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1907. “The name, though, is of Portuguese origin—bom bahia, meaning ‘good bay’.” my dad would add sipping his coffee.
“You know V…., sometimes renaming proposals by politicians are provoked by misplaced beliefs that old names are linked to British or Portuguese colonial history. A couple of years ago, downtown Bombay’s Laburnum Road was to be renamed due to the British ring to the name. Then someone said, “‘But that’s a tree, not an Englishman,’ The road gets its name from the golden-yellow flowered, Indian native laburnum trees lining it. Ha Ha Ha.”—my dad would laugh loud.
Then suddenly my dad becomes serious and continues,
“Bhakti is the language of the heart. Mahabharata, Bhagavata and Vishnu Purana form a glorious trilogy. And found in them are the choicest prayers and out pouring of devotion. But they are voluminous works. So an unknown compiler graciously culled out some flowers of devotion from them and wove them into a garland. This is Pandava Gita. The immortal Vyasa composed the Mahabharata and the Puranas and Pandava Gita is an anthology of prayers from them. Therefore traditionally Vyasa is regarded as the composer of Pandava Gita as well. The anthology however is the labour of love a GEM of an unknown compiler—can you beat that?”
“Out of these 80 odd verses, which is your favourite one, Thatha?” queries my son glancing through the book.
“Uummm difficult to choose. Ok. I’ll put Dhoumya’s prayer on top. And there is a reason for it. By the way do you know who Dhoumya is? I bet you will draw another blank”
“Uummm so ok. Who was it?” my son would ask
“Dhoumya was the Purohit of Pandavas and was always given to study and worship. Yet he had a gnawing feeling of inadequacy about himself. He felt that he had not measured up to the expectations of a righteous life. Those who are truly holy and good are refreshingly free from self-complacency like Dhoumya. Your great-grandpa too was an eminent Shastrigal from a village in Palghat. When asked, he would say ‘as a village priest, my idol is Dhoumya’. I wonder which present day Vadhyaar would hold a similar opinion?” would be my dad’s sad refrain.
We all would notice an unmistakable wetness in the old man’s eyes when he thinks of his scholarly father enmeshed into abject poverty. So all of us except my son depart leaving the old man alone to reminisce.

EPILOGUE

Later I gathered from my son the full story about Dhoumya which went something like this:
“The news of Draupadi Swayamvar was being proclaimed throughout the land. On the suggestion by Kunti, the Pandavas who had been living at one brahmin’s house for long decided to move towards Kampilya of Panchalas. On the way, they met Sage Vyasa who was very happy to know their destination. He said fame and fortune awaited them there. They went ahead after receiving the blessings of the Sage.
During the night they reached the banks of river Ganga. They were tired and wanted to bathe in Ganga. At that time a Gandharva named Chitraratha was there in Ganga with his wives. He became very angry at the intrusion of his privacy and a great fight resulted. Finally the Gandharva pleaded with Yudhisthira. He was pardoned. The Gandharva offered beautiful white horses that never tired. Yudhisthira asked him to keep the horses till such time as when he needed them. Yudhishthira asked the Gandharva to suggest name of a rishi whom he could take as Kulaguru. Chitraratha suggested the name of Sage Dhaumya. The Pandavas were pleased with the suggestion. They approached Dhaumya. Dhaumya gladly accepted to become Kulaguru of the Pandavas.
DHAUMYA THUS BECOMES FAMILY PRIEST OF PANDAVAS
Quite a tale from the gem from the junk! But for me the gem is Sigamani, the paper boy. Why? Well, he could have as well not mentioned anything about the loan he took from my dad. And after my dad’s death none of us would have been any wiser about it! But no. He put the amount in an envelope and returned with grace- an unmistakable stamp of a thorough gentleman. A GEM.

Footnote: My wife tells me that her favourite pick from Pandava Gita is that of Gandhari’s prayer to Krishna
Twameva Mata cha pita twameva
Twameva bandhuscha sakha twameva
Twameva Vidya dravinam twameva
Twameva sarvam mama devadeva
As for me it is what Vasishta says,
Krishnaa ithi mangalam naama yasya vaachi pravartate
Bhasmi bhavanthi thasyaasu mahaapaathakakotayaha
Meaning as soon as one begins to recite the auspicious name ‘Krishna’, crores of his heinous sins turn into ashes (i.e. they are wiped out).
Can a sinner ask for more?
**********
(V V R, 10th Oct 2005)

Yantrasya mama doshena kshamyathaam Madhusoodana/
Aham yantram Bhavaan yantri mama dosho na deeyathaam//

Forgive my defects, O Madhusoodana!I am merely an instrument; Thou its operator; hence,do not consider me at fault.)
Warm regards
V V R
22 Jun 06

GANGA AND THE KAVERI CONNECTION

GANGA AND THE KAVERI CONNECTION

( SROTASAAM ASMI JAAHNNAVI—Gita X-31—Among rivers I am the Ganges)

The post titled “The history of Ganga, the divine river” by Sree Srinivasan Raju Aiyer was quite an eye opener and a wake up call to all who revere and worship the holy river. After giving us such an insight into the mighty Ganga, I couldn’t resist my temptation to pen something more on the Ganga viz. its connection with another holy river Kaveri.
According to a popular legend, once a year during the Tulaamaasa when Sun enters Tulaa Raasi, the river Ganga comes from Kasi, joins Kaveri underground in order to purify herself from the pollution caused by the crowds of sinners who bathe in her (Ganges) waters all the year round!!! People believe Kaveri to be as sacred as the Ganga throughout its course, with the same power to wash off all one’s sins.
Kaveri forms part of the Sapta Sindhu or the ‘Seven Sacred Rivers’. It originates from the Brahmagiri, Talakaveri in the Coorg district (the Western Ghats). There are several legends about how the river Kaveri was created. According to one of the most popular versions, when the Great Ocean was churned by the devas and the asuras in order to obtain amritam, the elixir of life, Lord Vishnu created Mohini, a nonpareil of infinite charm and appeal, to distract the asuras and restore the elixir to the devas. Goddess Lakshmi also sent along Lopamudre, an incarnation of Parvathi, to assist Mohini.
After the elixir was successfully restored to the devas, Mohini retired to Brahmagiri and turned into a rocky cave. Lord Brahma himself adopted Lopamudre as his daughter. After some years Kavera, a sage of renown, came to the Brahmagiri to meditate. Kavera was lonely and prayed to Lord Brahma that he might be blessed with a child. Brahma was pleased by Kavera’s devotion and gave him Lopamudre for a daughter, renaming her ‘Kaveri’.
Kaveri was very keen that her adopted father should have every happiness and prosperity in life as well as a land full of good and happy people. So she returned to Brahmagiri and prayed to Lord Brahma that she might turn into a river and flow through the country, pouring her blessings on the people and turning the land green and fertile. She also prayed that her waters might be so holy that all those who took a dip in it might be freed from all their sins. Brahma granted her both the boons readily and Kaveri was happy.
But something else was to happen to her before the boons could be fulfilled. Sage Agastya happened to see Kaveri when she was deep in meditation on the Brahmagiri. He fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. Although her heart was set on turning into a river of blessings, Kaveri could not refuse sage Agastya. But she made him promise that if ever he left her alone too long she would have the right to forsake him and go her way. Agastya promised and kept his word faithfully for some time.
But one day he got busy in a theological discussion with his disciples and lost track of time. Kaveri waited patiently for a while. After many hours had passed and there was no trace of the sage she jumped into Agastya’s special holy tank and flowed from there like a river. As soon as the disciples of Agastya saw what had happened they tried to stop her from flowing away. But Kaveri promptly went underground and appeared again at Bhaganda Kshetra and flowed on toward Valambari and finally into the Bay of Bengal. And it has been worshipped as a sacred river throughout its course ever since.
And finally those wonderful 12 names of Ganga maataa (one recites after a bath, while wiping ones limbs with a dry cloth?)--- Nalini nandini sita malini ca mahapagavisnu padarghya sambhuta Ganga tri patha gamini bhagirathi bhogavati jahnavi tridasesvari.

Warm rgds
V V R
10th Aug 06.

Kaun Banega Crorepathi-2 : Preparations

Kaun Banega Crorepathi -2: Preparations.

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays form 9 to 10 PM none of us at home is available to the world. We all turn into ‘Couch potatoes’ watching the Big B conducting the KBC-2 in a manner only he can do. On the night of 6th August, Amitabh Bachchan, the anchor in KBC-2 programme, posed this question: “In Hindu mythology, which God is known to have died after being shot by an arrow on his heel?”
“Lord Krishna, of course”, I said without waiting for the options.
“Appa, you are ok. Cool.” complimented my son, because the answer was right. The soup tasted better.
But what my family does not know is that I have this hectic parley with ‘the Secret 8’ (the children of the Merry Land School, just opposite to our house) almost every other evening learning these piquant tit–bits through active participation in their pleasantly exciting, appetizing discussions. It took some time to gain admission into their ‘Ivy-league’ as I call it because like in the Ivy league we are 8 of us.( Ivy League as you all know, is a specific group of eight academic institutions. These schools are Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale. The league was formed in the 1940s by the presidents of the eight schools to foster intercollegiate football competition "in such a way as to maintain the values of the game, while keeping it in fitting proportion to the main purposes of academic life.)
Let me not digress. Let me get you all straight into a typical conversational quizzing day of our Ivy League, the average age excluding me being twelve. Cut to:
Location: Culvert in front of Merry Land School
Time: After school hours
Participants: Students and 1 Senior Citizen
Subject: Preparation for KBC-2: Hindu Mythology

“These are for those with a serious know-how of Indian Mythology”: so says our 5 year old leader of the group.

“Who was the one who ate up one of the demon pair Ilwal and Batapi!”?
“Is it Agastya?”
“Yes, it is... And he not only ate Ilwal/Batapi, but also drank the whole of the ocean...”

“Who, other than Drona and Arjuna, knew the complete plan of the Chakravyuha?”
“Drona's wife...? Jayadratha? Must be Krishna”.
“This is the tough mythology round.. And no, it is not Kripi.. Nor Jayadratha for that matter. The Divine Krishna's omniscience has to be ignored in this context.. And Krishna considered as the Gwala that he was.. Nope he didn't know it”.
“Does Subhadra count? She fell asleep when Arjuna was telling her about the Chakravyuha, but she only knew, well... half of it. No she does not.. And for the same reason nor does Abhimanyu”
“It's got to be Bhishma and may be also Karna”
“Any hints, uncle?”
“No and no... Just think about the story of how Arjuna came to learn the secret of the Chakravyuha from Drona, and you will reach the answer”..
“Is it Ashwatthama? Drona probably shared the secret with his son”.
“Well the answer I was looking for was 'Ashwatthama'.. Arjuna learnt that Drona was teaching his son secretly,.. He also followed Ashwatthama to the secret place.. And then Drona had to teach them both together... including Chakravyuha..”

“How was the 'Eighth Vasu' known as in his next birth?”
“Well... the eighth Vasu was Bhishma (Devavrata)”
“The answer is indeed Bhishma..”

“Name the two queens of Yayati”
“Sharmishtha and Devayani”
“Right!!”

“Now tell me who was the first (and perhaps only) love of Devayani, and why he refused to marry her”.
“Her father Sukracharya's student: Kach He considered his guru's daughter as his sister.”
“Right!!He did consider Devayani his sister, but for a more profound reason..”

“Name the Shankhs(Conch shells) of Krishna and the 5 Pandavas?”
“That’s easy”, I volunteered
Sri Krishna -PanchajanyaYudhishthira -AnantavijayaBhima -Paundra Arjun -DevaduttaNakula -SughoshaSahadeva -Manipushpak

“There is a particular order in which the incarnations of Vishnu are supposed to have appeared. What’s peculiar about this order?” (This was a classic from my late father)
“Any hints uncle?”
“ UMMM lemme seee. The answer has to do with science...”
Long silence.
“The answer is that the initial few avatars are in the order of evolution of vertebrates: Matsya (fish) >> Kurma (reptile) >> Varaha (mammal) >> Narsimha (higher mammal) >> Vaman (short-statured ape-man??) >> The human avatars
“You are right, uncle - the ten avatars do appear in an evolutionary order!”

“Do you know what is Vishnu's mace or gada called?”
“Vishnu's gada= Kaumudaki”, that response was from the 5 year old. Of course she is armed with Amar Chitra Katha.

“Durvasa is famous for his anger and curses all through the Indian mythology.. But what is that one famous boon that he gave as an exception?”
“Probably you are referring to the incident when Kunti, who was yet unmarried, had served him at her father's palace and Durvasa blessed her with a boon. He said that soon she will be the mother of a brave son! And Karna was thus born!”
“ Ummm ok. But my version is a bit different again: It was Durvasa who gave Kunti the mantra for invoking Gods who would then grant her sons with their own qualities.. And not only Karna, but the Pandavas too were born with the help of that mantra..”

Hmmm.. Too much time for the correct answer...All the same I need to raise the level of my questions a bit..
“What is the hometown of the Yaksha in Meghadootam?”
“As far as I remember, the Yaksha was an attendant of Kubera exiled to Ramtek. So logically his hometown must be Alkapuri. Am I right?”
“The logic is quite right... (Although it was to Ramgiri that the Yaksha was exiled..)”

“How did Nala hear about the woman he married, and how did he send his first message to her?”
“Damayanti, the daughter of king Bhima of Vidarbha was unparalleled in beauty and her renown spread far and wide. The attendants of Nala used to praise her in front of him and same was true of Damayanti's attendants. The first message was sent via a Hansa/swan captured by Nala who told Nala that it would carry his message to Damayanti if he spares its life.”

“Who was Ranchhodji (mythological, not Morarji Desai), and why was he called so?”
“Ranchodji was another name for Krishna/Dwarkadish. I believe he got this title when he ran away from His battle (with Jarasandh). He had lost on 17 previous occasions!”
“Sounds similar to our cricket team”
“Oh shut up you Dude”
“Krishna took all his Yadavas and ran away to Dwarka so that Jarasandh does not cross the sea and come after him”.
“You got the meaning of the name Ranchhodji right! But the explanation is slightly different. It's controversial whether Krishna lost in all 17 pervious battles. (Krishna was a hero and a God: so obviously his fans have tried hard to explain things in his favour). But in the 18th battle Krishna was facing both Jarasandh and Kalyavan. And his encounter with Kalyavan is the famous tactical story of Ranchhodji. About that later.”
“These prove at least one thing that Krishna was so tactful that he even resorted to deception and still remained popular. It seems.. Ranchhodji Krishnji Ran (battle ground) chhodke bahotbar bhagen hain (sometimes even with his mighty brother..)”. That was a comment from the senior most girl member!

“Which king served Kamdhenu's daughter, and got his son as a boon from her? You know that king served Kamdhenu's daughter, and got a son in blessing from her?”(Hint: The story is found in one of Kalidasa's creations. This from the 11 year old Sanskrit Pundit)
“Was it Bhojraj?? ???” I volunteered. I looked silly. “Or am I way off the mark?”
“Yes.. you ARE way off the mark.. uncle””Maybe it would be somewhat easier if I tell you that the creation in question was
'Raghuvamsham' ok? Uncle?
‘ O Alright! it was King Dileep who served Nandini to beget King Raghu.”
“Yes, that's right..” there was a round of applause. I put my collar up.

“On to much more recent mythology now..” That was our Vice President.
“Believe it or not. Tulsidas is said to have been visited by SreeRam and Lakshman once, when he was sitting at a Ghat in Varanasi.. But he didn't realize it was THEM, and sent THEM off after tilak, prasad, and having THEM recite: 'Jai Shri Ram'.. After a while, a parrot made him realize their true identity.. Can you tell me who the parrot really was? Bonus points for telling me what the parrot said..
“Hanuman”, I shouted excitedly and “he said, - chitrakoot ke ghat pe lagi santan ki bhid; tulsidas chandan ghise tilak det raghuvir.
“.Exact-Lee!!! Wow uncle you are cool”
(I only know the difficulty I went through in SIES to learn Hindi and Kabir ke dohe etc.)

“How did Krishna get the name 'Damodar'?
“ I know of a river Damodar, where the Dam refers to bunch of Algae! “
“Yeh! Stop joking yaar. Be serious da””But here it could be ropes with which Yashoda used to tie Krishna up..”, I intervened to
sort out the fight.
“Yup that’s right! “
“Probably refers to the incident when Yashoda tied Krishna to an 'Okhli' and Krishna dragged it in between two Kadamb trees and uprooted them.. and..”
“That’s enough uncle”

“Which of Krishna's wives did he win by 'Haran'?”
“Well, By "haran" you mean theft? is that it?” ”In that case Rukmini would be the one..”
“Yes, Rukmini's right!”

“Who was it that lost one of his/her eyes due to being disrespectful to Seeta?”
“Kaakaasura!”
“You're right! Although Tulsidas refers to him as Jayant..”
“But Jayant is Indra's son.. How he came to be known as KAkASURA is difficult to imagine..”
“That’s not part of the question. So leave it at that”

“In how many re-incarnations did Raavan become unified with Vishnu, and how many would it have taken him if he wanted to do it in a friendly way?
“.Something to do with...Jai and Vijai ? “
“Yes, Vishnu's bodyguards Jai and Vijay were cursed that they would have to be born on earth - 3 times if evil, OR alternatively 7 times if good - before they could come back to Vaikuntham”..

“But do you know why they were cursed?”

Well here goes the story..The learned sage Narad once fell into the influence of Maya, and got enamoured with a girl on earth.. He asked Vishnu to make him handsome for some time.. Vishnu asked him what he wanted to look like.. He asked to look like Hari himself..So Vishnu decided to play a jest with him and gave him the face of Hari (a monkey) instead of Hari (Vishnu himself)..When he was returning red-face) from the girl's house.. the two bodyguards happened to look at him, and could not control their laughter..Narad, already fuming, turned around, and condemned them both to Mrityulok.. It was only after Vishnu appeased him a little, when he assured them that they would return to Vaikuntham after three/seven births..

It would take Seven births to reunite with Vishnu in a friendly way.. While it would take only Three births if he was hostile to gods in each birth. They opted the latter choice obviously to be with the Lord as early as possible even if it meant taking the evil route!

“Is there a moral here?”
“ Hey! You have a set mind da”The three births: Hiranyaksha/ HiranyakashipuRavana/ KumbhakarnaKansa/ ShishupalaThis story, and several others are told in detail in the Baal Kaand of Ram Charit Manas to explain why Vishnu needed to take Avatar ..

THE DAYS PROCEEDINGS CAME TO AN END. THE CHILDREN LEFT ME FORLORN WAITING FOR ANOTHER DAY. But then I had become 5 years younger in their company. I wiped my moist bifocals and put it away. I took a deep breath and reflected on how wonderful my life was. Indeed, I was a rich man. I will always be grateful for the numerous times my children have helped me see things differently. Everything I Really Need to Know, I seem to learn from Children. My wife and I have been blessed with two lovely kids. Early in my role as father, I vowed to do my utmost to help our children realize life’s most precious lessons and to instill core values. I thought I was going to be their teacher. I soon learned it was I who was in training like it happens here with my “Secret 8-the ivy League” I once asked my friend SRP,
“How have you brought the kids up so well?”
“I? By leaving them alone”, he laughed.
That spoke volumes! Didn’t it?

V V R (7th Aug 2005)

For some the good Lord is like us only: no different from us!!

For some the good Lord is like us only: no different from us!!
Last month end the installation ceremony (praanapratishta) of the life-size deities of Sri Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balabhadra was completed in Bhadrak, Orissa. The praanapratishta ceremony was conducted by priests from the Puri Jagannatha temple, and lasted for three days as per one report. So, what’s new? Ever so many such installations are done all over; what is so special? Hear this.
“On the first day, akhanda naama kirtan was inaugurated. Then devotees went in procession to the Salandi river to collect holy water for the Kalashas and for the abhisheka of the deities. Five hundred years ago, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had visited Bhadrak and had bathed at the same spot where the devotees collected the water. As such, this water is very sacred to Gaudiya Vaishnavas.”
And if you do not know already, please be informed that Sri Chaitanya had a Kerala connection too. But about that later.
“The installation was done according to the Puri pantha, where the Lord is seen to perform the lilas of being "born" and then "dying" every 12 years in the navakalevara festival. Every detail of the birth ceremony is performed for Lord Jagannatha, including the tying of the umbilical cord and the burying of the embryonic sack. In Puri there are even specific families who will shave their head and perform the shraaddha ceremony for Lord Jagannatha so that "he can attain Vaikuntha". For some it may be difficult to understand this complex relationship in light of philosophical expositions on the Lord. This mysterious relationship is actually based on complete personal love for the Lord, not on ignorance of His supreme eternal position.
As per the tradition, the Lord was first invoked in a "delivery room" for His birth. The birth of the Lord occurred on ekadashi day, the 23rd of May, at which time devotees were allowed a brief darshan of the Lord without ornaments or alankaras, having just been born with no clothes. Following His birth, the priests were to bathe Him with pancha gavya and panchamrita. Just as the doors were opening for the devotees to have their first glimpse of Lord Jagannatha at His birth, rain began to pour down. It was extremely rare and auspicious for the rain to start at the precise time that it was supposed to.
Following the birth of Lord Jagannatha, the deities were bathed with holy water and sacred substances from the cow (ghee, yoghurt, milk, etc.) from 108 Kalashaas. As the abhisheka began, a rare bird came inside the altar and landed just inches above Balarama's head. He sat there the entire abhisheka (around half an hour) just staring at the deities being bathed. This particular bird is famous for staying in the Jagannatha temple in Puri too.
After the abhisheka, the priests wanted to close the altar, but the bird was refusing to leave. Finally after failing to get the bird to come out, the priests decided the bird should spend the night on the altar with Lord Jagannatha. The next morning, when the priests opened to door to offer naivedyam to the Lord, the bird immediately flew out on its own, never to be seen again.
Many sacred trees planted earlier around the temple, like the Peepal, the Banyan, the Kadamba, Bilva trees, the Champaka tree and many Neem trees have sprouted up and are now all growing well. The Kadamba tree is especially associated with Lord Krishna, as He was very fond of playing with the flowers of this tree, which resemble large round balls. The Peepal tree is worshipped throughout India, and in the Gita Lord Krishna states, ashvatthah sarva-vrikshaanaam, "Amongst all trees, I am the Peepal tree (ashvattha)". In Puri Jagannatha temple there is a Peepal tree that is considered a Kalpa Vriksha.
Early in the morning on the 24th, May the head priest, Sri Nanda Sharma, entered the garbhagriha, along with one assistant, to perform gupta mantra japa, the final rituals for the praanapratishta. While chanting the mantras, twice he fainted. When he came back to consciousness he told the other priest that he had seen a huge effulgence around Jagannatha and lost consciousness. Though he is over 80 years old, for the entire three days he went without eating any food, only absorbed in mantra japa and the pratishta rituals.
On the 24th the Lord prepared to offer His first alankaara darshana to His devotees. Over the previous two days, the devotees were only able to view the Lord for 30 minutes during His birth and abhisheka, so they were very anxious to see the Lord. Finally at 4 pm, following the completion of all the installation rituals and purnahuti, the Lord was dressed in Badashringar Vesha, and garlanded with lotus maalaas consisting of over 2,000 lotuses.

Now the Kerala connection. The origins of the text known as Brahma-samhita (Hymn to the Absolute Truth) are lost in cosmic antiquity. According to Vedic tradition, these "Hymns of Brahma" were recited or sung countless millennia ago by the first created being in the universe, just prior to the act of creation. The text surfaced and entered calculable history early in the sixteen century, when it was discovered by a pilgrim exploring the manuscript library of an ancient temple in what is now Kerala. Prior to the introduction of the printing press, texts like Brahma-samhita existed only in manuscript form, painstakingly handwritten by scribes and kept under brahminical custodianship in temples, where often they are worshipped as sastra-Deity, or God incarnate in holy scripture.
The pilgrim who rescued Brahma-samhita from obscurity was no ordinary pilgrim, and His pilgrimage was not meant, as in the custom, for self-purification but for world-purification. He was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu--saint, mystic, religious reformer, and as per some full incarnation of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, descending into the present epoch for the salvation of all souls. At the time of His discovery of the text, Sri Chaitanya was touring South India, preaching His message of love of Krishna and promulgating the practice of sankirtana, congregational singing of the holy names of God. Sri Chaitanya commenced this tour shortly after becoming a monk (sannyasi), at age twenty-four, and the tour lasted approximately two years. After a southward journey from Puri (in Orissa State) that carried Him to holy places such as Sri Ranga-kshetra, Setubandha Rameswara, and finally Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), he turned northward and, traveling along the bank of the Payasvini River In Travancore state, reached the temple of Adi-kesava in Trivandrum district.
Upon beholding the holy image of Adi-kesava (Krishna) in the temple, Chaitanya was overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy, offered fervent prayers, and chanted and danced in rapture, a wondrous sight that was received with astonished appreciation by the devotees there. After discussing esoteric spiritual matters among some highly advanced devotees present, Sri Chaitanya found "one chapter of the Brahma-samhita" (what we now have as Brahma-samhita is, according to tradition, only one of a hundred chapters composing an epic work lost to humanity). Upon discovering the manuscript, Sri Chaitanya felt great ecstasy and fell into an intense mystic rapture that overflowed onto the physical realm, producing a profusion of tears, trembling, and perspiration. Intuiting the Brahma-samhita to be a "most valuable jewel," He employed a scribe in hand-copying the manuscript and departed with the copy for His return journey to the north.
And my favourite? The very first hymn: ..
Isvarah paramah krishnah
sacchidaananda-vigrahah
anaadir aadir govindah
sarva-kaaranaakaaranam
Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.
Rgds
Govindam aadi-purusham tam aham bhajaami),
V V R
17th Jun 06.

Focus on Charity

Focus on Charity
The print and the electronic media flashed the news that Bill Gates of Microsoft was to become Full-Time Philanthropist. Bill Gates announced that within two years, he plans to transition into full-time work for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the organization he founded with his wife, which focuses on global health and education. "I believe with great wealth comes great responsibility - the responsibility to give back to society and make sure those resources are given back in the best possible way, to those in need," he said. Gates added, "It's not a retirement, it's a reordering of my priorities."
Our own Narayana Murthy of Infosys too has announced that he would pass the baton to the next-Gen and he along with his wife Sudha Murthy would shift their focus on charity.
It is heartening that such people in their positions with wealth, in whatever form it may be: health, relationships, time, or resources, have decided to immerse in activities that would leverage this privilege for others. This made me recall the following inspiring quotes of Andrew Carnegie, one time world’s richest man.
“This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of wealth: First, to set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him; and, after doing so, to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds, which he is called upon to administer, and strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in the manner which, in his judgment, is best calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the community, the man of wealth thus becoming the mere trustee and agent ...” ----- Andrew Carnegie

“Man does not live by bread alone. I have known millionaires starving for lack of the nutriment which alone can sustain all that is human in man, and I know workmen, and many so-called poor men, who revel in luxuries beyond the power of those millionaires to reach. It is the mind that makes the body rich. There is no class so pitiably wretched as that which possesses money and nothing else. Money can only be the useful drudge of things immeasurably higher than itself. Exalted beyond this, as it sometimes is, it remains Caliban still and still plays the beast.”------- Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) @@

@@ (Andrew Carnegie, hailing from an impoverished family was a Scottish-born American businessman, a major philanthropist, and the founder of the Carnegie Steel Co.which later became U S Steel. He is known for having, later in his life, given away most of his riches to fund the establishment of many libraries, schools, and universities in Scotland, America and worldwide. A self made man who wrote his own destiny of ‘rags to riches’)

rgds
V V R
20th jun 06.

Fail Safe Mechanism?..... What is that?

Fail Safe Mechanism?..... What is that?

Any one would dread to be in the shoes of my friend Sree S Subramanian and undergo the experience similar to what he went through when his lady wife had to be rescued from a stuck elevator. Undoubtedly, as he says “Despite all the safety measures provided in an elevator (read any mechanism), they do not seem to be entirely fail-safe”. One couldn’t but agree with him entirely. In fact any maintenance engineer would know that what he has stated is really the principle underlying Murphy’s Law.
Even in systems like space vehicles, nuclear reactors etc where for obvious reasons the designer incorporates the highest safety and standby measures we have had any number of mishaps whatever be the reasons. As one associated in several aircraft accident investigation teams, even these ‘birds’ with all its safety measures and inbuilt stand by systems (of hydraulic, electrical and manual) taking over one by one in sequence during emergency, are prone to ‘strange behaviours’ (I liked those words of Sree SS ). Add to that the human error; you face a fact, “there is no fool-proof, fail-safe method to arrest catastrophic failures even with best of intentions”
Murphy's law is a popular adage which broadly states that things will go wrong in any given situation in which error is possible. "If there's more than one way to do a job, and one of those ways will result in disaster, then somebody will do it that way." It is most commonly formulated as "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
The law was named after Major Edward A. Murphy, Jr.,(An American), a development engineer working for a brief time on rocket experiments done by the United States Air Force in 1949.
Accounts differ as to the precise origin of Murphy's law and the details about how it was initially formulated. A project was on for the purpose of testing the human tolerance for g-forces during rapid deceleration. Initial tests used a humanoid crash test dummy strapped to a seat. But subsequent tests were performed by Edward Murphy’s assistant using gauges attached to a harness strapped to a chimpanzee.
The sensors provided a zero reading, however; it became apparent that they had been installed incorrectly, with each sensor wired backwards. It was at this point that Murphy made his pronouncement and in frustration, blamed the failure on his assistant, saying, "If that guy has any way of making a mistake, he will." "Murphy's law" was born; it was condensed to "If it can happen, it will happen," and named for Murphy in mockery. According to some, his father's statement was along the lines of "If there's more than one way to do a job, and one of those ways will result in disaster, then somebody will do it that way."
Murphy's law has taken on many different formulations. The proverb was phrased "Anything That Can Possibly Go Wrong, Does" —'Everything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong'." Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.(My favourite).
Additional mutations of the law and its corollaries have developed into humourous quotes like:
1. A slice of buttered bread, when dropped, will always land butter-side down on a new carpet.
2. When you need an item that is in a heap, it will always be the one at the bottom.
BEST Buses take ages to arrive, but when they do they always arrive in sets of three ( "you wait ages for a bus, then two come along at once!"). There actually is a logical explanation for this: the first bus is slowed down because of the time needed to let passengers get on and off. The subsequent busses are (typically) not allowed to pass the first bus, so you tend to end up with a full bus followed by a line of empty ones.
3. The day you forget your umbrella, it pours with rain.
4. When caught in a traffic jam, the lane that you are in will always be the slowest to move.
5. Nothing is as easy as it looks.
6. Everything takes longer than you think. Or, everything takes twice as long as it should; excepting that which appears easy, taking three times as long.
7. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time.
8. If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong first.
9. If something simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway.
10. If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
11. Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
12. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
13. Every solution breeds new problems.
14. All small objects of value will disappear when set down.
15. An Allegory: If you stop and ask someone for directions, and they tell you "You can't miss it"... then be assured that you will.
16. If you make it idiot-proof, someone will make a better idiot.
17. The day you forget to bring your calculator to Math or Science class, there will be a quiz or test that requires one.
18. A train/bus/plane will be late, unless you are late and need the delay to make it on board

Murphy's Law is sometimes also presented as a life philosophy, an area which is of interest to me now. Call it pessimism if you like but with age I seem to be embodying defensive designs; suspecting in the approach of anything whatsoever, a possible flaw . Then it's always within good measure to take the necessary precautions to make sure that those flaws can't happen. However, this is left open to controversy as my wife puts it bluntly,
“Enna……… of late you have become a Samsaya kudukkai?”
I pretend not to hear her busy with my SoDu Ku.
“I feel father has merely mellowed down to taking less risks”, supports my daughter.

No no. I do not walk up the stairs when the elevator is available. Available? Where? There is no Power supply when you require it most. And the standby generator is not on an automatic ‘take over mode’ thanks to whoever…….

Rgds
V V R
05 Jun 06

EULOGY TO A PATTATHI: AN EARTHY PHILOSOPHER

EULOGY TO A PATTATHI: AN EARTHY PHILOSOPHER

If by philosopher we mean one who acts calmly and rationally in the affairs and changes of life, well, I knew one Pattathi closely. She hailed from a remote village in Palghat, born in a family of twelve, and had a fifth grade education. This academic background, I was to learn later, turned out perhaps to be her biggest asset. Having had no formal schooling or training of any sort, her mind remained unstained, fresh as ever, always receptive and ready to soak in all sorts of ideas. This academic background not withstanding, she acquired varied skills through sheer personal efforts and interaction with people. Migrated from Palghat to Mumbai, she soon spoke better Marathi than most of the Maharashtrians did.
Her managerial abilities would have left many a modern day B-school boys astounded. She had this uncanny knack of understanding people. She would say that there existed a ‘special key’ that could open up even the most awkward individual. She was more of an atheist, but a pragmatic woman. We never heard her exchanging gossip or stories about others or even criticising any one. She was possessive but quick to part with her things if only to see the recipient happy. “Overtime, I have come to understand that some gifts are meant to be passed on and not repaid. For the biggest impact, do it for somebody who knows you have nothing to gain”, she would say.
She was at her best when the chips are down. She could produce outstanding results simply by not making excuses. I have often been struck by the coolness and aplomb displayed by her in emergencies. “Appadi ellaamthaan irukkum”, she would say, when situation became irretrievable; when an avalanche of problems blew you off your feet; when hopelessness stared at you and you were on the verge of giving up! “Things will be like that only” could be the nearest translation for these three words. But any further attempt to explain the import of these words or their underlying philosophy would mean writing a thesis on crisis management. Suffice it to say these words serve as a buffer to absorb the initial impact of any crisis and thus prepare you to take control of the situation thereafter. We have all heard the saying “Don’t just stand there –do something” But her philosophy seemed to dictate that in a crisis, the better advice might be “Don’t just do something-stand there!” What it meant was “Take it easy. Look for silver lining. Think what next?” As hard as it may be at the time you are going through it, every crisis presents an opportunity to test your nerves. It is true that we often have little control over ourselves WHEN we are swept by emotions, but we can have some saying, HOW LONG that emotion will last. Over the years, I was to learn that these words “Appadi ellamthaan irukkum” could indeed be the platform any one could use in times of trouble especially in all high pressure fields from fire fighting to corporate crisis. It helps if not to triumph over adversity, at least to push the odds greatly in your favour.
The first ten years of my childhood was spent with my grandparents in the same remote village in Palghat where she hailed from. There was this village school teacher who doubled up as the village post master who taught the children the 3 ‘R’s at a fee of two annas per month. We had the option to pay the fees in kind in the form of vegetables or bushels of rice. The only study material we were required to carry till fifth class was a black slate and a pencil, which we put to good use while fighting with each other. While this teacher struck terror in our minds in the school, the environment at home was just the opposite. My grand mother was an embodiment of love and compassion-a real comforter. As for my grandpa, being the village Vadhyar was too busy catering to the needs of others rather than our own mundane household requirements. I never thought of him as very emotional and he never was, at least not in front of me. I always saw him as that staunch disciplinarian who rarely cracked a smile. Afternoons were spent in imparting Vedic lessons to not-so-eager disciples, who looked at him with awe and respect at the depth of knowledge and insight he had on matters of religious rites and rituals. He spun the finest of Poonals for the consumption of the entire village equipped with just a couple of “Thakkilis” a device which spun thread out of raw cotton. I was his only errand boy. I loved to run across to the next street to buy fresh ‘Snuff’ (powdered preparation of tobacco) for my grandpa- an addiction he felt perhaps had nothing to do with spiritual or scholastic attainments. By the age of ten, thanks to my unbridled freedom I had transformed almost completely into a village urchin. Before things could get out of control I was packed off to my parents at Mumbai, where my father was struggling to make an honest living. Our house a rented chawl, resembled a transit camp-cum-lodge filled with near and distant relatives all from Palghat, with a singular aim of finding a job. But everything seemed to move with clockwork precision-thanks to this lady who I noted reacted differently from all of us even under stress. Her typical reaction to any difficulty was as though she knew all the time that the crisis was coming- except for its timing. As a result even if she yearned to be a little bit under stress, she never was. At worst she would say,”Appadi ellaamthaan irukkum” and carried on. She quietly helped each one of us to deal with all sorts of pressures. More than a dozen men and women of all hue and types had the privilege of her hospitality for months before they could find their own feet.
There was this particular incident which turned me inside out. It was in the late forties. The nation was passing through difficult times economically. Communal riots were common. Ration had been introduced. Long queues were common sights for kerosene, sugar and food grains. Rice being a rarity, we had to make good with Cholam. Our small rented house in the chawl was already bursting at its seams, when a couple with their new born baby girl dropped in from Karachi lock, stock and barrel, because the bread winner had sought from his employer The Grindlays Bank a transfer to Mumbai from Karachi. This meant stretching our meagre resources and facilities further. I was too young to even voice any opinion, but all the same I decided to lodge a mild protest. “Appadi ellaamthaan irukkum”, she shot back those three words. “It is important to give encouragement for family and friends, because their happiness and yours are inseparable”, she added. The impact on my young mind was instant. From then on I learnt that calm acceptance of even the most difficult situation is what life was all about. Those three words became the underlying philosophy of my life.
My forced migration from Palghat to Mumbai and the schooling years in SIES that followed was to become nightmare for me. I knew to read and write; but only in Malayalam. Nothing else. Here in Mumbai I was expected to pick up subjects in class six taught wholly in English. I made such a fool of myself that I became the butt of every joke providing free entertainment to the class. But then SHE came to my rescue. She took care not to belittle me for falling behind in class. On the other hand I was praised and prodded.
“Keep at it. You can top in the school”, she said.
“Me?’. I asked.
“Why not?” she dared. “Try and you can do it”
At that time I looked at her in disbelief. How could she know the choking fear I felt each morning? Night after night I would struggle with language and Maths problems only to discover I had them all wrong. On our first major exam I just scraped through in Maths (thanks to Muthuswami Iyer), with single digit marks in all other subjects. That evening I confronted her.
“I don’t belong with other students”, I said.
“So? What do you want?” she asked.
“I don’t want to fail’, I mumbled.
“You won’t. And I won’t let you quit as long as you are willing to do your best”, she commanded.
For the first time I was being asked to probe the limits of my potential. She was demanding excellence from me, and I decided to give it a try. And I never looked back. She made me top in the school. Principal Paramewsara Iyer was pleased. She succeeded in pushing me through Xavier’s College, IIT Kharagpur and helped me to become a professional soldier- all out of a rustic village bumpkin.
I have during my spare time tried to understand what life was all about. I read quite a few books on philosophy and religion. I tried to understand God and man, good and evil, virtue and vice, cleanliness and filth, heaven and hell, but never understood a thing. Over the years I have come to know that nothing we earn, none of the things that we accumulate belongs to us. I learnt to handle the rarest of rare resources as wisely as possible and to use what little money we had for the good of the greatest number. It is amazing how much work a well-knit family can get done when every one is working together and being of service to people who really need the help.
So when I got a call from Mumbai saying “She” was sinking, I took the first available flight to be at her side. But it was too late. She died of cardiac arrest. There were telephonic condolences pouring in from Singapore, Muscat, USA, and several parts of India-all confiding that her sacrifices defied reciprocation. I wept till there were no tears left in my eyes. Then I heard her voice:”Appadi ellaamthaan irukkum”. I knew she would not approve of my emotional out burst.
I know this for sure because this Pattathi was my mother!

Essence of Lord Hanuman:

Essence of Lord Hanuman
I took a print out of the above posting by one of our fellow members (ref: 26th Sep; Q & A by His Holiness Shri Datta Swami) which became a sort of piece-de- resistance during our evening discussions. I have, specially for the consumption of the tiny tots attempted here to piece together the various inputs my colleagues gave me on the subject.
“Hanuman is the son of a cursed apsara, a celestial, named Punjisthala, who by curse becomes Anjana, a female monkey. (Hence Hanuman is also called Änjanèya). She is the wife of Kèsari, a mighty monkey who once killed a huge elephant that caused trouble to sages and hermits. He therefore got the name of Kèsari, namely the lion, and is also called kunjara südana, the elephant killer.
One day when Anjana was on a mountain peak, Vayu Deva, the Wind-god, came nearby, and generated a forceful blow of air, so that her clothes slipped off from her body. The Wind-god was incited by her charm and possessed her, with her consent. She thus gave birth to Hanuman. Hanuman's birthday is celebrated as Hanumad Jayanti.
Hanuman grew up and inherited his father's qualities of quick flying, forceful travel, and mighty strength. Soon after his birth he saw the Sun, thought it to be a ripe fruit and took flight to catch hold of the Sun to eat. Indra, the administrator of universal laws, observed this. He hurled his weapon, the Thunderbolt, which struck Hanuman on his cheeks. Hanuman fell down on earth and swooned. The Wind-god, Hanuman's father, resented this and went into seclusion. This caused choking deaths and asphyxiation to all the living beings. To pacify Air-god, Indra withdrew the effect of his Thunderbolt, which had cut Hanuman's two cheeks. Thus he is called Hanuman, for hanuhH in Sanskrit is the word for cheek.
Brahma blessed Hanuman with a diamond-like body, even invincible to a brahma- astra, a super missile, and made him immortal. That is why when Ravana’s son Indrajit uses a brahma-astra, (in Sundara Kanda Valmiki Ramayana says)… “Though Hanuman knows the release from brahma-astra, he was silent due to his respect for Brahma…”
He is deathless, a chiranjeevi. He can leave his mortal body whenever he desires to do so. This is called icchaa maranam, dying at will. This is what Bhishma pitamaha does in Mahabharata, when he wants to live up to some time on the bed of sharp arrows in the war field itself.
One very important fact about Hanuman is: He is the fourth and the only other person in the Mahabharata to have heard The Gita from the mouth of Sri Krishna himself, the other four being Arjuna, Sanjaya and Dhritarashtra. He heard it by settling on the flag of the chariot of Arjuna which carried the Hanuman picture. It is also said that this was a boon that he asked of Lord Vishnu. He wanted to be of some assistance to the next avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu and he was granted the permission to be on Arjuna's chariot of whom Krishna was the charioteer in the war of Mahabharata.
Hanuman is also worshipped as five faced God - Panchamukha Hanuman. The origin of Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami can be traced to a story in the Ramayana. During the war between Lord Rama and Ravana, Ravana took the help of a Demon Mahiravana, who was the king of pathala (Lower worlds). Anjaneya in order to protect Lord Rama and Lakshmana formed a fortress with his tail. But Mahiravana took the form of Vibheeshana and took Lord Rama and Lakshmana to pathalaloka. Anjaneya entered pathala in search of Rama and Lakshmana. He found out that to kill Mahiravana he had to extinguish 5 lamps simultaneously. So he took the Panchamukha form with Anjaneya, Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda and Varaha faces and extinguished the lamps. Mahiravana was killed immediately.
The story apart, Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami was the main deity of Sri Raghavendra Tirtha, the saint of Mantralaya. The place where he meditated on Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami is now known as Panchamukhi, wherein a temple for Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami has been built. There is also a shrine for Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami at Kumbakonam. A 40 tall monolithic green granite idol of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed in Tiruvallur.

Children can recite the following two lines every day.
It is said that when recited every day all difficulties disappear and Lakshmi kataaksham results.

Panchamukha Hanuumadswarupam
Panchamukheshu maddhye Veeraanjaneya Hanuumathe rudra veeryo mukhascha!
Mukho hayagreeva Nrusimhasthu vaame thathaa dakshine gaarudo varaaha!!

V V R
29th Sep 2005