pachai maamalai pol mene

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

musings 35

To maintain our physical body in all its strength and verve, we consume food, and do various exercises and expose the body to sunlight etc.. 
We consume carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, water and so on.. 
Such nutrients are derived from various sources in nature or some are even synthezised..
But utlimately, it is not the Carbohydrate or protein or Vitamin or Sunlight that manifest as our body or its activities.. 
The materials and nutrients are given as inputs or fuels and some process in the body, just converts these into the building and maintenance materials needed for the body..
So if we surround ourselves with gunnybags of rice or wheat or kilolitres of milk or keep our body inside a well, our body is not going to grow..
We have to cook or process and eat or drink and the body should process the material consumed.. and for that the vital force.. may be the Divine force in necessary.. 


Similarly we gather a lot of information and knowledge from books, from the talks and opinions of others and through media outpours.. 
We have to understand that all this is just crude raw material for the consumption and processing by our mind.. and the thinking structure built in our body..
What we imbibe or understand is just what the mind and brain processes or infers through functionals and sensory orgnas.. 
Eating a few pages of a book or swallowing a tabala or nadaswaram will not make us enjoy a novel or a piece of music..


So, ultimiately the vital force inside ourselves is our master..
And we should always keep our mastery over external influences by properly channelling our own physical and mental networks..


The controller of these networks, the one who supplies the correct power and oil to run these is perhaps an unseen force.. Maybe it is God.. 
it is not at all difficult to trust and depend on that God..
But instead, if we trust gunny bags, empty drums and gas balloons, who can save us?

life is there just to be lived...



Most of our time is spent on planning  to live, earning to live, reading to live and dishing out advices on how to live.. 

Often we spend our time is destroying our own means and methods of good life..
But most often we tend to overlook what exactly we want from our lives.. 
and therefore we do not spend our time in what really we want..

In short, we plan a lot but live very little..

At least for five minutes every hour we are awake, is it better to review our own flow of existence.. to see whether we have lived our life the way we want at least for a little while?

The fact is, we rewind, we ruminate when we are no longer able to do anything at all.. when we are at the close of our innings in this world..
Too late in the day..

They say a good technician spends a lot of time in sharpening and fine tuning his gadgets.. so that he can use them effectively at the right time..

But if the technician is just sharpening his gadgets for ever but never uses it.. what is the use of his being called a technician at all?

We collect books, build libraries, fill our memories with data, but never recall them for any use.. Why?

Life is like that..
But then we have to live at least a little, is it not?

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

learn by experience....



learn by experience....

शास्त्रज्ञोप्यलोकज्ञो मूर्खतुल्यः॥
चाणाक्यसूत्रं ५४३
śāstrajñopyalokajño mūrkhatulyaḥ||
cāṇākyasūtraṁ 543
_________
Even if one is well read and even learned in Science and scriptures, if he does not know the ways of the world he is just equal to a fool, idiot and ignoramus..


So says the master Guru Chanakya..

Yes, we can learn the principles and theories of science, statecraft or for that matter almost anything through books and records.. 
But such learning has inherent limitations.. 
The basic principles as studied from books may be very correct.. But they have meaning and relevance only if they are applied for the benefit of all.. 
Such knowledge can be applied only if we know and understand the nature and mindset of the people.. 
The people and the environment could be understood only through interaction and observation.
Theoretical and academic knowledge cannot help us in this matter..

The attitudes and mindsets of the people are shaped on the history, geography, economics and sociology of ther respective target groups.. And no textbook can ever supply correct and complete data on this..

So if we are presuming that we are just perfect in our knowledge by going through many standard texts and famous books, we are almost equal to idiots.

One cannot learnn swimming by reading a book, for example..

_____________
It would be nice to recall the following subhashitam too..
It is a quote from Udyogaparvam of Mahabharatam..

आचार्यात् पादमादत्ते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया।
पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादं कालक्रमेण च॥
ācāryāt pādamādatte pādaṁ śiṣyaḥ svamedhayā|
pādaṁ sabrahmacāribhyaḥ pādaṁ kālakrameṇa ca||

The student receives one fourth of his education from his preceptors..
one fourth from ones own perception, by application of mind and brain
one fourth from living in the company of fellow scholars and by comparison of mutual experience..
And the final quarter can be gained only through the efflux of time.. that is by living and experiencing..

Saturday, August 19, 2017

The Description or Dhyana Slokam of Mother Gayatri

मुक्ताविद्रुमहेमनीलधवळच्छायैः त्रीक्ष्णैः मुखैः
युक्तामिन्दुकलानिबद्धमकुटाम् तत्वार्त्थवर्ण्णात्मिकाम्।
गायत्रीम् वरदाभयाङ्कुशकशाः शुभ्रम् कपालम् गदाम्
शङ्खम् चक्र्मदारविन्दयुगळम् हस्तैर्वहन्तीम् भजे॥
muktāvidrumahemanīladhavaḻacchāyaiḥ trīkṣṇaiḥ mukhaiḥ
yuktāmindukalānibaddhamakuṭām tatvārtthavarṇṇātmikām|
gāyatrīm varadābhayāṅkuśakaśāḥ śubhram kapālam gadām
śaṅkham cakrmadāravindayugaḻam hastairvahantīm bhaje||
I pray with great reverence and depend entirely for my welfare on Mother Gayatri 
Who has five faces with the colours of 
Pearl (Shiny Trasparency)
Coral (the red )
Golden yellow
Saphire blue 
and 
spotless white
each face having three eyes
Who has her crown bound with the fresh bright crescent of the moon
Who is the embodiment of the Chaturvimshati tattwas in her holy twentyfour letters ( or alternately containing in her letters which would explain and reveal all the great knowledge available anywhere)
who in her hands wield
the Varada Mudra.. the benedictory gesture of the hand showing that she is granting her devotees all the boons and welfare
the Abhaya Mudra.. the benedictory gesture of the hand indicating that she is offering protection to all those who fall at here lotus feet in supplication
a goad.. the weapon used to control the elephant
a whip
a white human skull
a mace 
a conch
a discus
a pair of lotuses
This is the simple meaning of the Dhyanaslokam of Mother Gayatri.. But there have been many interpretation on each of her aspects.. that would fill in hundreds of volumes..
abhaya murdra.. open palm with all the fingers held up 
varada mudra open palm with all the fingers held down.

Friday, August 18, 2017

loss of faith.....

loss of faith.....

दुर्जनदूषितमनसः सुजनेष्वपि नास्ति विश्वासः।
बालः पायसदग्धो दध्यपि फूल्कृत्य भक्षयति॥
॥हितोपदेशे॥
durjanadūṣitamanasaḥ sujaneṣvapi nāsti viśvāsaḥ|
bālaḥ pāyasadagdho dadhyapi phūlkṛtya bhakṣayati||
|itopadeśe ||

a quote from hitopadesham..

A person whose mind is afflicted by the cruel action of a bad person would not have faith even a good one with only love and magnanimity.. A boy who has once put boiling sweet porridge (Payasam) into his mouth by mistake would drink even cold curd only after blowing air with his mouth (making a sound of phoo) to ensure that what he is drinking will not scorch his tongue and lips..

It is a very educative slokam although it looks very ordinary.. 

Bad experiences cause trauma.. and kill mental peace for ever.. We should know that many children become rebellious because of their cruel experience which force them to lose faith in the fairness of the world..

கொடிய மனிதனிடம் அடிபட்ட ஒருவன் நல்ல மனிதர்களையும் நம்ப முடியாமல் தவிக்கிறான்.
கொதிக்கும் பாயாசத்தை ஒருவாறு குடித்த குழந்தை குளிரான தயிர் கிடைத்தாலும் ஊதி ஊதியே தான் குடிப்பான் அல்லவா ?

ദുഷ്ടന്റെ ഉപദ്രവത്തിന്നു ഇരയായ ഒരുവന്‍ നല്ല മനുഷ്യനെപ്പോലും വിശ്വസിക്കാന്‍ കഴിയാത്ത അവസ്ഥയില്‍ എത്തുന്നു. ചൂടുള്ള പായസം ഒരിക്കല്‍ അകത്താക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിച്ച ബാലന്‍ പിന്നീട് തണുത്ത തയിരു കിട്ടിയാലും ഊതി തണുപ്പിച്ചേ കുടിക്കുവാന്‍ തയാറാവുള്ളു

sweet words black mind...

दुर्जनः प्रियवादी च नैतद्विश्वासकारणम्।
मधुस्तिष्टति जिह्वाग्रे हृदि हालाहलम् विषम्॥
हितोपदेशे
durjanaḥ priyavādī ca naitadviśvāsakāraṇam|
madhustiṣṭati jihvāgre hṛdi hālāhalam viṣam||
hitopadeśe
An evil minded persons can be very profuse and endearing in his words. So swகலம்eet words need not be taken as a sign of goodwill and faith.. For some honey will be flowing from the tip of the tongue but the hear will be full to the brim with the venom Halahalam..
இனிமையான பேச்சில்மட்டும் மயங்கிவிடாதீர்கள். தீய உள்ளம படைத்தவனுக்கு நாவில் தேனும் இதயத்தில் ஆலாகலம் போன்ற நஞ்சும் ஒரே நேரத்தில் இருக்கும்..
ചക്കരവാക്കുകള്‍കേട്ട് മാത്രം ആരെയും വിശ്വസിക്കരുത്. ചില ദുഷ്ടന്മാര്‍ക്ക് വാക്കില്‍ തേനും മനസ്സില്‍ കൊടിയവിഷവും ഒരേസമയം കാണും 
(from hitopadesham)
நாவிலே தேன் நஞ்சு நெஞ்சிலே

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Our mind and body just exist for Krishna's Service

Our mind and body just exist for Krishna's Service 

जिह्वे कीर्तय केशवं मुररिपुं चेतो भज श्रीधरम्।

पाणिद्वन्द्व समर्चयाच्युतकथाः श्रोत्रद्वय त्वं शृणु॥
कृष्णं लोकय लोचनद्वय हरेर्गच्छाङ्घ्रियुग्मालयं।
जिघ्र घ्राण मुकुन्दपादतुलसीं मूर्धन् नमाधोक्षजम्॥

jihve kīrtaya keśavaṁ muraripuṁ ceto bhaja śrīdharam|
pāṇidvandva samarcayācyutakathāḥ śrotradvaya tvaṁ śṛṇu||
kṛṣṇaṁ lokaya locanadvaya harergacchāṅghriyugmālayaṁ|
jighra ghrāṇa mukundapādatulasīṁ mūrdhan namādhokṣajam||

From Mukundamala of Kulasekshara Azhvar..

Meaning

My tongue you praise keshava, that divine being with attractive hair, the lord who killed the demon Kesi 
My Mind you worship that lord who is the enemy of the demon Mura 
My pair of hands you offer flowers in archana to the Lord who wears mother Lakshmi in his bosom.
My pair of ears, you feel happy to listen to the beautiful stories of that lord Achyuta,, the one who can never have any fall from his exalted position and the one whose dependents can never have any fall.
My pair of eyes, you see that Krishna, the black fellow who attracts everything towards Him
My pair of feet you walk briskly in the direction of the temple where that Hari resides.. the Hari.. the Lion, the Hari who destroys all sins of the devotess.
My nostrils, you two find ecstacy in enjoying the fragrance of the Tulasi leaves that have adorned the lotus beet of Mukunda. Mukunda the liberator of the devotees from all sins, Mukunda the one who is valuable as a precious gem.
My head you fall at the feet of Adhokshaja.. the one whose knowledge and prowess are beyond limits of our thoughts..

-------------------------------------------------------------------

जिह्वे केशवं कीर्तय My tongue you praise keshava, that divine being with attractive hair, the lord who killed the demon Kesi 
चेत मुररिपुं भज My Mind you worship that lord who is the enemy of the demon Mura 
पाणिद्वन्द्व श्रीधरम् समर्चय My pair of hands you offer flowers in archana to the Lord who wears mother Lakshmi in his bosom.
श्रोत्रद्वय त्वं अच्युतकथा शृणु My pair of ears, you feel happy to listen to the beautiful stories of that lord Achyuta,, the one who can never have any fall from his exalted position and the one whose dependents can never have any fall.
लोचनद्वय कृष्णं लोचय My pair of eyes, you see that Krishna, the black fellow who attracts everything towards Him
अङ्घ्रियुग्म हरेः आलयं गच्छ My pair of feet you walk briskly in the direction of the temple where that Hari resides.. the Hari.. the Lion, the Hari who destroys all sins of the devotess.
जिघ्र मुकुन्दपाद तुलसीं घ्राण My nostrils, you two find ecstacy in enjoying the fragrance of the Tulasi leaves that have adorned the lotus beet of Mukunda. Mukunda the liberator of the devotees from all sins, Mukunda the one who is valuable as a precious gem.

मूर्धन् अधोक्षजं नम My head you fall at the feet of Adhokshaja.. the one whose knowledge and prowess are beyond limits of our thoughts..

Gayatri..

Gayatri..

om bhur bhuvaH suvaH tat savitur vareniyam bhargo devasy dheemahi dheeyo yo naH prachodayaat.
ॐ भूर्भुवस्सुवः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियोयोनः प्रचोदयात्
---------------------------------------
Meditate upon    Om 
Meditate on the universe... Bhu BhuvaH SuvaH

Tat devasya savituH varenyam bhargaH dhee mahi yo sah naH dheeyaH prachodayaat

We meditate upon, try to understand the all encompassing potency of that Sun..
 that Universal being of infinite energy, infinite capacity.. 

May that being, that energy, that prayer, kindle, enourage, maintain and protect our intellect..

This is the sum and substance of that simple prayer Gayatri..
----------------------------------------------
omkaram... Om.. it is representing the whole universe.. or it is representing nothing.

bhuH, bhuvA, SuvaAH   whole of the three worlds.. covering all that is conceivable.. or be thought of

Savita.. the Sun.. or the universal being.. the prime source of power, permanence, eternity and existence.. 
no doubt his power is the greatest.. without any comparison.. varenyam bhargaH

devasya.. deva,, the supreme being
dheemahi.. contemplate, think upon, with all concentration and understandig, realize the importance of that power, realize the supremacy and irreplaceable nature of that power, realize that nothing I know can exist without that power

naH pracodayaat.. may brighten, kindle,encourage, illuminate our .. many maintain that illumination or the power already given.. may never allow that enlightened power of intellect to deteriorate, reduce in strength.. 
=======================================

The man wakes up.. He realizes his smallness.. his helplessness his insignificance at the face of the huge universe around him..

He sees the burning sun.. the eternal source of heat and energy which can never be doused..

He finds that all growth and life depend directly or indirectly on that burning orb.. 
He understands its efficacy and power.. 
He realizes that his existence entirely depends on that buring ball of energy that he could see and feel..

Naturally, if he is to derive motivation for his existence and improvement and growth, he can look upon that buring orb alone.

He seeks the inspiration from that Sun, its efficiency, its capacity to sustain..
He too seeks inspiration from the vastness of the universe with its planets, stars, skies, meteors, and its vast emptiness too.. 

His prayer is so natural.. may those imposing things, the universe and the Sun, inspire and sustain his own intellect.. If there is any trigger or supply of power for his own intellect, where else can he seek except in this Sun and the universe.

So the Sun and the Universe are his natural sources of inspiration, his gods..

And his prayer to Sun is so natural..

No temples, no idols,
no icons , 
no religions 
and no scriptures are really necessary for that.. 
The discovery is so spontaneous.

If we look at Gayatri.. from this backgroud, 
we can understand that 
the hymn of Gayatri was the most natural, most intuitive and the most noble and sublime concept and prayer that human mind has discovered..

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

My India..




It is celebration of India, by India, and for India..

To feel happy and to feel proud for India is my right..

My identity as the son of this Bharatham is the most valuable possession for me..


Without that identity, nothing else would ever matter..

Without any reservations I can love India 
Without any hesitation, I can live for Indi and 
if there is a reson for that, I can offer everything for India including my life.
India is a dream for me,
India is the greatest reality for me.

This India belongs to me just as it is for you all..

Independence is a state of mind..

Yes, many martyrs and elders loved my India so much that they fought for her Identity .. a fight for centuries.. 
And they won too,, 
My respectful oblations for all those great souls ..

Greetings to myself and all my fellow Indians as we celebrate..

We can forget everything else and celebrate..

May my India live for ever.
May my india prosper for ever.

Vande Matharam..
Bharat Mataa Ki jai..
Jai Hind

God bless my India..

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Musings 34

Whatever you say is of absolutely no value if that is not understood by others in the right way and in the right perspective.

If you go on saying what others do not understand properly it hardly matters whether you are responsibleor not for or about what you say. 
The value of what you say lies in the impact of your words on the audience. 
Of course it one or two in the audience understands your words wrongly it is natural 


But if the entire audience or the bulk of it reads you wrongly you will have to review what you say. 
Life after all is a dialogue.
Monologues have no relevance in the long run

Musings 33




सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात् न ब्रुयात् सत्यमप्रियम्।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः॥ 
मनुस्मृतिः
Tell truths which are sweet for others to hear.
If the truth is not sweet that should not be told 
A lie should not be told just because it is sweet
This is the dharma.. the practical one 
As per Manu 
Of course no one is going to tell something

which is a lie and it is not true too.. if the one who tell is not crazy.. 


But then we find too many crazy fellows around..

Rama the icon..



Rama the icon.. 
--------------------------

The second book of Valmikiramayanam .. Ayodhyaakandam, starts with Bharatha and Shatrungna leaving for a visit to the country of Kaikaya kingdom, on invitation from Yudahjit, the maternal uncle of Bharata.

The Prince Rama , through his character and activities had become the darling of the subjects of Ayodhya..

Sage Valmiki waxes eloquent which describing the sterling qualities of Rama.. He seems to describe for us what an ideal leader of the people should be in his personal life..
An attempt to report what Valmiki says.. in his own words.. 
Free translation from Ayodhyakandam, Sarga 1

---------------------------------------------------
Kauslaya the mother of Rama basked in the sunshine of fame and celebration having the Son Rama of great splendour.. 
she was just enjoying the like mother Aditi who did have for her son Indra, the wielder of thunderbolt.

That Rama was so attractive, and was no other being who can be compared with him.. 
He was of great valour. 
He was free from jealousy. 
He, the son of Dasaratha was matching his father in his virtues. 
( Dasaratha.. also means one having a bird as his chariot.. the bird is Garuda.. so Dasaratha also means lord Vishnu.. )

He was ever of very calm disposition..
He would talk to others very softly. 
Even if someone talked to him in a harsh or sarcastic tone he would never return such harshness.. 
( He would either reply softly, or would not repy at all.)

He was ever very grateful.. 
If someone had rendered him some help even on a rare occasion, he would be pleased with that person for ever. 
He would never remember insults even if such insults are heaped on him repeatedly .
Rama was always engaged in the process of having useful conversations and exchange of ideas with elders 
who were veterans because of their character, 
veterans in knowledge, 
and veterans in age too.. 
He engaged in Satsang even during the small intevals he would get in the course of his rigorous training in archery.

He was of very sharp intellect, 
and had great concern for the welfare of others applying such intellect. 
He spoke sweetly .. 
He would start conversation first, in the nicest possible way even with persons who were not of his own stature. 
He was very strong and valourous 
but he was never arrogant or vain about his prowess.

He would never speak an untruth. 
He was very learned. 
He always paid respect to persons who were of greater age, irrespective of status, and he never waitied for show of respect from them. 
He was deeply concerned about the welfare of the subjects of his kingdom 
and the people too returned the affection with equal fervour.

He was very sympathetic over the sufferings of others.. 
He had completely vanquished anger. 
He always took the initiative to meet learned people and pay them respects. 
He took positive steps to mitigate the difficulties of those who were in dire straits. 
He was well versed in laws and codes of conduct.
He was meticulous in following the rules and laws of the kingdom. 
And his personal image was clean and umblemished.

His mindset and behaviour always befitted the status of his clan.. 
He valued the duties of a Kshatriya in proteting his subjects as the ultimate
more because such action would provide attainment of heaven as a result of right performance of his duties, 
and gaining popularity was not of much concern to him.

His mind never dwelled upon performance of deeds which would bring disrepute and bad name to himself and others. 
He abhorred discussion of subjects which were opposed to propriety and public order. 
While presenting subjects coherently and logically 
he excelled even the preceptor or Gods Brihaspati in oratory and articulateness.
He was a youth perfectly fit in physique without any ailment, 
he did have a perfectly shaped body, 
he was capable of making decisions with enviable precion
and he excelled in making the right moves at the right place and time, 
he could always understand the thought process of people with whom he interacted, 
and he appeared to be a rare and exceptional person created with such great articulatenee and purity of thoughts.
( Vaagmee also indicates that he was Lord Vishnu or Lord Brihaspati himself in human form..)

Endowed with such sterling qualities the son of Dasaratha was just like the very life and breath of all his subject.. It was as if their very life was moving along in the shape of prince Rama.

कौसल्या शुशुभे तेन पुत्रेणामिततेजसा।
यथा च देवी देवानामदितिर्वज्रपाणिना॥८
स हि रूपोपन्नश्च वीर्यवाननसूयकः।
भूमावनुपमः सूनुर्गुणैर्दशरथोपमः॥९
स तु नित्यं प्रशान्तात्मा मृदुपूर्वं च भाषते।
उच्यमानोऽपि परुषं नोत्तरं प्रतिपद्यते॥१०
कथञ्चिदुपकारेण कृतेनैकेन तुष्यति।
न स्मरत्यपकाराणां शतमप्यात्मवत्तया॥११
शीलवृद्धैज्ञानवृद्धैर्वयोवृद्धैश्च सज्जनैः।
कथयन्नास्त वै नित्यमस्त्रयोग्यान्तरेष्वपि॥१२
बुद्धिमान् मधुरभाषी पूर्वभाषी प्रियंवदः।
वीर्यवान् न च वीर्येण महता स्वेन विस्मितः॥१३
न चानृतकथो विद्वान् वृद्धानां प्रतिपूजकः।
अनुरक्तः प्रजाभिश्च प्रजाश्चाप्यनुरञ्चते॥१४
सानुक्रोशो जितक्रोधो ब्राह्मणप्रतिपूजकः।
दीनानुकंपी धर्म्मज्ञो नित्यं प्रग्रहवान् शुचिः॥१५
कुलोचितमतिः क्षत्रं धर्मं स्वं बहुमन्यते।
मन्यते परया कीर्त्या महत्स्वर्गफलं ततः॥१६ 
नाश्रेयसि रतो यश्च न विरुद्धकथारुचिः।
उत्तरोत्तरयुक्तौ च वक्ता वाचस्पतिर्यथा॥१७
अरोगस्तरुणो वाग्मी वपुष्मान् देशकालवित्।
लोके पुरुषसारज्ञः साधुरेको विनिर्मितः॥१८
स तु श्रेष्ठैर्गुणैर्युक्तः प्रजानां पार्थिवात्मजः।
बहिश्चर इव प्राणो बभूव गुणवत्तरः॥१९
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे प्रथमे सर्गे 
kausalyā śuśubhe tena putreṇāmitatejasā |
yathā ca devī devānāmaditirvajrapāṇinā||8
sa hi rūpopannaśca vīryavānanasūyakaḥ|
bhūmāvanupamaḥ sūnurguṇairdaśarathopamaḥ||9
sa tu nityaṁ praśāntātmā mṛdupūrvaṁ ca bhāṣate|
ucyamāno'pi paruṣaṁ nottaraṁ pratipadyate||10
kathañcidupakāreṇa kṛtenaikena tuṣyati|
na smaratyapakārāṇāṁ śatamapyātmavattayā||11
śīlavṛddhaijñānavṛddhairvayovṛddhaiśca sajjanaiḥ|
kathayannāsta vai nityamastrayogyāntareṣvapi||12
buddhimān madhurabhāṣī pūrvabhāṣī priyaṁvadaḥ|
vīryavān na ca vīryeṇa mahatā svena vismitaḥ||13
na cānṛtakatho vidvān vṛddhānāṁ pratipūjakaḥ|
anuraktaḥ prajābhiśca prajāścāpyanurañcate||14
sānukrośo jitakrodho brāhmaṇapratipūjakaḥ|
dīnānukaṁpī dharmmajño nityaṁ pragrahavān śuciḥ||15
kulocitamatiḥ kṣatraṁ dharmaṁ svaṁ bahumanyate|
manyate parayā kīrtyā mahatsvargaphalaṁ tataḥ||16 
nāśreyasi rato yaśca na viruddhakathāruciḥ|
uttarottarayuktau ca vaktā vācaspatiryathā||17
arogastaruṇo vāgmī vapuṣmān deśakālavit|
loke puruṣasārajñaḥ sādhureko vinirmitaḥ||18
sa tu śreṣṭhairguṇairyuktaḥ prajānāṁ pārthivātmajaḥ|
bahiścara iva prāṇo babhūva guṇavattaraḥ||19

Monday, August 07, 2017

wake up, you darling of Kausalya..




wake up, you darling of Kausalya..
प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः।
अभ्य्भाषत काकुत्स्थं शयानं पर्णसम्स्तरे॥१
कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वा सन्ध्या प्रवर्तते।
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्द्दूल कर्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम्॥२
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे  सर्गः २३
prabhātāyāṁ tu śarvaryāṁ viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ|
abhybhāṣata kākutsthaṁ śayānaṁ parṇasamstare||1
kausalyā suprajā rāma pūrvā sandhyā pravartate|
uttiṣṭha naraśārddūla kartavyaṁ daivamāhnikam||2
śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe ādikāvye bālakāṇḍe  sargaḥ 23

The boys Rama and Laksmana are accompanying Sage Visvamitra to forest.

Their assigned duty is to stand guard for the Yajna being conducted by the sage.

They walk along the forest and reach Kamaashramam.

The princes are used to very cozy living, 
but during their first night away from home,
they are sleeping in beds of straw in a poor hut.
Of course in the company of that great sage..

The night gradually withdraws and the dawn sets in..
Sage Visvamitra calls Rama the scion of the illustrious monarch Kakutsta who is sleeping on a straw bed..

Worthy Son of Kausalya, the dawn is appearing in the East..
Wake up, you Lion among men.. 
may you perform the daily duties ordained by Gods..

kausalya Suprajaa Rama this slokam is known to all.. even for those who may not know that it is coming from Valmikiramayanam..

Each word in the address of Visvamitra is having profound meanings..
He is the son of Kausalya.. how lucky is that mother.. He is the worthy son of Kausalya.. The life of every mother finds in the way her child grows and establishes himself/herself in this world.. 
Who else can be luckier that Kausalya.. ?

Rama is the controller of the Universe Himself.. Either sleep or wakefulness, bed of roses or bed of straw... matters little to him.. And for the Lord who controls time, the dawn of the day is really of little consequence.. But now he is born as a man.. So he has to obey the laws of nature which he has himself written..

Wake up.. Visvamitra is giving the wake up call.. not only for leaving the bed.. The god has come to earth as Rama to establishe virtue.. Till now he is just playing around as a prince of Ayodhya, living in utter comfort.. Visvamitra issued the gentle reminder that it is time for Rama to shift his priorites.. and attend to work for which he has really come..

Nara Shaarddoola.. You , a man equal in valour to a lion.. Yes, Rama is as bold and agile as a lion.. But He is also the one who came earlier as the combination of Man and Lion.. and showed his valour.. Also, it is a reminder to Rama that it is time for him to leave the nature of just a man, and to assume the role of the Royal Lion..

Kartavyam Daivam Aahnikam.. You have to do what is prescribed by your daily duties by Gods.. Of course, every person is expected to do his assigned oblations to Sandhya,.. But here Rama has come to earth on the request of Gods to remove from the earth all evil elements and establish dharma.. So Rama is to start that duty..

The slokam Kausalya Suprajaa.... is immortal.. Even more immortal that the entire Ramayanam iteslf.

Our Balaji of the seven Hills wakes up every day hearing this Sloka...

( We can discuss in thousands of words about this one sloka.. and it has been done by many scholars and seekers.. This is just a humble presentation)

Friday, July 28, 2017

Musings 32 ..A thought on the debits and credits of Karma




A thought on the debits and credits of Karma

An overall impression or inference one can gather is that the jeevatma leaves a janmam just leaving the debit and credit balances in the custody of some accountant, say, symbolically a chitragupta, with an implied liabilty clause that the particular jeevatma is to be accountable for the debit and credit balance with a right to operate the account almost freely, once it assumes another body..
Another presumption is that the evaluator of the Karma is not this accountant Chitragrupta or the like but another very potent being with infinite powers and usually it is under his orders implied or expressed that the jeevatma assumes the next janmam..


Once the new janman is confirmed, the Supreme being and under his directions the accountant just either opens a new folio in the new janmas name and carries forward the old balances or just continues the old account in the new name.. 
The only hitch is that the earner is not able to see the account..
Besides, the debits and credits never cancel out one another ..

Since the Supreme being has all powers, 
He can make concessions, waivers etc at any stage or at any janmam and allow deliverance to the soul..

These presumptions are okay if we accept the theory of Karma and the division between Jeevatma and Paramatma, and the presumption that Paramatma is supreme ..

But no such explanation might hold good if we are to go by Shankara advaitam, where Brahmam alone is accepted as true and the whole apparent universe is mithya or illusion..

The sarga of advices...



The sarga of advices...
-----------------------------
In Valmikiramayanam, we go through an incident where Bharatha has reached Chitrakootam in search of Rama.. Bharatha is followed by the ministers, the Royal mothers, the army and all the major citizens of Ayodya.. His mission is to persuade Rama to return to Ayodhya and take over the kingdom, which lay orphan as the King Dasartha had passed away .

Rama had in fact already given up the claim for the kingdom in favour or Bharatha and he expects Bharatha to take over..
So Rama initiates a dialogue with Bharatha about efficient statecraft.. 
Sargam 100 of Aranyakandam of Valmikiramayanam, also called a Kaccit Sargam ( or question answer chapter) deals with Rama's exposition of the intricacies of efficient administration with his younger brother..

In the course of the discussion he asks..
कच्चित्तु सुकृतान्येव कृतरूपाणि व पुनः।
विदुस्ते सर्वकार्याणि न कर्तव्यानि पर्त्थिवः॥ २०
कच्चिन्न तर्कैर्युक्त्या वा ये चाप्यपरिकीर्तिताः।
त्वया वा तव वाऽमात्यैर्बुद्ध्यते तात मन्त्रितम्॥२१
कच्चित्सहस्रमूर्खाणामेकमिच्छसि पण्डितम्
पण्डितो ह्यर्त्थकृच्छ्रेषु कुर्यान्निःश्रेयसम् महत्॥२२
सहस्राण्यपि मूर्खाणम् यद्युपास्ते मही पतिः।
अथवाऽप्ययुतान्येव नास्ति तेषु सहायता॥२३
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणे अयोध्याकान्दे सर्गः १००
kaccittu sukṛtānyeva kṛtarūpāṇi va punaḥ |
viduste sarvakāryāṇi na kartavyāni partthivaḥ|| 20
kaccinna tarkairyuktyā vā ye cāpyaparikīrtitāḥ|
tvayā vā tava vā'mātyairbuddhyate tāta mantritam||21
kaccitsahasramūrkhāṇāmekamicchasi paṇḍitam|
paṇḍito hyartthakṛcchreṣu kuryānniḥśreyasam mahat||22
sahasrāṇyapi mūrkhāṇam yadyupāste mahī patiḥ|
athavā'pyayutānyeva nāsti teṣu sahāyatā||23
śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe ayodhyākānde sargaḥ 100

Prince Bhartha, are you taking care to ensure that any matter of State activity aimed at the welfare of the people become known to others only when such activity is implemented fully and not while in the process of planning or discussion?
My brother, Do your ministers or you yourself ever reveal or permit to be revealed directly or indirect through implied gestures, or body language and involuntary activities any of the plans and important secrets of the State when such plans and activities are not in a ripe condition to be divulged to all?
My dear brother, Are you in the habit of selecting for your services a single preson who is well learned.. in preferene to hundred idiots or impulsive fellows.. Please remember when it comes to crisis conditions and challenges in the activities of the state only a learned and dexterous person will be able to reneder effective service..
Bharata, you as a king can never have any benefit by having a thousand or even ten thousand idiots in your employment

Indeed Rama is explaining very meaningful and effective strategies in recruitment of public servants and maintenance of state secrets..

And these days, we see too much of talk and too little of activity putting in jeopardy even to the normal activities of the State..
And recruitment and employment of people are often not exactly according to aptitue and the objectives of such delegation..

I wonder.. Rama was the proponernt of welfare state idea in all its effectiveness.
We just use the name of Rama, but perhaps not the spirit of Rama..

one has to face the inevitable....




one has to face the inevitable....

-----------------------------------------

नात्मनः कामकारोऽस्ति पुरुषोऽयमनीश्वरः।
इतश्चेतरतश्चैनं कृतान्तः परिकर्षति॥ १५
सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः।
संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं च जीवितम्॥१६
यथा फलानां पक्वानां नान्यत्र पतनाद्भयम्।
एवं नरस्य जातस्य नान्यत्र मरणाद्भयम्॥१७
यथागारम् दृडस्थूणं जीर्णम् भूत्वाऽवसीदति।
तथैव सीदन्ति नरा जरामृत्युवशंगताः॥१८
अत्येति रजनी या तु सा न प्रतिनिवर्तते।
यात्येव यमुना पूर्णा समुर्द्रमुदकाकुलम्॥१९
अहोरात्राणि गच्छन्ति सर्वेषां प्राणिनामिह।
आयूंषि क्षपयन्त्याशु ग्रीष्मे जलमिवांशवः॥२०
आत्मानमनुशोच त्वं किमन्यमनुशोचसि।
आयुस्ते हीयते यस्य स्थितस्य च गतस्य च॥२१ 
सहैव मृत्युर्व्रजति सह मृत्युर्निषीदति।
गत्वा सुदीर्घमध्वानं सह मृत्युर्निवर्तते॥२२
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे अयोध्याकाण्डे सर्गः १०५
nātmanaḥ kāmakāro'sti puruṣo'yamanīśvaraḥ|
itaścetarataścainaṁ kṛtāntaḥ parikarṣati|| 15
sarve kṣayāntā nicayāḥ patanāntāḥ samucchrayāḥ|
saṁyogā viprayogāntā maraṇāntaṁ ca jīvitam||16
yathā phalānāṁ pakvānāṁ nānyatra patanādbhayam|
evaṁ narasya jātasya nānyatra maraṇādbhayam||17
yathāgāram dṛḍasthūṇaṁ jīrṇam bhūtvā'vasīdati|
tathaiva sīdanti narā jarāmṛtyuvaśaṁgatāḥ||18
atyeti rajanī yā tu sā na pratinivartate|
yātyeva yamunā pūrṇā samurdramudakākulam||19
ahorātrāṇi gacchanti sarveṣāṁ prāṇināmiha|
āyūṁṣi kṣapayantyāśu grīṣme jalamivāṁśavaḥ||20
ātmānamanuśoca tvaṁ kimanyamanuśocasi|
āyuste hīyate yasya sthitasya ca gatasya ca||21 
sahaiva mṛtyurvrajati saha mṛtyurniṣidati|
gatvā sudīrghamadhvānaṁ saha mṛtyurniṣīdati||22
śrīmadvālmīkīye rāmāyaṇe ayodhyākāṇḍe sargaḥ 105

Rama is living in Chitrakoota with Lakshmana and Sita.. happily spending his sojourn in forest.. as directed by his father Dasaratha.

Bharata, the younger brother of Rama, accompanied by the citizens and the army of Ayodhya is on a mission to the forest in a bid to persuade Rama to return to Ayodhya and take over as the King..

In spite of all requests, Rama simply declines to go back to Ayodhya.. He directs Bharatha to take charge of Ayodhya 
Bharatha says that without Rama, he will be an orphan and could not manage the onerous job..
Then Rama tells Bharatha that no one was indispensable.. Time would overtake all lives, and still life will go on..

Rama tells that Death of Dasharatha, and his own sojourn in Forest,, were all the handiworks of fate..

The slokas from Valmikiramayanam Ayodhyakandam, quoted above come as expostulation of philosophy that things are not in the control of human being but they have to obey the dictates of fate and live on according to the situations meted out by fate..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" The individual human being does not have much control over things happenings in his life, he is not the master of himself or his fate, and fate is just pushing him here and there.

Every enhancement in fortune would surely be followed by depletion and reduction, every rise would be followed by a fall, and every happy union will be followed by a sad seperation and life would finally end with death..

Every fruit which has become atop a tall tree has to face the risk of falling down to earth and likewise every being who is born has to face death as the final nemesis.

Just as a very strong monument raised on very tall and firm pillars would face destruction as the structure gets weathered down by years, the human body too gets wekened and emaciated by the onslaught of old age, and finally crumbles and succumbs to death.

The night-time advances and goes on till the next morning and that night will never come again..
The river Yamuna flows one with her banks swelling with water, but the waters ultimately merge with the ocean never to come back again..

The days and nights pass on depleting the lifetime of all living beings just as the rays of the hot sun drinks away the waters on the surface of the earth in the summer season..

So you must think of yourself and your final emancipation or moksha from the earthly woes and you should not waste your time fretting about the fate of others..

Death keeps us close company, as we move around, 
the death keeps us company as if it is also lying with us when we lie down,
and even when we embark on a very long journey and return from there, we can find death keeping us company during that journey too..
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


We have to remember that Ramayanam of Valmiki is not just a chronicle describing the story of Rama and Ayodhya, Ravana and Lanka,.. but a veritable text on Dharma..

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

crime and punishment...




crime and punishment...
---------------------------
In Valmikiramayanam Ayodhyakandam, we find Kaikeyi the mother of Bharatha, managing to effect the exile of Rama . Her intention is to ensure that Bharatha becomes the heir apparent for Ayodhya..

In fact, on the very morning of the date fixed for anointment as yuvaraja, Rama is informed that he was to proceed to forest for fourteen year instead of occupying the throne. 
The noble soul that Rama is , He accepts the directions of Dasharatha the king without any dissent.. 
But Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama who is very much attached to his elder brother flares us.. He is even ready to raise in rebellion and oppose their father the King..
Lakshmana is of the view that the king had gone out of mind and it was not necessary to follow his order.. Even revolt against him is justified..

Lakshmana tells Rama

गुरोरप्यवलिप्तस्य कार्याकार्यमजानतः।
उत्पथं प्रतिपन्नस्य कार्यं भवति शासनम्।।2.21.13।।
If a person. 
Even if he is a preceptor, king and parent, 
is acting haughtily and unreasonably, 
without having sense to discern what is right and wrong, 
and who is treading a path which is not right, 
it becomes ones duty to discipline him even by force.

Sri Rama would not subscribe to the idea of disobedience to the king and ultimately Rama, Lakshmana and Sita proceed to Forest

Unable to bear the sorrow of separation with his Sons, Dasharatha passes away.

None of the four sons of Dasharatha were available in the Palace of Dasharatha at Ayodhya when the king breathed his last..

Bharatha and Shatrugna the other two brothers of Rama were away on a visit to the kingdom of Kekaya
The Preceptor of the Ikshvaaku clan, Sage Vasishta, sends missives to Kekaya and fetches Bharatha and Shatrugna to Ayodhya..

Even though born to the ambitious and avaricious mother Kakeyi, Bharatha wss devoted to Rama.. 
He learns about the intrigue hatched by Kaikeyi which resulted in exile of Rama and the death of Dasharatha too.
Kaikeyi asks Bharatha to take over as the rule of Ayodhya..
But Bharatha is filled with remorse, and full of hatred for the cruel deeds of Kaikeyi, berates her in very sharp words..

He even says that he would have even killed her but for the infamy such action would cause to the image of Rama, as Rama would earn a bad name as the elder brother of a person who murdered his mother.

त्वामद्य निहनिष्यामि नोचेद्रुह्यामि च स्वयम्।
राघ्वस्यानुजो भ्रात भर्तो मातृहा इति॥
tvāmadya nihaniṣyāmi nocedruhyāmi ca svayam|
rāghvasyānujo bhrāta bharto mātṛhā iti||

The above slokam is found in some editions of Valmikiramayanam.. especially the Dharmalaya Edition.. but is not seen in some major commentaries.. like Bhushana of Govindaraja and Tilaka..

While on this issue, the commentators discuss the justification for revolt or even punishment of elders and preceptors when they are doing wrong and unjust things.. 
Manusmriti Says..

पिताचार्यः सुहृन्माता भार्या पुत्रः पुरोहितः ।
नादण्ड्यो नाम राज्ञोऽस्ति यः स्वधर्मे न तिष्ठति । । ८.३३५ । ।
If a ruler feels that people like his parents, the preceptor, close friend, wife, son and the priest are not to be punished even if they break the law and do nasty things, then the king is failing in his Dharma.. 
( Manusmriti 8-335)
But it is also prescribed in Brihaspathi Samhita, Nirnaya Prakaranam

गुरून् पुरोहितान् पूज्यान् वाग्दण्डेनैव दण्डयेत् ।

meaning.. When it is found that a preceptor, a priest or other respectable personage has committed some deed warranting punishment, then the punishment should be restricted to chastisement through words..

( No physical punishment may be called for)

Maybe this is the reason why Bharatha just stopped sharp words.. and did not actually assault Kaikeyi physically..