pachai maamalai pol mene

Monday, February 28, 2011

patience and non violence.






एको धर्मः परम् श्रेयः क्षमैका शन्तिरुत्तमा।
विद्यैका परमा दृष्ठिरहिम्सैका सुखावहा॥
श्री महाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि विदुरनीतिवाक्ये त्रयस्त्रिंसोध्याये श्लोकः ४८
eko dharmaḥ param śreyaḥ kṣamaikā śantiruttamā|
vidyaikā paramā dṛṣṭhirahimsaikā sukhāvahā||
śrī mahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi viduranītivākye trayastriṁsodhyāye ślokaḥ 48
 Adherence to the right path espoused by dharma  alonw can lead to fame and well being of the ruler  and the ruled.  Only persistent patience can bring about eternal peace, the only real vision is supplied by education alone and the cardinal  principle that ensures universal well being is non violence.
Reads like Gandhian literature?  Written three millenia ago.

--


--

Sunday, February 27, 2011

meaning of vaidyanathastakam


oh healer of healers Lord Siva, pranams unto you.. you are worshipped by srirama, lakshman, jataayu, vedas, shanmugha suurya and mars. you adorn the flow of ganga and the moon on the matted hair. you are three eyed and the annihilator of cupid and god of death you are the beloved of all the gods, you adore your devotees, you destroyed the three cities, you wield the bow pinaka to destroy all the evil people, your worldly leelas are manifest in this world, you cure very nagging diseases like rheumatism, you are worshipped by sages, you have sun, moon and fire for the eyes, you give the power of speech hearing and mobility to the persons who have been denied of that by fate, you cure the diseases otherwise impossible of any relief, like leprosy.,you are the ultimate thing to be realized by all vedanta, your lotus feet are always meditated upon by yogins, you are the embodiment of the triumvirate of yourself brahma and vishnu, you possess thousands of names,you drive away the evil demons and demi gods if those affected partake in your holy waters, holy soil or smear themselves with your holy ashes, you give your own beautiful form to all who have mortal bodies, your neck is deep blue because you consumed the poison for our welfare, you have the nandikeswara for you flag, you are adorned in beautiful flowers and holy ashes and you bestow upon your devotees good sons, good wife and good fortune.

Our eternal pranaams to the lord of all doctors, Vaidyanatha, the Siva.
Namah Sivaaya.
--
।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
(kanfusion)
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

meaning of vaidyanathashtakam

Oh healer of healers Lord Siva, pranams unto you.. you are worshiped by srirama, lakshman, jataayu, vedas, shanmugha suurya and mars. you adorn the flow of ganga and the moon on the matted hair you are three eyed and the annihilator of cupid and god of death you are the beloved of all the gods, you adore your devotes, you destroyed the three cities, you wield the bow pinaka to destroy all the evil people, your worldly leelas as manifest in this world, you cure very nagging diseases like rheumatism, you are worshiped by sages, you have sun, moon and fire for the eyes, you give the power of speech hearing and mobility to the persons who have been denied of that by fate, you cure the diseases otherwise impossible of any relief, like leprosy.,you are the ultimate thing to be realized by all vedanta, your lotus feet are always meditated upon by yogins, you are the embodiment of the triumvirate of yourself brahma and vishnu, you possess thousands of names,you drive away the evil demons and demi gods if those affected partake in your holy water, holy soil or smear themselves with your holy ashes, you give your own beautiful form to all who have mortal bodies, your neck is deep blue because you consumed the poison for our welfare, you have the nandikeswara for you flag, you are adorned in beautiful flowers and holy ashes and you bestow upon your devotees good sons, good wife and good fortune.

Our eternal pranaams to the lord of all doctors, Vaidyanatha, the Siva Namah Sivaaya.

the lord of healers, vaidyanatha

 I came across a hymn on Lord Shiva, the Lord of Lords and also the master of all healers. 
 This hymn is an elixir to those suffering from depression, incurable physical ailments and all sorts of miseries.  I have a feeling that the tattwa of Shiva is far beyond any Isms.  
I humbly circulate it in obeisance to that great Lord, on the eve of Shivaratri.



॥श्री वैद्यनाथाष्टकं॥
||śrī vaidyanāthāṣṭakaṁ||

श्री राम सौमित्रि जटायु वेद
षडाननादित्य कुजार्चिताय।
श्री नीलकण्ठाय दयामयाय
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥ १॥
śrī rāma saumitri jaṭāayu veda
ṣaḍānanāditya kujārcitāya|
śrī nīlakaṇṭhāya dayāmayāya
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya|| 1||

गङ्गा प्रवाहेन्दु जटा धराय
त्रिलोचनाय स्मर काल हन्त्रे।
समस्त देवैरपि पूजिताय
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥ २॥
gaṅgā pravāhendu jaṭā dharāya
trilocanāya smara kāla hantre|
samasta devairapi pūjitāya
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya|| 2||

भक्त प्रियाय त्रिपुरान्तकाय
पिनाकिने दुष्ट हराय नित्यं।
प्रत्यक्ष लीलाय मनुष्य लोके
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥३॥
bhakta priyāya tripurāntakāya
pinākine duṣṭa harāya nityaṁ|
pratyakṣa līlāya manuṣya loke
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya||3||

प्रभूत वातादि समस्त रोग
प्रणाश कर्त्रे मुनि वन्दिताय।
प्रभाकरेन्द्वग्नि विलोचनाय
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥४॥
prabhūta vātādi samasta roga
praṇāśa kartre muni vanditāya|
prabhākarendvagni vilocanāya
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya||4||

वाक्श्रोत्र नेत्राङ्घ्रि विहीन जन्तो
वाक्श्रोत्र नेत्राङ्घ्रि सुख प्रदाय।
कुष्टादि सर्वोन्नत रोग हन्त्रे
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥ ५॥
vākśrotra netrāṅghri vihīna janto
vākśrotra netrāṅghri sukha pradāya|
kuṣṭādi sarvonnata roga hantre
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya|| 5||

वेदान्त वेद्याय जगन्मयाय
योगीश्वर ध्येय पदाम्बुजाय।
त्रिमूर्त्ति रूपाय सहस्र नाम्ने
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥ ६॥
vedānta vedyāya jaganmayāya
yogīśvara dhyeya padāmbujāya|
trimūrtti rūpāya sahasra nāmne
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya|| 6||

स्वतीर्थ मृत्भस्मभृदङ्ग भाजां
पिशाच दुःखार्त्ति भयापहाय।
आत्म स्वरूपाय शरीर भाजां
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥७॥
svatīrtha mṛtbhasmabhṛdaṅga bhājāṁ
piśāca duḥkhārtti bhayāpahāya|
ātma svarūpāya śarīra bhājāṁ
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya||7||

श्री नीलकण्डाय वृषभ ध्वजाय
स्रक्कण्ठ भस्माध्यभिशोभिताय।
सुपुत्रदारादि सुभाग्यदाय
श्री वैद्यनाथाय नमःशिवाय॥८॥
śrī nīlakaṇḍāya vṛṣabha dhvajāya
sṛkkaṇḍa bhasmādhyabhi śobhitāya|
suputradārādi subhāgyadāya
śrī vaidyanāthāya namaḥśivāya||8||





Oh healer of healers Lord Siva, pranams unto you.. 
you are worshiped by srirama, lakshman, jataayu, vedas, shanmugha suurya and mars.
 you adorn the flow of Ganga and the moon on the matted hair 
you are three eyed and the annihilator of cupid and killer of the god of death 
you are the beloved of all the gods, 
you adore your devotes, you destroyed the three cities,
 you wield the bow pinaka to destroy all the evil people, 
your worldly leelas as manifest in this world, 
you cure very nagging diseases like rheumatism, 
you are worshiped by sages, 
you have sun, moon and fire for the eyes, 
you give the power of eloquent  speech hearing and mobility to the persons who have been denied of that by fate, 
you cure the diseases otherwise impossible of any relief, like leprosy.
you are the ultimate thing to be realized by all vedanta,
 your lotus feet are always meditated upon by yogins,
 you are the embodiment of the triumvirate of yourself brahma and vishnu,
 you possess thousands of names,you drive away the evil demons and demi gods if those affected partake in your holy water, holy soil or smear themselves with your holy ashes,
 you give your own beautiful form to all who have mortal bodies,
 your neck is deep blue because you consumed the poison for our welfare, 
you have the nandikeswara for you flag, 
you are adorned in beautiful flowers and holy ashes 
and 
you bestow upon your devotees good sons, good wife and good fortune.

Our eternal pranaams to the lord of all doctors, 
Vaidyanatha, 
the Siva 
Namah Sivaaya.

--

Saturday, February 26, 2011

method even in madness

कुत्सौहृदे न विश्वासो कुदेशे न प्रजीव्यते।
कुराजनि भयं नित्यं कुपात्रे सर्वदा भयं॥

॥अविश्वस्तेषु विश्वासो न कर्तव्यः॥ चाणक्यसूत्रं १८७
kutsauhṛde na viśvāso kudeśe na prajīvyate|
kurājani bhayaṁ nityaṁ kupātre sarvadā bhayaṁ||

|'viśvasteṣu viśvāso na kartavyaḥ|| cāṇakyasūtraṁ 187

There can be no mutual trust in an insincere and time serving  friendships,
 a bad country  is not good for habitation, 
to live under a vicious king is like dying every day,
and if we are supporting the wrong person or cause we are always in terror, 

This comes by way of explanation of Chankya aphorism 

॥अविश्वस्तेषु विश्वासो न कर्तव्यः॥ 
"One should not place his trust on a person who is not worthy of it"

For us  hapless human beings  circumstances are not always in our control.  
We all have a high percentage of unfaithful friends and in turn we are not faithful to most including those who deserve it most. 

 The place of habitation is hardly our choice.  
To eke out a livelihood  hundred migrate to desert area inhabited by people whose minds are worse than  deserts.  

And regrading the administration we have to live under, no words are adequate to explain.  
Again our adherence to ideologies and support groups are all conditioned by so many factors beyond our control..

One has to wonder aloud whether the world has turned into a worse place from the days of Chanakyas days of states-craft and intrigues as could be seen  between  Nandas and Mauryas and chanakyas and rakshasaas.  

But in  those times there was a method in the  madness.
Now our civilization has grown so much that there is  no method in the intrigues of life in the present day..
The stab can come from any direction, however cautious one is.

--

Friday, February 25, 2011

accept truth from wherever it comes

युक्तमुक्तम् तु गृह्णीयात् बालादपि विचक्षणः।
रवेरविषयं वस्तु किं न दीप प्रकाशयेत्॥
(॥बालादप्यर्थजातं शृणुयात्॥ -- चाणक्यसूत्रं १६९)
yuktamuktam tu gṛhṇīyāt bālādapi vicakṣaṇaḥ|
raveraviṣayaṁ vastu kiṁ na dīpa prakāśayet||
(||bālādapyarthajātaṁ śṛṇuyāt|| -- cāṇakyasūtraṁ 169)


A man with intelligence should duly consider even the suggestions made by a small boy, if such  views are appropriate.  The powerful sun lights up the whole world during the day but there is night and also there are dark shadows even during the day and a small wick of a lamp can light up and reveal things in such conditions while the mighty sun may be helpless in doing that.
The universal acceptance of wisdom without getting concerned overly for the source thereof is the hallmark of a prudent person.


യുക്തമുക്തം തു ഗൃഹ്ണീയാത് ബാലാദപി വിചക്ഷണ:
രവേരവിഷയം വസ്തു കിം ന ദീപ: പ്രകാശയേത്
               (॥ബാലാദപ്യര്‍ത്ഥജാതം ശൃണുയാത്॥ -- ചാണക്യസൂത്രം )
വിവരവും വിവേകവും ഉള്ള  മനുഷ്യന്‍  യുക്തിയും ന്യായവും ഉള്ള കാര്യങ്ങള്‍  ഓരു കൊച്ചു പയ്യന്‍ പറയുകയാണെങ്കില്‍ പോലും അതു പരിഗണിക്കണം.   രാത്രിയിലും ഇരുട്ടിലും  സൂര്യന്  കണ്ടെത്താന്‍ കഴിയാത്ത കാര്യങ്ങള്‍  ഒരു കൊച്ചു വിളക്കിന്  കാണിച്ചുതരാന്‍ കഴിയും.  

ചാണക്യന്‍റെ   സൂത്രം 169 ഇതാണ് നിര്‍ദ്ദേശിക്കുന്നത്..    അര്‍ത്ഥമുള്ള കാര്യം  ഒരു ബാലനില്‍ നിന്നാണെങ്കില്‍ പോലും കേള്‍ക്കുക തന്നെ വേണം. )

Thursday, February 24, 2011

knowledge is the light

गुणदोषानशास्त्रज्ञः कथं विभजते जनः।
किमन्धस्याधिकारोस्ति रूपभेदोपलब्धिषु॥
दण्डि
guṇadoṣānaśāstrajñaḥ kathaṁ vibhajate janaḥ|
kimandhasyādhikārosti rūpabhedopalabdhiṣu||
daṇḍi

This is a quote from the great poet Dandi of Dasakumaaracharitam  fame. 
How can a person without proper knowledge of the saastras  reach a decision as to what is good and what is bad?   How can a blind person be able to have authoritative views  about the beauty of objects.

My apologies to the visually impaired..Definitely the intention of the poet was not to hurt the sensibilities of any such people.  There are really very great human beings who have reached the highest level of aesthetic cognizance  despite visual impairment.  The greater misfortune is the blindness of the brain  because of the adamnant  denial of entry of any light  of knowledge..The master poet must have meant such blindness.

--

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

we can reach nowhere by just cursing the fate

विषमां हि दशाम् प्राप्य दैवं गर्हयते नरः।
आत्मनः कर्मदोषांश्च नैव जानात्यपण्डितः॥
चाणक्यसूत्राद्
viṣamāṁ hi daśām prāpya daivaṁ garhayate naraḥ|
ātmanaḥ karmadoṣāṁśca naiva jānātyapaṇḍitaḥ||
cāṇakyasūtrād

When a person lands himself in difficult situations, he simply curses the fate. 
 He never cares to take stock of the wrong and indiscreet series of actions on his own part which has landed himself in such dire straits.
Chanakya in his aphorisms has given due weightage to the acts of fate controlling the destiny of all.  
But his word of caution is against whining about misfortune alone. 
 If a person is exercising due diligence is conducting his own affairs,  most of the things in life are sure to turn out nicely .  
It is meaningless to blame the fate repeatedly and at the same time leading a reckless life.
In fact, it would be worthwhile to quote Chanakya's aphorism

 ॥ज्ञानवतामपि दैवमानुषदोषात् कार्याणि दुष्यन्ति॥   चणक्य सूत्रं  १२२

|jñānavatāmapi daivamānuṣadoṣāt kāryāṇi duṣyanti||   caṇakya sūtraṁ  122
meaning  "even for the most learned,  attempts may end up in failure due to quirks of fate combined with human errors".

No one has control over the will of God. 
But we can exercise reasonable control over our own actions.

--


Monday, February 21, 2011

Promptness is the watchword

आदानस्य प्रदानस्य कर्तव्यस्य च कर्मणः।
क्षिप्रमक्रियमणस्य कालः पिबति तद्रसम्॥
(कालातिक्रमात् काल एव फलम् पिबति  चाणक्य सूत्रम् १०८)
ādānasya pradānasya kartavyasya ca karmaṇaḥ|
kṣipramakriyamaṇasya kālaḥ pibati tadrasam||
(kālātikramāt kāla eva phalam pibati  cāṇakya sūtram 108)

 In the matter of giving  or receiving,  
determining what is to be done, 
and in embarking on proper action,  the intended action should be carried out  without any delay. 
 In a delayed action, if at all the attempts yield any fruits, 
such good results will be eaten away by time,
because  delay nullifies the results of good action. 

 Promptness is the watchword.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

don't laugh at the misfortune of others

गच्छतः स्खलनं क्वापि भवेदेव प्रमादतः।
हसन्ति दुर्जनास्तत्र समादधति सज्जनाः॥
सुभाषितं
gacchataḥ skhalanaṁ kvāpi bhavedeva pramādataḥ|
hasanti durjanāstatra samādadhati sajjanāḥ||
subhāṣitaṁ

when people are struggling in their tortuous journey ahead in life some steps may falter and some may fall down to rise up again and continue the journey. The wicked onlooker en route will never fail to ridicule at such helpless falls.  But noble men always lend a helping hand to such unfortunate people and encourage them to forge ahead in the path of life.
This sloka comes by way of vyakhyanam to the Chanakyasuutra 
karyavipattau doshaan varnayanti baalishaaH ..  ch su  125 ..

कार्यविपत्तौ दोषान् वर्णयन्ति बालिशाः 
चाणक्यसूत्रे १२५
kāryavipattau doṣān varṇayanti bāliśāḥ 
cāṇakyasūtre 125

when silly people find others in a tight corner, they simply go on describing eloquently what would have gone wrong but never caring to find a way out for the victim.  We have seen too many such idiotic crowds.

--

Friday, February 18, 2011

a drop of honey versus a ton of gall




यदीच्छसि वशीकर्तुं जगदेकेन कर्मणा।
परापकारसस्येभ्यः गां चरन्तीं निवIरय॥
चाणक्यनीतिसूत्राद्

yadīcchasi vaśīkartuṁ jagadekena karmaṇā|
parāpakārasasyebhyaḥ gāṁ carantīṁ nivaraya||
cāṇakyanītisūtrād

If you are genuinely interested in befriending others in the world, the one and only method is that you should prevent your cows from grazing in the fields which are lush with scandals.

 The allegory is taken from the primordial job of human race, that of a cowherd. 
 Scandals and unfounded libels about colleagues and friends will be aplenty in the air like the lush growth of fodder in the uncultivated fields. 
 If our cow has a feast of relish on such fields and is chewing the cud, the scandals become repeatedly spread causing its damage far and wide.

For a moment let us forget the cow and the field. 
 Most of us are very enthusiastic about spreading scandals and tidings of misfortunes of others, often adding a thin coat of sweet lip sympathy. 
 Instead we should take it as our duty to douse the fires of scandal and show real solidarity with the friend when his character is being assassinated. 
Otherwise we are unfit to call ourselves human beings. 



--

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

eat just to live

मितभोजनं स्वास्थ्यं
चाणक्यसूत्रेषु २१८
mitabhojanaṁ svāsthyaṁ
cāṇakyasūtreṣu 218
മിതഭോജനം സ്വാസ്ഥ്യം
ചാണക്യസൂത്രം ൨൧൮

moderate  and controlled eating is the key  for human health.

usually I am tempted to reproduce couplets or four-liners  to drive home some points.  

I was tempted beyond limits to quote this terse aphorism of two words from the master Chanakya. 
They are not anything new....but in these two words the guru has condensed all the wisdom about good health.  
The doctors and nutritionist of ensuing generations till date all held the same view, and usually 
the humans who forgot to follow this always paid the price. 
For temporary euphoria of the taste-buds, we eat fatty, spicy, salty and sweet foods...
some more than what they should put to mouth, 
some more than what they could swallow.  
It has been a tradition among some gourmets to eat food,  put their fingers into the mouth and cause vomit and then again eat more.
 Where does this end up to? 
It is said of a thirumeni, who had a tummy full of meals, and was offered a course of Palada Pradhaman.. 
The thirumeni welcomed it heartily stating that this porridge rich in milk and sugar  was king of foods and when it enters the stomach, all others will give space..



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Monday, February 14, 2011

appropriate deployment

स्थानेष्वेव नियोज्यानि भृत्याश्चाभरणाणि च।
न हि चूडामणिः प्राज्ञो पादादौ प्रतिबध्यते॥
चाणक्यसूत्राद्
sthāneṣveva niyojyāni bhṛtyāścābharaṇāṇi ca|
na hi cūḍāmaṇiḥ prājño pādādau pratibadhyate||
cāṇakyasūtrād


A man of wisdom should ensure that servants and ornaments are used in proper places.  
A sensible person will never think of wearing the choodamani,  a head ornament, around his legs.

vintage chanakya.... 

This is in fact an ancient advice on human resources management which is valid at any time . 
A manager worth his name should deploy his manpower ( here termed as servants.. even now everyone including the top executive in government is termed as a servant)  with great discrimination.  

The person deployed should have skill, and should be suitable for the particular post. 
 Other factors like trustworthiness, discreteness and enthusiasm for the work also should be considered. 
 The deployment of Human Resources  should never be based on personal bias of the manager nor for the sake of some temporary personal benefits which may prove fatal to the organization or the nation in the long run.
Just as one does not wear the headgear on the legs one should never keep shoes on the head even it is to please someone else.
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Saturday, February 12, 2011

goddess of wealth woos them

उत्साहसंपन्नमदीर्घसूत्रं क्रियाविधिज्ञं व्यसनेष्वसक्तं।
शूरम् कृतज्ञं दृढसौहृदं च लक्ष्मीः स्वयं मार्गति वासहेतोः॥
विष्णुशर्मणः पञ्चतन्त्रात्
utsāhasaṁpannamadīrghasūtraṁ kriyāvidhijñaṁ vyasaneṣvasaktaṁ|
śūram kṛtajñaṁ dṛḍhasauhṛdaṁ ca lakṣmīḥ svayaṁ mārgati vāsahetoḥ||
viṣṇuśarmaṇaḥ pañcatantrāt

The goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi seeks out  perhaps  all by herself  and would choose  to have a permanent residence in the company of  people
 (1) who are motivated by  enthusiasm and sense of purpose, 
(2) who never dither and try to procrastinate,
(3) who are efficient and knowledgeable in their own professions,
(4) who are not subdued  by grief but persist on their own  path with determination,
(5) who are bold, 

(6)who are never ungrateful, 
and 
(6)  who value and nourish close and worthy  friendships.

The goddess of wealth is notorious for her fickleness..
So no one can afford to continue to be affluent for long if he is not very alert. 

And the author of panchatantram, the most celebrated Indian collection of allegoric tales, has his  clear-cut recipe for permanent affluence.
  But the conditions put forth  are rather stiff.

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Friday, February 11, 2011

victory over the self

victory over the self



जीयन्ताम् दुर्जया देहे रिपवश्चक्षुरादयः
जितेषु ननु लोकोयं तेषु कृत्स्नस्त्वया जितः।
परवानर्थसंसिद्धौ नीचवृत्तिरपत्रपः
अविदेयेन्द्रियः पुंसां गौरिवेति विधेयताम्॥
महाकवि भारविकृते किराते


jīyantām durjayā dehe ripavaścakṣurādayaḥ
jiteṣu nanu lokoyaṁ teṣu kṛtsnastvayā jitahḥ|
paravānarthasaṁsiddhau nīcavṛttirapatrapaḥ
avideyendriyaḥ puṁsāṁ gauriveti vidheyatām||
mahākavi bhāravikṛte kirāte


A quote from Kiratarjuneeyam of Bharavi..


We should gain absolute control over our own sense organs which are usually working without any proper control or guidance..


However, such control is unavoidable because out entire life is programmed through the working of such organs.. which when unchecked act as our enemies and lead us astray..


Control of the sense organs can make us conquerors of the whole world.. although such victory can be ensured only with lot of hard work and eternal diligence.


Those who have no control over these organs, blunder through life performing any lowly avocation.


Their sole aim could just managing to keep their body and life together 
Sooner or later they become dependents or slaves of others and live like the domestic animals with four legs.







It is indeed very sad that the population of people living the lives of cows and buffaloes is increasing day by day..

Thursday, February 10, 2011

speak up or be damned

speak up or be damned


अमर्षशून्येन जनस्य जन्तुना 
न जातहार्द्देन न विद्विषादरः॥
किराते महाकविभारविप्रस्तुतम्


amarṣaśūnyeana janasya jantunā 
na jātahārddena na vidviṣādaraḥ||
kirāte mahākavibhāraviprastutam

A citizen who is incapable of exhibiting strong dissent against social injustice is more like a beast of burden and when he gets reconciled to such injustice as a matter of habit he loses all his respectability among learned people.

One may think and dismiss this statement as cliched and redundant due to repetition. 
But let us think of the stark realities of life. 
We encounter so much of injustice around us and if possible we try to skirt the issue or procrastinate till the matter hits us on the forehead with the force of a ton of bricks.
we tend to thrive on the law of inertia

Those who dared to oppose, 
be it Arjuna, 
be it Jesus, 
be it the Prophet, 
be it our own Mahatma, 
all were part of the Divine and they blazed their trail with glory 
and millions of people followed them without question.

The poet Bharavi is famed to have conveyed so many nuggets of wisdom in his great Kavyam of Kiratarjuneeyam and this one such Gem..

Monday, February 07, 2011

universal brotherhood

जनं बिभ्रती  बहुधा विवाचसं
नानाधर्माणम् पृथिवी यथौकसं।
सहस्रं धारा द्रविणस्य मे दुहां
घ्रुरेव धेनुर् अनपस्फुरन्ती॥
अथर्वणवेदं १२-----१-४५
janaṁ bibhratī  bahudhā vivācasaṁ
nānādharmāṇam pṛthivī yathaukasaṁ|
sahasraṁ dhārā draviṇasya me duhāṁ
ghrureva dhenur anapasphurantī||
atharvaṇavedaṁ 12-----1-45

The mother earth nestles in her bosom various races of people speaking different languages and following different religions and creeds  according to  variation in terrain and other environmental factors, with equal affection.  
May she bless us with immense wealth and prosperity like the milch cow which never fails in blessing us all with her nectar without any discrimination.

The greatness of this mantra is in acknowledging the fact that the earth is inhabited by people of different languages and faiths and that unreserved tolerance and goodwill among such different races is a precondition for the well being of all because the Mother earth treats all her inhabitants with equal care just like the mother Cow who does not discriminate between its own calf and other living beings while gushing forth her milk for the nourishment of all.
This exactly is the reason while the cow as well as the earth are both termed "gau'  in sanskrit. which again came as cow in English.

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Sunday, February 06, 2011

the glorious path

स्वस्ति पन्थानं अनु चरेम
सूर्याचन्द्रमसाविव।
पुनर् दधतध्नता
जानता सं गमेमहि॥
ऋग्वेदम् ५--५१--१५
svasti panthānaṁ anu carema
sūryācandramasāviva|
punar dadhatadhnatā
jānatā saṁ gamemahi||
ṛgvedam 5--51--15

O men,  let us tread the most righteous path like the one traversed by the sun and moon.   
Let our role models and leaders in our path  
be the benevolent men 
who take pleasure is giving, 
 who are highly learned and 
and 
whose learning has transformed itself into very deep knowledge.

The primordial veda here stresses on the righteous path to be followed in life.  Whatever may be the provocation the Sun and the Moon never deviate an inch from their path ordained by the Almighty.  
 If any deviation occurs, the result will be the annihilation of universe. 
 And the three great souls we should keep company are the one who is ready to help others with all he has, the man who revels is acquiring knowledge and the one who understand what he learns and put such knowledge to proper use.

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