Such people only add to the huge mass of human waste that is pulling the earth apart.

अर्थेन किं कृपणहस्तगतेन तेन  रूपेण किं गुणपराक्रमवर्जितेन।
मित्रेण किं व्यसनकालपराङ्मुखेन ज्ञानेन किं बहुशठाधिकमत्सरेण॥१४
चाणक्यराजनीतिशास्त्रे द्वितीयोऽध्यायः
arthena kiṁ kṛpaṇahastagatena tena  rūpeṇa kiṁ guṇaparākramavarjitena|
mitreṇa kiṁ vyasanakālaparāṅmukhena jñānena kiṁ bahuśaṭhādhikamatsareṇa||14
cāṇakyarājanītiśāstre dvitīyo'dhyāyaḥ
The great statesman Chanakya underlines the futility of some great things when they fall into bad hands.  He says  " What is the use of huge wealth if it is in the hands of a wicked and stingy person? What is the use of physical beauty on a person who is bereft of virtue and valour?  What is the use of a friend who will not come to one's help when one is in real difficulty?  What is the use for knowledge when it is being applied for intrigues and mutual rivalry?

There are people who work hard and earn a lot of wealth.  But often, their mindset is towards hoarding whatever they have and they will never have the magnanity to help others in need. They are either stingy, or they will spend their money only in ostentation  They cease to have any social relevance.
Some people are born with great physical beauty and charm.  But they never acquire any good qualities and they act like cowards where they are expected to show their mettle.  For the society they are heavy burdens.
The test of a true friend will be when he comes to the rescue of a friend who is facing danger.  When we are in comfort and in good repute in the society there will be lots and lots of people who will claim and act as if they are our best friends. But in real crunch situations only the real friend will show up.
Spending time and energy in futile criticism of one another and plotting the downfall of the peers are some of the  the bad  qualities developed by people of great knowledge.  If the wealth of knowledge is not utilized in the betterment of the society, such knowledge goes waste.
Such people only add to the huge mass of human waste that is pulling the earth apart.

--
।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

Ayushya Sooktham

आयुष्यसूक्तं
āyuṣyasūktaṁ
यो ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मण उज्जहार प्राणैः शिरः कृत्तिवासाः पिनाकी।
ईशानो देव स न आयुर्दधातु तस्मै जुहोमि हविषा घृतेन॥१॥
विब्राजमानः सरिरस्य मध्या-द्रोचमानो धर्मरुचिर्य आगात्।
स मृत्युपाशानप्नुद्य घोरानिहायुषेणो घृतमत्तु देवः॥२॥
ब्रम्हज्योतिर्ब्रह्मपत्नीषु गर्भं यमादधत् पुरुरूपं जयन्तं।
सुवर्णरंभग्रहमर्कमर्च्यम् तमायुषे वर्धयामो घृतेन॥३॥
श्रियं लक्ष्मीमौबलामंबिकां गां षष्ठीं च यामिन्द्रसेनेत्युदाहुः।
ताम् विध्यां ब्रह्मयोनिग्ँ सरूपामिहायुषे तर्पयामो घृतेन॥४॥
दाक्षायण्यः सर्वयोन्यः स योन्यः सहस्रशो विश्वरूपा विरूपाः।
ससूनवः सपतयः सयूथ्या आयुषेणो घृतमिदम् जुषन्तां॥५॥
दिव्या गणा बहुरूपाः पुराणा आयुश्छिदो नः प्रमथ्नन्तु वीरान्
तेभ्यो जुहोमि बहुधा घृतेन मा नः प्रजाग्ँ रीरिषो मोत वीरान्॥६॥
एकः पुरस्ताद् य इदं बभूव यतो भभूव भुवनस्य गोपाः।
यमप्येति भुवनग्ं सांपराये स नो हविर्घृतमिहायुषेत्तु देवः॥७॥
वसून् रुद्रानादित्यान् मरुतोऽथ साध्यान् ऋभून् यक्षान् गन्धर्वाग्ंश्च पितॄग्ंश्च विश्वान्।
भृगून् सर्पाग्ंश्चांगिरसोऽथ सर्वान् घृतग्ं हुत्वा महयाम शश्वत्॥८॥
विष्णो त्वं नो अन्तमश्शर्मयच्छसहन्त्य। प्रतोधारा मध्श्चुत उथ्सं दुहते अक्षितं॥
ॐ शान्तिः॥ ॐ शान्तिः म् शान्तिः
yo brahma brahmaṇa ujjahāra prāṇaiḥ śiraḥ kṛttivāsāḥ pinākī|
īiśāno deva sa na āyurdadhātu tasmai juhomi haviṣā ghṛtena||1||
vibrājamānaḥ sarirasya madhyā-drocamāno dharmarucirya āgāt|
sa mṛtyupāśānapnudya ghorānihāyuṣeṇo ghṛtamattu devaḥ||2||
bramhajyotirbrahmapatnīṣu garbhaṁ yamādadhat pururūpaṁ jayantaṁ|
suvarṇaraṁbhagrahamarkamarcyam tamāyuṣe vardhayāmo ghṛtena||3||
śriyaṁ lakṣmīmaubalāmaṁbikāṁ gāṁ ṣaṣṭhīṁ ca yāmindrasenetyudāhuḥ|
tām vidhyāṁ brahmayonig sarūpāmihāyuṣe tarpayāmo ghṛtena||4||
dākṣāyaṇyaḥ sarvayonyaḥ sa yonyaḥ sahasraśo viśvarūpā virūpāḥ|
sasūnavaḥ sapatayaḥ sayūthyā āyuṣeṇo ghṛtamidam juṣantāṁ||5||
divyā gaṇā bahurūpāḥ purāṇā āyuśchido naḥ pramathnantu vīrān
tebhyo juhomi bahudhā ghṛtena mā naḥ prajāg rīriṣo mota vīrān||6||
ekaḥ purastād ya idaṁ babhūva yato bhabhūva bhuvanasya gopāḥ|
yamapyeti bhuvanagṁ sāṁparāye sa no havirghṛtamihāyuṣettu devaḥ||7||
vasūn rudrānādityān maruto'tha sādhyān ṛbhūn yakṣān gandharvāgṁśca pitṝgṁśca viśvān|
bhṛgūn sarpāgṁścāṁgiraso'tha sarvān ghṛtagṁ hutvā mahayāma śaśvat||8||
viṣṇo tvaṁ no antamaśśarmayacchasahantya| pratodhārā madhścuta uthsaṁ duhate akṣitaṁ||
om śāntiḥ || om śāntiḥ m śāntiḥ

This is the Aayushya Sooktham, and it is the vedic chant rendered while  performing aayushya homam on the occasions of one's birthday.. Essentially, the mantras are addressed to the deities most importantly  Sri Isaana Rudra and Vishnu, and the prayer is that the deities after receiving oblations from us in cleared butter (ghee) may give us longevity and may remove factors in our life which are giving us stints of illness.

  The word Ayuh in Sanskrit has five and more meanings.. When the related deities that are mentioned in the sukta are revered with the ghee-offering or any other suitable dravya in a homa performance or even through mere prayer with folded hands it would result in the reaping of the rewards or results known and even beyond expectations 

This Sukta itself indicates the prayoga (applications), directions and material offered. The verbs signify the viniyoga in the hymn.

The expression ‘isano devah sa na ayurdadhatu’ in the hymn clearly states that the deity who is by name the Isana, the overlord of all, should accord long life. 

Also we make the prayer : sa mrutyupasan apanudyaghoran ihayushenah’ meaning that Lord may be pleased to  obviate the strong nooses of the death thrown at us and provide us relief and comfort. 

We do  know pain when we come into this world but we do not know what we would get at the time of leaving the world. We make a prayer that the Lord should mitigate the intensity  of pain, if he is pleased, when we leave our body. 

 Also we see in  the prayer again ‘ tamayushe vardhayamo ghrutena’ meaning we revere him for balance in the state of health and happiness when one is living his own life.

 We have the mention of deities who should guard our life and support happiness (ayusheno jushantam).

 In the 6th mantra, the devotee includes all his people to be protected with health when he says ’ma nah prajagum ririsho(trouble) mota viran’ (May the deities providing longevity be pleased not to give trouble to our progenies who are bold and valorous)

In the 8th Verse we have mention of ten gods like vasus, gandharvas etc who would extend care of health to the devotees. These are the Health care personnel in the realm of gods constantly at work protecting the devotees. 

Ultimately in the 9th mantra, we have praise  for Sri Mahavishnu to whom the prayers are submitted for counter signature of the desires since he is deemed as the antimo devah, the ultimate of all gods,. He is submitted with a prayer: Sarma yaccha (bless us with bliss). 

Let us recite the sublime hymn  with faith.

chanakya's lessons on diplomacy

प्रगल्भो बुद्धिमान् वक्ता परचित्तोपलक्षकः।
धीरो यथोक्तवादो च दूत इत्यभिधीयते॥७॥
॥चाणक्यराजनीतिशास्त्रे पञ्चमोध्यायः॥

pragalbho buddhimān vaktā paracittopalakṣakaḥ|
dhīro yathoktavādo ca dūta ityabhidhīyate||7||
|hāṇakyarājanītiśāstre pañcamodhyāyaḥ||

The qualities of a good emissary or ambassador  are enumerated by the great statesman Chanakya in his treatise on  statecraft.. chanakyaraajaniitishastram..


"  A good emissary  should be  eminently  knowledgeable,
 possessed of sharp intelligence, 
highly talented in oratory, 
capable of reading and anticipating the thought-process of the adversary, 
 of great physical valour and resourcefulness, 
and
 very sincere and meticulous in conveying only what he is asked to convey on behalf of his master or the king."

It would appear that the master statesman has enumerated  in this short aphorism all that is expected from an envoy .  All the documents of protocol and rules of procedure written out even in modern times for inter-state diplomacy would expect all these qualities in anyone working in the foreign service for his own country.

Knowledge of the great past and the realistic evaluation of the present and deep commitments for the dreams of one's own country should be a prerequisite for an envoy since he is expected almost single handedly   his own king or nation for its benefit in the international fora.

 Sharp intelligence is essential for one who will have to take decisions always in the interest of his own country since those decisions are likely to affect his own fate along with that of his nation..and the slightest slip can slide down his country's interest to abysmal depths.  

In an assembly of men, the man who presents his case most articulately wins the day.Gift of the gab is a big advantage here

 A man possessed of wisdom and thorough knowledge of the general trends of the day and the implied attitudes of the rival nation  should be able to read what is the mindset of the other party to the negotiation..For diplomacy is nothing but negotiation, at times coated with sweetness and at other times assuming a tone of mild intimidation.  But the emissary can succeed only if he has the capacity to rightly guess what is really happening in the mind of the negotiating party on the other side of the table..

 When an emissary is canvassing the case of his country especially with a nation with a big-brotherly attitude, he is likely to be intimidated and excessive dosage of boldness would be necessary to stand his own ground.

 For men with knowledge, and capacity to speak, the tendency to think too freely and substitute his own views instead of the avowed state policy  is likely to raise his head. A diplomat has to realize that he should never speak out beyond the instructions that his state has given. This  principle should be followed in words and spirit.

--

how to escape from eternal misery?

ईर्षुर्घृणी नसन्तुष्टः क्रोधनो नित्यशङ्कितः
परभाग्योपजीवी च् षडेते नित्यदुःखिताः॥७२
श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणी विदुरनीतिवाक्ये अध्यायः ३३

īrṣurghṛṇī nasantuṣṭaḥ krodhano nityaśaṅkitaḥ
parabhāgyopajīvī c ṣaḍete nityaduḥkhitāḥ||72
śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvaṇī viduranītivākye adhyāyaḥ 33

Vidura, in his treatise on lifestyle as explained by him to his elder brother and king Dhritarashtra, enumerates six types of persons who are to live in eternal misery. 
He says  "  A jealous fellow,  a person who has developed cynisism about everything around him,a fellow who is not satisfied with anything he has, a fellow who get angry without much provocation, a fellow is suspicious about everyone and everything and a fellow who depends for his livelihood on the fortunes of others all live in permanent misery"

Jealousy is worse that any other mental or physical ailment.  A jealous person is always looking with unhappiness at the achievements and good fortunes of all others and in the process he has no time to enjoy the life which he is given as the great boon from God.  Jealousy of strong men have brought down the world many a times. Jealousy of mean persons has lead to the downfall of many good persons. In fact what is there in this world to be jealous of? When we see the world in a wider perspective of time, space and existence, we would see that both the rise and the fall of any person or institution is temporary in a wider canvass and  there is absolutely no meaning in feeling jealous of anyone. Time is a great leveler.

Some people develop cynicism and hatred for everything.  This attitude may be caused through past bitter experiences, or feeling of personal inadequacy to perform. Whatever may be the reason, such persons spread  uneasiness  and that attitude is often contagious.  The only person who can help a fellow out of such a state of mind is the person himself.  If the number of such persons in the society are considerable, we can expect disaster in the near future if it has not yet happened.

Some people are not satisfied or happy, whatever be their status in life regarding health, wealth and rank. They simply compare themselves with only those who are apparently in better state of life than themselves. If they just care to see the law of averages and realize that fate has never created anything as perfect and has not endowed anyone with perfect satisfaction, their life will be more comfortable.

 Another set of people are prone to get  angry for no reason.  Is it due to hormonal imbalance? May be.  Some say even good people run into rage for short period and then become calm and reasonable.  But the anger makes one blind, deaf and dumb, and above all thoughless.  He may wreak any damage, he may break things, break lives, and break the social order in such a rage if he is strong enough.   Extreme anger makes not only the angry person but also the innocent bystanders to suffer.

A set of people are born as doubting thomases.  While the optimist will try to see a small ray of light even at the end of an infinitely long tunnel of darkness, the man who is paranoid will see danger in anything and everything.  He will spend all life if self-doubt and  in doubt of the activities of all others around him.  If one gets a husband or wife of this class, lifelong misery is ensured.

A person with some self-respect will be eager to do some work and eke out his livelihood out of whatever he earns honestly.  But again there are a set of people who are simply parasites.  They are never ready to do any work for earning a livelihood, but will be keeping company with some person who is having some wealth and good fortune. Like the creeper coming down and getting crushed when a tree which supported the creeper falls, such fellows have to go down into misery, because one cannot be sure of the eternal good fortune of some other person. 

We have to steer clear of such attitudes if anything worthwhile is to be achieved in our lives.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

unquenchable thirst

तृप्प्येन्न राजा धनसञ्चयेन न सागरं भूमिजलागमेन।
न पण्डितः साधुसुभाषितेन तृप्येन्न चक्षु प्रियदर्शनेन॥४५
चाणक्यनीतिशाश्त्रे द्वितीयोऽध्याये
tṛppyenna rājā dhanasañcyena na sāgaraṁ bhūmijalāgamena|
na paṇḍitaḥ sādhusubhāṣitena tṛppyenna cakṣu priyadarśanena||45
cāṇakyanītiśāśtre dvitīyo'dhyāye

The realist in Guru Chanakya comes to the forefront in this advice.  Contentment may be a very nice quality for idealists and seers.  But in real life, incessant drive and enthusiasm for further enhancement of certain physical and material faculties alone can equip and empower a person to thrive and succeed  in this world.

He says  " A king will never be satisfied with any amount of wealth that he has already accumulated, the ocean will never be full to the extent of overflowing even if the whole quantity of water is flowing unto it,  a learned man will never be satisfied or consider himself too knowledgeable when he is reading and learning the great works of  preceptors which are of eternal utility and the eyes will never be satisfied and cease to have interest in devouring beautiful sights and scenery."

Politics among nations is always in a flux.  The resources on the earth has limitations but for a nation to retain its prime position, or at least its safe status in while in competition with other thriving neighbouring states, the most stabilizing factor is the finance, and when the overall interest of the nation is the foremost consideration, the ruler should be always eager to have commercial transactions with other countries to the beast of his own country's advantage..

The acquisition of knowledge is never complete.  There is scope for more education for even the most learned persons..Knowledge, if not updated, will become archaic and stale.. So a learned man is always eager to receive more knowledge from his peers and preceptors.  There is no question of satisfaction  in this matter at any stage.

All the water flowing into the ocean originates from the ocean itself being taken away from it by the heat of the sun in the form of clouds and those clouds pouring the same waters on the earth.  So the ocean never gets more water than it had already..( of course,  global warming melts the ice in the mountain and adds more water to the ocean, but that phenomenon is to the detriment of all concerned and it cannot be a means of satisfaction and perhaps the vandalization of nature was not so acute in the era of Chanakya )

And a "Thing of beauty is a joy for ever"  as Keats puts it.. Every nice thing that happens on this beautiful earth is a fresh treat to the eyes..Every flower that blossoms, every baby that is born,  every day that is dawning, every sunset, every fresh downpour of rain, is a fresh beauty.. a fresh opportunity.. How can the eyes ever be satisfied?
 I am tempted to quote a few lines from Keats'
" A thing of beauty is a joy for ever "

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read:
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

--

Sekharipuram Lakshminarayanaswamy Utsavam 2012

Please click on the images to enlarge

sekaripuram lore link
http://kanfusion.blogspot.in/2011/07/swekharipuram-lores.html

sheltered in the wrong camp..

अमित्रं कुरुते मित्रं मित्रं द्वेष्टि हिनस्ति च।
कर्म चारभते दुष्टम् तमाहुर्मूढचेतसं॥३३
श्रीमहाभरते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरण पर्वणि विदुरवाक्ये अद्ध्यायः ३३

amitraṁ kurute mitraṁ mitraṁ dveṣṭi hinasti ca|
karma cārabhate duṣṭam tamāhurmūḍhacetasaṁ||33
śrīmahābharate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇa parvaṇi viduravākye addhyāyaḥ 33

The respected statesman Vidura while presenting a treatise on good behaviour and desirable lifestyle to his elder brother and King Dhritarashtra, makes this stantement about a very foolish person.
" He is a crude and foolish person who takes a lot of interested in cultivating an avowed enemy as a friend, and is indifferent and inimical to his genuine friends, and is harbouring malice for  such genuine friends without reason,  and is  always enaged in evil deeds knowingly or unknowingly."

We find such persons everywhere.. They are paranoid.  They suspect whatever a genuine friends says for their welfare.  They have the knack of believing and befriending persons who are waiting to exploit and destroy them.. Maybe like a moth just buring itself to ashed falling on the fire mistaking it as some bright source of happiness, they invariably land up on the wrong camps.  And such people are not beyond committing any evil deeds in that bad company.  One notable quality possessed by them is that they will never change.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

sekhapripuram agraharam festival calendar

click on the images to enlarage

  This is the Calendar on important religious dates  and agraharam festivities prepared for Sekharipuram agraharam ,,, for 2012--13.  The Vishesha days will apply for all  in the world..

Not only the the substance but the container also should be worthy.

प्रागल्भ्यहीनस्य जनस्य विद्या
शश्त्रं यथा कापुरुषस्य हस्ते
न तुष्टिमुत्पादयते परेषाम्
अन्धस्य दारा इव दर्शनीया ॥२
चाणक्यराजनीतिशास्त्रे अद्ध्यायः ३
prāgalbhyahīnasya janasya vidyā
śaśtraṁ yathā kāpuruṣasya haste
na tuṣṭimutpādayate pareṣām
andhasya dārā iva darśanīyā  ||2
cāṇakyarājanītiśāstre addhyāyaḥ 3

According to Chanakya, mere learning without the capacity to apply the knowledge acquired is mere waste.  He says, " Learning in the hands of a person who has no capacity to apply the knowledge, is just like a weapon in the hands of a ruffian or an idiot.  Such knowledge does not bring happiness to anyone.. it is just like a beautiful wife for a person who is by birth blind. "

Knowledge in the hands of persons who cannot put it to use can be both waste and sometimes dangerous.  If a fellow who is not capable of using a weapon properly is handed over the weapon, he may pull some trigger unknowingly and cause damage, or alternately he may not be able to use the weapon at all. In both the cases, such knowledge goes down the drains. Not only the the substance but the container also should be worthy.

--
।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

give voluntarily or get robbed.

सञ्चितम् क्रतुषु नोपयुन्च्यते
याचितम् गुणवते न दीयते
तद् कदर्य्यपरिगतं धनं
चोरपार्थिवगृहेषु भुञ्ज्यते॥३२
चाणक्यराजनीतिशास्त्रे अध्यायः १

sañcitam kratuṣu nopayuncyate
yācitam guṇavate na dīyate
tad kadarthaparigataṁ dhanaṁ
corapārthivagṛheṣu bhuñjyate||32
cāṇakyarājanītiśāstre adhyāyaḥ 1

People amass wealth with eagerness and great enthusiasm.. 
But they fail to utilize and spend  such wealth for right causes. 
What happens to such wealth.?
 Chanakya says.
" The accumulated wealth of a stingy person is not usually applied for socially useful purposes. 
 Nor any part of it is given to good  people who ask for it or even beg for it.  
Such wealth accumulated for some selfish and ignoble purpose ultimately converts itself into sumptuous food in the household of a thief of a king"

Our management experts  and the leadership pundits are very keen to groom people to attain the peak capacity to earn and accumulate money. 
The economist or investment expert will give us sound advise as to how multiply such money earned in the shortest possible time.  
But the majority of the people with huge wealth are not inclined to share even a part of it with the people who are less fortunate.  
Nor are they prepared to recycle the funds for some socially useful purpose without profit motive. 
They are possessive, rather stingy, about money...
Ultimately, they fall to swindlers who play upon their ego or they shell out most of the earning by way of Government Levies.. 
Alternately their money can be stolen by thieves, either burglars or suave e-hackers. 


Is it not better that some good souls enjoy the benefits of your earning while you watch and you have the satisfaction that you gave it to them voluntarily.  
The other choice is that your wealth is stolen away by burglars or inflation, or is simply taken away by the Government by way of taxes while you live or when you are dead.

--

He requires no particular reason to harass the people working for him.

स्फुलिङ्गालिङ्गनात् क्रुद्दकृष्णसर्पोपसर्पणात्।

मकरालयपाताच्च कष्टं नृपतिसेवनं॥५८

चाणक्यराजनीत्याम् अध्यायः १

sphuliṅgāliṅganāt kruddakṛṣṇasarpopasarpaṇāt|

makarālayapātācca kaṣṭaṁ nṛpatisevanaṁ||58

cānakyarājanītyām adhyāyaḥ 1

This is the advise that Chanakya gives to the persons aspiring to serve under a king or a boss who is a tough taskmaster.

" It is a tougher task to be in the service of a king, than embracing the burning fire, keeping company with a black venomous serpent who is usually angry or having a chance to fall into a pond inhabited by crocodiles."

Once we enter into the service of a king or a government, all our sense of personal security and sense of well being is gone. We can fall victims to the whims and fancies of the ruler who wields extreme powers, and the triggers for such downfall in most cases would be beyond our control.  The fire does not burn us just because we want it or we have committed some error. The serpent is not going to verify whether we are good or bad before injecting its venom on us.  Similarly when one falls into a pond full of crocodiles the creatures are not interested in verifying the victim's good conduct ad antecedents before making a supper of him.. Similar is the case with a bad boss..He requires no particular reason to harass the people working for him.

--

One has to be careful about the company one keeps.

हंसो न भाति बलिभोजनवृन्दमद्ध्ये

गोमायुमण्डलगतो न विभाति सिंहः।

जात्या न भाति तुरगः खरयूथमध्य

विद्वान्न भाति पुरुषेषुनिरक्षरेषु॥१४३

चाणक्यराजनीतिशास्त्रं  अष्ठमो अध्यायः

haṁso na bhāti balibhojanavṛndamaddhye

gomāyumaṇḍalagato na vibhāti siṁhaḥ|

jātyā na bhāti turagaḥ kharayūthamadhya

vidvānna bhāti puruṣeṣunirakṣareṣu||143

cāṇakyarājanītiśāstraṁ  aṣṭhamo adhyāyaḥ

A very sound introspection by the master Chanakya.. 
Whatever great qualities a persons has will get reflected only if he is in proper environment and in good comapany.  
He says, 
" The swan does not have a celebrated place among crows which thrive on the scattered crumbs of food thrown out by people after offering such food to their preceptors. 
 Even if it is presiding over a huge crowd of jackals. the lion will have no value or status in that crowd.  
The pedigree horse, if it has the misfortune to be in a crowd of donkeys, will never be recognized for its value.  
Similaraly a very learned person. if he is to live amongst illiterate people in the whole community, his life loses meaning."

It is very important that one should be highly selective about the company he keeps.  Many great people have suffered because of bad and unworthy company. 
Sometimes the environment in which one inhabits and the standard of enlightenment of the people with whom he interacts, can doom his whole life to complete disaster.  This happens to many..they fall into bad company and acquire the habits or ideologies of such groups and even though possessing of great knowledge, would never get a chance to apply such knowledge for the benefit neither of the society or for his own benefit.  
One has to be wary of the company one keeps.

--

Grammar in the form of prayer.

Grammar in the form of prayer.

कृष्णो रक्षतु नो जगत्त्रयगुरुः कृष्णं नमस्याम्यहम्

कृष्णेनामरशत्रवो विनिहताः कृष्णाय तस्मै नमः।

कृष्णादेव समुत्थितं जगदिदं कृष्णस्य दासोऽस्म्यहम् 

कृष्णे तिष्ठति सर्वमेतदखिलं हे कृष्ण रक्षस्व माम्॥३३॥ 

मुकुन्दमाला  कुल शेखरस्य 

kṛṣṇo rakṣatu no jagattrayaguruḥ kṛṣṇaṁ 

namasyāmaham 

kṛṣṇenāmaraśatravo vinihatāḥ kṛṣṇāya tasmai 

namaḥ| 

kṛṣṇādeva samutthitaṁ jagadidaṁ kṛṣṇasya 

dāso’smyaham 

kṛṣṇe tiṣṭhati sarvametadakhilaṁ he kṛṣṇa rakṣasva 

mām|| 

this is a stanza from Sreekrishna karnamnritham of 

Leelashuka..Bilvamangalaswamy.. It is is prayer to 

Krishna. But it is also a primary lesson in declensions 

of singular nouns in the eight forms from prathama to 

saptami and smabodhana prathama. 

An elementary lesson in Sanskrit. 

May Krishna the father of the three worlds protect us.1.. 

I prostrate before Krishna. 2..

The enemies of the Devas were destroyed by Krishna.3.. 

My pranams for that Krishna.4.. 

From Krishna has originated the whole of this universe.5. 

I am a servant of Krishna.6.. 

All that is in this world exist on Krishna.7.. 

You Krishna, Protect me.8.. 

Similarly there is a Ramarakshaastotram, which uses 

all the eight Vibakthis to explain their import, and 

simultaneously the stotram praises Rama. 

रामो राजमणिः सदा विजयते रामं रमेशम् भजे 

रामेणाभिहताः निशाचरचमू रामाय तस्मै नमः। 

रामान्नास्ति परायणं परतरं रामस्य दासोऽस्म्य 

रामे चित्तलयः सदा भवतु मे भो राम मां उद्धर॥ 

रामरक्षास्तोत्रं 

rāmo rājamaṇiḥ sadā vijayate rāmaṁ rameśam bhaje 

rāmeṇābhihatāḥ niśācaracamū rāmāya tasmai namaḥ 

rāmānnāsti parāyaṇaṁ parataraṁ rāmasya dāso'smyahaṁ 

rāme cittalayaḥ sadā bhavatu me bho rāma māṁ uddhara|| 

rāmarakṣāstotraṁ 

Rama is the gem among kings. 1..

I worship Rama who 

is the consort of Rema the Lakshmi. 2..

The troops of the 

wanderers in the night(rakshasaas) were completely routed by Rama.3..

I offer pranams to such Rama.4.. 

There is nothing anywhere  to be followed by us other than Rama. 5.. 

I am the servant of Rama.6..

May my mind be immersed in Rama always.7..

Oh Rama you uplift me (from the samasarachakra).8..

The Vibakthis 

1 prathama 2 dviteeya 3 thriteeya 4 chathurthi 5 panchami 6 shashti 7 saptami 8 Sambodhana Prathama.

Nothing can be achieved by a person who is prone to decadence

न व्यसनपरस्य कर्यावाप्तिः॥६९॥
चाणक्यसूत्राद्
na vyasanaparasya karyāvāptiḥ ||69||
cāṇakyasūtrād
" Nothing can be achieved by a person who is prone to decadence."
Chanakya simply states a very important fact in a simple aphorism.  Vyasana is the habit of wasting ones money, time or energy to one's own detriment.
Manu enumerates many habits of otherwise sensible persons and rulers as detrimental and harmful for the welfare of the Individual or the ruler. They are:-
1.  Tendency to go for hunting too frequently.
2. Costly and wasteful sports ( like dice play, horse racing, games of chance like gambling etc.) 
3. The tendency to sleep away the day time too.. it is termed as the destroyer of all achievements.
4.  Insulting others.
5. Adultery and contact with fallen persons to fulfill uncontrollable carnal desires.
 6. The arrogance and self delusion stemming out of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. 7.Spending too much time in dancing,
8. Singing
9 futile debates
10 wasteful loitering.
( It has to be clarified that dance, song or debate by persons in a health and aesthetic manner and at the appropriate time is not an unhealthy practice.. but spending away all their time in these pastimes, when such things are not their profession can pull down a person or a ruler to penury because the time earmarked for their own avocation are spent in these). 
These are the ten vyasanas that can come out of excessive personal desires and whims.
There are eight evil tendencies that arise to a man or a ruler through excessive impatience and anger. 
They are:-
1.Tendency to accuse someone falsely.
2. Out of graft and excessive lust, tendency to brush aside the favourable advises given by well wishers.
3. Keeping personal enmity even with innocent souls.
4. Intolerance and jealousy when one sees the welfare of someone nearby.
5.  Tendency to ascribe evil even in the good qualities of other .
 6.Stealing others' wealth and not returning the borrowed funds.
7 Using very bad and foul words which hurt all others.
8. Physical vilolence against others like beating or assaulting  when one is in utter rage.

The above eighteen qualities can make the king a pauper and an ordinary human being into a fallen man.  These bad qualities simply prevent a ruler or a person from acting in a sane and composed manner, makes him bereft of the tendency to plan his strategies properly and execute such plans effectively.  The qualities when present in a boss, percolates down the hierarchy and can  result in the destruction of organisation or even States.
True, one can see how staggering  the simple aphorism of Chanakya  is in its impact when evaluated in the right light.   These qualities are enumerated here to warn the people to shun  them and not to prompt them to acquire some habits if they have not acquired the same.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

One wants to enjoy but his heart is broken when he has to pay.

दातव्यमपि बालिशः क्ळेशेन परिदास्यति॥२१३
चाणक्य सूत्राद्
dātavyamapi bāliśaḥ kḻeśena paridāsyati||213
cāṇakya sūtrād

A terse aphorism from the brilliant mind of Chandakya.
Chanakya was an acute critic of the frailties of human mind  

Meaning of the aphorisms is
'  Even when he is aware that he has to pay or give away money,
 a man of childish mind would part with such money 
only with great reluctance and heartburn.'

In a civilized society, it is the duty of every citizen to share with others whatever he can for the welfare of the group as a whole.  
We can see some people going round for collections for organizing social and religious festivals or to further some philanthropic act 
but when some people are approached,  
they would avoid giving anything citing from some excuse or others. 
 Even when they shell out some cash, they will do so grudgingly..
This is one side of the story.

There are many payments for purchases, and utilization of many services. 
 The dues for telephone, electricity etc.. Some people will never pay off. 
They will defer payments by raising many objections most of which are frivolous.  

 When it comes for masters to give rightful salary or a raise in salary to their employees, they turn into stingy devils. 
 And in some organizations, we find some  Scrooges in the shape of the occupants of  the accounts section.  
The money due to the employees would have been sanctioned and the function of these accounts men is just to draw a cheque or a bill and disburse it. 
 For this they will make a lots of fuss and invite the curse of all the employees..  

This is here that aggressive trade unionism starts

People even grudge sending money to their parents for their subsistence ,
 knowing fully well that they are committing unpardonable sin. 

 When it comes to taxes, usually money will not be forthcoming unless threat of freezing a person's
accounts is handed out. 
People  just want to enjoy but their hearts are  broken when they  have to pay.

what is comfortable life

आरोग्यमानृण्यमविप्रवासः सद्भिर्मनुष्यैः सह संप्रयोगः।
स्वप्रत्यया वृत्तिरभीतवासः षट् जीवलोकस्य सुखानि राजन्॥७३
श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरनीत्याम् अध्यायः ३३

ārogyamānṛṇyamavipravāsaḥ sadbhirmanuṣyaiḥ saha saṁprayogaḥ|
svapratyayā vṛttirabhītavāsaḥ ṣaṭ jīvalokasya sukhāni rājan ||73
śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduranītyām adhyāyaḥ 33

Vidura in his discourse on lifestyle management and statecraft to his brother and king Dhritarashtra ennumerates the six ingredients of comfortable living for a person.

" Oh King,  good health,  living without any indebtedness, stay at one's own home where he is born and brought up, company and transaction with noble people, an assured means of livelihood to his own taste, and living without fear are the most significant ingredients for a comfortable living for a human being."

There can be no dispute about the above comforts desired by all human beings if they are to find any meaning in life.  
Health is the greatest asset. All other things follow..

Indebtedness either material or moral saps the free spirit of man.

 Even though most of us are forced to leave our  home of birth in search of livelihood, the most comfortable are those that can find a niche in his own native place.Even Rama said, api swarnamayee Lanka na me Lakshmana rochate, jananee janmabhuumischa swargaadapi gareeyasee..  Mother and motherland are more dear to me than even Heaven,  and I do not find any attractiveness in this Lanka decked with Gold, Laksmana...were his words.

 Cozy and enlightening company of kindred noble souls make life worth living.

 The wealth which one would have inherited will not last long and never would suffice for a lifetime.. So an avocation which brings in earnings is a sin qua non.. and one can have peace of mind if and only if that avocation is to his tastes.

Fear can originate from  nature, enemies of the nation, from one's own near and dear, from diseases and a plethora of other sources. If such fears are absent the earth becomes a paradise.

The welfare state alone can provide a citizen with the above  style of life.  So Vidura is indicating at the welfare state that the ruler should provide.
 These  facts are relevant in their  entirety even in the present day scenario

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

roadblocks to a peaceful life

मत्तापानं कलहं पूगवैरं भार्यापत्योरन्तरम् ज्ञातिभेदं।
राजद्विष्टं स्त्रीपुमांसोर्विवादं वर्जान्याहुर्यश्च पन्थाः प्रदुष्टः॥३६
श्रीमहाभरते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वनि विदुरवाक्ये अध्यायः ३४
mattāpānaṁ kalahaṁ pūgavairaṁ bhāryāpatyorantaram jñātibhedaṁ|
rājadviṣṭaṁ strīpumāṁsorvivādaṁ varjānyāhuryaśca panthāḥ praduṣṭaḥ||36
śrīmahābharate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvani viduravākye adhyāyaḥ 34

The most contemptible way of life that should be avoided at any cost  is prescribed by Vidura in his expostulation of the right way of life to his brother Dhritaraashtra.

"  Drinking of alcoholic or other intoxicating potions is reprehensible.
  Unnecessary quarrel in the family and social groups should be avoided. 
Inviting the anger  of people all around with silly quarrels  in not a good sign of a tolerable social life.
 Persistent difference of opinion between husband and wife, and attempt for divorce are not conducive for a peaceful life.
  Incurring the  displeasure of the king and the government by being on the wrong side of the law, or by protesting  just for protest's sake can help to endanger one's life in peace. 
 The constant exchange of bad words between  men and women is another irritant to peacefu life. 
 If these are not avoided one's path of life is derailed, and he will soon face the evil effects."

--

Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad

यस्मै देवाः प्रयच्छन्ति पुरुषाय पराभवं
बुद्धिं तस्यापकर्षन्ति सोऽपचीनानि पश्यति। ३८
बुद्धौ कलुषभूतायं विनाशे प्रत्युपस्थिते
अनयो नयसङ्काशो हृदयान्नापसर्पति॥३९
श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरनीत्यां अध्यायः  ३४
yasmai devāḥ prayacchanti puruṣāya parābhavaṁ
buddhiṁ tasyāpakarṣanti so'pacīnāni paśyati| 38
buddhau kaluṣabhūtāyaṁ vināśe pratyupasthite
anayo nayasaṅkāśo hṛdayānnāpasarpati||39
śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduranītyāṁ adhyāyaḥ  34

This is a thought- provoking statement from Viduraniiti, where the wise minister and statesman of India is giving a discourse of  human life and good governance to Dhirtarashtra, his elder brother and the King.

"When Gods have decided to give defeat to a person, first he is made paranoid and he loses to view things in the right perspective.  His faculty to identify the right things is lost and he embraces willingly wrong things and makes wrong decisions
When a person's  mind is turbulent and  his destruction is in sight, things which are patently wrong would look right to him and such wrong impression will never leave his heart."

The first sign of fall for a human being is his loss of good sense.  When defeat is facing him he becomes either angry or jittery. In both cases his capacity to make proper decisions and follow the safest way out is affected adversely.  He goes from fall to fall. 
The blessed Lord in Gita echoes the same idea.
" krodhaat bhavati sammohaH sammohaat smritivibramaH, smritibramsaad buddhinaash, buddhinaasaat pranasyati.  anger malke one delirious, and in such a state he loses the power of thought, and damage to the proper thought process leads to  a state of complete indiscretion, which in turn ensures one's annihilation."

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

the four pillars of life

एको धर्मः परं श्रेयः  क्षमैका शान्तिरुत्तमा
विद्यैका परमा दृष्टिरहिंसैका सुखावहा॥४८
श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरवाक्ये अध्यायः ३३

eko dharmaḥ paraṁ śreyaḥ  kṣamaikā śāntiruttamā
vidyaikā paramā dṛṣṭirahiṁsaikā sukhāvahā||48
śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduravākye adhyāyaḥ 33

In Viduravaakyam the learned statesman Vidura in his discourse to his elder brother and King Dhritaraashtra  highlights four aspects of human life which make one's life shining.

" The path of righteousness according to the scriptures and traditions is the only one which can endow one with eternal wealth and well-being. Patience and equanimity is the one and only path to peace of the self, mind and body.  The only set of eyes with which we can see the whole world and ourselves properly is proper education.  And the single greatetst source of happiness is non-violence."

Our philosophy of life is based on righteousness. " Dharme pratishtito LokaH.." The universe is anchored in Dharma. For the man who treads the path of Rita the supreme dharma  everything in life will be sweet, so assure Vedas..." Madhu vaataa ritaayateH madhu ksharanti sindhavaH.. for one whose path is governed by Rta or eternal Dharma, the air will be sweet, the rivers will flow with waters of great sweetness.".

For a man with a strong mind and living conditioins, patience  is the most desirable quality. And for the not so strong it is an inevitable shield to protect himself.

"Vidhyayaa Vindhathe amritham... the eternity is accomplished through knowledge" is a much-acclaimed saying.  For one who has great knowledge and the capacity to apply such knowledge in the right direction, the whole  life is like a long saga of extreme happiness and achievement. 

 When one thinks of doing harm to another mentally or physically, the distress starts first in his own mind.  The victim suffers when such violence is given vent through words and action. In an environment of violence and strife, there can be no happiness..
The words of Vidura are of eternal significance.  The reader may ask, "Almost everyone knows about these four things, then why it should be reiterated by the great scholars?"  The answer can be only that such great pieces of advise by our great men only showed the path of peace prosperity and eternal well-being to all of us
In this moment of dawning of Nandana Year, signifying yet another Vishu, I wish all my friends a Very happy Vishu, and recommend the sage advise of Vidura as a guide for shaping the lifestyles. 

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

One should never forget the path he trod

षडेते ह्यवमन्यन्ते नित्यं पूर्वोपकारिणं।
आचर्यं शिक्षिता शिष्याः कृतदारश्च मातरं॥
नारिं विगतकामस्तु कृतार्थाश्च प्रयोजकं।
नावं निस्तीर्णकान्तारा नातुराश्च चिकित्सकं॥७३
श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरनीत्यां अध्यायः ३३
ṣaḍete hyavamanyante nityaṁ pūrvopakāriṇaṁ|
ācaryaṁ śikṣitā śiṣyāḥ kṛtadāraśca mātaraṁ||
nāriṁ vigatakāmastu kṛtārthāśca prayojakaṁ|
nāvaṁ nistīrṇakāntārā nāturāśca cikitsakaṁ||73
śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduranītyāṁ adhyāyaḥ 33A

Vidura the wise half-brother of Dhritarashtra is presenting the principles of lifemanagement and statescraft in the chapters in Udhyogaparvan of Mahabharatam, to the King and the brother.  He is acutely conscious of the fickleness of sense of gratitude in human beings.  Certain people get attached and show the utmost concern about certain relations or connections so long as these relatives and connections are of any use.  One the purposes of these helpers are achieved, then they are forgotten for ever.
"These six things are usually ignored and treated with scant respect even though they were of great utility at a point of time.
They are:-
1. The students do not care much about the teacher who had shown them the path to life and imparted valuable knowledge .
2. Once a person gets married his whole attention is concentrated on his wife and in this process he simply has not time to think of his own mother.
3. A person who was just going after a woman for romantic reasons, simply ignores the woman once he had received from her what he wanted.
4. A fellow who has employed a priest or preceptor to perform rites for certain benefits, once such benefits have been realized by the employer.
5. A boat is ignored for ever once the its owners have sailed across wide rivers and other huge water depositories.
6.A man is very much devoted to the doctor and always sees living god in him when the former is in the grips of disease, but once he is cured, the doctor becomes a stranger to him.

Here Vidura is stating the ground realities of life.  He is not canvassing the philosophy that human conduct should be like this.  Respect to Mother, Teacher, Preceptor and elders is a quality expected of any cultured person.  One should never forget the path he trod.  But the average human mindset does not consider gratitude as a cherished quality.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
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|

Jambavaan

Jambavan is the divine boar who came out of Brahmas nostrils when he slept inadvertently during his duties. He is blessed with eternal life and he is also an erudite scholar and an extremely strong person, who enjoyed eternal youth till one stage in his life. Jambavan was a curious or nosy person and he loved to run around places very fast and see things happening all over the universe. When Vishnu took the Thrivikrama form ( with one step he measured the entire earth, with the second step he measured all that was other than earth and there was no space for placing his third step.. tad vishnoH paramam padam) and was standing in his huge form Jambavaan with great speed perambulated the feet three times, and as luck would have it, on his third round he happened to touch one of the top ranges of Meru mountain with the tip of his big toe and on the impact the mountain was shaken and the peak came down in pieces. The angry mountain, the abode of many divine beings, cursed Jambavan so that he became suddenly old, and his mobility was completely gone. In this shape he was living in the southern region of India and gained the friendship of Sugriva and Hanuman. The boar is a living encyclopaedia and he knew all that had happened to Hanuman in his youth that made the latter to sit quiet and forgetful of his own valour. So when it was time to arouse the valour in Hanuman so as to prepare the monkey for his mission to Lanka in search of Sita, Jambavan reveals the whole story of Hanuman.. And reminded of his valour Hanuman becomes an instant strongman and steers the course of Ramayanam from that moment. During the war between Rama and Ravana, even during moments of crisis on Rama's side, two persons who were not killed or affected in any way by weapons were Hanuman and Jambavan and Hanuman did many things repairing the damage only under the sage advise of Jambavan. Till this date any wizened old man who appear to have a lot of experience and history in his kitty is termed as a Jambavan.

Uthiramerur edicts.

A Brahmin settlement in Uttaramerur, ten centuries ago, prepared this constitution for themselves.  

Uthiramerur (Tamil: உத்திரமேரூர்) is a panchayat town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

An inscription from the temple wall at Uttaramerur (a village of Brahmins) gives details of how the local              Sabha functioned.  The edict dates back to the tenth century AD and reads.

…   There shall be thirty wards 
 In those thirty wards those that live in each ward shall assemble and shall select each person   possessing the following qualifications for inclusion for selection by lot:

   He must own more than one quarter of the tax-paying land

  He must live in a house built on his own site

  His age must be below seventy and above thirty five

   He must know the mantras and braahmanaas.

Even if he owns one-eighth of the land his name shall be included provided he has learnt on Veda and one of   the`four Bhashyas.

Among those possessing these qualifications only such as are well conversant with business and are virtuous shall be taken, and one who possess honest earnings whose mind is pure and who has not been on any of the committees for the last three years shall also be chosen.  One who has been  on any of the committees but has not submitted his accounts, and his relations specified below cannot have their names written on the tickets  .

The sons of the younger and elder sisters of his mother

The sons of his paternal aunt and maternal uncle

The uterine brother of his mother

The uterine brother of his father

His uterine brother

His father in law

The uterine brother of his wife

The husband of his uterine sister

The sons of his uterine sister

His son-in-law

His father

His son

One against whom incest or the first four of the five great sins are recorded (The five great sins being killing a Brahman, drinking alcohol, theft, adultery, and associating with criminals).  All his relations specified above shall not be eligible to be chosen by lot.  One who has been outcaste for association with low people shall not have his name chosen until he performs the expiatory ceremonies.

One who is foolhardy..

One who has stolen the property of others..

One who has taken forbidden dishes..

One who has committed sins and has had to perform ceremonies of purification..

Excluding all these names shall be written on tickets for thirty wards and each of the wards in the twelve streets shall prepare a separate covering ticket for thirty wards bundled separately. These packets shall be put into a pot.  When the tickets have to be drawn a full meeting of the great assembly including the young and old members shall be convened.  All the temple priests who happen to be in the village on that day, shall, without exception whatever, be caused to be seated in the inner hall where the great assembly meets. In the midst of the temple priests, one of them who happens to be the eldest shall stand up and lift that pot, looking upwards so as to be seen by all the people.  Papers for one ward shall be taken out by any young boy standing close who does not know what is inside and shall be transferred to another empty pot and shaken loose.  From this pot one ticket shall be drawn and made over to the arbitrator.  While taking charge of the ticket thus given to him, the arbitrator shall receive it on the palm of his right hand with five fingers open.  He shall read out the ticket thus received.  The ticket shall be read by all the priests present in the inner hall. The name thus read shall be put down and accepted.  Similarly one man shall be chosen for each of the thirty wards.

Of the thirty men thus chosen those who had previously been on the Garden Committee, and on the Tank Committee, twelve of those who are advanced in learning and those who are advanced in age shall be chosen for the Annual Committee.  Of the rest, twelve shall be taken for the Garden Committee (Garden means the arable common lands) and the remaining six shall form the tank committee.  The great men of these three committees shall hold office for full 360 days and then retire. Anyone on a committee found guilty of an offence shall be removed  at once.  For appointing the committees after these have retired, the members of the committee for supervision of Justice in the twelve streets shall convene an assembly with the help of the arbitrator.  The committees shall be appointed by drawing pot-tickets..

For the Five-fold committee( Panchayat?) and the Gold committee names shall be written for pot-tickets in the thirty wards (and the same procedure followed).  One who has ridden an ass (ie been punished) or who has committed  a forgery shall not be included.

Any arbitrator who possesses honest earnings shall write the accounts of the village.  No accountant shall be appointed to that office again before he submits his accounts to the great men of the chief committee and is declared to have been honest.  The accounts which he has been writing  he shall submit himself, and no other accountant shall be chosen to close the accounts. Thus from this year onwards as long as the moon and sun endure, committees shall be appointed by lot..

We, the assembly of Uttaramerur- chathurvedimangalam made this settlement for the prosperity of our village and in order that wicked men may perish and the rest may prosper.  At the order of the great men sitting in the assembly, I , the arbitrator Kadaipottan Shivakkuri Rajamallamangalapriyan, thus wrote the settlement.