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...

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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....

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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..

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" 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..

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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..

crime and punishment...

crime and punishment...

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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..

musings 31 inspiration...

When we write something with an audience in mind, 

when we write and express our views with a view to impress others rightly or wrongly,

It is really exhibitionist journalism, 

or even populism.. 

with some flashes of possible lieterary merit..

and a showman or showwoman will derive great pleasure

when such things are read.. 

and the same person would shrink into depression when there is criticism or simple rejection or lack of recognition..

But sublime poetry comes from minds in communion with something really great.. 

That comes from inspirtaion..

The words and songs are just born or are even delivered when the mind instead of the womb is suffering labour pains.

Perhaps the mind has undergone confinement for hours, days, years or even lives..

Such creations are spontaneous, 

they are just born, 

and people in the audience just dote on them,

adopt them, 

love them 

and in the process the person who created or delivered the work too gets recognition

and even reverence and adoration..

Vyasa,

Valmiki, 

Wordsworth

Kalidasa 

and many Masters created their Immortal works this way..

The great singers, painters, ..

or anyone who really excelled in his field, 

acted just being prompted and prodded by the instictinct for creation

backed up by divine inspiration..

We, I mean most of us, me included, 

tend to pose as if we are inspired 

but actually play to the audience

like the ocean generating more waves when people are near it..

Which is the right approach..? 

Only time can decide ..

raamaayanamahaanadee...

वात्मीकिगिरिसंभूता रामसागरगामिनी। 

पुनातु भुवनं पुण्या रामायणमहानदी॥

(वाल्मीकि is the correct usage as per majority view )

വാല്മീകി എന്ന മലയില്‍ ഉത്ഭവിച്ചു രാമന്‍ എന്ന സമുദ്രത്തില്‍ ഒഴുകിച്ചേരുന്ന രാമായണം എന്ന വലിയ നദി ഈ ഭൂമിയെ മുഴുവന്‍ പു ണ്യം കൊണ്ട് നിറയ്ക്കുന്നു ..നിറച്ചും കൊണ്ടേയിരിക്കട്ടേ

vātmīkigirisaṁbhūtā rāmasāgaragāminī| 

punātu bhuvanaṁ puṇyā rāmāyaṇamahānadī||

the Sacred River that is Ramayanam, 

which originates in the mountain names Vaalmiki 

and flows into the ocean which is none other than Rama Himself, may purify the entire world.. the entire earth with all its beauty..

Today starts the Month of Ramayanam.. 

The entire spirit of Ramayanam is eulogized in the above simple slokam..

The story of Rama is sacred for all.. even beyond religious boundaries.. 

For the South Asian Continent, Ramayana is a proud chronicle of a glorious past.. 

For everyone who is looking up for an ideal human being whose life he wants to emulate, Rama is always the first choice..

For efficiency, determination, strength and steadfastness, Hanuman is the ultimate benchmark

And for all that is pure, sweet and delicate and merciful mother Sita is the standard

And Ramayana is the Story, of these three and many others ..

For the lovers of Sanskrit, Ramayanam is the first ever Kaavyam, the beacon-light of enlightenment

It is time to pay our respects to the great poet, his sublime creation and to Rama, Sita and Lord Anjaneya too

for Sanskrit lovers 

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वाल्मीकिगिरि संभूता having her origin in the mountain named Valmiki 

राम सागर गामिनी flowing towards the ocean named Ramaa 

पुण्या the most sacred 

रामायण महानदी great river that is Ramayanam 

भुवनं पुनातु may purify the entire world..

ramayana masam ....

The month of Katakam or Karkitakam is a month of challenges in the shape of rains, and scarcity in Kerala..

The devout Keralite thought it fit that only God can help him to keep him in good shape during the times of difficulties..

And the best thing is that he deemed it fit to spend the days in praise of Sri Rama..

There is a Malayalam version of Ramayanam..

Adhyaatma Ramayanam 

written and sung by the father of Malayalam language itself , the Revered Thunjath Ramanjuan Ezhuththassan..

The simple, melodic version of the epic is read and sung with utmost devotional fervour in every household in Kerala, 

on all the days of Karkitakam..

And traditionally this month is looked with respect as the month of Ramayanam by every Keralite..

The month is from today to 16 th or 17 th July to 16th or 17th August every  year..

Why Ramayana Masam

You know Aani and Aadi are months of scarcity all over the South..of India 

and it is all the more so in Kerala where the difficulties are compounded by heavy rainfall.. 

We tend to pray and praise God more frequently when we face or anticipate difficulties beyond our control..

This is what is happening in respect of Aaadi maasam which is called Karkitakam in malayalam.. 

Usually special poojas are conducted in all temples, 

and Bhagavati Seva in conducted in Devi temples..

Vigneshwara Pooja and Ganapathi Homams are conducted on daily basis during Aadi..

and special pooja to Elephants called aanayoottu

.ആനയൂട്ട്‌ . 

where elephants are sumptuously fed and administered rejuvenating herbs too..

 is a special feature of this month..

The air is normally damp and contaminated.. 

lack of Sunshine is also a problem..

So people take extra care to keep their homes clean.

. The climate prevents labourers from securing jobs and they too are confined to their own houses..

There would be depletion in savings too..

All these circumstances tend to create an air of depression and desolation among people..

So they have to look for some solace,

some inspiration,

and sure, 

the story of Rama comes in as the best guide..

Rama, in spite of being an emperor himself had suffered. 

having been banished to forest, 

having had His wife abducted by a demon, 

forced to seek company with wild animals like monkeys, boars etc..

and still He maintained His rectitude and through His prowess won back everything..

So we worship Him during our difficult times,, so natural, is it not?

And the composition of Ramayanam, by Thunjathu Ramanjuan Ezhuththassan,

the great poet and seer of our language Malayalam ,

is very simple, 

lyrical and so soothing..

So we chant parts of Adhyatma Ramayanam every day during this Karkidakam or Aadi month..

And obviouslya the month is called Ramayana Masam

Musings 30

Too much of exposure to social media has made us so silly, irresponsible and even ungentlemanly.. 

I am sorry.. 

I am not an  exception..

When we share some information or media it is incumbent on us to 

1. Verify the correctness, authenticity, and the social and moral acceptibility.

2. If Copied and /or copyrighted materials are extracted it is a must that the source should be acknowledged.. And if the owner /copyright holder of the material restricts us to from publishing the same we should never post or publishe such materials.

3. When we post something we should be reasonably certain that what we post is in line with truth, morality and accepted social and legal norms.. No one can take shelter stating that he has just forwarded what he has received..

4. Copying another persons intellectual property is not much better that pickpocketing or robbing..

5. And there would be huge number of persons who mark like and shower praises on those lifted and stolen materials which are posted without any sense of shame.. I cannot but pity them and feel ashamed..

6. Some go even a step further.. As if they are epitomes of virtue and uprightness they just publish the stolen material marking Courtesy Some person.. especially some lady with her husbands name attached to the name.. Even a cursory look at the material would reveal that the material was not created by that lady.. Charles Dickens or Shashi Tharoor metamorphosing as Ammini Kunjukuttan or Abayambal Venaktasubramanian... Funny, is it not?

We have lost our sense of Shame, we have lost our gentlemanliness.. 

Or is it that crass imposters only have their place in social media.. or even in the society?

Food for thought..

know the right limits...

प्रस्थावसदृशं वाक्यं प्रभावसदृशम् प्रियम्।

आत्मशक्तिसमं कोपं यो जानाति स पण्डितः॥ 

चाणक्याद्-- 

prasthāvasadṛśaṁ vākyaṁ prabhāvasadṛśam priyam| 

ātmaśaktisamaṁ kopaṁ yo jānāti sa paṇḍitaḥ|| 

cāṇakyād-- 

A very wise statement by Chanakya 

A real learned and resourceful person is the one 

whose declarations are in total agreement with his purports and words 

whose tastes and likes are commensurate with his personal strength 

whose anger is exactly limited to his capacity to cope up with situation 

We find too many who just blabber without any sense or substance 

We find people with a lot of desires and dreams without any clue as to how such tastes can be satisfied 

and 

we find people exploding with anger but with hardly any capacity to impress anyone .. 

Sure, they can never succeed nor make any impact .

(The above post was made   two years ago. Later on in 2019,  I stumbled upon this very same slokam  in Hitopadesham, and Nityaneeti   with two slightly varying   use of words, but conveying the same ideas
Giving below my comments on them  published later  )

प्रस्तावसदृशं वाक्यं सद्भावसदृशं प्रियम्।

आत्मशक्तिसमं कोपं कुर्वाणो नावसीदति॥

नित्यनीति २३४।

प्रस्तावसदृशं वाक्यं सद्भावसदृशं प्रियम्।

आत्मशक्तिसमं कोपं यो जानाति स पण्डितः॥

हितोपदेशे॥ मित्रभेदे ४८

prastāvasadṛśaṁ vākyaṁ sadbhāvasadṛśaṁ priyam|

ātmaśaktisamaṁ kopaṁ kurvāṇo nāvasīdati||

nityanīti 234|

prastāvasadṛśaṁ vākyaṁ sadbhāvasadṛśaṁ priyam|

ātmaśaktisamaṁ kopaṁ yo jānāti sa paṇḍitaḥ||

hitopadeśe|| mitrabhede 48

The above subhashitam is found in two versions.. one in Hitopadesha, and one in the compendiums like nityaneeti, chanakya neeti etc..

The idea conveyed is the same

============

A person who

makes statements and public declarations using appropriate words which are matching his intentions

who shows affection towards others matching in all respects the goodwill shown by them in return

who would show anger only after evaluating his own strength and the comparative strengths of others..

would never come to grief ( According to the first Sloka)

A person who

knows how to make statements and public declarations using appropriate words which are matching his intentions

who knows to show affection towards others matching in all respects the goodwill shown by them in return

who knows that he should show anger only after evaluating his own strength and the comparative strengths of others..

is a man of great erudition and capacity..

(This is the meaning of the second sloka)

==============

Yes, we should talk sense.. feeling the pulse of the audience.. or we can get lynched or even jailed.

If we show misplaced love and sympathy, that would boomerang on us.. and we will be gifted with a lot of grief and grief alone

And if we show anger against the wrong persons, our life and health, both can be at peril.. at present and in future too..

relative utility..

दश कूप समा वापी दश वापी समो ह्रद :|

दशह्रद सम : पुत्रो दशपुत्रसमो द्रुम :||

dasha koopa samaa vaapee dasha vaapee samo hradaH

dsash hradasamaH putro dashaputra samo drumaH..

How can ten children be equal to a tree?Any mythological story related?

( The simple meaning of the sloka is 

A pond is equal to ten wells

A lake is equal to ten ponds

A son is equal to ten lakes

and 

A tree is equal to ten sons.)

My answer is

It is only a matter of relative utility.. 

according to the relative extent of help the various objects can provide..

Koopam.. is a well...

a pit of very moderate width but deep in size, usually dug on the earth by human endeavour.. which contains water which could be drawn again by human effort.

Vaapee... is a Pond...

a larger collection of water.. usually formed by nature by filling wider deep areas on the face of the earth with water.. There might be some natural springs of water too.. (Vaapa means gentle growthand build up) Here water can be drawn easily from the surface.. and the source would serve larger number of people..

Hrada is a Lake..

a far more huge collection of water.. formed by nature.. filling large terrain of comparatively deeper parts of the earth's surface with water.. 

In addition to providing water for all without much effort, the lake can be the source for rivers and rivulets.. 

In some works, the sea itself is viewed as a huge lake..

Lakes like the ones in America or the Manasa Saras in the Himalayas mean a lot to the earth..

Puthra.. is the Son.. 

Son is called puthra because every person, by his activities in life becomes liable to be sent to a hell called Puth पुत्, and the son, who serves the parents and performs the death rites is expected to save them from this hell..

Even otherwise a son is expected to be of great help and assistance to the parents in their sunset years..

Druma --the tree

The tree.. is called Druma 

especially because with long and widely spread branches with deep foliage, occupies huge areas scorched by the sun and provides comparative shades and coolness for all things below.. 

They drink water from deep inside the earth, absorb stale air from the atmosphere and produce fresh oxygen, food,.. 

They shelter birds and small animals.. 

They provide timber, fuel,, They give us many things, and even sacrifice themselves completely to ensure our welfare..hardly expecting or getting anything in return..

So a Pond is ten times more useful than a well.. A lake is ten times useful that a pond.. A son is ten times more useful than a lake and a tree is ten times more useful than a son or is equal to ten sons..

Here practical wisdom speaks and I really do not think any puranic or any story is involved.. It does not seem necessary..

And how can a tree be equal to ten sons..?

the question is left to the imagination of the readers..

Of course, Wells, Ponds, Lakes and Trees are all really useful..

I am not sure about the place of a Son in the chain .. 

Too many sons break the law.. and become counter productive in real life,, especially when the parents are stepping into their old age..

out of focus...

अनवस्थितकार्यस्य न जने न वने सुखम्।

जनो दहति सम्सर्गात् वनं सङ्गतिवर्जनात्॥

चाणक्याद्----

anavasthitakāryasya na jane na vane sukham|

jano dahati samsargāt vanaṁ saṅgativarjanāt||

cāṇakyād----

another pertinent remark by Chanakya..

For a person who is not sure about what he should do or is doing..

For a person who is not fully engaged in some useful and productive activity,

and 

For a person who is not having a focussed mind,

there can be no happiness either in areas populated by human beings 

nor in forests where he can be away from all human company.

In the lands populated with men he will have to burn within himself when he interacts with others and gets neither respect nor recognition

If he chooses to live in a forest with similar attitude, he will have to burn himself suffering loneliness for ever..

A man who is not having a focussed mind and unity of purpose can manage to live among others for long but he will surely be a fellow of no consequence. 

He will have to suffer slightings when he lands up in the company of others.. 

He cannot avoid that if he occupies an active social cluster.

And man is by nature a social being..

If he runs away to far away jungles hiding from all others 

then again he can never be happy. 

Loneliness will kill him

The remedy for us to live a purposeful and focussed life..

earth abounds in gems...

दाने तपसि शौर्ये च विज्ञाने विनये नये।

विस्मयो न हि कर्तव्यो बहुरत्ना वसुन्धरा॥

चाणक्याद्

dāne tapasi śaurye ca vijñāne vinaye naye |

vismayo na hi kartavyo bahuratnā vasundharā||

cāṇakyād

A very poignant reminder from the great Chanakya

One should never feel that he is too important because he has qualities like 

giving gifts generously 

and 

just because

he is doing intense penance 

he is quite bold 

he is well read 

he is humble 

he is dexterous in negotions

because he is not the sole possessor of any kr all of such great qualities.

There are ever so many persons having such achievements and qualities..

Many may be even better than him in respect of such accomplishments

So no one need be arrogant and showy just for this

The earth has ever so many gems..

So a single gem need not be considered as too important.

they spread....

जले तैलं खले गुह्यं पात्रे दानं मनागपि। 

प्राज्ञे शास्त्रम् स्वयम् याति विस्तारे वस्तुशक्तितः॥

चाणक्याद्

jale tailaṁ khale guhyaṁ pātre dānaṁ manāgapi| 

prājñe śāstram svayam yāti vistāre vastuśaktitaḥ||

cāṇakyād

Another sweet gem from Chanakya

Oil added to water 

Secret shared with an idiot or an evil minded fellow

Gift given to a deserving and nice person

Knowledge of science imparted to a man with great intellect

These spread and multiply all by themselves especially because of the qualities of the recepients..
even if the quantity supplied is very small.

Oil and water do not mix with one another.. They have different specific gravities too..Obviously oil added to water floats over a vast area over the surface.

When we disclose a secret to an idiot or an indiscreet person, we know what happens.. The matter will be given a lot of make up too and presented everywhere ..

When a gift is given to a nice and deserving person, he will be grateul and we gain a good friend for ever.. The gift would be used for noble purposes..

And when we teach a nice, earnest and briilliant student, the knowledge and the benefits arising out of it grow and spread millionfold..

Of course special mention is to be made of secrets shared with idiots..