Musings 28

Kunchan nambyar was not  exactly obsessed with idiots in society 

but he heaped satire and sarcasm in his literary creations making use of such absurdities.

I think Social Media too gives lots and lots of ammunition for satire and laughter 

If I do not like a fellow I have two choices. 

I can keep quiet. 

Or I can read him and laugh aloud too.

There is always fun in poking a fellow you hate. 

Of course one has to steer clear of libel laws. 

That is all. 

There is no rule that I should keep a stoic silence

If all people had chosen to keep quiet there would not have been any 

Tenali Ramans 

Bernard Shaws 

Tholans 

and

 Wodehouses.

Do not ask me if I am a Nambyar or Shaw.

No , I am not.. 

But I am myself.

Of course a post in social media will not provide us with food.

We interfere in many social matters even if such matters will not feed us. 

Life is not just about getting food to eat.

 If that were so the world would never have been so beautiful and so ugly too

Musings 27 People talk about negativity... What is negativity?

People talk about negativity...

What is negativity? 

If I say something or act in a certain way and it is not to the taste of someone who watches it , he is sure to tell that I am filled with negativity..

Then some would say, negativity is the attitude of looking at any issue from its weaker and fragile side when there is still some scope left for seeing something bright..

But are there no limits even for this.. 

One can even understand if one called a piece of polished brass piece as gold.. just to prove that he is filled with positivity..

But to call a faded piece of aluminium foil as platinum.. in the name of positivity is too difficult to digest..

If, in the name of positivity, I walk with closed eyes along the middle of Anna Salai near Shanti theatre during daytime.. the chances are that I may land up as a body in the mortuary of the medical college.. alternately 

I may land up in some ward in the Kilpauk mental Hospital..

I would prefer to have positivity only when the attitude is sensible too.

and going by most of the slogans and exhortations 

appearing in Social media, 

positivity, jai ho.. etc implies lack of simple commonsense and that is called foolhardiness... It is something like a fellow walking with open eyes into a deep pit in broad daylight .

the fingering rules while offering Naivedyam ..

the fingering rules while offering Naivedyam .. 

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

Note: This is a post on ritualistic aspects of partaking in food or offering food to God.. as per Indian Traditions.. It may not be of much use to those outside the Hindu Faith..

The practices are supposed to have tantric significance too..

According to Shandilya Smriti.. and other texts 

Usually when we offer ceremonial parishechanam (the ceremonial ablution with water ) before taking food or offering food as Naivedyam to God, we chant the mantras

Praanaaya Svaahaa, 

Apaanaaya Svaahaa, 

Vyaanaaya Swaahaa, 

Udaanaaya Swaahaa, 

Samaanaaya swaahaaH .. the offering to the five vital elements residing in the body or in the deity 

and 

finally the offer to the Brahman the supreme being.. 

as Brahmane swaahaaH..

SwaahaH is the consort of the God of Fire, Agni and eating food and offering food to God both are considered as offering in a yajnam to the Fire God.. We chant the name of SwaahaaH while offering oblation to fire.. The same chant is used here too.

( Of course our digestive system is supposed to be kindled by Jaadaraagni.. with the support of the vital five functions of pancha Praanas.. prana,apana,vyana, udana, and samana)

While taking rice we just take to lips small cooked grains, holding them between the thumb and the index finger, and making offers to Prana, Apana, Vyana Udana, and Samana and Brhmam..

When we offer naivedyam to God, we just show our full right palm to God as if it were a fan and just move the palm from the Naivedyam kept in the vessel in the direction of the deity..

But the real rule for such offer is prescribe by sags Shandilya in his treatise on procedures. 

I quote from Sage shandilya..

तर्जनीमध्यमाङ्गुष्ठलग्नः प्राणाहुतिर्भवेत् 

मध्यमानामिकाङ्गुष्ठैरपाने जुहुयत्ततः

कनिष्ठानामिकाङ्गुष्ठैर्व्याने च जुहुयाद्धविः 

तर्जनी तु बहिः कृत्वा उदाने जुहुयात्ततः

समाने सर्वहस्तेन समुदायाहुतिर्भवेत् 

शाण्डिल्यस्मृति

tarjanīmadhyamāṅguṣṭhalagnaḥ prāṇāhutirbhavet 

madhyamānāmikāṅguṣṭhairapāne juhuyattataḥ

kaniṣṭhānāmikāṅguṣṭhairvyāne ca juhuyāddhaviḥ 

tarjanī tu bahiḥ kṛtvā udāne juhuyāttataḥ

samāne sarvahastena samudāyāhutirbhavet 

śāṇḍilyasmṛti

The offer to the Praana.. Praanaaya svaahaaH should be made keeping the Index Finger, the Middle Finger and the Thumb together..

The offer to the Apana Shounld be made by keeping the Middle Finger, Ring Finger (Anamika) and the Thumb together.. 

The offer to Vyaana should be made keeping together the thumb, the Ring finger and the little finger together.

The offer to Udaana should be made by keeping the Indiex finger out and keeping together the other four fingers namely the thumb, the middle finger the ring finger and the little finger together..

The offer to Samaana is to be made pressing together the tips of all the five fingers.. (According to Shaandilya)

But there is a different version where offer to Samaana is to be made keeping together all fingers excepting the little finger. 

And offer to the Brahmam is to be made with full hand with all the fingers..

Of course, the Dharmashastras prescribe the use of only the right hand..

initiation into holy mantras

initiation into holy mantras

In the standard texts a very rigorous practice is prescribed for a disciple to get initiated into a mahamantra.. Serving the Guru for long periods, worship of certain deities, physical and mental exercises like Pranayama, frequent baths and many other very tough practices are prescribed.. 

But in a text Updeshasudhaatantram the following rule is mentioned 

चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे चैव सिद्धक्षेत्रे शिवालये 

मन्त्रमात्रप्रकथनमुपदेशः स उच्यते॥

उपदेशसुधातन्त्रे

candrasūryagrahe caiva siddhakṣetre śivālaye 

mantramātraprakathanamupadeśaḥ sa ucyate||

upadeśasudhātantre

During the periods of eclipses of the Moon or the Sun

While stationed at the Lands of Gods and Sidhas.. like Himalyas, and some holy lands like Badari ete

or 

While worshipping the Lord in the Temple of Lord Siva 

Even a chance hearing of a holy name of the divinity or a mantra is considered as having gained initiation into that mantra..

Views can differ on this, but the sacredness of the muhurtams mentioned are never in doubt..

( It may be noted that there are Shiva temples where pooja and dhaara are performed during the eclipses.. although most of the temples are supposed to be closed during that period)

Musings 26

Empathy, emotional intelligence, kindness.. all are great principles.

These make life as a social animal tolerable..

Without concern for others and kindness for all beings we cannot have a wholesome life.. 

But we should never lose sight of the fact that apart from physical activies and connecting with others .. these form the basis for our peripheral living and social existence.. 

there is a tough yet sublime,

hard yet transparent, 

visible yet invisible core in everyone of us which can be shared by us only with our God..

if we believe in him.. 

The activities, pleasures and pains of that core can be percieved only by the individual and they can be shared only with the eternal father.. the God.. 

We will talk of sharing hearts, love, feelings and so on.. but the core materials can never be shared..

See Narayanospanishat for a sort of imagery..

पद्मकोशप्रतीकाशं हृदयं चाप्यधोमुखं अधो निष्ट्या वितस्त्यान्ते नाभ्यां उपरि तिष्टति.. 

(the area between Manipura and Anahata chakras.. there the blood circulation is regulated... but Krishna Says that He too Sits there.. EasvaraH sarvabhootaanam hrid dese arjuna tishtati.... Sarvasya cha aham hridi sannivishtaH..)

Flaunting technical terms is of little use.

We have to attempt to integrate Goldings Emotional intelligence with what we knew in our culture millenniums ago.. but that attempt will only reveal that what the modern lifestyle pundits discovered is very little.. We chant litanies and mantras without knowing the core and the meaning.. 

We wisecrack.. we write homilies.. But we do not understand the core.. 

Blind bhakthi and reading old stories and drawing imagery for silly things from stories like puranas is not spirituality..

Krishna who is the master of the world, the teacher of Gita is great,, 

we need not bother much about the fellow who stole butter or played with cowherd women.. 

We should know the difference between the grain and the chaff.. 

The spiritual gurus usually cheat us there.. They do not teach us to seek the core.. 

Because once we reach the core, we do not have to depend on gurus, and they will lose their job and source of Income..

respect for womanhood...

The rules of Hinduism are  crystal clear on the issue of paying respects to the wife of an elder family member, even if the lady is younger in age....

In Ramayanam, Lakshmana is younger to Rama by just two days.. Even though it is not clearly stated in the epic , Sita is presumed to be younger to Rama younger and therefore youngerto Lakshmana too... Laksjmana was born just two days after Ram ..

Rama on the Star Punartham of Chaitram and Lakshmana with his twin Shatrughna on the next Aashlesha or AAyilyam star..

And there is an occasion in Valmiki Ramayanam, where, Lakshmana is asked to identify the jewellery thrown down by Sita in Rishyamooka while she was being abducted to Lanka by Ravana..

Lakshmana Says.. 

नाहं जानामि केयूरे नाहं जानामि कुण्डले नूपुरे तु अभिजानामि नित्यं पाद्दभिवन्दनात I 

Naaham jaanaami keyoorey naaham jaanaami kundaley noopurey tu abhijaanaami nityam paadaabhivandanaat....

Meaning..

"I do not know how the ear-studs or the armlets of Sita would look like but I do recognize the anklets worn on her legs,, as I do see them when I prostrate on her feet every day.."

Here Lakshmana, by all means is elder in age to Sita.. but Sita is his elder brother's wife. and therefore he worships her feet..

Dharmasastras equate elder brother to ones own father and elder brother's wife to one's own mother..

Just as, if one's father marries a lady younger to the person, she assumes the status of mother. even if she is younger in age.

lion cannot shout back.. he may act..

यद्यपि रटति सरोषम् मृगपतिपुरोऽपि मत्तगोमायुः।

तदपि कुर्यात् सिम्होप्यसदृशपुरुषेषु कः कोपाः॥

yadyapi raṭati saroṣam mṛgapatipuro'pi mattagomāyuḥ|

tadapi kuryāt simhopyasadṛśapuruṣeṣu kaḥ kopāḥ ||

Even if an inebriated fox howls with rage in front of a lion, the lion will not shout back..

Anger can be shown to only who are one's equal..

சிங்கத்தின் முன்னே நின்று நரி  வெறியுடன்  உரக்க சத்தம் போட்டாலும் சிங்கம் திரும்ப ஒன்றும் பேசாது..

கோபம் கொள்வதற்கும் ஒரு தகுதி வேண்டும்..

so near-- so far off

so near-- so far off

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

दूरस्थोपि न दूरस्थः यो यस्यमनसिस्थितः।

यो यस्य हृदये नाऽस्ति समीपस्थोपि दूरतः॥

॥चाणक्याद्॥

dūrasthopi na dūrasthaḥ yo yasyamanasisthitaḥ|

yo yasya hṛdaye nā'sti samīpasthopi dūrataḥ||

|āṇakyād||

Even if a person is residing in a faraway place, if he is close to our heart, he is not away from us..

And 

If a person is not having a place in our heart, he is very distant from us even if he is staying near us physically..

மிகவும் தொலைவின் வாழ்பவன் கூட நம் மனதுக்கு பிடித்தவன் ஆக இருந்தால் நம்முடனே இன்ருக்கிறான்

நம் இதயதில் இடம் இல்லாதவர்கள் பக்கத்தில் வசித்தாலும் அவர் ரொம்ப தூரத்தில் தான் இருக்கிறார்கள்..

பக்கத்தில் இருந்தென்ன? 

இதயத்தில் இருக்க வேண்டுமே

ദൂരസ്ഥോപി ന ദൂരസ്ഥഃ യോ യസ്യമനസിസ്ഥിതഃ।

യോ യസ്യ ഹൃദയേ നാഽസ്തി സമീപസ്ഥോപി ദൂരതഃ॥

॥ചാണക്യാദ്॥

ഏറെ ദൂരെ എത്രയോ ആയിരം നാഴിക അകലെ ജീവിക്കുന്ന വ്യക്തി ആയാല്‍ പോലും അയാളോട് നമുക്ക് ഹൃദയം കൊണ്ട് അടുപ്പം ഉണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ അയാള്‍ എപ്പോഴും നമ്മുടെ അരികില്‍ ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കും.. അയാള്‍ നമുക്ക് ഏറെ അടുപ്പം ഉള്ള ആള്‍ ആണെന്ന കരുതല്‍ നമുക്ക് എപ്പോഴും ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കും.

പക്ഷെ നമ്മുടെ ഹൃദയത്തില്‍ സ്ഥാനം ഇല്ലാത്ത ഒരു വ്യക്തി നമുക്ക് ഏറെ അരികില്‍ താമസിക്കുന്നു എങ്കിലും അയാള്‍ എന്നും നമ്മില്‍ നിന്ന് ഏറെ അകലെയാണ്. എത്ര അരികെ ഉണ്ടായാലും അത്തരം ആളുകളോട് ഒരു അടുപ്പവും തോന്നുകയില്ല.

അരികെ താമസിച്ചിട്ട് എന്ത് കാര്യം

മനസ്സ് കൊണ്ടും ഹൃദയം കൊണ്ട് അടുപ്പം ഉണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ മാത്രമേ കാര്യമുള്ളൂ.

 

Umaya saha devesah shankarah chandrasekharah

Umaya saha devesah shankarah chandrasekharah 

Takka vadhya ninaadena rakshthu twaam maheswarah

उमया सह देवेशः शङ्करः चन्द्रशेखरः।

टक्का वाद्यनिनादेन रक्षतु त्वाम् महेश्वरः।

umayā saha deveśaḥ śaṅkaraḥ candraśekharaḥ|

ṭakkā vādyaninādena rakṣatu tvām maheśvaraḥ |

This is indeed a  special sloka. 

It is attributed to Kalidasa when he was  in his formative years when he remained  uneducated verging on being an Idiot.

There was a princess in the country where Kalidasa spent his earlier life as an illiterate goatherd. 

The princess was learned and equally arrogant. 

She challenged all the kings, scholars etc., that she would marry only the man who defeated her in literary debate. 

All the kings and scholars had to face defeat. 

They were humiliated. 

They hatched a plan by which they could get the princess married by an illiterate and idiotic person. 

After much search they stumbled upon a doubly distilled idiot who was sitting on a sprouted branch of the tree and cutting with his axe the connecting portion of the tree with the trunk without knowing that he would fall down and perish once the branch is cut. 

They immediately caught hold of the fellow and gave him a bath and adorned him with costly clothes and ornaments and took him to the palace on the promise that he would get good food to his hearts content.

They had also instructed him that he should never utter even a single word. 

But in the courtyard of the king he saw Camels and he started screaming Ushtra, Ushtra (sanskrit name of Camel) . 

The king who happened to hear him asked why a great scholar was screaming like this.

The scholars accompanying him had a ready-made reply. 

The great poet had penned a great sloka and was just uttering the first letters of the four lines U, sha, ta, ra. 

The meaning of the sloka is “ May Lord Sankara
 who is the protector of all Devas and who is wearing the crescent moon in his head, accompanied by his consort Uma, bless you all with the playing of his takka vadhya (udukku} . 

The explanation hit the right target.
And 

The idiot married the princess and later on became Kalidasa, it is history

my God, I am Kanfused...

God.. the idea of God was the subject matter of numerous conflicts and controversies.. 

Some say there is a God, 

some say there is no God. 

Some say we should have a God.. 

Some say it is superstition to have God, 

The very concept of God appear to have emerged from yearnings of the shaky and indecisive human mind

Man always knew that he is not perfect, and then imagined that there would be something really perfect.

Such a being was man's hero, 

and every man or a group around him defined God in the shape of the best hero they could created in their mind in their own way.

For a warrior group, a spear, or a brave man was the God. maybe with minor variations in details.

For a peaceful family, the father and mother became Gods..

For a happy family.. a united and loving set of members showed up as Divinity.. 

( One example is the Shiva family).. 

In reality , God is a fond hope 

God is an evasive presence of the best among the best 

God is a yearning 

God is a dream.. yet to be fulfilled.

But man was never sure whether God is there or if He is there what exactly is He 

.Some may make claims that they have seen or felt Divine presence but no one is able to demonstrate such presence in any convincing way..applying the tools of logic. 

Even the best of the believers cannot say for sure that they have realized God beyond any sort of uncertainty 

And even the worst atheists cannot say honestly that they have succeeded in proving that God is not there.

So the debate goes on.. and will go on as long as we humans live 

But the definition and visualization of God which is very intricate and much hyped can undergo complete change as a person or a society grows in time, physique and intellect..

. यावान अर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके तावान सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः..

When the whole landscape is deluged with floods, a puddle loses its significance..

Similarly for a man who has seen things happen, minor details do not count at all..

Musings 25

Every sentence, every phrase. we utter or write . need not and should be a bone of contention or casus belli
.They need not be ever sugarcoated too.

Many statements are basically true and could be understood well within our peer groups.


If one sees a thing called cow, and says 'this is a cow.". someone cannot just say.. I disagree..

But if he disagreesbecause the cow shown to him does not possess the usual shape and capacity to give milk , we can understand it and agree too.
.
But if someone says.
." Who gave it the name of cow?
The biological mass with life having four legs, a body, two horns, female sex, with udders, which could give a white drinkable liquid, which excretes a stinking biomass and eats a lot of leaves and hay
which the society in its ignorance addressed to as a cow
is according to my considered opinion is a crow."..

For most others, other than the one who holds the view and also to people of comparable idiocy such statements would either look funny or at least silly.

Of course,a psychiatrist or a doctor treating a lunatic in an asylum
or a government servant of subordinate cadre listening to a boss may have to bear with such statements and agree too because they have no choices..

I just quote this example demonstrate that we should learn to see plain facts of life realistically, and should not complicate things.

But we in social media tend to give skewed and topsy turvy views just for winning an argument simply to canvas a point rightly or wrongly ..

Our tendency to reach the peak of stupidity is at its maximum when our audience happens to be members of the fairer sex or when we are attempting to parade our own glory..

Dissent for dissents sake is foolish, but we dissent on that point too often

I think if most of us should choose express disagreement only when it is necessary for maintaining reasonable order and sanity.

We can avoid giving and getting headaches that way..

But that spirit is absent in our excahanges in social meida

When the satan of vanity catches hold of us, the angel of friendship just takes leave of us without any notice

so devoted...

यत्र रामकथागानम् तत्र आस्ते हनुमान् यथा

संस्कृताध्ययनम् यत्र तत्र संस्कृतिदर्शनम्॥

yatra rāmakathāgānam tatra āste hanumān yathā

saṁskṛtādhyayanam yatra tatra saṁskṛtidarśanam||

Wherever the glorious story of Rama is sung, present there would be Hanuman the Aanjaneya 

Just like that, wherever teaching of the language Sanskrit is in progress, exemplary culture and behaviour are sure to be present..

Mouthful of betel leaves

Mouthful of betel leaves 

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

Name 559 of Lalitha Mahatripura sundari  Mother Rajarajeshwari
 in lalitha sahasranamam ..
is

ताम्बूलपूरितमुखी 

Thaamboola pooritha mukhee

She whose mouth is filled with betel leaves and additions which she is chewing...

a very affectionate imagery of the Divine mother

even if she is the most beautiful woman chewing must be giving her a funny face..

and yes, the adorindg devotee who sees Her as the mother will have no difficulty in loving that funny face..

If a devotee is having reverence alone for the divine he would have found it difficult to call her by such an unorthodox name..

And mind you it was lord Hayagreeva describing

Her by this name to sage Markandeya..

Even the great souls forget themselves when they are overcome with affection..

Or was it that Lord Hayagreeva who is Narayana himself having a poke at his little sister.?

Anyway it isour fortune that we can approach and get things done easily as the mother is in a relaxed mood chewing pan..

It is another story that she spat a little of this tamboolam into the gaping mouth of an idiot Mooka and he sang the Mookapanchaasati ..

He comes to us the way we want....

The blessed Lord declared in Gita..

Yo yadaa maam prapadyante taan tadaiva bhajaamyaham.. in whatever way people try to reach me, I approach them the same way..

यो यदा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तान्स्तदैव भजाम्याहं

That is one comfort..

Bhakthi can be so funny..

In the story of Dhruva in Bhagavatam.. Dhruva the child is doing penance..

very hard penance..

The lord Narayana is pleased..

The child had fixed the form of the Lord as described by sage Narada in his mind and is ever contemplating on it..

So when the Lord appears before the child in person, Dhruva is not aware of it..

And he is not even ready to take off his mind from the form fixed in his heart.

The lord had to use his Maya to take of the form in the mind to make the boy open his eyes and see the Lord present in person in all His glory..

That is bhakti..

Thondar Adipodi azhwar it is who said..

" You the fellow who resides in Arangam city..

 with a body like a green mountain with coral red lips and lotus eyes..

you the faultless one, the first among the deathless, 

you the darling of the cowherds.. 

to see you and chant your glory here, 

is all that I want. 

I will not take it even if the lordship of heaven is offered to me in place of this beauty.. " 

(பச்சைமாமலை போல் மேனி

பவளவாய் கமலச் செங்கண்

அச்சுதா அமரரேறே ஆயர்தம்

கொழுந்தே என்னும்

இச்சுவை தவிர யான்போய்

இந்திரலோகமாளும்

அச்சுவை பெறினும் வேண்டேன்

அரங்கமா நகருளானே.)

കടും പച്ചനിറംപൂണ്ട മാമല പോലെ മേനിയുമായ് കിടന്നു 

പവിഴത്തെ വെല്ലുന്ന ചെഞ്ചുണ്ടു കാട്ടി 

താമര ഇതള്‍ പോലെ വിടര്‍ന്ന കണ്ണുകളാല്‍ എന്നെ നോക്കുന്ന അച്യുതാ, വാനോര്‍ക്കെല്ലാം മുമ്പനായവനെ 

ആയര്‍കുടിയിലെ അമ്മമാരുടെ കണ്മണിയെ 

നിന്നെ എന്റെ കണ്ണുകളാല്‍ കൊതിതീരും വരെ കണ്ടു നില്‍ക്കുന്നതിന്റെ സ്വാദ് എനിക്ക് കിട്ടിക്കഴിഞ്ഞു.. 

ഇത് മാത്രം തുടരട്ടെ . 

എനിക്ക് ഇത് മാത്രം മതി..

സ്വര്‍ഗ്ഗവും ഇന്ദ്രപദവിയും എനിക്ക് തന്നാലും അത് വേണ്ടേ വേണ്ട.. 

തിരുവരങ്കത്തില്‍ നീണ്ടു നിവര്‍ന്നു കിടക്കുന്നവനെ.. 

നീ മാത്രം മതി എനിക്ക് 

തൊണ്ടരടിപൊടി ആഴ്വാര്‍....

That is bhakthi in the shape of love..

What are we to say..!

adversity bringing together all sorts of people,

my take on adversity bringing together all sorts of people,,,

There is a story in Panchatantram..
a cat and rat are acquaintances..

And are natural enemies too 

and the latter  is the natural dinner and suuper for the former..

But the story tells that when the cat is trapped in the net of a hunter, the rat saves him..
but waiting till the hunter was just about to reach so that the cat would run away instead of waiting to try to enjoy his food..

This story has many dimensions..

When a fellow living being was facing threat to his life, the arch enemy just comes to his rescue, and even saves him, but the enemy know that such gesture of kindness and altruism is not going to save his own neck.

Mahabharatham in the Ghoshayatra episode makes the eldest Pandava say the the Pandavs and Kauravas are bitter enemies but when their common clan is attacked, they are hundred and five
..
It is all sense of self preservation..

 but we have to admit that there is a small percentage of people who grow really beyond selfishness .. 

maybe the God in them just wakes up..

Gita says, whenever adharmam raises its head, and dharmam is obliterated He just manifests Himself.. 

We interpret that the God incarnates Himself when evil takes over and brings about the balancing act..

Here adharmam can a different dimension too..

 it is the disastrous tilt in the natural and happy balance of the conditions of existence.. 

Dharmam then is the order in the society.. 

When that order receives a hard blow, if we are to survive, God has to come.. 

but that God need not be some prince or cowherd or a carpenter.. 

He may be personification the collective goodness inherent in ourselves.. which comes out , does its duty, and becomes dormant once the purpose is served..

Man is a mixture of good and bad..

In physics and thermodynamics we have learnt about the Kinetic theory of gases..

Even though we find order and apparent quietness in fluid mass especially, the particles therein are moving in random directions at some velocity, and each particle collides with one another and neutralizes the speed to reach a sort of equilibrium which is dynamic.. 

The pressure, Volume and temperature. just affect the matter to bring about the equilibrium.. 

Pressure multiplied by volume and the product divided by the temperature in Kelvin scale gives a constant value, although the three Individual parameters are always varying.. 

The sum and substance of the theory is that when one of the three variables, pressure, volume and temperature undergoes a variation, the other two individually or in combination act to nullify the variation and to bring about the dynamic equilibrium..

We can perhaps understand things better if the behaviour of cetain systems which can be understood through observation, can be projected to even abstract phenomena..

tampering with scripts...is that right?

Ramayana and Mahabharatha and Puranas were derived from Vedas or at least were never in conflict with Vedic ideas..
And the description of the story line as well as the spiritual details in various itihasas, puranas and upapuranas followed identical story-lines faithfully, and the descriptions did not have major variations..
And these have evolved over a few millenniums and all institutions of Hindus, and rituals followed over centuries have evolved from those texts..
You can note that there were many literary creations like Raghuvamsam, Shakunthalam, Kirataarjuneeyam, Naishadham, Shishupalavadham and so on which also relied on puranic and Itihasic themes.. and, but for some poetic liberties of minor nature, they did not deviate much from the scriptures.. Still the works of Kalidasa, Bharavi, Magha and Sreeharsha are never accepted as authoritative texts of Hinduism/
Whether the scriptures Vedas and puranas were true or false can be a matter of conjecture.. Then Hinduism can be also called a big farce..
But those texts and tenets contained therein were followed by us and our forefathers for centuries..
How can the brainchild of some fiction writer of today be ever compared to that?
Many books analyzing various characters in our lore have been written by many Indians and foreigners.. Are they accepted as final words in Hinduism.?. Tagore wrote about Urmila, for example. that is considere as his view alone..
Hinduism has its basic texts..For some it may be Vedas and Puranas and for some it may be the local lore developed over centuries.. But to call Shiva Trilogy which challenges almost all precedents as seen from the hoary traditions, is called as a standard text of reference for Hinduism , I cannot help calling it ridiculous..
Who will accept a new Bible or a new Koran at deviation from the originals..?
I just repeat, the catholicity and flexibility of Hinduism, and lack of reverence to a great extent on the part of followers gives rise to such queries and ideas..
And every religion is based on Faith evolved over years,, and the standard texts followed as authentic are sacrosanct..
Religion need not be always rational..
In fact every religion has evolved from situations where the rational approach did not really work and man felt helpless.
If anyone wants, he can establish Shaivism on the basis of the trilogy..
Who can oppose it.?.
It is a free country..

kalidasa and the nameless finger....

kalidasa and the nameless finger....

In fact, the episode is very famous..

In the court of a great king, animated discussion was in progress and the issue was .".Who is the greatest poet (of India)...?"

The courtiers were preparing to count the names using their fingers, and all were unanimous in accepting that Kalidasa was the first, and they counted him on the little finger.. or Kanishtikaa ( in Sanskrit)..

The next finger in pririty was the ring finger which is called "Anamikaa" in sanskrit.

When the scholars assembled tried to find a name more or less comparable to Kalidasa, so that such name could be assigned to "Anamika" (the ring finger), they had to admit in unison that there was no name of a poet that could be equated or compared to Kalidasa in greatness..

So, Anamika could not be assigned any name ..

In fact, Anamika... means.. Na naamikaa.. without name or nameless, And the absence of any name to compare with Kalidasa who occupied the little finger or Kanishtikaa.. reinforced the name of the ring finger as anaamilka.. the nameless finger..

Puraa Kaveenaam Gananaaprasange Kanisthikaadhistitha kalidaasaH

adhyaapi tattulya kaveH abhaavaat anaamikaa saarthavatee babhoova..

पुरा कवीनाम् गणनाप्रसङ्गे कनिष्ठिकाधिष्ठितकालिदासः।

अद्यापि तत्तुल्य कवेरभावात् अनामिका सार्थवती बभूव॥

purā kavīnām gaṇanāprasaṅge kaniṣṭikādhiṣṭitakālidāsaḥ|

adyāpi tattulya kaverabhāvāt anāmikā sārthavatī babhūva||

Dandi , Kalidasa, Bhoja

We just mention some free slokas.. called Chaatu slokas..
for occasions to drive home certain points in Shastras and lifestyle..
the ideas are appealing but can never say for sure that the source is authentic..
The fruit is sweet but we do not know from which tree it is plucked,
however, we tend to name the tree according to our limited data or even our convenience..

There is a sloka in circulation comparing the greatness of Dandi and Kalidasa..
that too umpired by Bhoja..
nice to read but without any authenticity..

Once the matter as to who was great as a poet between Dandi and Kalidasa was taken to the doors of Devi Kali..
king Bhoja was also a witness to the proceedings.

The three were assembled before the doors of the Devi which was just getting opened in the morning..

Seeing Dandi, Kali is reported to have said,
kavir dandiH kavir dandiH kavir Dandirna SashayaH

कविर्द्दण्डिः कविर्द्दण्डिः कविर्द्दण्डिर्न संशयः
kavirddaṇḍiḥ kavirddaṇḍiḥ kavirddaṇḍirna saṁśayaḥ

meaning three times I say, Dandi is the greatest poet.

Kalidasa was very sad.. but looking at his sad face, Mother Kali said.
Twamevaaham Twamevaaham Twamevaahama na samshayaH
त्वमेवाहं त्वमेवाहं त्वमेवाहं न संशयः
tvamevāhaṁ tvamevāhaṁ tvamevāhaṁ na saṁśayaḥ
meaning I declare thrice without any room for doubt that you are myself
who is greater?

So many such stories are there, with so many local variations in description and content..

So each can say things in the way he has learnt it..

Like perhaps the ten blind men who visited an elephant and described its form and qualities according to their perception..

IMPORTANT NOTE....
ACCORDING TO LEARNED HISTORIANS OF SANSKRIT LITERATURE AND SCHOLARS IT IS CLARIFIED THAT KALIDAS AND DANDI WERE NOT CONTEMPORARIES.. But I think that does not take away the enjoyability of the above chatuslokam..

न रत्नम् अन्विष्यति मृग्यते हि तत्

॥न रत्नम् अन्विष्यति मृग्यते हि तत्॥

|ṁa ratnam anviṣyati mṛgyate hi tat||

A precious stone does not run around the marketplace canvassing its own sale.. Wherever it is, it would be sought after by the genuine seekers.

This statement occurs in the great Mahakavyam of Kalidasa, "Kumarasambhava"

Uma is seen doing penance and undergoing severe austerities to get Shankara as her husband

Once the lord visits her in her hermitage, and seeing austerities observed by such a rich, attractive and accomplished her, He is just wondering why she was subjecting herself to such penance..

He goes on to say that for a girl of her beauty and status, eminent suitors would throng around he fathers abode, and it was meaningless to do penance..

A precious Gem need not canvas for itself..

Elsewhere we find

यस्य नैसर्गिकी शोभा तन्न संस्कारमर्हति।

कः कलाम् शशिनो मार्ष्टि कौस्तुभः केन रज्यते॥

yasya naisargikī śobhā tanna saṁskāramarhati|

kaḥ kalām śaśino mārṣṭi kaustubhaḥ kena rajyate||।

an object which has inherent lustre (greatness) will not require further embellishments to make it presentable or marketable. nobody travels to moon to clean its surface, nor anyone ever tries to polish the Kaustuba gem adorning the bosom of Krishna.

I think the modern marketing pundits and many activists in Social Media will not entirely agree.

Window dressing and packaging are part of their promotion drives...

they will better try to polish a metallic piece to such perfection that it sells in the market as lunar crescent

and

with a grinding stone and a more grinding tongue they may market a pebble as the original Gem Kaustubham

and

also make people believe that Krishna in his austerity drive has already sent his prime gem for auction

the bright lamp of Kalidasa ...

सञ्चारिणी दीपशिखेव रात्रौ यम् यम् व्यतीयाय पतिम् वरा सा।

नरेन्द्रमार्गाट्ट इव प्रपेदे विवर्णभावम् स स भूमिपालः॥ ६७

काळिदासप्रणीते रघुवंशमहाकाव्ये ६ सर्गात्

sañcāriṇī dīpaśikheva rātrau yam yam vyatīyāya patim varā sā|

narendramārgāṭṭa iva prapede vivarṇabhāvam sa sa bhūmipālaḥ|| 67

kāḻidāsapraṇīte raghuvaṁśamahākāvye 6 sargāt

a gem of a slokam from Kalidasa..

The scene is the Svayamvaram.. the seclection of groom by the bride to be.. by Indumathi, the charming princes... Many suitors are arrayed in expectation,, and Aja, the prince from the clan of Raghu is also there..

The princess, holding a garland meant for the one whom she would ultimately choose, is moving along a long line of princes who are all lined up, expecting that one of them would be chosen as the groom..

The glory and the history of each prince is explained to the girl and she would cast her glance too on the prospective suitor, and as she is not impressed, would move ahead, leaving each one in the line faded and jaded in despair.. 

While describing the situation, Kalidasa uses the simile and imagery of a bright lamp.. which is being carried in a procession in the royal throughfare. during a dark night... 

The road is arrayed with many attractive buildings.. 

As the lamp  moves ahead, the fronts of each building is seen it all its brightness and attractiveness..

 But when the processions moves on and the lamp too is carried away, the bright face of the buildings just plunge into darkness and anonymity.. 

Just like that, when the princess was approaching each prince, his face brightened up in expectation and ecstasy.. But as she moved on passing him off, his face became drained of colour .. as he was disappointed..

"Indumatee, in the process of selection of a groom for herself was walking ahead like a bright lamp, along the line of many kings, and whichever king whom she had rejected became jaded and dejected, just like what happens to a building along the royal thoroughfare as a bright lamp is being carried along during night, and the lamp while approaching brightens up the building and plunges the same building into darkness as the lamp is carried further ahead.."

The Upama used here is sublime.. And in literary circle, Kalidasa became famous as Deepashikhaa Kaalidasa for this single imagery..

It is legend that Aja was chosen by Indumatee as her prince charming.. and a battle ensued.. 

Aja and Indumati were married and lived happily.. and so on.. 

But the imagery just brightens up the heart of every generation.. of lovers of literature..

ultimate in equanimity...

दधतो मङ्गळक्षौमे वसानस्य च वल्कले।

ददृशुर्विस्मितास्तस्य मुखरागं समं जनाः॥

काळिदासकृते रघुवंशमहाकाव्ये १२-८

dadhato maṅgaḻakṣaume vasānasya ca valkale|

dadṛśurvismitāstasya mukharāgaṁ samaṁ janāḥ||

kāḻidāsakṛte raghuvaṁśamahākāvye 12-8

मङ्गळक्षौमे pair of auspicious silken garments 

दधतः wearing 

वल्कले bark garment 

वसानस्य adorning 

च too

तस्य his 

समं unchanged or with equanimity 

मुखरागं colour of the face 

विस्मिताः wonderstruck 

जनाः people 

ददृशु saw 

Rama was equnimity personified.. Neither happiness nor adversity did make any impact on his thoughts and action..

The Emperors son Rama was declared as the heir apparent or yuva raja, and the coronation was fixed with pomp and gaiety.. 

On the morning of the festive day, Rama is dressed in the dual silken robe befitting the occasion.. 

Kaikeyi, under the evil influence of Manthara has other plans for Rama, and taking advantage of two boons granted by the king Dasaratha, she manages two decrees from the King,

first that Bharatha would be the next king 

and 

the second that Rama would adjourn to forest and live there as a recluse for fourteen years..

When Rama enters the palace of Dasaratha on the morning of the coronation, fully dressed in silk, the order of the king denying him the kingdom and directing him to adjourn to forest for fourteen years, was awaiting him..

Any person would have been shattered..

But Rama's demeanour did not change even slightly.. 

He removes his silken clothes and adorns himself with bark garments, and emerges out of the palace without any change in the sweet glow on his face.. 

People who watched him all along are struck with wonder..

This situation is describde by the great poet Kalidasa in his Mahaakavyam..Raghuvamsam..

"The people of Ayodhya watched with awe and admiration as they saw that the colour of the face of Rama 

was the same when (he entered the palace) wearing the twin golden clothes befitting the festive occasion 

and when (he emerged out of the same palace ) wearing clothes made of wooden bark ( fit to be worn by people who live in forests)"

asmin graamey...

Once, a great scholar, ( it is said it is Appayyaa Dikshita) was on a visit to the village of his wife.. The great scholar was famous across the countries especially in the circle of the the learned and elite people as a person with unmatched knowledge, erudition and other achievements.. 

The scholar was walking along a street lane en route the village pond for his morning bath..

Some village ladies were walking along.. He could sense that they were glancing at him coyly and then heard them whispering to one another, "See, the husaband of that girl Aachaa is going for his bath.."

He was baffled and said to himself अस्मन् ग्रामे आचचा नाम प्रशस्तिः 

asmin graame aachaa naama prasastiH... what is famous in this village is the name of aachaal

Yes, ones fame and standing in society is dependent not only on ones own knowledge and character, but also on the standards of the persons around him..

The village ladies did not know what it is to be a great scholar, but they knew what it was to be the husband of their friend..

In words and in spirit too....

Human nature and its basic honest and positive response to truth, love, kindness, empathy etc were the same as old as the existence of humanity itself

And the rules of Shastras or other similar laws in any society or faith evolved for the protection of such nice qualities and to instill abhorrence to the bad qulities and the base propensities also present in human nature..

Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas were present everywhere andy basically Sastras evolved to uphold Sattwa or the good against the unlimited attack of Raja and Tama gunas.. 

So I am always of the view that even if we do not consciously follow the tenets of Shastras but keep a place for love, kindness, co operaton, tolerance etc in our minds, we would be following the Shastras even though without our conscious learning or knowledge..

If that happens there might not be any reason for pariharams at all.. or expiations.. because we would be doing only good and right things

But if we just follow shastras as pretensions or even as duties without imbibing the underlying spirit of love and empathy, such Shastras may be of little use either to us or others..

under the banyan tree....

The shade of the banyan tree in the village,

ആല്‍മരത്തണല്‍ 

Surely aalamarathadi is not the place to throw muck on all people ..

Aalamaram is the epicentre for so many purposes for different people. 

Ogres, and Pisasus can stay up the branches,

Snakes and birds can live there. 

Priests, and black magicians, sooth sayers and tricksters, all can occupy the shadow of the tree during daytime .

Ooru Panchayat the council of elders of the village can be conducted 

and

wandering aandis (mendicants, indigent nomads ) also would sleep there..

I am reminded of  the story of a rich chettiar(a person belonging to the trading community, noted for affluence) and thiruvazhithan sleeping under alamaram during a night in the course of their travel. 

The whole worldly possession of thiruvazhithan was an otta mukkal(a dime.. a copper coin with a round hole in the middle its worth would be about one and half paise) which he had secured to the hind tip of his kovanam.(loin cloth ) 

The chettiar had a lot of money with him. 

Both went to sleep under aala maram(banyan tree) after some small talk. 

A robber came along late in the night. 

He first woke up thiruvazhithan and asked the latter to hand over all he had. 

The otta mukkal (the dime)was dutifully handed over. 

The thief had not noted the presence of the chettiar till then. 

But he was just looking keenly to check the genuineness of the coin.

. Thiruvazhithan volunteered the information that the chettiar sleeping nearby was a rich trader and was expert on coins. 

He further advised that the robber could verify the genuineness of the coin with the subject expert. 

Now the robber became happily aware of the presence of the chettiar and without any delay the robber ensured that whatever money or valuable was in the possession of the chettiar just become the property of the burglar, of course iron fists had to be  used, again the banyan tree was the witness for all that....

So you can be a friend under the alamaram. 

You can be the heckler, or the devil or almost anything..

the alamarathati is thus a microcosm or miniature of the mindset of the occupants of the society or a group. 

scorched by bad words....

संरोहत्यग्निना दग्धं वनं परशुना हतम्।

वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम्॥

महाभारते

saṁrohatyagninā dagdhaṁ vanaṁ paraśunā hatam|

vācā duruktaṁ bībhatsaṁ na saṁrohati vākkṣatam||

mahābhārate

अग्निना दग्धं gutted by fire 

परशुना हतं chopped by axe

(वा अपि) in spite of 

वनं संरोहति. the forest again grows I 

(परन्तु ) But 

वाचा दुरुक्तं abused or berated by words 

बीभत्सं . abhorrent, causing aversion

वाक्क्षतम् wound or damage thorugh attack by words 

.(बाधितःनरः) the affected person 

न संरोहति does not withstand, does not survive .

a quote from Bheeshmaacharya in the epic Mahabharatham

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A forest would revive itself to its original greenery with lots and lots of trees even if the trees have been gutted by wildfires or have fallen to the ravages of a cutter's axe.. 

But if a person is subjected to the ravages of evil and abhorrent words, he would never recover from injuries caused by such verbal abuse..

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All wounds would heal... given some time.. 

But insults and abuses showered on someone cause permanent injuries.. and it would be impossible to take back or swallow the words and mend the fences..