wisest answers

यक्ष उवाच-
को मोदते किमाश्चर्यं कः पन्था का च वार्तिका।
वद मे चतुर प्रश्नान् मृता जीवन्तु बान्धवाः॥ ९५॥
युधिष्ठिर उवाच-

पञ्चमेऽहनि षष्ठे वा शाकम् पचति स्वे गृहे
अनृणी चाप्रवसी च स वारिचर मोदते॥ ९६
अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्तीह यमालयं
शेषा स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमार्श्चर्यमतः परं॥९७
तर्कोऽप्रतिष्ठः श्रुतयो विभिन्नाः नैको ऋषिर्यस्य मतं प्रमाणं।
धर्मस्य तत्त्वं निहितं गुहायां महाजनो येन गतः स पन्था॥९८
अस्मिन् महामोहमये कटाहे सूर्याग्निना रात्रिदिवेन्धनेन।
मासर्तुदर्वी परिघट्टनेन भूतानि कालः पचतीति वार्ता॥९९
महाभारते आरण्यकपर्वणि यक्षप्रश्ने अध्यायः२९६
yakṣa uvāca-
ko modate kimāścaryaṁ kaḥ pantha kā ca vārtikā|
vada me catura praśnān mṛtā jīvantu bāndhavāḥ|| 95||
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca-
pañcame'hani ṣaṣṭhe vā śākam pacati sve gṛhe
anṛṇī cāpravasī ca sa vāricara modate|| 96
ahanyahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayaṁ
śeṣā sthāvaramicchanti kimārścaryamataḥ paraṁ||97
tarko'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ naiko ṛṣiryasya mataṁ pramāṇaṁ|
dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthā||98
asmin mahāmohamaye kaṭāhe sūryāgninā rātridivendhanena|
māsartudarvī parighaṭṭanena bhūtāni kālaḥ pacatīti vārtā||99
mahābhārate āraṇyakaparvaṇi yakṣapraśne adhyayaḥ 296

This is the concluding part of the question-answer session between Dharmaputra, who is standing at the banks of a lake where his four younger brothers are lying dead as punishment for defiance to a Yaksha ( in fact, Yama Dharma himself in disguise) prohibiting them from taking water from the lake. The yakshsa (a demi-god) puts many questions to the wise king on proper conduct of life, statecraft etc., and the noble king has answered all these questions to the satisfaction of the yaksha. Finally, the Yaksha asks a question with four limbs and makes an offer to the king that if these four points are answered, his younger brothers would be revived to life.
The questions are (1) who is really happy? (2) what is the most surprising issue in human life? (3) what is the righteous path for a human being to follow? (4) what is the most important news for all?
Yudhistira answers:- (1) Even when due to vagaries of life's fortunes, a person is able to earn the wherewithals for cooking his food only in the fifth or sixth part of the day (when the day is practically over) and still he is remaining honest and truthful and does not wander away from the duties of the householder, that person is the man of supreme happiness. (2) Every day some of the mortal beings die, and they are led to the house of the god of death, but other beings who are watching this do not even care to give a fleeting thought to the fact that their turn for a visit to Yamaloka is not far off, but consider themselves as permanent fixtures on this earth.. this sense of self delusion is the most surprsing issue in human life. (3) There are various schools of thoughts set out in scriptures and law and there is a lot of difference of opinion in interpretations, various seers have given divergent opinions on some common issues and therefore it is difficult to decide as to which of the views are to be taken as precedent, and in this process the real import and meaning of dharmas( the rules that guide us to righteous life) are confined in the darkest corner of a very dark cave.. Therefore the righteous path to be followed is that which has been adopted as the guideline by our elders and the noble people as a majority. (4) The frying pan is the world filled with ignorance, the sun acts as fire and time in slices of days and night cooks us the mundane creatures with seasons and months serving as wooden ladles...the life is just cooked and spent away..this is the greatest news.

The answer regarding the delusion of permanence lurking in the minds of the living beings even when they see their peers perish is considered to be the wisest answer given by Yudhistira. We have to appreciate the fact that the instinct for survival is the driving force that keeps the world afloat. It is good for us to admit the fact that death will come sooner or later, but that is not reason good enough to ignore our duties and responsibilities.
"Nihitam guhaayaam" hidden in the darkness of a cave....this idea is repeated in upanishads and this epic as well as elsewhere, because our ancestors were always conscious of limitations of human thoughts and reasoning.. "Yatho vaacho nivarthanthe apraapya manasaa saha... where words come back emptyhanded because they fail to keep pace with the mind." "kasmai havisha juhema?
whom shall we propitiate with havis (the holy offering of food)? we do not know Him exactly.." these speculations always loomed large in the thoughts of our ancestors...they were never stubborn or self sure and arrogant..

--

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

fair means or foul

अश्रुतश्च समुन्नद्धो दरिद्रश्च महमनाः।
अर्थांश्चाकर्मणा प्रेप्सुर् मूढ इत्युच्यते बुधैः॥
महाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरनीतिवाक्ये ॥३३-३०॥
aśrutaśca samunnaddho daridraśca mahamanāḥ|
arthāṁścākarmaṇā prepsur mūḍha ityucyate budhaiḥ||
mahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduranītivākye  ||33-30||

This is another definition of a person who is foolish but is arrogant..a definition by the great statesman  Vidura as explained in the conversation between him and his elder brother and the King Dhritarashtra.

One who is not properly trained in any trade, but is arrogant and self sure of his half baked knowledge fall into the category of fools.  Likewise, one who is very poor but is infested by vanity and tries to flaunt his affluence in very silly ways is of the same category.   Vidura brackets another type of hardboiled idiots who are prepared to  earn wealth by any means, fair or foul. 

The bane of every profession is the lack of proper technical knowhow.  Most of the professionals thrive by wagging their tongues and when it comes performance, some assistant at the nth level in the hierarchy is summoned to bail him out.  Famous lawyers appearing before courts without proper study of the case, technicians blabbering before the clients, teachers shrinking when asked even simple questions... these are all day to day happenings.

People whose financial condition is not stable at yet trying to show off in the society are too many.  Ostentatious marriages, trying to get wards admitted in high cost institutions without any merit other than the high fee structure, acquisition of fancy gadgets all through landing himself into the quagmire of indebtedness only befits an idiot.

When it comes to earning cash,  no bars are attached for some fellows.  Such people are not only idiots but also sources  of venom to annihilate a well established and decent society.

--

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

benevolent master and tolerant poet

क्षमी दाता गुणग्राही स्वामी पुण्येन लभ्यते।
अनुकूलः शुचिर्दक्षः कविर्विद्वान् सुदुल्र्लभः॥
बल्ललदेवस्य भोजप्रबन्धात्
kṣamī dātā guṇagrāhī svāmī puṇyena labhyate|
anukūlaḥ śucirdakṣaḥ kavirvidvān sudulrlabhaḥ||
ballaladevasya bhojaprabandhāt

"One is blessed with a master who is patient,who is generous in payment, who understands the merits of the servant and encourages them only through great fortune accumulated through many past lives. Likewise, a poet who is favourably disposed to you, who is of blemishless character, who is very efficient and who is learned in depth is also very difficult to come across".

It is easy for anyone to praise somebody who is not directly involved with him in day to day affairs. But a servant will get praise from the master very rarely because (1) the master thinks whatever the servant does in the normal course of business for which he is paid (2) He is apprehensive that open praise will spoil the servant.
When it comes to financial help, the master, by his very nature, is reluctant. He may be feeling that if something is given to the servant without a lot of entreaty from the latter, the demands will become more frequent.
A master will rarely understand the good qualities of a good servant, and even if he does so, will usually turn a Nelson's eye towards such virtues.
But some rare one gets because of his great fortune a master who is not like this.

Usually, the tendency to find fault with everyone goes hand in hand with the dexterity in word craft. Every writer thinks that he is the best in his trade. Again, a clueless lifestyle is the affected quality of the writer. Moreover, the knowledge base of the writer may not be sufficiently deep in comparison to his capacity to juggle words.
But really great writers with all the other qualities also do exist.

--

right orientation

सुकुले योजयेत् कन्यां पुत्रं विध्यासु योजयेत्।
व्यसने योजयेत् शत्रुं मित्रम् धर्मे नियोजयेत्॥
चाणक्यनीतिदर्पणाद्॥
sukule yojayet kanyāṁ putraṁ vidhyāsu yojayet|
vyasane yojayet śatruṁ mitram dharme niyojayet||
cāṇakyanītidarpaṇād||

another gem from chanakya

Our earnest attempt should be to give the girl of the family in marriage to a groom from a family of blemishless reputation.  The boys of the family should be given education at any cost.  When it comes to our enemies it would befit us to put them in all sorts of sorrows and embarrassment so that they will be weakened.  And a dear friend should be always given advice and  all possible help in the righteous way according to dharmas.

We Indians were always sticklers to pedigree.  A man born in a good family cannot go astray, this is our honest belief and one has to be really happy to note that this fact has been proved right over centuries. However wealthy and affluent our family is, if we fail to give proper education to the children ( now we can include the girls also)  they embark upon life with an insurmountable handicap,   The statement that the enemy should be put to sorrow is more applicable in strategies for war, from which Chanakya can never keep his mind off.  It need not be put to practice in our day to day transactions .  And most important, when we see that a valuable friend is deviating from the path of righteousness, it is incumbent on us to put him in the right track through advice, mental and material support.

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

the good, the bad and the ugly.

जानीयात् प्रेषणे भृत्यान् बान्धवान् व्यसनागमे।
मित्रं च आपत्तिकालेषु भार्यां च विभवक्षये॥
चाणक्यनीतिसारं
jānīyāt preṣaṇe bhṛtyān bāndhavān vyasanāgame|
mitraṁ ca āpattikāleṣu bhāryāṁ ca vibhavakṣaye||
cāṇakyanītisāraṁ

"One will realize the true worth of a servant when the latter is sent on a errand, The sincerity of a relative will be known when one is overcome with sorrow. The friendship will be tested when one is facing danger and one's wife's affection  will show its real face when his financial resources are dwindling."

Here more than giving a value judgment Chanakya is offering us some food for thought. 
 If we have a servant, he will be very solicitous, apparently efficient and alert in our presence.
When an occasion arises and he is sent out to do something or fetch something, it is time that his efficacy is on test. 
 A good subordinate will do the right thing and if necessary do something more also for the benefit of the master.(Let us remember what Bhagavan Anjaneya did for Lord Rama). 
 Some servants are neutral and show reluctance to go, while away the time and  repeatedly come back with  replies that the material or the person at the other end is not readily available. 
 But some gems of servants will go, blotch up the matter on hand and also do whatever supplementary damage they can manage to happen  in their exalted wisdom.
When grief strikes and the family is in agony, well-meaning relatives come to us, comfort us and try to do all things at their disposal to mitigate our misery. 
 Some relatives take a neutral attitude, pay lip sympathy and keep quiet. 
 Other star relatives use our grief as a plank to insult us, announce in public about all the bad things done or not done by us and and about the greatness of the fate which gives every person what he deserves.

When we are in danger, a good friend somehow gets the wind of it, rushes to us and does all things at his disposal to bail us out, and in this process, even places our interests above his own safety. 
 Some friends who will be seen in our company sharing almost all we have, would feign lack of information about the danger, and make excuses about their very urgent preoccupation or mortal illness which prevented them from offering help in time. 
 If the danger vanishes such friends will rush to us and make huge claims as to what they could have done, or what they have done in private to bail us out. 
 If we have succumbed to the danger, such friends will be never seen anywhere near us. The worst type of friends capitalize on our distress to berate us and loot us. When the house is on fire, run away carrying off all available boulders and doors.--this is their policy.

And a faithful wife, when the fortune is on the wane will be ready to share our woes willingly. 
 For the aggressive wife this will be the time for the intervention of her own relatives to put to shame the hapless husband and also demand for claiming here share  in the existing property so that she will be safe even if the man may be ruined. 
 The completely unfaithful wife will simply abandon him and leave for greener pastures.

Life is an assorted mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly.

the saint and the soldier

द्वामिवौ पुरुषव्याघ्र सूर्यमण्डलभेदिनौ।
परिव्राड्योगयुक्तश्च रणे चाभिमुखो हतः॥
महाभारते विदुरनीत्यां
dvāmivau puruṣavyāghra sūryamaṇḍalabhedinau|
parivrāḍyogayuktasca raṇe cābhimukho hataḥ||
mahābhārate viduranītyāṁ

Vidura, the great statesman while explaining the science of statecraft and lifestyle management to His elder brother and king Dhritarashtra, praises the greatness of renunciation and valour in war front.
"These two persons reach greater worlds even breaking asunder the orb of the sun, O tiger among men, (1) the saint who has totally renounced the world and at the same time has been endowed with the power of Yoga, and (2) the warrior who makes the supreme sacrifice facing the sharp weapons of the enemy".

For us, the average human beings, there are certain levels in life which can be termed as the summit of supreme achievement. Two such levels are underlined by the master intellectual Vidura. A person who has renounced all worldly desires and possessions is considered great among his peers, and when he has achieved supreme control over all his senses and mundane yearnings through mastery over yoga, he becomes incomparable.
Similarly a warrior who fights for his own honour and the honour of his motherland, and gives up his life in a direct encounter with the enemy reaches supreme glory.
The family, the society and the country honours him.
We can see this idea echoed in the Vedic praise of the Parivrajaka..." om na karmana na prajaya dhanena tyagenaike amrtatvam anasuh
parena nakam nihitam guhayam vibhrajate yad yatayo visanti
vedanta-vijnana suniscatartha sannyasa yogad-yataya-suddha-sattvah"
(Having attained the Immortality consisting of identification with the Supreme, all those aspirants who strive for self-control, who have rigourously arrived at the conclusion taught by vedanta through direct knowledge, and who have attained purity of mind through the practice of the discipline of yoga and steadfastness in the knowledge of brahman preceded by renunciation, get themselves released into the regions of Brahman at the dissolution of the body.) and Bhagavan Krishna's  praise in Gita of Kshatriya who lays down his life in war...Hato vaa praapyasi swargam, jitwaa vaa bhokshyase mahiim..., yadhrichayaa chopapannam swargadwaaramapvrutam..(Arjuna, you will reach heaven if you are killed in war, and if you are victorious, you will enjoy the fruits of the earth..  it is indeed fortuitous that the gates of heaven are opened by the war..the kshtriyas who get such a war are indeed fortunate.)
Yes, they transcend even the realm of the Sun and reach the Supreme being who resides at the greatest level... "na tatra suuryo bhati na chandrataarakam, naivaa vidhyuto bhanthi kutoyam agni", ... 'the sun in not capable of shining there, nor are the moon and the stars, no thunderbolts can reach and the fire also is impotent there..'
The praise is for jnana yoga and karma yoga

--

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

incorrigible idiot

प्रसह्य मणिं उद्धरेत् मकर-वक्त्र-दंष्ट्रान्तरात्
समुद्रं अपि सन्तरेत् प्रचलद् ऊर्मिमालाकुलम्।
भुजङ्गम् अपि कोपितं शिरसि पुष्पवद् धारयेत्
न तु प्रतिनिविष्ट-मूर्ख-जन-चित्तम् आराधयेत्॥
भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकं ॥४॥
prasahya maṇiṁ uddharet makara-vaktra-daṁṣṭrāntarāt
samudraṁ api santaret pracalad ūrmimālākulam |
bhujaṅgam api kopitaṁ śirasi puṣpavad dhārayet
na tu pratiniviṣṭa-mūrkha-jana-cittam ārādhayet ||
bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakaṁ ||4||

The philosopher king Bharthruhari is raising a signal of caution against faithfully serving a person whose state of mind has remained adamant and idiotic despite all attempt to instil some sense into his muddy brain.

"One may, with great difficulty perform the task of extricating a precious gem which by some chance had got stuck in the gap between the teeth of a ferocious crocodile. He may, with great physical exertion and show of valour, swim across the wide ocean in turmoil producing   huge waves. He may even wear on his head like a garland a venomous snake which is in a state of rage and is all set to spew all its poison. But if one tries to serve a confirmed idiot whose mindset is not amenable to any sensible ideas, failure and infamy awaits him".

It is needless to say how difficult it is to subdue a crocodile and extract a precious gem from its teeth, but with some determination a man may be able to do it. A man may swim across a rough and violent see, if he has the strength and verve. One may even charm a venomous snake if he he is sufficiently bold and tactful. But to serve under an incorrigible idiot is rather impossible .

--

I will defend to the death your right to say it.

संसदि शत्रुं न परिक्रोशेत्
चाणक्यसूत्रम्  २८९
saṁsadi śatruṁ na parikrośet
cāṇakyasūtram  289

This is a very cryptic but most important direction given  by the master statesman, Chanakya.

"In a public assembly one should not shout at even his worst enemy".

What a noble idea!  Human thoughts and culture reached its zenith with such exalted ideas.  We have to realize that in human interactions there is always room for conflicts of Ideas, thoughts and ideologies.  But a  person with culture will never attack the person physically or hurt him emotionally just because the other one follows a divergent ideology.  In a civilzed  society, we have created  for ourselves great and disciplined fora such as legislative houses, courts of law and administrative setups.  Citizens of different views have to interact in these fora and ways and means have to be evolved with majority consent (if it is democracy) for the society to function smoothly.
 Let us recall a scene from Ramayana, where the emissary of Rama, the great Hanuman is brought to the court of Ravana in captivity.  Ravana spares no chance to berate Hanuman and his boss in Public.  But the wiser statesman Vibheeshana requestsf or a dignified treatement to Hanuman the emissory, even ignoring the muderous wrath of the despotic king.

The great philosopher and revolutionary,  Voltaire, is supposed to have declared  "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. (ATTRIBUTION: Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778), French philosopher, author. )
Draupadi was brought to the celebrated Assembly of Kauravas and was in danger of being disrobed in public, but Krishna Himself saved her.

What do we see in our legislatures and other wings of Government today..? It is true that words without dignity are still termed unparliamentary.. but that is mostly in papers. No politician today ever will miss a chance to shower abuses on his opponent in public. Removing one's own clothes and showing parts of the body which are never exhibited in public have become a habit in exalted legislative gatherings.  Many are not beyond indulging in physical assault of members of the opposite group. 
Our civilization has progressed (?) to such an extent  in the field of dignified human interactions. 
Good sense should prevail.

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

Sekharipuram Agraharam : Sekharipuram Rathothsavam - 2011

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Festival in our agraharam.. Sri Laksminarayanaswamy Temple Brahmotsavam

Blog: Sekharipuram Agraharam
Post: Sekharipuram Rathothsavam - 2011
Link: http://sekharipuramagraharam.blogspot.com/2011/03/sekharipuram-rathothsavam-2011.html

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the spark of genius

प्रवृत्त वाक्चित्रकथः
ऊहवान्प्रतिभानवान्।
आशु ग्रन्थस्य वक्ता च
स वै पण्डित उच्यते॥

महाभराते विदुरनीत्यां

pravṛtta vākcitrakathaḥ
ūhavānpratibhānavān|
āśu granthasya vaktā ca
sa vai paṇḍita ucyate||

mahābharāte viduranītyāṁ

"He who speaks boldly,  
who can converse on
various subjects,  
who knows the science of
debate and deliberation ,
 who  is endowed with  genius, 
and 
who  can
interpret the meaning of what is written in
books, 
is reckoned as wise."

The essential qualities, according to Vidura the ancient statesman,  which will qualiy a person  to be recognised as a scholar are:-
When he is on a mission, he should talk purposefully and with boldness.
He should have the deep  knowledge and oratory to expostulate subjects covering a  wide spectrum.
He should be  an expert in logic and he should have the capacity to attract others to his line of argument with cogent presentation of the facts.
The extra spark of genius should be present in him.
He should be not only well read but also possess the capacity to digest the contents of the books and add qualitaty  value to the ideas through his expert interpretation.

--

This life is not rational..

This life is not rational.. Life is beyond mere debate. No one ever can prove anything in favour or against the influence of God in our lives. The uncertainty of even mass energy conglomerate has baffled the theoretical physicist who were sticklers to exactitude. I meant God as the universal mother including one's own mother. Maybe the most primordial grand grand grand parent.. the primordial purusha. Man is not a bundle of reasons alone, but a complicated mixture of reasons and emotions. love, anger, pleasure pain, and a plethora of other emotions are also not capable of an absolute (not relative) definition. And the things will happen whether we define them or not. One can substitute the name of God with some other word, or phrase. Then that word or phrase will run the roost. We are placed in a dynamic frame of reference(which is controlled by some force beyond definition)  sitting on  which accurate interpretation of the cause of motion is impossible. How can one see a thing smaller than an electron even with an electronic microscope? Even in that gadget the effect of changes when the the particle or thing is viewed and interpreted as the effect of a secondary impact of a quantity of matter or energy. You may define God or that power as a helper, or an opiate according to the way your mind conceives it. One thing, i am not asking you to love somebody else's mother, but Godhead is the mother of everyone and everyone includes you also. If you think you are outside the group of beings beyond its sphere of influence and command, nothing including that universal force or wisdom can compel you to do change that view.

sattwa, rajas and tamas in proper balance.

असक्तमाराधयतो यथायथं विभज्य भक्त्या समपक्षपातया।
गुणानुरागादिव सख्यमीयिवान् न बाधतेऽस्य त्रिगुणः परस्परं॥
महाकविभारविकृते किरातार्जुनीये महाकाव्ये ॥१--११॥
asaktamārādhayato yathāyathaṁ vibhajya bhaktyā samapakṣapātayā|
guṇānurāgādiva sakhyamīyivān na bādhate'sya triguṇaḥ parasparaṁ||
mahākavibhāravikṛte kirātārjunīye mahākāvye ||1--11||

Every human being is the storehouse of three basic characteristics or gunas..sattwa, rajas and tamas.. Sattwa underlines the soft and idealistic nature. Rajo guna hleps in showing one's own skills of implementation of ones' plans, even though by use of legitimate force. Tamoguna can mean many things.. Tendency to do not so proper things, allow the mind give way to desires, forgetfulness and many such negative stimuli. Ideally, a person should be having sattwa guna alone, but the way the things are made on the earth, sattwa by itself cannot survive. Life is ultimately an interaction between the self and the external stimuli. If the individual does not react appropriately to such stimuli and just holds on to peace and calmness alone through sattwaguna he is inviting destruction for himself. The same observation would fit in well to excessive Rajas and Tamo gunas also
The above quote on the ideal way of balancing the three inherent tendencies, is used by the great poet Bharavi ostensibly to describe the philosophy of life of Duryodhana. ( despite the fact that he was usurper to the throne of Yudishtira, Duryodhana was an adept in statecraft and also in lifestyle management.), but in effect it serves as a noble lesson for all in designing a well-balanced lifestyle for themselves.
"The three basic tendencies of sattwa, rajas and tamas, as exhibited by him never interfered with one another, because they were given equal, and impartial consideration, with alacrity and well founded and intelligent compartmentalization . It would appear as if the three gunaas were residing in him spontaneously seeking the close friendship of the person who was capable of handling them with the right kind of balance"
In our life, sense of timing and propriety are of paramount importance. The same action which may appear to be noble if performed at the proper time can be termed as verging on arrogance or even evil if the timing is not appropriate. A sweet smile directed at an infant will appear noble and enchanting, but if the same smile appears when one is going to be hit by an enemy weapon or when somebody dear to one is facing peril, we can simply imagine about the consequences.

--

darkness of ignorance

यक्ष उवाच
केनस्विदावृतो लोकः केनस्विन्न प्रकाशते।
केन त्यजति मित्राणि केन स्वर्गं न गच्छति॥६२॥
युधिष्टिर उवाच
अज्ञानेनावृतो लोकः तमसा न प्रकाशते।
लोभात्त्यजति मित्राणि सङ्गात् स्वर्गं न गच्छति॥६३॥
श्रीमहाभारते आरण्यकपर्वणि यक्षप्रश्ने अध्यायः॥ २९७॥
yakṣa uvāca
kenasvidāvṛto lokaḥ kenasvinna prakāśate|
kena tyajati mitrāṇi kena svargaṁ na gacchati||62||
yudhiṣṭira uvāca
ajñānenāvṛto lokaḥ tamasā na prakāśate|
lobhāttyajati mitrāṇi saṅgāt svargaṁ na gacchati||63||
śrīmahābhārate āraṇyakaparvaṇi yakṣapraśne adhyāyaḥ || 297||

Yaksha Prasnam is a highly celebrated part of the epic Mahabharatham. During their wanderings in the forest, the elder brother Yudishtira had asked his youngest brother to fetch some drinking water. Sahadeva went to a nearby lake and was about to gather some water, when he was confronted by a Yaksha in the form of a crane who challenges the young prince to answer some questions and then alone take water. The youngest pandava ignored him and on touching the water, fell dead. The elder pandavas, Nakula, Arjuna and Bheemasena approached the lake in that order, and by ignoring the Yaksha they also met the same fate of the youngest brother. The king Yudhistira himself came to the lake and saw his younger brothers lying lifeless with the crane watching. The crane accosted the king with some questions and the learned king gave the most appropriate answers on Dharma. The Crane aka Yaksha reveals in the end that he is the God of Death Yama himself (the father of Yudhistira) and had come to test the depth of knowledge of the king , blesses him and also revives the four youngsters to life. . In the prolonged session of queries, the quintessence of lofty principles of human existence are explained by the good king. The couplets quoted above form part of this conversation.
Yaksha asked:- (1) what is it that covers the entire world? (2) what is it that keeps the world in darkness? (3) what makes a man abandon all his friends? and (4) What blocks a man in his journey to the heaven?

Yudhistira answers. (1) The entire world is covered to its detriment with lack of proper knowledge. (2) Tamas, meaning both lack of light and the ulterior type of emotions, keeps the world in darkness. (3) avarice, that is, tendency not to share the wealth and good fortune with others makes one abandon all his friend.(4) Excessive attachment to mundane things prevents one from elevating himself to heaven.
The most prevalent evil in this world is ignorance and half baked knowledge. Human beings forget their limits under the infulence of these. Physical darkness may be bearable but the evil hablits or tamogunas one develops will keep him and the entire world in darkness. Money is the most efficient destroyer of friendships. And the poor human being loses sight of lofty goals and achievement by just holding fast to silly things.

--

Rain lashes Kerala village as fire ritual ends

 

PANJAL (KERALA): 

About 200,000 people watched in utter astonishment as the starry night suddenly turned cloudy and a heavy downpour, accompanied by strong winds, drenched the "yagasala" altar in this Kerala village before and after it was set afire Friday to mark the ceremonial end of Athirathram, the ancient Vedic fire ritual.
Rain appeared miraculously because the weather throughout the day was blistering hot and dry and the sky remained starry and clear in the evening.
It changed in five minutes as the sky turned dark and a strong wind built up at around 9.30 p.m.
All areas in the village of Panjal in Thrissur and also in Kochi, the port city, received the rain in a repeat to the 1975 Athirathram, said the organisers.
"The rain was caused by the strong convection current generated by the smoke rising from the altar and the continuous chanting of the mantras," V.P.N. Namboodiri, head of the research team of the Panjal Athirathram, told IANS as people milled around the venue enjoying the cool rain.
Namboodiri is a former director of the International School of Photonics at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and emeritus scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The altar was set on fire at 10 p.m. followed by a fresh wave of rain.
Nearly 200,000 people had gathered on the concluding evening of the 4000-year-old fire ritual. They erupted into thunderous applause as the first drops of the rain fell.
While the priests claimed it a "miracle", scientists said the Vedas were far ahead of its time in generating local rainfall, a practice that has gained ground of late with chemical nucleation in many parts of India's drought ravaged areas.
The 12-day fire ritual for peace, purification, fertility, health and rain began April 4.
It was organised by a local non-profit group Varthathe Trust to revive dying Vedic traditions in the country.
Panjal is one of the key bastions of the "Samavedis" and "Rigvedis" - practitioners of the ancient Hindu scriptures Sama Veda and the Rig Veda - who have kept the two living traditions of Vedic chants and 'yagnya' (worship of elements) alive for nearly 4,000 years.
The village was host to four major Athirathrams in 1901, 1918, 1956 and 1975.

guest to be honoured

तृणानि भूमिरुदकं वाक् चतुर्थी च सूनृता।
एतान्यपि सतां गेहे नोच्छिन्दन्ते कदाचन॥
मनुस्मृतिः ॥३-१०१।
tṛṇāni bhūmirudakaṁ vāk caturthī ca sūnṛtā|
etānyapi satāṁ gehe nocchindante kadācana||
manusmṛtiḥ ||3-101|

The respected lawgiver Manu is explaining how an average householder should arrange his resources for the benefit of a guest who graces his residence. There should never be any scarcity for grass, earth or water. As the fourth ingredient he mentions sweet, welcoming and truthful words.
If we read the sloka for the first time we may wonder whether Manu is talking about a cow or some cattle. Not at all. In those days the exalted seats and cushions were made of various types of grass. Grass was used for making bed and pillow. Hence Manu's words mean that the guest should be offered comfortable rest. The second requirement is space.. The house should be roomy enough to entertain the guests.. Then the importance of pure water is underlined. For a human being to remain clean, to sustain health and paying oblations to gods and forefathers during nityakarma, water is a must. And if the water available in the house is not hygienic, the inhabitants as well as the guests are in peril..contamination can cause anything upwards from dysentery.. Even though we do not follow the old tradition of offering water first to a guest or a respectable person when he visits our house, especially in Kerala, we have to emulate the example of Tamilians especially in the rural areas. Whoever visits the house will be offered water first..and refusal of water offered is taken as an offence. Yes, water is the most valuable thing one can offer. Of course, the use of proper and endearing words to the guest can never be over-emphasized. Basically when a noble person visits our house, he would be uncomfortable because he is always conscious of the inconvenience his vist might cause by upsetting the hosts daily routines. The host can make the guest comfortable only through sincere and endearing words.
Now our approach has changed. Even if one lives in a huge house, the guests are accommodated in hotels...and food and water are arranged there. The host also may, once or twice, give the guest company, and even host a lunch or dinner in his honour.
(Of course, there is a code of conduct for the guest also)
However, the old-timers can never think of treating a guest like this. We can see in Ramayanam how the sage Bharadwaja entertained Rama, Sita, Laksmana, (Aanjaneyaswamy had to leave the dinner early) and the huge crowd of Monkeys and Rakshasaas while Rama was returning to Ayodhya after his sojourn in forest for fourteen years.

--

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

agre pashyaami....

अग्रे पश्यामि तेजोनिबिडतरकळायावलीलोभनीयं
पीयूषाप्लवितोहम् तदनु तदुदरे दिव्यकैशोरवेषं।
तारुण्यारंभरम्यं परमसुखरसास्वादिरोमञ्चिताङ्गै-
रावीतं नारदाद्यैर्विलसदुपनिषद्सुन्दरीमण्डलैश्च॥
श्रीमन्नारयणीयं  १००-१
agre paśyāmi tejonibiḍatarakaḻāyāvalīlobhanīyaṁ
pīyūṣāplavitoham tadanu tadudare divyakaiśoraveṣaṁ|
tāruṇyāraṁbharamyaṁ paramasukharasāsvādiromañcitāṅgai-
rāvītaṁ nāradādyairvilasadupaniṣadsundarīmaṇḍalaiśca||

The consummation of the penance of Shree Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri in the concluding canto of Narayaneeyam
"When the Sanctum of Sri Guruvayurappan is opened in the morning,  I see in my front and very bright blue aura taking shape as a heavenly child who is entering into adolescence, He is surrounded by ascetics like Narada and the upanishads themselves standing before Him in the shape of heavenly beauties, all in an ecstatic trance with raised hair with goose pimples.  In  this Divine presence, I am filled with unexplainable and the Supreme ambrosia of summit of happiness ". 

It took a lifetime of service and devotion for the great Bhattathiri to see that Darling Krishna in this form...
After this nothing else is real in life.
On this Vishu Morning may that divine robber  of our hearts appear before us in all his splendour.
(Narayaneeyam cannot be translated or interpreted...it can only be experienced.)

--

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

without threat coercion or undue influence

पद्माकरं दिनकरो विकचं करोति
चन्द्रो विकासयति कैतवचक्रवाळं॥
नाभ्यर्थितो जलधरोऽपि जलं दधाति
सन्तः स्वयं परहिते विहिताभियोगाः॥
भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकं ॥६३॥
padmākaraṁ dinakaro vikacaṁ karoti
candro vikāsayati kaitavacakravāḻaṁ||
nābhyarthito jaladharo'pi jalaṁ dadhāti
santaḥ svayaṁ parahite vihitābhiyogāḥ||
bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakaṁ ||63||

Another gem from the philosopher king, Bharthruhari
The lord of the day, without any petition from the lotus, opens up its petals as the first action in the day. The nectar of the rays of the moon opens up the lily flower without any prompting. The clouds of monsoon fill the earth with water without any entreaty from us. This is the hallmark of the noble souls. They do service for the welfare of all spontaneously and without any external promptings ( without threat, coercion or undue influence in the parlance of law).
when it comes to this great poet, his words speak for themselves.. no one can elaborate further on his words.

--

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

happy new year

wish all my dear friends a happy Vishu, tamil newyears day... May that darling  the lotus eyed boy  Krishna wearing golden yellow robes and decked in bright gold ornaments and the solitary peacock feather, playing the sweet golden flute, come to all of us as the first thing to see in the morning of the New year.  May krishna bless us all.

--

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

supreme law of Karma

ब्रह्मा येन कुलालवन्नियमितो ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डोदरे
विष्णुर्येन दशावतारगहने क्षिप्तो महासंकटे।
रुद्रो येन कपालपाणिपुटके भिक्षाटनं सेव्यते
सूर्यो भ्राम्यति नित्यमेवे गगने तस्मै नमः कर्मणे॥
भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकात् ॥९२॥
brahmā yena kulālavanniyamito brahmāṇḍabhāṇḍodare
viṣṇuryena daśāvatāragahane kṣipto mahasaṁkaṭe|
rudro yena kapālapāṇipuṭake bhikṣāṭanaṁ sevyate
sūryo bhrāmyati nityameve gagane tasmai namaḥ karmaṇe||
bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakāt ||92||

The laws of Karma or the ordained fate are very rigid and normally unbreakable.
 This law had made the creator of the world Brahma, who is stuck with the big round pot of the cosmic egg and is always working hard like a potter to create maintain and repair this huge pot.
 From a fish, tortoise, wild boar, man- lion, dwarf, violent nomad, decent human being to a don juan and the preceptor of the world, the powerful Vishnu has been forced to assume all avatars and assume all the responsibilities of the world through the same stiff laws. 
 Worse still, the most powerful Shiva was made to pluck off one of the heads of Brahma and using the skull as the alms pot, made to wander all over the world as a beggar. 
 The Sun god is driven like a slave to go round and round the sky without any rest by the same Karma. So the most potent phenomenon existing is the karma, and I bow before that Karma, So says the Philosopher King Bharthruhari.

In a way the force of the law of karma is unbearably rigid. But if the law is not in its place or if the lawmakers themselves do not hesitate to flout such law, the universe will be in chaos. The all powerful triumvirate do not dare to question the law made by themselves.
This is also a message about the strenght of the fate and at the same time a warning that laws are there to be obeyed.

--

Please note that even the Gods have been mentioned as being controlled by Karma..No one can enter into a debate on this issue.. The hardcore bhaktas may say Brahma Vishnu Shiva etc are not bound by any Karmas.. maybe it is true from the viewpoint of a  stckler to scriptures..
This sloka is not a religious dictum.. It is the thought of a poet who is immortal.. To enjoy the idea or not is the choice of the reader.. Arguments are meningless

yarns by an idiot

my dear friends, I have been posting in my blog and continuously pestering a lot of you with my daily emails. As a hardboiled tax man, I have learned the art of being a nuisance to others incessantly and for a typical taxman the reactions, frowns, protests etc., are not more the just insect bites. After thirty five years of life as a taxcollector, one becomes shameless. Still the intriguing question is, why should I impose the spirituality and ancient knowledge using the same techniques?
Usually, I launch myself upon and introspection once in a few months. I just want to know whether these impositions by way of emails are sufficiently irritating so much so that some of the friends when they happen to meet me the next time would love to break my fingers.

Anyway, I will not stop unless I am specifically told by the individual victims.. If you are polite to a tax man, you are at a disadvantage, I assure you.
Still I have my own moments of elation when a stray recipient of my mail responds that some particular post set him thinking. And I post all the mails in my blog also and on an average day about fifty persons see my pages there. And I have found that some posts get viewed over and over again. One quote from Bharthruhari, One extract from and email on the goodness shown by a set of boys to a physically challenged child during the course of a baseball game (this email was a forward to me by one of my icons..Ravi Sir), one blog link on Pallassana bagavathi temple ...are viewed time and again. This prods me to keep going.. Keep going I must, when you search a mountain-ful of rocks, you may stumble upon a nugget of gold or even a large piece of diamond. What else is life? We just plod on and some day we blunder into doing something nice.. And God is partial to fools, so He is definitely partial to me.
Thank you for your patience. you have been grinning and bearing most of the time.
My humble namaskarams to you all.
KVA

--

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

the God comes to earth as a man

ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ऋतूनां षट् समत्ययुः।
ततश्च द्वादशे मासे चैत्रे नावमिके तिथौ॥
नक्षत्रेऽदितिदैवत्ये स्वोच्चसंस्तेषु पञ्चसु।
ग्रहेषु कर्कटे लघ्ने वाक्पताविन्दुना सह॥
प्रोध्यमाने जगन्नाथे सर्वलोकनमस्कृतं।
कौसल्याजनयद् रामं दिव्यलक्षणसंयुतं॥
विष्णोरर्धं महाभागं पुत्रमैक्ष्वाकुनन्दनं।
रोहिताक्षं महाबाहुं रक्तोष्ठं दुन्दुभिस्वनं॥
कौसल्या शुशुभे तेन पुत्रेणामिततेजसा।
यथा वरेण देवानामदितिर्वज्रपाणिना॥
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामयणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डम्॥१८-- श्लो ८--१२॥
tato yajñe samāpte tu ṛtūnaṁ ṣaṭ samatyayuḥ|
tataśca dvādaśe māse caitre nāvamike tithau||
nakṣatre'ditidaivatye svoccasaṁsteṣu pañcasu|
graheṣu karkaṭe laghne vākpatāvindunā saha||
prodhyamāne jagannāthe sarvalokanamaskṛtaṁ|
kausalyājanayad rāmaṁ divyalakṣaṇasaṁyutaṁ||
viṣṇorardhaṁ mahābhāgaṁ putramaikṣvākunandanaṁ|
rohitākṣaṁ mahābāhuṁ raktoṣṭhaṁ dundubhisvanaṁ||
kausalyā śuśubhe tena putreṇāmitatejasā|
yathā vareṇa devānāmaditirvajrapāṇinā||
śrīmadvālmīkirāmayaṇe ādikāvye bālakāṇḍam ||18-- ślo 8--12||

This is how the birth of the greatest ever human being is described in the Aadikaavya..Ramayanam of Vaalmiki.
Rama is born.
The puthrakaamesti yajna of Dasaratha for begetting a child is over and six ritus (twelve months) passed. In the twelfth month of Chaitra, with the tithi as Navami in the full moon fortnight, the star being adidaivatya, the punarvasu, five of the major planet standing in the uchcha state (Sun, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mars)..in the laghna of Kataka, the jupiter standing in conjunction with the moon ( in Kataka lagnam) when the Sun was reaching the high sky (as is usual in Kataka lagnam in chaitra--about 12 Noon), Kausalya the queen of Dasaratha, gave birth to Rama who is being worshipped by the entire world and who is resplendent with all the great signs of the noblest of the noble human beings and the scion of the lineage of Ikshwaaku. He is having the half amsam of Lord mahavishnu, he is the source of all fortunes, he is having petulant dark red lips, and when he cried first came out the sweet sounds of the musical instruments of the divines. In his birth, Kausalya shone forth with a son whose prowess is not capable of any measurement.. She was like the mother of Gods, Athidhi who shone at the time of birth of her most valourous son, Indra the wielder of thunderbolt.
Today is the Sree rama Navami, when we celebrate the birth of Maryadaapurushottama, the Rama. The constellation, the positioning of the planets, the time of birth, are all unique befitting the greatest birth on earth.
Many great incarnations in various religions have been described, but there is hardly any description to match the precision of Vaalmiki... and the horoscope of this great human being is written on a palm leaf and is worshipped even to this day as if it were a godhead in itself.
May the mercy of Sri Ramachandra be with all of us.

--

it is you and your God in the end

--

नैवाकृतिः फलति नैव कुलं न शीलं

विद्यापि नैव न च यत्नकृतानि सेवा।

भाग्यानि पूर्वतपसा खलु सञ्चितानि

काले फलन्ति पुरुषस्य यथैव वृक्षाः॥

भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकात्॥ ९७॥

naivākṛtiḥ phalati naiva kulaṁ na śīlaṁ

vidyāpi naiva na ca yatnakṛtāni sevāa|

bhāgyāni pūrvatapasā khalu sañcitāni

kāle phalanti puruṣasya yathaiva vṛkṣāḥ||

bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakāt|| 97||

A valued gem from Bharthruhari.. the great thinker and poet 

If one thinks realistically , he can find that only the good deeds performed  and virtue or punyams gained  by a person through good luck and incessant penance transform themselves into  worthy results
 The process is just like delicious fruits blessing an age-old tree. 

 One's good looks maintained through lots of medication and make-up vanish..

The claim of belonging to a reputed family, in the end, will not matter much.  

Even the eagerly cultivated and rehearsed manners or the vast education do not give one sufficient power in the end. 

 And even the goodwill amassed though  long years of faithful and well-documented  services cannot be the final word  in determining the ultimate peak in  one's career or life.

The philosopher king Bharthruhari  is not decrying the various traits that a person should develop and nurture throughout his life. 

 But these,if you borrow from cricket jargon , can be equated to the copy book style of batting.   More craft that runs
Ultimately the good deeds and the luck bestowed upon us by God as a result will make the day for us.

nourish them and reap rewards

राजन् दुधुक्षसि यदि क्षितिधेनुमेनां

तेनाद्यवत्समिव लोकममुं पुषाण।

अस्मिंश्च सम्यगनिशम् परिपुष्यमाणे

नानाफलं फलति कल्पलतेव भूमिः॥

भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकात् ३७

rājan dudhukṣasi yadi kṣitidhenumenāṁ

tenādyavatsamiva lokamamuṁ puṣāṇa|

asmiṁśca samyaganiśam paripuṣyamāṇe

nānāphalaṁ phalati kalpalateva bhūmiḥ||

bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakāt 37

the philosopher king bhartruhari is explaining the ways and means of reaping the best results from the land and the most affectionate response from the subject. The Land with its resources is like a milch cow. If it is to gush forth the milk of prosperity and plentitude it should be pleased with the sight of its own calf for whom she generates her nectar. If the calf is satified by the affection of the mother cow, then she will give whatever you want.

The entire working of the world thrives in this give and take attitude. If the paddy filed or the orchard is watered, weedes and the plants are given manure and are tendered we will get fruits in plenty. If we do not take care to nourish the sources, we are in for permanent
disappointment. If the king is benevolent and caring the subjects will not mind responding to his demand of taxes and other levies. But if a ruler sits there only to collect tax and send his army to death. his tenure will be shortlived

--

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

devoted conjugal bliss

इहैव स्तं मा  वि यौष्टं
विश्वं आयुर् व्यश्नुतम्।
क्रीळन्तो पुत्रैर् नप्त्रुभिर्
मोदमानो स्वे गृहे
ऋग्वेदं १०-८५-३७
ihaiva staṁ mā  vi yauṣṭaṁ
viśvaṁ āyur vyaśnutam|
krīḻanto putrair naptrubhir
modamāno sve gṛhe
ṛgvedaṁ 10-85-37

This is a very sweet and beautiful mantra of benediction to the newlyweds..found in the Rigvedam.. 
This I remember to have quoted earlier along with a large number of vivaahamanthras and in that process the unique greatness of this simple couplet got omitted to be highlighted.

The married couple  are blessed by the elders that  they should live on this earth perfectly wedded together for long period (for the whole of the lifetime), never should they get separated  either in body or mind, 
 they should live the whole of the life as prescribed in the Vedas, 
and their life should be a saga of fun and frolic, 
enjoying themselves playing with their own sons (children) and grandchildren all living together in a household   which is their own.

The lofty idea of the strong fabric of family forged together is unique for us...first the couple should not separated for a lifetime, and they should live in extreme joy with blessed longevity (implying perfect health.)  
They should be in the happy company of sons and grandsons all living under one roof.
What a beautiful picture...
The primordial Veda is capable of blessing all the people, and being the godhead of eternal truth, such best wishes would be enjoyed naturally by all.

The Indian psyche cannot conceive multiple marriages and flirting in the simple vedic life.
(may be the situation was not exactly same in the later puranic times, where the Kshatriyas would marry as many times as possible...example are Dasaratha and Arjuna and even that god in cowherd form, Krishna) 
 but even in these modern days of nuclear families we can feel the safety and security in the company of a thatha or paatti, appa and ammai, self and wife, brothers and their families, and the sons and daughters.  If one's life is full of step-parents, step grandparents, half-siblings etc..at least even for the contemporary Indians life would look very odd.

--

my friend shri Cobra

न दुर्जनः सहायः स्यात् भुजङ्गप्रकृतिर्यतः।
उपकारच्छलेनैव पश्चाद् दुःखं प्रदास्यति॥
॥नास्ति खलस्य मित्रं॥ चाणक्यसूत्रं॥४२४॥
na durjanaḥ sahāyaḥ syāt bhujaṅgaprakṛtiryataḥ|
uapakāracchalenaiva paścād duḥkhaṁ pradāsyati||
(|ṁāsti khalasya mitraṁ|| cāṇakyasūtraṁ ||424||

There can be no real friendship for the nasty evil-minded person, says Chaankya in his 424th aphorism. This is further explained in the couplet attached which reads as " The evil person can never be of any help to you at any time because he is like a poisonous snake by nature. In the guise of offering help
(which may seem bona fide to start with) he can lead you only to permanent grief in the long run.
We encounter people who may pretend as well-wishers. Even the faint thought of some such beings can bring us misfortune. Hearing their voice over some media can do the trick in some unfortunate cases. And if they give us a darshan, visit our house or cast their eyes on something valuable, we are doomed. Verily even the earth they cover with their ominous feet would become barren for ever. If Mr. Cobra is my friend and he gives me a friendly visit and offers me all the help, I can be sure that my ticket for the next world is confirmed in no uncertain terms.

We have to marvel at God's creations. There are many creations like a venomous snake which can only wreak destruction even if their intentions may be, in theory, well meaning. But it is heartening to note that we human beings are all created with the inherent nature of benevolence and unless we forcibly inject venom to to our psyche, we are born  and remain to be noble and helpful to one another.
Let friendship prevail.

voluntary disclosure

महान्तमप्यधर्मयुक्तं य सन्त्यजत्यनुपाकृष्ट एव।
सुखम् स दुःखानवमुच्य शेते जीर्णां त्वचं सर्प इवावमुच्य॥
श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरनीतिवाक्ये॥४०-२॥
mahāntamapyadharmayuktaṁ ya santyajatyanupākṛṣṭa eva|
sukham sa duḥkhānavamucya śete jīrṇāṁ tvacaṁ sarpa ivāvamucya||
śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvani viduranītivākye ||40-2||

Vidura's parting advice to his vacillating elder brother who is maniacally holding on to the wealth that is the rightful share of the Pandavas.

"A person, if he has to live with a peaceful mind should be able to give up  even immense wealth which he knows has come to his possession through unfair means, and this should be done without any regret.  If such complete surrender of illegally earned riches is effected the man can live with great ease like a snake who was struggling with its slough for sometime but had ultimately managed to wriggle out of it".

We have seen and heard about many voluntary disclosure schemes of Unaccounted Income and Wealth by Income-taxmen as also by the law enforcers of other wings of the government to give up booty illegally earned.  Yes,  if one is rid of the ill gotten booties he can live peacefully.  On has to really watch in person how a snake struggles to just wriggle out of its slough but then glow with a new shiny outer skin.
Long live Vidura for his support to VDIS . 
It is surprising how such catchy slogans  elude the  tax administrators of the  present.. especially the  guidelines chalked out by   Vidura, Chanakya and their like .

--

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