work hard and with humility..

यथा खनन् खनित्रेण नरो वार्यधिगच्छति।

तथा गुरुगतां विद्यां शुश्रूषुरधिगच्छति॥

yathā khanan khanitreṇa naro vāryadhigacchati|

tathā gurugatāṁ vidyāṁ śuśrūṣuradhigacchati||

യഥാ ഖനന്‍ ഖനിത്രേണ നാരോ വാര്യധിഗച്ഛതി

തഥാ ഗുരുഗതാം വിദ്യാം ശുശ്രൂഷുരധിഗച്ഛതി

( a subhaashitam)

A man finds water in a well by digging the earth using a spade with persistence, a disciple digs out the knowledge inherent in his teacher by unfailing and solicitous service to the Guru..

Groundwater is present almost everywhere on the surface of the earth ..But one can obtain water for use only if he digs a well.. Similarly, one may have a guru or preceptor who may be a veritable reservoir of knowledge.. but it is the duty of the disciple to gain as much knowledge as possible from the teacher, by persuading him to impart such knowledge through persistent service and unfailing faithfulness to the guru..

That is the Indian tradition.. Now we talk of right to education,, and of taking teachers to task for the unruly behaviour and lack of inclination on the part of the children.. What a U turn...

death is just a change of state..

Actually there is no end to anyone or anything ..

Death is just a change of state, at the most..

Just like birth, it is an enigma..

The person who is born as a son or daughter, was there with the father and mother for eternity.. in parents, grand parents.. and going back to the first living cell created by God..

But the parents and others get elated at the new arrival..

Celebration is okay but it is only symbolic..

And

while leaving the body, the person just distributes himself and continues in all those who are dear to him.. as sweet memories..

There is no end..

And it is just that he departs to another world.. and we many not be able to contact him--

for there are no cellphones, telegrams or post offices. connecting us there.

But then, he will be there, patiently waiting for others to join them.

.

Death is not real..

So the grief is also just symbolic.. 

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

For someone asking for the evidence for the above statement:---

 Regarding birth, no explanation is necessary.. 

You will know about death.. if you have really faced the departure of someone who meant everything to you and for whom you meant everything.. in such cases, you cannot just live in this world if you do not have the expectation that the separation is not final...

You think and decide.. 

Nothing wrong in accepting what is believed by elders as true.. and there is  nothing  wrong in disagreeing too.. 

Belief by instinct is far better than belief by adherence to Shruti..

Anyway, shrutis believe that the son is just a rebirth of his father... 

आत्मा वै पुत्र नामासि.. 

if that is so , the parent does not die if he leaves behind an offspring.. and life continues through shared DNAs.. 

But all this is attempted reasoning.. 

Instinct says life is just a continuum.. 

Again Gita says so in so many places.. 

na jaayate mriyate vaa kadaachit, .. 

vaasaamsi jeernaani...

 dehee nityam avadhyaH ayam.. etc.. 

 But I stated what is above from the emotional standpoint..

 and without emotions,, 

I mean the sublime emotions.. 

our existence is of little worth.. 

I am not prepared to seek evidence for this, 

and 

I do not feel any evidence is necessary for this belief..

Uma, Shankara, Kalidasa and the Environment day..

Today is the Environment Day..

Was just thinking how the Divine Couple Uma and Maheshwara Loved the trees growing in the forests abutting their holy abode, is described by Kaalidasa in the second canto of Raghuvamshamahaakaavyam..

King Dileepa, to fulfil a vow, is serving the Divine Cow Nandini, the daughter of Surabhi the Kamadhenu..
Nandini belongs to the hermitage of sage Vasishta, the preceptor of the Solar Dynasty and therefore of Dileepa..

Every morning Dileepa would take the cow out to forest to graze..

One day,when the king was just immersed devouring the beauty of the Himalayan Flora and Fauna through his eyes, an elephant fell upon the cow with murderous intent..
Dileepa took out his arrow to slay the beast and protect Nandini..

But, as if held under a spell, the king could not move his hands.. and could not use his weapon..
He stood paralyzed.

Then the lion spoke to the king..

The lion first introduced himself as the servant of Lord Shiva named Kumbhodhara.. going around the forest in the disguise of a lion.
He was deputed to protect the trees and the plants of the forest from attack of wild animals..

Further he says,

"अमुं पुरः पश्यति देवदारुं पुत्रीकृतोऽसौ ऋषभ्ध्वजेन।
यो कुम्भस्तननिःसृतानां स्कन्दस्य मातुः पयसां रसज्ञः॥२--३६
कण्डूयमानेन कटं कदाचित् वनद्विपेन्नोन्मथिता त्वगस्य।
अथैनमद्रेस्तनया शुशोच सेनान्यमालीढमिवासुरास्त्रैः॥२-३७
रघुवंशे द्वितेयसर्गे कालिदासः॥
amuṁ puraḥ paśyati devadāruṁ putrīkṛto'sau ṛṣabhdhvajena|
yo kumbhastananiḥsṛtānāṁ skandasya mātuḥ payasāṁ rasajñaḥ||2--36
kaṇḍūyamānena kaṭaṁ kadācit vanadvipennonmathitā tvagasya|
athainamadrestanayā śuśoca senānyamālīḍhamivāsurāstraiḥ ||2-37
raghuvaṁśe dviteeyasarge kālidāsaḥ||

Oh, the Devadaaru tree which you see in front of you is loved by that Lord Maheshwara who has a bull as insignia in his flagstaff.. the Lords affection for the tree is as if it is His own son.. And Uma who is the Mother of Skanda and the whole universe too, has nourished this tree with water fetched by Herself in pots made of gold.. as if she is feeding the tree with milk flowing from her own breasts..

And one day, a wild elephant, feeling itchy all over the body, just barged into the forest and rubbed his back on the barks of the tree, causing damage to the skin of the tree. When, Uma, who saw the damage to the tree as she came to water it, She could not contain her grief and cried aloud as if she was suffering the grief on seeing the injuries in the beautiful body of Her own son Skanda the Supreme Commander of the Gods. . those wounds inflicted by the demons during his successful battle with them..."

Of course, it was only a test to Dileepa to prove his loyalty tho the cow.. and the danger to the cow was removed later..

But the episode in the great Kavyam reveals how the poet and the people in general including the Divinity valued the upkeep of environment..

The mother of the universe Uma is nurturing a tree, and is crying when she sees that a part of its bark is damaged.. The Lord of Lords, Shankara loves a tree as if it is the His own son..

That is why
She is called the Prakriti, and He is called the Pashupati..

What greater tribute can one pay to nature?

Tiger for Lunch....an Indian Tale

Tiger for Lunch....an Indian Tale

A lady, it is alleged, quarreled with her husband, and was proceeding to her father's house with her two children in tandem..

The travel from one village to another involved negotiation of a route involving a fairly dense forest, which, as in all tales is infested with ferocious animals like lions and tigers and cronies like jackals..

Though quarrelsome, the lady must have been very observant and shrewd.. 

As she was entering the forest area, she saw a fairly big tiger coming their way..

And she realized to her trepidation that she could not avoid a personal interview with the tiger, and the encounter would result in her becoming the lunch for the animal. 

She was not prepared for that.. 

She thought out a plan.. 

Putting a false but almost convincingly brave face, she started a conversation with her children, all the time pretending that she had noticed nothing amiss..

"Children, I have been travelling in these jungles quite often, and I have always found that food for us is never scarce.. We get very fat and huge tigers in large numbers, and we can always stave away our hunger by eating at least a couple of tigers at anytime.. Here a plenty of them are at hand."

While talking so, she was also putting an ogling, toothy face (perhaps the memory of her husband helped in that), and the confident tone in which she declared the menu for her lunch and her appearance must have had their impact on the tiger and he really believed that if he was around, he would be eaten up by this lady sooner or later..

He thought that running away making as little noise as possible was the best way of escape, and was very quick in that swift movement..

On his bolting path, he met a jackal.. The latter enquired about the reason for the very fast and frightened retreat of the tiger, and was informed of the appearance of the lady tiger-eater..

The jackal laughed his head off, and replied." A human lady eating a tiger? Impossible.. True, she may eat her husband, but she cannot do that with you"

The tiger was not convinced..Then the jackal offered to clear up the issue by visiting the lady in person, and asked to tiger to keep company with him..The tiger was terribly afraid..

But after some management talk, it was decided that the jackal would tie himself atop the tiger, and they would face the lady together..

So the two animals marched towards the lady and her children, the jackal tied and seated atop the tiger..

The lady saw the two approaching, even from a distance.. 

Resourcefulness did not take leave of her.

.She shouted aloud.." You lazy and cunning Jackal.. You could manage to bring only a single puny tiger for my food? Don't you remember that I wanted at least three big tigers, and we had even talked about the price.. 

Now I will have to be satisfied with one small tiger .. It is really bad.. I shall make you the pickle for my lunch as I eat thing wretched tiger."

Hearing this, the tiger was terrified beyond all levels, and turned back and ran, ever forgetting that his friend was atop.. He ran helter skelter and was oblivious to the agonized cries of the jackal, which was tied fast on the tiger..

The tiger hit a low lying tree in his path, and that broke the skull of the fox who left for the abode of death...

No one knows, the lady would have eaten the tiger too, if she had to.