Musings 55

I feel that lack of corruption on the part of the Individual is rather a personal choice, and the society at large really does not expect it from civil servants or for that matter almost anyone...

Even peers look oddly at a colleague who stresses on objectivity and probity.

But I am also convinced that there is a lot of honesty and integrity in public recruitment system and management.


If that was not so, I am sure neither my son or me would have ever got employed by the Government.

I remember a personal episode.
Years ago I was writing the Department Examination for Incometax Officers, in Chennai..
The exam was on and the candidates were eagerly looking forward for prompting from the invigilators, especially in a complicated accountancy paper..
The invigilators were generous too... after all, the candidates were just their own junior colleagues..

I was answering the paper fairly well, though perhaps not in the best way..
One or two or the invigilators, who were also friends, were intently peering over my shoulders on my answers, and were trying to convey some words, perhaps to help me with answers..

Politely, I requested them to leave the paper to be answered on my own..

After the examination, the friends were furious with me and even scolded me saying that I would never become good..

Somehow, I cleared the test and survived in the department for three more decades..

But in retrospect, I do not know whether I was right in refusing help by our social standards..

Rather, I was afraid of God and divine retribution..

But again that is an arguable issue by practical standards..

But I am also sure morals enforced by law would be of little use if there is no binding social audit and the stigma following it....

Many things are just  winked at..

rebound with equal force...

कन्दुको भित्तिनिक्षिप्त इव प्रतिफलन्मुहुः।

आपतत्यात्मनि प्रायो दोषोऽन्यस्य चिकीर्षितः॥

सोमदेवकृते कथासरित्सागरे॥

kanduko bhittinikṣipta iva pratiphalanmuhuḥ |

āpatatyātmani prāyo doṣo'nyasya cikīrṣitaḥ||

somadevakṛte kathāsaritsāgare||

A quote from Somadeva's Kathasaritsagaram..

When a ball is thrown at a wall, invariably it just bounces back on the one who throws

just like that if we desire evil for others, such thoughts and desires would bounce back on us and perhaps do us more damage that others..

A great truth which requires no further elucidation..

 भित्तिनिक्षिप्तः thrown at a wall 
कन्दुकः  ball
इव like 
अन्यस्य  for others
 दोषः  evil
चिकीर्षितःintended
प्रायः invariably 
आत्मनि on oneself
आपतति  bounce back

കന്ദുകോ ഭിത്തിനിക്ഷിപ്ത ഇവ പ്രതിഫലന്‍ മുഹുഃ
ആപയത്യാത്മനി പ്രായോ ദോഷോ അന്യസ്യ ചികീര്ഷിത:

(സോമദേവന്‍റെ കഥാ സരിത് സാഗരത്തില്‍ നിന്നു)

ഭിത്തിയിലേക്ക് ആഞ്ഞുവീശിയ പന്ത് വീണ്ടും നമ്മുടെ അടുത്തേക്ക് തിരിച്ചുവരുന്ന പോലെ നാം മറ്റുള്ളവര്‍ക്ക് ചെയ്യുന്ന ദോഷം എല്ലായ്പ്പോഴും നമുക്ക് തന്നെ തിരിച്ചു കിട്ടും.

the heart is never big

the heart is never big 

feeling jealous and even depressed when seeing better and better people and performances.. 

does not stop there.. trying to spot little errors and failures in them and to magnify, find fault and criticise 

I remember a friend during my school days half a century ago . He was physically a giant .. but a bad performer in studies..

There were puny fellows in the class who excelled in study and other activities.. 

This bully would say.. "after all that boy who got first rank would die if I give him a single thrash.. 

Intolerance at seeing something better .. black jealousy.. 

I am asking myself.. Are you better than that bully? 

ഹൃദയത്തിനു വലിപ്പം തീരെ കുറവാണ് 

ആരെങ്കിലും സ്തുത്യര്‍ഹമായ എന്തെങ്കിലും ചെയ്യുന്നതോ നേടുന്നതോ കണ്ടാല്‍ ഒടുങ്ങാത്ത അസൂയ

തീര്‍ന്നില്ല. 

ആ നേട്ടത്തില്‍ ഏതെങ്കിലും കൊച്ചു കുറ്റം കണ്ടുപിടിക്കുക, 

ആ കുറ്റം    ഊതിവീര്‍പ്പിക്കുക 

ആക്ഷേപിക്കുക ചീത്ത പറയുക 

ഇതെല്ലാം ചെയ്തില്ലെങ്കില്‍ ഉറക്കം വരില്ല 

അര നൂറ്റാണ്ടിനു മുമ്പ് സ്കൂളില്‍ പഠിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ കൂടെയുണ്ടായിരുന്ന ഒരു തണ്ടും തടിയുമുള്ള ചട്ടമ്പി സുഹൃത്തിനെക്കുറിച്ച്‌ ഓര്‍ക്കാന്‍ തോന്നുന്നു. 

അയാള്‍ പഠിപ്പില്‍ വട്ടപ്പൂജ്യമായിരുന്നു. 

ക്ലാസ്സിലെ വലിപ്പം കുറഞ്ഞ ബലം പോരാത്ത കുട്ടികള്‍ ഒന്നാം റാങ്കും സമ്മാനങ്ങളും വാങ്ങുന്നത് കണ്ടാല്‍ ഈ തടിയന്‍ ആക്രോശിക്കും..

"അവന്‍ എന്റെ ഒറ്റയടിക്ക് ഇല്ല " 

അസഹിഷ്ണുത 

അന്ധമായ അസൂയ 

ഞാന്‍ സ്വയം എന്നോടുതന്നെ ചോദിക്കുകയാണ് ഞാനും മിക്കവാറും ആ തടിയനെപ്പോലെ തന്നെയല്ലേ ?

Ankuraarpanam

Ankuraarpanam or Paalika thalikkal in Tamil. is a prelude to almost any shubhakaryam or auspicious function.

The tribute is to all the devatas including the digdevatas.

Seeds of all major dhanyams (cereals and pulses) available at the Vedic eon - what we call nava danyas - are soaked in cow's milk and put in earthen receptacles filled with mrittika or special mud and soil mixture placed at cardinal points .

The sprouting is the sign of growth and life.

There are Vedic rituals for collection of the mrittika too.( mrit samgrahanam)

For all samskaras like marriage seemantham upanayanam jathakarmam etc the ankuraarpanam can be done. 

But now we restrict it to major functions. For yajnas and yagas ankuraarpanam is there. 

For ulsavam and kumbhabhishekam or any great function in a temple ankuraarpanam is a must.(the vedic and agamic procedures vary.) 

In fact the Vedic ankuraarpanam is done by the kartha or yajamana after chanting The mantras in company with ritwiks. 

The wife of the kartha (yajamana) and other ladies assist that is all. 

A lady with a living husband and a putra is the best candidate. 

In fact every such lady is respected as Uma and Laksmi. 

The palikas sprout and after four or seven days or more as the case may be, are left in some place with lots and lots of water . 

This is the Vedic tribute to nature. 

The seeds mixed with water milk and mud will never fail to grow. 

Our wish is that the family too should grow like that spontaneously. 

The loukeeka elements like selection of ladies for adding ankuras etc are just social issues. 

The yajamana patni should participate. That is a must

from different angles....

एक एव पदार्थस्तु त्रिधा भवति वीक्षितः।

कुणपः कामिनी मांसं योगिभिः कामिभिः श्वभिः॥

eka eva padārthastu tridhā bhavati vīkṣitaḥ|

kuṇapaḥ kāminī māṁsaṁ yogibhiḥ kāmibhiḥ śvabhiḥ||

A quote from Chanakya again

The very same object the human body (especially of female) is looked upon by three different persons differently

Just as if it is a human corpse by a recluse or sage who has abandoned all worldly pleasures

As the most lovely and desirable companion by the lover 

As just a lump of flesh by a dog

एक एव पदार्थः तु just the one and the same object 

त्रिधा भवति becomes (perceived as) three (different things) योगिभिः वीक्षितः कुणपः when seen by a recluse of sage as human corpse 

कामिभिः वीक्षितः कामिनी when seen by an amorous companion as the most lovable and desirable woman 

श्वभिः वीक्षितः मांसं when seen by a dog as a mere lump of flesh

limits and thresholds

विशाखान्तं गता मेघाः प्रसवान्तं हि यौवनम्।

प्रणामान्तं सतां कोपो याचनान्तं हि गौरवम्॥

सुभाषितम्॥

viśākhāntaṁ gatā meghāḥ prasavāntaṁ hi yauvanam|

praṇāmāntaṁ satāṁ kopo yācanāntaṁ hi gauravam||

subhāṣitam||

The clouds will disappear and the rains would go after the period of Vishakha star.. ( equivalent of mid November)

The ebullient youth of a girl would end and disappear with her first delivery

The anger aroused in a noble person would end once the offender just falls at his feet seeking pardon.

and 

The dignity and respectability of a person just ends once he begs something of another person..

( The year starts with the period of Ashvathi for about 14 days.. from the First of the month Mesham or Chithira.. starting in Middle April..Bharani follows for the next 14 days.. and so on and the days presided over the Star Vishakam would be during November.. the Thula Varsham comes and stops there and there will be no rains for the next five or six months.. as we know)

The girl undergoes physical changes during conception and labour and delivery too.. Moreover, once she has a child of her own, she cannot enjoy the carefree youth.. she is responsible for the child..So her youthfulness ends with the delivery and now She is the Mother.

The anger of a good man is short-lived.. if offended he would flare up.. But if the offender seeks pardon the man would not be able to maintain or sustain that anger and hatred.. it is easy to handle a good person.. But certain people just retain grudges for ever.. and bide for time to retaliate and kill.. Such persons cannot be called good, anyway..

And however big and important you are, once a situation arises where you have to beg for something from others then your dignity and importance receives a permanent and indelible scar.. Just think of what happened to Vamana..

substance alone matters

गुणेषु क्रियतां यत्नः किं आटोपैः प्रयोजनम्। 

विक्रियन्ते न घण्टाभिर्गावः क्षीरविवर्जिताः॥ 

guṇeṣu kriyatāṁ yatnaḥ kiṁ āṭopaiḥ prayojanam| 

vikriyante na ghaṇṭābhirgāvaḥ kṣīravivarjitāḥ|| 

Let us strive and attain perfection in our skills and attributes.. 

False embellishments and frills would be of no avail in the long run. 

A cow, when it is brought for sale in the market, would fetch its price only on the basis of milk she would yield. 

Just tying a bell with attractive chime around her neck and ringing the bell in the market will not fetch any value for a cow whose yield of milk is negligible.. 

നമ്മുടെ കഴിവുകളും സ്വഭാവനന്മയും നന്നാക്കിയെടുക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിക്കാം 

കാട്ടിക്കൂട്ടലുകള്‍ കൊണ്ടോ വാചകമടി കൊണ്ടോ വലുതായൊന്നും നേടാനില്ല. 

നന്നായി കറവയുള്ള പശുവിനു ചന്തയില്‍ നല്ല വില കിട്ടും.. 

കറവ വറ്റിയ പശുവിന്റെ കഴുത്തില്‍ മണി കെട്ടിയതുകൊണ്ട് അതിന്നു വില കിട്ടുമോ?