May the goddess of speech protect us..

May the goddess of speech protect us..

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A prayer from Rigvedam..

देवीं वाचमजनयन्त देवास्तां विश्वरूपाः पशवो वदन्ति।

सा नो मन्द्रेषमूर्जं दुहाना धेनुर्वागस्मानुप सुष्टुतैतु॥११

ऋग्वेदे ८-१००-११

devīṁ vācamajanayanta devāstāṁ viśvarūpāḥ paśavo vadanti|

sā no mandreṣamūrjaṁ duhānā dhenurvāgasmānupa suṣṭutaitu||11

ṛgvede 8-100-11

This spoken word as the means of expression of our great ideas and action plans and directions is inherent in all living creatures as the means of communication

( there are four types of sounds..para, pashyantee, madhyama and Vaikhari.. the Vaak here is actually perceived as the Madhyama Vani)..

This Vaak or spoken word is created by Gods..

And all living beings including men make these sounds.. some of the sounds are clear and audible and some of the sounds are unclear or not audible..

( Madhyama sounds starting from the heart region are audible.. and Vaikhari which forms subtler sounds like musical notes are also mostly in the audible range.. The para and pashyantee.. though perceptible by mind are not audible.)

That Vaak which is verily a Goddess herself is always pleased when she is praised through these words and makes us happy through the production of these words.

May she provide us copious rains and through those rains, may she cause the growth of food -grains which are our source of energy and sustenance..

May she cause the flow of milk, ghee etc, producing them as if she were verily the benevolent cow..

Praised by us, may the goddess of Vaak… bless us with all our needs in plenty..

The same Krishna Viewed in different ways. by different persons

The same Krishna Viewed in different ways. by different persons

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मल्लानां अशनिः नृणां नरवरः स्त्रीणां स्मरो मूर्तिमान्।

गोपानां स्वजनोऽसतां क्षितिभुजां शास्ता स्वपित्रो शिशुः।

मृत्युर्भोजपतेः विराडविदुषां तत्त्वं परं योगिनां।

वृष्णीनां परदेवतेति विदितो रङ्गं गतः साग्रजः॥ १७

श्रीमद्भागवते दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे कुवलयापीठवधोनाम त्रिचत्वारिंशोऽध्याये॥

mallānāṁ aśaniḥ nṛṇāṁ naravaraḥ strīṇāṁ smaro mūrtimān|

gopānāṁ svajano'satāṁ kṣitibhujāṁ śāstā svapitro śiśuḥ|

mṛtyurbhojapateḥ virāḍaviduṣāṁ tattvaṁ paraṁ yogināṁ|

vṛṣṇīnāṁ paradevateti vidito raṅgaṁ gataḥ sāgrajaḥ|| 17

śrīmadbhāgavate daśamaskandhe pūrvārdhe kuvalayāpīṭhavadhonāma tricatvāriṁśo'dhyāye||

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A very interesting description in Srimad Bhagavatham Tenth Canto.. The Author Vyasa is very matter of fact and austere throughout the puranam in use of words.

But this situation prods even that sedate author to use hyperbole.. The imp Krishna makes him to do so

The boys Balarama and Krishna sons of Vasudeva grow in Gokulam and Vrindavan, happily playing.. Krishna is ten years now, and Balarama is elder by a year..

Kamsa, the uncle of Krishna, has got wind that the boy was growing just to annihilate him . He played so many tricks, sent so many demons to finish off Krishna in the abode of Nandagopa himself but all attempts of Kamsa failed and his plans were shattered and his henchmen all killed.

Finally the King Kamsa sends Akrura to Gokulam with an invitation to Nanda and the boys Balarama and Krishna to attend a Yajna being conducted in Mathura by Kamsa. It is not just an invitation but more of an order.. The intention of Kamsa was to murder the boys while in his own capital..

The brother Rama and Krishna reach Mathura.. They visit the yajnashala of Kamsa.. A very heavy and sturdy bow called Vishnu Chaapa was exhibited there and Krishna just lifted it, tried to tie its string, but when He tried to bend it in the proscess, the bow broke with a thunder-like noise which almost broke the heart of Kamsa.

The boys proceeded and were blocked in their progress towards the palace of Kamsa by the huge elephant Kuvalyaapeeda.. and this elephant was simply killed by krishna through blows from his fist.. And he tore off the tusks of the elephant too.

Yes, the poet in Vyasa just tells how Krishna looked like that at that moment..

=========

Here starts the Slokam.. and its meaning is..

The mallas or wrestlers Chanura and Mushtika were waiting for a wrestling bout with the boys.. For them Krishna just appeared as if he is thunderbolt in human form

The citizens of Mathura who watched Krishna found in Him the best among men who was going to finish off the tyrant Kamsa and would give them a fair and just administration

The ladies watching Krishna found him so attractive that they thought that it was the God of love Kamadeva himself walking along the streets of Mathura.

While coming to Mathura, some cowherd friends.. gopas from gokulam had accompanied Krishna.. For them Krishna was just their own lovely friend.

There were many vassal kings of ill repute attending the court of Kamsa.. for them Krishna was the strict Judge and disciplinarian who was sure to hand out punishments for their evil deeds..

The parents of Krishna.. both Nanda and Yasodha, and Devaki and Vasudeva, were anxiously watching the activities of Krishna, Rama and Kamsa.. For them Krishna was just a very small kid.. whom they loved and adored.

Kamsa the King of Bhoja was watching the progress of Krishna, from a distance, virtually hiding himself in fear.. For him Krishna was just the God of Death Yama appearing in person, ready to pounce on him.

For the not so learned persons who viewed Krishna with much respect, He appeared as the Viraat.. the material with which the whole universe was created and built up.

( For the really learned He is Narayana the Parabhrahmam)

For the learned Yogins, Krisha was the ultimate principle, the ultimate thing, the ultimate knowledge, the ultimate entity for which they had been searching all along.

For the people born in the clan of Vrishni ( Vasudevas and Krishnas own clan) Krishna was the ultimate deity, the ultimate leader ..

And thus walks Krishna towards the wrestling pit.. in the eminent company of his elder brother Balarama..

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

The elegance of this slokam tells everything about Krishna.. Every student, every devotee of Srimad Bhagavatham just adores this sloka..

Of course, later Krishna and Balarama finish off the wrestlers Chaanoora and Mushtika, the Krishna jumps at Kamsa and kills him.. Ugrasena, the father of Kamsa and the maternal grandfather of Krishna is made the King of Mathura.. Krishna later on migrates with His elder brother, parents, and his whole Vrishni clan to Dwaraka, builds up a city and rules there..

slow, sure and steady...

शनैरर्थः शनैः पन्था शनैः पर्वतमारुहेत्।

शनैर्विद्या च धर्मश्च व्यायामश्च शनैः शनैः॥

चाणक्यराजनीत्याम् २ ४९

śanairarthaḥ śanaiḥ panthā śanaiḥ parvatamāruhet|

śanairvidyā ca dharmaśca vyāyāmaśca śanaiḥ śanaiḥ||

cāṇakyarājanītyām 2 49

One should earn and save slowly and steadily

One should travel slowly and with careful planning

One should climb a mountain with deliberate slowness and caution

One should acquire knowledge with slow contemplation

One should tread the path of virtue very slowly and meticulously

and

One should exercise slowly and regularly

Another great advise from Chanakya

For a person who has set out to succeed in life through hard work, wealth usually accumulates slowly..

Suddenaffluence usually would have some unsavoury background

Journey, though thoroughly enjoyable for most people, would expose them to many unexpected situations and challenges..

Hence if journeys are made with no plans, real difficulties and damages can be the outcome.

Climbing a mountain is in most cases an inch-by-inch struggle..

That too exhausting.

If sufficient energy for the final laps near the summit are not preserved, the initial enthusiasm and hard work can go waste..

So one has to be slow and steady in climbing.

Knowledge gets absorbed and assimilated only at an optimum pace..

A lot of information can get attached to the temporary memory process even if studied without due contemplation, but such things will not cling to the mind in the long run..

The methods of proper education are really slow and steady..

The journey of life adhering to the dharma can be very tenuous..

It takes a lot of time to know what is the correct decision to be taken..

The rights of various stakeholders can conflict even in very genuine transactions..

Justice delayed may be justice denied..

But justice hurried is no justice at all..

Exercise, physical as well as mental, would have the desired impact only if performed regularly and in panned steps..

Anyone who has tried any sort of fitness plans would have realized how difficult it had been to fit into the groove..

So the slowness is prescribed in various activities for different reasons..

Slow and steady wins the race...

But it should not be on account of laziness..

Because for a lazy fellow, there can neither be a race nor rice..

ശനൈരര്‍‍ഥഃ ശനൈഃ പന്ഥാ ശനൈഃ പര്‍വതമാരുഹേത്।

ശനൈര്‍വിദ്യാ ച ധര്‍‍മശ്ച വ്യായാമശ്ച ശനൈഃ ശനൈഃ॥

ചാണക്യരാജനീത്യാം ൨ ൪൯

തിടുക്കപ്പെടാതെ, കുറേശ്ശയായി ആയിരിക്കണം ഒരാള്‍‍  പണം സമ്പാദിക്കുന്നത്.

യാത്ര ചെയ്യുമ്പോള്‍ പതുക്കെ അപകടങ്ങള്‍ ഒഴിവാക്കി ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ മാത്രം ആയിരിക്കണം

ഉയരമുള്ള മല കയറുന്നത്  ഓരോ  കാല്‍ വയ്പ്പും ശ്രദ്ധിച്ച് സാവധാനം മുന്നേറിക്കൊണ്ട് ആയിരിക്കണം

അറിവും പഠിപ്പും നേടുന്നത് ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ  ഇരുന്നു പരിശ്രമിച്ചുതന്നെ ആവണം.

നന്മയുടെയും നീതിയുടെയും പാതയില്‍ ജീവിതം മുന്നോട്ടു നയിക്കുന്നതും ഒട്ടും തിടുക്കം കൂടാതെയും ഏറെ അര്‍പ്പണബോധത്തോടെയും  ആയിരിക്കണം

പിന്നെ,  വ്യായാമം  ചെയ്ത്  ആരോഗ്യം നിലനിര്‍ത്തുന്നതും  തിടുക്കമില്ലാതെ  അടുക്കും ചിട്ടയോടും കൂടി ആയിരിക്കണം,

 

ചാണക്യന്‍റെ മറ്റൊരു മൊഴിമുത്ത്.

ജീവിതത്തില്‍ ഉന്നതിയും സമൃദ്ധിയും  നല്ല വിധത്തില്‍ നേടണം എങ്കില്‍  വളരെ കാലം  അക്ഷീണമായി പരിശ്രമിച്ചു കൊണ്ട് മാത്രമേ അത് സാധ്യമാവൂ.  നല്ല വിധത്തിലുള്ള സമ്പാദ്യം  അല്പാല്പമായി മാത്രമേ  വര്‍ദ്ധിക്കുകയുള്ളൂ.  ഒരാള്‍ക്ക്  അതിവേഗം സാമ്പത്തികം ഉണ്ടാവുന്നത് കണ്ടാല്‍  അതിനു പിന്നില്‍ ശരിയല്ലാത്ത വല്ലതും ഉണ്ടെന്ന് ശങ്കിക്കേണ്ടി വരും.

യാത്ര ചെയ്യുന്നത് മിക്കവര്‍ക്കും വളരെ  സന്തോഷം നല്‍കുന്ന കാര്യമാണ്. പക്ഷെ യാത്രകള്‍  നമുക്ക് പലേ പ്രശ്നങ്ങളും വെല്ലുവിളികളും നല്‍കും.  പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കാത്ത  അപകടങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ടാവാം. അതുകൊണ്ട്  ഒരു മുന്നൊരുക്കവും ഇല്ലാതെ പെട്ടെന്ന് ചെയ്യുന്ന യാത്രകള്‍   പലപ്പോഴും നമുക്ക് ദുരിതങ്ങള്‍  സമ്മാനിക്കാം.

 

ഇഞ്ചോടിഞ്ച്  പിന്മാറാതെ പരിശ്രമിച്ച് മാത്രമാണ് നാം  മലകളുടെ കൊടുമുടികള്‍ കയറുന്നത്.  അത്തരം കയറ്റങ്ങള്‍  ഏറെ ഉത്സാഹം തരുന്നവ ആവാം. പക്ഷെ ആ പ്രവൃത്തി നമ്മെ ശാരീരികമായി ഒരുപാടു ക്ഷീണിപ്പിക്കും.   ഉയരങ്ങളില്‍ എത്തുമ്പോള്‍  മുന്നേറുവാന്‍  നമുക്ക് കൂടുതല്‍ ഊര്‍ജ്ജം  ആവശ്യമായി വരും. അതികൊണ്ട്   കയറ്റത്തിന്‍റെ  ആദ്യപാദങ്ങളില്‍   കൂടുതല്‍ തിടുക്കം കാട്ടാതെ  അവസാനമുള്ള കയറ്റത്തിനായി  വേണ്ടത്ര ശാരീരകക്ഷമത  നിലനിര്‍ത്തുന്ന ആള്‍ക്ക് മാത്രമേ കൊടുമുടി കീഴടക്കാന്‍  കഴിയൂ.

ചുറ്റും കാണുന്നതും പഠിക്കുന്നതും  നമ്മുടെ മനസ്സില്‍ പതിയാന്‍ അതിന്റെതായ ഒരു സമയവും താളക്രമവും ഉണ്ട്.  ഒരേ സമയം  നാം ഒരുപാടു കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ കാണുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിലും  നമ്മുടെ ശ്രദ്ധ പിടിച്ചു പട്ടി നമ്മുടെ മനസ്സില്‍  കയറുന്നത് അതില്‍ ഒരു ചെറിയ ഭാഗം മാത്രം ആയിരിക്കും. നല്ലവണ്ണം ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചു പഠിക്കാത്ത  കാര്യങ്ങള്‍  മനസ്സില്‍ കയറിയാലും  അവ  അവിടെ  നിലനില്‍ക്കുകയില്ല.  അതുകൊണ്ട്   നേരായ വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സമ്പ്രദായങ്ങള്‍   സാധാരണഗതിയില്‍  പതുക്കെ പടിപടിയായി മുന്നോട്ടു പോകുന്ന തരത്തില്‍ ആയിരിക്കും.

നേരിന്‍റെയും നേരിയുടെയും പാതയില്‍ ജീവിതം മുന്നോട്ടു കൊണ്ടുപോവുന്നത്  എളുപ്പമുള്ള കാര്യമല്ല.  ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചില്ലെങ്കില്‍ വഴി തെറ്റും.  എന്താണ് ശരി എന്ന്  മനസ്സിലാക്കുവാന്‍ കുറെ സമയം വേണം.  ശരിയായ തീരുമാനം എടുക്കാനും സമയം വേണം.  നമ്മുടെയും നമ്മുടെ ചുറ്റും ഉള്ളവരുടെയും  നന്മയും താല്പര്യങ്ങളും  നിലനിര്‍ത്തിക്കൊണ്ട് വേണം മുന്നേറാന്‍.  ജീവിതത്തില്‍   ആശയപരമായും പ്രവര്‍ത്തന പരമായും  പലേ സംഘര്‍ഷങ്ങളും  ഉടലെടുക്കാന്‍ സാധ്യതയുണ്ട്.  സത്യസന്ധങ്ങളായ  ചര്യകളില്‍ പോലും സംഘര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍ ഒളിച്ചിരിക്കാം.   നീതി നടപ്പാക്കുന്നത് വൈകിയാല്‍ അത് അനീതിയാണെന്ന് പറയാറുണ്ട് . പക്ഷെ തിടുക്കപ്പെട്ടു നടപ്പാക്കുന്ന ഒന്നിനെയും നീതി എന്ന് തന്നെ പറയാന്‍ പറ്റില്ല.

 

ശാരീരികമായോ മാനസികമായോ ഉള്ള വ്യായാമങ്ങള്‍ ചെയ്യുമ്പോള്‍ അവയ്ക്ക്  പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ച ഫലം കിട്ടണം എങ്കില്‍ ചിട്ടയായ മേല്‍നോട്ടത്തില്‍  പതുക്കെ, കൃത്യമായ സമയക്രമം നിശ്ചയിച്ചു  അവ ചെയ്‌താല്‍ മാത്രമേ പറ്റുകയുള്ളൂ.

വ്യായാമം എന്നും ചെയ്യുന്നവര്‍ക്ക് അറിയാം,  അത്തരം പരിപാടികള്‍  കൃത്യമായ സമയനിഷ്ഠയോടെ   തുടരുന്നത്  എത്ര വിഷമമേറിയതാണെന്ന്.  പക്ഷെ  അത്തരം  വ്യായാമങ്ങള്‍ പിന്തുടരുന്നവര്‍ക്ക് അവയുടെ   നല്ല ഫലങ്ങള്‍  ധാരാളമായി ലഭിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യും

 

തിടുക്കമില്ലായ്മ ഓരോ കാര്യത്തിലും  അത്യാവശ്യം ആണെന്ന് പറയുന്നത് വെവ്വേറെ  കാരങ്ങങ്ങള്‍ കൊണ്ടാണ്.  
മെല്ലെ തിന്നാല്‍ മുള്ളും തിന്നാം.
പക്ഷെ  ആ മെല്ലെപ്പോക്ക് കുഴിമടി മൂലം  ആവരുത്.
എന്തെന്നാല്‍ മടിയാണ് യാത്രയുമില്ല, പഠിപ്പും

unfair means..

अनिष्टाद् इष्टलाभोऽपि न गतिर्जायते शुभा।

यत्रास्ते विषसंसर्गोऽमृतं तदपि मृत्यवे॥

हितोपदेशे॥

aniṣṭād iṣṭalābho'pi na gatirjāyate śubhā|

yatrāste viṣasaṁsargo'mṛtaṁ tadapi mṛtyave||

hitopadeśe||

A warning from Hitopadesham

If we achieve even the most coveted goal through unfair and devious means , or get the most desired object from someone who is basically not favourably disposes to us, then the outcome of such achievement or the enjoyment of such object would not yield the positive effect or enjoyment.. Most often these may cause only detriment to us..

Even the Ambrosia or amrita, if it has come in contact with poison for a few moments, would cause only death and destruction later..

Even the slightest contact with poison makes even the good thing toxic.. And wrong means just destroy the good effects of any achievement..

We tend to forget this.. knowingly or unknowingly..

at least permit people to suffer on their own

A hungry man was on a visit to a place where it was announced that free food would be supplied..

He waited outside for long..

No food was forthcoming..

Evening came..

Night came too

Burning with hunger, and yet bone- tired, finally he just lied down on some fress space outside and somehow managed to fall asleep.

Some smart volunteer from the sponsors of free food finally announced that there would be no food supply that night

The smart volunteer did not stop there.

He saw the poor hungry man sleeping

He was excessively conscious of the call of his duties

He woke up the hungry man and announced

Listen to me, There is no supply of food this night

ഉറങ്ങുന്നവനെ ഉണര്‍ത്തി അത്താഴം ഇല്ലെന്നു പറയുന്നത് പോലെ.

I find a long line of friends and well wishers of that genre.

I could not find any exception..

I am really sorry to say that..

People can at least permit people to be unhappy all by themselves.

frog in the well

Remember the story of a frog.. which was exchanging ideas with another colleague... One frog lived in a well for ever, and the second one had gone around a lot.

The frog who is the hero of this story resided in a deep well all through its life, but the visitor had been jumping all around the world beyond the well too, and had finally landed up inside the well presumably for a short visit..

Of the many experiences it had while wandering around, the frog who was the guest reported to his friend about the shape and size of an elephant he had seen..

An elephant according to the visitor was too huge and its size could not be explained in words or gestures in the frog-tongue..

The permanent resident of the well, the first frog was very sure that there could not be anything anywhere which could be bigger than himself..

So he drew a lot of air into his lungs and his whole body puffed up .. and asked his friend whether the elephant could be as big as that..

When the friend replied that the elephant was far, far bigger, the frog of the well tried to increase the size of the body more and more by filling himself with a lot of air..

This happened half a dozen times..

Still the friend and visitor, the frog from the broader earth was not able to agree on the comparison of the size between the elephant and the colleague who lived in the well, albeit all his puffing up.

The occupant of the well was not ready to concede on the issue of comparative sizes

He drew in further quantities of air.. and finally it happened..

The conceited frog's body could not withstand any more intake of air, and the frog and its body just shattered like a balloon, giving a loud noise akin to burst of a cracker..

Of course with that burst, all the pride, conceity and the misery of the frog of the well was over once for all..

We see such puffed up gasbags everywhere, within us and without too..

sour grapes

मूर्खानाम् पण्डिताः द्वेष्या अधनानां महाधनाः।

वराङ्गना कुलस्त्रीणां सुलभानां च दुर्लभाः॥

चाणक्यनीति

mūrkhānām paṇḍitāḥ dveṣyā adhanānām mahādhanāḥ|

varāṅganā kulastrīṇām sulabhānām ca durlabhāḥ||

cāṇakyanīti

Learned scholars are usually the enemies of uneducated brutes.

Affluent people will find no love in the poor ones

A supremely attractive woman would have only enemies among the other ladies in the clan..

Easily available things and objects are just antitheses for the rare gems..

The enmity can be because of jealousy, because of apprehension that the endowed person would pose a threat to the less fortunate one or even because the gifted person shows off and even humiliates the lesser one..

But the divide between the haves and have nots is a burning truth.. and this has been underlined by the great scholar Chanakya..

We can always find that when a person with some knowledge which is acquired with a lot of toil and perseverance just tries to teach or apply such knowledge, those who have been lazy and uneducated create all sorts of roadblocks, for some reason or other.. Some may pay respect when the learned person is present but invariably he is heckled behind the back.. Socrates was forced to drink hemlock the poison and die just because he was learned and others around him did not like him for that reason.. The learned man would be somewhat sensible and many others could never thrive with their devious ways if such men with knowledge are allowed to operate.. So the learned persons face nemesis at the hands of brutes.

The hatred between classes with money and without money has been a part of human existence over millenniums. It is possible that the affluent ones came by the wealt by unfair means and they exploited the lesser endowed. but the divide is a stark reality..

Many revolutions, many ideologies, many schools of thought, many warring groups took shape and operated because of the divied between the rich a poor.. The enmity is a fact

God is an impish despot.. He creates so many ladies, who are all conscious of their physical appearance and attractiveness. But He created only very few of that species, who are really beautiful .. Others among them are irritated, disturbed, and perhaps feel rather cheated by God and they develop a sort of hatred for the beautiful ones.. That is understandable, but that is a fact too..

A thing, a service, a person, that is available right on call does not get the same respect as similar things which could be obtained only after a lot of request, persuasion, toil, or spending.. So the conflict between the easily available and the rare ones too is an understandable fact of life.

Only through meditation and chanting

जप्येनैव तु संसिध्येद्ब्राह्मणो नात्र संशयः।

कुर्यादन्यन्न वा कुर्यान्मैत्रो ब्राह्मण उच्यते॥

मनुस्मृत्याम् २-८७

japyenaiva tu saṁsidhyedbrāhmaṇo nātra saṁśayaḥ|

kuryādanyanna vā kuryānmaitro brahmaṇa ucyate||

manusmṛtyām 2-87

A quote from manusmriti..

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

Only through meditation and chanting.. ( japam in Sanskrit and scriptures) a brahmana should attain fulfilment in life.

There is no doubt about it. No room for two views in the matter.

He may perform other duties too.. or he may not do anything other than japam..

Still he is considered as the friend of all because his japam brings welfare to all things around

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

People who consider themselves as brahmins have deviated from Japayajna.. meditation and periodic worship of Sandhya, Savitri Gayatri, Sarasvathi etc all through their lives..

In that case, are they really friends of the world?

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

Meaning... word analysis

जप्येन through chanting and meditation एव alone ब्राह्मणः a brahmin संसिध्येत् तु should realize fulfilment in life

अत्र न संशयं अस्ति in this matter, there is no doubt.

सः he

अन्यं कुर्यात् may do other things

न कुर्यात् वा or may not do anything else

(जप्येन) ब्राह्मणः (लोकस्य) मैत्रः उच्यते for the chanting and meditation for the welfare of all the Brahmin is considered as the friend of the whole world..

offering naivedyam

When we serve food or offer naivedyam to God there should be silence. Even the parishechana mantras and the six ahutis should be done in a silent or sibilant tone and especially the names of the foodstuff offered should be chanted silently or in a low voice which would not be heard by others.

It is silly to announce that so many vadas laddus or so many litres of payasam are offered.

A basic rule about taking food In our culture is that the person who serves the food and the host who ceremonially offers the food and also the one who eats should maintain absolute silence.

Even the additional servings should be offered through gestures.

मौनेन भोक्तव्यम्

Maunena bhoktavyam.

Of course there is a practice of abishravanam अभिश्रवणं where Vedic scholars recite from Vedas, puranas etc sitting in an adjoining area while the ceremonial.feast is taking place

But we tend to announce and publicize the naivedyams with gusto..

And often the foodstuff is announced even in festival notices days in advance..

We have deviated too much from our standard etiquette.

sources of supreme comfort

संसारातप दग्धानां त्रयो विश्रान्तिहेतवः।

अपत्यं च कलत्रं च सतां सङ्गतिरेव च॥

चाणक्यनीतिः

saṁsārātapa dagdhānāṁ trayo viśrāntihetavaḥ |

apatyaṁ ca kalatraṁ ca satāṁ saṅgatireva ca||

cāṇakyanītiḥ

another gem from Chanakya

For a person who is struggling in the scorching heat of daily life of travails, three things come as sources of supreme comfort

The first is his own child

The second is his wife

And the third is,

The friendship and the company of noble friends..

A life without priorities is like a rudderless boat floating in the vast expanse of water.. Imagination gains wings, and expectation soars high when one begets a child..

A loving and supportive wife makes the difference in life

And without good friends what is life.?

where there no love, there is no way

त्यजेद्धर्मम् दयाहीनम् विद्याहीनम् गुरुम् त्यजेत्।

त्यजेत् क्रोधमुखीम् भार्याम् निःस्नेहान्बान्धवान्स्त्यजेत्॥

चाणक्यनीति

tyajeddharmam dayāhīnam vidyāhīnam gurum tyajet |

tyajet krodhamukhīm bhāryām niḥsnehānbāndhavānstyajet||

cāṇakyanīti

One should give up and refuse to follow laws and statutes if they have not element of sympathy in them

One should move away from a teacher or guru if that teacher is found to possess inadequate knowledge and skils.

One should run away from a wife, if her face is always exploding with rage..

One should never stick to relatives who have no love for him..

Laws are after all made to make the life in the society smooth and beneficial to all in a general way even if some constituents might face some disadvantages at times. In fact restrictions placed on us by the state through laws are what we the individuals have permitted the legislator to do.. a sort of social contract.. So we need not have any mercenary spirit allowing the state to be harsh and unsympathetic to us.. Of course such thoughts are possible only in mature democratic systems..

We land up with teachers and trainers with inadequate skills and capacities often being mislead by hype.. The best way in such situations is to part company with such teachers..

Of course a wife always in rage is like living in hell.. Chanakya talked of wife alone because the period he lived perhaps did not think of a woman abandoning her husband however nasty he is.. Times have changed.. A husband who is exploding in anger for ever need not be tolerated by a wife too..

Relatives who are just real thieves, or real thorns in the heels just declaring love for us in public but praying and doing all that is possible to pull us down.. need not have any place in our lives..

A great piece of Advice by Chanakya

His liberal views own law and dharma even when he lives in a time where monarchy was in vogue and democracy was not considered seriously as a political system represent a welcome change..

world analysis.

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

दयाहीनम् which is without sympathy, which is cruel

धर्मम् त्यजेत् should abandon or give up laws, social customs and practices

विद्याहीनम् who is not having knowledge and skills

गुरुम् त्यज्ते move away or avoid a teacher ।

क्रोधमुखीम् a lady whose face is filled with anger, whose primary person trait is just showing rage

भार्याम् त्यजेत् run away from the wife ।

निःस्नेहान् who are without any love,

बान्धवान् त्यजेत् move away from relatives ॥

renunciation is not escapism..

My reaction to the query of a young friend that he desires to give up and withdraw to a sort of sannyas or renunciation because he is finding the life situations so frustrating and difficult to face

----'--------------------------

"Abandoning everything and going away is prescribed normally only for those who have seen, enjoyed or suffered all the pleasures and not so pleasant duties and chores ordained by traditions and scriptures and practices.

Before giving up the sources of pleasures and pains you should have finally realized with unwavering determination that such things do not mean anything to you and that you really want emancipation from such worldly life.

Such break cannot be taken as a temporary measure..retaining the desire to come back to ordinary life after some time.

Sannyas is not a holiday trip of picnic.

Rare persons like Shankara would have gone for renunciation right from childhood.

But rarities are not to be treated as rules.

In fact one can train himself to be detached in whatever state he is.

Lifestyle is just a choice.

And a sane person is always the master of his feelings and propensities.

For this he need not go into exile or sannyas."

a perspective on Study of Sanskrit

I posted my views on Sanskrit and Indian ethos in a closed group, but I feel the issue deserved wider exposure. So I re post it here.

The person who found that Sanskrit could be used as a language for computer programming, could have done that only after having studied Sanskrit in great depth .. so he must be a Sanskrit Scholar in his own way..

The very fact that such a research has been done is evidence enough to the fact that something tangible has been done..

The knowledge of Sanskrit and the practice of chanting mantrams and performing rituals by Vadhyars of today have very little in common..

The average Purohita to day just learns something like a parrot..

Even the youngsters who claim that they have learned part of vedam. like purusha sooktham, rudram etc, just learn the chanting of these parts of the scriptures without either understanding or in most case not caring to understand even the peripheral meaning..

So to mix up the present day mamopaatha samsatha(the opening stanza in any brahmin ritualistic chant ).... with scholarship in Sanskrit is very odd..

We Palakkad iyers talk Tamil and Malayalam in our own way sometimes not knowing how to read or write such languages..

Does it mean becoming scholars?

I think I am using English Language fairly well and would have acquired knowledge even in some other vital subjects using this knowledge as the key to open the vast repertoire of materials for study..

But Sanskrit language has also in its store equally precious stock, which unfortunately the children of the language have failed to note..

Some people would have used hyperbole, in extolling the virtues of Sanskrit but we cannot say they were off the mark in bringing home a worthy point..

For a Hindu. if he is to understand where he really stands in history,unique identity as a social unit, and religion, knowledge of Sanskrit is the ultimate thing, the ultimate weapon..

. A situation has arisen where majority of Indians have no knowledge of Sanskrit..

It is a sad and disturbing fact.

And maybe people survive even without such knowledge..

That is little solace..

A human being can survive without religion, without even cultural or historic sense.

For eating food, mating and such primary human needs, one may not need any language..

Inadequacies and imperfections cannot be claimed as virtues..

Even though English language is rich in vocabulary, culture and all, we can take pride in the knowledge of language only as a foreign language..

I do not think anyone of us can ever claim English as our mother tongue or as forming the basis of our own Indian heritage and cultural growth..

Alien culture can be followed but they cannot become our culture..

One failure cannot be justified with reference to another failure.

lead me Krishna

yes, If it is ordained by Fate.. or the holy rules of Karma that I should be kicked, I shall receive the kick..

but the Divine being, who is ever merciful, although He cannot flout the rule of Karma, can always form a buffer between the leg that is kicking and my body which receives the kick.. so that the intensity of the kick is very much reduced..

In fact Krishna always does that.. and true, that is the reason for our abiding faith in him..

and millions of hands raised heavenwards will not be gratitude enough..

That is why we ask... Karuna Cheyvaan enthu taamasam.. Krishna..കരുണ ചെയ്‌വാന്‍ എന്ത് താമസം കൃഷ്ണാ Krishna, why is there so much of delay in showering your mercy..

.

The Vaishnava Sharanagathi is based on this principle.. the devotee and the Acharya on behalf of the devotee prays to Narayana and the Mother Sreedevi confessing that aparadhams have been done deserving the severest punishment, but the doer of the wrongs is not capable of surviving the full punishment..

and therefore the deities, especially the Mother should consider the case with mercy and by the intervention of the Mother, Sriman Narayana should reduce the punishment and grand Vaikuntam..

What a sublime idea..

We human beings, especially believers just place all our hopes in the infinite mercy of the Lord..

Otherwise, we are beyond any hope..

signs of class

आचारः कुलमाख्याति देशमाख्याति भाषणम्।

संभ्रमः स्नेहमाख्याति वपुराख्याति भोजनम्॥

चाणक्यनीति

ācāraḥ kulamākhyāti deśamākhyāti bhāṣaṇam|

saṁbhramaḥ snehamākhyāti vapurākhyāti bhojanam||

cāṇakyanīti

Chanakya delivers another gem.....

The way one carries out his activities, the way he presents himself, just reveals his upbringing and the family or the clan to which he belongs.

The language or dialect he speaks would easily show from which place he comes

The anxiety and agitation one shows in respect of another shows how much love is there.

The shape and size of the body clearly indicate what a person eats.

A person born and brought up in a cultured envirnoment would always reveal his class in every activity..

We know the languages and their diction varies from place to place..

For example a person from Chennai and a person from Madurai speak distinctively varying dialects of Tamil.

A man from Trichur and a man from Trivandrum and a man from Kannur all speak Malayalam, but one can detect their nativities if we just hear them speak eve for a few seconds..

One thing about love is that it makes one anxious..

When we love our friends and kin a necessary fallout is that we are anxious about their well being..

The best example is the mother..

She would be anxious about the safety of her child right from the moment it formed insider her as a foetus.. and this anxiety continues as long as she lives..

A mother of ninety years would be worrieds about the activities of her child of seventy years or more..

That is love.

.If someone talks of his love for another with eloquence but is unmoving like a rock when something happens to that another, we can easily see that the declaration of love was just an excercise for the lips of the former.

We eat and eat.. and the body gets fatter and fatter..

So the quality and quantity of the food one eats shows itself in his body..

Lead us in the right path..Agni

Lead us in the right path..Agni

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

At the conclusion of oblations to the fire in the vedic way yajnas, homams etc, we pray to Agni requesting him to lead us in the path of righteousness and also to destroy our propensities to tread the sinful path..

The mantram is from Rigvedam first Mandalam..

The mantram is also found as the concluding mantra of Isha or Ishavasya upanishad.

अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान् विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान्।

युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुरणमेनो भूयिष्ठाम् ते नमौक्तिम् विधेम॥

ऋग्वेदम् १ -१८९ - १-२

&

ईशावास्य उपनिषद् १८

agne naya supathā rāye asmān viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān|

yuyodhyasmajjuhuraṇameno bhūyiṣṭhām te namauktim vidhema||

ṛgvedam 1 -189 - 1-2

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īśāvāsya upaniṣad 18

Oh Lord Agni, we praise you with lots and lots of praises and nice words.

May you be pleased to lead us in the fair and righteous path for the enjoyment of all our actions and endevours.

Blessed Lord, you are knowing or keenly watching all our activities and we pray that you may be pleased to destroy our tendencies to tread the crooked or deceitful path and save us from our sins.

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word meaning

अग्रे agne -- oh agni

अस्मान् asmaan -- us

राये raye -- to the enjoyment of fruits of our actions and attempts

सुपथा supathaa -- by the fair and right path

नय naya -- lead

देव deva -- oh lord

विश्वानि viśvāni -- all, entirely

वयुनानि vayunāni -- deeds activities

विद्वान vidvān -- knowing

अस्मत् asmat -- from us

जुहुराणं juhuraanam -- crooked ways, decietful

युयोधि yuyodhi -- destroy

ते te -- to you

भूयिष्ठां bhūyiṣṭhām -- in plety

नम उक्तिं nama uktim -- words of praise

विधेम vidhema -- we submit