RIP Mohammed mama...

RIP Mohammed mama...

a memory which is more than  sixty years comes back.. I was just a child of one and half years.. born at Kottakkal in a predominantly Muslim and non brahmin area..and having not much of exposure to Iyers and their ways till then..My constant companion in my infancy was a mohammed mama..Our family migrated to nearby places like Tirur and Parappanangadi. and still he was with us. I never found anything queer in having a Mohammed mama with us at that time, and even now I cannot find anything amiss..
He is now dead and gone. He was sort of assistant to my father and he used to occupy the front of our house when there was no other work..

Once I remember, I was venturing out of the house
-- it must be in Thrikkandiyur, Tirur--
 a small boy of one-and half years, and fell down and hit my lower jaw on a sharp stone and there was a free flow of blood.. No doctor nearby and the gash needed stitches. Mohammed mama saw me fall and get wounded, and he would not even wait to warn my mother about it.. my father had gone out on some work..Mohammed mama simply ran carrying me to the dispensary four miles away, and got the wound mended.. Doctor's fee was not an issue because the latter was known to my father..

But Mohammed mama had ruined the only white shirt, that is his sole possession to give him the  semblance of modern man.. the entire shirt was soaked in blood..

Of course, my father gave him a blue shirt in place of that white shirt and I have seen him wearing that every day afterwards..

That deep wound scar is seen in my lower jaw to this day..

At our house whenever food was cooked those days, one member who was included was Mohammed Mama. This is in spite of the fact that our parents were orthodox to the core.. Poojas, Japams... Ganapathi homam and what not..

But Mohammed mama was always there..

Subsequently, we migrated to Palakkad and Mohammed mama could not come with us because of his personal commitments..
When the news was received  that he had passed away a few years later, I know I have cried as if a close relative, an uncle, and a benefactor has left the scene..

RIP Mohammed mama...

indeed very rare stuff

while studying the various aphorisms of Vishnugupta, the Kautilya or Chanakya, I came across a definition as to how the great scholar came to be known as Kautilya..

कुटो घटः तं धान्यपूर्णं लान्ति संगृह्णन्ति इति कुटलाः कुंभीधान्याः त्यागपराः ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः। तेषां गोत्रापत्यो कौटिल्यो विष्णुगुप्तो नाम।

kuṭo ghaṭaḥ taṁ dhānyapūrṇaṁ lānti saṁgṛhṇanti iti kuṭalāḥ kuṁbhīdhānyāḥ tyāgaparāḥ brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ| teṣāṁ gotrāpatyo kauṭilyo viṣṇugupto nāma|

Kuta means a mid-sized earthen pot.. kutala is one who is having as his earthly possession only one such pot filled with cereals (impllying that he possessed or kept for himself nothing else).. Such a man of self denial is a kutala brahmin.. and Chanakya is Kautilya because he is born in the family of a brahmin following such tradition..

Chanakya was the scholar-statesman who had the vision to unite most of Bharat under Chandragupta Maurya, after and in spite of internal strife and the havoc wrought by the Greek invasion under the leadership of Alexander.. At that period, Nandas or Mauryas or for that matter any king held only the titular authority and the real moving forces were Kautilya and may be next to him the minister of the Nandas, Rakshasa.. But these two persons, never claimed anything by way of personal benefit.. 

Chanakya went one step ahead.. He knew that Rakshasa was a great statesman and it was Rakshasa who held together the empire of Nandas till Chandragupta took over . In spite of the fact that Rakshasa was a sworn enemy of Chanakya and Chandraguptha the Maurya, Chanakya ensured that Rakshasa continued to function as prime minister even under Chandragupta Maurya.. There Chanakya put the welfare of the State ahead of personal rancour..

And this fact also speaks volumes about the blemish-less character and patriotism of Rakshasa.. even when he was being forced to serve an enemy, the professional ethics of Rakshasa, would ensure that he discharged his duties according to Dharma..And Chanakya had such a confidence in his sworn enemy.

An all powerful king-maker who would prefer to have only one pot of cereals as his whole earthly possession, and a civil servant, who would place the professional honour before anything else.. Chanakya and Rakshasa.. this is what legends were made of.. this is what politics was in India.. 

The celebrated play Mudra Rakshasam of Visakhadatta is a glorious study on these two titans.

the journey by night

The journey by night..
By Norah blake


Sher Singh's little brother, Kunwar, lay in the hut with a pain in his stomach that was getting worse.


Sher Singh himself was only 12 years old, small and cheerful, a child of the jungle, and his brother was several years younger. There had been other children, of course, but they were dead, carried off by cholera and influenza.


'I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,' said his mother. She did not weep. She had lived through everything.


The steaming cloths did nothing. After a while Sher Singh's mother said, 'He mustbe carried to the hospital at Kalaghat.'


Then Sher Singh knew that his brother was dying, for all jungle people know that the hospital is the last resort of the doomed.


I will run for my father,' he cried.


'It may be days before you find him.'


Sher Singh's father was known far and wide as Sher Singh Bahadur—the Brave—a famour hunter with the title Bahadur added to his name like a medal because of all he had done. He lived his life here in Laldwani village, grazing his animals, cultivating his bit of land. But whenever an expedition entered the jungle in search of big game, they sent for Bahadur the Brave. All along his skull and back and shoulder went a scar where claws had opened his flesh to the bone when he was pulling a comrade away from a tiger.


Now he was away in the jungle with an expedition. All the men of Laldwani village too were away, as beaters. In this mud-and-grass hut, upon the floor of trodden earth, Kunwar lay crying sometimes, but mostly glazed and silent. Sher Singh saw death in his young brother's eyes.


'There are no men in the village,' he said. 'I will take him.'


His mother must stay behind to mind the cattle and work on the land without which they would all starve; and he and she both understood this without saying so. She took one of her two saris and making a sling for Sher Singh, lifted up Kunwar, and put him into it. Sher Singh could feel immediately the heat of the boy's body burning through the cotton cloth on his back. He felt the weight too, and wondered how he was going to manage.


'He is too big for you,' his mother whispered in despair. 'You will never get there.' Sher Singh said nothing. He set off into the jungle in the orange glow of evening. Kalaghat was 80 kilometres away, but Sher Singh hoped that if he could get through the jungle and cross the two rivers in between, he might get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken-down truck for the last part of his journey.


He was alone on the track that wound into the forest, into night. Not quite alone, though. Around him lay primeval forest in which the struggle of life continued as it had done since the beginning of the world. The deer were now so poached and decimated that the beasts of prey had to kill domestic animals for food. Sometimes even man.


Night fell. The sky blazed with stars. Presently, the moon rose. The sight of bear tracks in the dust—the square front paw and long back one, with the shaggy claws—made him glance round uneasily. He had once seen a man who had been mauled by a bear, all his face torn away. He quickened his step.


Soon, on a cliff above a river-bed, Sher Singh knew he could go no further without rest. He set Kunwar down gently. Suddenly all Sher Singh's muscles, shrinking back to their natural positions, thrilled with piercing pain. He lay against a tree with his eyes shut, recovering.


It was then he heard the jostle and squeal of elephants. Below him on each side of the shallow river-bed, the elephants travelled. He could see the cows and the babies, and one great old tusker. He was swaying his trunk to and fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.


Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. Prayer after prayer fled up from his frightened spirit.


The tusker snorted, trumpeted, shook his head. Suddenly he hurried on angrily up the river-bed, and all the herd with him. They disappeared.


Sher Singh breathed another prayer, of thanks this time, and made ready to move with Kunwar on his back once again. He scrambled down into the river-bed. Though the water was only waist-deep, he had to go slowly because of slime on the stones. Thank goodness there was a bridge at the second river, he thought. That bridge was an impermanent thing made of bamboo poles, stones, and thick grass. But it was at least a bridge.


As Sher Singh washed up on to the shore, water trickled in his foot prints before sinking into the sand. Coming up out of the river were another set of prints— a tiger's and there was glitter in them too. Even as he looked, they dried. He plodded steadily on, and his body pained and sobbed.


Towards midnight he heard the second river from far away, a steady roar of flood. When he came out on the shore, he saw it. A big head of snow must have melted yesterday, because from bank to bank, the river foamed. He looked for the bridge. It was not there. Only a fierce crest of water showed where it lay, submerged. Branches caught against the bridge feathered the wild glissade of water. Underneath, boulders moved. He could hear the river grinding its teeth. Then a tree, churning over and over, crashed against the drowned bridge, which heeled and broke, throwing up its bamboo ribs like a fan.


Sher Singh set Kunwar down and brought him water from the river in his hands.


'My brother—' the delirious little boy whispered, and drank.


Sher Singh gathered grass and, plaiting it into a rope, tied it round his brother and himself so they would keep together. Then he entered the water just above the bridge. The river seized them and flattened them against the wreck. Unable to move at first, he edged forward into the maelstrom, feeling for the split ends of bamboo. The deluge deafened him, timber banged and bruised him. It was so cold he could hardly keep his hold. He could not get his breath in the spray, and he did not know if his brother lived or died. But he kept the child's head above water, and moved slowly. Gasping in mortal struggle, he was deafened, blinded, frozen, drowned.


Gradually, the river seemed to lose power. They were through.


After that, Sher Singh did not know what happened. He was wet and ice-cold but he stumbled on, his knees bent and trembling. They gave way. He was crawling. Then there was a road and the yap of pi-dogs, heralding a village.


Suddenly, somehow—people.


After that, the next he knew they were in a bullock-cart, then a truck.


'Where have you come from, boy?'


'Laldwani.'


'You carried him alone? Across the river in flood?'


They were at the hospital.


Sher Singh felt shy of the big building. He did not go in.


Much later, the doctor came out on the veranda.


'Sher Singh Bahadur, are you there?' he called out.


'My father is not here,' replied the boy, going up to the veranda. 'But I am Sher Singh.'


'You are the boy who brought the child Kunwar in from Laldwani?'


'Yes.'


Then a smile broke all over the doctor's great gentle face.


'Then you are Sher Singh Bahadur—the Brave!' he said. 'Your brother will live. Come and see.'

Lack of Selfishness

09-12-2006

Lack of Selfishness


I would seem to put to this group something that is too personal and not relevant to the group at all. If you feel so, please ignore this.Today Our marriage completes 19 years. I do not propose to use this forum to send a message to my wife because she will never see this, and she is not interested in groups or in computer either. I just thought how a typical Iyer woman spends her life even today. It was no romantic or idyllic match for us, but a match more dependent on idlis and dosas. But she was absolutely faithful in spite of the eccentric fellow that I was, with ungodly duty hours. If I am to leave for work on a day at 3A.M., she would wake up at 2A.M and cook a small meal for me, and when I return home 24 or 48 hours later again at a time when only ghosts will walk along the road, she will be waiting for me. I am not an attractive or charismatic man, and by any standards an under-performer.( I often wonder she would have abandoned me had she not been a typical Brahmin Mami ). She is in fact more educated than me and she earns sufficiently for herself through her job. We have a boy of 18 years who is as bad a devil as me demanding too much from his mother. Silently and happily she does everything. What I wrote above are personal. But I feel her attitude in life has been shaped like this because she grew up in a Brahmin family in a typical agraharam where human relations count a lot and reading Dale Carnegie or Stephen Covey is not necessary to learn the basics of life, but the advise of an old grandmother or great grandmother is taken as the gospel truth.I write this as a tribute to every Brahmin woman who builds up her exclusive world around her little family and can make it a heaven or hell (God forbid!) by her actions. Sure, Brahmin life is very different from others even in these modern times. Whatever we learned for thousands of years cannot be unlearned in a few years of ultramodern life. We men will brag and debate on various issues but the rock-like platform is provided by our own faithful (if I may be permitted to say, faithful to a fault) females. Thanks.

It is now five years later.. but I have had no reason to change my views...rather they are reinforeced.  I am just republishing the above post...even without editing it for spelling mistakes if any. 08-01-2012   K V Ananathanarayanan

It is further eight  years later...  I have absolutely no reason to  change my views  in any way.. 
kvananthanarayanan

Ambi Mama

I have no celebration for  Vaikunta Ekadasi today because my Ambi Mama passed away yesterday.. my own eldest maternal uncle, must be more that ninety.  I am in Trivandrum and  with difficulty to travel I could not go to Coimbatore to see him for the last time.  Must go to see the elderly mami within ten days. 

He was a good man ultimately.. people who can  do no harm to  others apart from just shouting  angrily without any rancour in mind can  be really termed as good. 

He was an employee of Government of Kerala and had lived for more years than his service to draw pension, and now leaves mami to draw family pension also. 

But the greatest quality to be given credit  is that in spite of being a clerk and superintendent in the Public Works Department, where one can get rewarded even for just simply occupying the seat, the man was surprisingly clean..one can say with absolute conviction that he did not take benefits either in cash or kind for favours done.. Indeed a great achievement for a government servant and a PWD employee.

He was childless..This fact has nagged him for about 56 years of married life.. He adopted a nice girl.. but still..

He was blind for the past twenty years or so.  Even earlier  right from childhood he was wearing highly negatively powered glasses for short-sight . a family heirloom for at least fifty percent of our family members. 

But his lack of vision did not impair his capacity to speak out.  Even when he knew that his was an isolated voice, he would shout incessantly if he smelt someone was dirtying the municipal road.  The people in the agraharam gave him the title "Public Road" for this quality. But such public heckling never bothered him.  He could not sleep without calling a spade a spade, however unpleasant his words were. 

I have inherited many of his characteristics, perhaps excepting his stinginess( understandable as he was born in a big poor family of eight siblings)  and short-sight . But being the wrong birds of the same feather, we were not at all friendly with each  another.  When I was a small boy he would shout at me.  But when I grew into a postgraduate and a gazetted officer ( he was never destined to be one)  he would not face me but shout at me to his heart's content ensuring that I was present somewhere in the earshot. 

After migrating to trivandrum,  I have not seen him for the past ten years.. Not even talked to him all these years.  Still I was conscious of his presence as a Jambavan in our family..

He lost his three immediately following siblings one above and two below earlier.  My mother is now the senior-most  (at eighty three or four) in the line.  That realization  adds pace to my heartbeats.

I have no health to run to Coimbatore before the funeral, but my mind feels the  void  created by the vacancy of my own Ambi Mama,  Sekharipuram Vaidyanatha Iyer Vaidyanathan

Take him under your protective Grace, Krishna.

കാല്‍ക്കല്‍ എന്‍ കണ്ണീര്‍ പ്രണാമം

വന്ദേ മുകുന്ദ ഹരേ ജയ ശൌരേ സന്താപഹാരി മുരാരേ
ദ്വാപരചന്ദ്രികാ ചാര്‍ച്ചിതമാം നിന്‍റെ ദ്വാരകാപുരി എവിടേ?
പീലി തിളക്കവും കോല കുഴല്‍ പാട്ടും അമ്പാടി പൈക്കളും എവിടേ?

ക്രൂരവിഷാദ ശരം കൊണ്ട്‌ നീറുമീ നെഞ്ചില്‍ എന്‍ ആത്മപ്രണാമം

പ്രേമസ്വരൂപനാം സ്നേഹ സതീര്‍ത്ഥ്യന്‍റെ കാല്‍ക്കല്‍ എന്‍ കണ്ണീര്‍ പ്രണാമം

പ്രേമസ്വരൂപനാം സ്നേഹ സതീര്‍ത്ഥ്യന്‍റെ കാല്‍ക്കല്‍ എന്‍ കണ്ണീര്‍ പ്രണാമം

He leads and we just follow

My dear brother, Krishna has already answered your question in gita... He has asserted without any trace of doubt in vibhuti yoga that whatever is great, original, sreemad(possessing of richness), strong and noble, manifests anywhere in any part of the universe one should realize that the manifestation is only a part of Krishna Himself. (mama tejo amsa sambhavam). It is not very material as to what language you use but the lofty thought are more important. Praying in any language and called the blessed lord by whatever name is only like negotiating different paths but the ultimate destination is one and the same. Sarvadevanamaskarah kesavam prathi gachchadthi. The means lose most of its significance once the right goal is reached. Maybe some paths may appeal more to the psyche of some while for some others different paths may be attractive. A sadhaka should ensure only one thing...he should not make dirty the path he had trodden. The paths are to be used by others who are also taking the same path. There can be millions of followeres like you and me but there are very few pathfinders ...whom we may call jagatgurus..usually this epithet applies in Hinduism to Krishna, Dakshinamoorthy and Sankara.. we may add a few names like Lord Hayagriva in Hinduism Buddha, Mahaveera, the Prophet, Lord Jesus etc.. Ultimately they all said the same thing. There is only one God, call Him by different names. Ekam sat vipraah Bahudha vadanthi.
If you feel the urge to express yourself spiritually, that is a great sign. The blessed lord is beckoning you. Please share your experience with others. Often God expressed himself through his devotees. Remember the bible also said it a different way.. if Gods wrath is directed towards an evil person, the first manifestation will be that the person concerned will lose all sense of proportion and become mad.
Whatever you or I do, we are only the media of action. The great work is performed by the blessed Krishna himself. So there is no room for arrogance or narcissism or pride for anyone. If a brain works exceedingly well, if a vocal chord vibrates to create sweetest music, if a finger traces great pieces of literature., always remember that these organs are directed by the Lord and the human body-mind conglomerate is only the vehicle. Nobody respects the vehicle, only the saarathy, the mover of the vehicle is the source of greatness.

Wish you all the best.

Fwd: Read It, Think It, Feel It

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Srinivasan Ravi

I think these are great thoughts..... We love ourselves even after doing many mistakes. Then how can we hate others for their one mistake. Think before you hate someone or hate yourself.   Swimming along the flow is effortless but swimming against it needs effort. Don't go the way life takes you, but take life the way you wanna go. Dare to be different.   A beautiful saying: If your eyes are positive you would like all the people in the world. But if your tongue is positive all the people in the world like you.   Life is about the art of drawing without an eraser, so be careful while taking decisions about the most valuable pages of your life.   A nice thought: I met money and said why everyone runs behind you, you are just a piece of paper. Money smiled and said of-course I am just a piece of paper, but I haven't seen a dustbin yet in my whole life.   Life is like a coin. Pleasure and Pain are the two sides. Only one side is visible at a time. But remember other side is also waiting for it's turn.   If you like someone, show it. It will be sweeter then telling. But if you don't like someone. Just tell it. It will be less painful then showing it.   A very true but strange quote: Love doesn't start in the morning & end in the evening. It starts when you don't need it & ends when you need it most.   What's greater then mom's love? Which pillow is better then lover's lap? Which company's better then friends? There are some things in life with no substitutes. Love them forever.   Tragedy of moon: So simple but so attractive. So enlightening but so cool. So moving but so still. So quiet but so popular. So romantic but still single.   A cute story: A man daily sent a rose to his wife. One day he died, but his wife still received roses. She asked the floweriest. He said, your husband paid advance for your whole life. Moral: Love someone forever   A boy loved a girl so much. One day he proposed to her. But she refused. Still he was not sad. His friends asked him, didn't you feel bad? He said, why should I feel? I lost the one who never loved me. But she lost the one who really loves her

The greatest advantage of speaking the truth is that you don't have to remember what you said.

--
S Ravi

Fwd: Fw: { Good Morning India } <><>7 Reasons To say Good Morning To Your Co-Workers<><>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: unni krishnan <unnikrishnan1974@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, May 2, 2010 at 2:03 PM
Subject: Fwd: Fw: { Good Morning India } <><>7 Reasons To say Good Morning To Your Co-Workers<><>

---   Joe and Stacy work next to each other.They sit no more than five feet apart. Even though they often arrive at work before the rest of the team, there is no communication between them. Only silence. No morning greeting. No acknowledgment that they are sharing the same office oxygen. Saying 'Good Morning' should not be difficult. Yet, there is an increasing trend, almost a rebellion, against saying these two simple words to our co-workers. It is not as we were required to salute, bow, kneel or courtesy. Even a casual nod and mumble would be a lot better than the nothing that is now occurring at far too many work sites.  Do not become part of this alarming trend. Experience the power of 'Good Morning.' 1. It maintains the standards of basic civility that we are all entitled to at work. Like 'Please' and 'Thank You', these two little words also go a long way towards improving communication and the overall atmosphere. 2. 'Good Morning' humanizes our co-workers. We are real people, not just cogs in a pointlessly spinning wheel. Show some humanity. 3. Provides for a more democratic environment, where everyone from the CEO to the mail clerk get to share in a friendly two-second exchange. 4. It is quick (and relatively painless). If it is painful, you should probably be looking for a new job or scheduling time for some serious self-reflection. 5. It is free. 6. Acknowledging the mere presence of someone is interpersonal communications 101. Do not YOU want to be noticed? You might tell yourself otherwise, but at the end of the day, we all want to be recognized. 7. Saying 'Good Morning' makes things less awkward when you inevitably have to address your co-worker later in the day. Start the day off on the right foot and avoid potential stresses later in the day. According to Psychology Today, early risers are more agreeable than those who prefer the P.M. hours. Morning people also have more stable personalities and lower levels of aggression, supporting the idea that serotonin is involved in keeping both moods and circadian rhythms regular. Gives new meaning to "You Snooze, You Lose." So if someone is avoiding saying hello in the A.M., you just got a sneak peek into their psychological world. The start of each new day has a mystique about it. Think about it - most religions have morning services, a sunrise continues to serve as a generic symbol of hope, and a good cup of morning coffee is still (and rightly so) worshiped. Whether we like it or not, we all partake in some semblance of this daily routine, no matter who we are, what we do or where we work. Making the words 'Good Morning' part of that routine is part of the process to Make Work Better. If we cannot make even the most measly effort with our co-workers, it says a lot more about you than you might care to admit.

__._,_.___

price of miracle

If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Road Will Take You There....!!!


I'D LIKE THIS BACK IF IT APPLIES



A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.


She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.


Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.
Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!


'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of
voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now So how
much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl.
I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.


'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me ho w much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'


'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago

'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.

'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. '

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you
need.'

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon,
specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.


'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how
much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.


In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.
I know you'll keep the ball moving!

Here it goes. Throw it back to someone who means something to you!

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

Today I pass the friendship ball to you.

Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you.

MY OATH TO YOU...

When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.

When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.

When you are worried.....I will give you hope.

When you are confused.....I will help you cope.

And when you are lost...And can't see the light, I shall be your beacon....Shining ever so bright.

This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask?....Because you're my friend.


Signed: GOD

let others know

DEAR ALL,

One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer's office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce. Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story….

This couple had been quarrelling for all their 40 over yrs of marriage nothing ever seems to go right. They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there's nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce….
Lawyer was having a hard time trying to get the papers done, because he felt that after 40 yrs of marriage at the age of 70, he couldn't understand why the old couple would still want a divorce..
While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband..
"I really love u, but I really cant carry on anymore, I'm sorry.."
"Its o.k., I understand." said the husband. Looking at this, the lawyer suggested a dinner together, just 3 of them, wife thought, why not, since they are still going to be friends..
At the dining table, there was a silence of awkwardness. The first dish was roasted chicken. Immediately the old man took the drumstick for the old lady." Take this, it's your favourite." Looking at this, the lawyer thought maybe there's still a chance, but the wife was frowning when she answer." This is always the problem, you always think so highly of yourself, never thought about how I feel, and don't you know that I hate drumsticks?"
Little did she know that, over the years, the husband have been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks was the husband's favourite. Little did he know that she never thought he understand her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he wants is the best for her.
That night, both of them couldn't sleep, toss and turn, toss and turn…after hours, the old man couldn't take it anymore, he knows that he still loves her, and he cant carry on life without her, he wants her back, he wants to tell her, he is sorry, he wanted to tell her "I love you".
He picks up the phone, starting dialling her number….ringing never stops. He never stops dialling. On the other side, she was sad, she couldn't understand how come after all these years, he still doesn't understand her at all, she loves him a lot, but she just cant take it anymore….phone's ringing, she refuses to answer knowing that its him." What's the point of talking now that its over…I have ask for it and now I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face." She thought…still ringing…she has decided to pull out the cord. Little did she remember, he had the heart problems.
The next day, she received news that he had passed away…she rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone…he had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through her phone line. As sad as she could be…she will have to clear his belongings…when she was looking thru the drawers, she saw this insurance policy, dated from the day they got married, with the beneficiary being her… And together in those file, there was this note…
"To my dearest wife, by the time you're reading this, I'm sure I'm no longer around, I bought this policy for you, though the amount is only $100k, I hope it will be able to help me continue my promise that i have made when we got married, I might not be around anymore, I want this amount of money to continue taking care of you, just like the way I will if I could have live longer. I want you to know that I will always be around, by your side… I love you"
Tears flowed like river……
"When you love someone, let them know… You never know what will happen the next minute…. Learn to build a life together. Learn to love each other. For who they are… not what they are…"
God Bless You

GooD Morning............ Words to Live By...!!

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Fwd: Fw: A nice one!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Srinivasan Ravi <

----- Subject: A nice one! The Rain It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital  signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I  was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired  as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?' He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.' True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. This one I thought I could share with you. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. 'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, But how to dance in the rain.' -- --

--
S Ravi

Fwd: Thought for the day - Passion for Excellence

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Srinivasan Ravi

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?" The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency.

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S Ravi

I am Proud to be an Indian

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Srinivasan Ravi <sudhaandravi@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 7:08 AM
Subject: I am Proud to be an Indian
To:

-     FACTS TO MAKE EVERY Indian PROUD Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard (hp) ? A. Rajiv Gupta Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the today's computers run on it)? A. Vinod Dahm Q. Who is the third richest man on the world? A. According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Azim Premji, who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6 th position now. Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is world's No.1 web based email program)? A. Sabeer Bhatia Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)? A. Arun Netravalli Q. Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems? A. Sanjay Tejwrika Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart? A. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar. Q. We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America , even faring better than the whites and the natives. There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET, 38% of doctors in USA are Indians. 12% scientists in USA are Indians. 36% of NASA scientists are Indians. 34% of Microsoft employees are Indians. 28% of IBM employees are Indians. 17% of INTEL scientists are Indians. 13% of XEROX employees are! Indians. Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine, which deals with WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA . 1. India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history. 2. India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. 3. The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4 th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. 4. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software. 5. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. 6. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth. 7. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word "Navigation" is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. 8. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now k! nown as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6 th Century which is long before the European mathematicians. 9. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India . Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11 th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 10 53. 10. According to the Gemmological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world. 11. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi. 12. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra. 13. Chess was invented in India . 14. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India . 15. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley ( Indus Valley Civilisation). 16. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC. Quotes about India . We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. Albert Einstein. India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition. Mark Twain. If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India . French scholar Romain Rolland. India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA ) ALL OF THE ABOVE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, THE LIST COULD BE ENDLESS. BUT, if we don't see even a glimpse of that great India in the India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential; and that if we do, we could once again be an evershining and inspiring country setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow. I hope you enjoyed it and work towards the welfare of INDIA . Say proudly, I AM AN INDIAN. ...... --

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S Ravi

Amazing People who are Real Diehard pictures

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Really very cruel condition of Diehard people but here looking the courage of Diehard people. Here you can see the amazing photo of Diehard people                               DO NOT LOOSE HEART - GET COURAGE TO FACE THE LIFE

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