A great martyrdom indeed

Reminds one of the tenali rama story.

The wise jester knew that his son was absolutely useless and rude.

He wanted to give that offspring of his a befitting legacy.

So when Rama was about to leave for the next world he called his son and expressed his last wish.

The wish was very simple.

Immediately after Rama parted company with his life the son should forcibly insert a wooden rod with sharp edge into the anus of the dead body of the dead father.

Even though the son was wayward and useless all the time he was generous and considerate enough to accede to the last wish of his dad.

The wooden rod found its target with precision.

The death of Rama was announced ..

Even the king Raya came running to pay homage.

And everyone could see the wooden rod shining forth from the backside of the dead body.

It did not take the wisdom of a genius to guess the cause of death.

All presumed that the rod inserted in the vital portion of the dead man had done the trick.

And knowing the track record of the son no one could entertain any doubts about the hands that pushed in the sharp wooden rod.

The king himself was present.

So the adjudication was on a fast track.

The wayward son of Rama found his place in the Royal gaols courtesy his father's last will and parting gift

A great martyrdom indeed

A poor and helpless man is lamenting

क्षुत् तृट् आशा कुटुंबिन्यः मयि जीवन्ति न चान्यगाः।

तासां आशा महसाध्वी कदाचित् मां न मुञ्चति॥

kṣut tṛṭ āśā kuṭuṁbinyaḥ mayi jīvati na cānyagāḥ|

tāsāṁ āśā mahasādhvī kadācit māṁ na muñcati||

A poor and helpless man is lamenting

( In this satirical Subhashitam)

=========

I have three wives.. all well born.They are are very chaste and faithful. They will never think of anyone else other than me

They are hunger, thirst and desire for more and more possessions..

Even among these three desire or avarice is the most faithful, she would never leave me..

========

Of course hunger and thirst would never leave us.. But it is a tragic truth that when food or water is scarce, and resources are scant, we get hungrier and thirstier, perhaps because of the anxiety..

And avarice to have more and more.. that is the most faithful part of the psyche of anyone and if he is not having even meagre resources, his desire to have something and to feel desperate about others having something increases sky high..

analysis

क्षुत् hunger

तृट् thirst

आशा desire

कुटुंबिन्यः ladies of noble family

भवन्ति are

ताः all the three of them

मयि in me, with me

जीवन्ति live faithfully

ते they

न चान्यगाः will not go away to anyone else (leaving me )

तासां even among them

आशा desire

महसाध्वी भवति is supremely chaste and faithful

सा she

कदाचित् even once

मां me

न मुञ्चति॥ does not abandon, does not leave..

Floored dreams..

Floored dreams..

-----------

The story of the penniless brahmachari or the young initiate, who got a gift of an earthen pot filled with rice flour comes to mind..

Extremely overjoyed on receiving the rare gift, the boy was walking along the street all filled with dreams for the future..

He planned to sell the flour for a profit and purchase some merchandise which he further planned to sell for good profits..

And with these profits he would build a house, and plant vegetables and cereals too..

He would sell whatever was left after consumption and make good money..

When he becomes affluent he would marry..

And in good time he imagined having a child too..

And in his imagination he saw the child playing and being naughty too, and his wife being negligent once in a while about the child..

The child would cry after stumbling on something and in anger, he would beat his wife..

With these thoughts in mind he just beat with his palm the earthen pot with flour, delicately balanced in his head and presto.. the pot fell on the road, broke and all the contents were spilled ..

The brahmachari's dreams were also shattered and laid waste..

We all appear to dwell in such dreamy territories most of the time..

Finally the tiger came

Finally the tiger came..

He was a little boy..

He was also a liar and a sensationalist.

He lived in a village adjacent to a jungle where lived man-eating puli..

All the villagers went for work and the boy was work-less. There must have been no school..

By noon, he became bored and shouted.." puli has come.. puli has come." പുലി വന്നേ . പുലി വന്നേ "

The alarmed villagers all rushed to the boy..They were fooled as there was no puli.. The boy repeated this prank almost every noon..

Gradually the number of villagers responding to the alarm dwindled..

Finally a day dawned and there came the noon, and for a change, the puli (the tiger) also came on a visit to the village and the first person to greet him was the boy...

"Just sufficient for my lunch" thought the puli..

and the boy shouted in genuine alarm about the arrival of the puli,

but the villagers thought that it was the usual prank of the boy, the liar and the sensationalist..

But now the moment of truth had come..

No time for lies or hyperbole.. Only lunchtime for the puli.the tiger.

The puli jumped upon the boy and had a hearty meal..

And nothing was left for the supper.

The fox and its lost tail..

The fox and its lost tail..

There is the story of the fox who lost its tail brushes which were caught in a trap as he had to pull away cutting off the tail just to save his body and soul from sure captivity and sure death..
It was embarrassing for the fox

However, like all foxes, he had a glib tongue...
So when his relatives and colleagues gathered around him wondering what has happened to his tail, he declared with gusto that he had managed to cut off his own tail because the tail had proved to be a nuisance while executing many of his profitable activities..
For example,  he pointed out,  it was more convenient for him  to cross a thick fence without the obstruction of a tail. Moreover the possibility of  an enemy coming from behind and catching hold of the fox by the tail was ruled out..

Of course, some of the juvenile foxes even believed the  assertions of their   senior and even planned to have a camp where all the youth among the foxes would gather and ceremoniously cut off their tails..

But there was an old fox.. a wizened, seasoned fox.. foxiness and old age making the right combination in that grandpa.

He could easily understand  what was the problem with the fox who had lost his  tail..
The fellow had escaped from the trap   but had to lose  his tail in the bargain.. The tail was actually  of great help.. in many ways like covering the backside and warding of wily insects..

However, the fellow who lost the tail was trying to conceal his shortcoming by  use of clever words and was encouraging others too to sacrifice their tails..

The grandpa fox explained the situation to the younger foxes. And the  young foxes, quite unlike young men and women of many generations who would never listen to elders,  took the advise of the elderly fox and saw through the trick..

They abandoned the plan to cut off their tails ..
 and of course, drove away the tailless ugly dude of a fox who had lost his tail..

(Adapted from an Aesops Tale )

cheating at its hilarious best...

मौलौ किन्नु महेश मानिनि सरः किं वक्त्रं अम्भोरुहं 

किं नीलाळकवेणिका मधुकरी किं भ्रूलता वीचिका॥ 

किं नेत्रे शफरौ किमु स्तनयुगं प्रोङ्खद् रथाङ्गद्वयं 

साशङ्कामिति वञ्चयन् गिरिसुतां गङ्गाधरः पातु वः॥ 

maulau kinnu maheśa mānini saraḥ kiṁ vaktraṁ ambhoruhaṁ 

kiṁ nīlāḻakaveṇikā madhukarī kiṁ bhrūlatā vīcikā|| 

kiṁ netre śapharau kimu stanayugaṁ proṅkhad rathāṅgadvayaṁ 

sāśaṅkāmiti vañcayan girisutāṁ gaṅgādharaḥ pātu vaḥ||

മൌലൌ കിന്നു മഹേശ മാനിനി സരഃ കിം വക്ത്രം അംഭോരുഹം 

കിം നീലാളകവേണികാ മധുകരീ കിം ഭ്രൂലതാ വീചികാ॥ 

കിം നേത്രേ ശഫരൌ കിമു സ്തനയുഗം പ്രോങ്ഖദ് രഥാങ്ഗദ്വയം 

സാശങ്കാമിതി വഞ്ചയന് ഗിരിസുതാം ഗങ്ഗാധരഃ പാതു വഃ॥

Parvathi sees Ganga in the matted locks of Shiva and asks

महेश मौलौ किं नु Mahesh, what is there on your matted hair?

Shiva replies 

मानिनि सरः Respected Lady, it is a river, or rivulet or reservoir

Paravathi Asks 

किं वक्त्रं I see a mouth, what is that 

Shiva replies… अम्भोरुहं It is just a lotus flower (floating on the waters)

Parvathi Asks 

किं नीलालकवेनिका I see long tresses or long bluish hair (like that of a woman) there, what is that?

Shiva Replies मधुकरी that is a long row of honeybees (that are gathering around the flower )

Parvathi Asks

किं भ्रूलता I see a pair of shapely eyebrows on your head What are they?

Shiva Replies 

वीचिका they are tiny wavelets on the surface of water

Parvathy Asks 

किं नेत्रे I see a pair of eyes there on your head what are they?

Shiva Replies 

शफ़रौ they are a pair of tiny shining fish swimming on the water

Parvathy Asks 

किमु स्तनयुगं I see a pair of round breasts there on your matted locks, what are they?

Shiva Replies प्रोङ्खद् रथाङ्गद्वयं They are just two round wheels of a chariot floating on the surface of the water.

इति साशङ्काम् गिरिसुतां वञ्चयन् गङ्गाधरः वः पातु ॥ May that Shiva who carries the woman Ganga on his matted locks, but cheats the ever doubtful daughter of the Mountain through the above words protect you all.

glory of snuff

जपेषु जपमध्येषु जपान्तेषु पुनः पुनः 

नासिकाचूर्णमादाय कोटियज्ञफलं लभेत्

japeshu japamadhyeshu japaanteshu punaH punaH

naasikaachoornamaadaaya kotiyajna phalam labhet..

This is a  funny satirical couplet  which has gone the round among  purohitas and priest and  brahmins who  chant in  vedic sessions too.   The snuff was a favourite for  the priestly class.. perhaps the only luxury in their otherwise dreary yet very strict  life..

The meaning

 One who  inhales snuff at the beginning of a chant, during the  chant and also at the conclusion of the chant would attain  the  benefits of  one crore  Yajnas..

This is just a joke... No offence meant to anyone..

ജപേഷു ജപമദ്ധ്യേഷു ജപാന്തേഷു പുനഃ പുനഃ

നാസികാചൂർണ്ണമാദായ  കോടിയജ്ഞഫലം ലഭേത്

ജപം തുടങ്ങുന്ന സമയത്തും ജപം നടക്കുമ്പോഴും ജപം അവസാനിക്കുമ്പോഴും  പൊടി വലിക്കുന്നവന്  ഒരു കോടി യജ്ഞം ചെയ്ത ഫലം കിട്ടും  

 ഇത് വെറും തമാശയാണ്..  ആര്‍ക്കും പരിഭവം അരുതേ. 

the priest....

thola kavi said.

शान्तिद्विजः प्रकुरुते बहुदीप शान्तिं
तत्रत्य बालवनिता मदनार्ति शान्तिं
पक्वाजय पायस गुलैः जठराग्नि शान्तिं
कालक्रमेण परमेश्वर शक्ति शान्तिं.


shaantidvijaH prakurute bahudeepa shaantim
tatratya baalvanitaa madanaarthi shaantim
pakvaajya paayas gulaiH jaTaraagni shaantim
kaalakramena parameshvara shakti shaantim

The brahmin who is engaged for pooja in a temple is called Shanti..Shanti also means satisfaction, or finishing off too

So the Vikatakavi of Kerala, Tholan, Himself a Namboodiri says so

The young brahmin engaged for Shanti in a temple perform the following Shantis..
He extinguishes or does Shanti for all the oil lamps in the temple.. because he can take home the oil saved
He gives satisfaction or Shanti to the amorous desires of all local girls.
He satiates or give Shanti to the fire of hunger arising in his stomach by drinking the ghee, eating the fruits and gulping the Payasam made as naivedyam for the deity.. eating to his hearts content.. and even more.
And finally, by his lack of interest and avariciousness, the poojas are not done properly, and the power of the deity faces a shanti.. or depletion..

How many shanti kriyaas.. ?
This slokas comes in some Chakyar Koothus and Koodiyattams.. Written perhaps five to six centuries ago..
But the Shanti Dvijas appear to be of the same quality today too.

no escape..

बिलाद् बहिर्बिलस्यान्तः स्थितमार्जारसर्पयोः।

मध्ये चाखुरिवाभाति पत्नीद्वययुतो नरः॥

चाटुचाणकः

bilād bahirbilasyāntaḥ sthitamārjārasarpayoḥ|

madhye cākhurivābhāti patnīdvayayuto naraḥ||

cāṭucāṇakaḥ

A fellow with two wives shines forth like

a rat

whose hole is occupied by a poisonous snake

and

for whom a cat is awaiting eagerly just at the door of the hole..

and rat the hero is held up at the entrance..

The rat has a hole.. A snake has visited the hole and finding the rat away is eagerly awaiting for the rats arrival as his meal..

A cat too is waiting for the rat to be turned into supper immediately on his arrival..

A fellow with two wives is in a condition similar to that of the rat..

If one wife is like the snake waiting inside, the other is like the cat waiting outside..

Anyway his end is so near..

बिलाद् बहिः outside the whole

बिलस्य अन्तः insided the hole

स्थित occupied by

मार्जार सर्पयोः. a cat and a snake respectively

मध्ये स्थितः placed in the midst

आखुः इव like a rat

पत्नीद्वययुतः one who has two wives

नरः आभाति. man poor fellow shine forth (actually suffers in mortal fear)

ബിലാദ് ബഹിര്‍ബിലസ്യാന്തഃ സ്ഥിതമാര്‍ജാരസര്‍പയോഃ।

മധ്യേ ചാഖുരിവാഭാതി പത്നീദ്വയയുതോ നരഃ॥

ചാടുചാണകഃ

ഒരു എലി ആഹാരം കഴിക്കുവാന്‍ പുറത്തുപോയ സമയം അവന്‍റെ മാളത്തില്‍ ഒരു സര്‍പ്പം ഇഴഞ്ഞു കയറി.

അതേസമയം എലിയുടെ മണം പിടിച്ച് ഒരു പൂച്ച മാളത്തിനു പുറത്ത് കാത്തിരിപ്പുണ്ട്

സര്‍പ്പത്തിന്‍റെ പ്രതീക്ഷ ഏതുസമയവും എലി മാളത്തില്‍ എത്തുമെന്നും അതോടെ തന്‍റെ അത്താഴം കുശാലാവും എന്നും ആണ്. പൂച്ചയുടെയും കാത്തിരിപ്പ് മറ്റൊന്നിനും അല്ല.

എലി മാലത്തിനടുത്തെക്ക് തിരിച്ച് വരികയാണെങ്കില്‍ അതിനുള്ള അവസ്ഥ തന്നെയാണ് രണ്ടു പത്നിമാരാല്‍ ഒരേ സമയം അനുഗ്രിഹീതനായ ആള്‍ അനുഭാവിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നതും.

ഒരുവള്‍ മാളത്തിനകത്തെ പാമ്പിനെപ്പോലെ കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നു. മറ്റൊരുവള്‍ എലിയെപ്പിടിക്കാന്‍ നില്‍ക്കുന്ന പൂച്ചയെപ്പോലെ പുറത്തു തന്നെ തയാറായി നില്‍ക്കുന്നു. അയാളുടെ കാര്യം എന്തായാലും ഒരു തീരുമാനമായി.

Man and his monkey..

Man and his monkey..

A man and his monkey were walking along a village road, the man carrying a stick in addition.. 

The man saw a round discarded can lying waste at the centre of the road..

He just brandished the stick ,cricketer-style and hit the can, and it flew a long way, although not for a sixer. 

The monkey was watching with interest.. 

They were walking on. 

The man left the monkey and the stick too in the middle of the road and walked to the side to ease himself.. 

There was a potter's house where mud pots were being made, burned in the oven and stacked in a big row one pot upon the other.. 

The monkey remembered his master's earlier flourish with a round can and thought of using the round mud pots too in a similar fashion..

He rightly presumed that the time was ripe for the cricketing contact between the pots and the stick and choosing the pot in the lowest row as his ball, and put the presumption into action..

The result is history..

Broken pots, 

the vanishing monkey, 

the bolting master of the monkey,

the shouting potter 

and finally the stick lying silently on the roadside like a mute witness, 

and of course 

the broken heart of the potter

A good lesson to support swacchatha activists..

No one should leave trash in the middle of the road.. 

And none should retire to the roadside to ease himself..

Especially when he has monkey for his company..

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.

to be human....

to be human....

Happened to read a quote from a respected speaker and spiritual leader extolling the importance of being "Human" and concluding that to be human was almost the be all and end all for us..

There is a different angle to this

To be human is also in fact to imbibe a bundle of tendencies, habits, prejudices which are natural to human beings.. 

Just recall the saying "to err is human",, 

Perhaps the guru meant by human only the good things in a human being.. 

But then is that not too much of a presumption?..

Every quote, even if it is from Vedas or Socrates or Chanakya, when read in isolation can convey meanings which were never intended,

Honesty

Honesty is something like a homeopathic pill.. Coated with or mixed with sugar, it can be quite a winner..

Two astrologers were examining the horoscope of the yuvaraja ( heir apparent) of kingdom.. in the presence of the powerful and ferocious king.. Both could see that the prince's longevity was under threat.. and could foresee that he would pre-decease his father..

The first astrologer was candid and confessed the fact without mincing words.. And the sword of the king moved like a lighting and the severed head of the astrologer touched the ground with a thud and rolled over.


The second astrologer also saw the same thing in the charts of the prince, but he also saw the head of his professional colleague rolling over the carpet like a football.

He made his prediction.." Your majesty, I read from the position of the starts that your Royal Highness will have a very long life.. And I have the happy tiding to submit that His Majesty will have the great fortune to anoint his grandson as the Yuvaraja.."

His Majesty was pleased beyond all limits, and the astrologer was flooded with presents.

For once, the King did not realize that his grandson would become the heir apparent only if his son left before the king himself..

Therefore it is evident that sugar-coating works wonders..

But I do not know about diabetics..

I am a diabetic and I have started hating sugar and sugar-coating too..

man and his monkey

A man and his monkey were walking along a village road, the man carrying a stick in addition.. 

The man saw a round waste can lying waste at the centre of the road..

He just brandished the stick cricketer-style and hit the can, and it flew a long way, if not for a sixer. 

The monkey was watching with interest.. 

They were walking on. 

The man left the monkey and the stick too in the middle of the road and walked to the side to ease himself.. 

There was a potter's house where mud pots were being made, burned in the oven and stacked in a big row one pot upon the other.. 

The monkey remembered his master's earlier flourish with a round can and though of the round mud pots too.. He rightly presumed that the time was ripe for the cricketing contact between the pots and the stick and choosing the pot in the lowest row as his ball, and put the presumption into action..

The result is history..

Broken pots, the vanishing monkey, the bolting owner of the pot, the shouting potter and finally the stick lying silently on the roadside, and of course the broken heart of the potter

A good lesson to support swacchatha activists.. No one should leave trash in the middle of the road.. And none should retire to the roadside to ease himself..

Nostalgia

Nostalgia

Nostalgia has become a habit, especially in social media..

Nothing basically wrong in feeling good about what it used to be, years ago..

But trying to superimpose those experiences on the current moment is just inflicting misery..at least on others.

To remember a nursery rhyme I sang at the age of six with warmth is indeed pleasing( for myself, definitely), and maybe, if I mention that to a few close friends just once, it may produce the same warmth, (almost)...

But if I repeat it at sixty, dancing, singing and making actions, over and over, 

I may be able to enjoy it,

But what about my family and friends and the world at large?

nice fellow-traveller

nice fellow-traveller

For some people Trouble with capital T becomes their second names.. and follows them passionately..

Only God can change this.. 

Troubles have their own preferences like mosquitoes..

One day I was standing in an open ground talking to a young man. 

The mosquitoes were droning in glee around him, and pressing their sharp straws on his fleshy hands and feet but they did not care even a little for an old fellow..

ഇങ്ങോട്ട് കാണിക്കുന്നത് അങ്ങോട്ട്‌ കാണിക്ക്

ഇങ്ങോട്ട് കാണിക്കുന്നത് അങ്ങോട്ട്‌ കാണിക്ക്

ഒരു പ്രശസ്ത കഥകളി കലാകാരന്‍..
ചുവന്നാടി വേഷം കെട്ടി അരങ്ങില്‍ വരുന്നു..
എന്തോ രൌദ്രഭാവം ഒട്ടും കാണാനില്ല..
എത്ര ശ്രമിച്ചിട്ടും കൂവലുകള്‍ക്കു പൂച്ചയുടെ ശബ്ദത്തോടാണ് ശ്രുതി സാമ്യം വരുന്നത്..
ഒരു ചീത്ത ദിവസം, വേഷക്കാരന്നു..
രസികന്മാര്‍ക്കും..
ചേങ്ങലക്കാരന്‍ കുറെ നേരം ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചു.
പിന്നെ ഒരു പൊടിക്കൈ പ്രയോഗിച്ചു..
ചേങ്ങലയ്ക്ക് കിട്ടേണ്ട രണ്ടു മൂന്നു തല്ല്, വേഷത്തിന്റെ പുറത്തു വീണു.. വേഷം തിരിഞ്ഞുനിന്നു അലറാനും കണ്ണുരുട്ടാനും പിന്നെയുള്ള സ്നേഹപ്രകടനത്തിനും എല്ലാം ഒരുങ്ങി..
വാദ്യവിദ്വാന്‍ നാട്യവിവിദ്വാനോട് സാദരം ഉര ചെയ്തു.
."ഇങ്ങോട്ട് കാണിക്കുന്നത് അങ്ങോട്ട്‌ കാണിക്ക്"


നല്ല എഴുത്ത് മുഖ പുസ്തകത്തില്‍ കണ്ടപ്പോള്‍ ഇതാണ് എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയത്.

a renowned kathakali artist .. a chuvannadi vesham ( the portrayal of villain characters with rude manners and grotesque appearance)

that day,he has made his appearance in his colourful attire on the stage

but somehow he is not able to bring to his face the bhaava(emulation) of extreme anger .

nor could he produce the thunderous roars which are expected of him, and his vocal deliveries tend to emulate some injured cat

a bad day for the artist

and for the audience too
the percussion artist who beats the Chengala( a huge metallic plate) with a sturdy stick to accompany the singer, was watching his colleague and his predicament
he has a bright idea
instead of delivering a few beats on the chengala, he found the broad back of the actor as the target

In pain, the actor turned back and stared at his colleague with Chengala, almost ready to murder the latter, and started roaring

The percussionist coolly hissed, " Don't look at me, face the real audience"

when I see find good literary creations, rare as they are, in social media , I am tempted to tell the same to my dear friends..

leaking pot vs. crackpot

leaking pot vs. crackpot

If a pot is leaking and the contents are really of value, our priority should be to save whatever is left..

We can try to transfer the contents to another sturdy vessel without any leaks.. We can also try our hands at plugging the hole, especially if there is no alternative pot or if it is impossible to transfer the content..

But we tend to discuss the birth, genesis, the mode of burying the pot when the leak developed has become huge enough, and tend to forget about thecontents for ever.


In this matter animals are better than us..

If the contents are really tasty or nutritious they will rush to eat up such material even by licking the ground where it is spread..

But as we are very smart and are overflowing in wisdom, we start making very learned statements like

1. When I saw the pot, I had a gut feeling that it is going to leak some day or other..
2 The pot-makers are irresponsible..
3 They are interested in fleecing us of our money..
4. They should have collected the clay from the right place.
5.They should have taken care to see that there were no air bubbles or small pebbles while shaping the pot.
6. They should have used the best and natural firewood instead of using artificial fuels in their furnace.
7.We are in modern times. The pot should have been tested for cracks with some ultrasound source..
8. Are the government and the authorities not listening?.
.9. The potters will learn a lesson only if we call for a hartal..
10. Even the press and media do not pay much attention to such a big social issue.
11. If I had been the potter, such a thing would never have happened..
12.Ten years ago, a similar situation arose in my neighbour's house, and I had told all people around the same things.. But no one listened..

And of course we will upload to social media a snap of the leaking pot with our own faces in nice company.. and there will be so many "like"s, "wow"s, "incredible"s, and someone sure will share a link from some obscure site about Harappan pottery..

Indeed very hot stuff…a tenali rama story.

      Indeed very hot stuff…a tenali rama story.

From the age of bows and arrows to the modern age of scud missiles internet and hot lines, the earth is being ruled by some person, or group of persons .. and with power comes self-doubts and superstitions.. funnily indeed, such rulers invariably have chamchas and con-men surrounding them .. Such con-men were present always in the history of mankind in various types, even though their castes, creeds and hues and dress codes varied.. But the basic agenda of such fellows, that is, extorting money in some way or other, nurturing and playing on the superstitions and credulity -- be it of a gullible king or ruler, or of the man on the street--remained the same, and if at all, the avariciousness grew in direct proportion to the gullible nature of the victim. In the matter of exploitation , there is hardly any difference between those wearing gowns and rosaries, those sporting henna coloured beards, or those growing tufts, wearing threads, tilaks and Panchakacchams.

The medieval India was a fertile slice of land for such purveyors of faith…
In the Kingdom of Vijayanagaram, where KrishnaDeva Raya ruled with fair justice in the company of his astute minister and court jester Tenali Rama, the influence of the Royal Priest and his large retinue of satellite priests was very apparent.. There were many poojas and rituals organized, mostly for reasons invented by the Head priest and affirmed by his genial colleagues. And invariably endorsed by the king..


Large scale expenditure on rituals, feasts and Presents to the priests was the order of the day..


The ultimate victims of the Royal patronage of the priests were the poor taxpayers and the common men, who were virtually struggling to find a good meal a day and decent clothes to wear.

The Head Priest was gifted with the art of flattery coupled with the capacity of presenting colourful tales of huge sins that could befall the Royalty on a day to day basis. And invariably, the priest had very easy solutions for expiation from any such sin.. According to him, and according to what he presented as quotes from Shastras, every sin under the sun could be remedied and expiation found if the Gods walking on the land, the Brahmins, especially those who were priests, were fed and offered costly presents.

It was a typical mid day of extreme Andhra heat, and the King Raya was feeling the temperature…they did not have centrally air-conditioned palaces those days.. and naturally, his mood was not upbeat. A feeling of sadness and despondency was engulfing him… And the King had in his company the main Purohita of the kingdom, as usual discussing matters of religion.

The shrewd Brahmin could not fail to notice the bottom-swing of the Royal mood, and the sad countenance of the ruler appeared like a blank cheque to the mind of the wily priest..

He asked, “ If it is not out of place my Sir, I cannot refrain from making the remark that the Royal countenance is slightly dark with anxiety and care today.. May I know the reason for that, if I am permitted to do so?”

The king did not have any particular worry, but the question of the priest and its timing triggered sad thought in his mind.. He said, “ Purohitji, I was just thinking of my beloved mother, the queen, who passed away last year.. I am sure she passed away at a very ripe age, and I am equally satisfied that I made her life very comfortable as long as she was alive.. I engaged the best doctors and physicians of the time for treatment of her illness. But fate had the last laugh. She was taken away from me.. My pain on account of her demise has been reduced over time and the philosophic feeling that everyone has to die some day.. But an unbearable stab on my heart as if made by a dagger pains me for ever… My dear mother, while she was about to breath her last, was asking form some ripe mangoes… In fact I had taken immediate steps to bring the fruits to her bedside, but even in spite of the royal speed in which things were done, the poor lady’s life had left her by the time we could bring the mangoes.. So my mother died without getting her last wish of eating mango fulfilled.. How can I ever expiate for this, and satisfy the departed soul of my mother?

The priest who was listening to this became all sympathy and concern… He exclaimed in a concerned voice, “ My master, it is indeed very dangerous to incur the anger of the departed spirits.. It is all the more so when the departed spirit is a woman…But my Sir, Our saints and savants have prescribed expiation for any type of displeasure or manes and other ill omens..”

Indeed with grave concentration, he consulted the Panchangam and some bundles of palm-leaves he carried… His face remained grave and matter of fact for a long time. Finally he brightened up.. “My dear Sir, I see a bright solution.. As you are well aware, the messages and presents to the souls and spirits living in the pithrulokam are transmitted through the good offices of learned Brahmins… The presents and poojas offered to the Brahmins and the sumptuous feasts given to them in the name of the departed souls would definitely be received by the pithrus in their world.. The Shastras are very clear about this… The royal mother could not get her mango before she died. Her spirit, which is now a very huge apparition is waiting with great expectation that the mango would come to her.. So, since now her size is very huge, the best way to provide her with mangos would be to make large mangoes in gold, at least one hundred and eight in number, and giving them as presents to the Brahmins who are the walking replicas of God on earth…Of course, this should be accompanied by a feast and proper Dakshina”

The King, whose treasury was flush with money, although it represented the tax paid by the poor people, did not think twice before approving of making such huge financial commitment..

On a day fixed as auspicious by the Purohita, one hundred and eight Brahmins were invited, fed and presented with golden mangoes.. The entire kingdom was watching this with dismay, but in helpless silence, and Tenali Rama was also watching this. He thought.. “ It is high time that this swindling is stopped.. The King is being defrauded and the poor people suffer.”

So Tenali Rama made a visit to the house of the Royal Purohita.. After exchanging pleasantries, Rama started to talk to the priest in apparent earnestness. “ Swamin, I saw you conducting ceremonies to satisfy the desires of the departed Rajamatha.. It was indeed a very great idea.. If learned Brahmins like you and your numerous colleagues do not exist in this world, the departed souls of our forefathers must be suffering great pain and privation in their heavenly abodes… When I learnt that the desire of the Royal Mother could be satisfied in such a wonderful manner, and when I was witness to the ceremony to please her spirit, my admiration for you and the community of priests was elevated to celestial heights. I am all admiration for your learned methods. Sir, I have a personal problem to be solved.. This problem relates to my own departed mother.. The poor soul, she also breathed he last without having her last wish fulfilled. I should seek guidance from you for her temporal relief… May I make request to you and the other learned Brahmins who made the life of the king and his mother purified, to visit my home for a feast and expiatory ceremony on similar lines.?”

The wily priest was jubiliant. He knew that Tenali Rama was quite rich by now as he was receiving large royal patronages The priest fixed the date for the ceremony and promised that he would round up the same set of Brahmins to bless Rama and to bring the satisfaction of the departed soul of Rama’s mother.

Tenali Rama praised the generosity of the king, and the learnedness of the Purohita and requested the Ruler also to make a visit to his home on the appointed day.. The king consented readily.

The day of expiation for the Spirtit of Raman’s mother dawned brightly.. The Purohita and the other priests were present in all pomp and jubiliation. The King also graced the occasion.

First, Rama invited the guests to the main hall and requested them to take their comfortable seats.. The King was also present.. Since it was a pithru karyam , the entrance to the hall from the front was ordered to be closed. Then Rama addressed the gathering.. “ Swamins, Namaskarams.. My poor mother died of arthritis and was suffering from great pain on all her joints.. And by the very nature of the ailment she was always shivering.. Her greatest desire during the last days of her life was that heated rods of iron should be placed on the joints of her knee and knuckles.. However, as I was not aware that such treatment could have given relief to her, I failed to fulfill her desires. Now, I shall correct the wrong done to her and bring eternal peace to her departed soul by offering the same heat to you learned Brahmins “

Saying this, he opened the door from the hall leading to the kitchen.. There a huge oven was burning with a dozen iron pikes glowing white-hot.. He entered the kitchen, took out one hot pike by the farther end and approached the head priest with a request to show his knee-joint so that it could be given heat which can be transmitted to Rama’s departed mother.

The priest was dizzy with mortal fear… The logic of Rama was very clear.. If the priests could carry mangoes to the heaven to the departed royal mother through one hundred and eight gold mangos presented to them, then they should be capable of carry the heat too to the departed mother of Tenali Rama.

All the priests were all scampering with loud howls to the closed entrance of the hall to save themselves from  being treated with the hot iron rods.. They bolted for their lives.

Rama suddenly stopped the proceedings and addressed King Raya, “ My Lord and Master, I apologize to you for the scene.. I had no other way of convincing the Royal mind that His Majesty was being defrauded by the Purohita and his group.. Neither golden mangos nor the heat can ever affect, please or displease dead persons..”

Needless to say, the Golden mangos were returned silently to the Royal treasury.

The peacock which was red... A tenali rama story

I do not know whether it is the same even  in places which are administered by elected representatives, but in kingdoms which were ruled by persons who were in control for no democratic reasons, the rulers were interested more in showing off what riches and artifacts they possessed, rather than sparing some time thinking of  the welfare of the subjects.. Even the best of the monarchs were never free from such tendencies..

And Krishnadevaraya was no exception.. He was always on the lookout for finding new exhibits for his musueums, zoos and nurseries.

When the king is obsessed with diversion of resources, the ministers and the courtiers would join him heartily.. And of course would derive lots of benefits out of such funny exercises.. That happened here also..

The chief courtier, Appalachari was past-master in feeling the pulse of the king… He would never let go any opportunity to prey upon the misplaced magnanimity of the king..

So, one afternoon, when the Royal court was in full session, Appalacharya made a ceremonial entry to the court with a huge bird-cage in tow.. Inside the cage rested, a peacock.. A really strange peacock.. A peacock completely red in hue.. Its feathers red, wings red, plumes red.. wholly a riot of red… as if a particular species of the birds have converted en masse to Marxism..

“My Lord and Master, this is my price catch of a lifetime.. As is well known to the exalted Royal mind, my patriotic feelings and my loyalty made me wander length and breadth of the middle-forests of India, braving all vicissitudes and costing me a fortune.. I did it in the company my two dedicated servants.. Finally we could capture this exotic bird in all its red splendor, and we did not spare any time in presenting it to the Royal Court for being inducted into the great aviary..”

The Monarch was immensely happy..

 “ We are pleased with your loyalty.. As the expedition would have cost the minister a fortune, we hereby order that a purse of one thousand gold coins be presented to Appalacharya before the bird joins the muster-rolls of the Royal Aviary”

The purse was about to exchange hands, but Tenali Rama Intervened.. “ My Royal Master, no doubt the Chief Minister has done great service to the kingdom.. However, as it is well known, the birds of such rare species would not survive solitary life in an aviary if they do not have company of the same species.. Therefore, it would be rather cruel to have a single bird like this.. The Minister may be asked to bring in a few more birds like that so that the royal aviary will be adorned with a happy and sastified family of red peacocks"

Appalachari was irritated.. He knew that he had to labour a lot even to have one red peacock.. In fact, an ordinary peacock was captured and a deft painter had given it a red-coat with his expert  strokes of painting brush.. A repetition of such work of art would take a lot of time.. 

Tenali Rama had already seen through this deceitful act since he had come by a piece of feather fallen from the red peacock, and when he washed it, it has retained its natural colour..

While Appalachari was fidgeting, Tenali Rama came with a proposal..” Our Prime Minister is very busy. It is not right to permit him to waste his valuable time chasing red peacocks in the middle forest.. Now I am on a vacation.. I shall undertake a jourey to the hatching area of such beautiful birds and bring back a dozen of them within a fortnight. The Royal Presentation may take place at that time".. 

 Appalachari wanted to say something, but the Royal mind was set. The errand was entrusted to Rama.

Rama did not go to the forest.. He just rounded up all the painters around and by constant enquiries, bribes and threats,  could locate the fellow who had done the consummate painting job to Appalachari's bird..

 “ Do not get panicky,” Rama told him. 

 “ I am going to use your talent for a better service to the kingdom. I shall protect you from any consequences that may arise out of your actions..” 

 After assuring the painter with safety and protection, Rama asked him to paint a dozen peacocks red in the same way Appalachari askded him to do..

When the group a full dozen  of red peacocks were ready for exhibition-and fifteen days had passed by this time- Rama entered the Royal Court with a dozen read peacocks happily perched in a big cage, with the painter in tandem, and gustily announced the arrival of the family to keep company to the original lone bird..

The King’s happiness knew no bounds.. He announced without hesitation that Rama was entitled now for twelve thousand gold coins.. to be awarded in a befitting ceremony, along with the thousand for Appalachari..

Rama folded his hands in salutation before the monrch and said, 

“ My lord and Master, I cannot persuade myself to be so avaricious.. All that cost me to  present these twelve peacocks was to catch a dozen  ordinary ones from the local gardens, and commission a painter to colour their plumage red with a drum of ochre dye, a bucket of water and a few painting brushes.. The cost of the birds, the paint, brushes and the wages of the painter all put together would not exceed a couple of gold coins.. I would be ungrateful if I receive more that that for this present..”

The bluff of appalachari was revealed.. He had to hang his head in shame.

Meanwhile, the clouds rolled up in the sky and it rained. The red colour adorning all the thirteen birds, ( one brought by appalachari and twelve produced by Tenali Rama) were all washed away and the peacocks danced in their natural regality.

Tenali Rama finally made a representations before the great Raya..

 “ My Lord and Master, the first responsibility of the ruler is to keep the subjects happy and peaceful.. I was watching that the poor people on the street were struggling for food and shelter. But the Royal treasury is being squandered and even being plundered for wasteful and fanciful expenditure.. The Prime Minister’s action actually gave me an opportunity to expose the senseless happenings in the court.. Had I told this without any proof, I would have been punished for spreading scandals.. May only prayer is that His Majesty make strive more for the benefit of the subjects, instead of listening to flattery and being subjected to their machinations..



Rama’s words really carried a lot of weight that day..