the hits from fate are merciless

क्व जनकतनया क्व रामजाया
क्व च दशस्कन्धमन्दिरे निवासः॥
अयि खलु विषमः पुराकृतानां
भवति हि जन्तुषु कर्मणां विपाकः॥३०५॥
बल्लालदेवकृतात् भोजप्रबन्धात्
kva janakatanayā kva rāmajāyā
kva ca daśaskandhamandire nivāsaḥ||
ayi khalu viṣamaḥ purākṛtānāṁ
bhavati hi jantuṣu karmaṇām vipākaḥ ||305||
ballāladevakṛtāt bhojaprabandhāt

The inimitable and pure Devi Seetha, the daughter of the greatest philosopher king Janaka and the consort of the most valorous and perfect human being ever born, 

Sri Rama,  had to undergo a period of virtual imprisonment in the country of the ten-headed Ravana.    
How  can one  explain this quirk of fate  other than by admitting that   the result of one's own acts of commissions or omissions in the long past never leave him in peace?

The theory of Karma is the foundation of Hinduism.  
Even the noble Devi  Mata Jaanaki could not escape it.   
Yes, the Almight Godhead, never makes any execption even for itself.  
That is the eternal rule of righteousness.

ugadi wishes

May the sweet and merciful Grace of Krishna be with all my firends on the Occasions of Ugadi

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
(kanfusion)
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

the proud mother

एकेनापि सुपुत्रेण सिंही स्वपिति निर्भयं।
सहैव दशभिः पुत्रैः भारम् सहति गर्दभी॥
चाणक्यनीत्यां
ekenāpi suputreṇa siṁhī svapiti nirbhayaṁ|
sahaiva daśabhiḥ putraiḥ bhāram sahati gardabhī||
cāṇakyanītyāṁ


It is not the number but the quality and valour that counts. 
 Usually a lioness gives birth to a single son and when the cub is reasonably grown up, the mother is relieved of all her anxieties about her safety and food.  
She can have a pleasant sleep. 
 It is not the case with a female donkey. 
All her life she suffers as a beast of burden.  
Her litter may contains ten foals.  
But when these off-springs grow up they also become cowards and join their mother is carrying loads and receiving whippings from their master.
Only those who are bold and inherently valorous can live holding their heads in pride.   
Others just plod on along the earth just like the donkeys

ഏകേനാപി സുപുത്രേണ സിംഹീ സ്വപിതി നിര്ഭയാ
സഹൈവ ദശഭി: പുത്രൈ  ഭാരം സഹതി ഗര്‍ദ്ദഭീ
ചാണക്യന്‍
ഒരു കൂട്ടത്തില്‍ എത്ര ആളുകള്‍ ഉണ്ട് എന്നതിനേക്കാള്‍ അതിലുള്ള എണ്ണത്തില്‍ കുറവായാലും വീര്യവും കാര്യക്ഷമതയും ഉള്ള വ്യക്തികള്‍ ഉണ്ടോ എന്നതാണ് കൂടുതല്‍ പരിഗണിക്കേണ്ട കാര്യം 
സാധാരണയായി ഒരു പെണ്സിംഹം  ഒരു പ്രാവശ്യം ഒരു കുഞ്ഞിനെ മാത്രം പ്രസവിക്കുന്നു.  പക്ഷെ  ആ സിംഹക്കുട്ടി കുറച്ചു മാത്രം വളരുമ്പോള്‍പോലും അമ്മയ്ക്ക് സ്വന്തം സംരക്ഷണത്തെക്കുറിച്ചും ആഹാരത്തെക്കുരിച്ചും, ഉല്‍ക്കണ്ഠ. എല്ലാം മകന്‍ നോക്കിക്കോളും എന്ന ധൈര്യം അമ്മയ്ക്ക് ഇപ്പോഴും ഉണ്ടാവും  
അതുകൊണ്ട് അമ്മയ്ക്ക് മനഃസമാധാനത്തോടെ ഉറങ്ങാം  
She can have a pleasant sleep.
ഒരു പെണ്‍കഴുതയുടെ സ്ഥിതി ഇതുപോലെ അല്ല.
ജീവിതകാലം മുഴുവന്‍ അവള്‍ക്കു വിഴുപ്പും ചുമടും ചുമക്കണം
അവള്‍ക്ക്‌ ഒരുപാട് കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ടാവാം.
പക്ഷെ അവള്‍ക്കു പിറന്ന കഴുതക്കുട്ടികളും അവര്‍ വളരുമ്പോള്‍ മണ്ടന്മാരും ഭീരുക്കളും ആയി ജീവിതം കഴിച്ചുകൂട്ടും 
 പിന്നെ അവരും അമ്മയോടൊപ്പം ചേര്‍ന്ന് യജമാനന്‍റെ വിഴുപ്പു ചുമന്നുകൊന്ടെയിരില്ലും  

നൈസര്‍ഗ്ഗികമായി  ധൈര്യവും തന്റേടവും ഉള്ളവര്‍ക്ക് മാത്രമേ തല ഉയര്‍ത്തിപ്പിടിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ജീവിക്കാന്‍ കഴിയൂ.
മറ്റുള്ളവര്‍ ഈ ലോകത്തില്‍ കഴുതകളെപ്പോലെ നടന്നു നീങ്ങും


--

do good things as a group

do good  things as a group

एक स्वादु न भुञ्जीत एकश्चार्थान्न चिन्तयेत्।
एको न गच्छेदध्वानं नैक सुप्तेषु जगृयात्॥
महाभारथे उद्योगपर्वणि प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरनीतिवाक्ये ॥३३--४५॥

eka svādu na bhuñjīta ekaścārthānna cintayet|
eko na gacchedadhvānaṁ naika supteṣu jagṛyāt||
mahābhārathe udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduranītivākye  ||33--45||

When one gets delicious food, he should not eat it all alone,
 One should never be selfish in planning to amass wealth singly without taking others into confidence and partnership,
 One should never go all alone on a long journey,
and
One should not keep awake and spy on others when all others are asleep.
There  may be two opinions as to the delicious food. 
A gourmet would like to fill his belly with all food alone without giving chance for anyone else to have even a little of the delicacies . 
But if the food is shared, others will also enjoy the taste and praise it. 
If there is something not exactly right with the food it will be made public very soon if it is shared. 
From the angle of longevity also this is advised because by sharing one might be prevented from taking contaminated food. 

Planning finances without anyone knowing about the investments is dangerous.  
If secret investments are made without anyone else knowing it the money is gone for ever. 
Besides if there is a loss, a partnership will share it equally and equitably.

Travelling alone is alien terrains are fraught with danger.  
If there is a companion he may escape and report back to your kith and kin what happened to you.

 Spying on friends when they are asleep by keeping oneself awake is bad morals.  The tables can be turned against you at any time.

--

proper spending

न्यायागतस्य द्रव्यस्य बोद्धव्यो द्वावतिक्रमौ।
अपात्रे प्रतिपत्तिश्च पात्रे चाप्रतिपादनम्॥
श्रीमहभारते उध्योगपर्वे प्रजागरणपर्वणि विदुरनीतिवाक्ये॥३३--५४॥
nyāyāgatasya dravyasya boddhavyo dvāvatikramau|
apātre pratipattiśca pātre cāpratipādanam||
śrīmahabhārate udhyogaparve prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduranītivākye ||33--54||
ന്യായാഗതസ്യ ദ്രവ്യസ്യ ബോധ്ദ് വ്യോ ദ്വാവതിക്രമവ്
അപാത്രെ പ്രതിപത്തിശ്ച പാത്രേ ചാപ്രതിപാദനം
വിദുരനീതി

Vidura, the great statesman is explaining the nuances of proper administration to his elder brother Dritaraashtra in the celebrated viduraneethi of  Mahabharatam.
Two  unfortunate and unwarranted and detrimental drains can happen even to the wealth which is earned through righteous means by a ruler.  The bounty and patronage bestowed upon those who do not  deserve it  in anyway is not only self-defeating but also dangerous.  Similar is the case where the king or the government  is not giving proper attention to the persons  who eminently deserve such attention. 
This is the art of budgeting explaied in a nutshell.  The administration collects taxes and other levies through proper means.  But  when allocating the funds for various purposes utmost care is to be taken.  If money is frittered away for ostentatious expenditure and amassing arms  and the development themes and welfare measure like education are ignored, the administration is heading for sure failure dragging the citizens also to ruin in turn.
At individual level, if we patronize the wrong person, like a snake injecting venom on the hand which fed it milk, we can only get ingratitude.  And if we ignore spending money for the right purposes, our own interest will be
in jeopardy

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
(kanfusion)
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

eminent company

वरं पर्वत दुर्गेषु भ्रान्तं वनचरैः सह।
न मूर्खजनसम्पर्कः सुरेन्द्र भवनेष्वपि॥
भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकात्  १४
varaṁ parvata durgeṣu bhrāntaṁ vanacaraiḥ saha|
na mūrkhajanasamparkaḥ surendra bhavaneṣvapi||
bhartṛhareḥ nītiaśatakāt  14
വരം പര്‍വത ദുര്‍ഗ്ഗേഷുഭ്രാന്തം വനചരയ് സഹ
ന മൂര്‍ഖജനസമ്പര്‍ക്ക: സുരേന്ദ്ര ഭവനേഷ്വപി
 ഭര്‍തൃഹരി   നീതിശതകം
It is better to be roaming around in the obscure caves in the deeper parts of a mountain range in the company of aborigines, than to have the company of arrogant idiots even while staying in the ornate abodes of the gods or the like.
This is a terse statement by the great statesman king Bharthruhari.   If one is wandering in obscure places, he may at least gain some experience and insights which, if he is able to come out of obscurity at a later date could share with the world.
 But there is no similar fortune for persons who are perforce doomed to the company of arrogant idiots in ornate abodes.   Nothing good can happen to them at any time.  The ornate buildings may include palaces, legislative houses  and most important, offices of the Government.  Everyone knows that once he secures an employment in the Government service, he is invariably in the  eminent company of people whose identity has been  highlighted by the poet.  And when the cohabitation extends to more than half his lifetime  only god can save him.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
(kanfusion)
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

eternal vow of silence.

मूर्खेषु विवादो न कर्तव्यः 
चाणक्यसूत्रं॥२३०॥
mūrkheṣu vivādo na kartavyaḥ 
cāṇakyasūtraṁ ||230||

the terse aphorism of chanakya, though simple is full to the brim with meaning.
So let me leave long winded sentences in Sanskrit for the day and settle for this.

Chankya simply says... "It is futile to argue with and arrogant and idiotic person".

For the great political scientist this  is the essence of his experience of a lifetime. 
It is dangerous to engage in a conversation  even of friendly nature with an idiot. 
 He will talk back garbage to you an your day will be ruined. 
 If this conversation is by way of advice backed by reasoning and rhetoric you are sure to face  serious backlash. 
There will be verbal insult, physical attack and enmity lasting for a lifetime or even more. 
The age old dictum that "silence is golden"  should guide us especially while dealing with idiots. 
True, this action of avoiding controversy becomes very difficult when we are at the receiving end of some trouble.

We may then follow the path of another age old master....
this action is attributed to tenali rama,
Some say it was thiruvaazhithaan  
 Once our hero was going along the street.
The son of the local village chief threw a small stone at him.
The throw  hit him on the back and it was indeed very painful.
 But the hero could not show his anger or retaliate.
He knew that if he scolded they boy, the arrogant father would come to the boy's rescue and our poor man did not have the capacity to react and  survive. 
So with a lot of show affection he called the boy and congratulated him on the accuracy of the throw and also presented with him a dampidi....(the smallest coin available at that time).
 The boy was wonder-struck and asked if he could get money for pelting stones at others.
 Our man  replied that the stone was small and he himself was very poor.
 This was the reason for the frugal presentation in acknowledgement .
 He advised the boy to select a huge man with strong body and ensure that he used a bigger stone which would hit at least the back of the victim's head.
 The naughty boy followed the advice to the last word and the results were to the entire satisfaction of the man who gave the advise..The little imp got a thrashing which would haunt his memory for a lifetime.
Indeed it is a difficult proposition not to argue with idiots when the surface of earth is too richly populated  with men (women too) of idiotic dimensions.
For the wise Mouna Vrat.. eternal vow of silence might be the only choice

--

just wait and see

मतिमान्विनयप्रमाथिनः समुपेक्षेत समुन्नतिं द्विषः।
सुजयः खलु ताद्रुगन्तरे विपदन्ताह्यविनीतसंपदः॥
भारवेः किरातर्जुनीयमहकाव्ये ॥२-४२॥
matimānvinayapramāthinaḥ samupekṣeta samunnatiṁ dviṣaḥ|
sujayaḥ khalu tādrugantare vipadantāhyavinītasaṁpadaḥ||
bhāraveḥ kirātarjunīyamahakāvye  ||2-42||

Dharmaputra continues with his advice  to his kin... "  For a wise person, it is indeed futile to get overly concerned about the temporary and apparent growth of the arrogant enemy. It will not be necessary to rally great forces to defeat such enemies.  The arrogance of such enemies who have come into sudden affluence and power will ruin them in due course. The eminence and polularity of the supremely arrogant and just a temporaty  glow before complete destruction.

The wise king is convinced that evil fellows like Duryodhana will try to enhance their image, wealth etc by pretending to be very generous, friendly, learned and committed to friends and subjects, but the inherent arrogance and selfishness will reveal themselves  given reasonable time.  And once the real nature is exposed sooner or later, they will fall into abysmal disgrace, without any prodding from the enemies.  If we are worrying about such enemies, we are only wasting our time.  They have the knack of destroying themselves.

"विपदन्ताह्यविनीतसंपदः   the wealth of the arrogant lands him in ultimate danger"
this dictum is one of the most appropriate proverbs ever penned

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
(kanfusion)
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

slow and steady wins the race

उपकारकमायतेर्भृशं प्रसवः कर्मफलस्य भूरिणः।
अनपायि निबर्हणं द्विषां न तितिक्षासममस्ति साधनं॥
भारवेः किरतार्जुनीये २---४३
upakārakamāyaterbhṛśaṁ prasavaḥ karmaphalasya bhūriṇaḥ|
anapāyi nibarhaṇaṁ dviṣāṁ na titikṣāsamamasti sādhanaṁ||
bhāraveḥ kiratārjunīye 2---43

The great poet Bharavi is making another statement of eternal value  through Yudhistira, the epitome of wisdom.
"The most effective art and science to be put to use  by people who desire for permanent welfare, is patience.  
 Patience will be of immense help in achieving and retaining  for ever the advantages one acquires.
 It is  only through patience that one can realize fully the favourable results of one's incessant toil.  
Patience can never cause one any danger. 
 When countered with  patience, the enemies get annihilated by their own  faulty actions without much initiative on our part.  
There is not a  better weapon which could vie with patience."

In our day to day life, we are encountering the bad effects  of impulsive and impatient actions too often. 
 We sow a seed and in time it germinates, grows and through spontaneous and varied acts of nature it becomes a tree and gives us sweet fruits.  
But if one is just pulling out from earth  the seed or sapling every day and examining whether the roots are getting stronger, the plant can never grow.  
This is the result of impatience. 
 In every act of nature and the will of the Creator, there is a rhythm which is entirely dependent on timing.  
If we try to rush through  against the universal law, it is the worst manifestation of impatience on our part.  
When rushed out of the natural rhythm, the divine forces get disturbed with disastrous consequences.  
Kamadeva tried to disturb the eternal Lord Sankara from his penance to satisfy  the impatience of the Gods and the results were tragic beyond words.
  By enriching the radioactive contents of an element, we created atomic and subatomic explosions and what is the result?  
We speed up particles through cyclotrons and other accelerators to bombard hard and break the heart of a nucleus...uncontrollable energy comes out and the environment is infested with poisonous rays which in turn cause  mutation in our own genetic cells and endangers not only our own existence  but signals doom for all the future generations to come..
Impatience at an individual level will cause serious setbacks, but at macro level, it will annihilate everything.

--