Acharya devo bhava

This world and our country have seen great men who have devoted themselves as teachers that has significantly influenced the course of history. Right from Confucius to Aristotle to Albert Einstein to our dearest Dr. Radhakrishnan, in whose name we celebrate this day, have left behind immortal lessons for us to preach and practise for the good of humanity.

Teachers have perhaps the most sacred of duties for they are the modellers of the minds and shapers of visions. As we thank all the teachers in our lives for guiding us, let us as a generation remember that whoever amongst us become one ourselves, we are carrying the torch that has been passed on to
us from such men as above.

'A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.'

For a greater country. For a greater world.

"Wherever men love reason, shun darkness, turn over towards light, praise virtue; despise meanness, hate vulgarity, kindle sheer beauty, wherever minds are sensitive, hearts generous, spirits free, there is your country. Let us adopt that loyalty to humanity instead of a sectional devotion to one part of the
human race.” - Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Greetings on the eve of Teacher's Day.

The Trial, 1922. A lawyer at the accused's stand.

Barrister MK Gandhi held surprises right from the beginning leaving the Magistrate startled when he declared his profession as 'Farmer and Weaver' to pleading guilty at the first call to suggesting the Judge to resign if he found the prevailing law 'evil' to finally thanking the Judge for doing his duty as called upon by the law.

The strongest argument in favour of the prosecution at that moment was, that if the government does not prosecute Gandhi, they may never be able to prosecute him afterwards; for the spread of his mischievous propaganda during the following few months was anticipated to 'advance beyond an academic stage and affect the India Army.'

However, on the contrary, it was a political blunder.

What was intended as a strategic attempt to curb the national movement in fact, backfired.

Judge Broomfield: 'And I should like to say in doing so that if the course of events in India should make it possible for the Government to reduce the period and release you, no one will be better pleased than I'.

Gandhi: 'So far as the sentence itself is concerned, I certainly consider that it is as light as any judge would inflict on me, and so far as the whole proceedings are concerned, I must say that I could not have expected greater courtesy'.

Rakhi Purnima

The Rakhi Purnima, which is celebrated in great reverence, is a significant part of our culture. Every practise that we follow is associated with a story as our ancestors were aware of the power that a story could carry for years to come.

One such story goes that one day during their exile, Krishna happened to visit the pandavas in the forest. While handling a physical labour, a piece cut a part of his finger. Draupadi immediately tore a part of her saree and bandaged thehurt.

Krishna promised to repay this uttering the blessing 'Akshyam', 'May it be unending'. The act took the centre stage of the epic tale of Mahabharat when Draupadi was disrobed by the Kauravas.

Women, in such symbolism, tie the rakhi to men with a faith that they are protected at all times.

On this day, as our country is plague by some evil elements, true rakhi is when every women in our land feels safe and secure. That day is not far.

Wishes from someone who does not have a biological sibling but in turn a million brothers and sisters.

At the stroke of the midnight hour...

People refused to buy bus fares, assuming they should now be free. A humble beggar walked into an enclosure reserved for foreign diplomats. A policeman asked him for his invitation.

'Invitation?'. he answered, 'Why do I need an invitation? I have my independence. That's enough.'

It was the feeling of a common man 69 years ago. It went far deeper that a mere desire to enter a previously reserved establishment.

Today, as we pay homage to those who laid down their lives for our independence, and look up to the tricolour that symbolises the ultimate sign of sacrifice, the heart echoes the millions of voices that cried 'Oh lovely dawn of freedom that breaks in gold and purple over ancient capital.'

'If there is any land on this earth that can lay claim to be the blessed Punya Bhumi...'

Independence Day wishes.

Guru Purnima

A Teacher maketh a Man. On this auspicious day of Guru Purnima.

Indian culture holds the Guru in the highest pedestal than any other culture in the world. The mantra goes as maatha, pitha, guru, deivam. It is through one's parents that one enters this world. Thereafter, it is the Guru that opens the door to greater possibilities and growth. Since ancient times, this land that has seen many enlightened souls and masters, has celebrated and dedicated this day to one of the three most revered persons of one's life, the Guru.

It is befitting today, to quote the late Dr. APJ, who himself wanted to be remembered not as a scientist or a president, but as a teacher; he said, '3 people can change society: the mother, the father and the teacher.'

On this auspicious day, let us bow down to our Gurus, in devotion and gratitude, for the knowledge and wisdom that they have dispensed and taught us.

Wishes on this day of Guru Purnima.

Mellisai Mannar...

One of the greatest legends of the music fraternity, MS Viswanathan breadth his last today. The classical band of TMS, PBS, Kannadhasan, Vaali set stage to bring the mellisai padangal up in the heavens. 

Rest in Peace.

Intha mannum kadal vaanum marainthu mudinthaalum
Marakka mudiyathada
Uravai pirikka mudiyathada -

This earth, sea, and sky, though they may disappear and end
It is not possible to forget; such bonds are inseparable...

For all the deeply connected moments that msv gave us...

Simple Acts of Kindness

Today I bring you a story that happened a few minutes ago. 

The time is a little after supper, around a quarter passed eight. I had dined alone at the cafeteria and was looking to go for a walk. My kindle accompanied me. I sat to read at what I think is perhaps the centre most spot of my university. Phone was plugged to the power-bank for charging. There were students walking about here and there. Few crossed by, the rest walked on lanes that were in front and back. 

I was sitting beneath a tree. The flood-light provided me the right illumination to read. With it came a host of flies attracted to a solely sitting rigid figure as myself. Since no man or dog were in the vicinity, the flies chose me with hardly an option really. So I decided to walk about in close circles, slowly, very slowly, holding the kindle in one hand, the other inside the pocket. The phone was left where it had been. 

Moments later, two boys walked passed. They saw the phone lying there and lamented, 'Ye kiska phone hai?'. I looked at them. They looked at me. I looked at the kindle. Then, I watched them walk away. 

After going a good fifty meters, they returned. 

'Excuse me bhai, ye aap ka phone hai?' one of them asked. 

'Yes,' I replied instantaneously without a touch of emotion or concern or even a smile. I watched them walk away for the second time. 

They had come back to make sure the phone belonged to it's owner and that they were not of the kind to walk away, leaving behind an accidentally abandoned phone. 

Such an act of kindness and consideration that humans show one another is much needed especially for our times. I hope the story tells it's own lesson and reminder. I wish I could have thanked them for it. 

For the love of humanity.

It has been a year shorter than a decade that I have known the person who inspired this piece. For the purpose of maintaining anonymity and as a result of deep admiration and respect for what she does, I wish to simply refer to her as she.   

From who she was when I first met her to the person she has become, itself deserves a mention, not that it needs an authentication from me. A simple girl of the kindest heart, she started out with no real ambition. After schooling from the hills, she moved to the bustling environment of city life. She pursued a course as remote as such to the people of the region from where she hails from. It is after that, that life began unfolding in all its mysterious grandeur. 

She said, 'I wonder why God chooses to pose such a burden to these souls even before they get to start their lives.'

But she has a vision now. And it will live. Until then and forever, wishes and support. 

She became a part of those children's lives that are a reminder to us of our humanity. 

Remembering the Mahatma: Jan 30th, 2015

For certain is death for the born and certain is birth for the dead; 

Therefore over the inevitable, Thou shouldst not grieve.

He gasped, 'He Ram!'.
Then a lifeless little bundle, he slowly sank to the ground, his hands still frozen in the final gesture to which his spirit had commanded them, a greeting to his assassin. 

Mahatma Gandhi achieved in death what he had striven for in his last months of life. The sacrifice in the gardens of Birla House would stand as the climax of the triumph and tragedy which embraced the Indian subcontinent in 1947-48.

For the dead that dances around

Manamae, aavi ponapinaal un sadalam ondrukum udhavadhe

Manamae, thungum bothu un jeevan ponal yaadhum nee seithiduvai

Manamae, thayin garbathil irunthunai kaatha kannanai maravadhe

Manamae, arivai thandhavan aandavan allavo avarai nee maravadhe

Manamae, maaya ulagathil maratathane mayangi allaiyadhe

Poiyana valvai sadhamendru enni manathinil garvam nee kolladhe

The Translation:

Heart, the body is of no use once the soul is gone

Heart, what would you do if life slips by as you sleep?

Heart, do not forget Krishna who protected you when in womb

Heart, do not forget that it is He you gave you the intellect,

Heart, do not be deluded to play in this illusory world

Do not be think and grow arrogant that life is just material.

Vision 2020

After helping him unpack the second-hand books from the white sack, I watched him arrange those for display on a red sheet. His name is Ajay. A young chap of 15 hailing from UP, Ajay goes to school on weekdays and sells books on weekends.

'Mai itni dur se aye hai. Mai apa ke sath ek photo lene ke liye nahi milta hai?' I asked

'Acchi nahi lag rahi', he replied and shied away.

A candid had to be clicked by the lemon soda vendor. I decided to purchase 'Turning Points', by Dr. APJ that aptly stands for the vision of young minds like that of Ajay's, at an unbargained price.

In the company of books, Ajay will grow up to be an asset to this nation.

Celebrating Womenhood...

That which is.

It is a deception to get ourselves reminded on this day that a woman is of great importance. It is not a reminder for we do not have to be reminded that the sun rises in the east.

In the limited experience that I have had with women of all age groups throughout, it comes as my existential duty to accord myself a place beside her and not the other way. It should be men giving themselves the honour of possessing the little intellect to acknowledge this fact. Bhishma Pitamaha knew this.

Men are not here to understand you; it is futile to ask us to be understanding. We are not capable of it. Nature has intended man to understand himself through a woman. 'Woman' does not stand for you alone. It stands for that energy which balances all that is; the yin of the yang, the sakthi of the shiva, the duality of this entire cosmos of which we are a part of. It is not only today that you take your full form in all glory.

idly sambar - a solace for the troubled twenties

Today as I was about to enter the office premises, there was an explainable flavor that permeated the air. Shops stood in straight lines that invited the IT crowd. The object of the invitation was a plate of idly & sambar. The invitees were men (mostly & there is nothing discriminating about it as there were no women around) logging in early working for corporate firms. Everyone having traveled through the city's heat and dust and traffic found solace at the white oval spheres (two precisely, as idlies are always sold in sets) served with sambar. 

I had my share of it with a little red chutney by the side. The shop owner served without expression. It was his bread and butter but if only he knew how much we all valued his service. In a time packed tight schedule when everyone is caught up with work, he sets a scene for us to go there and relax a few minutes without having to worry about choosing what to eat. You go there, order 'a plate' and it is served. There is no risk of side effects and consequences. 

For all those here in the land of idly sambar, there is no breakfast that could beat the magnanimity of this. I say this with an equal affection that I have for roti-sabji (I have to live most part of the year in the north). However, a humble admission of the fact that idly-sambar continues to remain an integral part of every man's life who is pursuing a job, a journey and ultimately a dream,  

A lullaby for mother's day

A borrowed piece that I hope will move you as it did me. Sharing it here on this day.

Mundhi thavamkidandhu mullorunaal sumandhu, 
Iyindhu pagalai sivanai aadharithu 
Dhondhivayir sarigirathai sumandhu petra 
Thaayar thamakkoyariya thazhalmuzhveno 
Nondhu sumandhu nogaamal yendhi kanagamulai dhandharo 
Amma unnai yeppirapil ini naan kaanbeno. 
Pattinilo thottinilo amma vattinilo amma unnai thottinilommaarbelo 
Tholilum katinilum vaithu ennai 
Kaadhalithai kondaisiraigalitru kaapatriyesinai 
Neer thai thamarko naan yeriya kadal muttuveno. 

The essence of the above as I perceive it is:

After sitting in deep devotional meditation for days and nights and praying to Shiva, a boon was granted and you got a swollen womb mother. After exhaustion and labour, without giving up you bore me; mother in which birth will I see you next? In hunger and difficulty, from womb to cradle, you bore me on your shoulders, loved me and protected me, my debt is as big as the ocean.

A saga to undo

To a mild evening summer it welcomed,

A lone spectator of sorts;

Seeking an audience but none there,

It undoes the attention sought.

For a simple song of silence,

Struck at the surface, surprised;

An unusual attempt, 

For the door doth remain shut.

The Cosmic Dark

It is but rare in history to find thinkers taking the side of darkness; literally or metaphorically. Darkness does not attribute itself to a negative form of energy. It is the energy. Modern science has proved that this universe has come from the dark matter. Before that there was darkness; from it was born. When we look up at the sky we see stars. They are but drops in the vast cosmic void that fills the entire space. An ocean of oceans that spread across time and dimension. 

Light on the other had owes its existence to darkness. The very nature of light is derived from darkness. The very way it has to be is a teaching of the darkness. But in darkness is light valued, isn't it? 

Namaskaram to you readers. I welcome you to my blog. 

Buddha Poornima

Over 2,500 years ago, on this day, a man attained a state of eternal meditativeness. Gautama became the Buddha. This event is one of the most significant in the history of human existence for it stands as a symbol for all that is.

And finally he uttered, 'All created things must pass, strive on, diligently.'

Wish you an auspicious Buddha Poornima, on this full moon day in the month of Vaishakh.