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Polite Language

Friends Of late, there is a perceptible fall in the standard of language used in public discourse by individuals holding responsible positions. Let's take note and make a plea. Going a step further, can we not avoid digging out and discussing old obsolete stamps from our collection, which may not add to wellness and happiness, anyway? M G Warrier A Polite language* Polite language serves as a crucial tactical tool in political communication, balancing public diplomacy with the strategic need to manage conflict and appeal to voters. In intense public confrontations, the deliberate use of polite or measured language acts as a calculated rhetorical choice rather than mere compliance with social norms. The Strategic Functions of Politeness in Public Spars Preserving Face and Authority : Pragmatic politeness frameworks (such as Brown and Levinson's politeness theory) demonstrate that politicians use "negative politeness" to minimize imposition or "positive polite...
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Vishwaroopa Darshanam

Vishwaroopa Darshanam Friends Lord Krishna revealed his Universal Form (known as Virat-Rupa or Vishwaroopa) on three primary occasions in the Mahabharata and classical Vaishnava traditions : Main Revelations in the Epic In the Kuru Sabha (Hastinapura) : When Krishna visited the Kaurava court as a peace messenger and Duryodhana tried to bind or imprison him, Krishna revealed his blazing, cosmic form to the assembly. While many were blinded, select figures such as Bhishma, Drona, Vidura and Sanjaya witnessed it. On the Battlefield of Kurukshetra : In Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna granted divine vision (divya-drishti) to Arjuna so he could behold the infinite, all-encompassing universe, time, and creation within Krishna. To Sage Uttanka : After the Kurukshetra War, Krishna revealed the cosmic form once more to the sage Uttanka (as recorded in the Ashvamedha Parva). Additional Manifestations in Scriptures In broader Puranic and biographical texts, other instances are also...
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Guruvayur Ekadasi 2026

Guruvayur Ekadasi 2026 Guruvayur Ekadasi 2026 is on November 21, 2026. Guruvayur Ekadasi Vilakkutsavam Thirty Days of Devotional Light and Spectacle There is no single specific story behind the 30-day Vilakkutsavam (lamp festival) leading up to the Guruvayur Ekadasi; instead, behind this long celebration lies a rich tradition and a history of offerings by devotees. The reasons and the backstory behind these thirty days of lamps are as follows: The 30-day lamp is an offering by devotees : As the day of Guruvayur Ekadasi approaches, the crowd of devotees at the temple increases and the celebrations become grander. Starting exactly 30 days before Ekadasi, the night-time lamp procession (Vilakkeduthu) and surrounding lamps (Chuttuvilakku) are conducted every day as an individual or collective offering (Vazhipadu). While royal families and feudal lords used to sponsor this in the past, today various individuals, ancestral families (Tharavadus), the postal department, and organizations lik...
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Trusteeship & Resources Management

Friends Referring to Collage of October, 2026 Part IV, where I had tagged Nirmala Sitharaman's observations about society's approach to ownership of resources to Gandhi's theory of Trusteeship, a reader asked : "Will it be possible to cite books about Gandhi's views expressed in this post?" Gandhian thoughts on the subject are accessible from a number of books and websites. A brief introduction is included at B. At C we discuss Gandhi's views on resources. M G Warrier A Speaking Tree The cosmic classroom - The Economic Times https://share.google/oGIW0EFwZdTe8vSIs Synopsis Creation is explained in the Gita as a process involving Krishn's two divine energies of Atman and maya. The Atman represents the spiritual aspect while maya encompasses the material dimension of existence. Individuals, influenced by the three gunas, seek to transcend desires and attachments for spiritual growth. Experiences in life serve as lessons aiding in the evolution of t...
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Book On My Table : Life's Journey

Book On My Table I found the book 'The Difficulty Of Being Good' interesting, because the author accepts the real life situation that, we need not know all answers. Today, I was reading page 302 at random. By accident 'The Difficulty Of Being Good' appears as a subtitle on this page. I really stare at assertions like ...the epic 'is the content of our collective unconscious...We must therefore grasp the great book with both hands and face it squarely. Then we shall recognise that it is our past which has prolonged itself into the present. We are it'* Briefly : Let's experience the life's journey, watching the sideshows and playing our given role to our satisfaction. M G Warrier *V S Sukthankar
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Difficulty Of Being Good

Friends Yesterday, I concluded my introductory note, somewhat abruptly, with the following remarks : "If we can't do anything about the evil around, can we not divert our resources and energy, attention and time towards doing good, listening good and talking góod? Why we should pay attention to doomsayers?" Till we vacated our Thiruvananthapuram house for letting out few years ago, my personal library had books like : 1 Six volumes of Mahabharata [Gita Press edition : Sanskrit Text with Hindi meaning] 2 Bhagavatam 3 Manusmriti 4 Brahma Sutras 5 Several Upanishads [8 or 10 with Shankara's Bhashyas] 6 Das Capital 7 Valmiki Ramayanam 8 Arthashastra 9 Logan's Malabar Manual 10 Monier William's Sanskrit to English and English to Sanskrit Dictionaries. 11 Shabdataravali [Malayalam] 12 Bhagavad Gita Swadhyaya by Nityachaitanyayati 13 History of RBI [3 Volumes] and many other precious books, numbering around a thousand. Now, here in Mumbai, the collection, which wa...
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Vijayadashami Special

Friends Swami Sukhabodhananda*, sees Vijayadashami as an occasion to remind us the need to keep Ego at arms length : Swami actually talks about "Victory Of Awareness Over Ego" Let's make a beginning. The articles at A & B are copied from an email group in which I am a member. M G Warrier *Watch Swami speaking : https://youtu.be/ZqtRr41dUzk?si=G3_fxDsNPzUnGybe Vijayadashami Special Our common aspiration - The Economic Times https://share.google/P1QXiMRfuqaNyCl9y Synopsis Vijayadashami represents the victory of goodness over evil, as seen in various cultural narratives. Ram's defeat of Ravan and Jesus Christ's resurrection reflect similar themes of righteousness triumphing over darkness. Additionally, Michael's defeat of Satan in Christian scripture parallels these tales. Different cultures emphasize the idea that arrogance and injustice ultimately lead to destruction. The stories resonate with a profound human belief in the enduring nature of hope...
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