Warrier's blog

Friends Happy Vijayadashami (Vidyarambham @C) M G Warrier Vidyarambham : Vijayadashami, 2026 A Vidyarambham Vidyarambham is a traditional Hindu initiation ceremony in South India (especially Kerala, Karnataka, and parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) where young children (typically ages 2 to 5) are formally introduced to the world of learning, literature, music, and the arts. Meaning and Significance Name Origin : Derived from Sanskrit words Vidya (knowledge) and Arambham (beginning). Timing : Celebrated on Vijayadashami (the final, auspicious tenth day of Navaratri), which honors Goddess Saraswati, the deity of wisdom and knowledge. Pooja Veypu : Books, musical instruments, and tools of trade are placed before Goddess Saraswati starting on Durgashtami/Mahanavami and kept undisturbed until Vijayadashami. The Ritual Process Seating : The child sits in the lap of a parent, grandparent, teacher (guru), or temple priest. Tracing on Rice or Sand : An elder holds the child'...

Friends Yesterday, when my daughter Reshmy was at home, I pointed to the shelf in which I had dumped my recent accumulation of books and told her : "If you are interested in reading any of them, you can finish reading and return later" From half a dozen books she scanned through in next 20 minutes, picked up one for reading and asked me : "Do you really read all these books?" I didn't tell a lie. Last week, we mentioned about the announcement of this year's Nobel for literature. And briefly discussed about the work of Anne Carson. Today, we will try to know more about her. M G Warrier A Yesterday's The Hindu literaryreview carries an interesting article captioned "Reading Anne Carson" by Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta (who is in IAS). I loved reading the write-up which will give the reader sufficient inspiration to dig out the original sources from which the quotes and anecdotes have been carefully picked up by the writer. B Famous and str...

Welcome To Warrier's Friends' COLLAGE, On 3rd Sunday October, 2026 Friends Between Mahabharata (MB) and Ramayana, for me, stories from Ramayana are more familiar. Though it converged and concluded with a relatively short war compared to the Trumpian type which goes on and on, changing goals and shifting goal posts, a narrative in a lakh stanzas, squeezing in 67 Upakathas, several Stutis, sciences and philosophies, geography, Astronomy & Astrology, MB will leave ordinary humans with a sense of having not done full justice to the epic's reading, after years of study. Ramayana's narrative is human, though one should not underplay the role of Rakshasas, monkeys and even squirrels. We can easily identify rakshasas (reverse of 'saksharas' or literates), monkeys and heads of state with brains smaller than that a squirrel possess, around us, or even in US. Here we are just venturing a peep into the diversities. M G Warrier A Ramayana The Valmiki Rama...

Welcome To Warrier's Friends' COLLAGE, October, 2026 Part IV Friends FM's averments in her speech and interactions at the 114th Meeting of the development Committee Plenary of the world Bank in Bangkok this week hover around a universal application of the Gandhian principle of Trusteeship. Mahatma Gandhi's theory of trusteeship is a socio-economic philosophy stating that the wealthy do not own their wealth, power, or resources outright, but hold them in trust for the benefit of society. [See B] M G Warrier A Mahatma Gandhi's theory of trusteeship Core Principles Non-Possession and Ethics : Wealth should be earned through honest labor and moral means. An individual is only entitled to an honorable livelihood; any surplus belongs to the community. Rejection of Violent Redistribution : Instead of violent class struggle or state-enforced confiscation (as advocated by radical socialism/Marxism), Gandhi preferred voluntary conversion of the rich into stewards ...

Friends Some of my senior friends [ Shri P P Ramachandran from Pune & Smt Vathsala Jayaraman from Chennai included] remembered my official Birthday [October 15] and have already conveyed their blessings and best wishes yesterday. My thanks & pranams to them. PPR Sir celebrated NAVATHI 9 days ago, on October 6. Shri V O Gopi [Settled in Thiruvananthapuram] will be 90 next year. Every year, I get reminded about ageing three times : 1) Real DOB. 2) Birthday which used to be observed with reference to Malayalam month and star. and 3) Official DOB : October 15. Many thanks to all my friends who help me continue this journey of interaction with encouraging words and best wishes. M G Warrier "When I was a child, I saw God, I saw angels; I watched the mysteries of the higher and lower worlds. I thought all ,en saw the same. At last I realised that they did not see..." - SHAMS OF TABRIZ A Devi Mahatmyam The Devi Mahatmyam (also known as the Durga Saptashati or Chandi Path...

Random Reading : Bhagya Suktam Friends Many Thanks to all of you who read/responded to yesterday's message which got delayed in sharing due to personal reasons. While reading anything enriches our thoughts, listening to people who have lived their lives for social good is equally important. Ajay Piramal's experience is relevant in this context [C]. M G Warrier A The Bhagya Suktam is a sacred Vedic hymn from the Rigveda (Rigveda 7.41) dedicated to Lord Bhaga—the deity of fortune, wealth, and auspiciousness, who is one of the twelve Adityas (solar deities). English Translation and Meaning of Bhagya Suktam The Bhagya Suktam consists of eight verses dedicated to invoking divine grace, abundance, and guidance from Lord Bhaga along with other deities like Agni, Indra, and Surya at dawn and throughout the day. Core Theme : The hymns pray for physical resources, cattle, horses, heroic progeny, and divine leadership, asking Lord Bhaga to make the supplicants fortunate and to direc...