Warrier's Collage May 3, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE ON Monday, MAY 3, 2021 Judiciary and the Rule of Law https://youtu.be/hh5pIZtv1gw Temple Lamps in Indiay https://deccanviews.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/lamps-in-india-beauty-and-devotion/amp/ (Links selected by: M G Warrier Mumbai) Good Morning Nice Day M G Warrier M Happy Birthday to all Collage-mates having Birthday during the week ending Saturday May 8, 2021 Prayers 🙏 for Aayurarogyasaukhyam 🙏-Warrier A Interaction 1) World Laughter Day* World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May to remind people of the very real physical and mental health benefits of laughter. It’s no joke that laughter has a clinically proven positive effect on your well-being. And experts (yes, there are experts) agree that laughing lowers blood pressure, releases endorphins, works your abs, reduces stress hormones, and even boosts T cells that fight infection. And even if you’re not feeling it, faking it still works. *Forward received from T R S Iyer Mumbai 2) R Jayakumar Mumbai Good morning Till today I have not understood what is a regular Collage and what is a non-regular Collage and when it is a holiday for Collage! I find the Collage special everyday and never missed it on anyday. Today's Collage even if it is not regular has more material to read. Keep it up (Thanks When I don't have much time to devote to Collage, I give a notice to readers. Monday and Tuesday, I am a little busy. When it's not a "regular" issue, some content would not have been seen/read by me 🙏-Warrier) 3) G Mohandas Chennai Thought for the Day* It doesn't matter for how long the room has been dark; a day or a week or a year, or ten thousand years. The moment you bring in a candle; darkness vanishes like it was never there. Similarly, it doesn't matter for how long we are stuck in a sense of our limitations. The moment you decide to break free, nothing will stop you. Create the light of your life. *Received via Group mail B Current Affairs: Appointment New Deputy Governor for RBI Copied below is excerpt from GOI notification. Friends from RBI Thiruvananthapuram, who knew him closely during Rabi Sankar's posting there during 1990's have very high opinion about his helpful nature and sportsmanship. Congratulations and Best Wishes to T Rabi Sankar from Collage 🙏-Warrier "North Block, New Delhi 01.05.2021 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri T. Rabi Sankar, Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India to the post of Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India for a period of three years from the date of joining the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier. (Srinivas R Katikithala) Establishment Officer & Additional Secretary" C Readers' Contribution 1) V Babusenan Thiruvananthapuram Last night, while I was in the twilight area of sleep and wakefulness, four lines in Ezhuthacchan's 'Ramayana' came to my mind. These are the lines: "Chakshusravana galasthamaam darduram/Bhakshanatthinnapekshikkunnathuthupole/Kaalaahinaa parigrasthamaam lokavum/Aalolachethasaa bhogangal thedunnu." (Just as the frog inside the snake's throat begs for food, the world, caught in the jaws of time, is seeking pleasures in a mood of merriment.) Just like that, caught in the jaws of the deadly serpent Covid, we are busy constructing a new parliament complex and debating whether Kerala will abandon its anti-incumbency policy this time! Perhaps, it should be like that. Who knows? (Though, when it comes to piercing and paining personal issues, spirituality and philosophy may not work as efficiently as they are capable of, once we reconcile to the perishable nature of the present form of everything, we will be able to understand the context in which the frog expresses its hunger. I can give a cruel parallel. A child saved in delivery through a surgery is cleaned up and back is in the bed. It's hungry. Mother is still under Anastasia. If it's able to be in the right position, will try to quench thirst. Unconcerned about the condition of the mother or the surroundings. Hunger is like that. Totally irrelevant in this context, but remembered: https://youtu.be/hhA9s_MWUmo 2) K Balasubramanian Coimbatore Maths with Mahabharata* *An interesting forward received from a Saint. Arjuna’s Arrows and Algebra! Bhāskarāchārya (1114 -1185 CE), has been called the greatest mathematician of medieval India. He was born in Bijapur in Karnataka, and is considered the progenitor of Differential xCalculus - 500 years before Newton and Leibniz. Bhāskarāchārya wrote at least four mathematical treatises in Sanskrit. One of them, titled Leelavati, contains many algebra-related teasers in this book which have become the subject of significant research by scholars. These teasers are in the form of 'shlokas' which pose problems. The shlokas need to be interpreted correctly to decipher the meaning in order to find the solution. Take a look at the _shloka_ displayed in the infographic below. The direct meaning of this shloka is a question formulated as follows:- During the battle between Arjuna and Karna in Mahabharata, Arjuna released some arrows. Out of all the released arrows: • Half were consumed in stopping the arrows coming from Karna, • 4 times the squareroot of the arrows were consumed to control the horses of Karna's chariot. • 6 were for gaining control over Shalya, the charioteer of Karna. (Shalya was the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva.) • 3 were used to take on the umbrella of the chariot, flag of the chariot and bow of Karna. • Finally Karna was killed with a single arrow. So how many arrows were released by Arjuna in the battle? Basic algebra easily yields the answer to this question, if the equation is formulated correctly. Let the total number of arrows be X. The statements above can be reduced to the algebraic form X= X/2 + 4√X +6+3+1 If we solve this we get the value of X=100 for the number of arrows shot by Arjuna. However, the fun is not just getting the algebra right. There is so much of hidden information in this shloka. If we pause to think a little deeper about the hidden meanings: • Even for an atirathi like Arjuna, it took as many as 50 arrows to stop the arrows of Karna - it tells us about the skills of Karna. • That the horses needed 40 arrows to immobilize the chariot tells us about the kind of training given to the horses in the battle field. • When even the horses needed 40 arrows, that Shalya the charioteer surrendered with just 6 tells us that he is favouring Arjuna. • 3 arrows to take the chariot and the bow shows the helplessness of Karna. • Once everything is in control the enemy should vanquished in just a single arrow. So the rules and skills required to win such a battle 'operationally' are: firstly, stop the enemy fire-power; secondly immobilize the enemy by taking on his motive power - the horses and the driver; thirdly give him a signal about his helplessness by destroying the carriage and finally, eliminate the enemy himself. If we analyze the same shloka on the 'spiritual' side: • To attain ultimate liberation first one needs to control over his/her personal interests and desires, this is very difficult task so it takes 50 arrows. • Then take control over 5 senses and sensual pleasures indicated by the horses. The 40 arrows needed to do this indicate the difficulty of the task. • Gaining control over 5 senses will lead one to the control over the consciousness ( _manas, thought, ego_) indicated by the driver. • If all the foregoing are done, achieving the ultimate liberation (moksha) should be relatively easy. This is the greatness of our ancestors in sanatana dharma they practiced - just one _shloka_ includes so much of knowledge! Should we then not try and engage ourselves in unravelling and comprehending what little remains of whatever we have inherited 3) V N Kelkar May be a repeat. But relevant in the context of discussion on GITA initiated by Madam VJ and taken forward by honourable members. Numbers 18, 108, 1008, 10008 are all multiples of 9, added together ultimately become number 9. This can be verified (16×9 = 144; 1+4+4 = 9). The universe is constituted of three factors - time, space and causation. The universe is constituted of three Gunas - sattva, rajas and tama. The universe is constituted of the three functions - creation, preservation and destruction. Thus, this three times three making nine has become a mystic number. It exhausts the definition of the phenomenal universe. Twice nine or eighteen makes the Mahabharata scheme complete. The eighteen chapters (Parvas) in the epic define in detail the career of man on earth. The eighteen chapters in the Gita make yoga philosophy complete. The eighteen days 'warfare makes the warriors' exploits complete. Eighteen are the divisions of the armies of the contending parties - Pandavas and Kauravas. The one having seven divisions and the other eleven. Thus all the available human forces mobilised were eighteen in number. The Mahabharata is thus an exposition of the human possibilities and achievements graded into eighteen, the first multiple of nine, a mystic number. The higher multiples of it signify further ranging into divine regions. (shared) VNKelkar 4) Poem* by Rashmi Trivedi Sometimes in the dark of the night, I visit my conscience To see if it is still breathing, For its dying a slow death Every day. When I pay for a meal in a fancy place. An amount which is perhaps the monthly income Of the guard who holds the door open. And quickly I shrug away that thought, It dies a little. When I buy vegetables from the vendor, And his son "chhotu" smilingly weighs the potatoes, Chhotu, a small child, who should be studying at school. I look the other way It dies a little. When I am decked up in a designer dress, A dress that cost a bomb And I see a woman at the crossing, In tatters,trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity. And I immediately roll up my window. It dies a little. When I buy expensive gifts for my children, On return, I see half clad children, With empty stomach and hungry eyes, Selling toys at red light I try to save my conscience by buying some, yet It dies a little. When my sick maid sends her daughter to work, Making her bunk school I know I should tell her to go back. But I look at the loaded sink and dirty dishes, And I tell myself that is just for a couple of days It dies a little. When I hear about a rape or a murder of a child, I feel sad, yet a little thankful that it's not my child. I can not look at myself in the mirror, It dies a little. When people fight over caste creed and religion. I feel hurt and helpless I tell myself that my country is going to the dogs, I blame the corrupt politicians, Absolving myself of all responsibilities It dies a little. When my city is choked. Breathing is dangerous in the smog ridden metropolis, I take my car to work daily , Not taking the metro,not trying car pool. One car won't make a difference, I think It dies a little. So when in the dark of the night, I visit my conscience And find it still breathing I am surprised. For, with my own hands Daily, bit by bit, I kill it, I bury it.. .. *Forwarded to Collage by V R Chittanandam Cheñnai D Books The Age of Pandemics By Chinmay Tumbe https://harpercollins.co.in/product/age-of-pandemics-1817-1920/ Excerpts: About the book From lockdowns to lockups, viruses to vaccination, the movement of people to the movement of bowels, from rats to cats, and more, The Age of Pandemicschronicles the many facets of the cholera, plague and influenza pandemics, which claimed over 70 million lives between 1817 and 1920, with India being the epicentre in all these episodes. The book argues that the period between the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century – an age otherwise known for the worldwide spread of the industrial revolution, imperialism and globalization – was also the ‘age of pandemics’. It documents the scale of devastation, the likely causes and consequences, and the resilience with which people faced those pandemics. The book also provides the first comprehensive coverage of the world’s greatest demographic disaster ever to descend upon a country in a short period of time – the influenza pandemic in India in 1918, which claimed more lives than all the battle casualties of World War I. And it shows the continuing relevance of learning from those times to tackle contemporary challenges, such as COVID-19. E Life 1) Sharing Joy Cherish joyful moments: https://thg.page.link/s7YAaiqmzANmEuCRA Excerpts: "Smiling brings us joy and keeps us in the present. Whether it’s on your own face or someone else’s, a smile has a contagious quality about it. Scientists call it facial mimicry and it has been linked to influencing emotions in others as well as in yourself. There is definitely a mind-body connection. So when you find yourself to be swallowed up by negativity or frustration, force yourself to smile and feel that smile. Smiling helps shift your mood when necessary. It helps you feel joy more often." 2) Bye, Negativity https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/feelings-in-you/the-negativity-31521/ Posted online comments: ' "shankaracharya said, when you remove ignorance, wisdom dawn\'s. in bhagavad gita, if you closely follow the dialogue, you will wonder where was the need for krishna to spend explaining so much. because most of the questions arjuna asked will give you an impression that arjuna already knew the answers. in present day world also most of the people know many things, and if they are in doubt, several optional answers are a click away. but in exercising the right option, one needs a guru\'s help. just as arjuna needed krishna\'s reaffirmation. we always need remainders like this to keep our thinking on positive track. keep writing.'" F Leisure Smile* A tabloid asked readers to give brief catchy slogans on road safety/maintenance of vehicles. Winners 1) UNDERTAKERS LOVE OVERTAKERS 2) CAR- CARESS-CARELESS- CARLESS *Forward received from A P Ramadurai Cheñnai G Quotes from RBI 1) Raghuram Rajan https://www.scoopwhoop.com/amp/11-Quotes-By-Raghuram-Rajan-That-Prove-He-Was-A-Rockstar-RBI-Governor/ While I was open to seeing these developments through , on due reflection, and after consultation with the government, I want to share with you that I will be returning to academia when my term as Governor ends on Sept. 4, 2016," Rajan wrote in his goodbye letter to RBI staff (June 2016) 2) Shaktikanta Das https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/never-lose-infinite-hope-rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-quotes-martin-luther-king-jr-mahatma-gandhi-in-policy-covid-19-address-6739201.html/amp "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope,” Das said, quoting Nobel laureate and leader of the American civil rights movement Martin Luther King Jr. Das also quoted Mahatma Gandhi and called on people to resiliently face the pandemic. “I truly believe in the indomitable spirit of the human race which confronted the trial by virus during 2020 with resilience and fortitude and the will to survive. Let 2021 be the harbinger of a new economic era for India,” Das said.