Warrier's COLLAGE Sunday May 23, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE Sunday Light MAY 23, 2021 1) Sandrananda...P Leela https://youtu.be/Rhn0reQqVrE 2) Content of Sandrananda....Narayaneeyam http://jaisspritualonlinejourney.blogspot.com/2009/08/narayaneeyam-dasakam-1_29.html?m=1 (Links Selected by: M G Warrier Mumbai) Good Morning 🙏 Last Sunday we were discussing ethics and values. Let's see what lies ahead this week. Collage will try to remain a witness. Though readèrs' encouragement is its life support. Incidentally, www.warriersblog.com now exclusive for Warrier's COLLAGE had 1264 pageviews, second highest daily pageviews during the last 10 plus years, on May 22, 2021. Many Thanks to all readers 🙏 Happy Birthday to all readers who have Birthday during the week ending May 29, 2021 Nice Day M G Warrier Satsangam with Panchapagesan Viviktadesasevitvam : 17th Quality Resorting to Solitary places..... Gita XIII, 7th to 11th Slokas : Man of knowledge having 24 qualities When we become self-sufficient strong after completing all social obligations, we choose to live alone. Once we develop a taste for the higher we resort to Solitude to pursue the truth single-pointedly. But the converse is not true. If in the hope of becoming self-sufficient we live in Solitude it will not help...In fact it will hinder our progress. Some people leave their home and possessions to run away from life’s problems. That is Escapism. It may help to ease their tension initially. But it is not a permanent Solution...After a while they get acclimatized to their new environment And the worries and anxieties surface again... No spiritual giant lives in numbers. He lives alone.. all by himself. Only weaklings gather crowds around them.... See the animal kingdom...Sheep flock in numbers... Deer move in herds...But we never hear of lions living or moving in large numbers ... Similarly, the eagle , the king of birds, soars in the skies alone... A GNANI is one who identifies with his real self.... He enjoys the bliss of his own being. He does not need the world to entertain him.. He is totally independent.. He is free from the persecutions of his body, mind and intellect. He resorts naturally to solitary places. V T Panchapagesan A Interaction 1) Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Focus on Kerala A typical Malayalee Collage, brimming with Malayala Sugandham, all through. It was a literary feast to go through the detailed political history. Kerala's tourism, Kottakkal Aryavaidyasala and artforms of Kerala through Kalamandalam. Adding more interest is special anti Malayalee jokes. A lovely Kerala tour! What a fragrance!!! ( If appropriately exploited, Kerala has enough resources to take care of the present needs of that state and lend a helping hand to some deprived states in India 🙏-Warrier) 2) Dr T V Surendran Mananthavady Special focus on Kerala is welcome... Especially, on the eve of the historical event of the return of the same CM ....... breaking the hitherto pattern of alternating LDF and UDF. Congratulations and best wishes to Sri Pinarayi Vijayan and his new team. (As yesterday's Collage had content from a period which may not be very familiar to the team of young ministers in the new Ministry, a copy was mailed to Kerala CM's Office which was promptly acknowledged. 🙏-Collage) 3) S R Badrinarayanan Cheñnai "Focus on Kerala", God's own country, with zero word in Malayalam is unique for obvious reasons! ... Badri . B My Association with Malayalees : S Nallasivan Hyderabad When I approached the Telugu speaking Ezhumalai Chettiar, for renting a portion of his tenements I was told bluntly that he did not let out his house to Malayalis. His screening of his would be tenants was more severe than recruitment of candidates for the Military Secret missions. He had possibly a reason as my heavily accented Nellai tamil sounded closer to Malayalam. My village is just 12 Kilometres from, Kota Vasal the majestic fort like ghats that was the Mc Mohan line between Tamilnadu and Kerala. We the juvenile adventurers took the Courtallam forest route and reached Palaruvi in Aryankavu still in shorter time. Malayalis and Punjabis essentially are are the two prominent race that have immigration, a way of life. Don't you think for many Malayali's the Gulf the second home. Do you know in the Banking Hall of Madras Office, adjacent to the Claims Section, a well and clear territory for their exclusive post lunch Sojourn of those mainly attired in sparkling white. It was my first travel beyond Vindhyas when transferred to Jaipur. When I reported in all anxiety with a primitive knowledge of Hindi was greeted with fondness by K.P.Nandakumar a man from the old family of Erumapetty in Trichur District who had even his schooling at Jaipur as his Uncle was like the travelers of Mayflower the earlier settler to arrive at Jaipur. Then when it was the turn to meet the Manager D.N.Samarth, how one could miss the P.S., K.V.Balakrishnan from Palakad. He switched job to the RBI not from Kerala State Electricity Board but the Rajasthan Electricity Board, an old seasoned stock of Rajasthan. Later when a Security Guard greeted me in broken Tamil, it was a pleasant surprise that he was one K.R.Nair an Ex-service man, and his son the dynamite Vasu was even then a raising star in the Class IV Union. Of course we owe it to Shri K.N.V .Nair for landing safely at the Pink City thanks to his generous hospitality and entertain us with accommodation in his House at the Gandhi Nagar Colony. Then I knew that my immediate boss was N.R.Kodandaraman, DCO, DBO&D, was from Palakad. A severe critic turned family friend V.Sethu of the neighbouring RPCD hailed from Irinjalakuda. Then it was time for me to seek admission for my son. He had managed his own admission thanks to credible performance in the entrance test and had to meet first Fr. Francis a kind hearted man who brought me into contact with my son's Class Teacher Shri P.K.Nair, the Biology Teacher and his son Vikram still continues to be friends with my son through St Xavier WhatsApp Group. Malayalis are affable and affectionate people and closely knitted race and had you known Malayalam you automatically become a part of the family. Jaipur had a temple of the Lord of Sabari Hills in the far off Desert State what with the Holy 18 Steps. In the Jaipur City be it the Sawai Mansingh Medical College, the huge Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital or the Gynecologist, Bina Dixit Private Consultation, there is no escape from the healing hands of the Nightingales from the Land of Parasurama. We were seeking guidance for going to the Ranthambore Fort and Tiger Sanctuary near the interior town of Sawai Madhopur and there appeared a man, volunteered to help us as he assumed that I was a fellow Malayali. So friends even before it was not in the scheme of things that I would be spending long 8 years under the roof of the Bakery Junction Office and even to-date have a sort of umbilical chord relationship. All along Malayalis remained friends philosophers and guide to me . Though I did not take the trouble of learning Malayalam they are kind and compassionate to me. We had one "Ramendran" read Ramachandran, and he made it a point to speak to me only in Malayalam But he could achieve a little as I was blissfully remained ignorant of Malayalam, the Language of the people from the God's Own Country. It is more than 17 years I had retired from Trivandrum Office, and most of my contemporaries had retired still I get things done as a special personal favour just by a phone Call. I am rather bemused that my name rings a familiar chord in the minds of the present staff though it would not have been possible for us to have personally interacted. It was a shock to me when I had visited my the so called parent Office Madras where I had my beginning the reception was so bad despite my introduction, totally in contrast to how the Malayali friends still entertain me as their familiar if not an intimate friend. Before concluding, there has been a mention about the Malayalis and their heavy accent while speaking English which at times has been a matter of fun. But their writing in English is exceptional, extremely well executed. I would venture to proclaim that they wrote the best English. My Trivandrum friends would gladly agree that C.Divaharan wrote some good English and while in service right from Department Heads and the Regional Director liked and sought C.Divakaran to write some of the important communications with our own higher authorities and out side organisations. My only regret is that I missed a golden opportunity of learning the sweet sounding language during my 8 years stay. Even now Trivandrum is at a stone throw away from Melagaram, just across the majestic Western Ghats., a mere 110 Kilometers The magic of Malayalam is better understood when spoken, during a long distance travel in crowded trains it will do wonders gain you a safe and the secure accommodation even in the special Military coaches. S.Nallasivan PS: I will not venture the impossible, to seek my TC (Transfer Certificate) from the Collage or make Warrier to change and post it at his Collage. That is a sacred and holy where angels tread, the VTPs, VJs, Dr.TVSs and not the last but the least Babusenens. Our students when they fail to qualify in the Collage examinations seek refuge in the lesser known Tutorial Collage. So be it. C A Malayalam Poem by Edasseri and an appreciation by Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Ambadiyilekku Veendum : Edasseri https://youtu.be/IhbWxh9SCP4 Appreciation: I listened with interest the Kavitha "Ambaadiyilekku veendum'.It is a reflection on Dasama Skandha of Shrimath Baghavatham.It is an unforgettable scene portrayed by all Upanyasaks. Gopies learn that Krishna is going to leave them.Their memories are sweet and green. Gopis’ love for Krishna was not a physical passion. It was supreme love. For them Lord Krishna was the living God. He was the moving image of the Supreme Lord. Their faith was intense. When they thought of Lord Krishna they forgot their worldly activities. They were merged in the love of Krishna. Lord Krishna attracted their hearts from His very boyhood. He was a very beautiful child. He was beauty incarnate. So the Gopis began to love Krishna from His very birth. They caressed and loved Krishna as they would do their own children. Gradually the love for Krishna assumed the shape of intense Prema (divine love). They thought of Krishna alone when they churned the curd, when they took water from the well. They sang His praises when they took bath. They remembered Him when they took food and at all times. Their minds became Krishnamaya by incessant practice of Smarana (remembrance) of the Lord. Lord Krishna knew the hearts of the Gopis. He turned the hearts of the Gopis to the proper direction by completely eradicating lust from their minds. It is with this purpose in view that Lord Krishna played the Rasa Lila with the Gopis. At the time of Rasa Lila, He multiplied Himself into so many Krishnas. The Gopis were struck with wonder and amazement. All their idea of physical love entirely vanished due to this miracle. . They enjoyed the blissful company of the Lord at the time of Rasa Lila, the bliss of Samadhi or union with God. Sri Krishna performed the Rasa Lila to destroy carnality by means of pure love or Prema. He taught humanity through the Rasa Lila how to convert passion into dispassion and pure love, and how to wean the mind from the sexual Vasanas and instincts. He showed that through Madhurya Rasa one can effect total self-surrender or Atma-Nivedan, and attain Sayujya The song in you tube tells of sweet memories of Gopies.I could very well understand the meaning though the song was in Malayalam. That seemed to convey "Never spend your fortune on the tangibles but on experiences and intangible moments that will someday become memories." Memories are photographs of earlier experiences which might have run even for seconds. I can't but be reminded of Keat's poem on Grecian Urn. "Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu; And, happy melodist, unwearied, For ever piping songs for ever new; More happy love! more happy, happy love! For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd, For ever panting, and forever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.? Vathsala Jayaraman Book Review: The Story of My Life: Helen Keller https://barbaraleeharper.com/2018/04/03/book-review-the-story-of-my-life-by-helen-keller/amp/ "The desire to express myself grew. The few signs I used became less and less adequate, and my failures to make myself understood were invariably followed by outbursts of passion. I felt as if invisible hands were holding me, and I made frantic efforts to free myself. I struggled–not that struggling helped matters, but the spirit of resistance was strong within me; I generally broke down in tears and physical exhaustion. If my mother happened to be near I crept into her arms, too miserable even to remember the cause of the tempest. After awhile the need of some means of communication became so urgent that these outbursts occurred daily, sometimes hourly." C Readers' Contribution 1) 𝐀 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐫* Sudha Murthy Meena is a good friend of mine. She is an LIC officer earning a good salary. But there was always something strange about her. She was forever unhappy. Whenever I met her, I would start to feel depressed. It was as though her gloom and cynicism had a way of spreading to others. She never had anything positive to say on any subject or about any person. For instance, I might say to her, ‘Meena, did you know Rakesh has come first in his school?’ Meena’s immediate response would be to belittle the achievement. ‘Naturally, his father is a schoolteacher,’ she would say. If I said, ‘Meena, Shwetha is a very beautiful girl, isn’t she?’ Meena would be pessimistic. ‘When a pony is young, he looks handsome. It is age that matters. Wait for some time. Shwetha will be uglier than anyone you know.’ ‘Meena, it’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk.’ ‘No, the sun is too hot and I get tired if I walk too much. Besides, who says walking is good for health? There’s no proof.’ That was Meena. She stayed alone in an apartment as her parents lived in Delhi. She was an only child and had the habit of complaining about anything and everything. Naturally, she wasn’t very pleasant company and nobody wanted to visit her. Then one day, Meena was transferred to Bombay and soon we all forgot about her. Many years later, I found myself caught in the rain at Bombay’s Flora Fountain. It was pouring and I didn’t have an umbrella. I was standing near Akbarallys, a popular department store, waiting for the rain to subside. Suddenly, I spotted Meena. My first reaction was to run, even in that pouring rain. I was anxious to avoid being seen by her, having to listen to her never-ending complaints. However, I couldn’t escape. She had already seen me and caught hold of my hand warmly. What’s more, she was very cheerful. ‘Hey! I am really excited. It’s nice to meet old friends. What are you doing here?’ I explained that I was in Bombay on official work. ‘Then stay with me tonight,’ she said. ‘Let’s chat. Do you know that old wine, old friends and memories are precious and rare?’ I couldn’t believe it. Was this really Meena? I pinched myself hard to be sure it wasn’t a dream. But Meena was really standing there, right in front of me, squeezing my hand, smiling, and yes, she did look happy. In the three years she had been in Bangalore, I had never once seen her smiling like that. A few strands of grey in her hair reminded me that years had passed. There were a few wrinkles on her face, but the truth was that she looked more attractive than ever before. Finally, I managed to say, ‘No, Meena, I can’t stay with you tonight. I have to attend a dinner. Give me your card and I’ll keep in touch with you. I promise.’ For a moment, Meena looked disappointed. ‘Let’s go and have tea at least,’ she insisted. ‘But Meena, it’s pouring.’ ‘So what? We’ll buy an umbrella and then go to the Grand Hotel,’ she said. ‘We won’t get a taxi in this rain,’ I grumbled. ‘So what? We’ll walk.’ I was very surprised. This wasn’t the same Meena I had known. Today, she seemed ready to make any number of adjustments. We reached the Grand Hotel drenched. By then the only thought in my mind was to find out who or what had brought about such a change in the pessimistic Meena I had known. I was quite curious. ‘Tell me, Meena, is there a Prince Charming who has managed to change you so?’ Meena was surprised by my question. ‘No, there isn’t anyone like that,’ she said. ‘Then what’s the secret of your energy?’ I asked, like Tendulkar does in the ad. She smiled. ‘A beggar changed my life.’ I was absolutely dumbfounded and she could see it. ‘Yes, a beggar,’ she repeated, as if to reassure me. ‘He was old and used to stay in front of my house with his five-year-old granddaughter. As you know, I was a chronic pessimist. I used to give my leftovers to this beggar every day. I never spoke to him. Nor did he speak to me. One monsoon day, I looked out of my bedroom window and started cursing the rain. I don’t know why I did that because I wasn’t even getting wet. That day I couldn’t give the beggar and his granddaughter their daily quota of leftovers. They went hungry, I am sure. ‘However, what I saw from my window surprised me. The beggar and the young girl were playing on the road because there was no traffic. They were laughing, clapping and screaming joyously, as if they were in paradise. Hunger and rain did not matter. They were totally drenched and totally happy. I envied their zest for life. ‘That scene forced me to look at my own life. I realized I had so many comforts, none of which they had. But they had the most important of all assets, one which I lacked. They knew how to be happy with life as it was. I felt ashamed of myself. I even started to make a list of what I had and what I did not have. I found I had more to be grateful for than most people could imagine. That day, I decided to change my attitude towards life, using the beggar as my role model.’ After a long pause, I asked Meena how long it had taken her to change. ‘Once this realization dawned,’ she said, ‘it took me almost two years to put the change into effect. Now nothing matters. I am always happy. I find happiness in every small thing, in every situation and in every person.’ ‘Did you give any gurudakshina to your guru?’ I asked. ‘No. Unfortunately, by the time I understood things, he was dead. But I sponsored his granddaughter to a boarding school as a mark of respect to him.’ Author: Sudha Murthy *Forward received from Shivaram Shetty Ex-RBI Mumbai 2) Vision : Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Many of us have perfect eye vision and we may need no glasses too. But we don't have the correct perception of things, don't view things in the proper angle and invariably get into problems. The spiritual Gurus differentiate between 'seeing' with physical eyes and the actual vision we need in our lives like generosity, kindness and love. Even in physical blindness there are varieties and varieties which we can't imagine. Some are unable to see anything; but can point out and identify an object by showing the finger to the accurate spot even in an unfamiliar place. Some may see everything but are unable to differentiate between a chair and phone. Some may identify objects and tell correctly but may not identify human beings including their own kith and kin. There are more than 30 channels in the visual route of our nervous system. If even one or two are functioning, a totally blind man may be able to say what is in front of him. Very often there is a talk about a third eye in human beings. We need not think that Lord Shiva alone has third eye. In fact, it is said that every human being has an access to his/her third eye and scientifically they say that it is a clever bit of natural evolution. Our third eye overlays unseen information and forms separate patterns over our sense organs so that we may be able to do correct interpretations. It is stated to be more a skill than divine power. That is why perhaps sages of yore were able to guess the exact happenings like curses in the past and foresee future events which were attributed to their penance. In US they have got 'definitions' for legal blindness. Legal blindness is the level of impairment in which the individual has a reduced central vision of 20/200 or less. They will be eligible for financial security, though they may carry on their daily chores without much difficulty. D Tribute Sunderlal Bahuguna https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gandhian-pioneer-sunderlal-bahuguna-chipko-movement-7325081/lite/ Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Bahuguna’s demise as a “monumental loss” for the nation. “He manifested our centuries old ethos of living in harmony with nature. His simplicity and spirit of compassion will never be forgotten,” he posted on Twitter. President Ram Nath Kovind described Bahuguna as “a legend in his own right” who “made conservation a people’s movement”. Know more... https://www.news18.com/amp/news/india/sundarlal-bahuguna-chipko-movement-3764117.html E Nostalgia Distance from Bombay to Mumbai I grew up in Bombay, not Mumbai. Regardless of the weather, our dinner time was at 8:00 PM and bed time was 10:30. Eating out at a restaurant was a huge deal, a rarity actually, that only happened when it was a birthday or a very special occasion to celebrate. There was no such thing as fast food on every other day, and having a bottle of soft drinks and an ice-cream from the local shop was a real treat. Pass your final exams and you might have gotten a new set of clothes, or Bata shoes. You took your school clothes off as soon as you got home and put on your ‘home’ clothes. There was no taking or picking you up in the car, you either boarded the school bus or rode on public transport, or just walked home. You got home did your chores and homework before dinner. Not everyone had a house phone and much later, all private conversation were at PCO booths. We didn’t have apple TV, Amazon Prime or Netflix. We had only Doordarshan to watch. Jungle Book came once a week on a Sunday and Chhaya Geet on Thursday’s, for which we waited all week. We played chor police, lappa chuppi, Football, Cricket, lagori, dabba ice-spice (actually it was “I spy”) Marbles and any other game we could come up with. At home, we stuck to chess, ludo, snakes and ladders and Monopoly. Staying shut in the house was a PUNISHMENT and the only thing we knew about "bored" was --- "You better find something to do before I find it for you!" Life was good without Insta, Facebook, Twitter. Followers were the Friends standing behind you. We played music via magnetic tapes or radio. A walkman was a luxury for the uber rich. We went to the local shop for groceries and chiclets, jeera goli, kismi used to be a couple of paise. We ate what Mum made for dinner and put in our lunch and snack box. Bottled water was non existent. We drank from the school water filter. We called our friends from home by shouting their names from the street below. We weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING. We played until dark... sunset was our alarm. If someone had a fight, that's what it was and we were friends again a day later if not SOONER. We watched our MOUTHS around our Elders because ALL of our Aunts, Uncles, Grandpas, Grandmas, AND our Parents' best Friends, were all extensions of our PARENTS and you didn't want them telling your parents you’d misbehaved ! Or they would give you something to cry about. We respected the Police, Firemen, Ambulance workers, Teachers, Doctors and Nurses. We never answered back... ever !!! We got detention at school for not doing homework, no hair cut, being late to class or being naughty. Our teachers spanked us when we deserved it and our parents did not complain about it. We did not know what luxury was. Our simple lives were so good. Those were the good days. So many kids today will never know how it feels to be a real kid. I loved my childhood and all the friends I hung around with. Share if you are from the same Generation. F Leisure 1) S Venugopal Chennai 21st MAY Interesting. Tonight at 9 hrs 21 min 21 sec. It will be 21st century 21st year 21st week 21st Day 21 hours 21 minutes 21 seconds 2) Quarantine Comedy* My friend got bored by sitting at home... So, he went out & told the outside vegetable cart puller... “Can you please sit in my house & watch TV for sometime...?? I will take your vegetable cart for a couple of rounds and sell them for you...” Vegetable cart puller said: “ Sir, I am a software engineer from the next lane... The original vegetable vendor is sitting in my house & attending my Video Conference with a mask” Forwarded by R Jayakumar Mumbai G Quotes about eyesight https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/eyesight.html Like: "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." -Helen Keller (Helen Adams Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she lost her sight and hearing after a bout of illness at the age of nineteen months.)