Warrier's COLLAGE June 6, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE Sunday Light JUNE 6, 2021 Ashtapadi : Sopanasangeetam https://youtu.be/PQbQDJFMKcA (Link Selected by : M G Warrier Mumbai) Collage follow up : AASTRO tribute to D Krishna Warrier https://youtu.be/Pxs_V3flFcA (Link Courtesy : R Narayanan Ex-RBI Thiruvananthapuram. His son Dr Anand Narayanan is one of the speakers in the Video. Some participants have spoken in English and others in Malayalam 🙏-Warrier) Good Morning Happy Birthday and Best Wishes to all readers having Birthday during the week ending Saturday, June 12, 2021. Nice Day M G Warrier A Responses 1) C V Subbaraman Mysuru From ancient times, our scriptures spoke of Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri as the holy rivers. Even after Saraswati has disappeared, these rivers are continued in the mantraas. As for Sita's thoughts: There have been many versions of Sita's predicaments and experiences. When Rama decided to abandon the kingdom and go to forest in deference to the expressed wish of Kaikeyi, Sita did not apparently raise the issue that people were against such a step! But she simply said and asserted her duty and right too to follow Him to the forest. She was then abducted by Ravana but she did not lose heart (except perhaps once when she was about to put an end to her life, when Hanuman appeared in the scene and saved her from that attempt). As for her second innings in forest, during her pregnancy, there are several versions: One version says that she did not know that she was to be abandoned in the forest until Lakshmana, guiding her to the forest, requests her to alight from the Ratha (chariot), contrary to the protocol which commands that the driver should first alight from the chariot and then help the traveller to alight. On the way to the forest, she is believed to have come across several bad omens and she was then worried but prayed for the welfare of her husband and his family members! On seeing Lakshmana's conduct contrary to the protocol, she asks him for the reason and then only comes to know that she is being abandoned there on the command of his brother Rama. Another version in Vishnu Purana says that Sita herself vehemently argues with Rama as to why she should leave the kingdom in order to respect even one dissenting voice among the people of the State, save the king's reputation, etc. Rama is shown here as being against her move, but she eventually prevails and goes to the forest. Naturally, after leaving the country on her own, how can she accept the proposal of Valmiki to return to Ayodhya unless the dissenting voices among the people have disappeared? She therefore rightly declined to follow the advice of the Rishi. A third version is provided by Kalidasa in his famous unfinished work Raghuvamsa Kaavyam. When Rama comes to know that Sita is pregnant, he one day asks her what her wish is. During pregnancy, a woman's wishes are required to be fulfilled. She then expresses that she had enjoyed the life in the forest earlier and that she would like to have that type of life once again. Accordingly, Rama sends her to the forest on her own wish. Her question as how many times would Rama wish her to undergo Agni Pariksha to prove her purity for satisfying the people, is justified (even if Rama did not personally doubt her purity). Moreover, the Ramayana has to come to an end. and therefore Sita returns to her Mother Earth instead of to Ayodhya. At this point, Kalidasa describes as to how the people of the State including those who spoke earlier about her in a derogatory manner were found hanging their heads (like a ripe rice crop would be standing stoopingly before harvest).But then it was too late and too short. Subbaraman 2) V Babusenan Thiruvananthapuram " A set of the 'Hindu' paper underneath the bough A jug of steaming coffee, a plate of golden- brown dosai And thou singing on love beside me Oh, Chennai were Paradise enough!" This was what a modern Omar Khayyam wrote a few years ago about Chennai. He was an addict of the 'Hindu' newspaper. The present predicament of the like of him, vis-a- vis the paper, is vividly described by Madam Vathsala Jayaraman today..I congratulate her. Times have changed and papers have their own problems. 3) PKK Nair Bengaluru Readers’ column Generally, I don’t miss to read Shri Babusenan’s articles not only for their content but also for their contextual relevance! This time Babusenan hastaken the Jallianwala Bag massacre in 1919 and the publishing of the Malayalam Guru Kumaran Asan’s Magnum Opus 'Chinthaavistayaaya Sita ‘ . I understand that this poem is the writer’s the greatest piece of work !Being a Malayali myself , I must admit that I am a little apologetic that I have not studied in great deatail the text of this masterpiece. Therefore, read with sufficient interest the valuable commentary by Babusenan. Sita epitomises herself the womanhood and is equated with chastity! Sri Rama abandoned Sita in the forest( to the Ashram of Valmiki) to appease the public demand , because as the King should be above board. Rama thought the Rishi would look after Sita and her children’s after livery! I am sure that as and when I go back to Kerala I would procure a copy of the Magnum Opus! 4) R Jayakumar Mumbai Young Author... The name of the young author Yun Bapat is fascinating to read, though it is mentioned that she has a multi-ethnical family background. We are happy to know that she has become a successful author with her book Chasing L A while yet studying in the High school. It is more pleasing to know that she is the granddaughter of Shri M K Vartak Ex G M of R B I and a friend of Mr M G Warrier. I wish the multi-talented young girl more and more success in her career. R Jayakumar B Motivation* Rajan SinghFollowing CEO HabitStrong | Ex-IPS | Wharton | IITK | McKinsey | Private Equity 14m Starting in 2018, I have been writing nearly every day, for almost 1,000 days (on Linkedin, Quora, HabitStrong blog). Writing per se was not the hard part. The challenge was to keep writing DESPITE the ups and downs, and the thousand different moods one goes through. And here is what I learned: You can achieve this level of consistency with any activity only if you can do it on the worst possible day. During this period, on some days, I went through hell -- e.g., when my startup was running out of cash and we had no money to pay salaries. Yet, through all of that, I kept writing. I told myself that I don’t have to like it, I just have to do it. But, don’t you need motivation? You do need motivation to get started -- for me, it was motivating to see people reading and responding to my writing. But what sustains you is the habit you build, by doing the activity again and again, until your brain gets rewired. And one day, you can do the activity even if you feel half-dead, like a zombie. Then, nothing can stop you. You have to love doing what you do, but on really bad days, love may not not enough. You need something more. You need that zombie-like grit. That is how you do anything for 1,000 or 10,000 days. *** www.habitstrong.com *Forward received from Kiran Warrier Navi Mumbai (Kiran, this reminds me of the "My Page" days of early 1990's. "My Page" was the title I gave to my weekly letters to you when you were in Engineering College Hostel. My Page to "Collage" has been a long journey. Perhaps, one of these days I will be able to share the experience at my WarriersViews Blog at Times of India 🙏-Warrier) C Readers' Contribution Ashwini the Achiever : P P Ramachandran Mumbai My father, Shri P V Parameswaran doffed his professorial hat some time in 1932. He was Professor of History in the Bishop Heber College in Trichinopoly. Fascinated by an advertisement in the “Hindu” regarding opening of a new school in a place called "Matunga” in Bombay and fired by an enthusiasm to start a new school, he applied and was selected. He became the first Headmaster of the SIES School, Matunga. He took his first class way back on June 10,1932. He retired after 28 years in 1960. The mantle fell on his daughter Smt Mahalakshmi Sivaraman who worked in the same school for thirty years. She taught Hindi and Drawing. Her daughter---Uma Bala--a third generation teacher of the same family is now serving in SIES and presently Head of the Pre—Primary Section. Another third generation Scion is my daughter Smt Priya Gopal who served as a teacher in the Gokuldham High Shool in Goregaon and Podar High School in Santacruz. She worked as a teacher for 17 years—till she became Inspectress of schools run by the ZEE Learn organisation. The latest entrant from the PVP clan is Priya’s daughter Kum Ashwini Gopal who is a teacher in the Arya Vidya Mandir School in Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai. She is in Pre-Primary section and she has been accorded the “ The Most Creative Teacher Award for the year 2020–2021”. This is especially for creative use of technology in classroom teaching. During the Pandemic she has created a number of novel items which have kept the children glued to her. Ashwini paints very well and is an accomplished Bharata Natyam dancer. She has given several public performances. From 1932 to 2021—almost 90 years there has been a teacher at work from the PVP Clan. Kindly offer your blessings to my granddaughter Ashwini the Achiever. PPR 04/06/2021. V N Kelkar congratulates : A rare story. Heartiest blessings to Ashwini, your grand daughter in her career. Thanks to PPR Sir, for sharing the story of PVP clan in the noble profession for nearly ten decades, Ashwini being the torch bearer of progressive change in education and adoption of technology. All the best to her. VNKelkar S Nallasivan Hyderabad added : One need not be a School teacher wielding a disciplining rod to qualify as a teacher. Of course in the Headmaster's family the prodigal son did not join any school to teach. But the qualities of a Teacher is in-born with him like the "Kavacha Kundala" of Karna. Krishna was ingenious enough to rob it from Karna. I wonder anybody would succeed in divesting the traits of teacher from this "Rama" Those who are associated with the two RBI Retirees Groups during the initial days are not much bothered about the niceties of the language and go easy on spelling and many a time Grammar too. But later they are forced to check their write up doubly before releasing the send button as they realise that their mails were under microscopic scrutiny I am not sure about others, but I have received, to start with mail highlighting the mistakes that my mails contained, spelling mistakes, with the corrected word, and usage of wrong tense, and obvious goofing up in basic grammar. Of course a parental caution and counsel not to be in a hurry to release the mail. During examinations the Supervisor would advise the students to spare the last ten minutes to go through the answer sheets for obvious mistakes many a time unpardonable blunders that would cost heavily. Many a time a student who took this sane and sensible advise are found to have saved substantial marks making a lot of difference had he not spared the 10 minutes to peruse his/her mark answer sheets. Despite Shri PPR repeated advise to me to be careful and to make corrections , as the correct language mattered the most than the contents one was eager to share with his friends, I did not mend my ways. The best quality in a Teacher is he never tolerated any mistakes. He keeps himself updating, refreshing himself and never found to be wanting and more careful in not becoming irrelevant, rusted, and obsolete PPR has a Proof reader in him and the uncanny knack of knowing the mistakes before reading the text The editors of the Volumes of RBI history were afraid of him and take him into confidence before sending it to the Press They never could forget the 4 Page Annexure send to the ED/ DG listing out all kinds of mistakes in spelling, names wrongly written and of course grammar unfit in a History of the RBI Best wishes to the young talented and multifaceted budding Teacher She has a University at home and observing closely the son of the Headmaster will make her a complete and perfect Teacher, Our blessings and best wishes, S Nallasivan (Collage joins Kelkar and Nallasivan in blessing and congratulating Ashwini and wishing her all the best in life. Teachers have a special status and a unique role in keeping the society healthy. I had an uncle who owned and managed some primary schools before I was born, my sister retired as teacher in 1994 and my wife Sudha Warrier worked as a KG teacher for a couple of decades (She is also a Yoga Vidya Niketan trained YOGA Teacher now). I too started my career as a teacher, but quickly became a clerk in Provident Fund Office where I got a 30 percent rise in salary (In High School I was getting Rs100/- p m in 1963) Mentioned this just to give the basis for my perception about the respect teachers deserve and get in society 🙏-Warrier) D Kalam, the teacher https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/warriersviews/kalam-the-teacher-31965/ "Of the many books, APJ Abdul Kalam has authored, the three most significant works are “Wings of Fire” which was written by Kalam with Arun Tiwari, “India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium”, co-authored with Y S Rajan and “Ignited Minds”. Ignited Minds, perhaps is the briefest among the three and carries the gist of ‘Kalam’s teachings. In this sense, once I completed reading the book, I sent an SMS to a Kerala MLA requesting him to suggest the supply of a copy each to all legislators in the Kerala Assembly. I strongly feel that every Indian in the age group of 15 to 50 should get access to the book. Once you read the book, you will be convinced that my restricting the age group was arbitrary and unnecessary! The dedication of the book reads as under: “I dedicate this book to a child who is studying in Class 12. Her name is Snehal Thakkar. On 11 April 2002 when I reached Anand by road in the evening, it was under curfew following communal disturbances. The next day, at the Anandalaya High School, while talking to the students, a question came up: ‘Who is our enemy?’ There were many answers, but the one we all agreed was correct came from her: ‘Our enemy is poverty.’ It is the root cause of our problems and should be the object of our fight, not our own."" E Health Tips 1) Wellness Break https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/a-wellness-break-in-a-pandemic/article34724114.ece "Would I be able to calm my restless mind that felt trapped? Plagued by such thoughts, I reached Viveda where post check-in, I was at my cottage villa with my own lush garden patch. A neatly placed itinerary was waiting on my bed. I am not an early riser but, understandably, a healthy routine starts with waking up early. Would my late waking up be a deterrent to the path of wellness? Surprisingly, amidst this tranquillity, I awoke before sunrise and marked my attendance for netra shudhi or eye cleansing done with rose water and jal neti or nasal cleansing which I did with salt water. I made friends with yoga and all its avatars — hatha yoga, full body flow yoga, functional movement yoga, Iyengar yoga, ashtanga yoga and yin yoga. Monotony was barred entry. Between consulting the in-house doctor who gave me practical and doable tips on physical, mental and emotional well-being which I could follow once I got back home, I sneaked in a dash of reflexology by walking on a reflexology track created with pebbles, stones and soothing water. From being sceptical of experiencing sessions of breathing meditation, chakra balancing meditation and tratak, I began to actually enjoy them. Viveda had begun to heal my anxiety and restlessness. I began to live in the present rather than worry about the uncertain future. Inwardly chuffed and pleasantly surprised by my achievements, I celebrated by relishing the vegetarian sattvik and mostly organic cuisine of six-course meals at the in-house restaurant, Naivedhya, which served an eclectic spread of south Indian, north Indian, Mughlai, Thai, Italian and continental cuisine. Kosambari salad of yellow lentils and vegetable galouti kebabs whetted my appetite for carrot soup and Thai red lentil soup. Beetroot risotto and makai matar makhana called out to me while bhindi kurkuri and organic rice happily went into my tummy. I couldn’t pick a favourite from ragi lapsi, rose petal bajra kheer and home-made vegan ice creams." 2) Breath better If the link below opens : https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/big-story/can-you-learn-to-breathe-better-111622733002414.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mailer It's about breathing better 🙏-Warrier F Leisure 1) Poetry : Madras Courier https://madrascourier.com/art-and-poetry/vision-of-a-thousand-petals/ Vision of a thousand petals Jyotirmoyi Sil ome shadows with wild laughter were chasing me amidst denser fog, Entailed in darkness I paved way with my cigarette lighter. When the soaked collar reminded me of the intensity I saw a faint ray like a straight line. Followed it with a cat’s silence, And perceived an edgeless flower with thousand petals. The dews on the petals split the ray creating enchanted kaleidoscope. Bending the lamina of some dark latitude, Memorabilia mingled with its bloodstained dots. Bearing the stress of memory’s margin, Perspective created the difference between the light and oblivion. And a sudden gust of rain drenched my sleeve. *** 2) Very old jokes Caution : All these are very old and stale. Still, some of the jokes may make you laugh! So read in private. https://www.oldest.org/entertainment/jokes/ G Quotes about teaching/learning https://whatwillmatter.com/2017/03/best-quotes-ever-teaching-learning-education/amp/ Like : "I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. It might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit." – John Steinbeck (John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. was an American author and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception.")