Warrier's COLLAGE September 4, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE On Saturday September 4, 2021 Ganeshaashtakam https://youtu.be/yrTMq_Lo1BI (Recitation by S P Balasubramaniam) Good Morning Nice Day M G Warrier Vighneshwara Stuti https://youtu.be/Xq2XDX5hi5I (Gajananam...) A Messages 1) M G Warrier Many readers have appreciated Part I of Vathsala Jayaraman's chat with Ganesha yesterday and some of them wanted subsequent Parts to be included in Collage earlier than scheduled. Part II is included at D/H today 2) V Babusenan Thiruvananthapuram These days newspapers seldom give us an occasion to laugh or smile. Fortunately today's(3rd Sep) TOI carries, on its front page, a statement by a High Court judge to the effect that cow is the only animal in the world that inhales and exhales oxygen and that scientists 'believe' thus. For ordinary mortals like us, it is difficult to swallow this statement, coming as it does from an exalted position, for, it is an easily verifiable thing for scientists and there is no question of belief or disbelief! Our Constitution wants all of us to cultivate and propagate 'scientific temper'.There is an idiom in Malayalam : 'Velithanne vilavu thinnuka' (the hedge itself eating the crop) If this is not an instance of it, what else is? B Current Affairs 1) RBI's Mind https://m.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_SpeechesView.aspx?Id=1122 "Government securities are a distinct asset class. It is important to appreciate the role the G-sec market plays in the overall macro interest rate environment of the economy. Over the years, the market for G-secs and the associated market infrastructure have reached a stage where it could be considered as one among the best in the world. These developments have taken place in tandem with efforts to develop and liberalise other key financial markets such as the markets for interest rate derivatives and foreign exchange markets, together with efforts to build linkages across different markets and market infrastructure. We have come a long way in developing the financial markets in the country, but this is a continuous journey and together we can make it even more robust and vibrant" 2) Rise in India's Forex Reserves https://www.ndtv.com/business/forex-reserves-news-foreign-exchange-reserves-rise-16-663-billion-to-touch-record-high-of-633-5-billion-2529057 Forex Reserves Rise $16.6 Billion To Touch Record High Of $633.5 Billion On Wednesday, RBI had said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) made an allocation of SDR 12.57 billion (equivalent to around $17.86 billion at the latest exchange rate) to India on August 23, 2021. C Collage in Classroom Shakespeare's relevance today https://www.thestar.com/amp/opinion/contributors/2019/01/06/making-shakespeare-relevant-in-the-21st-century.html Is Shakespeare relevant today? And if so, how? It is these questions upon which I predicated the mission of Shakespeare in Action, a theatre education company that has brought the works of Shakespeare alive for hundreds of thousands of youth across Ontario since 1988. As long as human beings survive, Shakespeare’s relevance is timeless because he has a better understanding of the human psyche than any other writer. He wrestles with the most complex themes imaginable: murder, love, ambition, betrayal, revenge, and hatred. He constantly challenges our prejudices, beliefs, and assumptions. D Readers' Contribution 1) Vathsala Meets Ganesha : Vathsala Jayaraman Part II Very next day. The door bell rang. It was Ganesha. My joy knew no bounds. Today I decided to enter into another conversation with the Lord Ganesha to ask Him the rationale for certain human behavior, the Lord's own aVppearance and the significance of what human beings offer to the Lord. The following is my conversation with Lord Ganesha on the second day : (Continued at H1) E Books on Ganesha https://www.learnreligions.com/top-books-on-lord-ganesha-1770446 Ganesha is one of the most popular and loved of the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Everything auspicious starts with invoking his name. Here's a selection of wonderful books that will delight readers and storytellers of all ages and would brighten your collection of books on Hindu mythology and Indian culture. All of them are well illustrated, entertaining, and promise interesting reading. F Leisure 1) World is safe* in Indian Home-Grown Leadership spread across geographies VERY INTERESTING "Who's running the World?" ... Trump, Putin and Xi were arguing on ... "Who's in charge of the world?"... "US, Russia or China?" Without arriving at any conclusion, they turned to Modi and asked him... "Who's in charge of the world ?" Modi replied... ... “All I know is”:- .... 1. "Google" CEO is an... "Indian". 2. "Microsoft" CEO is an... "Indian". 3. "Citigroup" CEO was an... "Indian". 4. "SoftBank Vision Fund" CEO is an... "Indian". 5. "Adobe" CEO is an... "Indian". 6. "NetApp" CEO is an... "Indian". 7. "PepsiCo" CEO was an... "Indian". 8. "Nokia" CEO is an... "Indian". 9. "MasterCard" CEO is an... "Indian". 10. "DBS" CEO is an... "Indian". 11. "Cognizant" CEO was an... "Indian". 12. "Novartis" CEO is an... "Indian". 13. "Conduent" CEO was an... "Indian". 14. "Diageo" CEO is an... "Indian". 15. "SanDisk" CEO was an... "Indian". 16. "Motorola" CEO was an... "Indian". 17. "Harman" CEO is an... "Indian". 18. "Micron" CEO is an... "Indian". 19. "Palo Alto Networks" CEO is an... "Indian". 20. "Reckitt Benckiser" CEO is an... "Indian". 21. Now "IBM CEO" is also an... "Indian" origin guy. 22. "Britain's Chancellor" is an... "Indian". 23. "Britain's Home Secretary" is an... "Indian". 24. "Ireland's Prime minister" is an "Indian". 25. The "WHO chairman Dr . Harshvardhan" is also an... "Indian". NOW, KAMALA DEVI HARRIS, The VP Of USA is a ...... So.... "Who's running the World?"......Very interestingly... "an Indian" *Received from T J Kurup Thiruvananthapuram who is also, incidentally, an Indian 🙏-Warrier 2) Shakespearean Humour https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/characters/shakespeares-funniest-charcters/ Elizabethan and Jacobean audiences expected certain things when they went to the theatre. They wanted violence, they wanted a love story somewhere in the play, and above all they wanted to be entertained with humour. There was a lot more to laugh at in a Shakespeare play than we realise today, because the English language has changed quite a bit and many of the jokes and puns are lost to the modern audience. The pronunciation of English is much more diverse around the world than it was in Elizabethan London and many of Shakespeare's puns don't make much sense to us because some words that used to rhyme don't anymore. G Thoughts about Ganesha https://m.timesofindia.com/life-style/events/ganesh-chaturthi-2020-quotes-wishes-and-messages-which-you-can-send-to-your-family-and-friends-on-vinayaka-chaturthi/amp_articleshow/77677233.cms Like : "Wishing you happiness as big as Lord Ganesha's appetite, life as long as his trunk and moments as sweet as his laddus that fill your life with happiness. Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi!" H 1) Continued from D1 Me : You are in every nook and corner of the streets (if human beings don’t understand your omnipresent nature) and can you explain to me the rationale behind some deciding to take you on a procession to immerse you in the sea? Lord : I am trying to understand the rationale myself. I don’t expect them to worship me leave alone taking me on a procession in the city to immerse in the sea or river. When people talk about thinking of me first before starting anything is nothing more than having self-confidence to perform the action. My devotees pour so much water, milk, etc. on me and decorate me so nicely throughout my birthday only to throw me out at the end of the celebration. Will they throw their self-confidence out? Me : What is the significance of offering Modak to worship you? Lord : (Laughs) You know what, it is to let everyone know that their inner core of each of you is nothing but Anandha Kosha and all of you need not look for happiness from outside. It is residing right inside of each one of you. Whether one has black or white or brown skin, the inner core is always sweet. Me : Can you explain to me the significance of holding a rope, angusha, modak and a pen-like broken tusk in your four hands? Also, what is the significance of a snake around your waist? Lord : You must be well-trained to ask so many questions every time you get my audience. Last time you asked the reason for my elephant face and now this. Hmmm…… The rope in my hand signifies that there is no human being who is not tied by the desires and attachments. I was trying to convey that they could pursue only until the life is taken away by Yama using his rope. Ankusha as you know is the instrument one uses to control the elephant. Similarly, those who control their mind and senses (two mighty elephants) would conquer their lives. I have already explained the rationale for modak. The broken tusk is to explain to the people that I have written so many scriptures to make the life easier for all human beings. Lastly the snake around my waist is to let everyone know that no matter how rich or poor a person is, he or she needs to satisfy the hunger that arises from the digestive system existing like a snake inside. Me : Thank you for taking the time to give me an opportunity to ask you questions. This one is a little difficult question as no interview is over without a tough question. Can you explain to me the rationale for your snatching away the mango fruit from your younger brother without physically going around the globe? Isn’t it cheating? Lord : (Laughs aloud) You really made my day. As expected, you have not understood the lessons out of that incident. Every Atma requires a vehicle of body to perform actions in the world. That body is gifted to each one of you because of the parents. The world appears real only after the Atma gets a body. In order to let the human-beings know that the world that every one of you see is a gift of the parents. It is a drama played by the first family with the consent of all. There is no real dispute. Me : One last question, Lord. Can you explain to me the significance of breaking coconuts as an offering in front of you? Lord : The hard shell in the coconut reflects the outer shells of the human beings called Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manamaya and Vijnanamaya Koshas. The white kernel inside the coconut reflects the purest form of every human being called Anandamaya Kosha also known as Atma. The coconut water inside is the universal love that the human being has for the fellow beings. It is a symbolic representation to advise the human beings that they should really offer their hard shell and white kernel to perform the mission of the Lord and demonstrate the purest form of love for the fellow beings. I hope this concludes our conversation. Me : I learned so much today but as usual, my appetite to learn more is eternal, Lord. Lord : You are welcome, sister,( What! Ganesha addressing me as sister!) Until we see again, behave yourself. I allow you this one time to torture others with what you learned out of me. Unless it is well received, you should not bother them again with another snippet about my conversation with you. Vathsala Jayaraman 2) Bonus Read* Daily Motivator - Being rich Being rich is not about how much money you get. It's about how much meaning you give. You don't need a lot of stuff to be rich. In fact, the less you need, the richer you are. Be genuinely joyful, and you are as rich as anyone can ever be. See the real beauty in even the smallest things, and every day, every situation becomes an unending source of richness. Being rich is being able to lovingly give of yourself. And that depends not on the size of your bank account, but on your simple choice to do so. When it comes to being rich, what's on the inside is vastly more important than what's on the outside. Being rich is feeling rich, and you can do that in any circumstance. Being rich is fully appreciating and expressing the immense value your life has in every moment. Being rich is how you can be right now, and always. "Received from Vathsala Jayaraman (I agree. Feeling rich depends on your attitude -Warrier)