Warrier's Collage October 23, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE On Saturday October 23, 2021 Imagine* by John Lennon https://youtu.be/VOgFZfRVaw *See D for lyrics (Link Selection : M G Warrier) Guruvayoorappan https://youtu.be/07m324pmuZk (Link Courtesy : P P Ramachandran & Rajan) Good Morning Yes. Collage has started wandering, not aimlessly yet though. Looks, we are trying to say too much, in too little time. Let's enjoy the fun. A note on pandemic situation received by Dr T V Surendran Mananthavady is included at H1. Found the guidance reasonably balanced. Nice Day M G Warrier AA Select Response to Collage of October 22, 2021 : 1) Kasthurirangan Narayanan A very excellent Bhajan by Sooryagayathri ln Yaman Kalyan. It is an inspiring music that touches the heart. 2) V N Kelkar Readers Contribution (October 22, 2021) D TIME - KAALA (Sanskrit) To speak time of the day we often use vulgar fractions 1/4, 1/2 , 3/4 quarter, half, three quarters. 'I get up at quarter to six' - अहं पादोनषड्वादने उत्तिष्ठामी l See पादोनषड्वादने = पाद - ऊन - षट् - वादने Note : पाद - (guarter), ऊन - ( less than), षट् - six We have lunch-break at 12.30 सार्धद्वादशवादने नो भोजनावकाशः भवति l सार्धदशवादने - स- अर्ध- द्वादशवादने; स (with) अर्ध (half) द्वादश (twelve) : i.e. half past twelve. (Continued at H3) A Current Affairs Media response The Editor The Hindu Letters October 22, 2021 Team India's immediate task This refers to Prime Minister Modi's article "Responding to adversity with achievement" and the debate "Will privatisation take off after the Air India sale?" in which Vikas Dhoot interacted with Ashok Chawla and Arvind Mehta (October 22). Though Prime Minister Modi has been focusing on team work and self-reliance in all possible areas since his speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, 2014, the message is yet to percolate to the grassroots level. Restoring trust in governance and instilling democratic principles in public and private sector organisations continue to be an uphill task. Ownership of undertakings and their management by government or private sector organisations should be secondary to their overall functioning in public interest. The return of Air India to the fold of Tatas should be seen from this perspective. As we have seen in the case of banking sector, government has all the power to change ownership, if necessary, in public interest. But to ensure all activities conform to the dictates of public good, public trust and participation at all levels will is necessary. Time is running out for taking a realistic view of management of nation's resources, irrespective of ownership. The tempo created in fighting for common causes during the pandemic should be sustained. India has the resources to bring down poverty level to near zero, to ensure Universal Healthcare and provide universal basic minimum wage for all workers. What we have been lacking was the political will and public trust in governance. The present signals are encouraging. M G Warrier Mumbai Letters, The Hindu Business Line, October 23, 2021 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor/article37129343.ece PM's address to the nation This refers to Prime Minister Modi's address to the nation on October 22. Though the Prime Minister has been focusing on team work and self-reliance in all possible areas since his speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, 2014, the message is yet to percolate to the grassroots. Restoring trust in governance and instilling democratic principles in public and private sector organisations continue to be an uphill task. Ownership of undertakings and their management by government or private sector organisations should be secondary to their overall effective and professional functioning in public interest. The return of Air India to the fold of Tatas should be seen from this perspective. As we have seen in the case of banking sector, government has all the power to change ownership, if necessary, in public interest. But to ensure all activities conform to the dictates of public good, public trust and participation at all levels, political will is necessary. India has the resources to bring down poverty, ensure Universal Healthcare and provide universal basic minimum wage for all workers. What we have been lacking was the political will and public trust in governance. But the present signals are encouraging. India should not lag behind for want of the will to play the given role at this historic moment. MG Warrier Mumbai B Poetry : Walt Whitman* "Walt Whitman | Poetry Foundation" https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/walt-whitman "Are you the new person drawn toward me?" BY WALT WHITMAN Are you the new person drawn toward me? To begin with, take warning, I am surely far different from what you suppose; Do you suppose you will find in me your ideal? Do you think it so easy to have me become your lover? Do you think the friendship of me would be unalloy'd satisfaction? Do you think I am trusty and faithful? Do you see no further than this façade, this smooth and tolerant manner of me? Do you suppose yourself advancing on real ground toward a real heroic man? Have you no thought, O dreamer, that it may be all maya, illusion? *E X Joseph introduced this poet to me in our monthly magazine "Labour World" during 1960's. Himself a poet, Joseph introduced me to other poets and poems like : "Ring out the old...Ring in the new..." (Lord Tennyson) also, which motivated me to cling on to active life till date... See H (2)🙏-Warrier C Collage Profile : John Lennon Books about John Lennon "Imagine: 12 Great Books About John Lennon | HuffPost" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/imagine-12-great-books-ab_b_8665582/amp Excerpts : "Imagine: 12 Great Books About John Lennon Because his early life and half of his artistic career was so interwoven with the Beatles*, I've included several biographies of the Beatles as well, which show the evolution of the group and the interactions of the members, especially the genius writing team of Lennon and Paul McCartney. By Dennis R. Miller, Contributor Writer & author Almost Forty-one years ago, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was murdered outside his Dakota apartment by Mark David Chapman. Lennon, a brilliant artist and complex man, was witty, ornery, and haunted, exploring his life through his art. Lennon remains an influential part of our culture. His song "Imagine" has become a timeless plea for peace. (*The Beatles were formed around the nucleus of members John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who first performed together in Liverpool, England, in 1957. They performed with a changing cast of accompanists and under a changing list of band names before settling on their final members and name.) D Music & Life "John Lennon - Imagine Lyrics | AZLyrics.com" https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnlennon/imagine.html "Imagine" (from "Imagine: John Lennon" soundtrack) Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today... Aha-ah... Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion, too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one E Collage message "A Message to All Millennials: Not Another Article About Millennials" https://learnkit.com/2016/04/28/message-to-millennials/ Excerpts : Actively Seek Work that is Meaningful To You I can’t stress this point enough for those looking for work or are unsatisfied with their workplace. As a Millennial you may agree with this statement or have read it in an article aiming to profile us: we're value driven. Big paychecks rarely motivate us (thought I'd be lying if I said they weren't attractive), and if they do motivate us to accept a job offer it's not long before we're searching for something with greater worldly purpose. Do not expect a workplace to constantly assure you that your work is meaningful. If the work lacks lustre it's likely because it doesn't align with your passions or values. And that's on you for following the wrong motivators. I found Learnkit by following my passion to increase accessibility through education, and coincidentally, their mission happens to be to change the world through education (along with taking over the world). Set Ultimate Goals Here's where goal setting becomes crucial. Find a company that not only aligns with your passions but can contribute to helping you achieve an ultimate goal. It's often observed about us Millennials that we shift jobs on average of every 2 years. From my observations of my motivated colleagues, they do this not in search of a higher paycheck but to gain the variety of skills needed to achieve that ultimate goal. This is far different from previous generations who would stay in a single position for 20 years. Many millennials have set ultimate goals that they would like to achieve rather than having a specific high-level position in mind. Reaching this goal often requires holding many different positions, which results in constant shifts in place of employment; they take what they need from one place and move on to the next in hopes of filling all the proficiencies they need to achieve that ultimate goal. This isn't a bad thing, in fact, it's a way of continuing life-long learning. F Leisure "Funny Poems That Will Perk Up Your Day | Reader's Digest" https://www.rd.com/list/funny-poems/ Excerpts : My Shadow Robert Louis Stevenson I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed. The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow— Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all. G Quotes about millennials* "5 Really Wise Quotes to Inspire Millennials to Success | Inc.com" https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/5-really-wise-quotes-to-inspire-millennials-to-success.html Contrary to popular belief, millennials aren't all that different from anyone else. Yet, some pieces of advice we used to heavily value unfortunately no longer apply to this rising generation. Read on for 5 wise quotes of wisdom made new again to inspire millennials to achieve truly great success. Like : "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.” – John Lennon. (John Winston Ono Lennon was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as the founder, co-song-writer, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles.) *Millennials : Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of a new generation. H 1) A guidance on pandemic situation received from Dr T V Surendran Mananthavady : Top 8 Emerging Questions on COVID19: Q 1 Do we still need to fear about having future waves of COVID in India? A 1 Pandemic phase is over for India; actual true seropositivity expected is around 95% against COVID in our population (which is much more than required). We have already passed through delta variants, for which the western world is still feared. We was able to get rid of the pandemic phase without much help from vaccination (at the cost of lives we lost), but vaccination could play a crucial role in preventing any future waves if they occur. At least till the last quarter of 2022, no such fear should be there; after that, we need to watch how things move further. What is required now is to remain vigilant, i.e., keeping surveillance of variants on esp if any varient is found to have significant vaccine immunity evading potential; and continue vaccinating those who are still unvaccinated (especially children). Q 2 Do you think that vaccination of children at this stage is required? A 2 Yes, children must be vaccinated. Although children have milder disease, there is data to say that children could act as reservoirs of infection if they remain unprotected, giving rise to variants in the future. To keep the disease under control during the endemic phase, vaccination should be offered to them. Once authorities clear, we should begin with the 12-18 years age group and collect safety data. If safer, focus on 6-12 years, and then below 6 years. Schools could be used for the vaccination of these kids as was done in the MR campaign. Gradually, the COVID vaccine becomes another vaccine for children as part of routine immunization (UIP). Q 3 Will there be a need for annual vaccination for COVID, like influenza? A 3 Unlikely. Maximum we might need 1-2 additional doses for long protection (first after 6-12 months of completing schedule), specially for immunocompromised. COVID incubation period is longer than influenza so for prevention it doesn't require to have high antibody titers in blood; immune memory is good enough to take care of repeated infections. Q 4 Do we need to fear when festival season is reaching India when there will be overcrowding? A 4 Probably not, since most people are already immune. Some of them might develop a breakthrough infection, but that will be mild like the common cold (>95% are infections in the already immune community, such re-infections should not cause any worry). Open everything, but continue using masks is the advice for now. Q 5 Should schools continue to remain closed, or is opening of schools the right decision? A 5 Closing schools was the right decision during the pandemic. But now, we have entered into an endemic phase; no school should be closed now. Let children attend schools regularly (except when they have cough/cold/fever). Promote using masks for children above 5 years, at least till they get vaccinated. Schools should not be closed, even if there is some increase in the number of cases, as most of them will be mild. Vaccination of kids should not be a prerequisite for opening schools. Q 6 Do you think testing every patient before admission is needed now, or simply a waste of resources. A 6 Screening for COVID before admission is being practiced in many hospitals including PGI. I believe that should continue at least for 6 more months, and then it could be done as we do for influenza or RSV, whenever required. Q 7 Is eradication of COVID possible? A 7 Yes, this is the best time for that, as no animal reservoirs have known till now. Once it starts infecting animals, it will be an impossible task. There is also a paper regarding developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine that sounds very interesting. Q 8 How long do we need to use masks? A 8 Actually, using a mask in a hospital is a very good practice, it protects from so many other illnesses. I wish, it never gets discontinued in hospitals. But, for the public, at least for 6 more months, keep wearing, then gradually it will go. Masks should not cover beautiful faces in public, this has to go finally. (These FAQ's are made based on a recent talk by Prof T Jacob John; Compiled by Prof Sanjay Verma, PGI, Chandigarh) 2) "Ring Out , Wild Bells" by Alfred Lord Tennyson Ring Out, Wild Bells Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light; The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind, For those that here we see no more, Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be. 3) Continued from AA2 Children return home at about 6.15 प्रायः सपादषड्वादने बालका: गृहं प्रत्यागच्छन्ति । Sanskrit terms for 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 quarter, half, three quarters are पाद, अर्ध, त्रिपाद. When added to an integer, the integer becomes सपाद, सार्ध, सत्रिपाद. An integer with three quarters added to it is quarter less than the next integer. 'quarter less than' is पादोन. अष्टाध्यायी the most respected book of Sanskrit grammar has अष्ट (eight) अध्याया: chapters. Each अध्यायः has चत्वार: पादा: quarters. Hence अष्टाध्याय्यां in अष्टाध्यायी there are कुलतः totally द्वात्रिंशत् 32 पादा: quarters. तत्रापि there also द्वौ two भागौ parts मन्येते are regarded प्रथमः first one सपादसप्ताध्यायी of seven and quarter chapters द्वितीयः second one त्रिपादाध्यायी of three quarters. This becomes a good example of the fraction 1/4 quarter a पादः Basically a पादः means a quarter. In the context of time of the day it means quarter of an hour. For a finer count of time, Indian or Sanskrit system of units of time has been much different than the Western. Even the integers in the above examples refer to the time in hours, though, in Indian or Sanskrit system one wonders whether there is an exact equivalent of one hour. So all mentions of times in the above examples are by implication and not by definition. In the above examples Western system is implied or adapted. That is perfectly okay, because one should be flexible and adapt to changing times. This is granted in Sanskrit by the tenet रूढि: convention बलीयसी is stronger शास्त्रात than theory. The units - second, minute, hour have become the convention रूढि: now. But when speaking of conventions, there have been age-old traditions of looking for the auspicious time for undertaking important events. Those auspicious times involve predictions, read from the almanacs and horoscopes. One commonplace example is 'विवाहमुहूर्तवेला precise time for wedding ceremony, rather for the wedding ritual. Precision would need micro units. For time as a quantity to be measured, the smallest unit is possibly निमिष which is defined as time taken by a wink of the eye. But since wink includes both closing and opening of the eyelid, there are also mentions of निमिषार्ध i.e. half of निमिष. Units larger than निमिष are as specified in the श्लोक: below. निमेषा दश चाष्टौ च काष्ठा त्रिशत्तु ता: कला: । त्रिंशत्कला मुहूर्तः स्यादोहरात्रंस्तु तावतः ।। मनुस्मृति 1-64 ।। 18 निमेषा = 1 काष्ठा; 30 काष्ठा = 1 कला; 30 कला = 1 मुहूर्त; 30 मुहूर्त = 1 अहोरात्र i.e. 1 day of 24 hours; has 1440 minutes i.e. 86400 seconds has 30 मुहूर्त-s i.e. 900 कला: i.e. 27000 काष्ठा i. e. 486000 निमेषा, which are 86400 seconds. So 1 second = 5.625 निमेषा or 1 निमेष = 0.177777 second. One wonders the antiquity of मनुस्मृति: and of the definition 30 मुहूर्त-s = 1 अहोरात्र, especially in the light of Lokmanya Tilak's "Arctic Home in the Vedas" Of course मनुस्मृति: is a स्मृति: , not a श्रुति: As is contended श्रुति-s are far prior to स्मृति-s i. e. स्मृति-s are subsequent to श्रुति-s. There are differences in the Sanskrit grammar in श्रुति-s. Sanskrit grammar is more confirming to the grammar of classical Sanskrit, which is studied and practised even today. Units smaller than निमेष are also mentioned in लीलावती as तत्परा = 1/30 of निमिष and त्रुटि = 1/100 of तत्परा. So 1 त्रुटि = 0.0000592592 of a second. One wonders what made such a microsecond unit of time to be needed to be defined. There is also a definition of त्रुटि भागवते I 3 l 11 l 5 l "अणुर्दवौ परमाणू स्यात् त्रसरेणुस्त्रयः स्मृतः। जलार्करश्म्यवगतः खमेवानुपतन्नगात् । त्रसरेणुस्त्रिकं भुङ्कते यः कालः सा त्रुटि:स्मृता ।। Two परमाणू- s make one अणु, three अणु- s make one त्रसरेणु, which is what particle one sees floating in a beam of light. Three त्रसरेणु-s make one त्रुटि. This definition of त्रुटि (18 परमाणू-s ) seems to be more related to the size quantity than time quantity. Or may be, at that micro level the concept of quantities - size, time, becomes unified . In the above narration, there is 30 मुहूर्त = 1 अहोरात्र. Note , this word अहोरात्र has in it होरा. Pronunciation of होरा is so close to that of 'hour' and it seems to be also closely related to ' horoscope '. In fact in शब्दकल्पद्रुम: about होरा, I get वह्निपुराणे गणभेदाध्याये --- चतुर्विंशतिवेलाभिरहोरात्रं प्रचक्षते । पश्चिमादअर्धरात्रादिहोराणां विद्युत क्रमशः ।। From the mention चतुर्विंशतिवेलाभिः अहोरात्रं i. e. 1 day is of 24 वेला-s i. e. of 24 units of time or 24 होरा-s, i. e. 24 hours. If so, 1 hour = 1 वेला or 1 होरा. I think in the second line it should be read दिर्होरा in place of दिहोरा. Then second line would be deciphered as पश्चिमादअर्धरात्रादि: होराणां विद्यते क्रमः i. e. होराणां क्रमः count of hours विद्यते is अर्धरात्रादिः beginning of half of night पश्चिमात् from (sun in the) west i. e. from sunset, By this होराणां क्रमः count of होरा -s hours begins at midnight. Actually the o'clock system of count of time is translated in Sanskrit by using the word वादने e.g. at 5 o'clock = at stroke of 5 = पञचवादने. In olden times the pendulum clocks used to make sounds at the end of every hour. That concept of sound or stroke is adapted in the word वादने. Or in schools, there used to be a bell -boy, who would sound the bell at the end of every period. प्रहरः approximately 3 hours is yet another part of a day. Obviously there are 8 प्रहरा -s in 24 hours. When exploring some basic details of horoscope, I got some interesting information. Inputs required are date, time and place of birth. One can get a horoscope even of India, by putting in the date as August 15, 1947 time 00.00 hrs. place Delhi. Every place has a numerical data of its latitude and longitude. Softwares for building horoscope use that numerical data. In India for rituals यजमान: invite पुरोहित- s to conduct the same. At the beginning of the ritual the पुरोहित says संकल्पः of the ritual. The संकल्प is elaborate contains details of time such as कल्पः, युग:, मन्वन्तरम्, शकः, संवत्सर:, अयनम्, ॠतु:, मासः, पक्षः, तिथिः, वासरः, करणम, सूरयोदयात् व्यतीत समय in घटिकाः and पलानि. Most of the details are available in almanac and the Purohit has to come ready with the same. (From SLABHYANKAR'S NOTES) VNKelkar