Warrier's Collage on Saturday September 24, 2022

Welcome To Warrier's COLLAGE On Saturday September 24, 2022 Good Morning 🌅 Nice Day M G Warrier Vedas and Upanishads https://youtu.be/sgAg8s_7VEc (We will discuss Vedas and Upanishads in some detail next week) A Responses/Messages 1) M G Warrier Mumbai About Ganga Action Plan I The Ganga rises in the Garhwal Himalaya from the Gangotri Glacier, some 4100 meters above the sea level under the name of Bhagirathi. The river flows through the Himalayas till another two streams, the Mandakani and the Alakhnanda join it at Devprayag. It is below this confluence that the river is known as the Ganga proper. The Ganga Basin which is the largest river basin of the country houses about 40% population of India. The river after traversing a distance of 2525 kms. from its source, meets the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal. During the course of its journey from the hills to the sea, municipal sewage from large urban centres, trade effluents from industries and polluting waste from several other non-point sources are discharged into the river resulting in its pollution Objectives of Ganga Action Plan I : At the time of launching, the main objective of GAP was to improve the water quality of Ganga to acceptable standards by preventing the pollution load reaching the river. However, as decided in a meeting of the Monitoring Committee in June, 1987 under the Chairmanship of Prof. M. G. K. Menon, then Member, Planning Commission, the objective of GAP was recast as restoring the river water quality to the 'Bathing Class' standard. 2) Vathsala jayaraman The beautifil take on Ganga drags me to Ganga Gauri Conflicts : Ganga and Gowri are depicted as Lord Shiva's consorts in Puranic Mythology. This has been enumerated in Epic poems, Dance, drama, Films etc. Co-wives and the attendant rivalry, competition and fights is common knowledge. This trend gets extrapolated in the case of Ganga and Gowri too. In the show business, this gets depicted often as an unmanageable task for Lord Shiva, particularly in the narration of Dance, Drama and Films. We must bear in mind that Divine incumbents are not like mortals that are driven by sensory impulses. We should not forget that they are radiant forces that act in the spiritual world within, which can be perceived only by penance. Our perception graduates from the physical to the spiritual only when the Divinity of Ganga – Gowri is understood. Goddess Swarna Gowri is worshipped with gaiety on the auspicious third waxing day in Bhadrapada (the previous day of Ganesha Chathurthi). We are the children of the primordial Couple -Parvathi Parameshwara. Great Saints have experienced that nothing in this universe exist that is not pervaded by them. Thus prayers to Divine Mother Parvathi are auspicious. Sri Adi Shankaracharya describes her beauty as 'Champeya Gaurardha sharirakayai‘- her hue is like that of champa flowers. Her name Gowri derives from Gaura or white. When she is out to destroy – she is Kali (Black), when she is offering education she is Shyamala (deep hue), while bestowing Sowmangalya – Sowbhagya – prosperity (auspicious presence – benevolence – Prosperity), she appears as fair as a champa flower, at other times she is spotlessly clean like snow, known as Gowri; when she pervades the three worlds as a profuse shower of knowledge within – she is known as Ganga (flowing). As the Great Lord manifests Himself as Bramha – Vishnu –Maheshwara for creation, sustenance and destruction, his consort para – prakruthi, the divine mother takes upon herself various roles and responsibilities in various forms Saraswathi – Lakshmi - Parvathi to execute different activities. Even now, the tradition exists, to obtain clay from the river bed of Ganga to prepare the idol of Gowri for worship. The epics depicts both Ganga and Gowri as daughters of King Himavaan. Ganges originates in Himalayas. According to the context of epics, Ganga is also known to spring up from - Lord Vishnu’s feet, emerge from the sacred pitcher of Brahma, daughter of Maharshi Jahnu, as Bhagirathi, the daughter of King Bhagiratha. From a spiritual or taattvic view, Ganga, is the flow of brahma vidya personified. The origin or seat of brahma vidya is the abode of the Lord. From there she descends for the wellbeing of all. Himavaan, the personification of clusters of lofty sacred mountains and the hermitage of saints is the supreme lord’s representative. When she emerges from Maharshi Jahnu's right ear–where Jnanis hear the sound of Pranava, she may rightly be called the daughter of a Maharshi. Ganga came down to earth from the crest of the lofty mountains due to the spiritual exertions of Yogi Bhagiratha – again an allegory to the yogic experience of Brahmanubhava at the crown permeating the entire body. All these point to the fact that Ganga is the personification of the Supreme Knowledge flowing within a Jnani. Adi Shankaracharya proclaimed“tribhuvana janani vyapinee jnanaganga” –Divine Mother who as Jnana ganga engulfs three worlds. Likewise, Gowri has been proclaimed as‘Brahma vidya swaroopini’ -embodiment of sacred knowledge. Both Ganga and Gowri as consorts of Lord Shiva are involved in propagation of the supreme knowledge embodied by Shiva Thus Ganga and Gowri are two embodiments of para–prakruthi. The core essence of both is Knowledge. Thus, the shastras recognize them as siblings as well. It is childish and travesty of truth to perceive Ganga and Gowri as squabbling co-wives. When the brahma Jnana flows downwards, it is Ganga and while engaged in sustenance and propagation of Nature, as per the wish of the Lord, she is Gowri. Vathsala Jayaraman 3) V T Panchapagesan Conclusion : Gangecha yamune chaiva, Godavari, Saraswathi, Narmade, Sindhu, Kaveri jalesmin sannidim kuru. Let us pray while taking bath daily making them clean without littering with any toxic or non-bio-degradable stuff. Let us remember there are million other species that depend on them. Let all rivers be connected making them into ONE which will motivate us, as we are drinking common water creating an awareness that we are all INDIANS LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY WITH DIVERSITY IN UNITY.🌹🌹🌹 V T Panchapagesan 4) V Babusenan Thiruvananthapuram As the poet moaned, all good things will come to an end. So did the discussion on the river Ganga, mooted by the Editor of The Collage. I may be permitted to add a few words. The great Malayalam poet Vallatthol introduced Gandhiji to Keralites in a short poem captioned 'Ente Gurunaadhan'(My Master) It summarised all the qualities of the saintly leader in a way that no other poet could excel. I am quoting a couple of lines from it : Gangayaarozhukunna naattile Sarikkithra mangalamkaaykkum Kalpapaadapam undaayvaroo (Such a Kalpavriksha bearing fruits of virtue, like Gandhiji will grow only in a land through which the Ganga flows.) That was enough for the Malayalee to understand Gandhiji's greatness. B Babusenan's Column : A comparison There are countries like that also : I may be wrong, but I believe that, like a person or like an institution, a nation's Constitution also has good days and bad days. By and large, it depends on the type of persons holding lofty positions by virtue of it. If they are conceited and imagine themselves to be too important, the Constitution that they are expected to uphold, is likely to suffer. A political party, taking out a procession, feels pride in the quantum of disruption it could cause to vehicular traffic. The same perverted psychology seems to apply to titular heads of governments also. Years ago, while such disturbances were at their peak in Delhi, one reputed person( unfortunately ,I cannot recall his name) wrote a pretty long letter in a national daily-'The Hindu,' I think, on the topic. He said that he visited some place in Switzerland as member of a cultural delegation.They were put up in a modest, but quite comfortable, hotel. He was particularly happy to get a room that commanded a magnificent sight. Incidentally, he said so to the hotel manager. Their programme took them temporarily to other places. When they returned to the hotel,a few days later, the manager came to him and said apologetically that the room vacated by him was occupied by the country's President, that it was the President's favorite room for the same reason and that ,if he had no objection, the President would continue there for a day more. What objection could he have! On the next morning, the writer noticed a tall gentleman at the adjacent breakfast table quietly finishing his breakfast and leaving the hotel in a car. He noticed from the name plate that it was the President's car. A few minutes later, the hotel manager came to him and said: "Sir, the President has just left. He wanted me to thank you. May I now arrange to shift your room? " There are countries like this too! C Comparisons : M G Warrier We have an irresistible temptation to compare. When a child is born, the features are compared with the most handsome or most beautiful child we have ever seen. The child is made to believe that s/he is the most beautiful/handsome child in the street and therefore, in the world! Fast forward, I believe India is the best nation with the most valuable heritage in the world. When anyone tries to convince me that there are better places in the world, I keep searching for something negative for such places. When Babusenan said something good about Switzerland, my immediate response was, we cannot compare India with Switzerland and Singapore? Who compared, but? If someone makes an observation that " There are countries like that also", how it becomes a comparison? And, if you compare : Switzerland Population : 84 lakhs Area : 41,000 square km Per Capita Income. : 82,000 Dollars Literacy. : 99 percent Date of Independence : August 1291 Compare this with the 4 North Malabar Districts (Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur & Kasaragod) : Population. : 84 lakhs Area. : 9,400 sq km Per Capita Income : 3,200 Dollars Literacy. : 99 percent Date of Independence : August 1947 I leave the rest of the comparison to readers imagination Clue : The small geographical area in India mentioned above with a population equalling Switzerland doesn't have the administrative machinery or services comparable to Switzerland. And a disclaimer : I have not visited Switzerland. My grandson did stay there for sometime as part of a student exchange program. A girl student from Switzerland later came and stayed with us for 2 weeks. I had occasion to know a bank official from Switzerland who came for a study when I was in RPCD, RBI. At that time retirement age there was much higher than that in India* and officials were allowed to retire and, if they were physically fit, to continue in the same job on annually renewable contract on the last drawn remuneration. He was not worried about pension! *Know More : https://www.ch.ch/en/retirement/preparing-for-retirement/ Retirement age in Kerala : 56 Retirement age in Switzerland : 65 with option to continue thereafter D Collage Poem for the Day : Franklin Misquith Verse for the day : SOS Call Call for help When we see someone fall, Whether he short or tall, And may be frail and small, We must treat it as His call, Our friend may be lying, Helpless in a distant mall, Let us not delay or stall, For, he may have had a bad sprawl, Or, entered foolishly into someone, with a bad squall, But let us not stop to think, Or a minute, hesitate or stall, Or waste time or delay, By leaning foolishly against a wall, For our efforts may go in vain, And we may have to give it all(up). E Current Affairs Media Response : M G Warrier September 23, 2022 Post-retirement welfare* This refers to the report "EPFO plans rejig, calls for experts" (The Hindu Business Line, September 23). This is a welcome move, perhaps overdue. Beyond upgrading skills and accepting new technologies for improving service, EPFO, PFRDA, ESI and other organisations responsible for managing post-retirement welfare funds and services need to have a grip of the welfare needs of the workforce in the changing economic and social environment. Perhaps, Centre can think in terms of setting up a permanent umbrella advisory body with statutory backing to provide expert advice and guidance to employers in government, public sector and private sector on the administration of pension and retirement funds. The recognition that post-job welfare costs should form a component of living wage will itself go a long way in motivating employers to have a positive approach to employees' welfare. M G Warrier Mumbai *Published today : https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article65928081.ece F Faith Dr Charan Singh [9/21, 9:39 AM] CharanIIMB: https://twitter.com/CharanSingh60/status/1572311945675669504?s=20&t=awnBT7FdCInT38wofvhOoA Unity in Diversity - 381 मै अंधुले हरि टेक टिकाई I, a blind person, has taken support of Hari, God. Guru Ramdass, Gauri Guareri, 164, SGGS [9/22, 8:36 AM] CharanIIMB: https://twitter.com/CharanSingh60/status/1572663730953138176?s=20&t=sccOfdxM-ATPHRyZtYiy5w Unity in Diversity - 382 इको भाई मितु इकु इको मात पिता इकस की मनि टेक है जिनि जीउ पिंडु दिता सो प्रभु मनहु न विसरै जिनि सभु किछु वसि कीता 1 brother, friend, mother, father 1 is support of mind, who gave life, body That God shud'nt be forgotten, who controls all Guru Arjan, 45 [9/23, 9:29 AM] CharanIIMB: https://twitter.com/CharanSingh60/status/1573040692837814272?s=20&t=1knFbluBdjclUU6BxEmlaA Unity in Diversity - 383 मानस जनम अकारथ खोवत लाज न लोक हसन की नानक हरि जसु किउ नही गावत कुमति बिनासै तन की Lost human birth without any reason, not ashamed of people laughing (of pursuing greed) Why not sing praises of God to banish body's evil tendencies Guru Tegh Bahadur, 411 G Quotes on Rivers https://routinelynomadic.com/river-quotes/ Watching a river, whether it’s rushing or just gurgling along, is a great example of nature’s ability to relax you and we love how rivers add interest to any landscape. Here we have gathered some of the best river quotes to inspire you or use for photo captions. Since the list is long we divided them up into groups to make it easier for you to find the river saying that works best for you. The categories include beautiful river quotes, life is like a river quotes, a river runs through it quotes, river rafting quotes, time is like a river quotes, flowing river quotes, rivers and life quotes, love is like a river quotes, funny river quotes, short river quotes for Instagram, quotations on rivers and inspirational river quotes.