Warrier's Collage May 2023
Welcome To
Warrier's COLLAGE
Random Edition
May, 2023
Friends
Happy Birthday to all readers having Birthday this month. Govind Kiran, my grandson,
celebrated birthday on Saturday May 6, 2023 leaving his minor status behind. Best Wishes ๐ to him.
Do save this edition of Collage for sharing and reading when free.
Nice Day
M G Warrier
M 134
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Messages and Responses
1 V Babusenan Thiruvananthapuram
Books with the same title
(Ref C below)
I read out Shri Warrier's message to my wife. My grand daughter, who heard this, left the room and, after sometime, came back with a handful of books. "Tell uncle we have many such books."
I told her with a smile :
"Neenu, these are unsold copies of books written by your grandpa. What uncle wants is information about books written by different persons". We had a hearty laugh.
(Me too had such collections. Hopefully, last month, some have reached the roadside second hand books"markets" near Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram. We have vacated our Sastamangalam house for letting out. Regards ๐-Warrier)
2 Santosh Kumar*
My daughter S Keerthi received her Doctorate from Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member NITI Ayog on May 6, 2023 at SCTIMST, TVM
https://youtube.com/live/OkrcDO-enHM
Congratulations and Best Wishes ๐ from Collage ๐
*My nephew -Warrier
3 Jyothilakshmi Anil
Book Release
Butterflies of Chennai : A Comprehensive Field Guide
https://amzn.eu/d/4W1LRUE
The book which carries information about butterflies in and around Chennai is co-authored by a team of 10 naturalists including Anooja Anil daughter of Jyothilakshmi and Anil (Chennai). The book was recently launched in Chennai. Congratulations to Anooja and her proud parents.
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Collage Cover Story
An elephant's plea for justice :
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/warriersviews/an-elephants-plea-for-justice-53498/
An elephant’s plea for justice
M G Warrier
(In lighter vein)
Petition on behalf of Vanaraja alias Arikkomban before the People’s Court by an elephant lover :
Tรณ whomsoever it may concern
An elephant lover circulates this draft petition with no copyright claims with the intention of supporting and if possible, saving Vanaraja alias Arikkomban, from Kerala and any other similarly placed animals anywhere in the world.
My client Vanaraja alias Arikkomban being an animal is not subject to any laws applicable to human beings as animals were never part of the law making process.
Law enforcement agencies including courts have no rights whatsoever to make any observations or initiate any proceedings against my client for the same reasons.
As my client has never been served any notice in this issue, it is prayed that my client’s name may be removed from all orders and proceedings with immediate effect.
If this is not possible for any reason, my client may be allowed to appear before the authorities initiating any proceedings against him and present his side of the matter through legal experts at the cost of the authority initiating the proceedings.
Representing Vanaraja alias Arikkomban
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Collage Literature
Books with the same title
My search for the book "Reflections" by Narayanan Vaghul (87) left me wondering whether so many books can be published with the same title. See this :
https://ew.com/article/2016/01/07/books-same-title/
Last year when I came across two books published with the same title during the same quarter, I thought it was an exception. It was not.
Perhaps someone must be having a collection of books with the same title published so far.
M G Warrier
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V T Panchapagesan's Column :
Gross intellect is our thinking all the time,
for our happiness.
We never apply beyond this.
Even Science does not help us.
Let us apply our mind with emotional
stability going inward, observing silence.
More and more we practice, we can hear
sound, just like ringing of bell when Archakas offer Naivedyam to The Lord..
The sound will be varying in nature.
That ecstacy, one can hear and observe,
if we go deep inside with concentration,
lifting us to subtle intellect.๐น
Be Well,
V T Panchapagesan
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Media Responses
1 Microfinance
April 30, 2023
Microfinance, macro issues*
This refers to the cover story "Microfinance and the debt loop" (The Hindu, April 30). With the example of Sunita Uike and reference to the Grameen Bank model, which incidentally earnt a Nobel for Mohammad Yunus, the article covers the present status of microfinance.
The Bangladesh success story gave microfinance a brand value, dignity and marketability. This also helped various players including traditional money lenders turned "bankers" to intrude into the formal financial markets.
Government and RBI at this stage may have to revisit the whole architecture of microfinance and put in place transparency in loan procedures, introduce supervisory and regulatory controls on the appraisal systems adopted and rates of interest charged by lenders including banks. A comprehensive and compulsory insurance system to protect the borrowers' interest also is a must.
M G Warrier
Mumbai
*Published in The Hindu Magazine on Sunday, May 7, 2023.
2 Depositors' interest*
May 1, 2023
This refers to the report "Don't increase unsecured loans exposure: RBI to banks" (The Hindu Business Line, May 1).
The concern of the banking regulator is real. Many of our banks have just crossed over the NPA bumps, some safely and others still in the recovery rooms. Even a high level of secured loan portfolios didn't help Indian banks didn't help the banks which went agressive in lending to big borrowers or used conduits like SHGs and NBFCs for reducing costs in keeping NPAs within acceptable limits during the last decade.
Beyond putting restrictions on unsecured loans, Government and RBI at this stage may have to overhaul the whole architecture of microfinance and put in place transparency in loan procedures, introduce supervisory and regulatory controls on the appraisal systems adopted and rates of interest charged by lenders including banks. A comprehensive and compulsory insurance system to protect the borrowers' interest also is a need of the hour.
M G Warrier
Mumbai
*Published on May 2, 2023
3 Deposit concentration*
May 5, 2023
This refers to the article "Banks' risks from deposit concentration" (The Hindu Business Line, May 5). This is a timely caution to banks and also their owners and regulators. While there has been discussions and controls in areas like quality of assets and Assets-Liability-Mismatch, that much supervisory or regulatory reach has not affected deposits mobilization of Indian banks yet. Traditionally, Indian financial system has been depending on household savings for resources. The components of liabilities of banking system are undergoing change.
In run-like situations in the past, the timely support and intervention by the central bank saved the banks. As the institutional system servicing the financial sector has diversified and globalised, the risks are also undergoing change. The central bank will have to factor in the changing scenario while sharpening its tools to handle potential shocks.
Viewed from the above perspective, this article is an eye opener.
M G Warrier
Mumbai
*Published in The Hindu Business Line on May 6, 2023
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The book on my table*
Mandukyopanishad
https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/mandukyopanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad consisting of just twelve verses expounding the mystic syllable Aum, the three psychological states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, and the transcendent fourth state of illumination.
The Mandukya Upanishad describes four states of consciousness, namely waking (jagrat), dreaming (svapna), and deep sleep (sushupti), which correspond to the three bodies:
(gross body) The first state is the waking state, in which we are aware of our daily world. "It is described as outward-knowing (bahish-prajnya), gross (sthula) and universal (vaishvanara)".
(subtle body) The second state is the dreaming mind. "It is described as inward-knowing (antah-prajnya), subtle (pravivikta) and burning (taijasa)".
(causal body) The third state is the state of deep sleep. In this state the underlying ground of concsiousness is undistracted, "the Lord of all (sarv'-eshvara), the knower of all (sarva-jnya), the inner controller (antar-yami), the source of all (yonih sarvasya), the origin and dissolution of created things (prabhav'-apyayau hi bhutanam)".
(Turiya) The fourth factor is Turiya, pure consciousness. It is the background that underlies and transcends the three common states of consciousness.
*The text I have is from "Eight Upanishads" published by Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta
A short write up on Significance of Om :
https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/significanc OF ‘OM’
Excerpts :
SIGNIFICANCE OF 'OM'
M G WARRIER
The following upanishadic stanza explains the imperishable nature of everything that matter:
Om poornamadah poornamidam poornaad poornamudachyate
Poornasya poornamadaya poornamevavasishyate
Om santi santi santi
Om. That (supreme Brahman) is infinite, and this (conditioned Brahman) is infinite. The infinite (conditioned Brahman) proceeds from the infinite (supreme Brahman). (Then through knowledge), taking the infinite of the infinite (conditioned Brahman), it remains as the infinite (unconditioned Brahman) alone.
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!
From the above, we can gauge the importance given to the infinite power (or power of the infinite!) by our masters and the deep understanding they had about the power and existence in gross form. Because Om precedes and succeeds many Vedic prayers, some western scholars find similarity with the word ‘Amen’, meaning, so be it.
An in-depth attempt to know more about ‘Om’ will take one to the vast areas of India’s spiritual heritage and make one simply admire the scholarly efforts of authors of Vedas and Upanishads to condense the entire knowledge, existence and power and bring into one syllable, and meditate on that for all the needs and explain to humanity that everything, past, present or future and what is beyond the three periods of time is verily ‘Om’. Mandukeya Upanishad contains a treatise on Om explaining all these in more detail.
The Upanishad also speaks of four parts contained in Om, namely, ‘Vishwa’ (waking state), ‘Taijasa’ (dream state), ‘Prajna’ (deep sleep) and ‘Turiya’ (the unaffected, final bliss state)
Bonus : Story time with Vathsala Jayaraman
"Come Alone"
Veda Vyasa had a son called Sukha Brahma Rishi. One day the son
asked his father to show him the way to attain Brahma Gnanam.
Vyasa told, 'My Dear son, go to Mithila. King Janaka alone is worthy
of conferring Brahma Gnana to you."
Sukha Brahma Maharishi went to Janaka's palace & told the guards "Go and tell your King
that sage Sukha Brahma Maharishi has come to see you".
King Janaka said to the guard "Ask him to
come alone leaving those who have accompanied him".
The Guard replied
"O King, he has come alone only".
The King aked the guard to tell the guest what he has told.
When the guard conveyed the king's command, the sage thought for some time and told :
" Tell the king that Suka Brahmam has come".
Once again the guard was sent back with the command
" I asked him to come alone. Even now he wants to be accompanied by one more person".
Now the sage realised and told the guard
"Tell the King that Suka has come to meet the king". Immediately King Janaka
welcomed the sage with folded hands
"Pl come Sukha Brahma Maharishi"
This story has been in vogue to ennoble the great Gnani Janaka
and he didn't hesitate to point out the lapse even to Sukha
when the latter was afflicted by Ego for a moment. A person ,
notwithstanding his yogic credentials, if possessed of a little spec of 'self'' can
never become eligible to attain Brahma Gnana.
Vathsala Jayaraman.
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Queen's English
Please listen ๐
https://youtu.be/3GWeRoYgx4s
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Obituary
My niece Balamani (75) breathed her last on May 2, 2023. Had settled in Ottapalam, Kerala. She had health issues, of late. Just 3 years younger than me, we were childhood friends. Prayers ๐ When younger ones go, it pains more.
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