Warrier's Collage on Thursday July 13, 2023

Welcome To Warrier's COLLAGE On Thursday July 13, 2023 Dr Mohit AIIMS Delhi : An inspiring talk https://youtu.be/Wh1gtEhfrGo Good Morning Brief edition of Collage being brought out midweek as there will be no issue of Collage on Sunday, July 16, 2023. Happy Birthday to all readers having Birthday during the week ending Saturday July 22, 2023. Ayurarogyasaukhyam 🙏 and Best Wishes for all Nice Day M G Warrier A Messages/Responses C V Subbaraman Collage of July 9, 2023 Good pieces pieced together in the Collage. Return of 2k notes. No small or even middle class person keeps these notes. These are not even held by "rich" persons. They are held only by some unscrupulous persons: as evidenced from the notes unearthed and attached by the central investigating agencies. On the return of high denomination notes (demonetised some years ago) : the very fact that almost 100 per cent returned to the banking system is by itself a succes of the operation. I had held that view then and do hold it even today. All these notes were being hoarded to a large extent. They had to come out, those who could not explain appropriately for the holdings had to pay penalties. On offerings to God. Is it bribe? It all depends on how one offers and seeks favours "in return". Sudama took a handful of handpounded beaten rice (Avil) to Krishna. It was Krishna who grabbed it from Sudama, though Sudama's wife had sent it as his courtesy while going to see his bosom friend of olden days. Krishna showered wealth on Sudama, not "in return" although Rukmini thought otherwise, for she held the hand of Krishna when He tried to take a second helping from the cloth pack which Sudama had taken. Do gods ask for some offerings? I do not know. But devotees do not go empty handed while going to see (i) God/Goddess (ii) infants (iii) elderly persons (iv) newly married couples (v) sick persons and (vi) pregnant women. This is in our culture. What do we expect from those (ii) to (vi)? Why only accuse us of "bribing" (i)? Did not Krishna in Gita say: पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति | तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: || 9.26|| but this verse clearly says that whatever is given with "devotion" (Bhakthyaa). Not with any kaamya. Here is a message for all those who want to give Him something. On parihaarams and praayaschittams: If we do wrongs (and all of us do many times in our life time, short or long), there are two things we choose to do: One: Parihaaram: This is to ward off the ill effects of our wrongs (mistakes, errors, sins, whatever be they). But Karmayoga philosophy says that there is no parihaaram; we have to suffer or enjoy consequences of our actions. The effects cannot be prevented, so some astrologers who refuse to prescribe any parihaarams. Second is Praayaschittam. Praayaschittam is to cleanse our mind, regret for our actions sincerely and honestly and refrain from doing them again. Here too the effects of the first action cannot be prevented. The Kalinga War is the example. Ashoka fought the war, thousands were killed, muted, rendered orphans.......he saw the effects, sincerely regretted this, vowed not to wage any more wars, reformed himself and spread the messages of love across countries and continents. this is praayaschittam. Now many of us regret, express regret, but do not care to avoid such wrongs later in life. Such expressions of regret are not true Praayaschittam. For some "professions"doing wrongs is a profession! Subbaraman Shankaracharya 2 Uzhuthra Warrier Palliative Care Yes, over-medication had been/is a problem. About 70 years ago I have seen Drs. Prescribing only mixtures. But in another 15 years it gave place to mixtures and tablets. Then tablets and syrups appeared. Little later appeared capsules. Now tablets, syrups, capsules and tonics are a must. As far I know with the advent of Patented medicines which many companies started manufacturing after a lot experiments and investments, sales became a huge problem. So marketing and advertising become necessary. The sales have to be supplemented by Sales reps whose duties are to influence Drs. They give free samples and do some errands. To fullfil their quotas they therefore persuade the Drs to prescribe more of their products. This is the problem for such malady. B Babusenan's Column The year was around 1760. The place was Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the princely state of Travancore . Kunchan Nambiar, the great poet- cum-thullal artist, was standing most respectfully in front of the king Dharmaraja. The Raja looked benevolently at Nambiar and asked : "Any new joke? " Nambiar did not say anything but held forward a palm leaf. The Raja took it and read aloud with a smile : "Kolam kettuka Kolakangalil nadakkennulla Velakkini Kaalam vaardhakamaakayaal Adiyane Chadikkolaa bhoopatheh (O!great king, I am old and tired. Kindly do not ask me to run from one royal abode to another entertaining the inmates with my thullal) "Nambiar, do you want to retire? Though I don't think that you reached that age, do so, if you wish. I shall see to it that you get all the benefits under our pension scheme. But, do one thing : Be present in all our discussions". The discussions he referred to were usually held after the mid-day meal and went on till evening when the Raja gave audience to the common people to listen to their grievances. The Raja had a special liking for Nambiar that bordered on gratitude. The Royal heart could never forget that incident which brought together again him and his beloved Rani for which Nambiar was instrumental. It happened this way : Both of them had a point of disagreement which unfortunately flared up and took a serious turn. Both of them used to visit a shrine of Lord Siva at a particular time. They started doing so in such a manner that each avoided facing the other. Once, while they were circumambulating, Nambiar stood before the deity(it was Ardhanaareeswara with Devi Parvathi sitting on the lap of Lord Siva) and prayed aloud : " Has not the Lord most willingly shared with you half his body? Why do you show reluctance to sit properly? Oh, Mother Gouri, do you think you can behave with him in any manner you like because he is a 'Mudiyaaraayavan'? " Both the Raja and the Rani heard this prayer of Nambiar, grasped the inner meaning, and, laughed aloud. Their quarrel melted away! It was the word 'Mudiyaaraayavan' that played the trick. Its contextual meaning is the 'Lord who carries the river on his head'. The hidden meaning is 'he who is old enough to die'. Incidentally, the Rani's name was also Gouri. Nambiar was happy that the Raja permitted him to retire and things went on smoothly for some time. One day, Nambiar was not present when the usual discussion commenced. Everyone, the king particularly, noted his absence. After some time he came, tired and sad. The Raja asked as to what happened. He did not respond immediately. Then he blurted out : "Randekaalennu choditchu Randekaalennithayyanum Undo kaalennu Pandaala Undillinnithra neravum" (Pandaala asked: "Is it two and a quarter?" I replied in the affirmative. Pandaala then asked : "Are you sure that the quarter is there in the order? "As a result, I did not eat anything so far) The Raja got annoyed. He forthwith summoned the new Pandaala (the princely- state equivalent of a financial officer of modern times) and asked him : "As per the pension rules, it is the pensioner's right to get the fixed quota of rice, condiments, and vegetables. You must know that. Who gave you the powers to change the rules? Do you know whom you have harassed with your arrogance? Don't repeat it hereafter. You may go now." Turning to Nambiar he said softly : "Nambiar, from tomorrow onwards, join me and the top officials of the state for the mid-day meal. Your family will be taken care of properly." Regards And...a response Ref Collage on July 9, 2023 The highly readable article on buying books brought to my mind pleasant memories about a person who happened to be the owner of the guest house where I stayed during my sojourn in Ahmedabad , in the early1980s. He was a Maharashtrian, simple, straightforward , shrewd and selfish to the core. Once he surprised me by insisting that Olavacode railway station was renamed as Palghat and he was right. That revealed a delightful aspect of his personality and, to a certain extent, explained his extreme miserliness. It was this: He would save money, as much as he could, for two years at the end of which he would spend it entirely on a conducted international tour. In one such tours, the travel was via Kerala to Sri Lanka and that was why he could tell about Palakkad! He had an astounding memory. " Have you visited London, Mr. Berde( not his real name)?", I asked. "Yes, four years ago", he replied. "What is your impression about that city? " "A bigger Mumbai. Boring. They took us to a bridge and said that it was on this bridge that a great poet- the guide said some name which I don't remember- wrote a great poem. Someone sang aloud that poem". "Wordsworth?" "Yes, yes. Now I remember. Then they showed us the British Parliament building. What was there to see? Our Vidhan Soudha in Bangalore is much better. Then they showed us the place where a king's head was chopped off. The most boring trip was to a small place far from London. The guide proudly said that it was the birth place of the greatest poet England had ever produced. I remember the name he said: 'Shakespeare', though I don't know anything about him. Who is bothered about these poets, after all? Mad fellows! " "There you unknowingly agree with Shakespeare, Mr. Berde. He too called them mad. Did they tell you the name of the place?" "Not exactly. But it carries the name of the river there. It is a small river much smaller than their Thames. Yet they call it 'A One'! These English are crazy(laughs) " "The name of the place is Stratford -upon- Avon, notA one or A+" "O, I see!. " "Mr Berde", said I with a smile. "Please don't mistake me. You possess a very praiseworthy quality, that is, desire to visit other countries. You will do well to supplement it with a fair knowledge about history of the country you propose to visit." Then I told him briefly about Shakespeare and Wordsworth and the circumstances that led to the execution of King Charles First and about a few other things. I saw a gleam in his eyes. He said: Mr. Senan, you are right. Next year I am going to visit England again. Take it from me, I will be seeing a different England." If Mr. Berde fulfilled that promise of his, I do not know for I left Ahmedabad a couple of months later having been transferred back to Thiruvananthapuram. Regards C Cover Story : Vathsala Jayaraman What motivates me to write? This is to suggest that I need a trigger to write on something. It may come from anywhere- books I read, newspapers, chit-chat with friends, movies, tv serials, general observations, current events, whatever! Then comes expanding on that trigger and here again your experience, emotions, and analysis come into play. I believe, there is no original writing. Whatever subject you take, it has been written and spoken about not by one but many people in as many languages and as many places on this planet. Only the words and style differ. Secondly, nothing in print is worthless. We may or may not like it but the writer has given his or her time, energy, and effort in it. Who knows it may teach us something. Above all, learning never stops. Thirdly, each one of us has a writer inside us, a poet, an essayist, a storyteller, a novelist, preacher. The only thing one has to do is to give words to what we feel and think. There is not a single writer whose all published books became world-famous. Most of them are known for one or two books. So, keep writing. There is nothing called perfection. I am a perfect example of how a person with no knowledge of how to write could begin somewhere and continue writing some essays. My English proficiency is negligible as I studied in Tamil medium in the school and is not convent educated. All of my English writing skills were developed later . Somehow, a subject dominates my mind and eventually I decide to write about it without postponing it much. When thoughts are fresh, I write it without much effort to sequencing and structuring my thoughts. After a snippet is out, I consider that as something triggered me to write and don't bother if the content is appreciated. Not everyone is available and waiting to read articles written as they are busy in their own lives. When they get sometime, they may read. Vathsala Jayaraman D Collage Scriptures One-liner Gita* Dr.(Smt) Sashi Tiwari, Chairman (Retired) of Sanskrit Dept Agra College, Agra has summarised the essence of all the 18 chapters of Gita in just 18 sentences. One liner Geeta - Chapter 1 - Wrong thinking is the only problem in life. Chapter 2 - Right knowledge is the ultimate solution to all our problems. Chapter 3 - Selflessness is the only way to progress and prosperity. Chapter 4 - Every act can be an act of prayer. Chapter 5 - Renounce the ego of individuality and rejoice the bliss of infinity. Chapter 6 - Connect to the higher consciousness daily. Chapter 7 - Live what you learn. Chapter 8 - Never give up on yourself. Chapter 9 - Value your blessings. Chapter 10 - See divinity all around. Chapter 11 - Have enough surrender to see the truth as it is. Chapter 12 - Absorb your mind in the higher. Chapter 13 - Detach from Maya and attach to divine. Chapter 14 - Live a life- style that matches your vision. Chapter 15 - Give priority to Divinity. Chapter 16 - Being good is a reward in itself. Chapter 17 - Choosing the right over the pleasant is a sign of power. Chapter 18 - Let go, let us move to union with God. ( Introspect on each one of this principle) ॐ तत्सत् *Shared by a Collage reader. Nightingale Edition of Bhagavad-Gita is just 90 cubic centimetre in size! E INTELLIGENCE Vs WISDOM- Differences that one should know ! This is so so good ... I had never known these profound distinctions between Intelligence & Wisdom Worth reading & understanding ........ 1. Intelligence leads to arguments. Wisdom leads to settlements. 2. Intelligence is power of will. Wisdom is power OVER will. 3. Intelligence is Heat, it Burns. Wisdom is Warmth, it Comforts. 4. Intelligence is Pursuit of Knowledge, it tires the seeker. Wisdom is Pursuit of Truth,it inspires the seeker. 5. Intelligence is Holding On. Wisdom is Letting Go. 6. Intelligence Leads You. Wisdom Guides You. 7. An intelligent man thinks he knows everything. A wise man knows that there is still something to learn. 8. An intelligent man always tries to prove his point. A wise man knows there really is no point. 9. An intelligent man freely gives unsolicited advice. A wise man keeps his counsel until all options are considered. 10. An intelligent man understands what is being said. A wise man understands what is left unsaid. 11. An intelligent man speaks when he has to say something. A wise man speaks when he has something to say. 12. An intelligent man sees everything as relative. A wise man sees everything as related. 13. An intelligent man tries to control the mass flow. A wise man navigates the mass flow. 14. An intelligent man preaches. A wise man reaches. Intelligence is good BUT... wisdom achieves better results!! F Media Response Copied below is my response to the article "The need for strengthening palliative care in the face of Non-Communicable Diseases" (The Hindu, July 11, 2023). M G Warrier Media Response July 11, 2023 Understanding palliative care This refers to the article on palliative care (The Hindu, Text & Context, July 11). As explained, palliative care is generally misunderstood even by those responsible for healthcare management. First an awareness about the need to develop palliative care as a separate speciality has to be created among caregivers and policy makers. Generally, palliative care is misunderstood as something relevant for the terminally ill patients only, which is not the case. The professional counseling role of this branch of medical science needs to be developed. Those suffering from Non-Communicable Diseases including cancer and diabetes and their caregivers need ongoing counseling about dangers of overmedication and guidance in decision-making about going for costly treatment including surgeries especially when the patient has other age-related issues. M G Warrier Mumbai G TNC Rangarajan shared a message Living in Palakkad Increase in Age Live in any corner of the world but there is no happiness like Palakkad... This has been achieved in the survey of BBC news. Scientists have found out in a new research that, due to the effect of soil, climate and water of Palakkad, people living in Palakkad get more than 100 years of age. The minerals in the soil of Palakkad fill the life of a human being with a new zest. All the minerals required by the body are in proportion in the water of Palakkad which prevents the body from premature aging and keeps the human being young for a long time. of Palakkad*There is no climate in any corner of the world like climate. The climate of *Palakkad always keeps the bones and lungs of a human being strong. Keeps heart blood thin which circulates quickly throughout the body. The climate of Palakkad has the ability to cure diseases like TB and asthma if a person stays in Palakkad for a couple of months without medicine. A region called Kutch Abdasa like Palakkad has this quality in its soil, water and climate. Pure oxygen is found here which keeps the human body away from any disease. Foreigners also want to live in Palakkad. Foreigners are booking good places. Last year, the number of foreigners coming and going in Palakkad has been 25 lakhs. Who stayed in Palakkad for three to four months. These foreigners were just resting on the land of Palakkad without visiting any places and went back abroad free from minor ailments. Scientists also say that staying on the land of *Palakkad continuously for six months in a year increases the average age of a person and gets rid of many diseases. BBC news update-01-07-2023 (Forwarded as received)