Maha Shivrathri 2021

If every 8-year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation. –

 Dalai Lama

Maha Shivrathri 

11 March, 2021

My mind goes back to Maha Shivrathri 2019, 5th March. The above sagely words,  nay pearls of Dalai Lama were wrapping up the post in my blog :  asiwritemypage. 

This auspicious day a Sindhi friend rang up. 

To tell me what magic did Pranayama do in his life. What inspired him towards Pranayama was a book in English on Pranayama, its scientific validation. Inputs for the book were from Baba Ram Dev.

The energy of two baffles me. 

Who are they? 

Sadhguru Vasudev

And

The Yog Guru Baba Ram Dev.

I wonder whether tiredness is in their dictionary. Both have gone miles,  been going miles and will blaze many more trails. 

Beyond personalities I feel to derive the message.  Message on Yog, asans, candid,  crystal clear views that these two carry,  convey.  They don't have to compel their perception on any one.  Rather people venture to take good things like bees hop from flower to flower to gather the honey. 

Well, 

When I started to learn yoga,  my initiation was to do Asans.  I didn't know  nor rather have heard of Pranayama.  Even after years of doing Asans,  my focus isn't still on Pranayama part.  Or maybe I'm not aware in doing Asans,  dhyan that Pranayama is inbuilt, intertwined. 

In dhyan and saavasan a.k.a., corpse posture,  oh I'm failing in words to convey the superb bliss you experience that particular time.  The beauty is it lingers through the day and even beyond.  Reason why regular practice without any breaks is emphasized upon. 

I'm just in rudiments of Pranayama. Between an inhale and exhale cycle,  howsoever minimal,  you will vouch you experience the glimpse of the bliss.

As you go deeper and deeper into something like Asans,  the dhyan process, or anything for that matter, you  sure would experence that new vistas,  dimensions open up. 

Just had done a brief spell of inhale, exhale - Pranayama.  Long way to go in learning it the proper way,  from right Masters.

Don't risk trying it without a proper Guru's guidance. 

Schedule to read, Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi's,  'Who am I?' yet another round this Maha Shivrathri.  It runs edition into edition year after year.  

Wish you Superb Maha Shivrathri. 

Har Har Maha Dev dispel all darkness and enlighten, bestow peace.

Book Affair ... be the one to write your own

Book Affair 

Did I misspell the title? 

No. 

A couple of weeks back casually turned on TV during dinner time. 

Kajol Devgan was on conversation with a media person.   The interviewer asked Kajol about her reading habit,  her personal library and all. 

We all have heard of bathroom singers. 

You know there is a new tribe growing.  The name,  rest room readers.  Unlike bathroom singers, this tribe of bookworms are die hard sorts,  deep into reading. 

Well

Kajol too reads there.   And her bookshelves have nearly दो हसार about 2000 books. 

Here's a shortie on who's who of prominent readers. :

Former CM Jayalalitha

Cricketer Virat Kohli

Kamalahasan

Jayalalitha had a personal library. 

Kamal has one. 

Recently read. Someone wanted a particular info.  He couldn't get it.  When he casually referred it to versatile actor,  voracious reader Kamal,  he immediately drew out the book from his shelves containing the data that the gentleman was in need of. 

For many a reader a day is not a day when he/she hasn't read on that day at least a little. 

Why read? 

It saves you from dementia. Opens up a wider canvas.  Ignites your imagination, kindles creativity. Keeps you abreast of current affairs. Ha, it's a tapas!.

By the way, the book on the picture by the title வாசிப்பது எப்படி by Mr Selvendran was among the books recommended by Kamalahasan at his Mayyam stall in Chennai South Indian Book Publishers' Annual book fair.  Currently on at YMCA grounds, Nandanam. 

Mr Selvendran just doesn't stop with encouraging to read.  He encorages you on to write as well.  Write what and how?   He explains the subtle difference between just jotting in your daily diary what happened on the day and what he calls as journalising.  The latter requires adding your perception to what you diarize.

Incidentally I remember a brief interaction with historian and senior journalist late Shri Muthiah, yes, the Man from Madras Musings, a fortnightly,  years ago.  One long time reader wrote a front page article. It was about his little grandson achieving some laurels in US.   Had he stopped at being proud about young grandson, no issues.  But he went on to compare two nations and how things were far better there and we can't imagine the same system,  discipline etc.,  here.   Being young,  this tailpiece enraged me.  I lost no time shooting up a rejoinder.   Mr Muthiah published it in the next issue. Coincidentally at that time a former President chose to delay his journey by abruptly having his haircut right in the tarmac. I wrote -  Like former PM Mrs Gandhi said corruption is a universal phenomenon,  that there being a crack,  mad everywhere, anywhere was also another phenomenon. 

Mr Muthiah advised to keep up writing,  and write at least 500 words a day. 

Wrapping it up with,

"If there is a book that you want to read,  but it hasn't been written yet,  you must be the one to write it."

- Toni Morrison 

Imperative and Not Choice

Happy. 

Covid19 graph seems declining. 

Or

Is it just an optic?! 

Beware. 

Time not for complacency.

No. 

I'm not pessimistic.

There is a world of difference 

Between 

Worrying 

And 

Being concerned. 

So says Dale Carnegie,

Whose popular seller

'How to stop worrying 

And start living'

Was my earliest to

Attempt to read a book 

In English as I 

Journeyed into college campuses 

After eleven years of

Schooling. 

Being concerned leads one

To turn pro active, 

Aware, 

Conscious. 

It really makes one concern

To note:

○chances of transmission is likely if one happens to sit next to someone asymptomatically affected even for 15 minutes. 

○reason why 100% occupancy is not advisable yet in closed spaces like theatres,  auditoriums etc. 

○masks can protect you to a certain extent,  but cannot completely.

○vaccine may save, reduce fatality, but it cannot prevent the virus transmission. 

It's IMPERATIVE

And 

Not yet a CHOICE

To

○stay safe 

○be responsible 

○wear mask 

○maintain social distancing 

○keep hygiene 

And it's collective combat 

And war on the deadly killer, 

'COVID19'.

A global mission

And collective Responsibility. 

Prasadam

Prasadam.

Who wouldn't love it?! 

Especially when it

Reaches the plates

And palates of

All

Sans 

Any bias

Any discrimination 

Whatsoever -

After due offering to 

The Deity,

The God. 

Naivedhyam is its

Name when it's offered to 

God first. 

With God's blessings 

It's re-christened as

Prasad when it gets 

Shared with devotees. 

OK. 

Are you a travel lover? 

Tired not being able to 

Venture out 

The whole last year of

Pandemic. 

Relax. 

Vaccines have seen 

The light of the day. 

Strong war is already on

Mutation. 

Mutation is evidently 

Getting mutilated. 

So

Get ready your backpack. 

Set your itinerary 

This post pandemic. 

India is rich with Temples 

Even centuries after 

Invaders tried their bits

Trampling them. 

The speciality is

The unique Naivedhyam 

Prepared in

Madappallis - God's 

Exclusive kitchen -

And offered to the presiding Deity .

Some samples here. 

The aromatic Rasam sadam at

Shringeri Saradamba Temple. 

Incidentally Rasam is the healer

Food your grandma would 

Make you consume 

When you 

Sneeze 

Caugh out

And 

You have running nose. 

What makes you get relief 

Faster is this Rasam 

Before your 

Supplementary pill

Your doctor 

Scribbles in

His prescription. 

OK your next jaunt

Can be to

Ambalapuzha. 

And you get

Sweet Paal Payasam there. 

From God's own country - Kerala, 

Trip down to the Temple City, 

Madurai which never sleeps. 

Visit Azhagar Koil. 

And get Dosai.

When you go to 

Ramanujarchya's, 

Tirukozhtiyur, 

You'll see the vendor 

At Prasad stall

Tell you,

"the laddu here 

Tastes same as the 

One from Tirumala."

Teasers enough. 

For more Prasads

Do Google Search. 

If Google fails

Read sthala Puranam. 

God bless. 

More Prasads.

Are you too busy to exercise?

Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them and your foes won’t believe them.” ―John Wooden

The lame excuse 

Straight away from 

RAM -

Random access Memories. 

No scarcity of 

It at all. 

For God's sake 

And your 

Health's sake

At least 

Do spare time 

And do

Some workout. 

Even if it's 

Bite-sized. 

Are you couched 

In your work chair

Uninterruptedly? 

For hours together 

Staring at monitor? 

One may appreciate 

Your duty consciousness. 

But beware 

All the time you sit

The side effect is

You will see 

Girth line keeps burgeoning. 

Having an overload on

Heart functioning. 

Every hour pause for a

Few Minutes.

Do one asan,

A little jog,

Squat about 5 to 10 counts, 

Stroll a few steps or

Do whatever legitimate 

Physical activity you 

Enjoy doing. 

உடம்பினை முன்னம் இழுக்கென்று இருந்தேன்
உடம்புக்குள்ளே உறு பொருள் கண்டேன்
உடம்புளே உத்தமன் கோவில் கொண்டானென்று
உடம்பினை யான் இருந்து ஓம்புகின்றேனே.

- திருமூலர் 

WHO -

World Health Organization -

Issues guidelines. 

Physical activity guidelines. 

At least about once in a decade.

Recognizing the 

Dynamics of 

Life styles,

Work culture 

In the interugnam,

It keeps issuing Guidelines. 

Till recently 

Its recommendation was

To do

Aerobic -

Walking 

Running and

Cycling - 

For at least 150 minutes 

A week. 

150 minutes of

Moderate-intensity

Excersice or

75 minutes of

Vigorous intense activity. 

The new Guidelines doubled

it up to 

150 to 300 minutes - moderate intensity 

Or

75 to 150 minutes vigorous intensity 

Per week. 

Do 

At least bite-sized activity 

Through the day 

Through the week 

Meet target Guideline. 

Enjoy life. 

God bless. 

Thank you Maharishi

Reach out 

Inward

At the least 

Twice a day. 

20 minutes 

Each session. 

Be still 

That's what 

Is doing dhyan is. 

When being still

You're not 

Shirking responsibilities. 

Contrast

You will find yourself 

More concerned 

More peaceful 

And 

Completely 

Blissful. 

Your turnout will 

Be more,

Quality aesthetic 

And your 

Efficiency at the best. 

Not just work. 

You turn healthier too. 

Skepticism may stretch 

And raise its head. 

But certain thing like 

Dhyan is experience

To feel it. 

Words may fail

To draw on

Canvas what it

Feels like to do 

Dhyan. 

Try. 

I vouch

It's worth 

Trying. 

All the best 

God be with you 

Every single stride. 

Thank you Maharishi

For such lovely boon, 

Shortly TM - Transcendental 

Meditation - simple 

And easiest dhyan tool. 

The purpose.... of language

தமிழிலே 

அப்பர்,  சுந்தரரை விடத்

தேர்ந்து விட்டவர்கள் போன்றும்,

தாங்களே தமிழ் வளர்ச்சிக்காக -

யாதொன்றும் செய்யாமலேயே -

அவதரித்தவர்கள் போலவும்

பிற பாஷைகளிடம் துவேஷம்

ஏற்படுத்தி வளரும் பருவத்தினரின்

வாய்ப்புகளைப் பாழ்படுத்தி வரும்

சுய நல அரசியல் வாதிகளை

இளம் பருவத்தினர் தெரிந்து அறிந்து,

தங்களின் வாழ்க்கையை வளம் பெறச் செய்தல் நலம். 

அவர்களுக்காக,  பாஷைகள் குறித்து மஹாபெரியவர் :

"எல்லா பாஷையும் எல்லாருக்கும் பொதுதான் என்ற மனப்பான்மை வரவேண்டும். 

பரஸ்பரம் அபிப்ராய பரிவர்த்தனைக்காக ஏற்பட்டதே பாஷை என்ற அடிப்படையான உண்மையை மறந்து விட்டதால்தான்,  இப்போது தாய் பாஷை ஒன்றிடமே வெறிமாதிரியான பற்றுதல்,  பிற பாஷைகளிடம் துவேஷம் எல்லாம் ஏற்பட்டிருக்கின்றன. 

மற்ற எல்லா விஷயங்களிலும் பரந்த மனப்பான்மை,  இன்டர்நேஷனல் அவுட்லுக் (ஸர்வ தேச நோக்கு) என்று சொல்லிவிட்டு இந்த பாஷை விஷயத்தில் மட்டும் இத்தனை குறுகின புத்தி வந்து விட்டதைப் பார்க்கிற போது பரிதாபமாக இருக்கிறது. "