The Sanskrit Pundit, Srivaishnava Acharya And Scientist That I Knew

– Tribute by Sridhar S Govindaraja

U. Ve Sri Lakshmithathacharya Swamy was one person who could perform three roles simultaneously –Sanskrit Pundit, Srivaishnava Aachaarya and a Scientist with ancient knowledge – dutifully and perfectly. His passion was to build a bridge between the ancient and modern science.

From the day I met him in 1983, I adored him, fascinated by his vast and deep knowledge of our Vedic as well as Srivaishnava scriptures. His knowledge about ancient science is legendary as acknowledged by stalwarts of modern science in India and outside. He had a vision. He had a unique capability of understanding Sanskrit perfectly knowing the nuances of Sanskrit very well. He said that Sanskrit words have 7 keys and if right key is applied, correct interpretation will be obtained.

He has discovered ancient scientific manuscripts by searching all over India. His specialty was identifying and bringing out scientific knowledge hidden in Vedic and Srivaishnava scriptures and slokas. He was eager to use ancient knowledge to complement and supplement modern science. In this endeavor he was successful to an extent with the help and support of a few persons and Institutions like IISc, Venkateswara University etc. who appreciated his line of thinking.

At one point, he had 60 scientific projects based on ancient technology which were being examined by various organisations. However, he lamented that he could not get any grants from the Government, which he needed most, because people judged based on his attire of a simple Pundit, instead of delving into his thoughts and works.

Some of his thoughts and input on Metallurgy, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Ayurveda, Floriculture, building materials were excellent, practical, economical and were implemented. I understand the ISKCON Temple in Melukote used his technology for bricks. He has carried out extensive research on Ayurveda and Yoga and given many talks on the subject.

His mammoth work is a diagram called ‘Jnaana Aswattha’ or ‘Knowledge Tree’ which is a framework for representation and visualization of Indian Traditional Knowledge based on the Indian concept of Pramaana, Prameya and Pramaatha principles. He has provided considerable input to this diagram and was hopeful that others will take up this work and expand this diagram with more information.

Personally, I found him with childlike enthusiasm. He was also quite philosophical and knowledge seeker. He told me many times that – to identify, study and bring the matter out of ancient knowledge from scriptures for the benefit of humanity, he will require an army of young and enthusiastic Indians. He encouraged me to start Mandayam Digital Library and offered to scan the books at Ramanuja Anustaanam, Melkote, free of cost, where he has a very good book and manuscript scanner. In the beginning, I have used the scanner extensively till the lockdowns began. I am highly grateful to him for his help and blessings.

He established and ran the Academy of Sanskrit Institute in Melukote and managed it for several years. During this time, he travelled all over India and collected thousands of ancient manuscripts and saved them properly and safely in the Institute. He also read the manuscripts and deciphered them for the benefit of humanity.

His humility was endearing. When he was forced to retire from the Academy due to selfish political action of those who wanted to take control of the Academy, he said that this is the will of the God and that he will humbly accept this action of the God. He did not blame or say a bad word or attribute this act to the perpetrators.

He was not disheartened after he left the Academy and established his own research institutions namely – Samskrithi Foundation in Mysuru, Ramanuja Anustanam in Melukote and continued his association with IISc, Venkateswara University and many more institutions. He was respected by many heads of institutions and universities who held him in high esteem.

On religious front, as Presiding Acharya, Anantarya Peetam, Melukote, he managed his duty in a noble and exemplary manger. On invitation by his disciples, he would travel from Melukote and grace the occasions in their houses or elsewhere and bless them whole heartedly. He rarely missed any occasion unless he was already pre-occupied or out of town. When asked, he would take time to reply any queries on Vedas, Srivaishnavism and on Mandayam tradition and rituals. His discourses and talks on Srivaishnavism and Vedic systems were excellent and meaningful. He was well read and had insight into the subjects.

Our Acharya attained the lotus feet of Sriman Narayana on 15th May 2021. I miss him very much and pray for him and so will many many members of the Mandayam and Scientific communities.

 

History of the Online Gaming Industry

– Tanay Anand [Ramanujapuram Anandampillai family]

This year the electronic gaming industry hit $180 billion in total revenue, making it one of the most profitable sectors of the entertainment industry. This means that certain online mobile games are twice as popular as box office films. You might think that this drastic increase in popularity was only due to recent events, such as the covid-19 pandemic, but this is not the case.

The rise of electronic gaming occurred in the 1970s-1980s with the creation of Nintendo’s home gaming systems. While these systems only had simple games like pong and snake, they introduced an entirely new aspect of multiplayer games. This style of gaming continued into the 21st century with the introduction of MMOs (Massive Multiplayer Online Games) such as World of Warcraft. These games had nearly 40 million players worldwide playing monthly. Of course, these games were extremely casual at first, meant to be a simple pastime. People soon began competing to see who had better characters, items, and abilities, with the average player pouring over 80 hours per week into bettering their character’s statistics (abilities, items, treasure, etc.)…This was the birth of Content Creation and Esports.

It can be seen all across youtube today. Gaming has taken over as the most popular genre of content creation, with the 2nd most subscribed channel on youtube gaining 100s of millions of views through gaming. With this content creation aspect, the competitiveness of online games grew. Content Creators would boast about their talent at the games they played, continuously competing for the top spot – trying to gain the most views. This primal urge for victory evolved into the Esports we see today. Billions of fans worldwide, compete for glory and the ability to show that they are the most talented person to ever play a certain online game.

Although a new introduction to the media world, Esports is surpassing physical sports like basketball or hockey, with the same die-hard fans, representing each of their nationalities. The one thing that separates Esports from other competitive sports, however, is its inclusivity. In games like basketball, there are parameters for age, height, weight, and sometimes even gender. With Esports, anybody from any background no matter their physical capabilities can make a name for themselves. This inclusivity is the main reason that people came to love Esports, it represents all individuals no matter race, age, or gender.

Esports and Content Creation have arrived at a point where even someone from your family could post a video of themselves playing video games, and it would rack up thousands of views.

Video Games have progressed from playing at home to becoming a creative outlet for all types of people. The question is – Where will they go from here?

 

Root Cause Of My Frustration And Enlightenment

– Raghu Bharathur (family of M. B.Krishna Iyengar)

Let us be honest, we all have frustrations. The more we age, the more pronounced it gets. The longer it lingers the more pervasive it gets. We tend to express this in several ways, with several people in our daily lives; we do reap its reward – mostly negative.

I was a victim of this deep rooted problem as I aged. I realized I had immense potential, however, the deep rooted frustration never let me harness it.

Enlightenment: It was a wonderful summer day in Chicago, bright sunshine and cool breeze from the lake lightened my mood on my way to a client meeting. As I walked through the corridor of my client’s premises, I stumbled upon a quote on a large wall. I just couldn’t move past it, it was a surreal experience. I read the same sentence over and over again, squeezing all my little gray cells to help me comprehend the gravity of what it tried to communicate. That chance encounter helped me find the root cause of my frustration and led me on to the next phase of my life – journey of Entrepreneurship.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

 

Lunch Box

– Anjana Simha, Devashikamani Family

One afternoon in Bangalore, after a tough Mathematics class, rings the high-pitched school bell. Ah! Finally, it is lunch time!!! Our Rohini and Anand of 3rd grade are relieved from the mind-boggling class. Both of them take their respective lunch bags and rush to the lunch hall. As they are seated, they open their bags with great delight and growling tummy but “Oh! It is the same old Upma packed for lunch!!!” exclaims Anand whereas Rohini is happy looking at her lunch box. “What makes you so happy!?… How is that you are always happy looking at your lunch box? I never feel this happy” said Anand. Well, looking at Rohini’s lunch box anyone would feel happy. Her lunch box looked delicious with Sambar Rice, Palya and Curd beautifully arranged.

“Anand, I want to ask you something…” said Rohini. “Yes, sure” said Anand in a gloomy voice. “Why are you always tired and dull in class? You are not able to answer any question asked by the teacher and you always eat food either from my lunch box or others. I have also seen you throwing food instead of eating it…What is the matter?” asked a very upset Rohini. Then she continued “My Amma says we must have breakfast every morning to stay energetic throughout the day. Do you have your breakfast before you leave to school?”. Anand said “Well…I do have my breakfast”. “Really!! What do you have for breakfast?” exclaimed Rohini. “I have biscuits and sometimes just milk…that’s it…” said Anand. “Biscuits or Milk that’s it!!!” shrieked Rohini. “No wonder you are tired…my Amma says we should eat good traditional breakfast like Idli, Dosa, Upma, Avalakki Upma etc. Breakfast is very important for us to stay active, solve math problems, concentrate and remember what is taught in school, and also play well. So, you should never skip your breakfast. Biscuits or any such packet food is not good for us. My Amma keeps me away from it saying if we want to grow well and be healthy to play and study we should not eat such food. Now tell me what is the problem with your lunch?” asked Rohini. “I don’t like certain vegetables and combination of food, so, I have asked my Amma to pack me a variety of food, but, whatever she packs I don’t like it. Sometimes, she gives me lots of food and I can’t finish it, so, I throw it. Then, looking at my empty box, Amma doesn’t scold me. Sometimes, she packs some fruit and it becomes brown, so I don’t like it. Since you have asked me, can you tell me what I should do to feel happy looking at my lunch box?” said Anand.

With a deep sigh, Rohini said “Ok Anand, listen to me carefully. My Amma says we should eat all fruits and vegetables. See, I don’t like some vegetables because they don’t taste good to me so I tell my Amma. She either makes it into a Palya or Sambar or Kootu or vegetable stuffed chapati or rolls etc. and asks me, which form of dish I prefer for that particular vegetable. When I finally like it as a certain dish I would tell her, please make it like this, I will eat. Amma says, each vegetable makes us strong in different ways, so I also eat the vegetable which I’m not very fond of! Remember Anand, in our lunch box we should have Rice or Chapati, Parpu/Dal, Vegetable and Curd or Buttermilk. It should not be Upma everyday!”

She continued, “Whenever my Amma packs my lunch, she would call me and ask me how much I would like to eat. She has also told me to check how much food makes my tummy heavy or full and accordingly she packs lunch for me and I don’t throw food because it is extra. Also Anand, my Paati says, you should never throw food, it is like you are insulting food and also the farmer who grows this food. You know what, we are growing some vegetables at home and I help my parents in taking care of the plants. Do you know how much water, sunlight, effort and hardwork goes into growing plants!? Imagine you are growing a vegetable with lots of hardwork and then the vegetable is not eaten and thrown into the dustbin! I would have cried the whole day if that had happened. My Paati says always respect food because food makes you strong. She also says think of those people who don’t have food to eat and look at yourself, You are blessed! You should thank Thayaar and Perumal for giving you food to eat. So NEVER THROW FOOD OR WASTE FOOD.”

Rohini continued, “Anand, whenever we cut certain fruits have you seen them turning brown…that is why my Amma sends me small whole fruit or other fruits that don’t turn brown when cut. Today you should go to your Amma and tell her all your problems with food. Always taste any new vegetable in different kinds of dishes given to you and tell your Amma what form you prefer the most. Do the same with fruits as well. If you like fruits and vegetables in any form…Yummy yum! You have a variety of food!!! I’m happy looking at my lunch box, because everyday after dinner my Amma and I would discuss the breakfast and lunch menu for the next day. So today I wanted to have Sambar Rice, Palya and Curd, so, here I have them!!!”.

With immense joy and excitement, Anand said, “Thank you so much Rohini. Today I understood the importance of having breakfast in the morning, respecting food and also the importance of having all the food items you mentioned in lunch. I realized that I have never told my Amma what problem I face with food. Hereafter, even I will be happy seeing my LUNCH BOX!!!!” Anand got lost in his thoughts thinking of all the fruits & vegetables. He was excited to return home to discuss his lunch menu with his Amma. “Anand!” Rohini yelled. “Didn’t you hear the bell? We have to go back to class, think about your lunch menu later.” And then, Anand and Rohini joyfully hopped back to their classroom.

 

 

PostCrossing

– Avyukth MA

Postcrossing is a platform to send postcards or envelopes to random people, and make new friends. It is similar to being a PENPAL. One major difference is that you will get to know when the postcard reaches the recipient. The website is “www.postcrossing.com”.

The way Postcrossing works is:
• Register on the website, with a relevant description of yourself
• Click “Send a postcard”
• Accept the terms and conditions
• You will receive a Postcard ID and an address of another postcrossing member

Write
• Write a postcard to the receiver
• Preferably, write or stick the address.
• Write the Postcard ID on the postcard so that the receiver can register it in the website once they receive the postcard

Send

Receive

• Click ‘Register a postcard’ on the website
• Type in the country code which is the first 2 letters then the ID which are the remaining numbers

NOTE: If the address is in their country language, then write or print it like that, ‘cos it will help the postcard reach faster.

NOTE: Normally you will receive as many postcards as you send. But sometimes you can receive more postcards than you have sent

Other features available on the platform are:
Forum:
Here you can exchange messages with other Postcrossing members. You can be informed of the meetups which happen among postcrossers and you can attend them if interested.

Direct Swaps:
If you find post crossing members with mutual interest, then you can try Direct Swaps. It means that you can exchange postcards with a person directly without having any ID. The only difference is that in Direct Swaps it will not be mentioned in your profile whereas the postcards sent normally through Postcrossing is mentioned in your profile.

To try this feature, select the option in your profile settings which says ‘I am interested in Direct Swaps’ to interact / send messages with others with common interests.

Postcrossing is all about sending and receiving postcards, which gives a lot of joy to anybody. If interested, you can register to send and receive postcards or envelopes.

It gives me a lot of joy to send and receive postcards especially to and from random people as you get to know more about them, their country, their culture and tradition, their interests etc.. You can also share similar things about yourself when you send a postcard to a Postcrossing member. Often, when your postcard reaches the recipient and is registered by the Postcrossing member, they send a message on the platform thanking you or mentioning something about your postcard or answering any question you may have asked in the postcard. Many a times you are sent postcards in envelopes with things you may have mentioned in your profile.

I started Postcrossing just a week before my 9th standard final exam. My uncle introduced me and my sisters to it. At first, we were extremely enthusiastic and wrote 5-6 postcards at a time and sent. After sometime our interest dwindled. Now, we have regained interest & are continuing it. We feel very happy when the postcards we sent arrive at their destination or we receive the postcards others sent. We have been doing this for nearly one whole year. I have sent about 21 postcards out of which only 14 have reached and I have received about 17 postcards.

This has also inspired me to begin stamp collecting. By just receiving these postcards, I am able to collect a lot of stamps. Also you can collect beautiful postcards. They may contain drawings, places where they live, maps, important places or rare photos. You can also make a lot of friends through this. You can also receive or send coins or any other collectibles.

Postcrossing paves the way for a lot of other hobbies, especially collecting. Postcrossing is a very nice thing to do. It is a very fun and enjoyable experience!!!

 

Villains

– Dhriti S

When the word villain is said what instantly comes to your mind? For me it is a scary looking person who has an evil plan to seek revenge for something traumatizing that happened to them. In most sci-fi movies the villain is a brilliant scientist who has invented something that can kill millions, and in movies which are based on things like wizardry, the villain has some kind of a potion or spell to seek their desire. Some of them can also have superpowers like superheroes which makes them more difficult to vanquish, for the hero.

All villains have sidekicks. Sometimes they are made as the Guinea pigs for their research or they are created only to add some comedy for the show. The buildup of grief or anger in a villain makes them do villainous things, such as the villain of Iron Man 2, Ivan Vanko, was seeking revenge for his father who was deported from the U.S.A. by Iron Man’s father (Howard Stark). Most villains have a very traumatizing backstory that makes them hate humanity or something or someone related to the main character. Sometimes villains actually have good left in them, but as I said before their grief or anger destroys them and makes them do bad things even if they don’t want to. In the end the villain gets defeated by the hero/superhero and sometimes their idea is used to create something useful for humanity.

I think we can all agree that villains are a bit underrated and forgotten. They are the reason a story will be able to take place, because without a villain there will be no mystery for the hero to solve.

 

Global Warming

– Navya Raghunandan (family of M. B.Krishna Iyengar)

Most of us have heard of global warming, which is exactly what it sounds like – the world heating up much more than it needs to. But why does it happen and what can we do to help stop it?

Here is how global warming, a natural phenomenon, turned into a world destroying thing. Everything starts from the Sun, also called Sol, when heat and energy from inside rises up to the surface of the sun. Then, it gets a free flight to Earth by traveling through things called Electromagnetic waves, which basically are giant, long, floating waves in the universe. There are tons of types of radiation. The most popular are UV rays (Ultraviolet ), Infrared radiation, and those colors we see on Earth. That’s right, everything is pretty much white in reality, but the sun’s radiation just makes them colorful!

So when these waves travel to Earth, the first thing they bump into is the atmosphere. The atmosphere filters out some bad radiation or things like UV rays as much as it can and lets the rest pass into Earth. Radiation has one goal in life. To crash into Earth’s surface. Don’t we all want that? ( Not really ) So, as it dreams, the type of radiation that we feel as heat ( Infrared radiation, which is pronounced as in-fa-red ) crashes into Earth’s surface. Obviously, this causes the surface to heat.

But what comes down must go up. Right? Gravity totally doesn’t exist. Well, not for these guys anyway. Because these waves travel back up through Earth, heating areas, till they reach the atmosphere. The closest part to Earth, to be precise, which is called the Troposphere.

There, gases called Greenhouse Gases have some work to do. They toss out some radiation or other gases like carbon dioxide *cough cough, pollution* into the atmosphere, leaving some to remain in Earth. It’s the same with infrared radiation. If some wasn’t thrown out into the atmosphere, we would have melted by now because of all the intense heat! Phew, thank god for those greenhouse gases! Anyway, the greenhouse gases also trap some heat in them, and are able to let heat remain in Earth to continue heating us, but not prove to be an overkill either.

After learning how the Greenhouse Effect (the process those greenhouse gases are part of ) works, it is time to explain global warming. We humans play a major role in this. We know that carbon dioxide will be released when all the factories, cars, and all other stuff we’re building are in the working process. Lots of smoke comes out from the top of factories, just as lots of smoke comes out from car vents probably in the back. These aren’t the only ways, just a few examples. This provides an overload of carbon dioxide, so the small quantity the greenhouse gases throw out aren’t enough, as the huge remaining amount gets trapped in Earth, causing pollution in bodies of water, air, and basically in every other natural thing too.

Animals like polar bears are losing their habitats due to all the ice melting because of the increased heating on Earth. This all provides a tragic experience for man, animal, and alien kind.

So what can we do to help stop it?

Well talking globally, people like Greta Thunberg have worked hard and have brought this point up. If factories can find ways to reduce their carbon dioxide creation and use more solar energy, or renewable energy for their work, then that will help. People can also do more by carpooling, buying electric cars, or not even using cars and using things like busses, or bikes, even walking or running works! All these will help immensely.

Individuals can also contribute outside these things! Do you have a polluted body of water nearby? Then organize a cleaning session and help get rid of all the yucky stuff! This helps the water and the animals in it. You can always search up many more convenient ways to help out, but these are great contributors, too. Never forget, alert others and raise awareness! Even in your own family! This will help others to recognize the effort and take part.

 

In Pursuit of the “Soppu Man”

– Rekha Rangaswamy

This story is about the pursuit of the soppu man who is very important after the milk man in our daily life, especially on days when the soppu man is important to get the breakfast going. It is like the food is to be served now and you need the ingredients on the go. When the soppu man calls out, we are able to hear him a mile away from your home, it is that time of the day, when your ears will be sharp to listen to the slightest sound, just like a dog’s.

The slightest sound of him calling “soppu soppu”, his classic call will be heard among the clatter of the kitchen’s work. Immediately, you will start looking at different vantage points of your home to find out if he is somewhere in the vicinity. Many a time it is a false alarm, but you will still go check it out to make sure. All this happens when you are starting to cook your breakfast, thaliching your curry leaves.

At this point in time, all the members in the family are alerted and are on the lookout for the soppu man. Your kids at the ground floor, you in the kitchen and other members in different parts of the house, where you get to see the road, like the balcony. Even the neighbour at times, gets a sense of this urgency and is willing to look out for that soppu man. Then finally you find him at the end of the road calling “soppu soppu”. Even at this juncture you may not see him but you can hear him. At every hundred yards or meters every neighbour or a friendly person is seen waiting to find him and tell him that we want to buy something from him.

This scenario reminds me of the time, when I was in beach road in Chennai and all the police men were standing alert for the CM’s convoy to pass. It is a similar situation here. Only replace the CM with the “soppu man”.

Finally the soppu man is seen in the vicinity and with a wave and a shout he realises that you need something from him. He acknowledges with a nod of the head that only you and other regular customers like you understand. He finishes his regular route and comes back to you to finish the business/purchases you have with him. All this chaos is only to get his attention and say you are going to purchase his goods today. During all this clamor for attention, you realise that your breakfast making has come to a stand still and your thava is over heating to being almost in flames or your oggarane is sitting still.

By this time, everyone in your household knows that the soppu man has been informed and someone is going to come over to purchase the required things from him. In matter of seconds you run down like a cheetah trying to catch it’s prey which is running away at top speed. Your business is finished as fast as a Formula1 driver’s tire changing during a race and the whole house is at peace and the breakfast is continued, then the purchase turns into a wonderful chutney for the dosa.

 

ದಮಯಂತಿ ಸ್ವಯಂವರ

– ಎಂ. ಎ. ಪದ್ಮಾಸಿನಿ

ಭೀಮರಾಜನ ಮಗಳು ದಮಯಂತಿ ಬಹಳ ಸುಂದರವಾಗಿ ಬೆಳೆದಿದ್ದಳು. ಅವಳ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯ ಮೂರು ಲೋಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನಳನ ರೂಪ ಕೂಡ ಬಹಳ ಖ್ಯಾತಿಗೊಂಡಿತ್ತು. ಇಬ್ಬರೂ ಒಬ್ಬರನ್ನೊಬ್ಬರು ಪರಸ್ಪರವಾಗಿ ವರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು (ನೋಡದೆ). ದಮಯಂತಿಯು ಮದುವೆಯಾದರೆ ನಳನನ್ನೇ ಆಗಬೇಕೆಂದು , ನಳನು ಮದುವೆಯಾದರೆ ದಮಯಂತಿನ್ನೇ ಆಗಬೇಕೆಂದು ಆಶಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಭೀಮರಾಜನು ದಮಯಂತಿಯ ಸ್ವಯಂವರವನ್ನು ಏರ್ಪಡಿಸಿ, ಅನೇಕ ರಾಜ್ಯಗಳಿಂದ ರಾಜರು ಮತ್ತು ರಾಜಕುಮಾರರನ್ನು ಆಹ್ವಾನಿಸಿದ್ದರು.

ಈ ವಿಷಯ ತಿಳಿದ ದೇವತೆಗಳಾದ ಇಂದ್ರ, ವಾಯು, ಯಮ ಮತ್ತು ಅಗ್ನಿ ದಮಯಂತಿಯ ರೂಪಕ್ಕೆ ಮರುಳಾಗಿ, ಅವಳನ್ನು ವಿವಾಹವಾಗಬೇಕೆಂದು ಸ್ವಯಂವರದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಲು ನಿಶ್ಚಯಿಸಿದರು. ಆದರೆ, ದಮಯಂತಿಯು ನಳನನ್ನು ಬಹಳ ಇಷ್ಟಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾಳೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಿತು. ಅವರು ನಳನನ್ನು ಕರೆಸಿ, “ನಾವು ನಾಲ್ವರೂ ದಮಯಂತಿಯನ್ನು ವಿವಾಹವಾಗಲು ಇಚ್ಛಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವಯಂವರಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ.” ಎನ್ನುವ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ದಮಯಂತಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಲು ಹೇಳಿದರು. ನಳನು ದೇವತೆಗಳ ಇಚ್ಛೆಯನ್ನು ನಿರಾಕರಿಸಲಾಗದೆ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಂಡನು.

ನಳನು ದಮಯಂತಿಯಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗ ಅವಳು ಅಲಂಕಾರ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು. “ಆಹಾ! ನಾನು ಮದುವೆಯಾಗಲು ಇಚ್ಛಿಸುವವಳು ಎಷ್ಟು ಸುಂದರವಾಗಿದ್ದಾಳೆ.” ಎಂದು ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯಚಕಿತನಾದನು. ಅವಳೂ ಅವನನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ “ನೀನು ಯಾರು” ಎಂದು ಕೇಳಿದಳು. ನಳ ತನ್ನ ಪರಿಚಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡನು. ಅವಳೂ ತಾನು ಇಚ್ಛಿಸಿದ ವರನ ರೂಪ ಅತಿಶಯವಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಹಿಗ್ಗಿದಳು. ಅವಳು “ನಾನು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನೇ ಮದುವೆಯಾಗಬೇಕೆಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ” ಎಂದಳು.
ನಳನು “ನಾನೂ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನೇ ಮದುವೆಯಾಗಬೇಕೆಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಆದರೆ ದೇವತೆಗಳಾದ ಇಂದ್ರ, ಅಗ್ನಿ, ವಾಯು ಮತ್ತು ಯಮ ಒಂದು ಸಂದೇಶವನ್ನು ಕಳುಹಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅವರೂ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಇಚ್ಛಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವಯಂವರಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ” ಎಂದನು.
ಆಗ ದಮಯಂತಿ ಹೇಳಿದಳು “ಅವರಿಗೂ ನನ್ನ ಸಂದೇಶವನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸು. ಏನೆಂದರೆ, ಯಾರೇ ಬಂದರೂ ನಾನು ಸ್ವಯಂವರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಳನನ್ನೇ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಮದುವೆಯಾಗುತ್ತೇನೆ”

ಸ್ವಯಂವರದ ದಿನ ಅನೇಕ ರಾಜರೂ, ರಾಜಕುಮಾರರೂ ಬಂದಿದ್ದರು. ದಮಯಂತಿಯು, ವರಮಾಲೆಯನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದು, ಮಂದಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಾ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ, ಆಯಾ ರಾಜರುಗಳ ಹೆಸರುಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಇವಳು ನಳನ ಹತ್ತಿರ ಬಂದಾಗ, ಐದು ಜನ ನಳನಂತೆ ಕಾಣಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು.

ಆಗ ದಮಯಂತಿ ದೇವರ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ಮಾಡಿ, ನಾಲ್ವರೂ ದೇವತೆಗಳು ನಳನ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆಂದು ತಿಳಿದಳು. ಐವರು ನಲರನ್ನು ಗಮನಿಸಿದಳು. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹಳ ಬಿಸಿಲಿದ್ದು ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಬೆವರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೂ, ನಾಲ್ವರ ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಹನಿ ಬೆವರೂ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲರ ನೆರಳು ಬಿದ್ದರೂ, ಈ ನಾಲ್ವರ ನೆರಳು ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಇವರು ಧರಿಸಿದ ಮಾಲೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪವೂ ಬಾಡದೆ ಬಹಳ ತಾಜಾವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಇವರುಗಳು ಕಣ್ಣು ಮಿಟಕಿಸುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ ಮತ್ತು ಇವರ ಕಾಲ್ಗಳು ನೆಲ ತಾಕಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಹೀಗೆ ಅವರನ್ನು ದೇವತೆಗಳೆಂದು ಗುರುತಿಸಿದಳು.

ಮತ್ತು ತಾನು ವರಿಸಿದ ನಳನನ್ನು ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ವಿವಾಹವಾದಳು.

 

ಮೋಹನದಾಸ ಮಹಾತ್ಮನಾದ

–  ಮ.ಅ. ನ.    M.AN.NA. 02.10.2021 ೧೫೨ನೆ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಜಯಂತಿ ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತಿ

ಪೋರ್ ಬಂದರಿನಲಿ ಪುಟ್ಟಿದ ಪೋರ, ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಆಫ್ರಿಕಾ ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷರ ದಬ್ಬಾಳಿಕೆ ಎದುರಿಸಿ ನಿಂತ ಶೂರ, ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಸ್ವಾಭಿಮಾನವ ಎದ್ದೇಳಿಸಿ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ ಸಂಗ್ರಾಮ ಗೆದ್ದ ರಣಧೀರ, ಅಸಹಕಾರ – ಅಹಿಂಸೆ ಎಂಬೆರಡು ಅಸ್ತ್ರಗಳ ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಿದ ವಕೀಲ ಚತುರ

ಸತ್ಯ , ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕತೆ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಆದರ್ಶಗಳ ನಿಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ ದೇಶಭಕ್ತ, ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಅಂತರಂಗದ ಕೂಗನು ಹೊರತಂದ ನಾಯಕ, ‘ಕ್ವಿಟ್ ಇಂಡಿಯಾ’ ‘ಉಪ್ಪಿನ ಸತ್ಯಾಗ್ರಹ’ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಯಿಂದ ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷರ ಎದೆ ನಡುಗಿಸಿದ ಸತ್ಯಾಗ್ರಹಿ, ಸ್ವಾವಲಂಬನೆಯ ಚಿಹ್ನವಾಗಿ ಚರಕವ ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಿದ ಚಾಣಕ್ಯ .

ವಿಶ್ವಕ್ಕೇ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಮಾನವ ಹಕ್ಕು ಆದರ್ಶವಾಗಿರುವ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಪಿತ ಗಾಂಧಿ, ದೇಶದ ಹಿತಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಬಲಿಯಾದ ನಿಸ್ವಾರ್ಥಿ ನರಹರಿ -ಜೀಸಸ್ – ಅಲ್ಲಾ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಒಂದೇ ಎಂದ ಸರ್ವಧರ್ಮ ಪ್ರೇಮ, ಮೋಹನದಾಸನಾದ ಮಹಾತ್ಮ ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿ

(2.10.1869 – 30.01.1948)

 

ಮಾನವ ದಾನವನಾದ

– ಮ. ಅ .ನ . M. AN. NA. 01-03-2022

‘ಜ್ಞಾನಂ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಸಹಿತಂ’ ಎಂದಂತೆ,
ಮಾನವನ ಪ್ರಗತಿಗೆ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಅನುವಾಯ್ತು .
ಎತ್ತಿನ ಬಂಡಿಯಿಂದ ಎತ್ತರದ ಆಕಾಶ ಕ್ಷಿಪಣಿಗೆ ಹಾರಿದ.
ಭೂಮಿಯಿಂದ ಸಾಗರದ ಆಳಕ್ಕೆ ಹೊಕ್ಕು ನೋಡಿದ .
ಮಾಡದ ಸಾಹಸವಿಲ್ಲ, ಕಾಡದ ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳಿಲ್ಲ .
ರೋಗ , ಮದ್ದು ಸಂಶೋಧನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊಲ, ಇಲಿ , ಕೋತಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಪ್ರಾಣಿಹಿಂಸೆ ಮಾಡಿದ .
ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಾರ್ಥಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಿಸರ್ಗವನ್ನೇ ಮರೆತ!
ತನಗೆ ತಾನೆಂದು ಮೆರೆದ . ಸಂಶೋಧನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನುರಿತನಾಗಿ ಅಣುಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನೂ ಕಂಡುಹಿಡಿದ .
ಕೊನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅದರ ದುರುಪಯೋಗದ ದುರ್ಬುದ್ಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಾನವನಾದ.
ಮಾನವ ದಾನವನಾಗುವುದು ಸುಲಭ.
ಮಾನವ ಮಾಧವನೇಕಾಗುವಿದಿಲ್ಲ ?

 

ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತೆರಡರ ಆಶಾಕಿರಣ

– ಮ. ಅ .ನ . M. AN. NA. 01-03-2022

ನರಹರಿಯು ಈಗಲಾದರೂ ಸದ್ಭುದ್ಧಿ ನೀಡಲಾಗದೇ ?
ಹೋದ ವರ್ಷ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತು ಹೋಯಿತು ಎಡವಟ್ಟು ಎಂದೆ,
ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತೊಂದನ್ನ ಸ್ವಾಗತಿಸಿದೆ !
ಆದರೆ , ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತೊಂದು ಕೊಡ್ತು ಕಷ್ಟಗಳ ಎರಡು ಪಟ್ಟು!!
ಪೆಟ್ಟಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ಪೆಟ್ಟು!
ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತೆರಡಾದರೂ ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೆ ಸುಖ ಸೌಭಾಗ್ಯ ನೆಮ್ಮದಿ ತರಲೆಂದು ಆಶಿಸುತ,
ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ನರಹರಿಯಲಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುತ .