We are what we are !!

நம்நாட்டில் தொன்மையான வழிபாட்டு மரபுகள் இருக்கின்றன. சில மூதாதையர் வழிபாடாகவும்,மேலும் சில கிராம தெய்வ அல்லது , பெருதெய்வ  வழிபாடாகவும், மற்றும் சில உயர் தத்துவ  வழிபாடாகவும் வெளிப்பட்டு பரிணமித்து உள்ளன. இந்த மூன்று வழிபாட்டு மரபும் தான் கர்ம , பக்தி மற்றும் ஞான யோகமுறைகள் என்று வேத மார்க்கங்களிலும் பகவத் கீதையிலும் அனாதிகாலமாய் சொல்லப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. இதானால் தான் விவேகானந்தர் இந்த சனாதன தர்மத்தை "mother of all religions" என்று கூறினார். "akasaath pathitham thoyam yadha gachadhi saagaram; sarva deva namaskaram sri kesavam pradhigachathi" என்ற கீதை ஸ்லோகத்தின் வாயிலாக விவேகானந்தர் தன்னுடைய சிகாகோ சொற்பொழிவில் எந்தக் கடவுளைக் கும்பிட்டாலும் அது நீரோடையாய் கடலை சென்று அடைவதைப்போல கேசவனையே நோக்கிச்செல்லும் என்று ஞானிகள் அறிவர் என்று ஆரம்பித்தார்.. அதனால் கருப்பண்ணசாமியை கும்பிட்டாலும் , கிருஷ்ணஸ்வாமியை கும்பிட்டாலும் ஒன்றுதான்! அதனினும் மேலாக உன்னையே நீ அறிவாய் என்று த்யானித்தாலும் அதுவும் ஒன்றுதான். நாம் ஆன்மிகத்தின் ஒன்றாம் கிளாஸில் இருக்கும்போது கருப்பண...

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE- A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE  The govt. bureaucrats may have been given targets- but are they in sync with a)People-Demographic Dividend- perspective;b)Growth/improvement/Productivity & Value add perspective;c)Cost & Efficiency perspective;d)Trade, Industry and Service sectors perspective. I am only trying to put some of my thoughts here on this. For example, People perspective may contain 1)Targets, Plans vs Actuals for review of Basic Infrastructure requirements of the citizens whose welfare is supposedly in their hands; 2)the reviews may be done in terms of Quality, Cost and Delivery; 3)Local administration may be looked after, along with a Steering council to assist the Bureaucrats; this Steering Council may have nominated representatives with fixed tenure of 1 to 2 years, as suggested in the box below: Equal weightage may be given to all Stakeholders. the above matrix gives representation to all the Pillars ...

Madurai is an unique city in many ways. I am just sharing one of the unique coincidences, I came across. Of course, it has Meenakshi Amman temple which is an architectural marvel. But, how it received its name?. Mathura in the north is the Birthplace of Lord Krishna.Madura , which means a drop of nectar, in the south is the place where Lord Narayana /Vishnu took his first Avatar, Matsyavathar. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, the first Manu (Vaivaswatha Manu) was the Dravida King by name Satyavrata who saw the Lord in the form of fish in Krithamala/Vaigai River in Madurai and what follows is the story of Matsyavatar ,which is similar to that of Noah's Ark.(there is still a branch of river Vaigai by name Krithamala in Madurai( now it is a drainage)).By the by, the name Pandya literally has come from Tamil word "Pandaya"(பண்டைய ) i.e old. The first Manu is from Madurai!! ( There is an interesting corollary to this which tells that Ikshvaku dynasty are the descendants ...

Govt has many things to do. On the one hand it has to effectively curtail the spread, limit the speed, and mitigate the severity of COVID 19 pandemic and on the other it has keep the econom ic train going which is at present devoid of fuel and so slowing and sputtering.Only the direction is correct because of the Driver. The cynics always say only when India is pushed into a crisis or is it serindipity(!) ,only then it bounces back by taking up the much needed reforms. The year 1991 is a stark reminder of this.The 30 year itch is back to haunt us. Now, First things first. Health is wealth and Thiruvalluvar also says " பிணியின்மை செல்வம் விளைவின்பம் ஏமம்  அணியென்ப நாட்டிவ் வைந்து."   a nd so the citizens remaining without major diseases are an asset and an ornament for any country. But this is a prerequisite or hygiene factor or given or default option, when it comes to running a nation in today's context.However, an emerging economy like India having made r...

We are what we are.. wonderstruck at the divine beauty of our heritage! Valmiki's first sloka is an inexplicable divine wonder revealing that Inscrutable are the ways of Bhagawan. It is actually a curse which turned out to be a sloka and that carries two distinct meanings -one which is known by its explicit meaning and the other implied and divine.!! Vālmīki was going to the river Ganges for his daily ablutions. A disciple by the name Bharadvāja was carrying his clothes. On the way, they came across the Tamasa Stream. Looking at the stream, Vālmīki said to his disciple, "Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today." When he was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, he saw a crane(krouncha) couple mating. Vālmīki felt very pleased on seeing the happy birds. Suddenly, hit by an arrow, the male bird died on the spot. Filled by sorrow, its mate screamed in agony and died of shock. Vālmīki's heart melted at this p...

We continue to mouth the cliché that Exports are national priority.Exports like Agriculture will be the life blood of Indian economy. The spin-off or multiplier effects of Exports are hugely beneficial for the Economy.It creates and thrives on  Export Competitiveness Enhancers which are Quality Improvement, Cost Reduction,Delivery improvement. They enable the exporter to emerge as the winner in the global market. International market forces at free play uphold the Darwinian principle of "survival of the fittest". When the Government does its part  of the work on Infrastructure development in terms of Roads, Ports and Power Generation improvements all these provide momentum to the multiplier effect already set in motion and that cumulatively snowballs into better quality of life for the People of India. Exports contribute not only to earnings in foreign exchange but also to Employment ge...

Are we not parasites?Are you sure.We are what we are... Now Covid 19 virus is busy spreading and gobbling up everything on the way from east to west and back to east.But the funny thing is, it cannot exist and thrive without a host.That is, it is a parasite.Even though the the whole world is on its knees begging for its life, this invisible virus is wreaking havoc on humanity. Are we any different from this parasite, living on Mother Earth's resources and leaving our Mother emaciated,polluted and weakened.Are we not selfishly gnawing at our Shelter's roots that provide life and succour to all the innumerable living creatures. This Parasite Covid 19 is showing us how we shamelessly live, holding a mirror to us. Let us live a life helping others live. Let us light up others' lives. Are we in a mood to listen?Are we humanitarian any more?