Category: A04 — THOUGHTS ON SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES

“Choottu, chirattai, pakkuvetty, parupputhengai, pattakkudai, poottu, kadalai, karuveppilai thogayal–“
I see your raising eyebrows and bulging eyes flashing the question silently, ” Who threw a stone into the blissfully silent waters of Perinkulam, to disturb our peace?”
Who else could it be other than my Panthalam friend, who makes every objects under the sun, his subjects and parade them before us sometimes well-clothed and many time devoid of clothing? My shrunken memory and starving word power are ill- equipped to write about even the few items mentioned above and therefore, sigh in relief, I shall quit the scene after saying a few words  only about the first in the list-the indigenous hand torch made out of  dry wastes fallen from coconut trees.
The first time I saw the choottu velicham was, as an young boy, while returning along with my cousin, after watching a late show in the Alathur Swathy Cinema theater. A known elderly person from our village was passing through the outskirt, waving his choottu and attracted by the sparkles produced by it when he moved his hand holding it,  I inquired my cousin, ” what is that magic wand,  producing glamorous sparks from the burning end?”  My cousin, elder to me by an year or two, was naturally wiser and as all elders do, instead of answering my query,  replied with a half-concealed  smile, “oh, mama is going for ‘sambandham” . I knew then neither the meaning of that word ‘sambandham’ nor the reason that prompted him to smile. Later,I was forced to make a detailed study on that word, its meaning and implications, when no girl of my caste came forward to marry me and  my dear Appa, with all the concern for the comforts of his son thundered, “Poi sambandham vechukkoda” . That was not, however necessary,as, by that time, an innocent girl committed the most serious mistake in her life, by agreeing to become my wife. Appa, while giving me that permission, had perhaps in his mind, the history of our family too- two of my ancestors had sambandham, for valid reasons, of course.
I became familiar with choottu later and longed to hold it myself, though I was not permitted , while Appa used to take me to the Kallaikkulangara Bagavathy temple, for watching kathakali dance shows during the Sivarathy festival. It was a pleasure to follow him, crossing the hillock, near the Olavakkode railway track, just a few yards away from our house, guided by the choottu velicham , flowing from rhythmic waving of his hand. The dance shows were there consecutively for nine nights and I never used to miss a single show , not because that I enjoyed all the shows but there was a thrill in trekking the hard rock and treading across the mud -foot path bordering the paddy fields, on the way to the temple, enjoying the sparkles of the choottu and the sound emanating from the  night birds and insects.
While returning early morning , after the night shows, dazed and dull, the pathetic cry for help, from a low caste, dark skinned,  Nayadi woman, used to penetrate my heart. Her dry, dangling- breasts , dirty, black loin cloth which struggled to touch her knee, damaged nose  and drooping  frame were unbearable and  standing down the hill, far away from our pathway, she used to shrill, ‘thamburakkale, visakkunnu-master, I am hungry”. Appa  used to throw small coins towards her direction and sometime some old clothes too which she used to grab as if she were seeing such articles for the first time in her life.
“While Sri Krishna and Arjuna are well -fed and glamorously dressed why does this female be  so ill-nourished and inadequately clothed ?” I used to ask myself.
That was long, long ago.
The dry, dark,  broomstick -like, choottu is not to be seen now. Only its subtle smile lingers in the heart. But I continue to hear the pathetic shrill cry of that Nayadi woman, seeking for a morsel of food or a meter of cloth to cover the nakedness, from several other women ,men, and children from far and near.
And I pose now, almost the same question which I used to ask as a child, to myself, though for comparison, I do not need the glamorous kathakali characters..
Hyderabad,
October 31, 2010

Donation of eyes, organs and dead body to others
Any religious book or spiritual guide or any sastram, neethy which prohibits donating our eyes, blood, kidney or even the entire body for the benefit of others, deserves ignoring.
It is the soul which takes rebirth and not the unwanted , deteriorated, dumped as useless and then burnt or buried,disgusting garbage called body.
Pray let that not happen to any one who disagree with me that they or the one closed to them  land in a situation where they have to ask for the organ of others. In the unfortunate event of it happening, they will realize that they were wrong.
If you do not want to offer your organ to others none can compel you; but do not try to justify it on rebirth or other belief.
One of  the basic principles of our culture is paropakaaram-
helping others.
‘paropakaaraatha midam sareeram”
Twenty five youngsters came running from my organisation when large quantity of blood was reaquired for my wife, who underwent a major surgery. I did not ask for their caste or religion, before their blood was drawn- and the blood was all of the same colour!
July, 10th 2010
The request for forwarding this article seeking help for the lesser fortunate ones among us, from a relative of mine, happened to catch my eyes, among scores of mails, lying unattended in my in-box as I have been busy  with my family activities, after my return from abroad. I pass this on for the attention of those who are blessed with a kind heart , who can afford to help and even if they cannot afford as in my case, pass on to others so that some one in some corner will come forward to donate an eye or any other requirement of AJFTLE .
It is possible that you may come across some scholars who are determined to reach their heavenly aboard, leaving their body in tact, with all the organs made available to them by the divinity, when they entered this mundane world. Do not be angry with them. They have a point. The body is constituted of  the elements of Nature and therefore they are eager it to return it to the Nature without any structural deficiency, which is bound to happen if any organ is removed for re- plantation elsewhere. But the body does degenerate and it is  impossible to give back to the Nature, in the same condition it was handed over to us. But those learned men might still have some ways of returning their worldly possession unscathed . Wish them well but push them aside if they stand on your way. Push them gently as otherwise they might fall and crack their skull which may necessitate carrying them in an ambulance driven by a paraya and get the surgery done by a pulaya, the untouchable avarnas. Not only that they might need blood in the course of the surgical intervention and there is no blood bank which labels blood according to the donar’s ‘varna’ or caste . So push them gently but do push them and you may use a ‘visary’ or bamboo fan for the purpose, as some of our sanyasis do to clear way in a crowd.
Being the Karkitaka masam, I read Thunchthacharaya’
s Ramayanam, for a few minutes everyday whenever time permits. I pray to that great Brahmin, born in the womb of an ‘avarna’ woman, who could see the God in every movable and immovable things, to bestow me with at least a micro unit of his wisdom and vision.
Open my eyes, Baghavan and when you close them for ever, let my progeny have the will to donate them to someone, who will have better use for them. I am sure that in my further journey, You will become my eyes. And my Jagatchatshusse, are there any better eyes than yourself?
July 20, 2010
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I am with GV. In fact, whenever I press the dollar button on my key board, though occasionally, a mild disappointment used to pinch a corner of my heart, ‘why are we not having our own symbol for the currency?’
Let us be proud of our achievements, though many times I feel that we could have done better. Let us be proud of our army and other wings of the security system, even our political, judiciary,press and all other National necessities, though there is a lot of scope for improvement. Let us think of ways of improving the existing system instead of condemning them.
We are a great nation; our people are great. ‘0h, from India!’ the yoga teacher in the Baltimore gym, exclaimed bringing his palms together towards his chest, when I was introduced to him by my son.
‘India, India!’ exclaimed a school girl in the NASA rocket station, whom I met and try to explain our achievement in the space technology.
‘INDIA, INDIA’ Let every one of us proclaim keeping our head high. We are great; believe me WE ARE GREAT.
And we will be the best in the world if we stand together and wipe of poverty and  illiteracy from this  ancient land.
Hyderabad
July, 28 2010
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Quote reluctantly:
“Over time, as the “Western wave” overtakes Indian identity, and turns it into just another extension of the universal “Ummah”, the rupee itself will disappear (as did the chakram and the panam), to be replaced by the Crescent and star on the obverse side, and the outsize “U”, representing the new Emma currency, on the front face”.
Unquote proudly:
Yes, Chakram and panam have disappeared and one day or the other, everything will disappear. That doesn’t mean that we should wish for the death of  any  creation, any new ideas, before it comes out of the maternity ward. Some people never leave their negative thoughts even when the temple bells ring. I am not with them. . The temple bells are also a symbol .The ring tones kindle your aspiration to reach the divine zone and your hope that the divine hands will remove the hurdles on your path . But the tones are not permanent. What is permanent in this world? That is a stupid question to throw at a scholar.
I am not with the  Durvasas  who curse anything, everything, anytime.
Let us work together to bring all the country men together, whether they wear panchgatcham or jeans pants and try to build a new India. We have enough ‘margadarses’ role models in our history for guidance. Durvasa is not among them. And I want to enjoy the sun-rise and sun set, standing on the beach and not runaway with the fear that the tsunami waves will swallow me anytime.
Hyderabad,
July, 29 2010
——————————————Comments———–
Mama….well said…. I respect
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone
Kamesh
[email protected]
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V.Mahadevan
__

Rajashree
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— Now that the dust and din created by our discussion and mud-throwing on sagotra weddings,sandhya vandanam and other substantial subjects have settled down, shall we discuss some mundane issues, helpful for our life in this world not necessarily for the one beyond that?.

Friends,
To be frank, I am unable to digest some of the materials presented in our forums. Is it because of my pathetically below- average IQ or I am completely out of tune with the current thinking? Or is that my idiotic brain has been invaded by a bad spirit and  I should contact a mantravadi sitting under a tree with a skull and a pair of bones collected fresh from a cremation ground?
what are these ‘ bad spirits’ pantulu garu ?  They raise their ugly head now and then to scare me as I do not have the protective armor . Is this ‘spirit’ a  synonym of the ‘soul’?  Then, the moment  freed from the cage, it should fly high and amalgamate with its source of origin or happily enter into some wombs and restart the journey. Instead,why should it wander as a yakshi, clad in a snow-white sari, keeping its feet six inches above the ground or as a brahmarakshas, hang from the banayan tree,six feet above the ground? Swamy Dayananda Sarswathy says that death is death whether it happens due to accident or ‘araamse’ comfortably in sleep and in call cases the soul begins the next  journey immediately. If the soul is lethargic like my brain and wants to relax in between while crossing the vaidharani river holding the tail of an animal, let it take its own time but why wait as a ‘pootham’ or ‘pisachu’  to prey on the poor worker or a railway porter,who after a day’s hard work loves to take a dip in the Kalpathy river on his way home?
(Incidentally, if you are really interested to know about these spirits on the banks of the Kalpathy river, please read my story, “my childhood fears and fantasies”)
To be frank again, I have not come across a single spirit good or bad, though I have spent a whole night among  dead bodies and crossed cemeteries and grave yards at night hours, alone. I have a little knowledge about one spirit and that is in liquid form (not to be discussed here)
I believe that we are unnecessarily carrying forward the fear and fantasies of our ancestors who lived in villages with no electricity and the dark environment combined with non- availability of medical support and other modern facilities induced fear in them and their imagination entered and flourished in unnatural and super natural spheres.
Be assured-there are no bad spirits. If you doubt someone is under the influence  of such spirits take him to a psychiatric and not to a mantravadi. Similarly, if  a MIL orders her DIL to go and sleep in the garage ( it was cowshed in the olden days), till her purification after the monthly periods, her son should give company and up keep his promise made on the wedding day. And don not delay taking the good old MIL to a clinical psychologist.
Please be reasonable.
And let us stop this ‘ummachi kannai kuthaum’ threat. We have already become’ bayanthan kollies’ cowards; allow our children to grow as Abhimanyus to enter into any ‘vyoohams’ or battle formations which are not in short- supply in their jouney. God is love and the mantras are holy. I would prefer a CD record of a vedic scholar rather than my untrained tongue to teach mantras .  In the olden days the oral education was the only method available and there were well- trained teachers available in every village and hence oral imparting of knowledge was recommended.
And four-days-long marriage ceremonies, now in cities?
How do I pay for the hall, where do I find vadhyars and how do I pay him and above all which bride and groom will be available for four days?
When the weddings were conducted in own houses or nearby temples and relatives from far away places had to come by bullock carts or even by walk and when the villagers used to extend their helping hand not only for cooking and making laddu and murukku etc and even in other arrangements, when vaadyars were earnest,educated and reasonable, it was fine. There were instances when relatives have met after decades on a wedding ceremony. My grand mother’s sister moved out of Vaikom, for the first time, after forty years and one athai, returned to see her mother from Thanjvur after 25 years!  My grand mother’s and her cousin’s wedding took place in the same pantal and there was a mix-up of partners (!) during the evening procession under gas lights. The brides and grooms, who were children, were holding the hands of wrong partners .An old man in the group noticed the innocently done but unacceptable exchange!
Our children will not believe this.
I attended a wedding before coming to US, in Hyderabad, in December last. The groom, an NRI, wanted a chair to sit to perform the rites and the girl’s father, well dressed for a board meeting, wanted the entire ceremony to be over in an hour. Everyone was happy and the happiest man was the vadyar who pocketed Rs. 18,250..00 ( Rs. 10,000 from both the parties less Rs.1000 for materials he brought and  750. paid to the poor brahmin assistant.)
This is not the way to perform a wedding ;l but this is what is happening now. I am for displaying banners in temples and samjams explaining the importance of the mantras related to wedding and all other ceremonies so that people know what they are doing and what they have to do. The money spent on gold crowns for  the already over-burdened celestial heads and on airfreights for the travel of holy souls can be more effectively used for such purposes. The ‘BALA VIHARS’ in US,under the aegis of the Chinmaya mission is doing an admirable job to educate children on spiritual matters. In Baltimore I saw more than 50 volunteers, some coming from distant places at their own expense, forming groups to teach not only Sanskrit slokas but language, painting, music etc.  In Ocala, where I live now,there are less than 150  Indian families but they assemble every sunday in a common place and the Mission has provided excellant books and guidance. I wish we had such arrangements in every temple, in every samajams in our country too.
Every one in a forum has the right to air his or her views .The very purpose of forming a team is that – to debate and beneift. But, suggestions should be practical and taking into account the place, time and available facilities and capabilities of people. Other wise they will be ignored and discarded for ever. The purpose is defeated.
Let the message from this august forum be pragmatic and let us all live in the present.
“

“Innale chaithorabaddam, lokark-
kinnathe aacharamakam
Nalathe saastrmathakam
Atil moolaika sammada, Rajan!”

(Maha Kavi Kumaran Asan)
Oh, King! Yesterday’s mistake can become today’s practice and tomorrow’s sastram.(Therefore), do not say,’yes’.
No one will go near a widow today to tonsure her  or break her glass bangles and will not dare to do that in future also. We have come long way from those medieval madness  and inhuman intimidation of innocent women.
Women in our society were venerated as visual goddesses and no worship was complete without the wife standing behind the husband. Their opinion was sought on all major issues and in many cases their words were final.
The Indian house- wife was  a synonym for sincerity, selfishness and sacrifice. Let us talk about that and teach our children to learn from them.
And bury the blunders of the past.

Posted by AVMV on the 4Brahmins Yahoo groups

Dear Cheenu and all friends,

Keeping in tune with our Cheenu’s light-hearted (yet profound) picturesque observation on ‘Kalarppu Kalyaanam’ (emphasis being on ‘Kalarppu’ and ‘progeny’) of the  ‘progenitors’ thereof, I wish to share a limerick (tongue-in-cheek verse for some!!…short, irreverent, often bawdy verses…for many) with oblique reference to natural ‘Laws’. The word “law” could also be applied to statements of observed fact of a rather different kind; for example, as a handy expression to sum up a general tendency, in cases where a given effect usually, though not
necessarily, follows a given cause. Thus the **Mendelian “law” of inheritance expresses the observed fact that the mating of, for example,  black with white will—-taking it by and large—-produce black, white and mulatto offspring in a certain numerical proportion. (Mendel was very good in Maths).

The Limerick??
There was a young lady of Starky,  Who had an affair with a darkie.  The results of their sins  were quadruplets, not twins,  One black, one white, and two khaki.
A Bonus Limerick:
There was a young lady named Bright,  Whose speed was much faster than light. She set off one day In a relative way,  And returned the previous night.
Finally, to me Smt. Shanthi Subra’s rejoinder appeared to be more of a caustic remark on ‘MK’ than eulogizing him on his unsolicited advice on ‘kalarppu kalyaanam’.
Warm rgds
AVM~V
20-01-10
**PS:
The foundations of the modern science of genetics were laid by Gregor Mendel, an Austrian Monk, who carried out experiments on the inheritance of characters between generations. Mendel worked on inheritance in sweet-peas, and selected characters that bred true; that is, the characters did not blend into one another in the next generation. Characters chosen for study by Mendel included flower colour (such as red versus white), plant height (tall versus dwarf), seed coat (smooth-coated seeds verses wrinkled seeds), pod length (long pods versus short pods), and so on. Mendal eventually formulated the three laws of genetics, known today as the Mendelian laws of inheritance. These are the law of Segregation, the law of Independent Assortment,  and the law of Dominance. Mendel’s work went unnoticed for nearly two decades after his death in 1887, but was eventually recognized widely by the scientific
community.
Sarvasya cha Aham hrudi samnivishta:
(‘I’ am installed in the hearts of everyone)
–(Gita 15.15)

There has been an exchange of thoughts,  on astrological predication which kindles my interest in knowing more about this science or art or ignorable irrelevance or whatever you call it..
Two astrologers never agree; so, where is the lacuna? Lack of clarity of the basics or lack of prudence in calculation ? How old is this subject? Has the Vedas mention about it? Puranas did not seem to have worried much about it. Had it been so, The wise king Janka would have chosen a husband for Sita as per the astrologer’s suggestion and perhaps saved her from the mental agony she had undergone in her married life. Even the all-knowing Sri.Krishna did not think of the planets when he grabbed Rukmini’s hands in a temple and rode to his palace. In fact, in the olden days,  brides from the royal family were given the privilege of selecting husbands of their choice.Even gaandharvaa type of weddings -meet and marry-was allowed. Bheeshma did not consult an astrologer before forcefully taking away three royal sisters to Hasthinapur-( how I wish he had!). So, when did the astrologer enter into our society and prevented the eligible couple coming together in wed lock, threatening the curse of some planets which roam in the sky?
But one thing is sure; not only in India, but elsewhere too, astrology was in practice during the earlier days and a lot of thoughts have gone into that matter and a lot of debates and discussions have taken place. But for me, Sri. Purandaradas is the guide:
‘”
Saklagraha bhala Neene Sarasijakasha!
Nikhila vyapak Neene Viswaraksha!
Ravi, Chandra, Budah, Neene, Rahu kethu Neene
Kavi,Guru, Saniyu, Mangalanu Neene,
Dhivasa varavu Neene, Navavidhananu Nneene.
Bhavrogha hara namma Beshajanu Neene.
Paksha, masavu Neene, parvakaalavu Neene,
Nakshathrkeeyike karanavu Neene.
Akshaya drowpathiya mankathava Neene
Pakshivaahana deenarakshakanu Neene
Rithukaalavu Neenu,vrathadhinankalu Neene,
Krathavu snanavu, sandhya gathiyu Neene.
Ithilhi nannodaya Purandhara Vitalaa!
Sthuikea silukatha Mahathmanu Neene
Sakala graha——–”
And no regrets. In fact I am benefited. As per the three astrologers whom my people consulted, I would have died thrice and had I believed in their predication, I would have died two years earlier to the first date, just out of fear!
But you may discuss. Let some useful information come out.
Love,
Siva,
Baltimore

RFr”Mry class mates in the school and college from the nearby Brahmin villages, used to come to the class shabbily dressed, with uncombed hair and no footwear to protect their sole from the torching heat or an umbrella to protect their head
from the pouring rains. From their shrunken face I could read that they would have come for studies with an empty
stomach and also will have nothing to eat when they go back home?
What do you know about poverty, Sir?”
I asked a friend, through one of these columns, sometime ago.
I ask the same question again to those who support donating jewels to rich temples or throw basket-full of apples and mangoes, laddus and kanchi pattu saries into the sacred fire, in the name of propitiating the Gods. When you pour milk, ghee or honey on the head of a deity, chanting appropriate mantras, from a spoon or a small pitcher ‘kindi’ or kamandalu’, it becomes ‘abhisheakam’ or celestial bath. But when you pour those precious fluids, which can alleviate the hunger of many, in liters and gallons, it becomes a crime.
I am serious. This is not one of my usual posts , where I vainly attempt to make you laugh or smile and forget your worries for a short while ( and get a bad name and bashings left and right, in that process).  Sometime ago, one of the Tamil visual media,  used to show  repeatedly a well-built Brahmin, call him Guru, swamy or sanyasi, I am least bothered, dropping apples and ladoos and other fruits and eatables, in tons along with costly silk sarees in dozens, into the mouth of sacred fire.The back ground was ideal with a number of ‘madisar’ mamies and bare chested mamas with white criss-cross marks all over their body.
Do you think that this show was repeatedly telecast to spread the cult of ‘bakthi” or to stress the importance of performing homams or worship through the fire god?  I am happy that you do not think so. This show was a purposeful video propaganda to tell people how brahmins are wasting the valuable resources while millions around are starving.
Chellappa’s ailing wife in the hospital is asking for just one apple, as prescribed by the doctor. She had never eaten that fruit before. Chellappa weeps silently because he doesn’t have money to buy one apple fruit. But he sobs uncontrallably, as if his heart would break into pieces, when his daughter asks for an apple, after seeing dozens of such fruits, being thrown into the fire, in the TV.(Provided free of cost by a vote seeking vulture).
I know now that you will weep, if I ask you the question,”‘what do you know about povertry, sir?”.
Don’t do that. Pour liters and gallons of pure water over the head of the Siva lingam in your pooja room. ‘Neelakantaya, Mrithyunjaya,Sarveswaraya, Sadasivaya Sremman Mahadevaya namaha:”
Your God carries on His Divine head the Ganga, perennial celestial river and NOT a dairy. Still, you can pour water over His head and he will appreciate that , if  that satisfies you.