I don’t know whether you have observed or not every small man, however insignificant he might be in the eyes of his friends, family and society, has some admirable qualities, which will be visible only if we move closely.
There is no completely waste product in God’s creation.
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If one doesn’t talk much, don’t think he doesn’t know much. He might perhaps, know much more than me and you.
But if your wife doesn’t talk much, not a good omen. She has learnt much about you.
Pet, pat or do any magic and make her talk.🍎🍓
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Everyone should have some aim in life; some purpose for living. Right?
Not necessarily, if you ask me.
The one who accepts life as it rolls before him and lives happily, doing his best, without worrying much about the future, lives happily.
The one who plans life meticulously ends life, in many cases, with disappointment.
I’m not advocating for NIL planning but only making my point that planning is not everything.
No votes for me, I know.
Blog
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Stray thoughts of Sivasu for the day
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Live your life when you own it.
Many people in India, especially those who retired from Govt. Service at 60, come to the conclusion that their life is almost over and the remaining period is not worth living. In comparison, I’m amazed at the glowing aspiration and anxiety to live and enjoy life till the last minute, in the western countries. There is no retirement here. Work as long as you are fit. I retired at the age of fifty eight and worked for five years for a private company and would have continued even today, but for the hurricane lashed in my life. A junior at NIN, is now a professor in a leading Institue here at 75 or so and drives his car to the hospital despite his eye- weakness. While strolling on the lawns of the Columbia university, Srikanth told me, ‘Appa, if you can teach any subject well, you will get a job here!’
He, certainly, is not unaware of my age.
Recently, Dr. Vasudevan Kidambi, our family friend was narrating his experience in Boston, where he went for a medical conference. He wanted accommodation for a night and chose a home service in a nearby village as he preferred that.
Excellent ambience, excellent food and above all excellent service. The host was an elderly lady.
You know her age? She was a sweet 15 plus 80!
When the cab didn’t turn up, she boarded her car seat and offered my friend, ‘ get in. doctor,” she invited him. ‘I will drop you in the airport’ . Airport was 20 miles away. When my friend offered payment by cheque or credit card, for accommodation and food, she replied, ‘ if you don’t have cash, you may give me in your next trip’. He was totally a stranger!
The reason for accepting cash for her non- commercial service was, she utilizes that money to serve free food, once a week, for the poor in the village!
She served as a nurse during the Second World War. Once a soldier, always a soldier. Once a nurse, always a nurse.
“My first wife at 95 drives from New York to New Jersey,” claimed John proudly whom I casually met in a park . “I didn’t ask him how many wives, you have?” It was not my interest. But I could guess his age, roughly, if not accurately. He came driving all the way from Baltimore to Orlando- distance of 880 miles!
My suggestion to men and women of all ages is, ‘live your life, when you own one; If it is taken away, and it can be taken away any day, any moment, let that go. Enjoy as a child would when his kite sours up. If the thread gets cut, it is ok. But let it fly, fly high happily, when the thread is intact’ -
Mangottu Bagavathy and my two relatives
When I see this picture of Athipotta Mangottu Bagavathy, I’m reminded of a relative of mine, a dull-head and uneducated from Athipotta, Alathur.
His only source of income was from the ancestral agricultural land which was snatched by his shrewd tenants and some relatives, exploiting his innocence.
With no job, no skill to earn money, no parents or other elders , his life was condemned to be doomed.
But, luckily, that didn’t happen.
Another relative of mine, an elementary school teacher, father of three daughters, gave his eldest daughter in marriage to him. Parents, those days were compelled to marry off their daughters, somehow, before their attaining the age of puberty. ‘He has an own house, strong body, comes from a respectable family; will somehow find a job and maintain his wife’-expected the girl’s father.
The girl was intelligent. She wanted to study further and my father put her in the Komarapuram Teachers’ Training Institute and took care of her accommodation, food and other needs. He got her a job too in her own village.
The house was own, there were two milch cows and with her income as a teacher, she maintained the family. What was important was how well she looked after her husband, without giving any scope for him to feel that he was not the earning member and was living under his wife’s patronage. She encouraged him to do some petty jobs, such as selling the vegetable produced in her back yard, vending the milk products etc and allowing him to keep some amount with him. He didn’t know how to spend that money and ultimately, it went to her hands. But her approach was admirable . ‘It is your earning; you keep,’ she used to tell him.
She also used to complement him for small jobs carried out as if those were big accomplishments.
‘Wah, what a clean job! Not a single pebble in the parboiled rice you washed!’
Or,
‘Sure, you didn’t use a hand machine to slice the drumstick into such uniform pieces?’ Etc.
I was a child then, but from the husband’s hearty laugh and contented smiles, could gauge his overflowing satisfaction,
But it looked funny for me then, the sight of a large man, dark skinned, with strong hands and legs, prominent nose and big ears resting his clumsy head on the tiny laps of a sleek woman and her patting him as if he was a baby who won’t get into sleep, unless she petted and patted!
But, today, when I see this picture of the Mangott Amma, I realize that it was the incarnation of the Bagavathy, who took the form of the intelligent and compassionate wife of that innocent, idiotic relative of mine, who enjoyed his life till the last drop, with no education, no earning, no skill worth mentioning. -
The stars don't want me to come up ?
My grand niece Gayathri cooked Muringai elai adai and while enjoying it along with veppelai katti, the good lady remembered me and sent a picture of the snack with a tag, ‘missed you, Athan’.
I expected her to ‘miss’ me, while boiling milk, every time!
While I was at her house recently to participate in a Rudrajapam, I volunteered to do any work and unable to tolerate my nuisance, I was asked to ‘keep a watch’ on the milk being cooked on two vessels on the stove, side by side. After a few minutes, one of the guests came in and seeing me standing like a stick and not stirring the liquid, starred at me, removed one of the vessels from the stove, which was slowly getting charred at the bottom of the vessel.
“The milk didn’t boil,” I volunteered to show that I did my job perfectly and if the vessel got charred, it was not my mistake.
“Ilakkanam!”- you had to stir it-a strong but short admonition( considering my age).
Instantly, I started stirring the liquid in the second vessel on the stove while the ‘ilakkanam’ instructor was busy transferring the milk from the first vessel to another one. Suddenly, with no warning, the milk under my control bubbled and while I was searching for the ‘off’ button, it overflowed on the stove with a ‘keetch’ sound.
‘Palu, palu,’ I yelled and the ‘ilakkanam’ instructor turned at me and stared as if I had meddled with his Panchagatcham. He had come ready on his traditional dress for the worship.
Having known that he is a Pediatrician, I volunteered, ‘my nephew too is a Pediatrician’. That statement was absolutely unnecessary there. But that was just my effort to cool him down and gain his friendship. But instead of saying, ‘then, it is ok’, he simply said, ‘I see’.
While I was searching for paper napkin to remove the milk spilled on the stove table and clean it, my grand niece entered in and consoled me, ‘it is ok, Athan’.
‘It is not Ok,” I expected the ‘ilakkanam’ to say, while she was clearing the mess. But he didn’t. My ‘pediatrician’ dose had obviously worked.
But, I didn’t want to look small before my grand niece. I pulled out my iPad and showed her the picture, she had clicked on the previous evening, of my boiling the milk with great success.
This was what happened then. Her husband was boiling milk on a gas stove outside while I was strolling nearby enjoying his garden and swimming pool. Someone called him from inside and he rushed handing over me the ladle with a request, ‘ please keep a watch’. After two minutes, he retuned and wanted to take over but I refused.
‘Don’t worry,’ I told him. ‘ I’m an expert in boiling milk’
Apparently, he didn’t believe my words, seeing the angle in which I was holding the ladle in my hand, but he didn’t want to insist on my parting with it and hurt my feelings. Therefore, he went inside, keeping a close watch at me through the glass partition door, so that he could jump in and save the milk, in case it was about to overflow. His wife, enjoyed the scene and clicked a picture of my taking care of the milk.
Had she not seen my doing the job perfectly on the previous evening, she wouldn’t have entrusted next day, the job.
But the culprit was the electrical stove, whose on off press buttons were on the top and I couldn’t differentiate between those. In a split second, the milk started bubbling, I got confused. The gas stove outside had on- off knobs and I’m an expert in handling those.
Many times I don’t get opportunities to exhibit my skills, but when those come, something or other happens and stops my success. As Ammalu says, Suthippodabam!- the effect of evil eyes has to be removed!
Or, the Stars don’t want me to come up? -
Thayir Sadam and vadumAngai – curd rice and mango pickle
This is between us. My children take me to all types of eating houses in America- Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Japanese etc. Even to an Ethiopian restaurant they took me once. I do enjoy different types of cuisine and varieties of wine, including blue and hot wine, my son in law ordered for me once, though Margareta from any Mexican restaurant is my favorite, not from an Italian restaurant.
During my four years in the college, I have eaten only from one restaurant, next to GVC. The owner Krishna Iyer was a smart guy. His close relatives, an Athan and an Ammanchi helped him in the business. Athan was a sober man like the
dahivadas, fair, soft, floating happily in the shining oval stainless steel vessel. Ammanchi, the younger one, enjoyed my speeches from the hotel, the microphone aimed at the Mannathu Padmanabhan Nair gate, asking for vote for X or Y or at times for myself, for the post of office bearer of the Student union or a literary club.
During my bachelor days along with my other four room mates, I used to walk 14 miles, to and fro Secunderabad Taj, only for dinner. Whenever we went to Secunderabad, garam Chai from the Irani restaurant by the Secunderabad Station, was a must.
After marriage, I used to hardly visit hotels, except for parties, which was not a regular affair.
Frequent visits to restaurants were only when children came on holidays. My eldest daughter in law( she was the only one then) organized a big party in a hotel, combining many events. Atuth’s and mine maiden visit to USA, ( he for higher studies, me as a tourist) Keshu’s birthday or his medical admission.
Wine was served to my younger brother, much to his reluctance, as he had become a semi- Siddar after reading and singing Siddar padalkal, sitting alone at home.
“How is it Chithappa?” Enquired affectionately, my DIL .
“Sukham illai”, he replied. Not that good!
We all believed him as his opinion on wine was authentic. He had lived in Goa for over five years!
Now, back to the core point.
With all that, at the end of the day, my preference is for a plate full of thayirsAdam assisted admirably by a few spoonfuls of vadumanghai. In MalayAlam , we call it kaduku manga, giving respect to the smell of kaduku or mustard powder, an important ingredient in its preparation,
“You came all the way to America for thayir Sadam and vadumAngai, Appa?”, my children will ask, if I share with them, my preference. Hence, I’m sharing the secret only with you.
Incidentally, brother Vicha’s ‘Sukham illai’ has become a catch phrase in our family. Even after 10 years, we remember that party and his crisp remark.
Sidhars and saints won’t talk much. But when they do, they say volumes, in a word or two, like one or two tiny VadumAngais giving me complete satisfaction along with thayirsAdam!
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Sugiyan
Sugiyan! It is ages since I had that snack with a sober look and subdued sweetness. In our house, it used to be prepared only for shradhams, along with ellurundais, uppitu etc. There were four shradhams in a year and we children had the benefit of enjoying Sugiyan that many times. After the loss of my parents I performed Parvana shradham for a long time till I had to switch over to HirAnyam under compelling reasons. No more Sugiyan.
Unlike appam or kozhakkattai, Sugiyan is not a neivedyam item for Poojas in my house.
After flattering her sufficiently with selected words, I asked her highness Ammalu once, ‘why not Sugiyan as neivedyam?’
‘Are we offering ellurundais to gods? ‘ .
I wonder how she is ready with a return question every time , instead of answering my question.
Sugiyan is not a fat, fair lady, like Kozhakkattai whose pride is mainly because she is the favorite of the God with a big belly. Every time she hears devotees calling Ganesa as ‘Modaka hastha’, she swells in pride. Suguian is a much humbler soul, though it has its distinct taste.
Recipe for Sugian:
Ulundu dal & rice in 4 to 1 measure. Grind as usual after soaking for 2 hrs. Consistency like bhajji mavu. Make coconut & jaggery poornam. Should not be sticky. Make small balls of poornam dip in the batter & fry.
A fellow who doesn’t take life seriously, who doesn’t strain much but takes events as they come, is called ‘Sugiyan’ in our Palakkadan bhasha.
‘Appu is a Sugiyan’ – that comment was about me, when I was a child, as I never worked hard for studies and was always roaming about in paddy fields and woods aimlessly.
Even today I’m a Sugiyan.
Thanks my net friend Thangam Murthi madam for the picture and Recipe and moreover, for providing me an opportunity to remember my good old friend, Sugiyan.
Love,
SP
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Sent from my iPad -
A shrine between two RudrAksha trees in Florida
“KarasthE hEmAdrau giriSa nikaTasthE dhana-patau
gRhasthE svarbhUjA(a)mara-surabhi-cintAmaNi-gaNE
SirasthE SItAMSau caraNa-yugalasthE(a)khila SubhE
kam-arthaM dAsyE(a)haM bhavatu bhavad-arthaM mama manaH”
( sivanandalahari )
General meaning:
The Golden mountain is at your hands; Kubera, the Lord of wealth by you;
wishes- delivering Kalpaka tree, Kamadhenu and Chintgamani are at your abode;
the moon with cool rays on your head; at your feet are all the auspiciousness.
What does this poor man have to offer you (when you have everything at your command), MahAdeva, except my mind?
Had the Jagath Guru, seen the divine sight of two grand RudrAksha trees offering their bright blue fruits and brown Rudraksha seeds to the Lingeswara at their base, he would have, in mystical exaltation, added that blessed pair too in his list of Mahadeva’s assets!
Yes, I had the fortune of seeing those trees, not in the Himalayan Valleys, but here in Florida, in a place called Fort Lauderdale! Not only that, in between those two giant trees, there is a shrine sanctified by a divine Banalingam, Mahameru, eleven Jade (maragatha)Lingams and one Paradeshwara (mercury lingam) as well for Nithya Abhishekam and some more idols of utmost artistic fineness and beauty. Regular poojas with abhishekam, Archana , naivedyam, doopa, deepa Aaradhana are offered strictly as per the Vedic prescription.
I expect the next question from you. How did this wonder happen? Is there an influential organization with powerful and wealthy members, behind this holy venture?
Or did any States helped or religious Mutts supported ?
Amazingly the answer is: ‘NO’.
The Shiva Temple , enshrined beneath two magnificent Rudraksha Trees, aptly named
Bhujageswara RudrAksha Mandir, is the result of poetic imagination, phenomenal dedication of a pure- hearted Indian born physicist, Acharya Vijay Raghavanji , settled in America since long and Swami Divyanada Saraswati who was his life partner in her previous Asram and an inspiration for him.
It all started in the vacant land behind the house Vijay Ji and Swami Divyananda bought in 1995. All that was there was a swimming pool and the pool deck. Why not install a Ganesha idol – thought the spiritual- minded scientist. Swami Divyananda’s favorite 16” standing Ganesha was readily available at hand and that is how it all started. Today after two decades that it is a great shrine where Lord Bhujageshwara resides in an Ashram like green land of peace and serenity bestowing his blessings on a few sincere devotees. Thanks to the valuable assistance from Swami Divyananda Saraswathi.
Acharya Vijay Raghavanji also affectionately called “ Sri Vijayji”, is a true blend of Vedanta, Hinduism and Physics. He is the founder of Adi Shankara Advaita Ashram , a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching and popularizing the ancient wisdom of India – Vedanta.
Vijayji is graduate in Physics from Madurai University, his initial training in Yoga and Meditation was in 1976 with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas in India where he was also exposed to Vedic Studies, Vedanta and Hindu Rituals including Rudra Abishekam. After serving Mahrishi Mahesh Yogi as an Administrative Director for all his centers in India, He spent another two years (1980-1982) at South India Research Institute (SIRIS) Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh, India) developing and establishing the Department of Psycho- Physiology to further research on the effects of Meditation on the Physiology and Psychology of SIRIS company workers. He had taught Yoga and Meditation classes in Surinam (South America) from 1983-1984 .
Sri Vijayji has been living in US since 1985 and has been teaching free classes in Yoga and Meditation for the last 30 years in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville areas. He has also conducted many Rudra Abishekams and Rudra and Ganesha Homas for Temples in Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers and workshops at VHP (Viswa Hindu Parishad) camps and for various Balavihar groups and taught children the values of Hinduism and how to do Pujas. He has organized Bhagawath Geetha chanting competition for children at South Florida Hindu Temple.
By Profession, he is a state of Florida Licensed Medical Health Physicist and was with the State of Florida Bureau of Radiation. For the last thirteen years he has been with a well known Radiation Oncology group as a Medical Health Physicist and lives in Fort Lauderdale.
Now, let me come back to the story of the temple.
The swimming pool has been made over as a lovely Temple Pond with several idols artistically installed around it. Besides the two gigantic Rudraksha trees – almost 80 to 90 feet tall, there are other trees: Bilva, Nagalinga, mango, banana and Jack fruit all around the Bhujageshwara shrine. He has also built a small house for him and Swamini Divyananda Saraswati. As Vijay ji continues with his professional career, though he lives the life of a Yogi, the Sanyasini helps him in the temple maintenance and daily Poojas.
What was the source of finance for this project for a public cause? Did he collect money or any philanthropic agencies extend a helping hand? After all, the 14 statues, one or two of them really big, and all of them made in India and shipped from there in a 40’ container would have cost him a fortune.
And the daily maintenance too requires financial resources.
True. But Vijay ji, hasn’t sought any help from anyone. It is his whole life savings supplemented by that of the Sanyasini that they invested and he continues to utilize his earning from the profession for the routine maintenance. The shrine is in a private residence , and visitors are welcome upon advance request. So, very few know about this saintly abode of Gods. It is a home shrine for all practical purposes and definitely worth a visit. On Monday evenings he conducts Rudra Abishekam and Puja for a few sincere devotees. Swamini chants Rudram and Vedas with him.
It is my submission to Vijay ji that he should spread the message of the existence of this rare shrine to the public so that the society is benefitted. Let the blessings of Bhujageswara reach every corner of the Earth!
In the meantime, my salutations to these two moving RudrAksha trees, Vijaiji and Swamini Divyananda Saraswati, who have placed their life at the feet of the Lord Bhujageshwara.
Note: As I am finishing up this article Sri Vijay Ji after participating in an intense ekadasha Rudra Japam is getting ready to go to Memphis to take part as a Ritvik in a 5 day Sata Rudriya Maha Yagnam to be conducted under the guidance of Sri Sadguru Bodinatha Veylan Swami of Kauvai Adheenam – a divine coincidence
