இந்த வாசகம் ஒன்று  facebook இல் கண்டேன். ஒரு நிமிடம் யோசித்தேன். பெயரில் மாறினால் மட்டும் நம் தமிழ்த்தாய் குதூகலிப்பாளா? தமிழ்த்தாய்க்கு பெயரில்தான் பங்கமா? கீழே என் சொந்த கருத்து, இதனைப்பற்றி.. புதுக்கவிதை  வடிவில்.


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பண்பாடு பெயரில் இருந்துதான் வருமா?
மொழிப்பற்று பெயரில் தானா?

சீர்குலைக்கும் தொலைக்காட்சி
மஞ்சள் நிறத்தில் இன்றைய பத்திரிக்கை

சரித்திரம் அறியாச் சிறுவர்
பொங்கலை மறந்த பெண்டீர்

வீரத்தைத் துறந்த இளைஞர்
விவேகதைத் தொலைத்த பெரியவர்

இவர் எல்லாம் இன்றைய
தமிழ்க் காவலர் என்றால்

தமிழ்த் தாயே!
அபாயம்! அபயம்!!

Cosmic Energy on tap

My friend Anil has posted this quote in Facebook

“Kaasyanatu Maranaanmuktihi Smarana DarunachaleDarsana Deva Sri Saile Punarjanma Na Vidyate”


and has prompted me to write this. The gist of the verse above is that one will attain salvation, either by facing death in Varanasi (Kasi), chanting the name of God in Arunachalam ( Thiruvannamalai) or by simply visiting the Srisailam.

Such is the power of the temple in Srisailam, the famous temple of Mallikarunaswamy in Kurnool Dist of Andrapradesh.. Let me try and give some scientific basis to this.  Srisailam is listed in the Siva Purana as one of the twelve Jyothirlingam temples (12  ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग). Jyothir lingam in Sanskrit essentially means Shiva (Lingam) in the form of light ( Jyothi). Lord Shiva has always been associated with Agni or fire. Again, this interpretation is only symbolic at the superficial level.

At a much deeper level, Lord Shiva represents the very life in this universe.  The term "Destroyer" is often alluded to him, and in a sort of misrepresented way. (Brahma- Creator; Vishnu - Protector; Shiva- Destroyer). At a philosophical level, one can take that Shiva is the destroyer of evil ( most common articulation). 

However,at a deeper level, Shiva can be construed as being responsible for a variety of things related to life:

1. the activity of the cosmos- as beautifully described by the Nataraja form.
2. determination of when life in it's current form will end and when new life is born.
3. Most importantly, keep the entropy of the super system called the universe intact. Those with a  little scientific initiation will appreciate this. Entropy never decreases and only continues to increase  and Shiva represents the very force behind this. 

More on points 1 and 3 above, which is of scientific import. the Law of Entropy ( and for that matter, the Second Law of thermodynamics) states that systems evolve toward states of increasing disorder.Imaging stirring a pile of chocolate chips into cookie dough. With enough stirring, the chips become dispersed. But if you try to reverse the stirring action, the chips do not gather at the centre. 

If we consider the Universe as a closed system, then according to the Law of entropy, the Entropy of the system cannot be reversed. Which has forced the likes of famous scientists like Stephen Hawking to concede that there may perhaps be God ( but cannot be proven in a lab!). 

This is also corroborated by the Big Bang Theory of the Universe ( "In the beginning, 13.7Billion years ago, there was nothing. And suddenly with one big bang, there was everything", or something to that effect). I do not want to delve into this aspect, but the point here is, this is an irreversible process of constant "motion" ( or "dance" as Shiva's Natarja concept shows). Shiva is believed to be the one who controls this "orderly disorder" ( pardon the oxymoron here) - a method in the madness, as it were.

But this also brings another interesting aspect. While Entropy bring disorder, it also is a measure of usable energy. Scientists will confirm that the more the entropy, the more the percentage of usable energy in a closed system. Extend this concept to a philosophical plane, and it is apparent that Shiva focuses on the energy, and more pertinently the usable energy that Life has, at it's disposal. So, in my opinion, Shiva holds a lot more significance, in terms of LIFE than mere destruction, as He is often misconstrued.


Back to Srisailam. The name Sri Sailam crudely translates to " Heavenly mountain". Sailaha सैल: in Sanskrit literally means  a mount or a hillock. The interesting fact here is - along with Arunachalam ( Thiruvannamalai), this temple also is situated in a special hillock. I call it special because Siddhas have resided here ( as also in Thiruvannamalai), to practice Siddha Yoga, tap the cosmic power available in these mountains. It is to be noted that cosmic power has been found to be tapped in only certain hillocks and mountains, and not all mountains. The World religions are full of proof of this. The first Revelation for prophet Mohammed is believed to have come in Mount Hira. Mount Sinai holds religious significance for the Hebrews and Christians alike. The prophets and saints of almost all religions universally have long recognized the fact the cosmic energy can be tapped more effectively from certain hill tops ( recollect many rishis doing penance in the Himalayas for the same reason).

An interesting snippet here. the Siddhas who live(d) here had perfected the science of Rasavadam (  रसवादं) . This is essentially alchemy - the science of converting Mercury (Rasam) into various other metals, including gold. It is fascinating that the world's oldest form of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry has been detailed in the Vedas, especially the Atharva Veda. To me, this strongly proves that there is cosmic energy available on tap, in these holy hillocks ( like Palani, Thiruvannamalai, Tirupathi, Srisailam, Himalayas etc.) 

By the way, the famous 12th century Kannada/ Telugu Philosopher Akka Mahadevi lived here, did penance in the hills in the vicinity to attain the cosmic energy.

Now if this is not enough, here comes the clincher. A very Classic example of how we totally misunderstand Hinduism as a religion.

One of the  most appealing features of Srisailam temple is that anyone of any cast and creed, can touch the deity and worship here, a custom not found anywhere in Andhra Pradesh. Even today , you can watch people of all races, caste and creed doing their own pujas at the temple, an act usually reserved for the priests. 

The common misinterpretation is that this is a socialistic temple, in the sense that everyone has "equal access" to God.  Put the Cosmology theory (concentrating cosmic energy in this temple precinct) in front,  and you will understand why the individual is encouraged to go right to the Lingam, and perform puja. This is the Hindu Agama Shashtra - the architectural science of building temples in the most appropriate locations, in order to get the maximum out of Cosmic energy available - at one of it's very best.


No reason other than to tap the cosmic energy at the individual level, something that all devotees aspire for, for their well being. That, to me, is the real meaning of "Jyothir Lingam" ( energy in cosmic light) and tells you clearly that when it comes to divinity, no one else comes in between you and God, in the true Hindu way of life.

The next time you visit Andhra Pradesh, do not forget to include SriSailam (Seshachalam) in your itinerary. Do visit with the consciousness that you are visiting a place where cosmic energy is available on tap. And yes, do not forget to perform yourself at the Garba Griham, along with your family.

Christmas cake from a departed soul

When I was a child

Full of gay abandon and wild.

We had some wonderful neighbours

Who made life worth living every moment.

The good Christians that they were

Never failed to attend the Sunday mass.

The buzzword for them, was love

Till date, to me, that is still is a treasure trove.

Vegetarians that we were

For cakes there was a lot of despair.

Every Christmas eve, in a large dish

They made egg-less cakes, to fulfil our wish.

The fact that they were specially made pastry

Made it all the more tasty.

The affection was nothing short of filial

Never did I take as trivial.

Their daughter, "sister" Grace was my senior

And none less than a mentor.

She went on to become a Physician

Though her parents wished she became the Church musician.

Grace then started to face the perfect storm

Pain became the new norm.

Passing away of parents, miscarriage and failed marriage

Life indeed was a huge bondage.

For her, with two sons, life was still in solitude

Though she was never short of fortitude.

Years passed, boys became men

Pillars of support to the lonely woman.

There was an eternal emptiness in her life

It appeared that her sibling's name was "strife".

Christ decided to put an end to her pain

After all,in life she had nothing more to gain.

For all her troubles, He had the perfect answer

And took her life away, in the name of cancer.

The news of death sent waves of shock

At life and death, I could only baulk.

Some people's life certainly remains a mystery

Though, in my mind, Grace will never be history.

On this Christmas day, I think of that family

To them I dedicate this homily.

The good Railway man, his teacher-wife

And "Sister Grace", who was all their life.

O Grace, on yet another Christmas eve

For you, my heart is full of bereave.

Will you bring back those fond memories

And all the mirth and funny stories?

Will you bring back, the childish innocence
That I experienced when I was in your ambience?

Will you bring back the smile on my face

When I see you face to face?

Will you again bake me that egg-less cake

When I meet you in heaven?

A man is known by the company he keeps

In today's fast-paced world many of us find it convenient to "get a little academically interested" in religion, but seldom have the inclination or the time to move emotionally towards the Supreme being. This is especially true of some of the comparatively more "liberal" religions like Hinduism, Christianity etc.

I recently overheard a very interesting anecdote on this trend that I thought I should share.

A priest had been seeing a very pious person attending the Sunday mass, come hell or high water. He used to visit the church with such unfailing regularity that the priest started ignoring his presence.

Then came the hygiene factor. One Sunday, the man was not present in the sermon. And then the next Sunday too. And this went on for a few weeks, until winter set in.

The priest could not bear this any more. He took off straight to the man's house. The man heartily welcomed the priest and offered him hot tea on a cold day. Everything was cordial. The priest then casually inquired why he was not attending the masses any more. The man replied that he, through continuous attending of the mass/ sermons had gained the "knowledge" of God and that he did not fell it compelling any more, to attend the Sunday mass.

A pregnant silence engulfed the living room. The priest, all of a sudden, walked up to the heart, where a few fire woods were simmering in unison, and providing the much needed warmth to the room.

He then pulled out one of the burning woods in his hand, and brought it close to the couch, and left it alone, near where they were sitting, much to the dismay of the host. In it's solitary isolation, the wood put itself out within a few minutes.

No words were exchanged all along. The priest then quietly got up, gave a meaningful smile to the man, and left the house.

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It is amply evident that it is not sufficient to merely gather peripheral interest or an academic pursuit of God in isolation. Sure, most of the Gyanis or saints have done just that - pursued the Supreme being in dark isolation. But then, most of us are not saints, and for the ordinary mortals, the best way to go anywhere near spiritual satisfaction appears to be associating ourselves with our Gurus and people who dwell in that ambience - just like that log of wood, that was simmering well in the eminent company of the logs inside the hearth. Pull it out, and the result is there to see just in a few minutes. And nothing better than getting more involved than merely " wetting the feet", as it were.

This reminds me of a very famous verse in Adi Shankara's Bhaja Govindam:

सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्सङ्गत्वं
निस्सङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् ।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं
निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥

From Satsangha ( association with righteous people), comes non-attachment; from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settlement. From self-settlement comes Jivan Mukti (liberation).

Laughing Buddha's message

O Lucky Buddha, why laugh thee?
Sitting happily under a Peepal tree?
Looks like you are ready to break free
And embark on a world tour spree.

You do have, back in India, a cousin
Who helps the multitude wash their sin
He sure helps us remove any obstacle
His form, with an elephant-head, sure is a spectacle.

Oh Laughing Buddha, thy body language
Surely gives me many a message
" Laugh away those mental strifes
And get moving, in real life".

Gestures of a life-time

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Just the other day, I was reflecting upon some of the most precious possessions of mine, given by my friends, mostly inadvertently.

I know I have been very fortunate to be blessed with some very good friends- friends who are very good at heart, and who have stood by me in trying times, and to whom I have tried to reciprocate as much as I can. However, I would want to mention three instances that have left indelible impressions on me.

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FIRST- This happened during the second year of my Engineering course in Guindy. A batch-mate of mine, Ajay Kumar Negi, who happens to hail from a non-descript village in the hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh near Spiti , walked up to me one fine morning on a lazy Sunday, right after we had finished our customary raid of the hostel mess. He was a bit circumspect, to start with, seemingly unsure of what my reaction would be to his gesture (as I could surmise later). He flashed out a photo -in Kodak colour, which, in the mid 80s, was still finding it's feet. He pushed it into my hands and said " I took this snap at my village temple just for you, and thought you may like it. Keep it!" And rushed out, without looking back. And sure enough, I was left speechless.

Of course, I thanked him heartily after that, and made sure that during my next visit to Madurai, where my parents lived, I picked up a photo of Meenakshi Amman, as a sort of "return gift". I remember having paid a princely Rs.10 for that.

Little did I realize then that this beautiful photo would keep me company for the rest of my life thus far. This photo adorns our Pooja even today. Thanks Ajay Negi! I do not know where you are today, but with this single gesture, you have taken a permanent place in my heart, my dear friend!!

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SECOND - after my graduation as a Mechanical Engineer, I was working in Thermax, Mumbai.  I used to be on the road 20 days in the month those days, as a Project Engineer, traversing the topology of the country, on work. The year was 1991. A couple of my college-mates , Sivaramakrishnan and Murali, were staying very close to where I did. We used to have a great time, whenever I was in town, during the weekends. 

Siva and Murali were the aspirational green-card seekers, and sure enough, both made it to the USA shortly thereafter. Murali left first, and Siva followed suit. While packing up his belongings, Siva thought it fit, and perhaps without thinking too much, " இத வெசுக்கோடா, இனிமே எனக்கு தேவை இல்லை" ( I don't think I need this any more, keep this, you may find it useful), he handed over his nail clipper. 

Believe it or not, till date, I use that nail clipper, and every time I take it out, Siva, now happily settled in Long island, comes to my mind.  Siva has, inadvertently, left an indelible memory. I am very much in touch with him, and quite often we do exchange the sweet nothings of college.

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THIRD - I can't share of picture of this  here, simply because I had lost that possession forever, and all I am left of it is the memory.

I consider myself a classical music buff. I especially love the old masters. I used to play the Veena, but had given it up- short-sightedly so- on the pretext of studies. Chittibabu and S Balachander are two of my most favourite Veena maestros, and I consider each a genius in his own right.

The mid 80s saw the emergence of National Radio on FM ( beamed from Nagpur and a few other places). It was new to Chennai at that time, and every Sunday, in the evenings , at 7.45 p.m. they used to air either live or recorded versions of the various music maestros. In 1988, on one such evening, I had the privilege  of listening to Chittibabu play the rare 72nd Melakartha Rasikapriya raagam, in a full, unbridled, one-hour Raagam Thaanam Pallavi format. It was sheer music deluge (प्रवाहम), for lack of a better word, to describe the experience. 

Sure enough, Bala, who was also a classical music buff, was there with me. Not just him, but a 2-in-1 of his, a rarity in the college hostel, which could record a live program on an audio cassette  We not only enjoyed the program thoroughly ( at the cost of one of my Sunday evening Kutcheris in one of the Sabhas in Chennai, which I was a regular, for four long years), but also got it recorded. I then took that cassette to my uncle, who lived in Adyar. He had a copying machine, and I was able to have the cassette copied comfortably.

I had this beautiful piece of Veena recital for a long number of years, but then the tape had come to the end of it's life, before I could have it digitized to MP3 format. And so, here I am, left only with memories of Bala, my dear friend, who now lives in Zurich happily, and the pulsating Rasikapriya that flowed from the hands of Chittibabu, reverberating in my memory . Bala has made sure that I do not forget this for the rest of my life. Thanks Bala!

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I am sure I can come up a quite few more of such gestures from friends which have withstood the test of time. In the instances above, with the possible exception of the Ajay Negi, my friends, I suspect, had extended this gesture rather inadvertently, . But then, all three have left something to remember, in the best possible sense of it, for the rest of my life. I am thankful to God Almighty for having given me such wonderful friends.

It makes me wonder how such seemingly worthless tinsel ( to borrow Rajaji's words) can have a profound impact in one's life.

This also underscores something that our spiritual masters have , for long, emphasized - it is NOT the price or economic value of the gift or possession that matters. What matter are - a big heart to give, and the very gesture. After all, Lord Krishna's love for Kuchela was fortified by the latter's offering of a  morsel of puffed rice ( அவல்/ पोहा) , but with full of love and affection for his friend.

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This makes me take it to the next level of pondering - well, only my friends can answer to this. Have I ever, inadvertently or deliberately, given or left anything of value( hopefully in a good sense) to my friends? Have I provided an opportunity for my friends to think about something that I may have parted with them,  in the same way I have been privileged to think about their gesture, after all these years? You bet!

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Nallur Kalyanasundareswarar Temple

In July 2012, I had the good fortune to visit Nallur Kalyanasundareswarer Temple.

The temple is situated about 30 km from Thanjavur on the way to Kumbakonam, if one takes a short detour.

The temple is said to be about 2000 years old. The Lingam is a Suyambhu Lingam ( orignated on it's own from the ground without anyone carving it or planting it).   The temple tank is considered to have powers equal to that of the Mahamaha tank in Kumbakonam.

the Swami is said to appear in five different colours every day, depending upon the time of the day. Hence, also called PANCHA VARNESWARAR. I quite could not see all of it.

Legend has it that Thirunavukarasar prayed here and the Lord offered his feet Darshan to him. hence the practice of Pada Darshanam ( much like Viashnavite temples, something y9ou dont see in Shiva temples) same into vogue.

Truly a lovely temple.

Etymology of Chennai Tamil Lexicon

Quite often, I have wondered what our famous Chennai Tamil lingo words really meant, and their origin.

Result? I have tried my hand at deciphering them etymologically. here they go. Feel free to add to this   list.

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Dabaa - தபா- Meaning " number of times" - Derived from Tamil தடவை or Urdu दफ़ा , all meaning the same.

Bejaar  - பேஜார் - Meaning "problem" Derived from Urdu बेजार of the same meaning


Ghaleej - கலீஜ் - Meaning Dirty- Derived from the Kannada word galeej ಗಲೀಜ್

Kasmaalam- கஸ்மாலம் - Meaning dirty - derived from the Sanskrit word Kasmalam कश्मलं

Bemaani - பேமானி - Meaning dishonest - derived from the Hindi word Be-Imani बेइमानी.

Bagilu - பகிலு - Meaning hip and nearby regions - derived from Hindi/ urdu बगल.

Bigilu - பிகிலு - Meaning whistle - derived from the English word whistle

Bajaari - பஜாரி- Meaning a cheap woman - derived from Hindi/ Urdu बाजारी

Dhool - தூள-  Meaning "busted out" - derived from Tamil துகள்  or Hindi/ Urdu धुल

Galaata - கலாட்டா - Meaning chaos - Possibly Persian/ Turkish. A suburb of Istanbul called Galatta has nightclubs and boisterous music.

Gujili - குஜிலி - Meaning an attractive girl - derived from the Hindi word कुजली , meaning ticklish

Joot - ஜூட்- Meaning "escape" - derived from Hindi छूट which means " to leave".

Reactions to the Diesel price hike

Here could be a list of purely imaginary reactions from our Netas on the recent hike in prices of Diesel.

Digvijay Singh - Rahul Gandhi did not take this unpleasant decision. If you need to blame someone, then blame me.

Mamta Banerjee - No, we were not consulted on this anti-farmer hike. The decision has been taken by Maoist supporters.

Karunanidhi - This is a conspiracy of "Ammaiyar" ( Jaya), and is anti-Tamil. We completely oppose this, but will not leave the government under any circumstances.

CPI(M) - we will take to the streets to pressurize the government to roll this back, but we will not topple the government under any circumstances that could pave the way for "communal forces".

Sushilkumar Shinde ( or any other incumbent Home minister) : This is a conspiracy to de-stabilize the country, from across the border.

Nitish Kumar: We strongly oppose this, but want only a "secular" leader from the BJP to become the next PM.

Mulayam Singh Yadav: We oppose this, but want all elephant statues ( including those in temples) to be brought down, along with Diesel prices.

Narendra Modi : We will make our own diesel, and take Gujarat down the path of prosperity. Come to Gujarat!

Arun Jaitley: We want the government to be accountable in the parliament - but we will not let the parliament function. 

Omar Abdullah : This hike will strongly destabilize Kashmir and make the terrorists' job redundant. We need to be more humane to them.

Jayalalitha: This is a conspiracy of Karunanidhi. His party is part of the government, and is actually promoting this, much to the detriment of Tamils.

Dr. Manmohan: ..........................................................................................................(yawn)

Matter and anti-matter in the Upanishads

I have been prompted to write on matter and anti-matter as it is enunciated in the Hindu sciptures. I am listing down some of the verses from the Upansidhas that I had read at different points of time.

According to Taitriya Upanishad,

"Tasmat va etasmat atmana akasas sambhutah" (Chap 2.1.1): "From this Universal Atman, space emanated"

Space is actually the negation of the infinity of Brahman. Infinity does not mean extension or dimension – but space is extension, dimension, distance. So, immediately a contradiction is introduced at the very beginning of the concept of creation. God is negated, as it were, for various reasons, the moment creation is conceived, one reason being that the creation appears as an external manifestation, whereas God – Brahman – is the Universal Existence.

In fact, interestingly, the word Brhaman (Brhama, crudely put, as in"the Creator") in Sanskrit is derived from the root Bhr..  which literally means "that which expands". The Thanajvur deity is called "Brughadeeswarar". Taken literally, it means "big temple" ( தஞ்சை பெரிய கோயில்). The deeper meaning of this is that the Lord is all pervasive, in the sense that He fills the ever expanding universe.

According to Bruhadaranyaka Upanishad,

"naiveha kiṁcanᾱgra ᾱsīt, mṛtyunaivedam ᾱvṛtam ᾱsīt, aśanᾱyayᾱ, aśanᾱyᾱ hi mṛtyuḥ; tan mano'kuruta ᾱtmanvī syᾱm iti. so'rcann acarat, tasyᾱrcata. ᾱpojᾱyanta, arcate vai me kam abhῡd iti; tad evᾱrkasya arkatvam; kaṁ ha vᾱ asmai bhavati, ya evam etad arkasya arkatvaṁ veda."

Originally, there was nothing. Death was enveloping everything. That is all the meaning, literally, of this sentence. In the beginning of things, what was there? Nothing was there. There was a devouring, all-consuming death principle, as it were; nothing else can we conceive.

In Prashna Upanshad, the very first question that Kabandhi asks is -  What is the root cause of this world? In fact, Kabandhi's question is literally "From where (which root) these people are born ?" For which, Sage Pippalada answers as if the question were asked about the root cause of the world. He says that Prajapati created a union of Prana and Rayi in order to create world and their intermixing or mating produced all the things in the world. Max Müller has apparently translated this union as Spirit and Matter. The spirit portion roughly equates to anti-matter.

A very interesting story in the  Chandogya Upanishad is reporduced below. It is a brief dialogue between the father (Udhalaka) and his son (Svetaketu).

One day, while discussing the meaning of Sat (the Being), Chit (the Consciousness) and Anand (the eternal Bliss), and the origin and evolution of the world (planet earth), Svetaketu asks his father, how could this ‘world’ with all its multitudinous variety of living and non-living forms be produced in this simple way?

Prompted by his son’s question, Udhalaka asked him –

“Fetch me a fruit, lying on the ground, of the Nyagrodha (peepal or pipal) tree”.

“Here is one, Sir”, said Svetaketu.

“Break it and let me know what you find therein, son”, said Udhalaka.

“I see some tiny seeds, Sir”, answered Svetaketu.

“Crush one of the seeds, son”, asked the father.

“Yes, Sir, I have done it so, Sir”, answered the son.

“What do you see therein, son?”, asked the father.

“Nothing, Sir”, said Svetaketu.

“Yet in that subtle substance that is hardly visible to the naked eye, exists the awesome potential that can produce this huge Nyagrodha tree with many large branches bearing leaves, flowers and fruits”, said the aged and experienced father. Do you wonder at it, son? Likewise, all that exists in this universe was potentially in the Sat, dear son, and thou art That. Believe it, said father. Further, he philosophized with a profound saying, “out of nothing, only nothing can come; non-being cannot produce being, much less could consciousness come out of nothing”. Believe me son that “the causeless beginning, as the sage says, was, in fact, the Sat or Being with consciousness”.

To cap this, Stephen Hawkins, in his book "The Origin of Everything" admits , and I quote.

“Science may solve the problem of how the universe was formed, it cannot, however, answer, why the universe bother to exist? May be only God can answer that”.

Mendeleev's Periodic Table Expanded

All about the path-breaking (completely imaginary) new wonder element that has created a flutter in scientific circles... read on...

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The buzz in the Nerdy circles is that Dmitri Mendeleev's Periodic Table is likely to be expanded, with the addition of a new element.

The element, soon to be added under Group 18 (noble gas), has been coded MS ( for want of consistency, the second letter, as per convention will be in small caps, going forward). It is now understood that scientists have been observing the behaviour of this rare element since the Financial crisis in India in 1991.

Key Characteristics of Ms:

First things first. Ms has been included under "Noble Gas" category. The reasons are manifold. Ms has been accorded "noble" ( read: clean) status by the media over the last 8 years. Also,  Ms has been closely linked with economists, and the incidental gaseous nature of it straightaway makes it's way to the Noble Gas group 18.

But what really seals it's place is the fact that like many of it's peers in the group it is an INERT GAS. It is amply clear now that Ms does not bond with any other element or compound, whatever the pressure or temperature may be. The equanimity of Ms has confounded the Scientific community, who now suspect that, in fact, there may be no internal bonds either. In other words, Ms redefines the word Inert.

Invention:

Ms was invented in 2004, by a Congress of scientists who specialize in dealing with inert elements. At that time, the congress was looking for a possible new element that can absorb any amount of pressure or heat without reacting physically or chemically ( or emotionally, for that matter). The congress of scientists wanted a new element which can be quickly branded into the Noble category, and can remain inert for a long time, and invented Ms in the process. Ms has truly vindicated their expectations by remaining inert for 8 long years thus far.

Properties:

1. Tasteless, odourless, colourless.
2. Is fully resistant to heat and pressure of any magnitude.
3. Highly protective of foreign elements.
4. Continues to be "noble" in spite of things all around it falling apart.
5. Zero emotional quotient

Other keys observations:

1. It realizes that high energy levels are not good, and therefore has successfully moved the economy back to "Hindu rate of growth", ie, from close to 9% growth to 5% in 3 years flat. This singular achievement of Ms has been lauded in a recent convention of the scientists in New Delhi to commemorate the completion of 8 years at the helm. It is now surmised that the scientists may be working overtime to reduce it further to zero percent over the remaining two years.
2. Ms never gets associated with any element, under any circumstance - even where it is desperately required to. After all, it wants to retain it's "noble" status forever.
3. Whenever there is an attack on the system ( nation), Ms gives the customary " we will not keep quiet" statement- and then goes back to it's noble status until the next unfortunate event.

Uses:

The uses of Ms has been established beyond doubt. There are unfounded rumours of moving Ms to a new system in Raisina Hill.

The public are encouraged to suggest new uses and applications of this wonder element, Ms.

Economic State of affairs of Countries in Simplified English Grammar

If someone asks you to describe the economic state of affairs of countries in as few words as possible, how would you do that?

Well, I tried my hand at taking the help of English Grammer, and here are the results:

USA                                                                                                                 - Past Perfect
(Has a great recent past, economically, but future looks bleak)


Eurozone                                                                                                          - Present Tense
(Going through hell right now)

China                                                                                                                - Future Tense
(I think it is going to be a tense future there)

India                                                                                                                  - Hyperbole
(Too much talk by Govt, and precious little by way of action)

Dubai                                                                                                                - Full stop
(Went full throttle and abruptly stopped)

Singapore                                                                                                         - Exclamation
(Wow! What a growth fora tiny nation!)

USA and China's mutual dependence                                                              - Paired Construction
( One cannot survive without the other, for now)

Bernanke's testimony to Congress                                                                   - Figure of speech
(His speeches are full of figures, but nothing else of substance)

Greece continuing in Eurozone                                                                        - Etymology
(Etymology in Greek literally means " putting dissimilar things together)

Obama's State of the Union Address                                                                 - Rhetorical punctuation
( Full of rhetorics like " let us change the world"... nothing has changed)

Pranab Mukherjee saying " austerity measures needed" ahead of raising taxes  - pre-position
(Warning to people to be prapred for more taxes, so that corrupt netas can continue to swindle even more)

Eurozone crisis along side American economic collapse                                    - Conjunction
(They always seem to happen in pair - the rise or fall)

The US Govt indulging in Quantitative Easing  to stop the economic rot           - Interjection
( Desperate bid to halt the momentum of economic decadence)

Sachin refuses to retire

THE SACHIN - INDIA'S (imaginary) NATIONAL NEWSPAPER

39 years young and still going strong.


Mumbai : March 25, 2012


At a news conference held in Mumbai today Sachin Tendulkar today dropped a bombshell by categorically stating that he will not retire from International cricket until the UPA2 actually starts governing the country. This comes close on the heels of a statement today by MP Mani Shankar Iyer that the growth of India is next only to that of China, over the last 5 years. It is a well known fact that various sections of the cricketing fraternity, the media and the public have been speculating on the possible retirement of Sachin. Some sections have even been making veiled suggestions on the timing of it. Sachin had been ducking all such suggestions like the many bouncers that he has effectively evaded all his career ( see sample clip)

Sachin  recently crossed two personal milestones of a century of centuries, and a century of ducking bouncers like the clip above, both in the same match against World champions Bangladesh. He has, of late, been as innovative in finding reasons not to retire as some of his shots in the field.  Realizing that there are no milestones to go after anymore, Sachin had been looking for a truly impossible event to benchmark his retirement announcement against.

As a consequence, he has come up today with this rather challenging milestone that many believe is unlikely.

Reactions from all walks of life have been swift.

Pakistani Cricket hero Imran Khan today said that Inzamam-ul-Haq is better than Sachin anyday and that not even he could make the Pakistani governments work effectively, and that therefore Sachin is doomed to fail in his efforts.

Ravi Shastri appealed to Primer Minister Singh not to deprive TVchannels of business, by giving even a remote chance for Sachin to actually retire through even a semblance of governance. The Prime minister in return assured the nation that no such mishap will ever occur, and that the UPA2 will grow from strength to strength in it's endeavour to set new records in non-governance. The eminent economist that he is, the PM also revealed that the good work of the UPA2 will give rise to a new economic phenomenon called " INACTIVITY-BASED COSTING"  that will serve as a role model for future governments across the world.

Shahrukh Khan today told his good friend Kunder " I need a RAW ONE today man"....   in an obvious mood to celebrate the announcement of Sachin.

Meanwhile, DIG-YOUR-OWN GRAVE Vijay Singh was happy with Sachin's announcement. Paying obeisance to the Gandhi family, Singh said "Sachin's announcement today gives Rahulji at least another decade to learn from his poll trounces, and hopefully prepare to rule India". Singh complimented Madam Sony-a ji for her vision in persuading Sachin to stay on by assuring him that her mere presence will make sure that the UPA2 does not even attempt to commit that grave mistake called governance.

Meanwhile the aspiring MPs were upset with this announcement. They lamented that Sachin's actions could result in total lack of governance by the Congress  and that is reason enough for them to be voted back to power. Many of these BJP members are sitting MLAs, and were fondly hoping to change their venue of watching porn from the Assembly to the Parliament, and are now deeply upset that this is unlikely in the near future.

The Samajwadi party was quick with a new demand that the minorities be allotted at least 50% of the centuries that Sachin scores from now on. When politely reminded that that is not possible, since  all centuries that Sachin scroes will only go against his name, they blamed Mayawati for this mess.

Meanwhile, in a shocking and open threat, Anna Hazare has threatened to go on an indefinite hunger-strike in Shivaji Park, Mumbai in protest against Ramakant Achrekar for coaching Sachin - an event that has now enabled the UPA2 hold on to power. When reminded politely that Annasahib was actually getting confused between the cause and the effect, a member of Team Anna, Kiran Bedi, who flew into Mumbai in Economy Class by Kingfisher Airlines, thundered  " who cares? We need the Lokpal in the form and shape that we want; if that does not happen, we will not be afraid of unleashing many more  Sachins on this government".

Don't Blame Rahul, Blame me!

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The prince campaigned extensively in UP. Had lunch at the poor farmer's house many a time. Tore election manifestos apart- quite literally. Called for "change". Nothing moved the UP voter. His allegiance to SP/ BSP continues- as per exit polls. Moving faster than the eager hen taking the gullible chick under it's wings to protect him from the vultures, "Don't blame Rahul; blame me!" screamed Dig-your-own-grave Vijay Singh.

The emperor in waiting has been portrayed as the face of the nation in the election campaigns, and vowed to swing UP back to the Congress fold. The voter is unmoved- as per exit polls. "Don't Blame Rahul; blame me!" screamed Rita Bahuguna. The many-virtued lady.

The Yuvraj has been criticised for being unable to make a single speech of substance in the parliament, in his capacity as MP and prince-in-waiting. "Don't blame Rahul; blame me!" screamed minister Narayanaswamy. Narayana, the protector.

The crowds sure throng to his public rallies in UP, but that is unlikely to translate into votes- as per exit polls. "Don't blame Rahul; blame me!" screamed Salman Khurshid. The shining sun, indeed.

All this collective munificence  rather confounded me, as I retired to my bed.

His girlfriend announced she is pregnant. "Don't blame Rahul........."  HEY STOP STOP STOP!!!!!

Phew, what a dream it was!!!

இரயில் தாமதம்

This is a  புதுக்கவிதை that I wrote when I was a kid. It is amazing that this holds true even after 30 years! Clearly, some things in India just do not change....

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இரயில் தாமதம்



மேல் நட்டார்

மூர்க்கர்கள்!

இயற்க்கையன்னையை

இரசிக்கக்கூட முடியாமல்

இரயில்களில்

இறகு கட்டிப் பறக்கிறார்கள்!



நம் நாட்டைப் பாருங்கள்;

' அழகு

அரும்பிடும்

அவளை

அவசரமில்லாமல்

நின்று

நிதானமாக

ரசிதுவிட்டுச்

செல்லுங்கள்'



எனச்

சொல்லாமல்

சொல்லுகிறார்கள்!!

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India's I.T Industry was born in Yamalokam!

Chitragupta is the quintessential booker-keeper for Yama Dharmaraja, the God of Death.

According to Wikipedia, Padma Purana after stating the legend says: "Chitragupta was placed near Dharamaraj to register the good and evil actions of all sentient beings, that he was possessed of supernatural wisdom and became the partaker of sacrifices offered to the gods and fire. It is for this reason that the twice-born always give him oblations from their food. As he sprang from the body of Lord Brahma he was called Kayastha of numerous gotras on the face of the earth."

Let us try to analyze this from an etymological angle.  Chitragupta can be split into Chitra and Gupta चित्रः  and गुप्तः  . As we know, Chitra literally means a picture or snapshot or synopsis or a full profile, depending upon the context. The word Gupta  गुप्तः literally denotes secrecy or privacy. 

In other words, Chitragupta's job is to maintain the records of all the beings on this earth of the past, present and the future.

Chitragupta is also credited with the first script on Earth, and also acts as a scribe for Yama Dharmaraja. Again, according to Wikipedia, in the Garud Puranam, Chitragupta is hailed as the first man to give the script.

"Chitragupta namastubhyam vedaksaradatre"

(Obeisance to Chitragupta, the giver of letters)

In the picture above, he can be seen with a pen on hand.


The IT Service Industry in India owes it to Chitragupta. How?

1. Chitragupta was born out of Yama desire to Outsource his mission of destroying the body according to Dharmashatra and enable Bhrahma to sustain the cycle of life. Chitragupta was the Project Executive (PE) of choice. He noted down all the Systems Requirement Sepcs (SRSs), came out with a process Design, implemented systems to perform the functionalities required was a master in Change Management Process to enable the System to adapt to the various Yugas (periods of time). Thus was born the BPO Industry - in Yamaloka!
2. He is the pioneer of Security and Privacy. His name itself has Gupt-gyan in it.
3. With having to maintain so many records and having to retrieve them in an instant, he has clearly led Data Storage Management and Archiving.
4. Being the primordial scribe that he is, he clearly has fathered the Transcription line of business.
5. And last but not the least, the Yamalokam is the back-office of the world. The action is on Earth alright, but the records are created, maintained and updated elsewhere. "Off-shoring" at it's height, quite literally!