तकिया ही जाने

दिल की अधूरी कितना, यह साखिया ही जाने
बेखुदी का मक़्सत क्या है , यह बादिया ही जाने।

पत्थरों को भी रेत बना लेते हैं अंजुम, पर
टकराव का दर्द क्या है, यह दरिया ही जाने।

तेरी झुकती उठती नज़रें पैग़ाम सारी देते आये
पलकों की क़ीमत क्या है, यह अखियां ही जाने।

रोकर दिल को हल्का ज़रूर कर देता हूँ, पर
अश्कों की भारी क्या है, यह तकिया ही जाने। 

Who is this run for?

Today morning, I encountered something that I am not used to. During my morning bike ride along the beach, more than a thousand people were seeing running, in the walking track. The cause was " 2017 race against cancer". I could see the young and the old alike, trying to complete what looked like a half marathon. I stopped on my biking track, to take snaps. But also set me musing.

Those unfortunate bodies that are afflicted, are unlikely to be part of the event, barring those motley few who may watch it later on TV. For many more, they may not be alive to witness this, having been victims of cancer.

That reminded me of a couplet that I have included part of a ghazal collection that I am creating myself. It goes as follows:

 मेरी मक़बरा को जितना भी फ़ूलों से सजा लें
क्या करूँ , मैं क़ब्र के अन्दर ही रहना चाहता हूँ ।

(Roughly translated, " it does not matter how much you decorate my tombstone with flowers from the outside. I prefer to stay deep inside my grave, oblivious to the happenings above").

It is possible that some of the participants may be "survivors". But the vast majority of the others are likely to be people who are either lucky to be " unaffected" personally, though it is still possible that some near and dear ones may have been.

It struck me that for these vast majority, it appeared to be more of reminder for themselves, to be on the guard against the disease, rather than a show of solidarity with the afflicted. Almost like the "Raam Naam Satya Hai" chants during funeral processions in North India, which are essentially meant to be sounded out as a stark reminder to the walkers-along, not for the deceased.

As for me, I just put my phone back into my pocket, stared meaningfully at the blue skies, just for a moment, and literally started pressing the pedal again.

கவிஞனின் ஜீவநதி

கவிஞனின் ஜீவநதி

==================

ஒர்நிலையும் நிலைத்திராமல்
மனவுளைச்சல் வாட்டிவிடும்
நேர்மதியோ வேலைசெய்து
நின்றுபல நாளிருக்கும்.

உடைத்துணரும் பகுத்தறிவும்
உண்டோ என வியக்கவைக்கும்
மடைதிறந்த வெள்ளமென
மனப்புனலில் நீர்ச்சொரியும்

மையலுக்குக் கோயில்கட்ட
ஆகமமோ அடுத்துவரும்
அய்யனவன் அருளுக்காக
பாக்கள்பல எடுத்துத்தரும்

உலகமிதை மடமையென
ஒதுக்கிவிடத் துணிந்துவிடும்
உலகமொதுக்கிய மையலெனைக்
கவிஞனாக ஆக்கிவிடும்

Fidgety, as I am,
The internal strife is
Too much to handle.
Has been eons since
Since the grey cells
Thought with clarity.

Far too often,
Rationality takes
The back seat.
Far too many emotions
Flow, unchecked
Down the mind.

Architectural
Gets to work, getting
The blueprint ready
For the temple of love.
Verses of poems compete
With each other to pick
The words of praise,
That could please
The presiding diety.

The world tends to
Ignore these overtures
As mindless madness.
But this sheer madness
Takes over, and moulds me
Into the poet that I am.

Nitish in poetry

लालू को महाघठबंधन पर हमेशा नाज़ है
पर तेजस्विनी के रूप में भ्रष्ट का सर्ताज है
नितीश के हर इशारा एक नयी अंदाज़ है 
 बचा क्या, तालिम-ए-चुनाव की आवाज़ है!

லல்லூ காட்டினாரு டமாசு- ஆநா
தாங்கல அவரு பையன் ரவுசு!!
ஓவர் ஆயிருச்சு உடான்ன்சு- அப்பால 
நித்திஷ் போட்டாரு பட்டாசு!

Nitish's "Unexpected" move

Nitish's "unexpected" move!
+++++++++++++++++++++
To the naked eye, it would appear as if the gloves are off between Nitish Kumar and Lallo Yadav. And that it is a question of principles that Nitish bhai is standing for. And that he would not tolerate corruption, at any cost. But everyone knows Nitish as a wily politician, who keeps everyone guessing at all times; as a person, who believes that it is all about timing, when it comes to politics.

This incident is no different. Think of it this way. If Nitish had forced Tejaswini to resign, then Lalloo would have been quick to take poitical mileage out of it, and would have rallied the powerful Yadav lobby in Bihar. And, with horse trading being rampant, suitcases would have changed hands, and so would MLAs. Jaitley's help with Rs,2000 rupee denominated notes, cannot be under-estimated, after all !! Possible end result? Nitish could have found himself marginalized in Bihar politics, at least temporarily. No politician likes to stay away from power, after all, and Nitish is no different.

Nitish knew that the Lalloo clan would be a long-term liability for him, and yet got into the Maha-ghatbandhan, just to keep the Modi Juggernaut out. That having been achieved successfully, Nitish was giving the long rope to RJD to "hang themselves". RJD is now feeling the noose tightening, as it were.

So, what is Nitish perhaps calculating?

One, by resigning and getting "popular sympathy support", he may hope to get public and party backing to legitimately oust that "liability" called RJD.

Two, sending a strong signal that he is getting ready to head the anti-BJP gang, in prep for 2019. Nothing gives him that halo, better than this "holier than thou" posture.

Three, he had Madam Maino just a few days ago. By upping the ante now, he aims to relegate Congress to an also-ran in Bihari, and even Indian, politics.

Four, by showing a "soft corner" towards muslims by joining their Iftars parties during Ramadan, and posing for photos donning the skull cap, he may have already touched a chord with the Muslims. Now, with the anti-corruption tag firmly on his neck with this decisive move, he may be be aiming to position himself in the centre of centre... neitther right wing, nor left wing... something that would enable him to lean any which way, depending upon the tide in 2019.

Five, by uttering not a word against the BJP in the recent past, he has managed to keep Amit Shah guessing, too. And that confusion will only confund them further, with this move.

Last, but not the least, ignoring his short stint in 2000, Nitish's real first innings was marked by marked improvement in governance, law and order improvement and reduction of corruption. With the Lalloo clan holding the threads of the puppet show in the Nitish's second innings, his image certainly has taken a beating. This Vikramaditya now needs to act decisively and shake off this "betaal", else runs the real risk of losing Bihar in the next hustings. "Wolves" like Amit Shah are on the prowl to usurp Bihar, and the wily Nitish is only too well aware of it. Hence this "unexpected" resignation.

Haa!! Games politicians play!!


P.S: The coming weeks and months will vindicate me, or prove me wrong... I am up for the game!

Nitish Kumar Quits As Bihar Chief Minister, Says 'Conscience Pricked Me'
Nitish Kumar has quit as Chief Minister of Bihar, ending the two-year-long political experiment that was branded as a game-changing Maha-gathbandhan or Grand…
NDTV.COM

பயிர்ப்பு (Payirppu)- Language and Culture are inseparable

As someone who has delved a bit into various Indian languages, I am of the firm conviction that language is not just a few words of expression, but are a true reflection of the culture of the people.

A perfect example is the Tamil word பயிர்ப்பு (Payirppu) . This word, from a classical Tamil perspective, happens to be the fourth in a series of qualities that are unique to a woman- அச்சம் மடம் நாணம் பயிர்ப்பு ( fear, feigning ignorance even when in the know of things, blushing/ shyness and the fourth, PAYIRPPU, which, to me, is a word unique to Tamil, and which I do not know exists in any other language).

Payirppu பயிர்ப்பு denotes the instinctive ability of a woman to distinguish between the physical touch or intimacy of her husband, and that of any man other than her own. Classical Tamil holds that the nature has bestowed this unique ability to feel that difference, and resist that unwanted touch. I am not getting into a debate of whether these four qualities are relevant, in today's "modern world". I will reserve that for another day. I am just interested in what the language offers, and how this has driven a poet's imagination, and how the poet has dared to interpret an event in the Ramayanam, very differently from the original author, based on the uniqueness of the culture, and the associated language, and with special reference to the word பயிர்ப்பு. Yes, the poet in question is the immortal Kamban. The sub-story in reference is that of Ahalya, the virtuous one, in Ramayanam.  Before I jump into the topic, as a snippet, the word Halya in Sanskrit means " one without beauty" , so "A-halya" means connotes two negatives in one go, indicating that she was extremely beautiful.

Valmiki and Kamban have approached the same episode, from entirely different perspectives. In the Valmiki Ramayanam, Valmiki straightaway says, without any fear or favour, that Ahalya knew very well that Indra was desirous of her, and that she was excited to be enticed by him to bed, without her husband knowing. For someone who is considered to be one amongst the five most " virtuous women ever" in Indian Puranas and Ithihasas, this may come as a shocker. But then Valmiki is someone, who calls a spade a spade. And this is exactly how he does it, and I quote , verbatim, from Balakaandam of Srimad Ramayanam.

अथ अब्रवीत् सुरश्रेष्ठम् कृतार्थेन अंतरात्मना |
कृतार्था अस्मि सुरश्रेष्ठ गच्छ शीघ्रम् इतः प्रभो ||
आत्मानम् माम् च देवेश सर्वदा रक्ष गौतमात् |
"She felt fulfilled in her heart of hearts and then she said this to that best god Indra, 'I am gratified in complying with your wish, oh, best of gods, get going oh, lord, from here quickly, oh, ruler of gods, always safeguard yourself and me from Sage Gautama.' Thus, Ahalya said to Indra. [1-48-20, 21a]

इन्द्रः तु प्रहसन् वाक्यम् अहल्याम् इदम् अब्रवीत् || १-४८-२१
सुश्रोणि परितुष्टो अस्मि गमिष्यामि यथा आगतम् |
"Indra on his part smilingly said this word to Ahalya, 'oh, well-hipped lady, I am quite delighted, here I go as I have came.' [1-48-21b, 22a]

In short, according to Valmiki, the steamy affair was nothing lesser than that between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten!! And that, Ahalya indulged in it, knowing that it was Indra, and not her husband. And paid the price for it.

Kamban, on the other hand, approaches it from the பயிர்ப்பு (Payirppu) angle, totally different from Valmiki's.

I quote பால காண்டம்/அகலிகைப் படலம் verbatim, here, again.

'தையலாள் நயன வேலும், மன்மதன் சரமும், பாய,
உய்யலாம் உறுதி நாடி உழல்பவன், ஒரு நாள் உற்ற
மையலால் அறிவு நீங்கி, மா முனிக்கு அற்றம் செய்து,
பொய் இலா உள்ளத்தான் தன் உருவமே கொண்டு புக்கான். 18

'புக்கு, அவளோடும், காமப் புது மண மதுவின் தேறல்
ஒக்க உண்டு இருத்தலோடும், உணர்ந்தனள்; உணர்ந்த பின்னும்,
'தக்கது அன்று' என்ன ஓராள்; தாழ்ந்தனள் இருப்ப, தாழா
முக்கணான் அனைய ஆற்றல் முனிவனும், முடுகி வந்தான். 19

Kamban's version is that Ahalya did not "welcomed" "him" when "Gautama" returned to the hut. She simply agreed to copulate with him, not suspecting anything unusual. But பயிர்ப்பு (Payirppu) made her realize, when he touched her, that he might not be her husband, but she was disinclined to protest, fearing that she might be considered as "moving away from the conjugal duties of a wife" and therefore it might not be right for her to reject his advances  (" 'தக்கது அன்று' என்ன ஓராள்"). In other words, Kamban deftly uses the பயிர்ப்பு (Payirppu) concept that Ahalya was indeed innocent, and therefore deserved to belong to the elite five. Kamban goes on to explain that Ahalya was made to pay the price for a sin that she did not knowingly commit.

In this example, one can see how a single Tamil word is used as a prop, to differentiate approaches to the same story. கம்ப நயம் என்றால் இதுதான்!!

Pic Courtesy: the Internet

Guru

We live in a more westernized world, where the teacher is a "professional" who is paid to render specific " education services" to obtain either educational qualifications or specific skill-sets. Respecting the teacher is not necessary. In fact, to call the teacher by his/ her first name, is now perfectly acceptable, just as you would call anyone else. ( "What else is the name there for?") This the flow of the times, and we need to accept this, if we are to survive in this "modern" world. However, two things need to be looked into.

One - the quality of the teacher. In good old days, the teacher, under the guru shishya parampara, used to play multiple roles in the life of a student. The parent; the teacher; the coach; the mentor...   all rolled into one. For which he had to go through immense rigour and " earn his stripes" , as it were, before he climbed that altar. In other words, the guru's life was as much of a penance, as that of the shishya. The Guru had to make sure that he befitted the role of the Guru.

Two - the student. The Student had to look for the right guru. Had to make himself worthy of that guru. Was required to be humble. Was required to serve the guru and the guru-patni in all aspects of life. Was allowed to argue with the guru, with the sole purpose of vichaaram ( probing to further one's knowledge), within the ambit of the Tarka Shastrams ( rules for questioning/ debating). The guru himself used to usher the shishya to a "higher" guru, when he realized that the shishya was ready to take on larger vistas.

These were the ideal situations. The point is - we come from a culture that requires the guru to be of the highest calibre, and the student to surrender at the guru's feet in all humility, with the aim of learning as much as possible from the guru - and if possible - going on to better the guru at some stage, in an humble manner.

On Guru Purnima day, I am tempted to quote Adi Shankara's 6th Stanza in his treatise Guruvashtakam. Just as a reminder to all of us, that , no matter how high we fly, let us remind ourselves to be at the feet of our gurus.

यशो मे गतं दिक्षु दानप्रतापात्

जगद्वस्तु सर्वं करे सत्प्रसादात्

मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे

ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

yasho me gatam dikshu danapratapaj-

jagadvastu sarvam kare yatprasadat |

manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme

tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

"My repute has travelled in all directions through my philanthropy and prowess; all the things of this world are in my hands as rewards for my virtues; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?"