சொல்லும் பொருளும் - WORDS AND THEIR MEANING

I was reading the Kamba Ramayanam, and suddenly something interesting struck me. I was drawn to a parallel, immediately, in Kalidasa's Sanskrit classic Raghu Vamsam. This article is about how two of the greatest masters of metaphors - Kamban and Kalidasa, have used the same metaphors, to completely different effect, in two of the greatest works - The Raghuvamsam and the Kamba Ramayanam.

The invocation shlokha of Raghuvamsam , goes below

वागर्थाविव संपृक्तौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तये।
जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ॥ १-१

vāgarthāviva saṁpṛktau vāgarthapratipattaye |
jagataḥ pitarau vande pārvatīparameśvarau || 1-1

vAk= shabda= sound - what is or may be heard; artha= its meaning, import; iva= like; sa.mpR^iktau= nitya sambandha= indissolubly cleaved together, ever embodied two-in-one entity pArvatI-parameshvara; vAk= of speech, idiom; artha= its meaning - import, the process of forming and relating ideas from listened sound; pratipattaye= samyak j~nAna artham= to derive pertinent idiom and ideation, language and paralanguage; jagataH= of universe; pitarau= parents; vande= I adore; pArvatI= pArvati; parama Ishvarau= supreme, lord - shiva.

"For the right understanding (or the proper knowledge) of words, and their meanings, I bow down to pArvati and parameshvara, the greatest of the gods, who are the parents of the universe ( or creation ) and the perpetual relation ( or constant union) between whom is as close as the one subsisting between words and their meanings."      (Translation, courtesy - sanskritdocs.org)

The great poet starts off by praying to Shiva and Parvati, and how inseparable they are, and to illustrate that, he uses THE WORD AND ITS MEANING, as the metaphor. He says, Shiva and Parvati are as inseparable as the word and it's meaning. Every word HAS to have  a meaning. That is what languages are: a medium of communication; a way to denote something through the use of word(s).

Now, Kamban uses the same metaphor of the word and it's meaning- but in an entirely different context.  This appears in the Thaataka vatham part, where Vishwamitra takes away Rama and Lakshmana to kill Thaataka who had been distrubing him.  Let us look at the verses below:

சொல்லொக்கும் கடிய வேகச் சுடுசரம் கரிய செம்மல்
அல்லொக்கும் நிறத்தி னாள்மேல் விடுத்தலும் வயிரக் குன்றக்
கல்லொக்கும் நெஞ்சில் தாங்காது அப்புறம் கழன்று கல்லாப்
புல்லர்க்கு நல்லோர் சொன்ன பொருளெனப் போயிற் றன்றே

ஒக்கும்- போன்ற; கடிய- கூர்மையான ; சரம்-அம்பு ; அல் -இருள்; புல்லர்- கெட்டவர்

In this verse, Kamban, the great Kavi Chakravarthi that he is, uses " word and it's meaning" in a very different Upama ( metaphor). The scene is set for Rama to kill Thaataka, the demoness. Kamban wants to imply that Rama's arrow went really so fast and furious, hit the target, and came out, even faster. Generally, the mind is usually taken as one of the top metephors for speed, since the mind usually travels faster than perhaps anything else. As an example, look at the Isaavaasya Upanishad below, where , clearly, the mind is shown as the fastest possible, and the All-Pervading is faster than the mind.

anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvamarṣat |

tad dhāvato’nyān-atyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti ||4||

It is unmoving, one, and faster than the mind. The senses could not overtake It, since It ran ahead. Remaining stationary, It outruns all other runners. It being there, Matarisva allots (or supports) all activities.

But sometimes, there is one thing which is even faster than the mind. WORDS. Quite often, we, in a fit of rage or emotion, say words without thinking ( and then repent later). Kamban uses the word, as the perfect example here.

But then, he does not stop here. He wants wants the exit of the arrow to be portrayed as being even faster than it's entry. So what does he do? "கல்லாப்
புல்லர்க்கு நல்லோர் சொன்ன பொருளெனப் போயிற் றன்றே". His metaphor here is even more beautiful. He says, that the arrow went so fast, pierced her heart, and came out even faster, much like good and advising words given to an uneducated and unfit person  (கல்லாப் புல்லர்) , enters his one ear fast, and the meaning of those words leaves through his other ear even faster ( ie, nothing is retained)!

This is the beauty of our literature. Same metaphor - WORDS AND THEIR MEANING. See how differently ( and equally beautifully) these two great poets have used, in different context!!

Dharani

I have been contemplating on the possible links between specific words in multiple languages.

One such word was the tamil word dharani தரணி .   Which literally means the earth. I liked this word, more than the usual பூமி  ( Bhoomi) , which clearly is a Sanskrit word, and is found in many Upanishads and Vedas. I thought தரணி is the form of pure tamil that I would prefer to use in Tamil.

That is until I realized that there is this Hindi word धरती   ( Dharthi) , denoting the earth. Made me think - did this Hindi word originate from Tamil?

Until, again, I was on a rather unconnected research of the Sanskrit word धर्मः  ( Dharmaha) , which really, coarsely translated , meant "righteousness", amongst many other meanings. I mean it, when I say " coarsely translated", for, I find that for many Sanskrit words, there are no equivalent English words. Languages and culture being Siamese twins, it is quite possible that many words may not find the right equivalent, when translated into another language.

The interesting part comes now. I tried to dig a little deeper, etymologically , into this word Dharmaha. I discovered that the the dhatu (root) explanation for धर्मः  is धरती इति धर्मः   Dharati iti Dharmaha, ie, that which HOLDS or bears is dharmaha..  the word धर Dhara in sanskrit means "holds" or "bears".

The earth bears/ holds us all..   so the Tamil and Hindi equivalents do make snese now...   So, I concluded that the common root for this word, across multiple languages (ધરતી Dharti in Gujarati and Marathi,  ধরণী Dharani in Bengali, etc.)

The more I realize these commonalities, the more I am convinced that the Aryan-Dravidian theory is hogwash.

आपकी इंतज़ार में

आपकी इंतज़ार में सेज को सजाते रहे। 
हर रात उम्मीद के दिये जलाते रहे। 

उस अनजान फरिश्ता तो आप हो 
जिसके नाम लेकर हर ईद मनाते रहे। 

साक़ी ने उन लम्हों को मिठा न सका 
मेरे रात के जो हमसफ़र बनके चलाते रहे। 

मेहँदी की खुशबू बेमिसाल है, यह पता ही था 
फिर भी गुंचा को नाक में लगाते रहे। 

जीना मुश्क़िल हुआ, पर मरना नामुमकिन
ग़म का सहारा लेकर ग़म को भुझाते रहे। 

Intraday Trading Learnings

I saw this write-up in the Internet ( Credit to the original author).  Worth pouring over, for all aspiring intraday- traders

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1. Price is the only thing that matters. Adapt to it, don't fight it. 
2. Don't under estimate the power of desperate money managers in the fourth quarter. They need to beat their bench marks or risk losing their jobs/clients.
3. Mental stops will ensure you an emotional trade. Don’t use mental stops. You are either in the trade or not. Mental stops invite emotions.
4. Mental stops is another way of saying  "I am not sure where to place my stop"
5. Adding to a losing position is one of the best ways to end your trading career.
6. The biggest winning trades normally have big volume driving them higher.
7. Trading triple ETFS will deplete the account over the long term.
8. "Too many eyes" on a key breakout point will most likely cause that pattern to fail first. AKA  fuckery. Revisit the "NEW" setup after the fuckery has shaken out the majority.
9. Sentiment is always more negative on bottom retests than in the FIRST low. Watch out above if the retest is successful.
10. Most double bottoms come with strong MACD/RSI divergences. A powerful event if you see this.
11. Be aware of stocks that take "too long to go". early indication of demand drying up.
12. The best trade setups work immediately after they trigger. They barely give you a chance of to jump on board.
13. The best traders are incredibly nimble. They can be bearish but still capable to taking longs without hesitation.
14. Perma bears and perma bulls eventually get washed out of the market. You have to respect a strong bull market and you have to respect a mean bear market.
15. More trades does NOT equal more profits. LESS IS MORE.
16. The best traders i know, keep their routine very simple.
17. Price charts and volume is all you need. Most indicators are noise the majority of the time.
18. Never confuse YOUR macro views with what is actually happening in the stock market.
19. Economy could be in recession but if the market is rallying, you need to listen to the market. It pays better.
20. Fighting the trend doesn't pay well. In general, trading with a trend, pays off much better.
21. Get aggressive when you make 2-3 good trades back to back.
22. Get VERY defensive when you make 2-3 bad trades. Often times traders will do the opposite. (Self destructive behavior).
23. Trading on margin is the surest way to emotional decision making and eventually will wash you out of the business.
24. Never underestimate the confidence building power of a tiny gain that is booked. Green on the screen helps build confidence for future trades.
25. Big winning streak start with tiny wins. (The snow ball effect).
26. Most losing streaks start because a "basic' rule was broken. Emotions taking over.
27. In bulls markets, if you are to err, err on the long side. NOT SHORT. Short squeezes can be powerful and painful.
28. It's ok to be wrong but it's NEVER ok to "STAY WRONG".
29. Good fundamental analysis and proper technical trading is a killer combination. Think CANSLIM / IBD (investors Business Daily)
30. Too many bullish setups is NOT always a "good thing"/ A plethora of bullish setups normally precedes a big down day. Aka: Fuckery.
31. Trading stocks is a lot like a beauty contest. What looks best, wins.
32. The best technical patterns is the BULL FLAGS. It comes in many varities. Learn to spot them.
33. Candle stick patterns don't mean anything WITHOUT follow thru. A Hammer or a DOJI means nothing unless it gets follow thru the next day.
34. Very hard to short a market when the financial stocks(XLF) are strong.
35. Trading with 'conviction' is great BUT trading with 'arrogance' is a sure way to the poor house.
36. You have to understand, you cannot impose your will on the market. The market is bigger and smarter than you and you need to adapt to it. Not the other way around.
37. Sentiment polls are worthless for the most part. Focus on price action.
38. More market bottoms take place in October than in any other month. A simple observation that i made over the years.
39. Always be aware when short interest on the NYSE starts to hit record highs. Normally means we are getting close to a major bottom.
40. In December, small caps and micro cap stocks(junk stocks) come alive. many will double or triple in a few days.
41. Keep your approach as simple and basic as possible. Can you explain it to a 10 year old?
42. The market is master at forecasting events well ahead of time. by the time, the actual news hits, the market has already discounted it.
43. Never short a market in momentum mode.
44. Never short a market that is "quiet" or "choppy".
45. Trading in choppy market is one of the most difficult and frustrating things to do.
46. Shorting over the long run pays very poorly. Odds are heavily stacked against bears over the long run.
47. Many strong forces are constantly working against shorts: PPT, short sales bans, government intervention etc.
48. Every stock will go thru a period of accumulation, topping out, distribution and bottoming and a new cycle begins. Rinse, repeat.....
49. Big long candles on big volume are often the start of something bigger. Scan and track those stocks. Many will end up being big winners.
50. Trust your gut, if something doesn't 'feel' right, sell it. Analyze it from the sidelines (emotion free)
51. Chat rooms are the best learning tool but be aware of what is noise and what is quality actionable, tradeable information.
52. Be ware of trades that "fill easily". The best trades barely give you a 'good price'.
53. It takes a brave soul to admit a trade is not working and sell it at a loss. The 'easy' thing to do is carry the position and "hope" it turns.
54. Your 'hardest' work should be done while the market is closed. So that when the market opens, you will be prepared once your setups become active.
55. Surround yourself with POSITIVE people. haters are hating for a reason. They are LOSING. pure and simple. Positive people are winning or on the right path to winning.
56. Work HARD and work SMART. Both are equally important if you want to make a profession from your trades.
57. The character of the person will be tested when things are going horribly bad. Will you be the phoenix to rise from the ashes?
58. Don't brag, beat your chest when things are going well. Eventually mother market humbles us all.
59. The harder you force trades, the more likely to lose. Allow the natural process to happen...naturally.
60. Lucky breaks normally come when you are trading well. Unlucky breaks come when you are trading poorly.
61. Wining and losing streaks come in cycles. Be aware which cycle YOU are currently in. Be aggressive when winning and confidence is high.
62. TOPS are a long process, rarely a single day event.
63. Failed breakouts and deterioration of stocks under the surface are the first warning signs. Fewer and fewer stocks left holding up the indexes.
64. BOTTOMS are a process, rarely a single event. Many stocks start to bottom well ahead of the indexes.
65. Always be aware of what is going on in the "MARKET OF STOCKS", not just the "stock market". Indexes will always react to what is happening to stocks under the surface.
66. In bull markets, you buy dips and trade breakouts when momentum is clearly UP. In bear markets, you short weak low volume bounces and short breakdowns when momentum is clearly DOWN.
67. Don't be a bull, don’t be a bear: Be a predator. constantly lurking and stalking the "easy prey".
68. Perma bulls and perma bulls are dangerous, lazy and arrogant. Don't take their views too seriously if you care about YOUR account.
69. It's not about being 'bullish' or 'bearish'. It's about being RIGHT. Please understand this. It's vital to long term survival.
70. It's not about being 'bullish' or 'bearish'. It's about being RIGHT. Please understand this. It's vital to long term survival.
71. It's not about being 'bullish' or 'bearish'. It's about being RIGHT. Please understand this. It's vital to long term survival.
72. Catching falling knives will sooner or later land you into a mine field. Big difference between buying a dip and catching a falling knife.
73. Swing trading triple ETFs will give you insomnia. Is it really worth it?
74. Professional traders know strength begets more strengths. Weakness begets more weakness.
75. Anticipate "now" what you think will be 'popular' later.
76. Most traders are never "happy" with their trades. Understand that no trade will ever be "PERFECT".
77. When a stock breaks out on big volume. The first dip will normally bought up very quickly.
78. If you have no solid plan(i.e. Setup, proper entry, stop loss, exit strategy, target), then why are you in the trade?
79. Often times, the best trades require you to buy high and sell higher.
80. Learn to be patient once in a winning position. Learn to be very impatient when in a losing or questionable position
81. Lowering a stop loss is the first sign of trouble. You are breaking the rules and emotions are starting to creep in. Careful when u see that.
82. Never ever, get into a position that is "too BIG" for the account size. All it takes is a bad trade, to cripple you beyond repair.
83. It's ok to say " i am wrong and what do i need to do now?"
84. Always be aware of which stocks are exhibiting STRENGTH in a weak tape.
85. Always be aware of which stocks are exhibiting WEAKNESS in a strong tape.
86. Boredom trades costs add up and can hurt you. Be aware of when you are simply bored and looking to trade something "JUST TO TRADE"
87. You will never buy the exact bottom and you'll never exact sell the exact top: Don't beat yourself up if "you left money on the table"
88. EMOTION is what causes most traders to break their rules.
89. It's NOT the news that is most important, it's the REACTION to the news. Respect the price action.
90. Have a list of setups READY for the following day. Know the trigger prices ahead of time. Have plan: setup, position size, entry, exit, max loss and targets.
91. NO plan? NO TRADE!
92. 10 times out of 10, Traders who carry BIG losses wishes they had respected their "ORIGINAL" stop. So, respect the ORIGINAL STOP LOSS, ALWAYS!
93. Over trading is the POISON for your trading. LESS IS MORE!
94. Never chase GAP UPS. Allow the first 45-60 minutes to pass by and then see what is setting up best intra-day.
95. You want to enter stocks that have the BEST bases on ALL TIME FRAMES. Weekly, daily, 60 min, 30 min, 10, 5 min. << the more time frames align, the higher the probability the trade.
96. Focus on finding "GOOD BASES" : The longer a stock bases, the more meaningful the breakout.
97. Keep a balanced life. It's not all about the screens. Spend time with family, friends: They deserve more attention.
98. Stay humble, stay grounded, remember where you came from and where you want to go. What is here today, can easily be gone tomorrow. Respect what you have yet shoot to achieve more.

Is Indian Economy Slowing down?

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/10/09/the-imfs-india-growth-estimates-are-too-optimistic-economist.html



My take :  There is an element of truth in what he says. But not entirely. Let me explain.

And oh, by the way, listen to Sakthi Siva, also of Credit Suisse ( Google her) . She is the Asian Bureau leader for equity research, I think, for CS. She had gone underweight on India since May, at the time when the bulls were raging.

Now, to this. Listen to Neekanth once again. And tell me, which of the macro factors he mentions have cropped up yesterday. To be fair to CS, they have gone underweight. But show me one other International Brokerage house, or FII, that has gone underwieght, or even neutral, on India ( until this month, ie) .

Many of the foreign institutions are now finding the Asian markets to be vulnerable. India is one of them. That is all. EMs are now perceived as a week spot, at a time when US Bond yields are rising, and expected to head northward. The spiralling of oil prices is not helping, either. So, now, these houses are now finding it convenient to move to safer havens ( why not? If I were them, I would do the same). So, all these "macro factors" are now being highlighted, in preparation for an exit. Note that Singapore market fell 15 today, at a time that the Indian market rallied 1.5% ( mainly short squeezing).

Energy - I am surprised that he is talking as if the problems cropped up yesterday. What took him so long to even realize that India is vulnerable on the energy front?

ONGC is simply unable to drill out more oil. No new capacities are getting added. The older wells in Digboi and other areas in Assam are drying up faster, partially compensated by Vendata's onshore exploits in Rajasthan. But , that apart, our attempts to secure conventional energy ( oil mainly) , are not succeeding. That includes our attempt with ONGC VIdesh, the company that was specifically formed for venturing out to other countries like Vietname , Kazakhsthan etc, to secure oil. Reliance has completely failed in finding oil in Krishna basin. Natural gas is only availbel at 4 km depth in the Bay of Bengal, and that is cost-inefficient to tap. Nett of it - we continue to import oil, and that is our vulnerability.

Coal - Neelkanth is wrong, when he says we have no coal. It is well known that India has the largest coal reserves in the world. Enough to last the next 150 years ( based on on known deposits). We have vast resroues of coal. The problem is the quality fo the coal that we get here, is much worse than, say, Australian coal. So, again, commercially, it is cheaper to pay shipping and import Aussie coal with higher calorific value, than mine locally. Plus, companies like BHEL have not invested enough in R&D on how to maximize power production with the kind of coal we have. And this does not come overnight - that culture is simply missing in BHEL since independence.

Which is why the Modi Govt has set ambitious targets for Solar and wind power generation, targeting to add 100GW of power from Solar alone, by 2022. They have done 34GW so far. That is a cool 34000 MW power capacity added , from Solar. No mean achievement. I know Laks will kill me for saying this. but the western houses like CS do not recognize this solar effort at all. Simply because the panels, the key component, are being imported from China, who is the largest panels manufacturer in the world.

Now, if you need to grow at 8% clip YTY, then you need much higher power capacity to be installed, than the 34GW done so far.  But, again, there are strutural problems in the power sector that are unique to India, that are preventing further investment.

1. High cost of capital - at 8.2% for 10 year bonds, enterprise cost of capital is upwards of 16% p.a. effectively. Makes new power plants unviable, at a time when cost/MW for Solar and Wind are dropping rapidly.
2. India has the highest Transmission and Distribution loss, in any major economy in the world. If I remember correctly, that is 22% ... which effectively means, you are not adding 34 GW, you are adding 22% less ( roughly 1/4th goes waste) . Loss is on account of inefficient transmission, lack of a fully functional national power grid that can take power from production head to consumption point anywhere in the country. And then there is pilferage, sponsored by politicians.
3. State Governments are broke, throwing money away in populist schemes. WHich means they are not paying power producers and T&D guys. Huge outstanding balances are dragging the OEMs, producers and transmitters and distributors, alike.
4. To alleviate that, Modi brought out a scheme called Urjha, where term loans were to be given to state eletricity boards Due to political compulsions, that scheme was a failure.
5. In the boomtime of the early 2000s, under the then UPA, many companies, with apparent political backing, were allowed to borrow huge sums of money, and over-leverage their balance sheets. Lanco infra, GMR, GVK, Jyoti Structure, BGR Energy, KSK Energy ventures etc..   Lanco went an invested $5B in Australia to buy cola mines, which was shot down by the Supre Court of Australia on Environmental grounds, leading to huge lossses. Most of the above companies are now NCLT cases ( equivalent of Chapter 11) . Matter of time, before they get to Chapter 7. 😂 . Needless to say, such over-leveraging smacks of the over-leveraging of Balance sheets, and is causing huge NPA issues to banks, which are now barred from lending to many such adventerous projects, leading to a tailspin of credit squeeze. Nett of it, no new capacities are being planned to be added, at a time when the country desperately needs new capacity. Now, you can make your own conclusion on whether this particular screwed up an otherwise milk-and-honey situation, or whether this malaise should have been addressed by successive governements over the past 70 years. The UPA did try to accelerate this, but , in the bargain, they failed to do enough checks and balances, leading to this mess of today. In otherwise, the intention then was right, but the execution was faulty ( discounting all those scams).

Coming to GST, it was a structural reform that had to be done. And has been done. I have lived in Australia at a time when they switched over to GST. Even for a compliant society like theirs, they went through hell. I hav e also lived through  transition to GST in Singapore. Same story.

GST is bound to cause short term pains. And in a complicated tax regime like ours, expect much more pain. the fault of this govt lies in not setting the expectations of people accordingly. they made everyone believe that it was going to be rather easy.

DeMon - the intention was absolutely right.   The execution was faulty, leading to short term disruption, which , in hindsight, looks unwarraneted, purely going by the rather comical measures the govt undertook subsequently. For example, if they withdrew 1000s, to prevent hoarding of cash, then, why in the first place, introduce a 2000???  I found that a Thuglak-like step. The objective was fantastic. the execution, in my opinion, was botched. The impact? For all the tall claims of the opposition, the impact , barring the first 30 days, was minimal, either way. Indeed, most companies, including the SMEs , have bounced back. Was DeMon necessary? Absolutely. We did that earlier Many other countries have done that, including Australia.

Phew!!

Nachiketa - perhaps, the first recorded argumentative Indian

Picture Courtesy: Amar Chitra Katha

I have always wondered where the argumentative mentality of Indians comes from. That it appears to be in our genes, is foregone. But here is a real proof that, from time immemorial, we have been prone to arguments- and winning, at that.
This conversation in the Kathopanishad , which had been composed at least a few thousand years, if not more, is proof of that.

The "hero" of the Kathopanishad, a nine year old boy, Nachiketas, is given away as alm (Dhaanam), to the God of Death, Yama, by his father Vaajasravas, in a fit of anger. Vaajasravas was, of course, quick to realize his blunder, and not only did he repent, but also he asked Nachiketas not to go away.

But then, we are talking about times, when a commitment is a commitment, and even 9-year olds know that, more than anything else, it is paramount to stick to commitments. And so, our hero goes to Yamaloka, and this brahmin boy waits at the altar of Yama for 3 whole days, without food or water, since Yama happens to be away. Upon his return, Yama is disturbed that he kept the poor hungry and waiting, and as atonement, grants three boons.  As a first boon, Nachiketas asks Yama to ensure that his father is at peace with himself, and will recognize him and wholeheartedly accept him back when he returns to Bhooloka ( the earth). After all, the boy is cock-sure that he would be sent back with full honours! Talk about self-confidence! As the second boon, Yama not only teaches a particular fire ritual that will ensure "Amritatvam" ( immortality) and a place in the heavens, but also names the ritual after the boy - Naachiketaagni.

Trouble comes, when, as the third boon, Nachiketas demands to know what happens after death. In other words, Nachiktas asks for " self knowledge", or Atmavidya. But Yama knows that only a fit person will be in a position to receive it ( such a person is called Adhikaari). Therefore, Yama needs to test if Nachikatas is qualified to receive it. There are 4 such qualifications that are needed

1. Vivekam - Discrimiation that self knowledge alone will give freedom from sorrow
2. Vairagyam-  Dispassion, a knowledge that other things do not give real freedom and so, "I do not consider them primary, and will only settle for the real".  
3. Shatka sampaththi - Discipline, the integration of the personality consisting of sense organs of knowledge, action, emotional mind, rational intellect, and must function in an integrated manner ( for which, they need to be "healthy") . more details of this can be found in Adi Shankara's Tatvabodha. Self mastery, self integration, self organization and self management.
4. Mumukshutvam  - Desire (intense, at that) for self-knowledge. Also called Theevra Jigyaasaa.

Typically, the gurus used to test out the students on the 4 Ds above, by discouraging them, overtly and covertly, before deciding to impart Aatma Vidya.


Now, this concept of life after death, or Atma Vidya, is so so abstract, that only very few people can really understand. A 9 year old ? Quite unlikely. So, Yama tries to dissuade Nachiketas with alternative offerings of wealth and happiness - more than enough to last his life time.  In verse 21 of the Kathopanishad, he does exactly that, telling Nachitas  not to press with that demand, and that, instead, he would offer other materialistic things. I quote verse 21 below, along with its meaning, verbatim.


devai̍r atrāpi viciki̍tsitam purā na hi̍ suvijñeyam aṇur e̍ṣa dharmaḥ |
anya̍ṁ varaṁ na̱cike̍to vṛṇīśva mā mo̍parotsīr ati mā̱ sṛjai̍nam || 21 ||


purā = in days of yore; atra = with regard to this thing; vicikitsitam = doubt was entertained; devaiḥ api = even by gods; hi = since; eṣa dharmaḥ = this principle called the Self; na suvijñeyam = is not easily comprehensible [to common people] anuḥ = it being so subtle and abstract. [Hence] naciketaḥ = O Naciketa; vṛṇīśva = you ask for; anyaṁ varaṁ = some other boon [- less complex]. Mā uparotsīḥ = do not press; mā = me [mā being the same as mām (me)]; ati sṛja = give up; enam = this one.

Yama mentions that even the gods of old had doubt on this point. It is not, indeed, easy to understand; (so) subtle is this truth. Choose another boon,O Naciketas. Do not press me. Release me from this.

The response to this poser from Yama, by the young boy, is the piece de' resistance. It not only brings out the brilliance of the boy and his maturity, but also his ability to counter-argue and convince Yama that the very same reasons for which Yama dissuades him are the ones for which he would not like to settle for anything lesser! Here is verse 22, reproduced, that gives the response of Nachiketas.

devai̍r atrāpi vi̱ciki̍tsitam kila tva̱ṁ ca mṛ̱tyo yan na su̱vijñeya̍m āttha |
vaktā̍ cāsya tvā̱dṛg-a̍nyo na labhyo nānyo̍ varas tulya e̱tasya̍ kaścit || 22 ||

atra = with regard to this thing; devaiḥ api vicikitsitam kila = indeed doubt was entertained even by the gods; ca = and; mṛtyuḥ = O Death; yat = since; tvaṁ = you; āttha = say; [that the reality of the Self]; na suvijñeyam = is not easily comprehended, [therefore this thing is unknowable even to the learned]; vaktā ca asya = and an instructor of this principle; anyaḥ = anyone else; tvādṛk = like you;
na labhyaḥ = cannot be had; na anyaḥ varaḥ = there is no other boon; kaścit = whatsoever; which is; etasya tulya = comparable to this one [ since all the other boons bear impermanent results].

Nachiketas argued that indeed, even the gods had doubt about this, and you, O Yama, say that it is not easy to understand. Instruct me, for another teacher, like you, is not to be had. No other boon is comparable to this at all.

1. Oh Yama, you yourself concede that even the Devas ( Gods) find it difficult to comprehend and handle. Therefore, it must be the rarest of wisdoms, which not many people may possess. And therefore, it is the most precious wisdom one can hope to have. And, this is exactly the reason that I covet it. For, whatever is rare, is valuable, and whatever is valuable, is worth seeking.
2. You say that this teaching is not easily accessible. Which means, I cannot collect this wisdom by own independent effort, and therefore, need a guru to get it. I will not get such a guru on earth. I need an external guide, and so I need to make use of this opportunity.
3. I obviously would like to have the best guru. In this context, who better to teach me, than yourself, the Lord of Death. Remember, the question is - what will happen to the individual after death? The Lord of death, therefore best placed to share this Atma vidya. After all, Yama is the real "maut ka saudagar" (the merchant of detah), as it were. 
4. Hence, after reconsidering, I have concluded that there is no boon equal to, or better than this.  

Note that the fourth point above may also be construed as a demonstration of Theevra mumukshutvam. ( the fourth D above).

With this riveting counter-argument, Nachiketas emphatically passes the first test on Vivekam. The Upanishad then goes on to explain how he clear the other four tests as well.


Do you think that even the best of Harvard Law graduates can argue so convincingly, on the very same points that are being raised against?

पंढरीचे भूत मोठे - Amazing Abhang

This is one of the most beautiful Marathi Abhangs I have ever listened to. Ranjani and Gayathri simply take me to a different plane when I hear them sing this. I have listened to this Abhang in the past, purely for it's musical value, and did not quite bother about the lyrics or it's meaning.

Today, this sung suddenly rang in my ears, as if it was some sort of divine calling. My mind immediately wandered to Pune, where I used to visit the Vitthal Mandir in Bhawanipeth, off and on. I felt rather bizzare. Why would this spark come from nowhere, all of a sudden. Unannounced? Even as I am ruminating about it, I dug out the lyrics. I realize that the lyrics, by Sant Tukaram are a classic. A satirical piece as it were. Here it is.

पंढरीचे भूत मोठे
आल्या गेल्या झडपी वाटे

बहु खेचरीचं रान
बघ हे वेडे होय मन

जाऊ नका कोणी, तिथे जाऊ नका कोणी
जे गेले, नाही आले परतोनी

तुका पंढरीसी गेला
पुन्हा जन्मा नाही आला

I do understand a bit of Marathi. So, I started dismantling the words. Tukaram Maharaj has adopted a very unconventional , satirical approach to Pandharpur and Vithobha . He starts off by saying पंढरीचे भूत मोठे - that there is a formidable ghost in Pandharpur.  आल्या गेल्या झडपी वाटे  - it catches anyone who passes by, so beware!!  If you want to be safe, then either change course and take a different path, or simply cancel.

बहु खेचरीचं रान
बघ हे वेडे होय मन

खेचरी  may mean some sort of animal, I am not very sure. But this line essential means that there is so much greenery around Pandharpur, with खेचरी grazing. And that, the very sight of the greenery will simply blow your mind away.

जाऊ नका कोणी, तिथे जाऊ नका कोणी Dont go, anyone. Dont go there, anyone, for , जे गेले, नाही आले परतोनी  whoever went there, never returned.

Now Turakam goes on to give his own example

तुका पंढरीसी गेला  - Tukaram went to Pandharpur, in search of the Brahmam. पुन्हा जन्मा नाही आला  - but , not only he did not return, but he and never got a rebirth.

The Mundakopanishad says " Brahmavid Brahmaiva bhavathi" , ie, the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. Tukaram Mahraj, in his inimitable style has said exactly the same thing, in a more humourous/ satirical way.

It may be noted here that Hinduism is probably the only religion where one has the freedom to mock God ( brahmam).     There is an established technique in Tamil literture, called   அசதியாடல்  ( asadhiyaadal)  , where the poet takes the liberty and mocks at God, as if he would mock a dear friend playfully. Read more about that in my earlier article  here.

http://andhakudi.blogspot.com/2016/05/blog-post_29.html



Below is the Abhang by RG. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beJXJVwD3v4