Friendship

As commonality would have it, friendship is probably the noblest of all relationship  among human beings. This wonderful feeling finds a place in the Puranas itself - extolling the Duryodhana – Karna,  Krishna – Arjuna episodes, and in the age of the royalties involving Kopperum Chozhan – Pisirandhaiyar, Akbar – Birbal, so to say a few. In  modern  times  the  tinsel  world  has glorified  this  phenomenon  in  many  movies.

Why restrict this lovely, adorable concept to the humans alone? It can be extended to some of the four legged creatures too, the domesticated ones that are bred and taken care in farms, households, shelters etcetera.. Among them too, the canine variety deserves a special mention. The dedication shown, affection showered by them to their masters’ are very well known. Their company is enjoyed and eulogized by those who rear such pets at home. That dogs alone are cited as sterling examples for gratitude, stands  testimony  to  their  attachment to humans, as it is accepted for sure that ingratitude runs thick and deep in the veins of sixth sensed mortals. That they have stood thick and thin with their masters, even during times of war and calamity is an indisputable fact.  Modern history is replete with stories of dedication shown, sacrifices made by dogs, both in civilian and military assignments.  The overt outpour of affection by a canine to its master was recently witnessed by the world in the electronic media, on the untimely demise of  IAS officer Ravi at Bangalore. Those pictures spoke for the depth of the bondage between humans and canines, a blending of love and care mutually shared between two hearts, one ensconced in human and the other in animal anatomy. They serve as a great friend and saviour – amigo and aide de camp, without  expecting  any material  favour.

Everyone, if not so, a vast majority of the two legged inhabitants of the world would subscribe to the above proposition, and have friends, but for a punitive minority of solitary reapers and sky gazers, affiliated  to  soliloquy. 

Friendship is a beautiful symphony, a blending of human minds that transcends barriers, be it  caste, creed, religion, sex, linguistic, regional etc... Everything associated with this fine feeling is broad and nothing is narrow. Friendship is described as one soul residing in two bodies.

My friends’ list. is quite long. It encompasses school and college friends, professional and other general acquaintances. Alma Mater friendship is still g(row)oing, ticking strong..  We meet on social occasions, or create one such, just to have  frolicking  fun.  Be it birthdays, wedding days, marriages, we meet at a svelte outlet, which  for  sure,  goes  to  recharge  our  drooping  middle  age batteries, both on  our  physical   and   psychological  parameters.  While the atmosphere would be  suave  in  school friends’ meeting,  it would  be a noisy pandemonium among college gathering. Grace will prevail in the former gathering while garrulousness will dominate the latter. Personally both are relished  by  me,  as  variety  is  very  much  a  part  of  my  life.

This wonderful chord  has in  its fold my School English Teacher, who is a great source of encouragement. Stationed overseas, she motivates me a lot, supports my endeavours  and corrects me on a factual error.  Special thanks are also due in this regard to an elderly College Teacher.   “ Acharya  Devo  Bhava “

Apart from the above informal coterie, the formal list encompasses people from the professional, employment bandwagon, whose guidance, and support have been of invaluable help in shaping my career. They have been instrumental in initiating an upward trend in my avocation. Special mention must be made of those gentlemen who are partners of leading audit firms, for having reposed faith and entrusted me with challenging assignments. I am grateful to Almighty for giving me such adorable acquaintances, who are held in very high esteem. Thinking of them I always remember the saying  “ Gratitude is the best of virtues,  ingratitude is the worst of vices “. 

Of course, mention should definitely be made about that special friend, a senior Government Official, with whom I have cemented an excellent rapport, as we find ourselves glued to many common interests. The friend in concern, though elder by age, knowledge and experience has always treated me at par and never left me wanting in reception and revelation. Over the years our association has grown on premium, sans any discount. We have travelled the plains and hills, deliberated on multitude of topics at will and length.  I have sought ( still seek ) many professional advices from that versatile person, which ca(o)me instantly with involvement. The receptiveness exhibited by that gentleman stands tall and towers over his diminutive figure.

I  earnestly  wish  that  the  wonderful   journey  with  my  friends’  should  continue  ad infinitum. 

Life also gave me some bad, embarrassing experiences from people who were associated  with me under the garb of friends. On revealing  their  true colours, they  have  got  banished  from  that  sphere  and  pushed  into  mental  oblivion.

May Providence shower His Choicest Blessings on my family, friends, acquaintances and  keep them all  in  good stead  and  bearing.  Manmatha Varsha Puththandu Vazhththukkal and Vishu Aasamshagal.

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Commercialized worship

Belief in God is an inborn feature among people of  all  faiths. They get a religious tag on birth which  sustains  till  their  end. Of course that  tag  can  be  changed ( voluntarily or through coercion ) which is a regular occurrence till this day. The first factor is not problematic and also has a stamp of legal validity, unlike the second one which sometimes gives rise to social tensions. That is the problem with anything done clandestinely. For the Atheists who question the very existence of God, nothing matters, as they are a secluded lot. Their sermons are restricted to their clan which is numerically insignificant. 

Believers cling to Providence for anything and everything, from birth to death. They submit innumerable applications and petitions before the Almighty, towards satisfying their wishes at every stage of life. Unstinted belief and unblemished devotion to God alone would see Divine blessings being showered and enable  humans  to move closer to Him. This has been proved time and again over the ages in Bharata Varsha, which has given hundreds of divine personalities to the world – Buddha, Mahavira, the Sikh Gurus, Adi Shankara etc.

Devotion and belief are purely personal, and for committed believers there is no interregnum between the Supreme Power and themselves, as the hot line is always kept ringing and remains busy. Steadfast and pure devotion alone would suffice in this regard. Now there is a stamp of artificiality everywhere, and natural behaviour and conduct have taken a severe beating. Everything associated with earthly life is measured in commercial terms and value, and this disturbing trend has also permeated into the places of worship.

I was a direct witness to the disquieting aspect of commercialization in temples when I visited Vaideeswaran Koil, ( Chevvai Sthalam ),  one of the Navagraha Kshetras, situated between Mayavaram and Chidambaram. It is a world renowned pilgrim centre with devotees streaming from far and near, throughout the year. It is believed that Lord Vaidyanathan, the Presiding deity of the temple, cures all bodily ills and provides good health and longevity to the devotees.  Every Hindu household will have their own Kula Deivam – family deity at a particular place, and owe prima facie allegiance to that deity, even though they generally worship all Gods in the Hindu pantheon. It so happens that our family deity is Lord Vaidyanathan at Vaideeswaran Koil.  Precedent has it that devout Hindus will normally make an annual visit to their family temple and offer prayers, and most of them fervently  stick  to  this  timetable. Being lackadaisical, I somehow failed to keep my yearly date with Lord Vaidyanathan and kept on seeking adjournments, which by the birth of the year 2015  had exceeded over eight years. Whenever friends and relatives make it to Vaideeswaran Koil, I used to send my donation ( kanikkai ) to the temple through such proxies.

It so happened that Mohanram, my college mate and close friend, mooted the idea of visiting Vaideeswaran Koil and nearby temples at an informal meeting, to which I too readily consented. He being a stickler, insisted that we take up the journey within a week of our meeting and initiated necessary action and completed the rail ticket reservations at one shot. This sudden turn of events and feverish pitch of activity saw us juxtaposed in the Coimbatore – Mayavaram Shatabdi Express, which traversed the distance at commendable speed and deposited us at hot, decrepit Mayavaram. We settled for a double room in a moderate hotel and stretched our overworked nerves.

On getting refreshed, we trudged by foot to the famous Mayuranathaswami Temple, the presiding deity of Mayavaram, before the fall of dusk..  While I  went  empty  handed ( as always ), Mohanram who would never budge an inch from his style, pattern, and observation involving worship, collected all the pooja items and surprised me by his adherence. Viewing his resolve, I could understand that his religious belief had  got strengthened and augmented with the passage of time. At each shrine he meticulously followed the prayer rituals and surpassed me in devotion.  The temple had very few devotees and Lord Mayuranathaswami was all free when we entered the sanctum sanctorum, save for a couple of locals. Mohanram desired to perform archana for his family members and started to spell out their names with their birth stars, as is the normal practice, to the temple priest (Gurukkal). Having traveled all the way from Coimbatore, and this being our maiden visit to the main temple of Mayavaram, he wished that archana be done for all family members. When he had spelt out around five names, the Gurukkal, an intemperate man, felt irritated and interrupted by saying that – “ What is this. Are you reading out a grocery list for a provision store. It is enough if the name of the men folk is spelt out and archana done collectively for the family, instead of reciting individual names “, and commenced the pooja.  We were taken aback by this sudden outburst, which was not only surprising but also shocking, especially from a member of the priestly class, whose main duty is to help and guide the devotees in having a peaceful worship, and see them return in a happy, contented manner. Standing in the altar of God, we prayed and stood in silence, feeling quite sorry for the despicable behaviour of the priest..  However our hurt feelings got assuaged and soothed at the Ambal Shrine, the consort of Lord Mayuranathaswami.  The elderly, learned and seasoned priest who officiated at the Ambal shrine was all receptive to our request and performed archana in the individual names of our family members, without exhibiting a sign of impatience or irritation, which was very heartening. After offering salutations to the deity and respects to the priest, we trooped out of the temple. While the imposing temple towered in our minds, that irrational priest shrunk low in our esteem. 

That evening saw us visiting some more local temples, where the level of sanctity was high, which lifted our spirits and we were encompassed with a sense of satisfaction on reaching our lodging house.

The next day, ( after a hearty breakfast at the famous Kaliakudi Hotel of Mayavaram, )  saw us trooping to Vaideeswaran Koil, the main and pivotal spot in our itinerary. On descending at Vaideeswaran Koil, the change was glaring and glossy. What was once a peaceful, serene pilgrim centre has got transformed into a bustling commercial place, with the entry of even star hotels into the tiny village. The place had undergone meteoric transformation over eight years, since my earlier visit. New commercial complexes, hotels, business houses, hotels have sprung up at all corners of the once sleepy hamlet. Every street had an army of astrologers – Nadi Joshyars, another main avocation associated with this place. They beckoned the devotees from glitzy neon and flex boards, offering solution to all earthly ills. Frankly speaking, I have never solicited the services of a fortune teller. Mohanram’s interest to take the shot with one was cut short at my interference and insistence. Given the grandiose appeal and outlook, I could perceive that with such a huge following, the astrologers’ time was working out fine, but I cannot say the same about the clients’ who come calling on them. 

The element of commercialization is embedded from the doorsteps of the temple, with hawkers selling pooja items calling out to the devotees and striving overtime to strike a good deal. We collected the basic, requisite pooja items and entered the temple. After completing the temple rituals ( dissolving jaggery piece at the temple tank, depositing  salt and pepper  at the designated boxes ), we entered the shrine of Lord Vaidyanathan, the curer of all bodily ailments and insurer of good health. We engaged a priest                ( Gurukkal ) and performed archana for all family members individually. After the pooja got completed we were offered prasadam by the priest. The highlight got enacted at this stage. When we offered dakshana to the priest, his faced turned sour and pat came the demand from him that our contribution falls less than his expectation. It did not stop with that.  He demanded us to shell out extra reward without nonchalance and unmindful of the milling crowd of devotees. I acceded and parted with some more currency. Even this sign of generosity failed to enthuse the priest, which could be deduced from his rueful expression.  It had it’s immediate repercussion, in that when we asked for an extra pocket of the sacred ash from the priest, it was turned down immediately with a stern overbearing attitude.  We could only feel sorry for the deplorable state of affairs and behaviour that had crept into our holiest precincts.

We methodically completed our prayer at the other shrines and trooped out of the temple with a sense of helplessness and burden. On our way back we had a look at the imposing temple tower, and felt dejected that the internal happenings fail to impose the devotees. It rather intrigues and irritates them. Commercialization has overtaken devotion and dedication, which is explicitly seen and cannot be assiduously hidden now. The disturbing experience at the divine place generated sultriness in the mind which dwarfed the outside heat.

While rattling down home in the Shatabdi Express and deliberating on our experience, it dawned on me that to reach and interact with the Divine Creator, there is no need for an intermediary and that it is not mandatory to worship from a designated place of worship at specific, ordained times.  Obeisance can be submitted from anywhere and there are no hard and fast rules to stick to rituals and customs, which are secondary aspects, and which I propose to hold primary to heart,  henceforth.  grace a Dieu.

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* Conundrums of Health

To be born as a human being is indeed a boon. “Aridhu, Aridhu, Manidarai Piraththal Aridhu,” -  to put it in Tamil. To live as one is the real test, an examination conducted under the watchful eyes and supervision of the Almighty, in which only one portion pass out successfully, and the others fail to make it, carrying the left over arrears to their yonder world only to come back to the earth in another birth, either in human form or otherwise, so as to appear for the examination again. The fortunate few who sail through this phase should possess the vision and vibrancy to clear the viva voce on the heavenly altars and meander their way into the gates of El Dorado.

To lead a healthy life is indeed a jackpot. This Providential Blessing smiles only on a miniscule percentage and gives the skip to the majority. The normal prayer is  “ Orandum est ut sit  mens sana in corpore sano  “ – meaning you should have a sound  mind in a sound body. A happy pairing of both is very much sought and prayed for by every soul. It is also the dream of every living thing crisscrossing the earth. Life being a game of chance, showers this blessing on some and deprives it from many. The reasons are manifold, some fathomable and the others not. For the ones who are blessed with this sterling combination, life would resemble an Elysium.

Discord between the above said two factors can lead to divorce of health from our physical self, paving the way for a dejected mind and a sickly existence till the end. The effects will be vice versa from the previous situation / scenario. One has to resign to a debilitating innings, chugging miserably to the last vestiges of life till elegy is sung.

It is a general notion that one should be possessed of good habits to sustain a long, healthy lifespan. Steer clear of tobacco, alcohol and other vices for a prolonged stay, as affliction to them may hasten one’s departure. Agree that the above universal law has its reach and applicability. They should be imparted to children so as to make them aware of the ill effects of the vicious pastimes.  Vice Free living is undoubtedly Wish(e)ful Living.

I have seen instances of strict teetotalers leaving the earth all of a sudden, in  haste. When the news came that they had been catapulted from the earth to eternity, it was a rude shock, as some of them had not exhibited the slightest signs of illness at any point of time. It was simply like this – They were there, they were not there “. We can only draw solace by repeating that the “ unexpected always happens “ on such occasions.

Contrarily Vice Men are seen straddling with abundant health and energy, as they seem to believe and adhere to the saying  that “ Variety is the spice of life “. They repose allegiance to addictions, and follow verbatim what Lord Byron said –  “ Man being reasonable must get drunk. The best of life is but intoxication “.   

Clean habits, regular dietary intake, good manners - these are all general precautions that humans can take towards preserving a healthy constitution. But the ultimate dispensation of good health  rests with a higher judge in whose court there is no provision for protest or questioning, and above Him there is no appellate authority.  We cannot question His actions and pose a “ Why Me “ query to Him. We will not get an answer, but what if we get a “ Why not you “ reply from the sky. So it would be better to live life in its own route and travel with whatever experiences that come our way.

As in all cases, you only die once.  Once dead, the good and the bad are covered by the same moss.

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  * Written after the sudden, untimely demise of two friends.

2014 Indian Elections

Hi Guys - This may seem quite out of context, as it was written on conclusion of the  2014 General Elections and before the announcement of results

            Indian Elections

The world’s largest democracy

That is the Indian Nation

Got immersed in election frenzy

In its own inimical fashion

The biggest electoral exercise

Was stretched into nine phases

Taking into aspect the country’s size

And its multidimensional faces

It commenced in the first week of April 2014

With much fanfare, pomp and sheen

And concluded in the second week of May 2014

In which the populace partook keen

No doubt, a humongous, daunting task

For the officials of the Election Commission

Who on conclusion went on to bask

Subject to minor errors of omission

Leaders of all political parties

Sweated out in the scorching sun

Day in and day out made repeated sorties

With an unflinching desire to win

The campaign was filled with fiery speeches

With rhetoric, pun and satire

Marred by the dirty personal botches

Spewed out by netas in traditional attire

Electoral pundits predicted a doom for the Congress

And threw their fortunes on the NDA

As two terms of UPA had failed to redress

The grievances of the common man’s overstrained DNA

Scam after scam came in quick succession

That brought disrepute to the nation

The people were left in dire frustration

Which lent credence to the poll projection

Let the new government in office

Put the nation back on hold

As nothing less than that would suffice

To overcome the challenges that are to unfold

What we need is a strong centre

Under the aegis of a talented head

Who will prove to be an able mentor

And bring back the country from the red.

So the citizens of this ancient nation

Fervently hope that everything will be fine

And the future will open reasons for celebration

That will make the people feel on Cloud Nine.

Jai Hind

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