Satyanveshi ..... the truth seeker

The Indian rubber spinal cord

2011-09-04T19:34:00.002-05:00

1. Ghulam Nabi Fai was a front of ISI and the government didn't do anything with the people who were hobnobbing with him.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/fai-has-exposed-them/297754.html

http://blog.sureshchiplunkar.com/2011/07/ghulam-nabi-fai-isi-agent-indian.html

http://www.dailypioneer.com/home/online-channel/364-columnist/2169-junketing-on-the-isis-money.html

If it had been any country with a pride, they would have detained them the first instance of acts against their own country. Instead Mr. Palgaonkar is leading the interlocutors team.

2. Marxists Govt in Kerala and WB asked for FDI and still they think there is nothing wrong in it. Why do they have the label of CPI (M) if they have to follow policies which is against their so called principles? (http://www.asianage.com/india/nothing-wrong-us-fdi-karat-209)

3. Ministers declared their assets and all of them went above crores except a few. Does that mean they are honest? WTF common sense claims that go and find out how could they get so many assets?

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-03/news/30110262_1_ministers-assets-kamal-nath

Just a little bit, a tiny-winy straightening up of the help would help erect a nation stand straight. The rubbery flexible spinal cord is visible in the daily life on how people bend backwards to accommodate all the bad things in the garb of being tolerant.

Music Plagiarism in India

2011-05-27T10:49:00.004-05:00

'Oye Oye' song of Tridev film (1988) for lack of my articulation skills can be described as 'smashing' 'out of the box' 'daring' etc. and as a pre-teen guy along with my gang of school friends we enjoyed listening and shouting on top of our voice feeling a sense of being on top of the world.

For a long time I thought Viju Shah & Kalyanji-Anandji gave a good innovative hit song but until I heard Gloria Estefan's "Rhythm is Gonna get you". Though it was in early 90s when some of us figured out that plagiarism is not a shame but it's a money making non-illegal business in India. Anu (or Annu or Anuu..wtf) Malik quite famous for this even in his interviews foolishly used to describe his blatant copying of AR Rehman's and Ilaiyaraja's music as inspirations and not as "copy". My awareness still remained that cheating, copying happened with only few folks such as Anu, Bappi, Nadeem-Shravan. But feels sorry that it is everywhere and after searching for such info in the happening world of internet this awesome site http://www.itwofs.com/ is a good starting point for anyone who wants to be aware of music plagiarism in India. Even old timers like Shankar-Jaikishen figures in the list :-(. The decent guys out of this lot still came down to ARR and Ilaiy who only have used a part of the tunes and not full blown copying that will ring a familiarity for regular music goers...

Chanakya's Quotes

2011-05-26T13:42:00.003-05:00

"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first."

"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."

"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. If you cannot keep secret with you, do not expect that other will keep it! It will destroy you."

"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no Friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth."

"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions -Why am I doing it?, What the results might be? and Will I be successful? Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."

"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."

"Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest."

"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions."

"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."

"Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth."

Steve Jobs - watch it again and again

2010-10-12T21:33:00.001-05:00

Nizhalgal!

2010-10-04T23:27:00.002-05:00

One of the great musicals...at least two songs are my favourite here. Ilaiyaraja's cameo as the playback singer in studio - so young dude.

Zindagi Ke Safar Main Guzar Jatay Hain

2010-10-01T09:10:00.001-05:00

Though not a happy song, the lyrics are obviously true. "...guzar jaate hain woh mukkaam, woh phir nahin aate......................Doston shaq dosti ka dushman hai, ise apne dil mein panapne na do..."

Nilaavae Vaa from Mouna Ragam

2010-09-30T23:23:00.001-05:00

One of the best songs. Simple soothing melody, superb lyrics and minimum choice of instruments.

Nilaave Vaa - Mouna Ragam

Common wealth games India - WTF

2010-09-28T11:49:00.002-05:00

Is it really surprising that it is in such a mess? I wouldn't be surprised if they even declare this is a mega super duper success after the games though we would have lost name, money, not an improvement in anybody's life, time wastage, the corruption that went into all the deals and what not but still it would be marked as success by Suresh Kalmadi, Jaipal Reddy and M.S. Gill with endorsement from Womanmohan singh and of course Mrs S Gandhi. In 80s, if such a thing happened, Doordarshan and All India Radio would have twisted the story and would have made the mess look like a great thing. Only BBC radio would have divulged the truth but only to few select peoples who tune to it regularly. As time could have it, Media guys never had a better story to run apart from the Kashmir situation. But there is more masala in common wealth games stuff and therefore media would have devoted more time and effort to it. Kashmir has been a problem since 1947 who cares nothing new about it! Send some politicians there as Army and Police are not quite adept...what a joke.
At least BBC out of this whole bunch still reports news as news and nothing is "breaking news" there. If one listens to BBC anywhere, CWG is a subject that is discussed in their world bulletin on a daily basis including interviews and opinions with sports managers of all participant countries, listeners would have by now known that it is nothing short of mess. One of the comments goes like this "we didn't come here to wear glows and shoes to clean up toilets, we came here to play sports". This was aftermath the rain and fall of bridge. In short, this is another feather in the crown for these corrupt croonies. Most of the countrymen will spent time discussing this, blogging, tweeting and finally forgetting it. Media will anyway get some another forgettable story. Last laugh however will be of the officials, businessmen and politicians who made money through this. Why will they care whether its a hit or a flop as long as they are winning and country is losing. They though forget that any chapter in history has shown that only good work works. Stupid guys were trying to better Beijing Games. Then learn from them on how they did it. Even they faltered with strikes in Tibet and China is still not a model country that everyone wants to emulate. On top of it India was confused whether to allow Charles to inaugurate or Pratibha. Chapadganjus, what do you mean by common wealth - it is for the erstwhile British Colonies and that has been the tradition.

Rabbi Shergill - great song

2010-09-13T19:59:00.003-05:00

The one radio channel in USA I like is the NPR. That too with 91.5 FM in Chicago has the best of NPR programs. Just an hour back, in their "market place" program they broadcast this particular song which I had listened to a long time back. The song has simplest of music instruments not much of singing variation though in Punjabi and importantly has amazing lyrics. One can find the English translation here.

Vishy Anand is bloodier Indian than Congressmen

2010-08-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

This news didn't surprise me. This was waiting to happen with the way bureaucracy is set up in Indian government. On top of it the ministers of Indian congressmen can only do goof up and my beloved Indian brothers and sisters (reminds me of my school pledge) can only vote and storm congress to power again and again. My reaction is not an overact or over-react. Such little things matter and shows the character of the government and how it is run. If Vishy has to send his passport copies as a proof of being Indian and the bureaucrats not convinced about and asking for more copies, think about the state of affairs of a common man who goes to such government offices for his applications from driving license to even changing the name on his electricity bill. Kudos to the democracy and its foundations. Its not Nehru-Gandhi family's fault.
For e.g. It is the fault of Narsimha Rao who was home minister in Rajiv Gandhi's government and didnt arrest Anderson. You have to give credit to Rajiv Gandhi to bring in the usher of reforms and not Mr. Rao who just happened to be a tool. With all this people just turn blind and deaf and probably Vishy's blood is not so Indian anymore compared to Congressmen.

Recession impact - Poor grew! how does it matter?

2010-02-10T09:40:00.000-06:00

I usually read "The Hindu" as they are more close to the absolute journalism and believe in reporting facts. Most of the other newspapers report the confused combination of the news plus the biased opinion plus own judgement. But as a change from norm, I started subscribing to the masala newspaper "Times of India" for my stay in Bangalore. With its usually masala headlines that I see in the morning gives me a good start for the day. But today when I picked up the newspaper and saw this headline "No financial crisis impact? India's poor grew by 34 mn" (online edition - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-financial-crisis-impact-Indias-poor-grew-by-34-mn/articleshow/5553859.cms), it was an interesting article (nothing surprising or really a "news" material). It just proves that most of us are so blind or like to be blind to the reality that all are gung-ho about recovery, post recession, good times, entertainments such as shiv sena - Rahul, MNIK, IPL. The same "India shining" brought down the vajpayee govt but gave another term to Sonia Govt for "Inclusive growth". Poorer getting poorer, more people getting poorer does not sound like "Inclusive growth". Anyway people admire the useless politicians for what they show off than how they have been useful. How does it matter if poorer grew or some 17 jawans died in an avalanche. They are all random events...

Message of the Gita in today's context

2009-12-21T08:40:00.001-06:00

It was quite interesting to listen to one of the Gita discourses in Palakkad during the weekend. Its quite apparent that more and more people are flocking towards spirituality and seeking a meaning of life than what it used to be some years back. In addition news of western universities adding panchatantra stories, Gita and Bhagavatham in their curriculum truly suggests that these oldest set of scriptures always have a lesson or two to anyone on this earth. One just need to reach out.
Swami Bodhananda in simple English gave good examples what Swami Vivekananda or Swami Chinmayananda had explained in their works on the Holy Bhagavad Gita.
Some of the key lessons:

Spirituality is not about going to some cave in Himalayas and practicing silence and doing meditation. It is sincerely pursuing excellence in whatever we do without expecting anything from it. Sounds simple but not easy. A man relinquishes everything and stays in Himalayas and comes back and exclaims - "I haven't told a lie". Is it really a great achievement as compared to the common man who faced a lot of problems in his day to life and solved them? Similarly, is it easy to work like a dog and at the end of day feel satisfied when one is not appreciated for it.
Problems will always be there. As a kid one had homework and problems with school teacher, as you grow up you had problems with your friends, then you got into problems with affairs and employment, then you thought marriage will settle your life - you realized it was a start of another problem :-). Kids, financial planning, promotions at job, etc, etc.. there is no end to problems for anyone. You take a transfer to a different place - problems will come there before you land. Retirement seems like retiring from problems, but it brings the biggest problem - the old age and with it health problems and others. So lesson here is don't run away from it. When Arjuna collapsed on the bed of the chariot, Krishna realized it was time for advice and counseling and the first advise was - stand up, you cannot run away.
Face these problems with your intelligence and available resources. Don't always react or judge with previous experiences. Be Cool! (sounds like some teenage Krishna telling his teenage friend). There are some very good examples {A man called Buddha a donkey, but Buddha didn't react. When the enraged student asked for an explanation - Buddha said that he never accepted it so the comment went back to the source. In today's world its just like posting on an incorrect address and receiving back the post card. Another practical observation is why did the Student get enraged? Its probably because he felt bad that if his guru is a donkey what about him then. or probably the postcard's address was incorrect and went to him. There are so many ways to react to such a silly situation other than how Buddha reacted. Feel pity for from the man as he was not able to distinguish between Buddha and Donkey. Or, go and seek blessings from him - he was able to identify the common spirit between a Donkey and Buddha.}{Another example is of George Bernard Shaw - a popular Irish Author who was walking near the various canals in London and he hit upon a bridge which could allow only one person to walk across. As he was about to start crossing, he saw another man at the other end crossing towards him. G. B. Shaw requested him to give way, but the man shouted "I don't give way to fools" and started walking. G. B. Shaw quietly gave the way to the man and exclaimed "But, I do"!}.
Similarly Gita teaches us in the Karma Yoga that one should be deep rooted in karma while going about doing the daily chores and not getting attached to the chores itself. Gita's teachings should not be interpreted as - "lets not get attached to work - lets just keep quite and do nothing and let life take its own course - anyway nothing is in our control". One should take example from a grand Pipal tree which is rooted to the earth but has all its branches and leaves doing different functions and even swaying heavily and weathering during a wind storm or heavy rain but the trunk, the root and tree stays there without a movement. "Samadhi" in sanskrit is not death. It means a still and leveled mind. So one can get into a state of Samadhi even in life. Most of the inspirational figures like Sankaracharya, Vivekananda and Gandhi did not die in Bed. They left the earth with their boots on.
Reducing our needs also makes us more disciplined and closer to the idea of a pipal tree. Why do people hate USA so much - thats because they are country with 3% of world population and consuming resources worth 30% of the world's accounted resources. They are now reaching out to others now let it be for scriptures or for offshoring or for climate change. So nothing is permanent and change is continuous. USA is like a Bhogi and India is like a Yogi. It is said that if you eat once a day you are a yogi, if you eat twice you are a bhogi, if you eat thrice you are rogi and if you eat four times you are a rogi!

remembering 2611 WTF

2009-11-25T22:10:00.003-06:00

We Indians are so hypocrites that we are remembering 26 Nov 2008 as if that was the only terror attack. Also the media made it so loud and people followed that they started comparing it with Sep 11 2001 attacks. In 2611 only 80 people were killed and 250 injured as compared to some 3017 people killed in 911. Has India not seen much more worse attacks and people killed. The difference is in the profile of places attacked - big private hotels, some foreigners. Terrorists are getting smarter and with little impact they are making things known. I dont think people are winning - they are losing.
original post last year

Next Generation Sixth Sense Technology

2009-11-24T22:06:00.002-06:00

Simply awesome http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.htm l

What is risk? Lets see some quotes

2009-10-06T12:18:00.001-05:00

In life you never accomplish anything important without taking a risk. The problem is , as we get older, we are less likely to take risks. The older we get, there is a greater temptation for complacency. We become people who wear our seat belts, watch our cholesterol, fear having children for the sake of getting our hearts broken. While i'm not advocating not wearing seat belts and etc, i am saying that too often we find ourselves taking the easy road even though God created us to be risk takers. {- Trey Morgan}

When people say to me: "How do you do so many things?" I often answer them, without meaning to be cruel: "How do you do so little?" It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever. {- Philip Adams}

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. {- TS Eliot}

me nathuram godse boltoy

2009-08-01T06:22:00.001-05:00

Most of us talk about perspectives in life. In one of the movies 'oru kaidhiyin diary' starring Kamal Haasan and later remade in Hindi as Aakhree Raasta starring Amitabh Bachchan had the different perspectives of son and father. The father explains beautifully by writing a '6' and showing it to his son standing opposite and saying "you would read it as 9 although for me it is a 6 - we both are right from where we are standing".
It is very important for human being to get to other side and and understand the different perspective most importanly before even making a judgement of what is wrong and who is wrong. In India, most of us learnt in school about Gandhi's contribution and leadership in getting the freedom and every person knows Nathuram Godse was the assasin who was hanged for his gory mistake. But nobody was even told the story behind what prompted this guy to commit this flagitious act. Pradeep Dalvi was one of the persons who could present the other side perspective in the form of his play "nathuram godse boltoy". I got to know of this during the 90s when it was banned. I was also quite curious to see if there is any English or Hindi translation of this Marathi play. After so many years I finally got the transcript in http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/jul/22godse.htm. Quite interesting perspective and we know that Nathuram was neither crazy, nor was he some puppet in the hands of Hindu Mahasabha as is generally known - again the work of some political class for their own selfish gains and he was definitely a patriot.
Also this interview of his brother http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/jan/29godse1.htm is another food for thought from the Assassins perspective.
After reading this it should not be concluded that Nathuram is more patriotic than Gandhi or Gandhi was not just with Hindus etc. Gandhi had his own set of principles that he believed in. He did not force anyone to follow him. People did as they did not have any other leader at that time.
Just as Swami Vivekananda said we cannot change the world. The world has its destiny and people will do what is destined for them.
So we will always see many Indians who waste their lives pursuing selfish dreams instead of working towards a goal that Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose and others sacrificed their lives for.

India Elections 2009 - A sad result

2009-05-16T02:11:00.001-05:00

As I watch the biggest comedy (tamasha) in all the news channels it just doesn't entertain me. The result being a positive for the Indian National Congress and they bettering their previous 2004 tally is worrying. Since India's independence the leaders from the oldest party of India has only taken the wrong decisions and have brought the country to such a level that only "money" talks. But we Indians live in the illusion that India is the best and any development is because of the congress rule (read misrule). Even the last few months of all media channels blasting the opposition party BJP and ridiculing them and their leaders all the time only led to one conclusion "money" has bought the free "media". The prime minister of India is not even an elected representative and he is the PM only because Sonia "manio" Gandhi picked him is such a shame for the Indian electorate but still the Indian electorate voted for this week prime minister. The president and the Chief Election Commissioner of India have a corrupt past but still they hold our country's prestigious positions probably doesn't matter to the Indian voter. Since INC has been in the government almost all the time since a government started to exist in India, it is obvious that they have made the maximum money as well as know how to control the government machinery. Why will any other government or a non-Nehru-Gandhi be in power or why should India develop the way it should? Any of this becoming true will be a finisher for the congress. Even the learnt in India don't realize that we are much more capable of what we are and only change in the political machinery can bring about the goodness but what can be done other than just me having a different outlook than the majority.

I guess, even the Indian voter has realized that they can get involved in corruption and make money only if INC is in the government. There is no place for honesty, truth or integrity in India. Only the 3 Ms work in India "money", "media" and "manio". A sad thing indeed!

Amar Chitra Katha

2009-03-15T18:51:00.000-05:00

Wife and I were browsing through to find any online editions of ACK and other comics that we used to cherish in our childhood. We appreciate the author of the site http://ack-india.blogspot.com who has put in even the out of print ACKs. Simply great. Keep it up.

Truth about Godhra

2009-03-06T22:57:00.000-06:00

This report is amazing collection of facts that too by a French. http://www.jaia-bharati.org/nicole-elfi/ni-godhra-ang.htm

Top 25 errors in software program

2009-01-25T22:58:00.001-06:00

http://www.sans.org/top25errors/

quote on apology

2008-12-20T14:34:00.001-06:00

It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people
do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.
P.G.Woodhouse

extra profile in outlook

2008-12-17T09:50:00.001-06:00

With 2003 and up outlook you cannot open multiple profiles at the same time although it would have been so helpful.
This link helps you with that
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/10/10/download-extraoutlook-v12-to-simultaneously-open-two-instances-of-microsoft-outlook-in-windows-pc/#comment-548271
However instead of using the OFFICE11 use OFFICE12 and don't use the remainder /profile "<profile>" in the command. It will prompt you for the xtra profile that needs to be opened.

Scientific Verification of Vedic Knowledge

2008-12-15T22:33:00.000-06:00

If there is any doubt among any Indian or a true world citizen about the Vedas and other ancient texts whether they are Myths or Facts, this is a video for them.

We Indians are brainless selfish bastards

2008-11-29T21:12:00.000-06:00

Why Brainless?
Did you hear and see the latest news plying on CNN - US, BBC - UK and off course all channels in India - "Terror attack in Mumbai", "Mumbai under seige". India has lost more than tens of thousands of people in terror attacks ranging from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, Assam to Gujarat so why we are considering this attack to be unprecedent?. The only reason is because all the media channels don't have any other story other than this to air. Why is this important not because it is another terror strike, it is because it was an attack on high profile
areas like the "The Taj", "Oberai-Tritton" etc. and it involved
attacking foreigners in Indian soil. It the terrorists attacked Dharavi or the trains as they did before the CNN wouldn' have been running this as the main story in USA. They would have mentioned it and would have continued with some live shooting of cops chasing a car thief on the interstate. I would be a little cynical and give marks to the attackers as they got the attention what they wanted. If media or people had brains, instead of reporting the success of terrorists, they should have investigated the root cause of this whole issue and had debates on solving the issue and not just discussing the obvious.
Terrorists have been doing so much hardwork but Indians being so tolerant or more to say "Selfish" never bothered about these pricks to their buffalo skins. Only the relatives of the victims were affected. Hence they changed tactics, made a name like a company subsidiary "Deccan Mujahideen" of the overall "Indian Mujahideen" or "Army of Pure (Lashkar e taiba)" and attacked high profile areas were Brits, Americans and Israelis were targeted and that did work. When the Dy. chief minister casually remarked "This is a small thing..." he didn't realize that it was a faux pas for media and he had to lose his kursi. The central home minister quit not because he thought he failed his responsibilities, he quit just because he didn't enjoy the confidence of madam. Talk about loyalty and selfness or in my opinion astute selfishness.
All Indians are bastards because we cannot protect our own Motherland and don't give a damn to the blood that is oozing out of her every second.

Main st bail out wall st.

2008-09-29T23:00:00.001-05:00

This has been quite a hot topic for all the coffee discussions and mail forums for the past few weeks. Should the govt pay $700 billion of tax payer's money to save wall st fat asses and purportedly avoid collateral damage to home owners, common people with debt etc. My view is clear although it doesn't matter is "what is your underlying principle - Socialism or Capitalism?" If US of A is the symbol of free market and capitalism then it should follow that whatever happens and not react to panic big problem. If not then adopt socialism as your principle and don't bitch about chinese and marxism. Below links are other "expert" opinions on the same subject.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008198671_dionne24.html

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75637

Scott Adams is an idiot

2008-09-21T22:38:00.000-05:00

I am already an admirer of Scott not just because he created Dilbert and I usually have one book on my office table of Dilbert cartoons but because he himself calls himself an idiot in his book "The Dilbert Principle".

Most of his introductory statements are amazingly true and most of us would have experienced that in our workplace as well as out of workplace. Let's look at some of his sentences:

"...I was puzzled, but after careful analysis I have developed a sophisticated theory to explain the existence of this bizarre workplace behavior: People are idiots.

…Including me. Everyone is an idiot, not just the people with low SAT scores. The only difference among us is that we're idiots about different things at different times. No matter how smart you are, you spend much of your day being an idiot...."

"...Idiocy in the modern age isn't an all-encompassing, twenty-four-hour situation for most people. It's a condition that everybody slips into many times a day. Life is just too complicated to be smart all the time."

One of the examples that happened with me today was when I went to the local dominick's store and bought the usual vegetables and other stuff. For billing, went to the self billing station and started passing on the objects with the bar code and used either the item code number pasted on the fruits/vegetables or selected the fruits/vegetables from the menu if item code was not available. Then there was a last item for which neither me nor my wife found the name on the menu. She was saying it is chayote or squash and we didn't find the specific ones after going through the item list in 'C' and 'S'. So we called up the helper by the station and there she came, just turned the vegetable and there was an item code available for it beneath which she entered with quite an amusing face and went away with "you are welcome" signature.

Quite true that I slipped into the "idiocy state" during the billing of only the last item when I was able to smartly avoid the helper for all the previous items.

I am not alone

2008-09-17T23:03:00.001-05:00

I always thought how my hubby's Tamil is so different from mine. The below blogs speaks for couples like us.
http://vettivambu.blogspot.com/2005/08/blog-post_11.html
http://vettees.blogspot.com/2005/08/talayalam.html

Rock On!! or A Wednesday

2008-09-14T21:04:00.002-05:00

I happened to see both the movies on the same day, and was quite impressed with the original ideas from Hindi movie makers. Actually, quite difficult to believe that there are multiple movies and not just once in a blue moon that Hindi films are coming up with new story lines. But still it is very less compared to what regional films output every Friday. "A Wednesday" scores full marks as a movie and I would advise that one should see this movie if given a hard choice between the two (no reason to compare – I just took a lottery and these were the winners). The movie was quite realistically made with the lead actors Naseer and Anupam doing their usual (delivering 100% for the role), even other actors like Jimmy Shergill and Amir Batshir along with Deepal Shaw doing their bits quite well. Excellent piece of direction, camera work, stunt (no dhishum dhishum sounds), dialogues and background music supporting the film to the core. The movie is fast paced and is over within no time. No doubt that the story by Neeraj Pandey, who also directs is the backbone of the movie. Although I have a knack of predicting the film climaxes, this one did outdo me. In case of 'Rock On!!' the film surprises with the way it showcases the talent of Farhaan Akhtar as a singer, story writer and a matured actor in his debut and once again other actors left their mark. He left the directorial part to a rookie Abhishek Kapoor who did the job quite well. Rock On!! drags a bit and leaves a feeling that you spent too much time watching this movie. But such movies which are based on sentiments and emotions cannot be fast paced.

good quote

2008-09-12T16:49:00.001-05:00

He's turned his life around. He used to be depressed and miserable. Now he's miserable and depressed.

- David Frost

Ancient India (Bharatavarsha) Map

2008-08-31T09:18:00.000-05:00

This is how King Bharata had established Bharata (India). Bharata ranged from Lanka beyond Afghanistan huh! Courtesy wikipedia page on "Bharatavarsha".

rediff.com: Ratan Tata's words of inspiration

2008-08-27T22:43:00.000-05:00

Rediff.com - rediff.com: Ratan Tata's words of inspiration

expensive cities - mumbai or new york

2008-08-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

Another point of discussion during our earlier meeting was why the hell Mumbai is costlier than New York. It seems it is not but just close to the costlier cities in Developed world. Some of the below news might give some ideas.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/240/20080724/1301/twl-5245599.html
http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/investment-analysis/Most-expensive-cities-in-2008
http://www.domain-b.com/economy/general/2007/20070523_expensive.htm

Were riots in India always one sided?

2008-08-21T23:05:00.001-05:00

Some of my dear friends who also happen to be my colleagues sat together for a farewell drink to another colleague who is going back to London. There were lots of arguments (no discussions) over so many topics under the sky. One of them started out like this - Mr. R said "we Indians have always treated Muslims as 2^nd class citizens." Then I had to retort him saying what do you mean by Indians and Muslims – Aren't Muslims in India not Indians?! How can we argue for equality if our own minds don't have a basic sense of equality? But I am sure it was a slip of a tongue from my friend and not what he meant but arguments always get heated when one looks out for mistakes.

To support the theory, though the next argument was more Muslims get killed than Hindoos (I hate using Hindu as a symbol of religion – all Indians are Hindus so using an alternative spelling which by the way is also in the dictionary) during any riots and till now no one has apologized for Godhra aftermath. Then most of us jumped the guns and questioned from Bombay blasts to Godhra massacre to Anti-Sikh riots etc. Although most of us had our own point of views and the argument never ended… but here goes the list from Wikipedia. Interestingly Wikipedia has not included anything other than 1947 and 1984 in the "list of riots"; it is just included in the list of communal violence.

Examples of communalist violence, with strong motivations based on religious identity include:

the 1809-1811 Hindu-Muslim Lat Bhairo riots
the 1819 Hep-Hep Riots
the 1921 Moplah Rebellion
the 1931 Hindu-Muslim Benares riot
the 1931 Cawnpore Riots
Manzilgah and Sukkur (Sind) Riots, 15th Feb. 1940
the 1946 Calcutta riots death toll estimated at 6,000, most of the victims were Hindus.
the 1947 "population exchanges" at the partition of India, resulting in an estimated 500,000 deaths.
the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots in which the Congress party played a major role in the killing of about 3,000 Sikhs following the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
the 1992 Bombay Riots in Bombay more than 200,000 people (both Hindus and Muslims) fled the city or their homes during the time of the riots.
the 1998 Wandhama massacre, 25 Hindu victims.
the 2000 Chittisinghpura massacre, 35 Sikhs killed.
the 2002 Godhra Train Burning, 58 Hindus killed.
the 2002 Gujarat violence, 900-2000 dead, mostly Muslims
the 2002 Kaluchak massacre, 31 Hindus killed.
the 2002 Marad massacre, 14 Hindu deaths.
the 2006 Kherlanji massacre, lynching of four Dalits.
the 2008 Indore Riots, 7 people killed, 6 of whom were Muslims

Does this answer who have been winner and loser in numbers - probably yes. But for me it is a big YES, the riots or communal violence were and are always one sided – not in the side of human beings but some other side.

another event 080808080808 goes by

2008-08-08T08:08:00.001-05:00

Another year goes by and arrives the 2008 08 08 08:08:08 moment. But this one is special since Beijing Olympics started on this day. Indian contingent as usual has a large contingent but probably a medal or two might come our way that too with individual effort, nothing from the government or any sponsors.

few memoirs of classical music

2008-07-27T12:20:00.005-05:00

vangelis - chariots of fire --if you remember the old mera bharat mahaan when every athlete passes the torch this is the background music that you will hear. (You tube link)

Carmina Burana - O Fortuna --the classic old spice ad with the surfer and this music playing in the background. (You tube link)

mail merge and attachment problem

2007-12-10T12:49:00.000-06:00

a customized macro can cure this problem. See for reference
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MailMerge/MergeWithAttachments.htm

Indian Congressism! hmm...

2007-12-07T23:57:00.001-06:00

Thought of putting some points regarding one of the arguments I was having with my friends during a coffee break. To support my argument got this list from one of the forwards, good one and to the point...

Sikhs getting slaughtered in thousands= MISTAKE
Hindus getting killed in Kashmir= Political Problem
Muslims getting killed by few hundred=Holocaust
Poor protestor getting shot in WB under left government = Misunderstanding

Banning Parzania in Gujarat = Communal Modi
Banning Da vinci code and Jo bole so nihal= secular

Kargil attack = NDA Govt. Failure
Chinese Attack in 1962 =Unfortunate betrayal

Reservation in every school and college on caste lines = secular
Reservation in minorities institution = Communal

Fake ancounter in Guj. =Modi (BJP) communalism
Fake encounter under Cong-NCP in Maharastra (Khwaja Yunus) = police atrocity

Taking about hindus and hinduism appeasment = Communal
Taking about muslim and islam = Secular

BJP freeing 3 terrorist to save 100 indian hoastage ( Kandhar issuie) = Shameful
Congress freeing 4 terrorists to save just a life of one minister of kashmir( rubima)= Natural political dilemma.

Attack on Parliament = BJP ineptitude.
Not hanging terrorist Afjal Guru the master mind despite Supreme court orders = Huminity and political dilemma
Dubya is world leader fighting against terrorism, Modi is a Hitler creating holocausts.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well said...

2007-10-10T22:46:00.001-05:00

UNIX is simple. But It just needs a genius to understand its simplicity.
--Dennis Ritchie

Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad
judgement.
--Fred Brooks

Theory is when you know something, but it doesn't work. Practice is when
something works, but you don't know why it works. Programmers combine
theory and practice: Nothing works and they don't know why.

It's hard enough to find an error in your code when you're looking for it;
it's even harder when you've assumed your code is error-free.
-Steve McConnell Code Complete

If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the
first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilisation.
-Gerald Weinberg

The Six Phases of a Project:
Enthusiasm
Disillusionment
Panic
Search for the Guilty
Punishment of the Innocent
Praise for non-participants

Good code is its own best documentation. As you're about to add a comment,
ask yourself, 'How can I improve the code so that this comment isn't
needed?' Improve the code and then document it to make it even clearer.
--Steve McConnell Code Complete

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the
intelligent are full of doubt.
--Bertrand Russell

No matter how slick(efficient) the demo is in rehearsal, when you do it in
front of a live audience the probability of a flawless presentation is
inversely proportional to the number of people watching, raised to the
power of the amount of money involved.

One of the main causes of the fall of the Roman Empire was that, lacking
zero, they had no way to indicate successful termination of their C
programs.
--Robert Firth

Fifty years of programming language research, and we end up with C++?
--Richard A. O'Keefe

C programmers never die. They are just cast into void.

If debugging is the process of removing bugs, then programming must be the
process of putting them in.
--Edsger Dijkstra

You can either have software quality or you can have pointer arithmetic,
but you cannot have both at the same time.
--(Bertrand Meyer)

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third works.
--Alan J. Perlis

Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft
building progress by weight.
--Bill Gates

Before software can be reusable, it first has to be usable.
--Ralph Johnson

The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development
time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the
development time.
--Tom Cargill

Programmers are in a race with the Universe to create bigger and better
idiot-proof programs, while the Universe is trying to create bigger and
better idiots. So far the Universe is winning.
--Anon

As soon as we started programming, we found to our surprise that it wasn't
as easy to get programs right as we had thought. Debugging had to be
discovered. I can remember the exact instant when I realized that a large
part of my life from then on was going to be spent in finding mistakes in
my own programs.
--Maurice Wilkes discovers debugging, 1949

I did say something along the lines of "C makes it easy to shoot yourself
in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when you do, it blows your whole leg
off."
--Bjarne Stroustrup

It has been said that the great scientific disciplines are examples of
giants standing on the shoulders of other giants. It has also been said
that the software industry is an example of midgets standing on the toes of
other midgets.
--Alan Cooper About Face

Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
--Pablo Picasso

If the code and the comments disagree, then both are probably wrong.
--attributed to Norm Schryer

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit
there.
--Will Rogers

Einstein argued that there must be simplified explanations of nature,
because God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the
software engineer.
--Fred Brooks, Jr.

As we said in the preface to the first edition, C "wears well as one's
experience with it grows." With a decade more experience, we still feel
that way.
--Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie

Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability
--Edsger W.Dijkstra

I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to
keep all our old mistakes.
--Dennie van Tassel
(P.S: just like revision changes for hardware or new version release for
software)

Rules of Optimization:
Rule 1: Don't do it.
Rule 2 (for experts only): Don't do it yet.

--M.A. Jackson

Most software today is very much like an Egyptian pyramid with millions of
bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just
done by brute force and thousands of slaves.
--Alan Kay

Every program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was
written, and another for which it wasn't.
--Alan J. Perlis

Technology is dominated by two types of people: Those who understand what
they do not manage. Those who manage what they do not understand.
--Putt's Law

Copy and paste is a design error
--David Parnas

Any code of your own that you haven't looked at for six or more months
might as well have been written by someone else.
--Eagleson's law

The primary duty of an exception handler is to get the error out of the
lap of the programmer and into the surprised face of the user. Provided you
keep this cardinal rule in mind, you can't go far wrong.
--Verity Stob

FW: Winners Vs Whiners [07/21/07] - Cricket match Report

2007-07-23T14:23:00.000-05:00

A report card on our weekly match...(Postmortem commentary by Vinod K Uppinipurath)

Winners are always the Winner

Nike Park: The much anticipated match of the last week end turned out to be a complete disaster for team Whiners. Last week Team whiners challenged Team winners [Can you believe that!!!] for a rematch to restore their pride after previous massive loss. Team Whiners who were desperate to win the game made some tactical changes by recalling Jayant and inducting debutant Wilson. They were so busy to get more people on board but missed out what was happening with in their team. The first blow was delivered before the match by their own captain. He pulled out last minute claiming he is injured [Looks like he knew what the result would be!!!].

First game

Selecting to bat first in a flat wicket Team Whiners tried to post an imposing total. But with in first 3 over they lost half of their batting line up. Whiners were never able to match the aggressive bowling and brilliant fielding by Team Winners. They were shocked when Jonty Amol flew like a bird and plucked the ball out of thin air after to complete the catch of the season. Team Whiners were never able to recover after witnessing performance like that. The pace and spin combination of Team Winners worked really well. Team Whiners were bowled out for a paltry score of 22 runs. For a team that boast a strong batting line up as Team Winners it was child’s play. They chased this modest score with ease with Anu playing a sublime innings for Team Winners.

Second game

Team Whiners were hoping things can be turned around in the second game because they don’t have to deal with guile of Arup’s slow bowling. This time Team winners batted first and posted a competitive total with the good all-round batting performance. Team whiners again had another bad start with Amol removing both Aditya and Jayant in successive balls with some clever bowling. Prathap tried his best to fight back but with footwork like a car in a traffic jam he could not do much. Bala tried his best to remain unconquered till the end [He knew that game is already lost]. But Team Whiners forgot to mention that plan to Amol. A well directed and ferocious Yorker knocked out the middle stump to wind up the game. In a nut shell Team Whiners was like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.

These matches showed the true value of the captain to a side. Through out the match Team Winner Captain [Naru] lead from the front with deceptive spin bowling and intelligent placements with the bat. He was always alert to counter all the whining and cheating effort by Team Whiners. Mean while Team Whiner’s captain absconded his team in this match and put his team to the mercy of Team Winners.

Team

Winners – Naru, Arup, Anu, Pankaj, Amol, Vinod

Whiners – Prathap, Bala, Wilson, Jayant, Aditya

-----Original Appointment-----
From: Uppinipurath, Vinod
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 12:24 PM
Subject: Winners Vs Whiners - Cricket match
When: Saturday, July 21, 2007 7:00 AM-9:00 AM (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada).
Where: Nike Park,298 W Diehl Rd,Naperville, IL

After the last cricket match there were lot of baseless allegation thrown against Team Winners by the losing side Team Whiners. As the team name suggest team whiners kept on complaining that the run-out incident was the turning point in the match and team winners cheated them through out the match. Whiners even dared to claim that outcome would have been different if the run-out decision was given in their favour. Team whiners is now asking for a rematch to settle the score and to restore their pride[they think so!!!]. Team Winners accepted that challenge with true spirit for which they are known for.

Here is the Team which played last match

Team Winners - Naru, Arup, Raghu, Amol, Vinod

Team Whiners - Prasad, Bipin, Bala, Prathap, Aditya

New members will be divided between both team after a mid pitch conference between Winner Captain [Naru] and Whiner Captain[Prasad]

**********************************************************************

Location: - Nike Park - highlighted in Red!!!

Date&Time : - Sat 7/21/2007 7:00 AM

<< File: New Picture.jpg >>

Address - Nike Park,298 W Diehl Rd,Naperville, IL

**********************************************************************

070707070707

2007-07-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

2007 July 07th Day, 07 hours 07 Minutes 07 seconds. I always used to get excited about such numbers in the school days. I think its because as a student you would be writing the dates in top left corner box in your notebook and such numbers would come quite rarely (at least in my school days when only 8/8/88 was the only one which will be close although with the new millenium at least till 2012 you would get this kind of pattern every year).
I remember reading a news article sometime last year that Harry Potter's last book would be releasing today at the particular time to mark the occassion. But it seems either the plan didn't go well or I read an usual untrue rumour. The last week TIME had an article on how the guys behind the publication went to some great lengths just like some security agency to keep any of the manuscripts getting leaked. I thought it to be funny as how does it matter to a common man if it gets leaked or not. Who cares...

Sri Chanakya niti-sastra

2007-06-16T23:25:00.002-05:00

Since my blog is a tribute to Chanakya so it at least needs one explicit posting on his works. Below is a copy paste somewhere from internet (though that itself is not original as Chanakya's Arthashastra was in Sanskrit)

Chanakya Niti
The Political Ethics of Chanakya Pandit

Chapter One

1. Humbly bowing down before the almighty Lord Sri Vishnu, the Lord of the three worlds, I recite maxims of the science of political ethics (niti) selected from the various satras (scriptures

2. That man who by the study of these maxims from the satras acquires a knowledge of the most celebrated principles of duty, and understands what ought and what ought not to be followed, and what is good and what is bad, is most excellent.

3. Therefore with an eye to the public good, I shall speak that which, when understood, will lead to an understanding of things in their proper perspective.

4. Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with the miserable.

5. A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.

6. One should save his money against hard times, save his wife at the sacrifice of his riches, but invariably one should save his soul even at the sacrifice of his wife and riches.

7. Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say, "What fear has a rich man, of calamity?" When riches begin to forsake one even the accumulated stock dwindles away.

8. Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.

9. Do not stay for a single day where there are not these five persons: a wealthy man, a brahmin well versed in Vedic lore, a king, a river and a physician

10. Wise men should never go into a country where there are no means of earning one's livelihood, where the people have no dread of anybody, have no sense of shame, no intelligence, or a charitable disposition.

11. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortun.

12. He is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of need, misfortune, famine, or war, in a king's court, or at the crematorium (smasana).

13. He who gives up what is imperishable for that which is perishable, loses that which is imperishable; and doubtlessly loses that which is perishable also.

14. A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family even if she is deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class family, through beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is preferable.

15. Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal family

16. Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge (Krsna consciousness) from a low born person; so also a girl possessing virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she were born in a disreputable family.

17. Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to men

Chapter Two

1. Untruthfulness, rashness, guile, stupidity, avarice, uncleanliness and cruelty are a woman's seven natural flaws

2. To have ability for eating when dishes are ready at hand, to be robust and virile in the company of one's religiously wedded wife, and to have a mind for making charity when one is prosperous are the fruits of no ordinary austerities.

3. He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is in accordance with his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth.

4. They alone are sons who are devoted to their father. He is a father who supports his sons. He is a friend in whom we can confide, and she only is a wife in whose company the husband feels contented and peaceful.

5. Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top.

6. Do not put your trust in a bad companion nor even trust an ordinary friend, for if he should get angry with you, he may bring all your secrets to light.

7. Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise counsel keep it secret, being determined to carry it into execution.

8. Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is youth, but more painful by far than either is being obliged in another person's house.

9. There does not exist a pearl in every mountain, nor a pearl in the head of every elephant; neither are the sadhus to be found everywhere, nor sandal trees in every forest.
[Note: Only elephants in royal palaces are seen decorated with pearls (precious stones) on their heads].

10. Wise men should always bring up their sons in various moral ways, for children who have knowledge of niti-sastra and are well behaved become a glory to their family.

11. Those parents who do not educate their sons are their enemies; for as is a crane among swans, so are ignorant sons in a public assembly>

12. Many a bad habit is developed through over indulgence, and many a good one by chastisement, therefore beat your son as well as your pupil; never indulge them. ("Spare the rod and spoil the child."

13. Let not a single day pass without your learning a verse, half a verse, or a fourth of it, or even one letter of it; nor without attending to charity, study and other pious activity.

14. Separation from the wife, disgrace from one's own people, an enemy saved in battle, service to a wicked king, poverty, and a mismanaged assembly: these six kinds of evils, if afflicting a person, burn him even without fire

15. Trees on a riverbank, a woman in another man's house, and kings without counsellors go without doubt to swift destruction.

16. A brahmin's strength is in his learning, a king's strength is in his army, a vaishya's strength is in his wealth and a shudra's strength is in his attitude of service

17. The prostitute has to forsake a man who has no money, the subject a king that cannot defend him, the birds a tree that bears no fruit, and the guests a house after they have finished their meals.

18. Brahmins quit their patrons after receiving alms from them, scholars leave their teachers after receiving education from them, and animals desert a forest that has been burnt down.

19. He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.

20. Friendship between equals flourishes, service under a king is respectable, it is good to be business-minded in public dealings, and a handsome lady is safe in her own home.

Chapter Three

1. In this world, whose family is there without blemish? Who is free from sickness and grief? Who is forever happy?

2. A man's descent may be discerned by his conduct, his country by his pronunciation of language, his friendship by his warmth and glow, and his capacity to eat by his body.

3. Give your daughter in marriage to a good family, engage your son in learning, see that your enemy comes to grief, and engage your friends in dharma. (Krsna consciousness).

4. Of a rascal and a serpent, the serpent is the better of the two, for he strikes only at the time he is destined to kill, while the former at every step.

5. Therefore kings gather round themselves men of good families, for they never forsake them either at the beginning, the middle or the end.

6. At the time of the pralaya (universal destruction) the oceans are to exceed their limits and seek to change, but a saintly man never changes.

7. Do not keep company with a fool for as we can see he is a two-legged beast. Like an unseen thorn he pierces the heart with his sharp words.

8. Though men be endowed with beauty and youth and born in noble families, yet without education they are like the palasa flower, which is void of sweet fragrance.

9. The beauty of a cuckoo is in its notes, that of a woman in her unalloyed devotion to her husband, that of an ugly person in his scholarship, and that of an ascetic in his forgiveness.

10. Give up a member to save a family, a family to save a village, a village to save a country, and the country to save yourself.

11. There is no poverty for the industrious. Sin does not attach itself to the person practicing japa (chanting of the holy names of the Lord). Those who are absorbed in maunam (silent contemplation of the Lord) have no quarrel with others. They are fearless who remain always alert.

12.-13.

What is too heavy for the strong and what place is too distant for those who put forth effort? What country is foreign to a man of true learning? Who can be inimical to one who speaks pleasingly?

14. As a whole forest becomes fragrant by the existence of a single tree with sweet-smelling blossoms in it, so a family becomes famous by the birth of a virtuous son.

15. As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.

16. As night looks delightful when the moon shines, so is a family gladdened by even one learned and virtuous son.

17. What is the use of having many sons if they cause grief and vexation? It is better to have only one son from whom the whole family can derive support and peacefulness.

18. Fondle a son until he is five years of age, and use the stick for another ten years, but when he has attained his sixteenth year treat him as a friend.

19. He who runs away from a fearful calamity, a foreign invasion, a terrible famine, and the companionship of wicked men is safe.

20. He who has not acquired one of the following: religious merit (dharma), wealth (artha), satisfaction of desires (kama), or liberation (moksa) is repeatedly born to die

21. Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own accord where fools are not respected, grain is well stored up, and the husband and wife do not quarrel.

Chapter Four

1. These five: the life span, the type of work, wealth, learning and the time of one's death are determined while one is in the womb.

2. Offspring, friends and relatives flee from a devotee of the Lord: yet those who follow him bring merit to their families through their devotion.

3. Fish, tortoises, and birds bring up their young by means of sight, attention and touch; so do saintly men afford protection to their associates by the same means.

4. As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is imminent what can you do?

5. Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. Therefore learning is a hidden treasure.

6. A single son endowed with good qualities is far better than a hundred devoid of them. For the moon, though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, cannot.

7. A stillborn son is superior to a foolish son endowed with a long life. The first causes grief for but a moment while the latter like a blazing fire consumes his parents in grief for life.

8. Residing in a small village devoid of proper living facilities, serving a person born of a low family, unwholesome food, a frowning wife, a foolish son, and a widowed daughter burn the body without fire.

9. What good is a cow that neither gives milk nor conceives? Similarly, what is the value of the birth of a son if he becomes neither learned nor a pure devotee of the Lord?

10. When one is consumed by the sorrows of life, three things give him relief: offspring, a wife, and the company of the Lord's devotees.

11. Kings speak for once, men of learning once, and the daughter is given in marriage once. All these things happen once and only once.

12. Religious austerities should be practiced alone, study by two, and singing by three. A journey should be undertaken by four, agriculture by five, and war by many together.

13. She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert, chaste, pleasing to the husband, and truthful.

14. The house of a childless person is a void, all directions are void to one who has no relatives, the heart of a fool is also void, but to a poverty-stricken man all is void.

15. Scriptural lessons not put into practice are poison; a meal is poison to him who suffers from indigestion; a social gathering is poison to a poverty-stricken person; and a young wife is poison to an aged man.

16. That man who is without religion and mercy should be rejected. A guru without spiritual knowledge should be rejected. The wife with an offensive face should be given up, and so should relatives who are without affection.

17. Constant travel brings old age upon a man; a horse becomes old by being constantly tied up; lack of sexual contact with her husband brings old age upon a woman; and garments become old through being left in the sun.

18. Consider again and again the following: the right time, the right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right ways of spending, and from whom you derive your power.

19. For the twice born the fire (Agni) is a representative of God. The Supreme Lord resides in the heart of His devotees. Those of average intelligence (alpa-buddhi or kanista-adhikari) see God only in His sri-murti, but those of broad vision see the Supreme Lord everywhere.

Chapter Five

1. Agni is the worshipable person for the twice born; the brahmana for the other castes; the husband for the wife; and the guest who comes for food at the midday meal for all.

2. As gold is tested in four ways by rubbing, cutting, heating and beating -- so a man should be tested by these four things: his renunciation, his conduct, his qualities and his actions.

3. A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not overtaken you, but once it has come upon you, try to get rid of it without hesitation.

4. Though persons be born from the same womb and under the same stars, they do not become alike in disposition as the thousand fruits of the badari tree.

5. He whose hands are clean does not like to hold an office; he who desires nothing cares not for bodily decorations; he who is only partially educated cannot speak agreeably; and he who speaks out plainly cannot be a deceiver.

6. The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones

7. Indolent application ruins study; money is lost when entrusted to others; a farmer who sows his seed sparsely is ruined; and an army is lost for want of a commander.

8. Learning is retained through putting into practice; family prestige is maintained through good behaviour; a respectable person is recognised by his excellent qualities; and anger is seen in the eyes.

9. Religion is preserved by wealth; knowledge by diligent practice; a king by conciliatory words; and a home by a dutiful housewife.

10. Those who blaspheme Vedic wisdom, who ridicule the life style recommended in the satras, and who deride men of peaceful temperament, come to grief unnecessarily.

11. Charity puts and end to poverty; righteous conduct to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear.

12. There is no disease (so destructive) as lust; no enemy like infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no happiness like spiritual knowledge.

13. A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.

14. Heaven is but a straw to him who knows spiritual life (Krsna consciousness); so is life to a valiant man; a woman to him who has subdued his senses; and the universe to him who is without attachment for the world.

15. Learning is a friend on the journey; a wife in the house; medicine in sickness; and religious merit is the only friend after death.

16. Rain which falls upon the sea is useless; so is food for one who is satiated; in vain is a gift for one who is wealthy; and a burning lamp during the daytime is useless.

17. There is no water like rainwater; no strength like one's own; no light like that of the eyes; and no wealth more dear than food grain.

18. The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty of speech; men wish for heaven; and godly persons for liberation.

19. The earth is supported by the power of truth; it is the power of truth that makes the sunshine and the winds blow; indeed all things rest upon truth.

20. The Goddess of wealth is unsteady (chanchala), and so is the life breath. The duration of life is uncertain, and the place of habitation is uncertain; but in all this inconsistent world religious merit alone is immovable.

21. Among men the barber is cunning; among birds the crow; among beasts the jackal; and among women, the malin (flower girl).

22. These five are your fathers; he who gave you birth, girdled you with sacred thread, teaches you, provides you with food, and protects you from fearful situations.

23. These five should be considered as mothers; the king's wife, the preceptor's wife, the friend's wife, your wife's mother, and your own mother.

Chapter Six

1. By means of hearing one understands dharma, malignity vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and liberation from material bondage is gained.

2. Among birds the crow is vile; among beasts the dog; the ascetic whose sins is abominable, but he who blasphemes others is the worst chandala.

>3. Brass is polished by ashes; copper is cleaned by tamarind; a woman, by her menses; and a river by its flow.

4. The king, the brahmana, and the ascetic yogi who go abroad are respected; but the woman who wanders is utterly ruined.

5. He who has wealth has friends. He who is wealthy has relatives. The rich one alone is called a man, and the affluent alone are respected as pandits

6. As is the desire of Providence, so functions one's intellect; one's activities are also controlled by Providence; and by the will of Providence one is surrounded by helpers.

7. Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.

8. Those born blind cannot see; similarly blind are those in the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil; and those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions.

9. The spirit soul goes through his own course of karma and he himself suffers the good and bad results thereby accrued. By his own actions he entangles himself in samsara, and by his own efforts he extricates himself.

10. The king is obliged to accept the sins of his subjects; the purohit (priest) suffers for those of the king; a husband suffers for those of his wife; and the guru suffers for those of his pupils.

11. A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are enemies ( in one's own home).

12. Conciliate a covetous man by means of a gift, an obstinate man with folded hands in salutation, a fool by humouring him, and a learned man by truthful words.

13. It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a bad one.

14. How can people be made happy in a petty kingdom? What peace can we expect from a rascal friend? What happiness can we have at home in the company of a bad wife? How can renown be gained by instructing an unworthy disciple?

15. Learn one thing from a lion; one from a crane; four a cock; five from a crow; six from a dog; and three from an ass.

16. The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.

17. The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.

18. To wake at the proper time; to take a bold stand and fight; to make a fair division (of property) among relations; and to earn one's own bread by personal exertion are the four excellent things to be learned from a cock.

19. Union in privacy (with one's wife); boldness; storing away useful items; watchfulness; and not easily trusting others; these five things are to be learned from a crow.

20. Contentment with little or nothing to eat although one may have a great appetite; to awaken instantly although one may be in a deep slumber; unflinching devotion to the master; and bravery; these six qualities should be learned from the dog.

21. Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always contented; these three things should be learned from the ass.

22. He who shall practice these twenty virtues shall become invincible in all his undertakings.

Chapter Seven

1. A wise man should not reveal his loss of wealth, the vexation of his mind, the misconduct of his own wife, base words spoken by others, and disgrace that has befallen him.

2. He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy.

3. The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.

4. One should feel satisfied with the following three things; his own wife, food given by Providence and wealth acquired by honest effort; but one should never feel satisfied with the following three; study, chanting the holy names of the Lord (japa) and charity.

5. Do not pass between two brahmanas, between a brahmana and his sacrificial fire, between a wife and her husband, a master and his servant, and a plough and an ox.

6. Do not let your foot touch fire, the spiritual master or a brahmana; it must never touch a cow, a virgin, an old person or a child.

7. Keep one thousand cubits away from an elephant, a hundred from a horse, ten from a horned beast, but keep away from the wicked by leaving the country.

8. An elephant is controlled by a goad (ankusha), a horse by a slap of the hand, a horned animal with the show of a stick, and a rascal with a sword.

9. Brahmanas find satisfaction in a good meal, peacocks in the peal of thunder, a sadhu in seeing the prosperity of others, and the wicked in the misery of others.

10. Conciliate a strong man by submission, a wicked man by opposition, and the one whose power is equal to yours by politeness or force.>

11. The power of a king lies in his mighty arms; that of a brahmana in his spiritual knowledge; and that of a woman in her beauty youth and sweet words.

12. Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down while crooked ones are left standing.

13. Swans live wherever there is water, and leave the place where water dries up; let not a man act so -- and comes and goes as he pleases.

14. Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water.

15. He who has wealth has friends and relations; he alone survives and is respected as a man.

16. The following four characteristics of the denizens of heaven may be seen in the residents of this earth planet; charity, sweet words, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and satisfying the needs of brahmanas.

17. The following qualities of the denizens of hell may characterise men on earth; extreme wrath, harsh speech, enmity with one's relations, the company with the base, and service to men of low extraction.

18. By going to the den of a lion pearls from the head of an elephant may be obtained; but by visiting the hole of a jackal nothing but the tail of a calf or a bit of the hide of an ass may be found.

19. The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog, which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects.

20. Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and a compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise to the divine platform.

21. As you seek fragrance in a flower, oil in the sesamum seed, fire in wood, ghee (butter) in milk, and jaggery (guda) in sugarcane; so seek the spirit that is in the body by means of discrimination.>

Chapter Eight

. Low class men desire wealth; middle class men both wealth and respect; but the noble, honour only; hence honour is the noble man's true wealth.

3. The lamp eats up the darkness and therefore it produces blackened lamp; in the same way according to the nature of our diet (sattva, rajas, or tamas) we produce offspring in similar quality.

4. O wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet. The rainwater enlivens all living beings of the earth both movable (insects, animals, humans, etc.) and immovable (plants, trees, etc.), and then returns to the ocean where its value is multiplied a million fold.

5. The wise who discern the essence of things have declared that the yavana (meat eater) is equal in baseness to a thousand candalas (the lowest class), and hence a yavana is the basest of men; indeed there is no one more base.

6. After having rubbed oil on the body, after encountering the smoke from a funeral pyre, after sexual intercourse, and after being shaved, one remains a chandala until he bathes.

7. Water is the medicine for indigestion; it is invigorating when the food that is eaten is well digested; it is like nectar when drunk in the middle of a dinner; and it is like poison when taken at the end of a meal.

8. Knowledge is lost without putting it into practice; a man is lost due to ignorance; an army is lost without a commander; and a woman is lost without a husband.

9. A man who encounters the following three is unfortunate; the death of his wife in his old age, the entrusting of money into the hands of relatives, and depending upon others for food.

10. Chanting of the Vedas without making ritualistic sacrifices to the Supreme Lord through the medium of Agni, and sacrifices not followed by bountiful gifts are futile. Perfection can be achieved only through devotion (to the Supreme Lord) for devotion is the basis of all success.

13. There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy.

14. Anger is a personification of Yama (the demigod of death); thirst is like the hellish river Vaitarani; knowledge is like a kamadhenu (the cow of plenty); and contentment is like Nandanavana (the garden of Indra).

15. Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty; righteous conduct, for high birth; success for learning; and proper spending for wealth.

16. Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad conduct; learning, without being perfected; and wealth by not being properly utilised.

17. Water seeping into the earth is pure; and a devoted wife is pure; the king who is the benefactor of his people is pure; and pure is the brahmana who is contented.

18. Discontented brahmanas, contented kings, shy prostitutes, and immodest housewives are ruined.

19. Of what avail is a high birth if a person is destitute of scholarship? A man who is of low extraction is honoured even by the demigods if he is learned.

20. A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honoured everywhere.

21. Those who are endowed with beauty and youth and who are born of noble families are worthless if they have no learning. They are just like the kimshuka blossoms ( flowers of the palasa tree) which, though beautiful, have no fragrance.

22. The earth is encumbered with the weight of the flesh-eaters, wine-bibblers, dolts (dull and stupid) and blockheads, who are beasts in the form of men.

23. There is no enemy like a yajna (sacrifice) which consumes the kingdom when not attended by feeding on a large scale; consumes the priest when the chanting is not done properly; and consumes the yajaman (the responsible person) when the gifts are not made.

Chapter Nine

1. My dear child, if you desire to be free from the cycle of birth and death, then abandon the objects of sense gratification as poison. Drink instead the nectar of forbearance, upright conduct, mercy, cleanliness and truth.

2. Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents that stray onto anthills.>

3. Perhaps nobody has advised Lord Brahma, the creator, to impart perfume to gold; fruit to the sugarcane; flowers to the sandalwood tree; wealth to the learned; and long life to the king

4. Nectar (amrita) is the best among medicines; eating good food is the best of all types of material happiness; the eye is the chief among all organs; and the head occupies the chief position among all parts of the body.

5. No messenger can travel about in the sky and no tidings come from there. The voice of its inhabitants is never heard, nor can any contact be established with them. Therefore the brahmana who predicts the eclipse of the sun and moon, which occur in the sky, must be considered as a vidwan (man of great learning).

6. The student, the servant, the traveller, the hungry person, the frightened man, the treasury guard, and the steward: these seven ought to be awakened if they fall asleep.

7. The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.

8. Of those who have studied the Vedas for material rewards, and those who accept foodstuffs offered by shudras, what potency have they? They are just like serpents without fangs.

9. He who neither rouses fear by his anger, nor confers a favour when he is pleased can neither control nor protect. What can he do?

10. The serpent may, without being poisonous, raise high its hood, but the show of terror is enough to frighten people -- whether he be venomous or not.

11. Wise men spend their mornings in discussing gambling, the afternoon discussing the activities of women, and the night hearing about the activities of theft. (The first item above refers to the gambling of King Yudhisthira, the great devotee of Krsna. The second item refers to the glorious deeds of mother Sita, the consort of Lord Ramachandra. The third item hints at the adorable childhood pastimes of Sri Krsna who stole butter from the elderly cowherd ladies of Gokula. Hence Chanakya Pandita advises wise persons to spend the morning absorbed in Mahabharata, the afternoon studying Ramayana, and the evening devotedly hearing the Srimad-Bhagvatam.)

12. By preparing a garland for a Deity with one's own hand; by grinding sandal paste for the Lord with one's own hand; and by writing sacred texts with one's own hand -- one becomes blessed with opulence equal to that of Indra.

14. Poverty is set off by fortitude; shabby garments by keeping them clean; bad food by warming it; and ugliness by good behaviour.

Chapter Ten

1. One destitute of wealth is not destitute, he is indeed rich (if he is learned); but the man devoid of learning is destitute in every way.

2. We should carefully scrutinise that place upon which we step (having it ascertained to be free from filth and living creatures like insects, etc.); we should drink water, which has been filtered (through a clean cloth); we should speak only those words, which have the sanction of the satras; and do that act which we have carefully considered.

3. He who desires sense gratification must give up all thoughts of acquiring knowledge; and he who seeks knowledge must not hope for sense gratification. How can he who seeks sense gratification acquire knowledge, and he who possesses knowledge enjoy mundane sense pleasure?

4. What is it that escapes the observation of poets? What is that act women are incapable of doing? What will drunken people not prate? What will not a crow eat?

5. Fate makes a beggar a king and a king a beggar. He makes a rich man poor and a poor man rich

6. The beggar is a miser's enemy; the wise counsellor is the fool's enemy; her husband is an adulterous wife's enemy; and the moon is the enemy of the thief.

7. Those who are destitute of learning, penance, knowledge, good disposition, virtue and benevolence are brutes wandering the earth in the form of men. They are burdensome to the earth.

8. Those that are empty-minded cannot be benefited by instruction. Bamboo does not acquire the quality of sandalwood by being associated with the Malaya Mountain.

9. What good can the scriptures do to a man who has no sense of his own? Of what use is as mirror to a blind man?

10. Nothing can reform a bad man, just as the posteriors cannot become a superior part of the body though washed one hundred times.

11. By offending a kinsman, life is lost; by offending others, wealth is lost; by offending the king, everything is lost; and by offending a brahmana (Brahmin) one's whole family is ruined.

12. It is better to live under a tree in a jungle inhabited by tigers and elephants, to maintain oneself in such a place with ripe fruits and spring water, to lie down on grass and to wear the ragged barks of trees than to live amongst one's relations when reduced to poverty.

13. The brahmana (Brahmin) is like a tree; his prayers are the roots, his chanting of the Vedas are the branches, and his religious acts are the leaves. Consequently effort should be made to preserve his roots for if the roots are destroyed there can be no branches or leaves.

14. My mother is Kamala devi (Lakshmi), my father is Lord Janardana (Vishnu), my kinsmen are the Vishnu-bhaktas (Vaisnavas) and, my homeland is all the three worlds.

15. (Through the night) a great many kinds of birds perch on a tree but in the morning they fly in all the ten directions. Why should we lament for that? (Similarly, we should not grieve when we must inevitably part company from our dear ones)

16. He who possesses intelligence is strong; how can the man that is unintelligent be powerful? The elephant of the forest having lost his senses by intoxication was tricked into a lake by a small rabbit. (This verse refers to a famous story from the niti-sastra called pancatantra compiled by the pandit Vishnusharma 2500 years ago).

17. Why should I be concerned for my maintenance while absorbed in praising the glories of Lord Vishwambhara (Vishnu), the supporter of all? Without the grace of Lord Hari, how could milk flow from a mother's breast for a child's nourishment? Repeatedly thinking only in this way, O Lord of the Yadus, O husband of Lakshmi, all my time is spent in serving Your lotus feet.

Chapter Eleven

1. Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities.

2. He who forsakes his own community and joins another perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path.

3. The elephant has a huge body but is controlled by the ankusha (goad): yet, is the goad as large as the elephant? A lighted candle banishes darkness: is the candle as vast as the darkness. A mountain is broken even by a thunderbolt: is the thunderbolt therefore as big as the mountain? No, he whose power prevails is really mighty; what is there in bulk?

5. He who is engrossed in family life will never acquire knowledge; there can be no mercy in the eater of flesh; the greedy man will not be truthful; and purity will not be found in a woman or a hunter.

6. The wicked man will not attain sanctity even if he is instructed in different ways, and the Nim tree will not become sweet even if it is sprinkled from the top to the roots with milk and ghee.

7. Mental dirt cannot be washed away even by one-hundred baths in the sacred waters, just as a wine pot cannot be purified even by evaporating all the wine by fire.

8. It is not strange if a man reviles a thing of which he has no knowledge, just as a wild hunter's wife throws away the pearl that is found in the head of an elephant, and picks up a gunj (a type of seed which poor tribals wear as ornaments).

9. He who for one year eats his meals silently (inwardly meditating upon the Lord's prasadam); attains to the heavenly planets for a thousand crore of years. ( Note: one crore equals ten million)

10. The student (brahmacari) should completely renounce the following eight things -- his lust, anger, greed, desire for sweets, sense of decorating the body, excessive curiosity, excessive sleep, and excessive endeavour for bodily maintenance.

12. He alone is a true brahmana (dvija or "twice-born") who is satisfied with one meal a day, who has the six samskaras (or acts of purification such as garbhadhana, etc.) performed for him, and who cohabits with his wife only once in a month on an auspicious day after her menses.

13. The brahmana who is engrossed in worldly affairs, brings up cows and is engaged in trade is really called a vaishya.

14. The brahmana who deals in lac-die, articles, oil, indigo, silken cloth, honey, clarified butter, liquor, and flesh is called a shudra.

15. The brahmana who thwarts the doings of others, who is hypocritical, selfish, and a deceitful hater, and while speaking mildly cherishes cruelty in his heart, is called a cat.

16. The brahmana who destroys a pond, a well, a tank, a garden and a temple is called a mleccha.

17. The brahmana who steals the property of the Deities and the spiritual preceptor, who cohabits with another's wife, and who maintains himself by eating anything and everything s called a chandala.

18. The meritorious should give away in charity all that they have in excess of their needs. By charity only Karna, Bali and King Vikramaditya survive even today. Just see the plight of the honeybees beating their legs in despair upon the earth. They are saying to themselves, "Alas! We neither enjoyed our stored-up honey nor gave it in charity, and now someone has taken it from us in an instant."

Chapter Twelve

1. He is a blessed grhasta (householder) in whose house there is a blissful atmosphere, whose sons are talented, whose wife speaks sweetly, whose wealth is enough to satisfy his desires, who finds pleasure in the company of his wife, whose servants are obedient, in whose house hospitality is shown, the auspicious Supreme Lord is worshiped daily, delicious food and drink is partaken, and who finds joy in the company of devotees.

2. One who devotedly gives a little to a brahmana who is in distress is recompensed abundantly. Hence, O Prince, what is given to a good brahmana is got back not in an equal quantity, but in an infinitely higher degree.

3. Those men who are happy in this world, who are generous towards their relatives, kind to strangers, indifferent to the wicked, loving to the good, shrewd in their dealings with the base, frank with the learned, courageous with enemies, humble with elders and stern with the wife.

4. O jackal, leave aside the body of that man at once, whose hands have never given in charity, whose ears have not heard the voice of learning, whose eyes have not beheld a pure devotee of the Lord, whose feet have never traversed to holy places, whose belly is filled with things obtained by crooked practices, and whose head is held high in vanity. Do not eat it, O jackal, otherwise you will become polluted.

5. "Shame upon those who have no devotion to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda; who have no attachment for the descriptions of the glories of Srimati Radharani; whose ears are not eager to listen to the stories of the Lord's lila." Such is the exclamation of the mrdanga sound of dhik-tam dhik-tam dhigatam at kirtana.

6. What fault of spring that the bamboo shoot has no leaves? What fault of the sun if the owl cannot see during the daytime? Is it the fault of the clouds if no raindrops fall into the mouth of the chatak bird? Who can erase what Lord Brahma has inscribed upon our foreheads at the time of birth?

7. A wicked man may develop saintly qualities in the company of a devotee, but a devotee does not become impious in the company of a wicked person. The earth is scented by a flower that falls upon it, but the flower does not contact the odour of the earth.

8. One indeed becomes blessed by having darshan of a devotee; for the devotee has the ability to purify immediately, whereas the sacred tirtha gives purity only after prolonged contact.

9. A stranger asked a brahmana, "Tell me, who is great in this city?" The brahmana replied, "The cluster of palmyra trees is great." Then the traveller asked, "Who is the most charitable person?" The brahmana answered, "The washer man who takes the clothes in the morning and gives them back in the evening is the most charitable." He then asked, "Who is the ablest man?" The brahmana answered, "Everyone is expert in robbing others of their wives and wealth." The man then asked the brahmana, "How do you manage to live in such a city?" The brahmana replied, "As a worm survives while even in a filthy place so do I survive here!"

10. The house in which the lotus feet of brahmanas are not washed, in which Vedic mantras are not loudly recited, and in which the holy rites of svaha (sacrificial offerings to the Supreme Lord) and swadha (offerings to the ancestors) are not performed, is like a crematorium.

11. (It is said that a sadhu, when asked about his family, replied thusly): truth is my mother, and my father is spiritual knowledge; righteous conduct is my brother, and mercy is my friend, inner peace is my wife, and forgiveness is my son: these six are my kinsmen.

12. Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage in acts of merit.

13. Arjuna says to Krsna. "Brahmanas find joy in going to feasts, cows find joy in eating their tender grass, wives find joy in the company of their husbands, and know, O Krsna, that in the same way I rejoice in battle.

14. He who regards another's wife as his mother, the wealth that does not belong to him as a lump of mud, and the pleasure and pain of all other living beings as his own -- truly sees things in the right perspective, and he is a true pandit.

15. O Raghava, the love of virtue, pleasing speech, and an ardent desire for performing acts of charity, guileless dealings with friends, humility in the guru's presence, deep tranquillity of mind, pure conduct, discernment of virtues, realised knowledge of the sastras, beauty of form and devotion to God are all found in you." (The great sage Vasistha Muni, the spiritual preceptor of the dynasty of the sun, said this to Lord Ramachandra at the time of His proposed coronation)

16. Kalpataru (the wish fulfilling tree) is but wood; the golden Mount Meru is motionless; the wish-fulfilling gem chintamani is just a stone; the sun is scorching; the moon is prone to wane; the boundless ocean is saline; the demigod of lust lost his body (due to Shiva's wrath); Bali Maharaja, the son of Diti, was born into a clan of demons; and Kamadhenu (the cow of heaven) is a mere beast. O Lord of the Raghu dynasty! I cannot compare you to any one of these (taking their merits into account).

17. Realised learning (vidya) is our friend while travelling, the wife is a friend at home, medicine is the friend of a sick man, and meritorious deeds are the friends at death.

18. Courtesy should be learned from princes, the art of conversation from pandits, lying should be learned from gamblers and deceitful ways should be learned from women.

19. The unthinking spender, the homeless urchin, the quarrel monger, the man who neglects his wife and is heedless in his actions -- all these will soon come to ruination.

20. The wise man should not be anxious about his food; he should be anxious to be engaged only in dharma (Krsna consciousness). The food of each man is created for him at his birth.

21. He who is not shy in the acquisition of wealth, grain and knowledge, and in taking his meals, will be happy

22. As centesimal droppings will fill a pot so also are knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained.

23. The man who remains a fool even in advanced age is really a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become sweet no matter how ripe it might become.

Chapter Thirteen

1. A man may live but for a moment, but that moment should be spent in doing auspicious deeds. It is useless living even for a kalpa (4,320,000 *1000 years) and bringing only distress upon the two worlds (this world and the next).

2. We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment.

3. It certainly is nature of the demigods, men of good character, and parents to be easily pleased. Near and distant relatives are pleased when they are hospitably received with bathing, food, and drink; and pandits are pleased with an opportunity for giving spiritual discourse.

4 Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his activities, his acquisition of wealth and knowledge, and his time of death.

5. Oh, see what a wonder it is! The doings of the great are strange: they treat wealth as light as a straw, yet, when they obtain it, they bend under its weight

6. He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy.

7. He who is prepared for the future and he who deals cleverly with any situation that may arise are both happy; but the fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.

8. If the king is virtuous, then the subjects are also virtuous. If the king is sinful, then the subjects also become sinful. If he is mediocre, then the subjects are mediocre. The subjects follow the example of the king. In short, as is the king so are the subjects.

9. I consider him who does not act religiously as dead though living, but he who dies acting religiously unquestionably lives long though he is dead.

10. He who has acquired neither virtue, wealth, satisfaction of desires nor salvation (dharma, artha, kama, moksa), lives an utterly useless life, like the "nipples" hanging from the neck of a goat.

11. The hearts of base men burn before the fire of other's fame, and they slander them being themselves unable to rise to such a high position.

12. Excessive attachment to sense pleasures leads to bondage, and detachment from sense pleasures leads to liberation; therefore it is the mind alone that is responsible for bondage or liberation

13. He who sheds bodily identification by means of knowledge of the indwelling Supreme Self (Paramatma), will always be absorbed in meditative trance (samadhi) wherever his mind leads him.

14. Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.

15. As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the (good or bad) deeds of a man follow him.

16. He whose actions are disorganised has no happiness either in the midst of men or in a jungle -- in the midst of men his heart burns by social contacts, and his helplessness burns him in the forest.

17. As the man who digs obtains underground water by use of a shovel, so the student attains the knowledge possessed by his preceptor through his service

18. Men reap the fruits of their deeds, and intellects bear the mark of deeds performed in previous lives; even so the wise act after due circumspection.

19. Even the man who has taught the spiritual significance of just one letter ought to be worshiped. He who does not give reverence to such a guru is born as a dog a hundred times, and at last takes birth as a chandala (dog-eater).

20. At the end of the yuga, Mount Meru may be shaken; at the end of the kalpa, the waters of the seven oceans may be disturbed; but a sadhu will never swerve from the spiritual path.

21. There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and pleasing words -- fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as gems.

Chapter Fourteen

1. Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are the fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins.

2. Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; but this body when lost may never be acquired again.

3. The enemy can be overcome by the union of large numbers, just as grass through its collectiveness wards off erosion caused by heavy rainfall.

4. Oil on water, a secret communicated to a base man, a gift given to a worthy receiver, and scriptural instruction given to an intelligent man spread out by virtue of their nature.

5. If men should always retain the state of mind they experience when hearing religious instruction, when present at a crematorium ground, and when in sickness -- then who could not attain liberation.

6. If a man should feel before, as he feels after, repentance -- then who would not attain perfection?

7. We should not feel pride in our charity, austerity, valour, scriptural knowledge, modesty and morality for the world is full of the rarest gems.

8. He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may really be nearby.

9. We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favour, like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer.

10. It is ruinous to be familiar with the king, fire, the religious preceptor, and a woman. To be altogether indifferent to them is to be deprived of the opportunity to benefit ourselves, hence our association with them must be from a safe distance.

11. We should always deal cautiously with fire, water, women, foolish people, serpents, and members of a royal family; for they may, when the occasion presents itself, at once bring about our death.

12. He should be considered to be living who is virtuous and pious, but the life of a man who is destitute of religion and virtues is void of any blessing.

13. If you wish to gain control of the world by the performance of a single deed, then keep the following fifteen, which are prone to wander here and there, from getting the upper hand of you: the five sense objects (objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch); the five sense organs (ears, eyes, nose, tongue and skin) and organs of activity (hands, legs, mouth, genitals and anus).

14. He is a pandit (man of knowledge) who speaks what is suitable to the occasion, who renders loving service according to his ability, and who knows the limits of his anger.

15 One single object (a woman) appears in three different ways: to the man who practices austerity it appears as a corpse, to the sensual it appears as a woman, and to the dogs as a lump of flesh.

16. A wise man should not divulge the formula of a medicine which he has well prepared; an act of charity which he has performed; domestic conflicts; private affairs with his wife; poorly prepared food he may have been offered; or slang he may have heard.

17. The cuckoos remain silent for a long time (for several seasons) until they are able to sing sweetly (in the Spring) so as to give joy to all.

18. We should secure and keep the following: the blessings of meritorious deeds, wealth, grain, the words of the spiritual master, and rare medicines. Otherwise life becomes impossible.

19. Eschew wicked company and associate with saintly persons. Acquire virtue day and night, and always meditate on that which is eternal forgetting that which is temporary.

Chapter Fifteen

1. For one whose heart melts with compassion for all creatures; what is the necessity of knowledge, liberation, matted hair on the head, and smearing the body with ashes?

2. There is no treasure on earth the gift of which will cancel the debt a disciple owes his guru for having taught him even a single letter (that leads to Krsna consciousness).

3. There are two ways to get rid of thorns and wicked persons; using footwear in the first place and in the second shaming them so that they cannot raise their faces again thus keeping them at a distance.

4. He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, is a glutton, speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise -- although he may be the greatest personality -- will lose the favour of Lakshmi.

5. He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his wife, his servants and his relations; yet when he regains his riches those who have forsaken him come back to him. Hence wealth is certainly the best of relations.

6. Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.

7. A bad action committed by a great man is not censured (as there is none that can reproach him), and a good action performed by a low-class man comes to be condemned (because none respects him). Just see: the drinking of nectar is excellent, but it became the cause of Rahu's demise; and the drinking of poison is harmful, but when Lord Shiva (who is exalted) drank it, it became an ornament to his neck (nila-kantha).

8. A true meal is that which consists of the remnants left after a brahmana's meal. Love, which is shown to others, is true love, not that which is cherished for one's own self. To abstain from sin is true wisdom. That is an act of charity, which is performed without ostentation.

9. For want of discernment the most precious jewels lie in the dust at the feet of men while bits of glass are worn on their heads. But we should not imagine that the gems have sunk in value, and the bits of glass have risen in importance. When a person of critical judgement shall appear, each will be given its right position.

10. Sastric (scriptural) knowledge is unlimited, and the arts to be learned are many; the time we have is short, and our opportunities to learn are beset with obstacles. Therefore select for learning that which is most important, just as the swan drinks only the milk in water.

11. He is a chandala who eats his dinner without entertaining the stranger who has come to his house quite accidentally, having travelled from a long distance and is wearied.

12. One may know the four Vedas and the Dharma-sastras, yet if he has no realisation of his own spiritual self, he can be said to be like the ladle (spoon) which stirs all kinds of foods but knows not the taste of any.

13. Those blessed souls are certainly elevated who, while crossing the ocean of life, take shelter of a genuine brahmana, who is likened unto a boat. They are unlike passengers aboard an ordinary ship that runs the risk of sinking.

14. The moon, who is the abode of nectar and the presiding deity of all medicines, although immortal like amrta and resplendent in form, loses the brilliance of his rays when he repairs to the abode of the sun (day time). Therefore, will not an ordinary man be made to feel inferior by going to live at the house of another?

15. This humble bee, which always resides among the soft petals of the lotus and drinks abundantly its sweet nectar, is now feasting on the flower of the ordinary kutaja. Being in a strange country where the lotuses do not exist, he is considering the pollen of the kutaja to be nice.

16. (Lord Visnu asked His spouse Lakshmi why She did not care to live in the house of a brahmana.She replied:)" O Lord a rishi named Agastya drank up My father (the ocean) in anger; Brighu Muni kicked You; brahmanas pride themselves on their learning having sought the favour of My competitor Sarasvati; and lastly they pluck each day the lotus which is My abode, and therewith worship Lord Shiva. Therefore, O Lord, I fear to dwell with a brahmana".

17. There are many ways of binding by which one can be dominated and controlled in this world, but the bond of affection is the strongest. For example, take the case of the humble bee, which, although expert at piercing hardened wood, becomes caught in the embrace of its beloved flowers (as the petals close at dusk).

18. Although sandalwood is cut, it does not forsake its natural quality of fragrance; so also the elephant does not give up sportiveness though he should grow old. The sugarcane does not cease to be sweet though squeezed in a mill; so the man of noble extraction does not lose his lofty qualities, no matter how pinched he is by poverty.

Chapter Sixteen

2. The heart of a woman is not united; it is divided. While she is talking with one man, she looks lustfully at another and thinks fondly of a third in her heart.

3. The fool (mudha) who fancies that a charming young lady loves him, becomes her slave and he dances like a shakuntal bird tied to a string.

4. Who is there who, having become rich, has not become proud? What licentious man has put an end to his calamities? What man in this world has not been overcome by a woman? Who is always loved by the king? Who is there who has not been overcome by the ravages of time? What beggar has attained glory? Who has become happy by contracting the vices of the wicked?

6. A man attains greatness by his merits, not simply by occupying an exalted seat. Can we call a crow an eagle (garuda) simply because he sits on the top of a tall building.

8. The man who is praised by others as great is regarded as worthy though he may be really void of all merit. But the man who sings his own praises lowers himself in the estimation of others though he should be Indra (the possessor of all excellences).

9. If good qualities should characterise a man of discrimination, the brilliance of his qualities will be recognised just as a gem, which is essentially bright, really shines when fixed in an ornament of gold.

10. Even one who by his qualities appears to be all knowing suffers without patronage; the gem, though precious, requires a gold setting.

11. I do not deserve that wealth which is to be attained by enduring much suffering, or by transgressing the rules of virtue, or by flattering an enemy.

13. Those who were not satiated with the enjoyment of wealth, food and women have all passed away; there are others now passing away who have likewise remained unsatiated; and in the future still others will pass away feeling themselves unsatiated.

14. All charities and sacrifices (performed for fruitive gain) bring only temporary results, but gifts made to deserving persons and protection offered to all creatures shall never perish

15. A blade of grass is light, cotton is lighter, and the beggar is infinitely lighter still. Why then does not the wind carry him away? Because it fears that he may ask alms of him.

16. It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one's life.

17. All the creatures are pleased by loving words; and therefore we should address words that are pleasing to all, for there is no lack of sweet words.

18. There are two nectarine fruits hanging from the tree of this world: one is the hearing of sweet words (such as Krsna-katha) and the other, the society of saintly men.

19. The good habits of charity, learning and austerity practised during many past lives continue to be cultivated in this birth by virtue of the link (yoga) of this present life to the previous ones.

20. One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.

Chapter Seventeen

1. The scholar who has acquired knowledge by studying innumerable books without the blessings of a bonafide spiritual master does not shine in an assembly of truly learned men just as an illegitimate child is not honoured in society.

2. We should repay the favours of others by acts of kindness; so also should we return evil for evil in which there is no sin, for it is necessary to pay a wicked man in his own coin.

3. That thing which is distant, that thing which appears impossible, and that which is far beyond our reach, can be easily attained through tapasya (religious austerity), for nothing can surpass austerity.

4. What vice could be worse than covetousness? What is more sinful than slander? For one who is truthful, what need is there for austerity? For one who has a clean heart, what is the need for pilgrimage? If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation? What need is there for wealth for the man of practical knowledge? And if a man is dishonoured, what could there be worse than death?

5. Though the sea, which is the reservoir of all jewels, is the father of the conch shell, and the Goddess of fortune Lakshmi is conch's sister, still the conch must go from door to door for alms (in the hands of a beggar). It is true, therefore, that one gains nothing without having given in the past.

6. When a man has no strength left in him he becomes a sadhu, one without wealth acts like a brahmacari, a sick man behaves like a devotee of the Lord, and when a woman grows old she becomes devoted to her husband.

8. There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it.

9. The woman who fasts and observes religious vows without the permission of her husband shortens his life, and goes to hell.

10. A woman does not become holy by offering charity, by observing hundreds of fasts, or by sipping sacred water, as by sipping the water used to wash her husbands feet.

12. The hand is not so well adorned by ornaments as by charitable offerings; one does not become clean by smearing sandalwood paste upon the body as by taking a bath; one does not become so much satisfied by dinner as by having respect shown to him; and salvation is not attained by self-adornment as by cultivation of spiritual knowledge.

14. The eating of tundi fruit deprives a man of his sense, while the vacha root administered revives his reasoning immediately. A woman at once robs a man of his vigour while milk at once restores it.

15. He who nurtures benevolence for all creatures within his heart overcomes all difficulties and will be the recipient of all types of riches at every step.

16. What is there to be enjoyed in the world of Lord Indra for one whose wife is loving and virtuous, who possesses wealth, who has a well-behaved son endowed with good qualities, and who has grandchildren born of his children?

17. Men have eating, sleeping, fearing and mating in common with the lower animals. That in which men excel the beasts is discretionary knowledge; hence, indiscreet men who are without knowledge should be regarded as beasts.

18. If the bees that seek the liquid oozing from the head of a lust-intoxicated elephant are driven away by the flapping of his ears, then the elephant has lost only the ornament of his head. The bees are quite happy in the lotus filled lake.

19. A king, a prostitute, Lord Yamaraja, fire, a thief, a young boy, and a beggar cannot understand the suffering of others. The eighth of this category is the tax collector.

20. O lady, why are you gazing downward? Has something of yours fallen on the ground? (She replies) O fool, can you not understand the pearl of my youth has slipped away?

21. O ketki flower! Serpents live in your midst, you bear no edible fruits, your leaves are covered with thorns, you are crooked in growth, you thrive in mud, and you are not easily accessible. Still for your exceptional fragrance you are as dear as kinsmen to others. Hence, a single excellence overcomes a multitude of blemishes.

Independence Day

2006-08-14T23:38:00.000-05:00

One more Independence Day, PM goes to Red fort, hoists the flag standing within bulletproof glass and talks about strengthening security. I don’t know if he meant creating invisible security walls for every Indian citizen. Not feasible I guess and neither of anything he said is going to be operationalized.

At other end, interestingly I saw a group of scientists working hard to retain the heritage of India with www.iish.org. I guess even if 20% of the young generation realizes what our heritage is, and what we have offered to the world, and then we might be positively progress and retain Indianism.

More than native Indians it seems students studying India realize the importance of erosion of Indianism and wrong effects of westernization.

I just thought of putting up a blog just to remind me that some or the other way the independence that we got with sacrifices from bhagat, chandrashekhar, khudiram, subhash should not go wasted.

Piracy - Unjust objurgate.

2006-06-25T21:57:00.000-05:00

Hypocrisy of Hindi Film industry is very much there in this related blog. The other point I was thinking about is about the Anti-Piracy wave /publicity/ make aware campaigns coming out every 1 hour or so in any of your TV channels. It is nevertheless present always in the starting advertisements before a movie begins in a theatre.
Is it fair from the Film industry and more from government to make Piracy a big crime? I feel it is very unfair if the perspective is only partial. If I just look up on Word-web the meaning of Piracy what I get is ‘The act of plagiarizing; taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own’. But according to law this is only limited to internet web-sites and pirated VCD/VHS/DVD etc. If Piracy indeed needs to be completely made illegal then Hindi Film industry should also stop stealing ideas/stories from Hollywood or from other Indian language movies.
Most of the Hindi movies that we see and most of the songs/music of Hindi movies that we hear or hum is copied or inspired (as musicians claim) from either down south of India or from. I am not making any news here, everyone knows about it. (
So don’t these acts come under the purview of Piracy. If these piracies are going to continue, and Film industry belittle itself and Indians by not being creative in their work, I really don’t mind downloading some stuff from web sites which host pirated movies. At least I don’t want to spend bucks to see a movie in a cinema hall and afterwards find that this movie is PIRATED from the core.

Itna Sa Bed Gnar

2006-04-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

Although I started writing this few months back, couldn’t complete it till now..So here goes.
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Mind blowing, Awesome, what an impact!!!
What am I talking about – some beauty queen. A big “NO”.
This was oh..sorry is the effect I am feeling after seeing the movie “Rang De Basanti”.
What this movie didn’t have:
A movie without a love story as the plot and no importance to any Hero and Heroine. No smugglers, no policewala vs gunda fight scenes, no swiss background songs!
But without all these Yash Chopra masala the movie makes it marks as best in recent years better than the combined chopra or johar movies.
There are so many good parts in this movie which all viewers know and not going to waste this space with some insignificant comments. Good part was Aamir didn’t allow himself to be the only star and gave space to all others and I found Sidharth doing his part quite awesome as I didn’t find anything special in his tamil movies BOYS and “Ayitha ezhithu”(tamil original of “Yuva” and counterpart role of Vivek Oberoi). Similar with the other characters and direction by Mehra was better than his previous AKS.
What I didn’t agree with the plot was Mig-21 parts being low quality. The knowledge people in Defence know that the frequent crashes are not because of any faulty parts but mostly because of Mig-21 being a difficult aircraft to control. Piloting a Mig-21 is a different ball game and even a pilot with good experience is Mirage or Jaguar doesn’t qualify the pilot to be good at Mig-21. But that’s anyway a movie plot and common janta as it reads newspapers with 64 crashes can always relate to it and that’s how a good movie became a hit this time although whole truth is not the core of this movie. But whatever the plot it leads only to one conclusion that a politician in power is the villain and which is a blatant truth.
Whatever, I consider this movie to be the best in recent times and should inspire some of the youth to think about greater cause. Politics is not dirty and there is no way we can avoid Politics. It is the politicians without any principles that cause the bottlenecks in the path of progress.
Oh Ok, I forgot about the title “Itna sa bed Gnar”. Just a got some junk mail that said that Film crew didn’t know what to name the film and some situations got them to this name and finally Mehra was upset with such a name and somebody suggested to reverse this sentence to get the final name. LOL.

Chanakya quotes

2005-12-17T01:03:00.000-06:00

Got some quotes forwarded to me about Chanakya and where else to put this other than my own kautilya blog.

"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first."
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"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."
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"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody! It will destroy you."
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"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth."
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"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, what the results might be and will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."
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"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."
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"The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman."
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"Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest."
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"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."
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"Whores don't live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak company and birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits."
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"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple."
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"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."
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"Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness."
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"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."
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"Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person."
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"Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth."

Khusboo and Pre-marital sex

2005-11-30T17:36:00.000-06:00

There are three mutually exclusive incidents which may or may not affect the common man.
1) Khushboo's comment on Pre-Marital sex and the controversy there after.
2) Bengali's obsession with Ganguly and hatred for to anti-Ganguly guys.
3) My esteemed friend's blog on Bangalore traffic and how companies are not fair in blaming the government.
So what was all about Khushboo controversy. It is a statement by an popular Indian woman that Pre-Marital Sex should not be considered a taboo and people should take necessary precautions and play safe. Now it beats me on how the hell this is not correct. We Indians can always talk about sex in hush hush with friends but never even mention the word with family but at the same time producing kids is just a child's play.So why is there a hue and cry, and cases are being drafted against the actress who just tried to be honest. Then media's and politician's spade fell on formula one Karthik and Tennis Sania when they supported the cause. Now see how our media blows out of proportion a small comment. What Sania said was that to avoid AIDS, people should play safe whether it is before or after marriage. What the common man heard finally from news channels was "Sania supports Pre-Marital Sex", Just non-sense and the only good thing is that such issues surface for some time and finally forgotten after a period of time and goes beneath the news and something more spicier comes to the surface.
I was having a chat with my colleague and he had a very valid point according to me on why it is quite normal to have pre-marital sex. In old Indian days there was no minimum age qualified for marriage and as such janta used to get married at young age and get acquainted with sex early. Now in today's era when the average marriage for men is late 20s and for woman mid 20s then why should guys and gals not seek the pleasure before marriage. Hmm..anyway who the hell is going to worry about this. I just hope that maximum janta enjoy this beautiful pleasure of life whenever they want and dont worry about some bunch of jokers called politicians or self acclaimed culture policemen.
Now for the 2nd point...ok let me wait till the next post..feeling quite lazy;-)

Swiss Trip (2005 Aug 26-29)

2005-11-06T14:50:00.000-06:00

I had been thinking about putting a travelogue, but was just deferring due to laziness. So finally here it goes about our (means me and my wife) Swiss trip during the August long weekend.

Switzerland - Country famous for alps, scenic pictures of all types, bears, a whole town being given the status of world heritage, cuckoo clocks, knives, watches and what not.
Before landing into this country, there were apprehensions on the weather conditions because of recent floods that flooded the cities of Lucern and overflowing of lakes at the Interlaken. But that was put to rest when we finally landed, the weather was pleasant during all our outings adding to the beautiful sun shine and clement breeze.

I am basically a little lazy in setting up things and so when my wife wished to go to Swiss, I was just thinking of how to plan for this. As God is great and I am lucky, one of my newly married friend was also interested in going to Swiss with wife and he found out that there is a tour operator (of Indian origin) having a planned tour to Swiss. We booked for the trip together. A good amount of pounds need to be paid but served my purpose of not having to plan anything about accomodation or travel tickets for places to visit.

Our trip was starting on Aug 26th and were supposed to return on Aug 29. Aug 29 was a bank holiday and I took a leave off on 26th. We reached the airport and realised that we were wrong about flight timings. We reached the airport around 4:30 for the flight at 5:30 am. But, the flight was actually at 8:30 am. Alas! we missed a good 3 hour sleep which would have lightened the head before a trip.
As such we did an early check in as soon as the tour manager contacted the check-in counter with details of tour passengers.
As I observed, most of the tourists with us were of Indian origin. We boarded the upper floor of one of the two double decker buses in Zurich.
Our outing started off from Zurich town with a lunch at McDonald's. Zurich town was quite neat and clean unlike the high streets of London. Zurich town's conspicuous things were all types of teddy bear mascots along the streets. The bears wore the outfits of the popular figures of world like Mickey, Donald, Sherlock holmes, spacetraveller etc. It was Zurich's way of paying tribute to all and at the same time adding a beauty to the gorgeous town.
Next alighting was at 'Rhein Falls'. It was not so much great as I thought the falls I had seen in Kerala and near Bangalore were more exhilarating in experience. The good part was the boat ride taking just near the falls and the boat shaking and receiving bumps with change of force as water falls erradically. Took some snaps with my new camera 'Canon Powershot S2-Is' that I bought for this trip. Finally the bus took us to our resting grounds on the end of first day and we checked in to our rooms in the hotel Novotel near the Zurich airport. Some time later all were taken to Dinner at an Indian restaurant called the Maharani. Food was good and the hunger made it more tasty.

2nd Day was a trip to Mt. Pilatus. The bus ride to the railway station ALPANACHSTAD was great with both sides of the roads with total verdure and mountains alike. Tour manager handed over the route ticket of train journey from Alpanachstad to Pilatus and from Pilatus to Einfach through ropeway(gondolas). The highlight of the train journey was that this was 'The world's steepest cogwheel railway' about 45 degree grade setup just for tourism purposes. Way to go by Swiss govt and hats off to the tourism department there. If our government/people also thought taking such risks in Kashmir, Himachal and Uttaranchal it would have done a great lot of good to our people, states and country. Anyway that is a different thought for a separate post. The journey up with superb views around with the subtle sounds of the cow bells on the cows, sheeps were all fascinating. The view from the different peaks of the Pilatus were astounding. One can see many snow capped mountains or mountains flooded with grass.
As it was afternoon time we went to the restaurant to have our lunch. Being a vegetarian my wife found some vegetarian dishes listed and I asked the waiter on what it contains as I didnt want anything with cheese. The waiter started speaking and boiled vegetables and ended up with some type of fish. Aing! what is fish doing in a vegetarian dish, when enquired the waiter replied that fish is quite vegetarian and has been taken out of fresh lake. When instructed that we dont want fish, the reply was spanked about the guys frustration, he finally said that I would give a plate full of vegetables - will that be okay!..Finally selected one of the vegetarian dishes without a fish or cheese and ordered it. Even more surprisingly the food tasted good.
After lunch our return journey downwards was through gondola for around 45 mins. Obviously the journey was good downwards. Towards evening we were taken to Lucern town for the statue of 'Crying Lion' thing - I don't remember the exact name for the Lion. Then shopped for various swiss specialities like swiss watches, cuckkoo clocks and some souveniers. Had dinner at Indian restaurant in Lucern arranged by the tour manager. Quite okay.

3rd day destination was Jungfraujoch-the top of europe (highest peak of europe at 11782 ft). While going there halted at the famous Interlaken for some good views and little shopping and then at Trummelbach falls. The distinctiveness of this falls was that it was formed with multiple water falls cascading over the rocks and giving a unique look at each point. So caves were built across to give a close look at each cascading point. It also had a corkscrew fall where the water was going down in a 'screwing' style aided by rocks. We reached Jungfraujoch peak by changin two trains. As we were going up, the views of clouds merging with snow, snows melting into water falls on steep sides of mountains and centigrade getting lower were all experienced. At the top the highlights were the snow capped peak, Ice musuem, caves surrounding the peak, trekking paths, miles of snow and kilometres of clouds. A good sunshine, clear sky and snow were god's greatest gift that day. Finally after playing with snow, trying to glide on the snow on a slant were all small adventures were some of the beautiful things etched in the memory. Didnt realise that snow had actually made the trousers wet which kept me cool.
Finally came back through the same route, dinner at Maharani ending the scheduled plan of the tour.
Now the flight was next day evening and we had a whole day to spend, so our tour manager with some over-zealous guys managed to get the required people (including us) for a trip to Swiss capital 'Bern'. So our 4th day was at Bern. Interesting fact about Bern is that the whole of old city has been declared as the 'World Heritage Center' by UNESCO. Good thing is that no vehicles causing pollution are allowed inside. We had a walk around the streets, saw the famous cuckoo clock although it failed to strike at 1:00 pm when we were waiting for it do something. On the sides were Albert Einstein's birth place, a bear pit which actually I didnt like as bears were confined to a small place. Some snaps in front of the parliament and the swiss bank, a visit to botanical gardens(which actually is nothing compared to Ooty's or Lal bagh) was all a part of Bern trip.
Finally we were at Zurich airport in the evening, back home in London after a great great holiday.

Swadheenata: Lost in translation... and in action

2005-10-16T15:53:00.000-05:00

An article by Sudheen Kulkarni which I found to be so true...

State of Indian Cricket

2005-10-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

During the last 2-3 weeks, there was a lot of controversy generated because of our own Gangu dada and new coach Greggie.
Finally, our old Indian saying "Satyamev Jayate" (always seen with National emblem of India) was again proved wrong. Now optimists will argue that it is still time for truth to win the war even if it just lost the battle. Somehow I disagree and I am really saddened and that all battles between evil and lesser evil the former is getting triumph over and over.
Anyway why should I bother?!
Lets take this case, as a common middle class fellow; what am I getting if Chappell wins or Ganguly. How is it going to help me if BCCI had taken a bold decision to remove Ganguly or had taken a idiotic decision of asking Greg to mend his ways or the actual stupid decision of not doing anything?
So why do people like me get upset, bother and waste precious time gossiping these with like minded folk? It is not a bad question though my answer is that we somehow think cricket is responsible towards me and why do I think that way? Because, for cricket we leave anything and everything, students bunk the class, even stop studying during exams(cricket is a good excuse for not studying), govt. servants take a holiday and what not. There is not a single positive thing about cricket except that it brings people together to cheer India to victory from any class or creed. But why do we think that for such a small sacrifice, Indian cricket team is accountable to us? Probably we have grown up watching, playing, enjoying and feeling the victory of 1983 and missed chances of many finals. So what? Its time to grow up.
This particular event with the preceding controversy on Match fixing of 2000 should make Indian fans realize that cricket is not more than a mere sport like other games. BCCI or the Indian cricket team will get their hefty bucks from commercials and match fees even if Ganguly remains or not, Chappell remains or not. So do not bother nothing will happen to Indian cricket, the consistency of losing will continue and surprise wins over Zimbabwe, Kenya and Bangladesh will give us the required happiness time to time. So Don't worry and be happy! and forget about all this business as I and you can't vote for captaincy which is our helplessness & cause of frustration. As of me I have decided not to think about this useless game and I am not going to feel anything if India loses, wins or even if Tendya doesn't come back to play.