The Marwadi way

Marwadi-s are very good money managers. It is an inimitable talent. Even if others learn the art (of money management) they don't get the finesse of the Marwadi-s. Sometimes their way borders on cheating.. but from their side they are 'clear.' Probably it is like this: If a greater good is realized by even taking a wrong path, you can still go ahead. But mostly the customer gets a good deal notwithstanding the fact that the Marwadi always ends up with a better deal. Marwadi vs. customer is alwayas a WIN-win situation. If at all it comes to it, the Marwadi ensures that it is a win-lose situation in his favor. It is in their blood. That is why across the length and breadth of this world they are successful businessmen.

Today's incident demonstrates how I ended up in a win-lose situation (I was the loser.)

Last week we gave a mixie for repair in a Marwadi-s owned and managed shop. The shop gave an "invoice" for Rs. 396/- at the time of taking the order. Then itself I assumed that I am giving a big profit. I assumed that I will get a bill while receiving my item and that will stand as a safety-net for me. On the appointed day I went to collect my item and I was given the item. No bill. I felt uncomfortable and asked for a bill. The shop said "no bill for repairs, sir," with all politeness typically enacted by them. I insisted on a bill and seeing my persistence he took a white paper and scribbled most illegibly, "butterfly moter" put a hyphen and entered the amount. Dashed a vertical line and under it a short horizontal line and under it the "total" amount. On the left corner he scribbled an even more un-understandable sign.

I hated this bill. I argued that I can write such a bill myself at home much more lgibly. I asked for a "proper bill" by which I meant something on a letterhead mentioning the problem in my mixer and the charges for the repair. He insisted he cannot give such a bill; it was against his shop's "policy." I could not stand it anymore and soon we were arguing loudly. A grandmother was managing the cash counter and she intervened, trying to explain me. I was not ready for anything less than a bill on a letter-head. At this time, the fellow brought in the concept of warranty - said that the replaced item carried no warranty and so no bill. I was not knowing but this was where he took me completely in. I uttered that this kind of no-bill activity is equivalent to "cheating." And this made him also angry. (Actually the Marwadi never gets angry. Angry man doesn't have cool head and a hot head is not the best strategist tool. So, he looks angry but actually is not.)

Another lad came into the quarrel (now the argument became that.) He played the good man and tried to explain me. But I was ready for anything but to go without the bill. So I argued valiantly with both. Slowly they started highlighting that they are honest and that if the mixer develops a snag again I can walk in confidently and they would repair (and charge equally impressive amount.) "No need of bill." I was not be won over by such smooth talk. I stood strong and finally I won!! They agreed to prepare the bill. They prepared on the shop's letterhead. Now both sides were smiling - I that finally they gave an honest bill and they, that they were "satisfying" me.

And that was the catch. I *thought* I won, but actually the Marwadi converted it into a WIN-lose situation in his favor. While preparing the bill with a smiling face he was explaining that it attracts 4% for VAT and that there is no guarantee on the replaced part. The latter part he told with so much conviction that I believed it totally; I sympathized with him that it is not in his hands. And he mentioned both (VAT and no guarantee) in clear and legible writing on the bill.

I ended up paying more. The bigger loss is, had I taken the item with a smile at first I at least would have had a chance to go to him if the mixer goes phut after some days or weeks of use. Chances are that he wouldn't forget that it was repaired only recently and chances are that he would charge less. But now he deprived me of that chance (or did I deprive myself of it?) Even if the snag reappears tomorrow I lost all chance to blame anyone.

Moral: If you ever enter into an conflict with a Marwadi, go by his way. At least the loss will be smaller.

Rapturous Mangalam

Today I got an SMS from SGS Ashram informing about the concert of Swamijee in Haridwar. Pleasantly surprisingly the concert is in Patanjali Yog Vidya Peeth, in the presence of Baba Ramdev. The the SMS was a tipoff about live telecast of the program in Astha Channel.

Sure, the whole congregation was immersed in the devine yoga Sakti (of both the great guru-s.)

Swamijee's program was "pancha tatva raga malika." Unlike in the previous such concerts, there was almost contiguous playing of the raga-s. At the end Swamijee told what various raga-s were and what tatva-s they were about. There was a "relaxation" raga also as Swamijee said. But actually every bit of His music charges up the devotee. The last piece was as usually mangalam. Swamijee said, that this mangalam is a simple composition of "bits" and that it represents vayu and bhu tatva-s. But actually it was characteristically complex and simply inimitable. And just as He mixed vayu and bhu tatva-s in it, this time uniquely, the mangalam started with samajavaragamana, proceeded mellifluously in the same and refreshingly merged into the "ragaragini mangalam." I am sure today's mangalam took all the datta-bhakta-s viewing this live telecast into rapturous ecstasy.

In a short "vote of thanks" very pleasingly Baba Ramdev said, "Unke upasthithi hi mangal dayak hai - kyon ki Ganapati unke nam me pehle hi hai. Aur wo swayam hi Sachchidanand hain." He added, "ab to Patanjali Yog Vidya Peeth and SGS Ashram alag alag nahin hain.. hum sab ek hogaye hain." He expressed the desire that Swamijee conducts this program many more times in PYVP.

The only regret of the TV audience is that the advertisements were rather cruel interruptions in an otherwise great session of Swamijee's nada chikitsa.

Jaya Guru Datta.

Anjaneya AshTOttara Sata nAma Stotram

ఓం ఆంజనేయాయ నమః
ఓం మహావీరాయ నమః
ఓం హనుమతే నమః
ఓం మారుతాత్మజాయ నమః
ఓం తత్వఙ్ఞానప్రదాయ నమః
ఓం సీతదేవీముద్రాప్రదాయకాయ నమః
ఓం అశోకవనికాఛ్ఛేత్రే నమః
ఓం సర్వమాయావిభంజనాయ నమః
ఓం సర్వబంధవిమోక్త్రే నమః
ఓం రక్షోవిధ్వంసకారకాయ నమః
ఓం పరవిద్యాపరీహారాయ నమః
ఓం పరశౌర్యవినాశనాయ నమః
ఓం పరమంత్రనిరాకర్త్రే నమః
ఓం పరయంత్రప్రభేదకాయ నమః
ఓం సర్వగ్రహవినాశినే నమః
ఓం భీమసేనసహాయకృతే నమః
ఓం సర్వదుఃఖహరాయ నమః
ఓం సర్వలోకచారిణ్యే నమః
ఓం మనోజవాయ నమః
ఓం పారిజాత ద్రుమూలస్థాయ నమః
ఓం సర్వమంత్రస్వరూపిణే నమః
ఓం సర్వతంత్రస్వరూపిణే నమః
ఓం సర్వయంత్రాత్మకాయ నమః
ఓం కపీశ్వరాయ నమః
ఓం మహాకాయాయ నమః
ఓం సర్వరోగహరాయ నమః
ఓం ప్రభవే నమః
ఓం బలసిద్ధికరాయ నమః
ఓం సర్వవిద్యాసంపత్ప్రదాయకాయ నమః
ఓం కపిసేనానాయకాయ నమః
ఓం భవిష్యచ్చతురాననాయ నమః
ఓం కుమారబ్రహ్మచారిణే నమః
ఓం రత్నకుండలదీప్తిమతే నమః
ఓం చంచలద్వాలసన్నద్ధలంబమాన శిఖోజ్వలాయ నమః
ఓం గంధర్వ విద్యా తత్వఙ్ఞాయ నమః
ఓం మహబల-పరాక్రమాయ నమః
ఓం కారా-గృహ-విమోక్త్రే నమః
ఓం శృంఖలా-బంధమోచకాయ నమః
ఓం సాగరోత్తారకాయ నమః
ఓం ప్రాఙ్ఞాయ నమః
ఓం రామ-దూతాయ నమః
ఓం ప్రతాపవతే నమః
ఓం వానరాయ నమః
ఓం కేసరీ-సుతాయ నమః
ఓం సీతా శోక నివారణాయ నమః
ఓం అంజనా-గర్భ-సంభూతాయ నమః
ఓం బాలార్క-సదృశాననాయ నమః
ఓం విభీషణ-ప్రియకరాయ నమః
ఓం దశగ్రీవ-కులాంతకాయ నమః
ఓం లక్ష్మణ-ప్రాణదాతాయ నమః
ఓం వజ్ర కాయాయ నమః
ఓం మహాద్యుతయే నమః
ఓం చిరంజీవినే నమః
ఓం రామభక్తాయ నమః
ఓం దైత్య-కార్య-విఘాతకాయ నమః
ఓం అక్షహంత్రే నమః
ఓం కాంచనాభయ నమః
ఓం పంచ-వక్త్రాయ నమః
ఓం మహాతపాయ నమః
ఓం లంఖినీభంజనాయ నమః
ఓం శ్రీమతే నమః
ఓం సింహికాప్రాణభంజనాయ నమః
ఓం గంధమాదన-శైలస్థాయ నమః
ఓం లంకా-పురవిదాహకాయ నమః
ఓం సుగ్రీవ-సచి-వాయ నమః
ఓం ఢీరాయ నమః
ఓం శూరయ నమః
ఓం దైత్యకులంతకాయ నమః
ఓం సురార్చితాయ నమః
ఓం మహాతేజాయ నమః
ఓం రామ-చుడా-మణిప్రదాయ నమః
ఓం కామ-రుపాయ నమః
ఓం పింగళాక్షయ నమః
ఓం వార్ధి-మైనాక-పూజితాయ నమః
ఓం కబళీకృతమార్తాండ-మండలాయ నమః
ఓం విజితేంద్రియాయ నమః
ఓం రామసుగ్రీవసంధాత్రే నమః
ఓం మహారావనమర్దనాయ నమః
ఓం స్ఫటికాభాయ నమః
ఓం వాగధీశాయ నమః
ఓం నవవ్య-కృతి-పండితాయ నమః
ఓం చతుర్బాహవే నమః
ఓం దీన-బంధవే నమః
ఓం మహాత్మాయ నమః
ఓం భక్త-వత్సలాయ నమః
ఓం సంజీవన నగాహర్త్రే నమః
ఓం శుచయే నమః
ఓం వాగ్మినే నమః
ఓం దృఢవ్రతాయ నమః
ఓం కాలనేమి-ప్రమధ-నాయ నమః
ఓం హరి-మర్కట-మర్కటాయ నమః
ఓం దాంతాయ నమః
ఓం శాంతాయ నమః
ఓం ప్రసన్నాత్మనే నమః
ఓం శతకంఠ-మదాపహృతే నమః
ఓం యోగినే నమః
ఓం రామకధాలోలాయ నమః
ఓం సీతాన్వేషణ-పండితాయ నమః
ఓం వజ్ర-దంస్ట్రాయ నమః
ఓం వజ్రనఖాయ నమః
ఓం రుద్ర-వీర్య-సముద్భవాయ నమః
ఓం ఇంద్రజిత్ ప్రహితామోఘ బ్రమ్హాస్త్ర వినివారకాయ నమః
ఓం పార్ధ-ధ్వజాగ్ర-సంవాసినే నమః
ఓం శర-పంజర-భేధకాయ నమః
ఓం దశబాహవే నమః
ఓం లోకపూజ్యాయ నమః
ఓం జాంబవత్ప్రీతివర్ధనాయ నమః
ఓం సీతా-సమేత స్రీరామపాద సేవా దురంధరాయ నమః

The shoe newsmaker

Suddenly a journalist by name Jarnail Singh hurled a shoe at home minister Chidambaram and himself into news.
He asked a question about the injustice Congress party had been meting out to the Sikh community (with reference to Indira Gandhi assassination and the massacre following it.)

Despite the involvement of the shoe, it was a real clean incident.

The recipient is the current Mr. Clean of Congress party - P Chidambaram. He proved again that the characteristic charming, silencing smile he always wears on his face originates from his heart. He didn't express much shock or start on the unwelcome surprise gift of a shoe. He remained composed. He smoothly told the security people, "take him away."

Jarnail Singh was left by the police after he confessed his mistake. He also expressed regret for becoming emotional and wished no other journalist copies him.

Akali Dal announced Rs. 2L as a reward to Jarnail Singh. Let's wait and see how he will receive this.

Meanwhile Lalu talking nonsense about Varun Gandhi, Rabri Devi mouthing something against Nitish Kumar, Arjun Singh weeping that his daughter didn't get election ticket etc. have been going on as usual.. the odd, bad and ugly side of Indian politics.