I 'grew up' watching Sidhdharth Basu's quiz programs.
His fluency (well, it was "too" good in pre-and-post-1991 years on our own Doordarshan before the TV in general turned into dur-darshan) was amazing and the quality of his quiz programs was superlative. He was one of the inspirations behind my own fluency in English; yes, as recently as yesterday I have received a pat-on-back for my English. Basu represented 'integrity', upright behavior, clean language, responsible handling of the youth and student generation...
But, today, after a pleasant escape from the TV for more than 36 hours (just 1.5 days, and I call it a big escape - this shows how much, in reality, TV hooked me to itself) I was watching 'Face The Nation' (FTN) program on CNN IBN. This channel has betrayed the whole nation by steadily degrading itself to a yellow-tabloid status by the quality of its journalism and the programs. FTN is a leading program on this news channel.
The topic of the day is "Sach ka Saamna" and some contraversy around it. As of now, I don't know anything about this program.. but over this FTN session I could understand that it is detrimental to Indian culture and values. Well, these days, every program even in regional channels has some such anti-culture content. That is why Dr-ji said that TV effuses a lot of negative energy. I am seeing how true Dr-ji is. I used to feel that movie is worse than TV.. but in fact, TV is terribly more venomous than cinema. This opinion I am going to hold till I watch my next contemporary movie; then I will review this opinion.
Now, what has pained me is Sidhdharth Basu is apparently the producer of this particular "Sach ka Saamna" program which is designed to reveal how the current generation is witnessing degradation and compromise of family values. People are asked to tell about their own lives and their answers are tested using polygraph tests. People failing polygraph tests fail to win. Polygraph is not reliable (legally speaking) tool to testify 'truth' or sach. So, firstly, what 'sach' ka 'saamna' are these people talking about, I fail to understand.
Seeing the arguments, I am understanding that Mr. Basu is on the wrong side.. and that is highly deplorable. He too has become irresponsible.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Lakshmi-Parvati Samvaadam
भिक्षार्थी क्व प्रयातः - सुतनु बलि मखे |
तान्डवं क्वाद्य भद्रे - मन्ये बृन्दावनान्ते |
क्वचस मृगशिशु: - नैव जाने वराहं |
बाले कच्चिन्नदृष्टो जरठ वृषपति: - गोपयेवास्य वेत्ता |
लीला संल्लाप इथ्थं जलनिधि हिमवत्कन्ययो: त्रायतां न: ||
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
ISwarO gururaatmEti..
To me, Moon, Sun, stars etc. are all at the 'same' height - that which is unreachable to me.
Similarly mahaanubhaava-s, maharshi-s, daivam maanusha rUpENa.. I don't see difference in them.
Satsangam has led me to a Maharshi. I need to call him with a lighter name, but I cannot take this guru-tulya's name directly. So, I will call him Doctor garu or Dr-ji.
God created a desire in me to get Reiki initiation as a 'misha' to make me meet Dr-ji. I have got a great reward to my pursuit in that meeting.
Things were so opportune that when I strongly felt like talking to him, he was in Bangalore.. his visit was to conclude just two days after my meeting.. and those two were working days (which means I could not have made it if not on this day.) I didn't know much about him till I met him. I know very little of him even now. He is large and contains multitudes. I am a (yet-to-germinate) seedling in comparison to that giant tree.
It was a cold, cloudy and windy day. True to my customary practice, I arrived at his stay half-an-hour late, and was received by another great soul. More about her later. I was seated in the hall and soon Dr-ji came there. I stood up spontaneously, involuntarily when I saw him descending the stair case revealing himself from feet upwards!!
His appearance beat my expectations.. (But why did I 'expect' his appearance to be one way or the other?) I expected he would be of fair complexion and plump. He was not fair and not plump. I expected grey hair on his pate. All that greyness was on my head. I expected him to 'look' like a 50+ man. But I look older than him. I expected him to be a high-flier and exhibit that nature.. He flies higher than I can imagine, but he is still always down-to-earth. I thought that he would be a dabbler in philosophy, but he is a veritable Maharshi.
The Reiki initiation was one of the most memorable experiences I had in my life. Easily my highest spiritual experience so far. As Dr-ji was invoking the ishTa-dEvata-s, I could experience their presence like never before. When he invoked the blessings of Hanuman (Dr-ji asked Hanuman to place His hand on my head and bless me), I could really feel the soft and pleasant hand!!!!!!
During the initiation I had an intense pain in my lower stomach. (Some detoxification in the intestine, it might have been... a long forgotten intestine-related problem resurfaced in that week.) I feared that I may get up writhing in that pain and fail the initiation. I could control myself somehow. Among other ways, the Energy was felt by me as warm/hot winds around my head. (As this session happened in open-air, and as it was a cold and windy day, when the session started I was actually shivering!!)
All this happened under the watchful and loving glances of Bhagavan Sri Ramana. Bhagavan keeps showering His Grace from the numerous photos ubiquitous throughout the house of Umasankar where Dr-ji was staying.
I was having one of those unbearable weekly-bouts with migraine throughout that day and the previous few days. But next day onwards, it just left me for these past 1.5 months... returned only once when I was 'punishably' irregular with my diet, sleep and was in deep stress.
Dr-ji promised me in that meeting that I would be blessed with a darSanam of Sri Dakshinaamurthy within 21 days from then. The very next weekend I went to Sringeri and had long and close darSanam of Saaradaamba and Jagadguru. I met my father - who is my prathama and prathaana guru. I had the darSanam of HH SwayamprakaaSa swaamijee of Hariharapura peeTham. I visited Tiruvannamalai (a lot about it, later.)
eeSwarO gururaatmEti ... dakshiNaamUrtayE namaH
Similarly mahaanubhaava-s, maharshi-s, daivam maanusha rUpENa.. I don't see difference in them.
Satsangam has led me to a Maharshi. I need to call him with a lighter name, but I cannot take this guru-tulya's name directly. So, I will call him Doctor garu or Dr-ji.
God created a desire in me to get Reiki initiation as a 'misha' to make me meet Dr-ji. I have got a great reward to my pursuit in that meeting.
Things were so opportune that when I strongly felt like talking to him, he was in Bangalore.. his visit was to conclude just two days after my meeting.. and those two were working days (which means I could not have made it if not on this day.) I didn't know much about him till I met him. I know very little of him even now. He is large and contains multitudes. I am a (yet-to-germinate) seedling in comparison to that giant tree.
It was a cold, cloudy and windy day. True to my customary practice, I arrived at his stay half-an-hour late, and was received by another great soul. More about her later. I was seated in the hall and soon Dr-ji came there. I stood up spontaneously, involuntarily when I saw him descending the stair case revealing himself from feet upwards!!
His appearance beat my expectations.. (But why did I 'expect' his appearance to be one way or the other?) I expected he would be of fair complexion and plump. He was not fair and not plump. I expected grey hair on his pate. All that greyness was on my head. I expected him to 'look' like a 50+ man. But I look older than him. I expected him to be a high-flier and exhibit that nature.. He flies higher than I can imagine, but he is still always down-to-earth. I thought that he would be a dabbler in philosophy, but he is a veritable Maharshi.
The Reiki initiation was one of the most memorable experiences I had in my life. Easily my highest spiritual experience so far. As Dr-ji was invoking the ishTa-dEvata-s, I could experience their presence like never before. When he invoked the blessings of Hanuman (Dr-ji asked Hanuman to place His hand on my head and bless me), I could really feel the soft and pleasant hand!!!!!!
During the initiation I had an intense pain in my lower stomach. (Some detoxification in the intestine, it might have been... a long forgotten intestine-related problem resurfaced in that week.) I feared that I may get up writhing in that pain and fail the initiation. I could control myself somehow. Among other ways, the Energy was felt by me as warm/hot winds around my head. (As this session happened in open-air, and as it was a cold and windy day, when the session started I was actually shivering!!)
All this happened under the watchful and loving glances of Bhagavan Sri Ramana. Bhagavan keeps showering His Grace from the numerous photos ubiquitous throughout the house of Umasankar where Dr-ji was staying.
I was having one of those unbearable weekly-bouts with migraine throughout that day and the previous few days. But next day onwards, it just left me for these past 1.5 months... returned only once when I was 'punishably' irregular with my diet, sleep and was in deep stress.
Dr-ji promised me in that meeting that I would be blessed with a darSanam of Sri Dakshinaamurthy within 21 days from then. The very next weekend I went to Sringeri and had long and close darSanam of Saaradaamba and Jagadguru. I met my father - who is my prathama and prathaana guru. I had the darSanam of HH SwayamprakaaSa swaamijee of Hariharapura peeTham. I visited Tiruvannamalai (a lot about it, later.)
eeSwarO gururaatmEti ... dakshiNaamUrtayE namaH
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Panchayatana Puja
SlOkam-s courtesy - Sri Jaldhar Vyas.
Great sloka-s. Just remembering the names of the primordial deities is enough to obtain their grace.
Let me try the meanings of the sloka-s.
(I am mentioning the divine names used in the Slokam-s in brackets.)
Siva Panchayatanam
yadA tu shaMkaraM madhye eshAnyAM shrIpatiM yajet |
AgneyyAM cha tathA haMsaM nairR^ityAM pArvatIsutam |
vAyavyAM cha sadA pUjyA bhavAnI bhaktavatsalA ||
Siva in center. Vishnu in eeSanyam (North East). Surya in Agneya (South East) and Ganapati in NairRti (South West) and Mother Ambika in vaayavyam (North West.)
(Sankara - Siva
Sripati - Vishnu
Hamsa - Surya
Parvati Suta - Ganapati
Bhavani - Ambika
Additionally, "bhaktavatsala" for Ambika.)
Vishnu Panchayatanam
yadA tu madhye govindamaishAnyAM shaMkaraM yajet |
AgneyyAM gaNanAthaM cha nairR^ityAM tapanaM tathA |
vAyavyAmambikAM chaiva yajennityaM samAhitaH ||
Vishnu in center. Siva in eeSaanyam. Ganapati in Agneyam. Surya in Nairruti. Ambika in Vayavyam.
(Govinda - Vishnu
Sankara - Siva
Gananatha - Ganapati
TapanaH - Surya
Ambika - Ambika.)
Surya Panchayatanam
sahasrAMshuryadA madhye eshAnyAM pArvatIpatim |
AgneyyAmekadantaM cha nairR^ityAmachyutaM tathA |
vAyavyAM pUjayedevIM bhogamokShaikabhUmikAm ||
Surya in center. Siva in eeSaanyam. Ganapati in aagneyam. Vishnu in nairruti. Ambika in vaayavyam.
(SahasraamSu - Surya
Parvatipati - Siva
Ekadanta - Ganapati
Achyuta - Vishnu
Devi - Ambika
Additionally, ambika is praised as source of 'bhoga and moksha' "bhOgamOkshaika bhUmikaam")
Devi Panchayatanam
bhaVanIM tu yadA madhye eshAnyAM mAdhavaM yajet |
AgneyyAM pArvatInAthaM nairR^ityAM gaNanAyakaM |
pradyotanaM tu vAyavyAmAchAryastu prapUjayet ||
Ambika in center. Vishnu in eeSaanyam. Siva in aagneyam. Ganapati in nairruti. Surya in vaayavyam.
(Bhavani - Ambika
Madhava - Vishnu
Parvatinatha - Siva
Gananayaka - Ganapati
Pradyotana - Surya.)
Ganapati Panchayatanam
herambaM tu yadA madhye eshAnyAmachyutaM yajet |
AgneyyAM pa~nchavaktraM tu nairR^ityAM dyumaNiM yajet |
vAyavyAmambikAM chaiva yajennityamatindritaH ||
Ganapati in center. Vishnu in eeSanyam. Siva in eeSaanyam. Surya in nairruti. Ambika in vaayavyam.
(Heramba - Ganapati
Achyuta - Vishnu
Panchavaktra - Siva
dyumaNi - Surya (the jewel of skies)
ambika - ambika.)
vishNvaaditya gaNapatyambikaa samEta bhavaani Sankara swaaminE namaH
Great sloka-s. Just remembering the names of the primordial deities is enough to obtain their grace.
Let me try the meanings of the sloka-s.
(I am mentioning the divine names used in the Slokam-s in brackets.)
Siva Panchayatanam
yadA tu shaMkaraM madhye eshAnyAM shrIpatiM yajet |
AgneyyAM cha tathA haMsaM nairR^ityAM pArvatIsutam |
vAyavyAM cha sadA pUjyA bhavAnI bhaktavatsalA ||
Siva in center. Vishnu in eeSanyam (North East). Surya in Agneya (South East) and Ganapati in NairRti (South West) and Mother Ambika in vaayavyam (North West.)
(Sankara - Siva
Sripati - Vishnu
Hamsa - Surya
Parvati Suta - Ganapati
Bhavani - Ambika
Additionally, "bhaktavatsala" for Ambika.)
Vishnu Panchayatanam
yadA tu madhye govindamaishAnyAM shaMkaraM yajet |
AgneyyAM gaNanAthaM cha nairR^ityAM tapanaM tathA |
vAyavyAmambikAM chaiva yajennityaM samAhitaH ||
Vishnu in center. Siva in eeSaanyam. Ganapati in Agneyam. Surya in Nairruti. Ambika in Vayavyam.
(Govinda - Vishnu
Sankara - Siva
Gananatha - Ganapati
TapanaH - Surya
Ambika - Ambika.)
Surya Panchayatanam
sahasrAMshuryadA madhye eshAnyAM pArvatIpatim |
AgneyyAmekadantaM cha nairR^ityAmachyutaM tathA |
vAyavyAM pUjayedevIM bhogamokShaikabhUmikAm ||
Surya in center. Siva in eeSaanyam. Ganapati in aagneyam. Vishnu in nairruti. Ambika in vaayavyam.
(SahasraamSu - Surya
Parvatipati - Siva
Ekadanta - Ganapati
Achyuta - Vishnu
Devi - Ambika
Additionally, ambika is praised as source of 'bhoga and moksha' "bhOgamOkshaika bhUmikaam")
Devi Panchayatanam
bhaVanIM tu yadA madhye eshAnyAM mAdhavaM yajet |
AgneyyAM pArvatInAthaM nairR^ityAM gaNanAyakaM |
pradyotanaM tu vAyavyAmAchAryastu prapUjayet ||
Ambika in center. Vishnu in eeSaanyam. Siva in aagneyam. Ganapati in nairruti. Surya in vaayavyam.
(Bhavani - Ambika
Madhava - Vishnu
Parvatinatha - Siva
Gananayaka - Ganapati
Pradyotana - Surya.)
Ganapati Panchayatanam
herambaM tu yadA madhye eshAnyAmachyutaM yajet |
AgneyyAM pa~nchavaktraM tu nairR^ityAM dyumaNiM yajet |
vAyavyAmambikAM chaiva yajennityamatindritaH ||
Ganapati in center. Vishnu in eeSanyam. Siva in eeSaanyam. Surya in nairruti. Ambika in vaayavyam.
(Heramba - Ganapati
Achyuta - Vishnu
Panchavaktra - Siva
dyumaNi - Surya (the jewel of skies)
ambika - ambika.)
vishNvaaditya gaNapatyambikaa samEta bhavaani Sankara swaaminE namaH
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Great song
Mooga Nomu is a heavy Telugu movie. This black and white movie has the heavy star cast of ANR, Chittoor Nagayya, Jamuna and SV Rangarao.
The song "Tallivi neeve tandrivi neeve.." is really moving. Listen to the song intently.. this great song expressing Saranagati towards the Lord touches and moves you into tears. By this song, the children of an orphanage pray Lord Venkateswara.. the situation makes the song even more heavy. The group of orphan boys include the son of the hero ANR and that is the whole plot.
Though it is sung by orphan children, it's meaning is applicable for anyone's prayers. This universal applicability shows the greatness of the lyricists of old movies. Value based people wrote valuable songs.
The song "Tallivi neeve tandrivi neeve.." is really moving. Listen to the song intently.. this great song expressing Saranagati towards the Lord touches and moves you into tears. By this song, the children of an orphanage pray Lord Venkateswara.. the situation makes the song even more heavy. The group of orphan boys include the son of the hero ANR and that is the whole plot.
Though it is sung by orphan children, it's meaning is applicable for anyone's prayers. This universal applicability shows the greatness of the lyricists of old movies. Value based people wrote valuable songs.