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: ||

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

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 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.

Arunachala Darsanam

Arunachalam is Siva sthalam.
It is Sivamayam.
Arunachaleswara Swamy, Unnamulai Amman temple - is divine.
Ramana Asramam is enlightening.
Seshadri Asramam is energizing.
Arunachalam (the mountain) is enchanting.
Skandasramam is elevating.

One must visit Arunachalam every now, every birth.

I have returned from a highly energizing trip today. Started from Bangalore at 12:00 noon on June 20, 2009. Reached Tiruvannamalai by 5:00 pm. Return journey started on June 21, at 2:45 pm and reached Bangalore by 7:30 pm.

dhanyOsmi.

Mahapurusha darsanam

I started on my fourth trip to Sringeri on June 13, 2009. (First trip was in 2005; next in December 2006; next in December 2008.)

I was accompanying my father, elder brother (second eldest) & family (incl. sister-in-law, nephew and niece. Another nephew is in Mumbai, he didn't come.)

Nothing sacred about the trip being 4th or 44th. Other aspects of the trip are definitely interesting and uplifting.

This is the first time I was taking my daughter along with me - while my wife stayed back at home in Bangalore. Though she is over 3.5 years old I never took her out of station without her mother. I was a little excited about it.

We were going on a suddenly planned trip (I decided to accompany them just few hours before the journey.) My nephew is going for higher - truly higher - studies in Sringeri. We were going to drop him, have holy darshan-s and return. As it was night journey I did not drive all the way to Sringeri.

It was a fairly dry day and a heavily wet evening/night. We drove to the bus stand in deep waters and potholed roads; visibility dropped dangerously with heavy rain and power cut.

There was no rain at Sringeri - unnatural, as this season is supposedly rainy.
We had good darSanam of VidyaSankara, Sarada ammavaru, and Mahasannidhanam. Mahasannidhanam were particularly beaming and jovial. He spoke with my father and remembered happenings as old as those of 1960-61.

Mahati enjoyed the trip thoroughly. She was never fussy, didn't bother me with anything except that she did not drink "white" milk; she wanted only 'pink' milk (milk with complan.)

It was a dream-like trip.

Dream

The timing of Rahul (Gandhi) becoming Prime Minister depends on many factors - said Pranab Mukherjee.

If the factors include (even if limited to) these two - India would be safe:
1. Rahul Gandhi learns more of life and India and reaches a state of maturity.
2. Sycophants including PM Manmohan Singh unlearn ALL their congress-ism (= spinelessness, unhealthy devotion to the Gandhi family, pseudo secularism, minority appeasement, corruption, etc.) and return to a state of maturity.

Now it is midnight (00:22, May 7, 2009), so natural, I am dreaming.

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.

Odd, bad and ugly

These are the words that are striking to me when I think of the state of Indian politics.

Garden rich

The audumbara sapling brought from Mysore is doing well. The day before we transferred it to the new pot, it was 'broken' by monkeys. The 'trunk' and roots were fine but the that was bent had all the leaves. Eventually all those leaves wilted and I had to cut that portion off.. I was not sure if it would come back, but wanted to try.. few days later, Lord Datta smiled!! "Dattatreyam Krishnam Haritam.." New leaves sprouted gradually the plant grew. Now it looks very promising.

Brought a new two-headed (branched) audumbaram from Vijayawada. The plant has undergone transportation shock and has wilted.. all the resplendence is gone, though greenery is still to be seen at most 'nodes.' Only one leaf is remaining now. I am hoping against hope that it too jumps back to life and the Adi Guru showers His kRpa from it also.

I want to make at least one of them into a Bonsai.

The other day, I got a dream.. I saw an Audumbara and another tree.. they were so close to each other, almost intertwined. The other tree's leaves looked like those of brahma-medi in size but in shape and texture they were more like the normal audumbaram. It had white flowers and the tree had a very divine look. Something or someone was telling me that it was indeed audumbara and I chanted digambara-digambara seeing it.. The tree in the dream and the dream itself was fleeting. It was one of the shortest dreams. I want to get this tree also.

Having seen for short duration about "Maddi chettu"/"Arjuna vRksham"/Noni-tree on the TV, I searched for it in the internet. The looks (especially leaves and flowers) matched with that of the 'brahma-medi' sized "audumbara" I saw in the dream.

I would love to adorn the garden with a kadambam also. When will Kadamba Kusuma Priya shower Her blessings for these endeavors??

I am also ambitious of getting monkey-bread tree.. within the next ten years.

Dreams...

I was planning to go to Hamsaladeevi for Maha Siva Ratri.

But the night before I was to leave, I got a dream.. In the dream:
I was starting on a journey and was on a road. The weather was cloudy, especially in the direction I was heading towards, the sky was overcast with dark clouds.. almost as if it is raining heavily there. Suddenly a gale started and I heard from somewhere that thunderbolts are likely. Seconds later, a thunder bolt struck.. There were furious sparks from electric transformers; wires got burnt and were cut.. the cut wire ends fell on the road and looked menacing.
Amidst all this, I was somehow safe. I stopped my journey in the dream.

I could not go to Hamsaladeevi for Maha Siva Ratri.. though I was planning to go till the 'last moment,' situation so came that I had to drop the plans. The program went very grandly, as my brother told. Abhishekams, puja, homam, samudra snanam..

Pittala dora

పిట్టల దొర (piTTala dora) is a Telugu phrase, which stands for a hunter-like clown. This guy has none of the characteristics or antecedents of a hunter except the dress he wears and the gun he wields. The dress is full with the cowboy hat. The gun sometimes is a wooden dummy. Even if it were a real gun, it is so elementary that at the most he can "hunt" dead birds with it. piTTala means, 'of birds.' dora means, 'the respected man.' dora is used to describe the British officers of India's colonial past. The phrase piTTala dora is a mockery of the British officers but actually represents the poverty and travails of the subjects of those officers. May be, it actually mocks the then British officers and their tall claims.

Well, the dora also doesn't claim any hunting accolades. Only, he claims much bigger achievements. His language is very funny and the experiences he relates are highly lofty, thereby evoking mirth, laughter and hilarity among the onlookers. After a few minutes of such a "show" he extends either a begging bag or his hat into which the householders drop their alms. The dora moves on to the next household while the giggling children follow.

An example of a typical pittala-dora's claim: "Just as I finished breakfast with the prime minister of Japan I was called by Queen of Great Briton. I told her to call later but she persisted. She was not too OK with Obama's appointment as the President of the US and wanted to discuss the matter with me. I told why not with my deputy, the PM of UK instead.. though he may be much shorter in maturity than I in such international matters. Well.. I heeded to her and reached London for lunch. Called on Bush and Obama and suggested that both of them gave way for Arnold the guvnor of Calif. I left them to discuss the matter and returned home as it is Sankranti here." The content, tempo and intonation are usually much funnier than this. And then he extends the ragged begging bag or his tattered hat.

In Andhra Pradesh, it is common to call people of too small stature claiming too big things as pittala-dora-s. People who show-off too much are also called pittala-dora.

The last I saw a pittala dora was last year when I was in Machilipatnam for Sankranti. In bigger cities we don't see such 'native' Sankranti features. There was a movie in Telugu about the lives of pittala-dora's . Ali (the comedian) played the lead role as a pittala-dora and PL Narayana as his father (also a pittala-dora.) Both did a great job though I am not sure if the film was a great commercial success.

Well.. this year, I could not go to my in-laws house for Sankranti. But, I didn't miss many of the festivities, pittala-dora for one.

No.. I didn't see a pittala-dora on Bangalore streets. I read a news report about one.

Dr. Rajasekhar, the "hero" of some movies in Telugu has created a flutter some days before Chiranjeevi announced his political entry. He uttered something like Chiranjeevi doesn't have political experience. And he was followed by angry fans of the mega-star all the way from somewhere in coastal Andhra Pradesh to his home in Hyderabad. Chiranjeevi himself visited Dr. Rajasekhar's house (while the Dr. and his wife were away at a police station to complain about the attacking mega-fans) and silenced many people observing the fiasco.

When the Dr. said that he will enter politics if people wished, many including me brushed it away. Later, he again said that he will contest against Chiranjeevi if the "party" insisted. (He joined the Congress Party some time after the 'fan-following' incident.) More recently - just days before Sankranti - he said that defeating Chiranjeevi was his sole aim.

The mega-star fans and people like me are just watching the fun.

Not businessman like

After building an enterprise - Satyam Computer Services Limited - as an empire, Ramalinga Raju gave in to something wrong.. and we know what happened. A great man, a silent superstar who created a hundred thousand careers* has had to sleep nearly on the floor, eat rationed food. The man who led countless computer experts had to count the bars.

* On my first day in my first job - as Entry Level Trainee Program (ELTP) associate** - in Satyam more than ten years ago, the then HR chief announced, "we are not giving jobs here.. whoever came here for a job can leave." He stunned the assembled 100+ baccalaureates for a few seconds and told, "whoever came for a career can stay back." By the day the world received the Satyam shock, Satyam strength is close 50000. Together with many supporting staff and people who left the organization after being associated for some time, the number of careers touched by Satyam can cross 1 lakh.

** Satyam doesn't address its employees as 'employees.' They are "associates." One meaning of the very symbol of the company is, "together we grow/succeed." And the present logo also stresses 'association' and 'success.'

Before being businessmen and career-men, we are men.. human beings. Association and commaraderie are part of human nature. The reactions people give in certain situations are very indicative of their nature.

As soon as the crisis news broke out, many Satyam's alliance companies and customers sent notes of concern and support. Contrastingly, a competitor company's super-chief - one of the most respected Indian businessmen associated with one of the most respected Indian IT companies - immediately distanced himself, however. His company immediately announced that they will not receive any Satyamites seeking jobs. In normal days, they have no such laws.

Of course, barring some frightened people most of the Satyamites decided to "stand united" and stay with the company in these trying times. If the business demands, the company may extend a parting handshake (private sector handshakes are not 'golden,' by the way; they are 'pink' if it comes to that) to the same loyalists, but that's a different matter.. in business, all is fair.

But, such a reaction coming from one of the most inspiring Indian IT businessmen is not quite businessman-like. People so much admired this short man of tall stature that one wondered whether Satyam is really a tainted company. Later one wished that this man didn't utter what was attributed to him. But just like many other wishes people made with respect to (pun intended) Raju, this also was not fulfilled. Today he gave a clarification which only smacks of hypocrisy.

No, I don't mean that good or bad, Raju should be supported. A responsible person could have termed his reaction much better than this.. while stressing that law should be strictly imposed on the wrong doer, he could have felt and expressed concern at the sorry turn of events.

Anyway, Satyameva Jayate.

Still a hero

Ramalinga Raju has been a great entrepreneur.

While the truth about the Dec-08 to Jan-09 melodrama is still unfolding, one should not miss the truth about his enterprise, entrepreneurship, pioneering and towering achievements.
At least for a considerable amount of time, he had been a bright star in corporate India's firmament.

Long live the fire with which he kindled a glowing chapter in India's business world in general and Indian IT industry in particular..

One of the few companies and one of the few entrepreneurs that Andhra Pradesh and Telugu people had been very proud of, have got permanently tainted, unfortunately.

The way Mr. Raju allegedly mishandled it all will remain as a huge case study - as sadly in business education as in criminal law.

Somehow, Andhra Pradesh itself seems to be a land of such ill-fated entrepreneurs and enterprises. Dharma Teja's Jayanti Shipping Company of 1960s, NT Rama Rao (the legend of cinema turned politician) of 1980s, and Ramalinga Raju and Satyam of 1990s-2000s are all stories of self-makers-and-destroyers.

They still remain as heroes and legends.

Posts to come

Trip to Alampuram (24-Nov-08)
Trip to Kasapuram (26-Nov-08)

Dhyana/Mangala Slokam in Malavikagnimitram

ఏకైశ్వర్యే స్థితోపి ప్రనత బహుఫలే యః స్వయం కృత్తివాసాః
కాంతా సమ్మిశ్రదేహోప్యవిషయ మనసాం యః పరస్తాద్యతీనాం |
అష్టాభిర్యస్య కృత్స్నం జగదపి తనుభిర్బిభ్రతో నాభిమానః |
సన్మార్గాలోకనాయ వ్యపనయతు స న/వ స్తామసీం వృత్తిమీశః ||

Teach us, Oh Krishna!!

धर्मदॅव जगन्नाथ सत्यदॅव जनार्दन |

मामुद्धर शृतॅर्बोधॅ सन्मार्गमवलॉकय ||