Who Am I

2006-01-05T08:46:00.000Z

Moved to http://crimson-sky.blogspot.com and http://gnana-kirukan.blogspot.com

2006-01-04T07:53:00.000Z

DEATH - An Introduction

AUM
DEDICATED
TO
LORD YAMA, MARKANDEYA, NACHIKETAS,
SAVITRI AND NANDI, THE ETERNAL
ATTENDANT OF LORD SIVA, WHO HAVE
ALL UNRAVELLED THE MYSTERIES
OF THE LIFE BEYOND DEATH
AUM

I have been always fascinated by DEATH. I have decide to write about the most fascinating concept called DEATH. What is DEATH? What happens after DEATH? What is the astral world?What is reincarnation? I will be taking pointers from great spiritual teachers like Swami Sivananda, Swami Vivekananda and Sadhu Vasawani, who have written about "Life After Death".

Swami Sivananda states in his famous book "What Becomes Of The Soul After Death", that the concept of Paraloka-Vidya or the science about the departed souls and their planes of living is a subject of absorbing interest. It is a Mysterious Science which contains many secrets or hidden wonders. It has intimate connection with Panchagni-Vidya or the science of transmigration propounded in the Chandogya Upanishad. The doctrine of reincarnation or metempsychosis, transmigration of the soul and spiritualism come under the Paraloka-Vidya. Everybody is curious and anxious to know this science.

Great scientists, the inventors of many marvellous things, mighty Emperors who have done stupendous works, inspired poets, wonderful artists, many Brahmins, Rishis, Yogis have come and gone. You are all extremely anxious to know what has become to them. Do they still exist? What is there at the other side of death? Have they become non-existent or have they dwindled into an airy nothing? Such questions do arise spontaneously in the hearts of all. The same question arises today as it arose thousands of years ago. No one can stop it, because it is inseparably connected with our nature.

Death is a subject which is of the deepest interest to everyone. One day or other all must die. The terror of death overshadows the lives of all human beings. It brings considerably unnecessary sorrow, suffering and anxiety to the survivors who are anxious to know about the fate of the departed souls.

In the West also this question has aroused a great deal of interest and attention in certain scientific circles. Much investigation has been made. But the researches have, however, been confined more or less to find out whether or not the individuality survives and persists after the dissolution of the physical body. This has been proved in the affirmative by actual communication with the spirit world through science, mediumship etc.

A knowledge of this science will rob death of all its terror and sorrow and enable you to see it in the proper light and to understand its place in the scheme of your evolution. It will certainly goad you to find out suitable methods to conquer death and attain immortality. It will forcibly urge you to take to the study of Brahma-Vidya in right earnest and find out the true Master or illumined sage who can put you in the right path of Truth and explain to you the mysteries of Kaivalya or Brahma-Jnana.

You have suffered very much simply out of ignorance and superstition concerning this most important matter. If you go through this book carefully the veil of ignorance will be removed. You will be freed from the horrors of death.

The one aim of all Yoga Sadhanas is to face death fearlessly and joyfully. A Yogi or a Sage or even a real aspirant has no fear of death. Death is terribly afraid of those who do Japa, meditation and Kirtanam. He and his messengers dare not approach them. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita, “Having come to Me, these Mahatmas come not again to birth, the place of pain and non-eternity; they have gone to the highest bliss” (Chapter VIII-15).

Death is painful to a worldly man. A desireless man never weeps when he dies. A full-blown Jnani never dies. His Prana never departs. Your highest duty is to prepare for a peaceful life hereafter. Conquer the fear of death. Conquest of fear of death, conquest of death is the highest utility of all Spiritual Sadhana. Pray to the Lord to enable you to worship Him in every birth of yours. End the cycle of birth if you want everlasting bliss. Live in the eternal Atman and be happy for ever.

Bhishma had death at his command (Iccha-Mrityu). Savitri brought back Satyavan, her husband, to life through her power of chastity. Markandeya conquered death through worship of Lord Siva. You also can conquer death through devotion, knowledge and power of Brahmacharya.

(To be contd...)

2006-01-02T06:45:00.000Z

Sri Sa-Ra-Va-Na-Ba-Va-Chakram of Lord Murugan - An Explanation

I was introduced to the wonderful concept of the Sri Chakram of Lord Murugan by my best friend Sriram. I would like to share this concept with you all.

Basically, there are two things involved for reaching the state of Samadhi:

1. Ascent of Spirit
2. Descent of Grace

Spirit is our soul. We can try to reach God by its ascent. This can be done systematically by Ashtanga Yoga, Kriya Yoga (The Right hand path). Or by Tantric practices (Vama Marga - The Left hand path).

The ascent of spirit can be represented by an 'upward-facing' equilateral triangle. The process of making the soul move higher is called Sadhana.

Once the soul has done its part thorough and NOTHING MUCH can be done by it, only then the Grace descends. When we become helpless and we are desperate to go higher, then the Grace descends. This is not under our control. The three Graces are:

1. Grace of Scriptures - Knowledge from the scriptures.
2. Grace of the Guru - By following his instructions
3. Grace of the Self - Surprising this is the Grace obtained by self effort.

Needless to say the last one is probably the most important one and will naturally invite the other two.

This can be represented by an equilateral triangle that faces downwards. When both of them merge we get the Chakram of Lord Murgan. (Notice two triangles - one upward facing and another downward facing). In that merging point - there is a bindu or a dot (In the above picture - the bindu is represented as Lord Murugan). This bindu signifies the Silence into which the sound of Aum leads.

Once when Ramakrishna Paramahansa was standing in a river along with a disciple. The disciple told that he wanted to see God immediately. Ramakrishna then pushed the head of the disciple inside the river. The disciple could not hold it for long. But Ramakrishna did not relax his grip. But finally, the disciple gave a mighty push and emerged out of water. He asked why Ramakirshna did that to him. Ramakrishna then told that, if he had a desire to see God equal to that of him to emerge from water he had before, then God would immediately come before him. :)

So, when we give up EVERYTHING, and with all our hope and power pray to God, then the union (Yoga, Anubhuti etc) is possible. Yoga, Kriya, Bhakti etc are means and not the end. God alone is true and He alone is important. Everthing else is trivial.

Thanks Sriram for this wonderful explanation you gave me in ur car :)

2005-12-30T17:28:00.000Z

Bugatti Veyron: The most expensive car ever to come to India

India will see Bugatti Veyron by next year! Guess the price - its quite cheap - it will be priced at Rs 10 crores!

2005-12-26T20:34:00.000Z

Bala Murugan on the Arunachala Hill

This is the statue of Lord Muruga - I had mentioned in my blog: http://naan-yaar.blogspot.com/2005/12/sorry-i-am-very-sorry-for-not-updating.html

2005-12-26T06:43:00.000Z

I just love these songs..

1) Ennamo Nadakirathai from Sandaikoli
- Meera Jasmine is too cute in this song! This song is too peppy - just love it..Currently listening to it in repeated mode. I just love the way the song starts..music is damn good especially the humming!

2)Taj Mahal Oviya Kadal from Kalvanin Kadali
- Awesome song..I love the music that is being played in the background.

3)Eno Kangal from Kalvanin Kadali
-An absolute stunner of a song!

4)Oru Naalil (remix) from Pudhupettai
-Another good one

[P.S: The irony is that all these songs were composed by my arch rival Yuvan Shankar Raja - the music director whom I dont like :(! ]

[P.S: Another interesting fact - Yuvan Shankar Raja has married my father's cousin's daughter!]

2005-12-25T06:07:00.000Z

Back to Square One.

I am back in UK after my stay in Chennai for 6 weeks. Now I will be able to do my blogging properly for some more time before I commence my new job. My trip to Chennai was memorable. I plan to blog about the different people I came across, put up more pics of my Chennai trip and my views on Tamil Nadu. I would like to thank each and everyone of you who commented on my blog even knowing that I wont be able to respond to your comments. I would like to thank you for your kind wishes and support. I would like to especially thank Parvati for keeping in touch with me through regular emails knowing that I will not be able to reply. Thanks Parvati for everything :). I could have called you and spoke to you but didnt and you know why :).

I would like to thank my new friend 'S' who contacted me after reading my blogs and for keeping in touch regularly and helping me during my stay in Chennai. She has been providing directions (in and around Chennai) and advice (even asked me to deactivate my blog! - since she felt it could cause me problems (all the love stories I wrote) in the future). Thanks for your concern and support 'S' :).

A special thanks to my blogger friend Viji - for taking the pain to give me a call from bangalore and wasting her money :). Thanks Viji. I have got a great 'intelligent' friend in you :).

I have added some pics on flickr.Thanks once again :).. Wish you all a Happy Christmas :)

2005-12-15T12:07:00.000Z

I saw the greatest Karma Yogi!

Today the purpose of my life has been fulfilled. I have seen God! Yes, I saw the greatest Karma yogi. Last year, I saw a stunning news on Suntv, about a son - a farmer from Madhya Pradesh called Kailashgiri carrying his mother all the way from Bargi village near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh to Rameswaram, to enable her fulfill her vow to visit the Lord Ramanathaswamy temple there by Padayathra!!!! He has been carrying her for the past 9 years!!
Thirty-four year-old Kailashgiri, carried his octogenarian mother in a basket, suspended on one side of a pole slung across his shoulder while on the other, he carried his mother's belongings, food etc in another basket. I was stunned when I saw the news..I have heard the story of a son who was carrying his parents during the Ramayana period. But never in my life did I expect to see someone carrying his mother on his shoulders and going on a padayatra to fulfill his mother's vow! When I saw this news - I desperately wanted to meet him and offer my humble prayers to this great Karma yogi.

And today while driving to Tiruttani - I met this great Saint - the greatest Karma Yogi I came across - he was carrying his mother on his shoulders and was running towards Tiruttani. I immediately asked my driver to stop - and told my mother about him - ran towards him - and touched his feet and his mother's. If it was not for the road - I would have just fallen flat on his feet! He didnt speak - but was just taking rest by circumbulating his mother! I felt very emotional since I have seen God in human form. In this age of Kali Yuga - where children dont even care for their parents - I am seeing an epitome of pure selfless love! The story of Kailashgiri is going to be a part of history and I am very happy that I have witnessed this part of history.

Its easy to become devoted to God and become a saint by living reclusively! But the greatest way of attaining spiritual liberation is by following one's duties and this incident is far above anything on earth! I was telling my mother - that I will never be able to do something like this and I felt ashamed for it! I am worse than a corpse!

Even though I have personally seen God before- I cherish this moment as one of the greatest moments of my life and thank my Arunachala for bestowing his grace on me to witness and experience Him as pure LOVE! Naan piravi payanai adainthu viten!

2005-12-14T04:13:00.000Z

Weekend fun

Last weekend was fun. Some of my friends from RECT came and met me. One of them was my first year room mate called Murugesan. He is from Yelagiri. I call him Nattamai since he used to say that his uncle was the nattamai in that place. When I was his roomie - I used to play a lot of pranks with him. During the first year - we were not allowed to get out of the hostel due to the frear of ragging. So one night I was very hungry and didnt have anything to eat. In our room, there were 5 of us, 3 southies and 2 northies who rarely stayed in our room. These northies used to have rusks (or porrai) hidden in the top cupboard. So that night, as I was hungry I etched out a plan to flick the porrai and eat it! So inorder to achieve my target, I asked murugesan to be my accomplice - but murugesan being a nice guy said - that he would help me - but will not eat it. So I said fine and I asked him to wait outside the room while I climb the cupboard and get the rusks out. So he was standing out watching if anyone was coming and I flicked the rusks ate 2 of them and put the others back.

The next day, when some of my southie friends came to the room, I started telling to them that Murugesan stole the rusks and ate it! Murugesan tried hard to prove his innocence but failed since those guys believed me! :)) Everyone started laughing and from that day I started calling murugesan as porai thirudan - lol.

Similarly, guys used to give birthday bumps whenever someone had his birthday. So once everyone in my wing were giving birthday bumps to someone - murugesan out of his curiosity came out of the room and started giving birthday bumps. I felt like playing another prank on him and started shouting that it was murugesan's birthday today!! So everyone turned towards him and started chasing him! And u know what he did - he ran towards his trunk to get out his birth certificate to prove his birth date! I leaped on him and carried him out and all of us started bashing him up!! Poor Guy!! :))

We were recalling all these incidents and were laughing..Went and watched Aaru with my friends! What the heck! I have vowed never to watch Hari's films again! The sound in the theatre was deafening and for one moment I thought the entire theatre is going to crumble on my head due to the noise! Useless movie - just a junk!

2005-12-10T07:03:00.000Z

Sorry

I am very sorry for not updating the blog for quite sometime :(.. Quite busy with some visa work and so bit tied up here..I wasnt able to meet my blogger friends last saturday due to heavy rain. But I will definitely meet them before I leave to London. I have extended my stay for 2 more weeks due to the above mentioned visa work that needs to be sorted for my mother.

If you guys are visiting Tiruvanamalai, try to visit the small murugan temple on the hill near the mulaipaal theertham. You can see an orange flag flying over the temple and it is directly situated behind the main temple gopuram. You just need to walk up for about 10 minutes or so to reach this temple. This temple was built by my uncle who passed away recently. The murugan statue is the most beautiful murugan I have ever come across in my life. There is a young saint who is maintaining the temple and daily poojas are performed by him. He told me that during kirthigai about 1500 litres of milk are used for abhishekam and I went what! Even though I felt it was like wasting all the milk in the name of God - but from another point you see that He is the one who gives us everything. I couldnt take pics of the temple since I didnt take my camera - but I plan to visit the temple again probably next week. I will make sure that I take pics of the temple and the deity. When I went to the temple, it was karthigai somavaram - so they were performing a special abhishekam to the deity in the evening. After the abhishekam, they gave kesari and sundal to some sivan adiyars and I also joined them (me being a sivan adiyar too ;) )!
That was a blissful moment eating prasadam with the devotees of the Lord and it should be experienced! Then we were also served tea after the prasadam. I spent almost 7 hours or so in that temple and also did some meditation on a nearby rock..It was just blissful..Its a must see temple if you go to Tiruvanamalai.

2005-12-02T05:41:00.000Z

Mini bloggers meet tommorow

Probably there would be a mini bloggers meet tommorow (if it doesnt rain) at Cafe Coffee day at 4:00 pm (Isphani Centre, Nungambakkam). Vatsan, Aditya, Virdi and Prabhu Karthik will be joining me. Sriram may come with me. I have also sent invitations to some more members I know. Hopefully we will all meet :)

2005-12-01T07:06:00.000Z

Next set of photos uploaded

I have uploaded the next set of photos in flickr.. These pics were taken with Anand, Jeevan, Vatsan and Atma..I have also uploaded the pics from Tiruvanamalai..I am currently uploading more pics..This idiotic internet center is so slow - it takes almost 15 minutes to upload 2 pics!! I am determined to upload the photos somehow! :)..

I am planning to meet Virdi and Aditya this saturday along with Sriram..I spoke to my blogger friend Viji yesterday..She is in bangalore and it was quite a funny conversation :)..She is very funny and a very friendly person! But unfortunately I didnt allow her to talk and I was doing all the talking :))..Typical Arjuna! Next time I speak to her - will listen to what she says :P..

2005-11-30T11:58:00.000Z

Pictures with Sriram

I have uploaded the first set of pics with Sriram and his sister's husband's brother's daughter Mrithula. She is the cutest kid I have ever come across..She is only 2 years old - but she can sing the entire Sutrum Vili song from Ghajini! Very very intelligent! And the way she calls me "Arjuna Mama" is just out of the world! :)..I love kids! just love them :)..

She accompanied us to the Vaitheeswaran Kovil in Ponnamale high road..Very cute :)...

Click the flickr badge on the right hand side (scroll down) to see the pics with Sriram..I will upload the other set soon..

2005-11-29T11:17:00.000Z

Met Arunachala - atlast!!

Ok guys, for the past 2 days, I was in Tiruvanamalai :)..Just came..My feet are full of blisters after the Girivalam..So me in pain..Will update about the trip in detail tommorow..I am sorry for not uploading the pics :(..I forgot to take the camera to Sriram's house :(..Will try uploading it asap :)..

2005-11-26T12:45:00.000Z

First things first

First of all, I couldnt go to Tiruvanamalai :(..The rain has played spoil sport to all my spiritual plans1 :(..Its so upsetting! I was so eager to go to Tiruvanamalai, but its been raining cats and dogs the whole week and the whole place is in a mess! I was also supposed to drive to Chidambaram with Sriram and that has also gone :(.. The entire Chidambaram has become isolated due to floods..People are dying here because of floods! So I was not in a mood to blog and was just sitting inside my home watching TV and the skies! So yesterday, Sriram and I just went to Spencers to buy a craddle for his sister's new born baby in Landmark, and I bought some gifts for the baby..Also bought by favourite board game Monopoly and played with my sister! Today I am going to see the new born baby and also Sriram has suggested a trip to visit a old huge Shiva temple 20 kms from Chennai near Ponnamale..I will be going there..

I will be uploading the pictures today in my blog from Sriram's house. Do check it :)..

2005-11-20T20:15:00.000Z

Chennai trip (Saturday19th and Sunday 20th)

I am leaving to Tiruvanamalai tommorow - so will be out of action for 3 days. I will come back and update this post..Ok , lot of things happened within these 2 days..I met Aatma, Vatsan, Jeevan and Anand today..Took pics of them..Also went to Spencers with Sriram yesterday..I will update about all this and my trip to Tiruvanamalai with photos this thursday..

Jeevan has already put up a post on the meet :)

C u soon :)

2005-11-18T14:01:00.001Z

Chennai Trip (Wednesday 16th - Friday 18th)

Yesterday, nothing much from my side..My neighbour wanted me to see his new farm house he is currently building near Mahabalipuram. This is about 10 km from Mahabalipuram near Thirukalukundram..There are about 10 houses..all Srilankans..They have bought lands and are building farm houses...Quite a good place..Lots of vegetation in there..The drive to Mahabalipuram via East Coast Road was too good...Surprisingly I didnt eat out yesterday!

So to cover it, had a nice podi dosai and vadai at Vasantha Bhavan today from breakfast. I got up at 2:30 am in the morning, since I couldnt sleep..For the whole week I have been waking up so early..Still not yet recovered from the jet lag! Went to the gym at 5:00 am, had breakfast in Vasantha Bhavan then went with my mother to the Maha Prathyangira Amman temple near Sholinganallur (near the VGP beach resort)..It is a very powerful amman temple and the amman has the face of Narasimha..Its in an isolated place, but somehow my mother found out and she goes every friday to this temple. I have taken some pictures and I will upload them tommorow since these sify internet guys didnt have the driver for my camera..So I need to get it from my house..
For lunch I went to Vasantha Bhavan again and had sweet corn vegetable soup, naan, masala kulcha and cauliflower manchurian (dry).Man the cauliflower manchurian is too good..its so crispy and I could hear the krick sound whenever I munched the fried cauliflower..yum yum!

It seems Atma gave me a call today, but I wasnt there..So I will speak to him today and most probably I will arrange for a mini bloggers meet tommorow..Will give u all a call to confirm..

2005-11-16T02:30:00.000Z

Chennai Trip: Tuesday and Wednesday (15th and 16th)

I went and joined the newly opened Blue Moon gym yesterday night. They charge 250/- for registeration and another 770/- for a one month membership..They have 3 treadmills and that was enough for me..Yesterday night, I kept to my promise and didnt go to any restaurants to eat :P..Today morning got up at 3:30 am in the morning and went to the gym at 5:30 am..While returning I got some dosais from Hotel Saravana Bhavan and some special vadais from Hotel Srinidhi for breakfast :))..Couldnt control :P...Just went to the Prima's Bakery to get some Cashewnut tarts, Buns, Paneer Puffs and some brown bread! I luv the cashewnut tarts in Prima's..Prima's being a lankan shop is the only shop in Chennai or probably India who make Cashewnut tarts..In Srilanka we call it Cheese cakes..Its too good...MY all time favourite cake..Not too sweet..But damn good!

Certain things that piss me off in Chennai is the lack of respect for lives! My uncle who was complaining of severe chest pain went to the Sundaram Medical Foundation to get admitted. And do you know what they said? They dont have enough beds to get him admitted and asked him to go to some other hospital! Then he was admitted in Cherian's hospital..My aunty was telling me, that a similar incident happened to her son as well..When her son had fitz, and was shaking terribly, they rushed to this same hospital, and it seems that the doctor who was supposed to treat was not there in the hospital! I have noticed these things while I was in Chennai..There is no respect for human lives here! My mother's aunty who was like my grandmother was treated in a very bad way when she was in a hospital..She was virtually thrown onto the wheelchair! No respect for individual lives!

I am never bothered about the dirty damaged roads, pollution, etc etc..Infact I always liked it..This gives me a different feel to what I experience in London..I always wanted Chennai to be what it is..I dont want to see posh roads and expensive cars roaming around..But the attitude of people is just sick! They dont care for human lives...The medical facilities are for the rich..I just wonder what the poor people do! At this moment I would like to thank my Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for starting the super speciality hospitals in Puttaparthy and Bangalore and providing free treatment, operations for all irrespective of caste,creed and sex. I would like to open up a hospital here in Chennai as well so that the poor people get benefited. But with these ridiculous looking Chief Ministers ruling Tamil Nadu, I dont think that would be feasible!

Some interesting things that I noticed:

1)Suhasini Episode - I wonder what on earth is happening to the tamil people!

2)Shankar lauches a new film with Vadivelu as hero! Its called "Imsai mannan irandam Pulikesi"!!! That was a shocker! Shanker is producing it and some director is directing it!

3)Tamil Murasu is sick! Its another newspaper that is so partial (DMK)! Yesterday they were criticising our Millenium Star Captain Vijayakanth for keeping quiet regarding the Suhasini episode! They were saying he has switched off the mobile phone and is very scared to answer them..all typical bullshit stuff!

I will be meeting Adi today I guess..I couldnt meet him since he was busy yesterday..but today will try to meet him..

2005-11-15T11:21:00.000Z

Chennai trip: Monday and Tuesday (14th and 15th November)

Yesterday, I went to the party held by the Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce & Industry in a very good newly built star hotel in G.N Chetty Road near Hotel Residency. My next door neighbour was invited and he wanted me to accompany him and his son to the party. I didnt want to go, but my mother insisted that I accompany them..so had to go! I hate going to parties!The hotel was awesome!I heard that the hotel was built by a minister who also owns 3 colleges!! I dont know from where they get their money from! I spoke to some of the polish people around and was telling them that my PhD supervisor was also a polish..There was a cocktail party initially. They were serving Kebabs, Chicken tikka, Baby Corn bhajjias, Mushroom manchurian,Badam Gheer, drinks etc.. I just had some chicken tikka and my favourite guava juice. Then there was a buffet and I was just cursing myself since I had my lunch at 6:30 pm in the evening and I wasnt hungry at all. The food looked just awesome! Out of the world! The menu consisted of naans, pulovs, roasted chicken in red wine, crispy fish fry, paneer masala, vegetable manchoorian, bread butter pudding etc.. I just had the fish fry and the bread butter pudding..The fish fry was just awesome!

Today morning went to the Tiruverkadu Karumari Amman temple along with my aunty. She was doing a 108 sanghabhishekam today and so I accompanied her to the temple. Unfortunately, her husband got a mild heart attack! He was admitted in the ICU in Dr. Cherian's heart hospital.. He is undergoing loads of tests...I was thinking that I should also get some tests done especially the treadmill ECG..After the sanghabhishekam, the iyer gave us chakra pongal and puliyodharai. Man, I just love the chakra pongal..Loads of ghee and its too sweet..I can still smell ghee on my fingers.. yum yum ( Kutty priya - vaayir eriyutha :)) )...
I cant stand puliyodharai though :)...

I have decided not to go to any restaurants for this week! I am on a diet now for a week!

I may meet Adi today if he is free :)...Will keep u updated :)

2005-11-14T14:30:00.000Z

Chennai welcomes me with a Bang!

I am in Chennai :)..Before I start the topic, I wanted to say that Chennai really welcomed with a Bang! A Big Bang! Yes, some stupid motorbike driver came and banged my car from behind when I was heading home from the airport! An idiotic motorbike driver suddenly turned towards us, and my driver put a sudden break, and after 10 seconds, another idiotic motorbike driver came and bashed my car up from behind! My car is quite damaged now! That was quite a good welcome ;)

The plane journey to Colombo was good..The only hindrance was the transit flight was delayed by 2 hours in Colombo, and I ended up waiting for 7 hours! I was furious about this delay and went to the Srilankan Airlines reception to give some dose to the receptionists..But when I went there, some beautiful lankan receptionists welcomed me, and me being a women friendly person, couldnt do anything! I ended up chatting(??) to them and was telling them my personal life history since they wanted to know why am I going to Chennai? The one who was chatting to me was so pretty and she was kind enough to get me some free sandwiches and coffee ;)

I arrived home, slept for some time, called up my friend Sriram who was waiting for me without going to Bangalore. I met him and his parents, sister and cousin in his house..Then Sriram, his cousing and I went to the newly opened Saravana Bhavan in Ashok Nagar..Since we were not hungry we just ate little..The menu was: Mushroom Soup, Masala Pappad, Cauliflower 65, Poori Masala, Rotis, Naan, Vegetable Stuffed Naan, Vegetable Kofta, Dal Butter Fry..that's all - not much ;)

Then we being real food buffs, went to have icecream in MÖvenpick in Anna Salai! We drove from Ashok Nagar to Anna Salai to have dessert! Sriram wanted to have puddings in Le Meridien! Since I am on a diet ;) - I preferred having little icecream! The ice cream was too good - but the bill was bit expensive - Rs 795!!!!!

Today morning, went to the Chandramouleeswarar temple, then when I was in Nungambakam, I had a dosai and a special vadai in Hotel Raj Bhavan with my mother and sister. Now I am sitting and typing this from the Sify browsing center. I need to write down all ur numbers and I will give u all a call soon :)

2005-11-09T22:30:00.000Z

Destination Chennai

I will be in Chennai this sunday! I always preferred British Airways to take me to Chennai, but the return journey starts at 4:00 am in the morning and that's ridiculous! It completely spoils my system since I never use any outside toilets! Yucky!So as usual I am flying by Srilankan Airlines..even though I like their services and the beautiful lankan air hostesses, I hate the 5 hour transit time in Colombo. I always make it a point to eat the chicken sandwiches in the airport restaurant. I just love them :).

I usually do not have any friends in Chennai considering the fact I lived there for 15 years..since contrary to my blogger image as a friendly,funny person, I prefer sitting in my home (Parvati, u hearing me :) ) and chatting with my mother rather than moving around with friends! The only friend I meet while I am in Chennai is my best friend Sriram who luckily will be in Chennai inspite of his busy schedule in South Korea! So will be roaming around with him. Last year we drove to Mayajaal in East Coast Road to play "bowling"..I taught him how to play and unfortunately he beat me in all the games we played! So this year let me see, what happens :) This year I have some new friends to meet..yeah I am talking about my blogger friends. I plan to meet Prabhu Karthik, Jeevan, Aditya, Anand and interestingly my dear blogger friend Aatma will also be in Chennai next week for 5 days :)..So I will be meeting him as well :)..Anand and I will be having some marathon discussions about philosophy and religion, but still Anand prefers me to tell my love stories rather than discussing philosophy!

As usual I will be visiting my Divine Father's place in Tiruvanamalai. This time I plan to be there all alone for 3 days! Circumbulate the Holy Hill, meditation and also need to do some retrospection about my character,spiritual progress and death! I wanted to stay in Ramana Ashram, but they say that foreigners need to register with the police and that is a tiresome process..So will be staying in Hotel Arunachala as usual! I am just waiting to step my feet into my Father's Heavenly Abode! I will also visit Tiruvanamalai again along with my mother before leaving to London.

I also make it a point to go to Puttaparthy every year to have dharshan of my Lord Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba along with my mother. I am not sure about the roads in Andhra (because of the rain)..but lets see..If He wills, then I will be there..

Then my usual visits to my favourite restaurant VB aka Vasantha Bhavan..The tandoori food is just awesome..Just waiting to hog the naan, cauliflower manchurian and malai kofta! Yum Yum!
The morning breakfasts at Srinidhi ( a small restaurant near my house in Anna Nagar)..I will be having my usual Podi masala dosai (no ghee) with 2 crispy mouth watering special vadais! Awesome!

Will also catch on some movies especially Cheran's Thavamai Thavamirunthu..I also have to watch Asin's movies in the theatre since I have never watched her in the theatre! Just waiting to clap when her name comes on the screen ;)

Not to forget my daily trip to the Chandramouleeswarar temple near my house and the weekend trip to Kabaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore and having dinner at Vasantha Bhavan..

Wow - this is life man! So guys, see you from Chennai if and only if the plane lands safely else I will catch you from Sivaloka! How I wish, going to Sivaloka was so easy!

2005-11-08T17:00:00.000Z

Rama - Prince and Principle
(Dedicating this post to Parvati)

(Warning: Huge Post - Those who are not interested in spirituality, can check my previous post :) )

The name 'Rama' is the essence of the Vedas; the Story of Rama is an Ocean of Milk, pure and potent. It can be asserted that no poem of equal grandeur and beauty has emerged from other languages or from other countries until this very day; but it has provided inspiration to the poetic imagination of every language and country. It is the greatest treasure inherited by his good fortune by every Indian.

Rama is the guardian deity of the Hindus; the Name is borne by the bodies in which they dwell and the buildings in which those bodies dwell. It can safely be said that there is no Indian who has not imbibed the nectar of Ramakatha, the story of Rama.

The Ramayana, the epic that deals with the story of the Rama Incarnation, is a sacred text that is reverently recited by people with all varieties of equipment, the scholar as well as the ignoramus, the millionaire as well as the pauper. The Name that the Ramayana glorifies cleanses all evil; it transforms the sinner; it reveals the Form that the Name represents, the Form that is as charming as the Name itself.

As the sea is the source of all the waters on earth, all beings are born from 'Rama'. A sea sans water is unreal; a being sans 'Rama' is without existence, now or ever. The azure Ocean and the Almighty Lord have much in common.

The Ocean is the abode of the Almighty, as myth and legend proclaim; they describe Him as reclining on the Ocean of Milk. This is the reason behind the title given by Valmiki (son of Prachetas) the great poet who composed the epic, to each canto, Kaanda. Kaanda means water, an expanse of water.

It also means 'the sugarcane'. However crooked a cane may be, whichever section you chew, the sweetness is unaffected and uniform. The stream of Rama's Story meanders through many a curve and twist; nevertheless, the sweetness of Karuna (tenderness, pity, compassion) persists without diminution throughout the narrative. The stream turns and flows through sadness, wonder, ridicule, awe, terror, love, despair and dialectics, but the main undercurrent is the love of Dharma (Righteousness, Morality) and the Karuna (Compassion) it fosters.

The nectar in the story of Rama is as the 'Sarayu river' that moves silently by the city of Ayodhya, where Rama was born and where he ruled. The Sarayu has its source in the Himalayan Manasa-Sarovar, as this Story is born in the Manasa-Sarovar (the Lake of the Mind)! The Rama stream bears the sweetness of Karuna; the stream of Lakshmana (his brother and devoted companion) has the sweetness of Devotion (Bhakthi); as the Sarayu river joins the Ganga (Ganges) and the waters commingle, so too, the streams of tender compassion and devotion (the stories of Rama and Lakshmana) commingle in the Ramayana. Karuna and Prema make up, between them, the composite picture of the glory of Rama; that picture fulfils the heart's dearest yearning for every Indian; to attain it is the aim of every spiritual striving.

The effort of the individual is but half the pursuit; the other half consists in the Grace of God. Man fulfils himself by self-effort as well as Divine Blessings; the fulfilment takes him across the dark ocean of dualities, on to the Immanent and Transcendent One.

The Ramayana has to be read, not as the record of a human career, but as the narrative of the Advent and Activities of an Avatar (Incarnation of God). Man must endeavour with determination to realise through his own experience the ideals revealed in that narrative. God is all-knowing, all-pervasive, all-powerful. The words that He utters while embodied in the Human form, the acts that He deigns to indulge in during his earthly sojourn, these are inscrutable and extraordinarily significant. The precious springs of His Message ease the Path of Deliverance for mankind. Do not look upon Rama as a scion of the Solar Dynasty, or as the sovereign of the kingdom of Ayodhya, or as the son of Emperor Dasaratha. Those correlates are but accessory and accidental. This error has become habitual to modern readers; they pay attention only to the personal relationship and affiliations between the characters of the story they read about; they do not delve into the values they represent and demonstrate.

To elaborate this error: the father of Rama had three wives; the first was such and such, the second was of this nature, the third had these traits! Her maids were of this ugly type... The wars fought by Dasaratha, the father, were characterised by these peculiarities... those specialities... In this manner, fancy leads man astray into the region of the trivial and the colourful, making him neglect the valuable kernel. People do not realise that the study of history must enrich life and make it meaningful and worthwhile, rather than cater to the appetite for paltry facts and petty ideas. Their validity and value lie deep within the facts and fertilise them like subterranean water. Wear the glasses of Bhakthi (Reverent Adoration) and Sraddha (Steady Dedication); then, the eye will endow you with the pure Wisdom that liberates you and grants eternal Bliss.

As men squeeze juice out of the fibrous cane and drink only the sweetness, as the bee sucks the honey in the flower, regardless of its symmetry and colour, as the moth flies towards the brightness of the flame, ignoring the heat and the inevitable catastrophe, the Sadhaka (Spiritual Seeker) should yearn to imbibe the Karunarasa (the expression of the emotion of tenderness, pity and compassion) that the Ramayana is saturated with, paying no heed to other subjects. When a fruit is eaten, we throw away the skin, the seeds and the fibre. It is in the very nature of Nature that fruits have these components! Nevertheless, no one will eat these on the plea that he has paid for them! No one can swallow the seeds and digest them. No one will chew the outer rind. So, too, in this Rama-fruit called Ramayana, the tales of Rakshasas (demons, ogres and the like) form the rind; the wicked deeds of these evil men are the hard indigestible seeds; sensory and worldly descriptions and events are the not-too-tasty fibrous stuff; they are the sheaths for the juicy nourishment.

Those who seek the Karuna-rasa in the Rama fruit should concentrate more on the central narrative than on supplementary details that embellish or encumber it. Listen to the Ramayana in that mood; that is the best form of Sravana (process of spiritual listening).

On one occasion, Emperor Parikshith fell at the Feet of the Sage Suka and asked for instruction on one point that was causing him dire doubt. "Master! One riddle has been worrying me since long. I know that you can solve it for me and that no one else can. I have listened to the narratives of the lives of my forefathers, from the earliest, the great Manu, down to those of my grandfathers and father. I have studied these stories with care. I observe that in the history of every one of these, there is mention of Sages (Rishis) attached to the monarch, some learned scholar-saints who are members of the court, attending durbars and sharing the business of government! What is the real meaning of this amazing association of scholars (who have renounced all attachments and desires, who have realised that the world is a shadow and a snare, and that the One is the only Reality) with kings and rulers playing subordinate roles and counselling them when asked? Those revered elders will not, I know, engage themselves in any activity without sufficient and proper reasons. Their behaviour will ever be pure and unsullied. But, this makes my doubt unsolvable. Please enlighten me."

Suka laughed at the question. He replied, "You have asked a fine question, no doubt. Listen! The great sages and holy scholars will always be eager to share with their fellowmen the truth they have grasped, the sanctifying experience they have won, the elevating deeds they have been privileged to perform, and the Divine Grace they have been chosen to receive; they seek nearness to those who are in charge of administration, those who are adepts in ruling over peoples, with the intention to use them as instruments for establishing and ensuring peace and prosperity on earth; they implant high ideals in their minds, and holy ways of fulfilling them; they prompt the performance of righteous actions, in accordance with just laws. The monarchs too invite and welcome the sages, seek out the scholars and plead with them to be in their courts, so that they can learn from them the art of government and act according to their counsel. The monarch was the master and guardian of the people; so, they spent their days with him for the estimable purpose of realising, through him, the yearning of their hearts: "Lokaassamasthaah sukhino bhavanthu - May all the worlds be happy." They were eager to see happiness and peace spread over the world. Therefore, they tried to equip the kings with all the virtues, fill them with all the moral codes of discipline, arm them with all branches of learning, so that they may rule the realm efficiently, wisely and with beneficial consequences to themselves and their subjects.

There were other reasons, too. Listen! Knowing that the Granter of Joy to humanity, the Mentor of human morals, the Leader of the Solar line, the Dweller in the Heaven of Eternal Bliss, will take birth in a royal line, Sages who had the foresight to anticipate events, gained entry into the durbars of rulers so that they may experience the bliss of contact with the Incarnation, when It happens. They feared they may not get such access later, that they may miss the Bliss they could well garner. So, they profited by their vision of the future and established themselves in the royal capital, in the thick of the community, longing for the Advent.

"To this venerable group belonged Vasishta, Viswamitra, Garga, Agasthya and other sages (rishis). They had no wants; they were monarchs of renunciation; they sought nothing from any one. They were ever content. They appeared in the audience halls of the emperors of those days, not for polemics and the pomp of punditry or for collecting the costly gifts offered to such disputants and guests, or for decorating themselves with the burdensome title those patrons confer on the persons they prefer. They craved rather for the Darsan (Bliss of the Vision) of the Lord and for a chance to uphold Dharma (Righteousness) in human affairs; they had no other objective."

"The kings too in those days were immersed in thoughts divine! They approached the hermits and sages in their retreats in order to discover from them the means of making their subjects happy and content; often they invited them to their palaces and consulted them about ways and means of good government. Those were days when there were sages with no attachment to self, and scholars with no craving for power; such were the men who tendered advice to the kings. As a consequence, there was no lack of food and clothing, of housing or good health, for the people of the realm. All days were festival days; all doors were decorated with green festoons. The ruler felt that his most sacred duty was the fostering of his people's welfare. The subjects too felt that the ruler was the heart of the body politic. They had full faith that he was as precious as their own hearts; they valued him as such; they revered him and paid him the homage of gratitude."

Suka explained the role of the sages in the royal courts in this clear downright manner before the large gathering that was sitting around him.

Have you noticed this? Whatever is done by the great, whichever company they choose, they will ever be on the path of righteousness, on the path of the Divine; their acts will promote the welfare of the entire world! So, when the Ramayana or other narratives of the Divine are recited or read, attention must be fixed on the majesty and mystery of God, on the Truth and Straightforwardness that are inherent in them, and on the practice of those qualities in daily life. No importance should be attached to extraneous matters; the means and manner of the execution of one's duty is the paramount lesson to be learnt.

God, when appearing with Form for the sake of upholding Dharma, behaves in a human way. He needs must! For, He has to hold forth the ideal life before man and confer the experience of joy and peace on men. His movements and activities (Leelas) might appear ordinary and commonplace to some eyes. But, each of these will be an expression of beauty, truth, goodness, joy and exaltation. It will captivate the world with its charm, it will purify the heart that contemplates it. It will overcome and overwhelm all the agitations of the mind. It will tear the veil of Illusion (Maya). It will fill the consciousness with Sweetness. There can be no 'ordinary' and 'commonplace' in the careers of Avathars. Whatever is seen and taken as of that nature is really 'superhuman', 'supernatural', deserving high reverence!

The story of Rama is not the story of an individual; it is the story of the Universe! Rama is the Personification of the basic Universal in all beings. He is in all, for all time, in all space. The story deals not with a period that is past, but with the present and future without end, with beginningless eternal Time!

No ant can bite, without Rama's Will! No leaf can drop from its branch, without Rama's prompting! Sky, wind, fire, water and earth - the Five Elements that compose the Universe - behave as they do for fear of Him, and in tune with His Orders! Rama is the Principle which attracts - and endears through that attraction - the disparate elements in Nature. The attraction that one exerts over another is what makes the Universe exist and function.

That is the Rama principle, without which the cosmos will become chaos. Hence, the axiom: If there be no Rama, there will be no Panorama (Universe).

- "Rama Katha Rasa Vahini" by Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

2005-11-08T09:45:00.000Z

Ganesh Hegde - The best choreographer in India!

I recently came across a mind blowing music video called "G", sung, composed and choreographed by Ganesh Hegde. Man - he is just awesome! That music video is the best choreographed video I have ever come across..I always wanted to choreograph the introduction song of a hero in this way! :) When u see him dancing, Farah Khan, Prabhu deva and others are just peanuts! Ganesh Hegde had choreographed "Mitwa" in Lagaan," "Its magic" in Koi Mil Gaya and many others..Interestingly this album has been endorsed by Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachan, Hrithik Roshan and many others! That tells u how brilliant he is! :)

I have been always passionate about dancing (not the classical stuff!)..and have been "break" dancing from the age of 7! Now days when I break dance, I tend to break anything that is in my way ;)

I somehow managed to get his video for the song "Main Deewana" but if you guys (dance lovers) want to see it - u must be prepared to download a 38MB file - that too the server is too slow - it could take up a hour or so! But its worth checking it out - since u will be definitely blown away!

The video download link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WOCYSAWN

Another interesting remix song I heard is "Kya Khoob Lagti Ho" by DJ Suketu (the remix version from the old film Dharmatma) - I really liked it especially the female voice was damn good, especially when she sings "jeevan ha kara sapna, abu sacha lagta hai"..just too good! Not to forget Udita Goswami (who is starring in this video) was just.....

Oops, I dont want to comment on that - else my dear friend Krishna would become too philosophical! :))

2005-11-07T12:30:00.000Z

Om Saravana Bhavaya Namah

Today is the last day of Kandhar Shashti and the worse thing was I came to know about it only yesterday! I have been eating non-veg without knowing Kandhar Shashti was going on! :( - Ok since Lord Murugan and his Divine Father understand me very well, its fine! They wouldnt mind ;) So let us all read about Lord Muruga now :)

Murugan in Tamil comes from the Tamil word 'murugu' which is said to connote the six qualities: Beauty, Freshness, Fragrance, Sweetness, Divinity, Joy. He is meditated upon by the six-lettered mantra ‘sa-ra-va-na-bha-va’ . The six syllables connote Him who manifested as a personification of Auspiciousness, Light, Splendour, Bounty, Purity and Infinite Prowess. Saravana-bhava therefore means the one who is a combination of all these. The Chandogya-upanishad speaks of Skanda as the Supreme Being. The word Subrahmanya itself means the one who originated from Brahman in joy and is inseparable from the Bliss of the ultimate Reality. God Subrahmanya is primarily the preceptor who imparts the highest knowledge. His six faces confer the light of wisdom, grace, austerity, mantra-sakti, victory over evil, and love. The six hills which are especially sacred to him are signified by the six chakras in the human body through which the kundalini rises to travel to the Supreme.

Kandhar Anubhuthi sung by Saint Arunagirinathar is a beauty. It had such an impact on me. For eg., check out this verse:

Verse 51 of Kandhar Anubhuthi :

Uruvaai Aruvaai Ulathaai Ilaathai
Maruvaai Malaraai Maniyaai Oliyaai
Karuvaai Uiraai Gathiyaai Vidhiyaai
Guruvaai Varuvaai Arulvaai Gugane

Translation:

"With form and formless, what is not and what is,
Flower and fragrance, gem and radiance,
Body and Soul, Salvation and rules of righteousness,
O Lord Who comes as Guru! O Guha! Bestow Thy Grace."

Explanation:

"O Almight Lord Guha! O Supreme Being Whom comes with form and
without form, as what is and what is not, as flower and its
fragrance, as gem and its radiance, as body (universe) and soul
(universal spirit) that pervades and animates, as the rules of
righteousness and Moksha, and as the Guru! Bestow Thy Grace on all"

This verse is a spontaneous and ecstatic outpouring of Saint Arunagirinathar's highest experience of God, composed in a simple, melodious and majestic syle which lulls one into a spiritual mood even as one recites it.

If you would like to read about Saint Arunagirinathar, please do visit this link:

http://davidgodman.org/asaints/agirinatha1.shtml

SRI SUBRAMANYOHAM!

2005-11-07T08:20:00.000Z

A prank I played yesterday! - lol

I recently received a marriage invitation to one of my close friend's marriage. He had sent it to the whole RECT-ian yahoogroup. So yesterday when I was bit bored, I just played a prank to see how many people do actually read the mails before replying. So what I did was, I wrote the same with some changes and sent it back to the 3 yahoogroups I am associated with. What I found out was majority of the people do not even read mails before replying :)).. They dont know the content and they just read the Subject line and reply..Check it out ;) Anandji, I am turning out to be Jaga Nataka Suthrathari :P - lol

Original Marriage Invitation which I received:

Subject: xx's Marriage!

Dear all,

Hope you are all doing fine! I know I have not mailed you in past for quite sometime! Sorry about that.But I have a good news to share with you and I request you to come down for the occasion and wish me. Yes...Iam getting married on ** of November to **. She is also from ** and marriage will be in **. I will send the formal invitation once it is ready,but just wanted to convey this good news to all of you, so that you could plan accordingly. I will be very happy if you all come to the marriage and wish me.With the formal invitation, I shall provide the venu eand timings information. You are cordially invited forthe marriage :-) Please consider this as a personal invitation and I request you to attend the same with your family and friends.

Thank You
Your lovingly
****.

The prank invitation I sent to my yahoogroups!:

Subject: Arjuna Sathiaseelan's Marriage!
Dear all,

Hope you are all doing fine! I know I have not mailed you in past for quite some time! Sorry about that.But I have a good news to share with you and I request you "not" to come down for the occasion and wish me. Yes...I am "not" getting married! I will "not" send any formal invitation, since there is no marriage, but just wanted to convey this good news to all of you.Please consider this as a personal invitation and I request you "not" to attend the same with your family and friends.

Thank You
Your lovingly
Arjuna Sathiaseelan ;)

A reply I got - lol
Subject: Re:Arjuna Sathiaseelan's Marriage!

Hi arjuna,
nalamaai vaala valamaana vaalthukkal.
Mmmmm Ponnu yaarunnau sollavea illa....

2005-11-06T01:30:00.000Z

Dwaraka – Rise and Fall

Dwaraka has a special importance as one of the major Hindu pilgrim place, known as the capital of Lord Krishna's Kingdom. It is also an important historical monument. The region of the west coast, where Krishna was to settle the Yadavas was full of flowering and fruit-bearing trees. Here grew the nagacampas, grapes, coconut trees and many others. It was the land of the hunter Ekalavya. Dronacarya had also lived here. Krishna decided to built a new city here and laid the foundation at an auspicious moment. He named the new city Dvaravati. Much later the poet Magha in his Sisupalavadha, sarga2, describes in slokas 31 onwards, the city of Dwaraka, sloka 33 can be translated:

"The yellow glitter of the golden fort of the city in the sea throwing yellow light all round looked as if the flames of vadavagni came out tearing asunder the sea."

Dwaraka on mainland which was one of the busiest ports of the Mahabharata Period met a sudden end due to the fury of the sea. After the Mahabharata War Krishna lived for 36 years at Dwaraka. At the end, the Vrshnis, Bhojas and Satvatas destroyed themselves in a fratricidal feud at Prabhasa but Krishna did not interfere to save them. The portends of destruction seen by Sri Krishna who advised immediate evacuation of Dwarakaare stated in Bhagavata Purana. Dwaraka abandoned by Hari (Krishna) was swallowed by the sea. The submergence took place immediately after Sri Krishna departed from the world.

Construction of Dwaraka

Interesting descriptions about its construction are found in Puranas. "Fearing attack from Jarasangh and Kaalayvan on Mathura, Shri Krishna and Yadavas left Mathura and arrived at the coast of Saurashtra. They decided to build their capital in the coastal region and invoke the Vishwakarma the deity of construction. However, Vishwakarma says that the task can be completed only if Samudradev, the Lord of the sea provided some land. Shri Krishna worshipped Samudradev, who was pleased and gave them land measuring 12 yojans and the Lord vishwakarma build Dwaraka, a "city in gold". This beautiful city was also known as Dwaramati, Dwarawati and Kushsthali.

Book X of the Bhagvata Purana says, Krishna used ‘his supernatural yogic powers’, in a crisis of battle, to transfer all his people to Dwaraka where he could protect them from the enemy in ‘a fortress inaccessible to human beings.’

“The Lord caused a fortress constructed in the western sea. In the fortress he got built a city twelve yoganas (96 miles) in area and wonderful in every respect. The building of the city exhibited the expertise in architecture and the skill in masonry of Tvastr, the architect of the gods. The roads, quadrangles, streets and residential areas were constructed in conformity to the prescribed tenets of science of architecture pertaining to city building. In the city, gardens planted with celestial trees and creepers and wonderful parks were laid out. It was built with sky-scraping, gold-towered buildings and balconies of crystals. It had barns built of silver and brass which were adorned with gold pitchers. The houses therein were of gold and big emeralds.”

Destruction of Dwaraka

At the time of the death of Shri Krishna, who was hit by the arrow of a hunter near Somnath at Bhalka Tirth, Dwaraka disappeared under the sea.The information and material secured through underwater excavation off Dwaraka corroborates with the references to the City of Dwaraka, made in the Great Epic Mahabharata and various other Sanskrit literary works. In Mahabharata, there is a specific account about the submerging of Dwaraka, by the sea which reads thus:

"The sea, which had been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. The sea rushed into the city. It coursed through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea covered up everything in the city. Even as they were all looking, Arjuna saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged one by one. Arjuna took a last look at the mansion of Krishna. It was soon covered by the sea. In a matter of a few moments it was all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the beautiful city which had been the favourite haunt of all the Pandavas. Dwaraka was just a name; just a memory."

2005-11-05T11:55:00.000Z

A beautiful song..

I am currently hooked to a very nice melodious song..Its hindustani based and its damn good! I really liked it..Its from the film "Taj Mahal" composed by the great Naushad. This film was released in May 2005, and I just got the chance to hear this beauty!

Ajnabi Thehro Zara

Just listen to Preeti Uttam's voice - just divine - the voice vibrates! Too good! I just love her voice!

2005-11-04T09:45:00.000Z

My all time favourite advert!

Have u guys seen the new Surf Excel advert? Its an amazingly cute advert! This is my all time best advert! It just reminds me of the bond I used to share with my sister when we were kids..

In this advert, the brother and sister walk along a muddy road, and the sister accidently falls into the muddy puddle of rain water and starts crying..the brother seeing this..gets wild..and jumps into the puddle and starts throwing punches asking the puddle to say "sorry" :), while the sister says "adi anna, nalla adi"..then she feels happy that her brother has bashed the puddle up, and starts smiling..the brother seeing this is very happy and walks along with his sister with a triumphant smile on his face :)..This advert is so heart touching..so cute..The kids are so cute and the brother reminds me a lot in appearance :)

Reminds me of those days when I used to steal money from my aunty's purse, buy frooties for me and my sister and then get caught while giving the other frooti to my sister! Gone are those days :(...

I have uploaded this advert (the hindi version) for those who havent seen it :)..

http://rapidshare.de/files/4368419/Daag.wmv.html

You just need to click the link, the click the free button (scroll down then click) - then u will get the link. Its under 6MB, but worth the download! Just amazing :) - I was searching for this advert for almost a month and finally got it!

2005-11-02T00:30:00.000Z

Future of our kids

I have been contemplating on this topic for a very long time. Time to post this for another series of discussions :) . I have been quite worried about the future of our kids. Their marriage lives in particular. Why?

I have some cousin sisters in their early 30's who were born and brought up here and they grew up with our religious traditions, and now they are finding it hard to get their proper match! They want someone who is brought up here! They also want their bridegrooms to follow our culture and traditions. There is no proper match for them and they do not want imported guys from Srilanka as well since even though they follow our traditions - their mindset is still British! They are finding it hard to get the right match and they are struggling to get married now! This sign is quite worrying for the future of our kids.

Say for eg, I get married and have children (preferably one or none!). Now me being a palaya panjagam (or a guy who still follows the old traditions) - I will be making sure that my children are influenced by our eastern traditions/culture and religion. I can never compromise on that considering the fact that if I have a son - I would prefer him to be a Saint! :)

Now my worry is - say in the next 25 years when my children grow up, marriage is going to be a big problem! Since my children would very much influenced by our tradition and me being a strong believer in my religion and traditions - I can never compromise on their marriage! But will I be able to find a proper match for my children who are also similar to them? Or will they be able to find their suitable match?

Remember this is in the next 25 years..Since from what I see and experience now is - children who grow up here are mostly influenced by the western culture and their kids will definitely be influenced by the western culture. For eg take the case of my cousin brother who grew up here - he can understand tamil but can't read, write or speak. But fortunately his wife who was born here can speak tamil! But I am quite sure - their kids are not going to speak tamil since they converse in English. Even if his children follow our religion and traditions- they would still have a western mindset.

So my questions are - how would you like your children to grow up? Would you prefer them to follow our traditions? Or would you just leave them to grow as they want - find some Tom, Dick or Harry and look after their own lives and lose their traditional identites? How do you forsee the future of these kids who grow up in Western countries? Any measures that can be taken?

2005-10-29T17:10:00.000Z

Happy Diwali

Dear Friends,

Wish you all a Happy and Prosperous Diwali :)

Let me conclude with something good! :) - I would like to inform you about a fellow blogger, a very nice person called "Kutti" Priya. She may be kutti in her appearance but she is definitely bigger than me when it comes to heart! Check out "Sahaaya" - the organization she has set up to help the poor kids! We must be proud of her!

So I am ending up with my Diwali message - "A little bit of food given to a hungry person is his ambrosia and his tears of joy is an immortality giving nectar to your Soul" - Lets live a life that is meaningful!

Hats off Priya!

2005-10-28T08:45:00.000Z

Diseases and I - Final Part!

Ok - first of all - I would like to thank each and everyone of you for your concern and wonderful tips. Thanks a lot. Second - as I said - my only problem is my stupid migraine and nothing else :) - I am just bit over cautious with diseases since I have seen my father suffering from my childhood days! So I am very cautious about diseases. As of now I am fit as fiddle or as Aatma says my Sarath body is still intact :P - lol

Ok - the reason why I started the previous topic was I wanted to write the following topic, a topic that has been in my mind for such a long time which I wanted to share with you all.

God has kindly given me everything in this life from great family especially my divine mother, health, money, education etc - but I am always sad within me! Why?

"Vaadiya Payirai Parukum Pothellam Naanum Vaadinen" - these were the famous words of Saint Vallalar.

These words are the only cause of my sorrow! Whenever I see a sick person, I feel sad. Whenever I see someone not happy, I feel sad. Whenever I see death, I am sad. Whenever someone around me is depressed, I get depressed. Whenever someone tells me about their sorrows, I am immersed in sorrow! When someone else suffers, I suffer!

That is one reason why I can never be next to a sick person. Even when my mother had some minor operations - I was not next to her! Since I cant see her suffering! I still feel guilty that I have not been with my mother when she suffered. But I really dont have the mental strength to see my mother or someone suffering! I really cant take it! So whenever I see my father suffer, I am feeling the pain he is undergoing.

That is why I have decided that - if I get a disease in the future and if I am married - I will make sure my wife and children (if any) are financially stable and I would leave them and go to my final destination - to my Divine Father Lord Arunachala in Tiruvanamalai. I do not want anyone to see me nor be next to me! I dont want others to undergo the suffering that I am going through!

That is why I never go to any marriages, parties, or any place where people enjoy their lives! Since whenever I see people being happy, I wonder how can people be enjoying their lives when you have people suffering! My mother thinks I am quite wierd and she always warns me not to become another Buddha! I wish I could be a Buddha!

The question I wanted to ask was - how can someone be detached when he sees people around him suffering? Why did Saint Vallalar say those famous words?

2005-10-27T16:00:00.000Z

Diseases and I!

Nowdays, Arjuna without migraine is equivalent to Rava Uppuma without Rava! For the past 4 days, I have got 3 migraine attacks - 2 on my right and today on the left side! This is the 5 th attack in 3 weeks! Usually at this time of the year - I start getting this stupid disease! Its such a pain! As soon as my eyes blur and I see some divine aura around me - I know that my friend has come to strike me! I immediately put 2 tablets of paracetamol - but still nothing helps. I am planning to go and see my GP aka doctor today! The main problem why I have been avoiding him is - he thinks that I am 'quite' paranoid about diseases and I am just imagining things! Whenever I go to him - I start saying I could have nephritis in the kidney, Biliary Atresia in the liver, Type B diabetes, left ventricular heart failure etc etc.. Moreover I suggested him some medicines and and he went what??? He requested me not to come to his clinic for a year! Maybe he is jealous that I am more knowledgeable than him!!

I have a severe paranoia when it comes to diseases from my early age of 14! I have been taking regular blood tests (Sugar, Blood Cholestrol (LDL,HDL, Trigylcerides)) every year ( and sometimes my cholestrol levels are over the roof!) and recently I have started having ECGs done. Next year I plan to have a MRI scan done to my heart and it could cost me a lot of money - that reminds me I should save some! I take garlic tablets daily, eat Benecol butter that is supposed to be a cholestrol buster, do exercises (????) and most importantly I regret and feel sad after eating junk food!

Now I am worried that I may have some problems with my insulin. My blood pressure is always low (113/66 mmHg - last year it was 107/57 mmHg!) with a pulse rate of 60 which my doctor in India says its good - but I am not quite happy with his answer! Yesterday when I was doing some research on low blood pressure I found out that low blood pressure could be caused due to diabetes as well! And now I am pissed off! Low blood pressure and migraine - something suspicious now! I need to have my body scrutinized asap!

For those who are wondering why on earth I am like this - as some of you(Parvati, Viji and Aatma) would know - my father is a heart transplant patient and kidney failure patient who lives on dialysis! Yesterday the doctor has told that his ventricle has narrowed (due to the asymmetry causing calcium deposits) and he may have to undergo an operation but there is a risk involved since he is a heart transplant patient! Now you would know why I am like this! I even had my own private medical insurance cover paying a whopping 45 pounds per month - then discontinued it after some advice! I guess its high time I get back my insurance again!

-- to be contd!

2005-10-26T01:30:00.000Z

Why am I so obsessed with skin?

Ok before, I start my topic - I would like to wish my love a very "Happy Birthday"!

Ok for the past few weeks, I have written some spiritual posts, some posts on music and now you could have easily guessed that I would come out with my posts on my loves and crushes :). Yes I am back to what I am good at! But before I start - some topics may be B-grade - so the women readers especially Parvati whom I respect so much - please excuse and pardon me! I am just trying to be very frank here! So pardon me if I have hurt your sentiments!

"Arjuna, you are so obsessed with skin!" - these were some wise, angry words from a friend who is a girl! How true! I still wonder why I am so obsessed with skin! My obsession and passion for beauty started from the age of 6. Some of my cousin sisters told me that at that age I used to sit on the wall in my house in Jaffna and look at all the school and college girls that passby! I still remember when I was 7, I asked my father "appa, why am I falling in love with all these girls who come to my house?"! So my passion for pretty women started from a very young age and as time passed by - my passion has turned into an obsession! While in college, I used to describe the beauty of women in such a passionate manner - my room was virtually filled with guys coming and listening to my passionate discourse!! For eg - I used to describe how a girl's hip should be - "If you roll a small ball (goli) over a girl's hip or iduppu - it should roll back and forth like a pendulum !"

From the day I saw Prashanth in "Hello" dancing for this song - I used to tell my mother that my ambition is to dance with 5 girls on the left and 5 girls on the right on top of Valluvar Kottam for this song! And even if I dont get 10 girls - I will atleast hire some and dance! My mother used to put her hand on her head :)) - Infact the day before I was born, my mother dreamt a kutti Hanuman was sleeping on a craddle! I still wonder how I can be a reincarnation of Lord Hanuman :P! Maybe its because I am bit naughty! lol

So why am I like this? Maybe its just my imaginations are so wild! My mother thinks I am bit artistic in my thoughts - and that is how I talk to people. I describe everything very passionately! I love anything that is beautiful. I love beautiful women, beautiful music, beautiful houses, beautiful animals, beautiful scenaries and even handsome men! I just simply adore beauty to its fullest!

Yesterday my dearest friend Atma was telling me that I would show my love to a girl to the fullest provided I dont see someone else. That was very true :) Since my mind just fluctuates whenever I see someone more beautiful and immediately fall in love with that one too!

Maybe its my Jathakam or astrological chart that is the culprit! My astrologers say since my Sukran or Venus is very strong - my love life would be always strong and advised me to stay away from women! Maybe that is one reason why I wanted to become a Saint:P - but I am quite sure its my vasanas from my previous birth that is tormenting me now!

[Note : There are so many negative things/sorrow/death/disease happening around me - so that is why I wanted to write something that could make others smile - so that I can be happy - I respect women so much and they are not an object of desire for me! I cannot live without them! Its just the beauty that adores me!]

2005-10-25T00:11:00.000Z

Jo - You are just an awesome singer

Guys this is about Jo, a fellow blogger you would have known. But for others who do not know about this amazing guy - just check his divine voice! His voice is ditto like K.J.Yesudas and Madhu balakrishnan. I happened to listen to his songs yesterday and immediately sent an email to A.R.Rahman providing him with the links! Hopefully he would respond! I have already sent emails to many of my friends informing about him :).. Such talent should be recognized! I wonder how these mallus have such divine voice - and not to forget the mallu girls are so pretty as well :)

Just click to listen to my favourite songs from Jo's blog:

1) An absolute beauty!
http://www.joplanet.com/blog/2005/09/celine-dion.html

2)My all time favourite "harivarasanam"
http://www.joplanet.com/blog/2005/09/song-requests.html

3)My favourite mallu composer Deepak Dev's song from Symphony
http://www.joplanet.com/blog/2005/09/back-to-audio-blogging.html

2005-10-24T13:00:00.000Z

Misconception about Animal Sacrifice

After a series of discussions, I am back with a spiritual post. I have another serious topic for discussion which I would post soon. After my post on the "Inner meaning of the Caste System" - I would like to put up this post which tells you the inner meaning of sacrifice in Hinduism unfortunately misinterpreted by the common man as sacrificing animals to Hindu Gods.

According to Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba [Dharma Vahini - Chapter 1]:

"You have to understand ancient Dharmakarmas by entering into their symbolic meaning. The spiritual field has many a technical term, with its own special connotation. These have to be clearly understood, so that you can grasp correctly the teaching of the Sastras. Let us take an example: People used to celebrate Yajnas in ancient times; and they sacrificed Pasus or animals in these Yajnas. But, the animal is only a symbol. It was not the dumb creature that had to be cut to pieces. The animal leads a life of sacrifice, without man completing its career at the sacrificial pole! The animal that has to be disemboweled and offered is different; in the spiritual vocabulary, animal means "the body-consciousness", "the I-consciousness"; and it is this that has to be slaughtered. The Lord is known as Pasupathi or Govinda; Pasupathi means the Lord of all Jivas, Pasu meaning Jiva; Govinda means the Guardian of Cows or Jivas, "Go" meaning Jiva. The tending of cows is a symbolic leela of Krishna to indicate His Mission of tending Jivas."

This is what the Saiva Siddhantha preaches as Pasu-Pathi-Paasam. Its three basic codes are 1. Pasu(the contained state of the spirit) 2. Paasam (the three threads that bind -Ego, Karma and Mysticism) 3. Pathi (primordial matter - God). Liberation of the spirit from attachments and attaining salvation (Mukthi) and identifying with God is the ultimate aim.

Unfortunately, people have misunderstood these concepts and ended up slaying animals for sacrifice.

2005-10-20T22:35:00.000Z

Non Hindus Not Allowed!

I have seen this in the temple boards of Kancheepuram and Madurai. I have no clue why they have this in the first place!Because God is common to all irrespective of any religion and why shouldnt a non Hindu enter the inner sanctum? Infact if you try to get hold of a copy of Kumudam dated February 23, 2004 - there is a very good article on page 17. The article informs you about the person or sthabathi who built the thangarathams or golden chariots for temples like Tirupathy, Marudamalai, Mangadu and various other famous temples. The stabathi who built these golden chariots is a Muslim called Alaudin! He was also instrumental for building the golden kodi maram (I dont know the english name) of Tiruvanamalai and Tiruthani. He has also built 5 Vimanas for the ISKCON temple in Bangalore! The article also describes that Alaudin keeps in mind the Agamas while preparing these things and also undergoes a rigorous fasting while doing it!

I have already written about my driver Yusuf in this blog:
http://naan-yaar.blogspot.com/2005/08/my-best-friend-in-past-3-days-i-have.html

As you all know he is a muslim and if you read my blog on him - u would see how he respected my religion. He used to partake in all the religious homams I had in my home, he used to circumbulate the sacred Holy Arunachala so many times with me, he used to partake in the abhishekams in temples etc.. So whenever he accompanied us into the inner sanctum of the temples, my mother used to call him by the name "Venkataraman"! Just incase someone stops him knowing him to be a non-hindu!

I assume its just the cleanliness issue that is being considered here. But how many of us Hindus are clean in the first place when going to temples? If I eat non-veg, I make sure that I dont go to the temple on that day and I go on the next day after having a head bath.

At this point of time, where there should be religious harmony, I guess these type of boards should be removed. Non hindus should be encouraged to come to temples. Then only they will have the opportunity to understand our great religion that preaches Universal Love.

Your views are welcome.

[Update: I just remembered an incident that happened a few days ago. My father's friend who is of pakistani origin (muslim) gave my father some money and asked him to buy some coconuts and flowers and told him to do pooja in a Shiva temple! He was telling my father the way to do the pooja! It seems he has almost 48 pillayar statues and last year my father brought one for him from Chennai!]

2005-10-19T00:05:00.000Z

Marriage - is it a must?

This question was triggered by Parvati's and Viji's comments in my previous post. I used to say to my mother, that there is no use of marrying, and its better for me to become a saint(??) ! But my outlook completely changed when I came to UK. I know a couple of aunties in their late 50's here and they are still single. They tell me that it is a big mistake on their part not to have married and they advice me to get married! They regret their decisions now. That too in UK, loneliness easily creeps in and you become mad after sometime! Parvati points out that marriage and children are not a must for a women and it is not the end of their lives. Even though I agree with her - I have to say that if a women prefers to be single, then she must make sure that she is occupied for the rest of her life! Else loneliness sets in! But still, I am not sure whether there is some sense of satisfaction at the end! Does she get a sense of completeness? - I am not sure!

This applies to men also. I can never be alone without women in my life! Women(my mother,chitthi,aunty, my sister) made me what I am today, and cant even imagine my life without a woman! I can always remain single till my mother is alive - but after her - there would be a huge emptiness in my life, which could be filled only by a wife! If I am to remain single, then I should either become someone like Ramana Maharishi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Abdul Kalam and remain occupied without feeling any loneliness! But I am not sure whether I can become like them!

So according to me, marriage is a definite must for both men and women provided their wavelengths match - else its better not to marry!.

Please do put in your thoughts :)..

2005-10-16T05:00:00.000Z

தாய்மை - ஒரு சிறிய கதை.

[Dedicating this story to my aunty - who died without tasting motherhood, and to all similar women living with pain in this cruel world and to reiterate the fact that I am always there for them as a son!]

இன்று:
இடம்: விஜயா மருத்துவமனை.

"ராம், sorry to say, உங்க மனைவி ரொம்ப serious-அ இருக்கிறாங்க! குழந்தையா, மனைவியா - நீங்க decide பண்ணிகுங்க!" என்றார் டாக்டர்.

அன்று:
அவள் பெயர் வசந்தி. திருமணம் ஆகி 7 வருடஙகள் ஆகின. அவளிடம் எல்லாம் இருந்தது, ஒன்றைத் தவிர. அது குழந்தை! அவள் ஒரு மலடி! ஆம், இது தான் சமுகம் அவளுக்கு கொடுத்த பட்டம்! தன் கணவனைத் தவிர, வேறு யாரும் அவளின் நிலமையை புரிந்து கொள்ளவில்லை. இத்தனை வருடங்களில் அவள் அடைந்த வேதனைகள் பல. குழந்தை இல்லை என்ற காரணத்தால் சமுதாயம் அவளை உதாசினபடுத்தியது. தன் கணவனின் தங்கை திருமணத்தில், அவள் மாமியார் அவளை மணமேடையில் நிற்க வேண்டாம் என்று கூறியது, தன் சொந்த சகோதரியின் வளைகாப்புக்கு அவளை வரவேண்டாம் என்று கூறியது என பல வகையால் சமுதாயம் அவளின் இதயத்தை கிழித்தது. ஏன் என்றால் அவள் ராசி இல்லாதவளாம்! இதற்கெல்லாம் அவளின் ஒரே பதில், கணவனுக்கு தெரியாமல் பல இரவுகளில் அவள் விடும் கண்ணீர்.

இறைவன் நல்லவன்! வசந்தி கருவுற்றாள்! இத்தனை வருடங்களாக அவளை அவமானபடுத்திய சமுதாயம் இப்பொது தன் தலையில் அவளைத் தூக்கி வைத்து ஆடியது! அவள் கருவுற்ற அந்த 9 மாதங்கள் அவளின் வாழ்வின் மிகவும் சந்தோஷமான தருணங்கள். தாய்மையின் ஒவ்வொரு வலியும் அவளுக்கு இன்பமாக இருந்தது.

இன்று:
இடம்: விஜயா மருத்துவமனை.

"டாக்டர், எனக்கு என் மனைவி தான் ரொம்ப முக்கியம்! எனக்கு என் குழந்தை வேண்டாம் டாக்டர்! Please எப்படியாவது அவளை காப்பாதிடுங்க டாக்டர்!" என்று வலியால் துடித்து கொண்டிருக்கும் வசந்தியை Operation theatre-க்கு கொண்டு சென்றவாரே கதறினான் ராம்.

"ராம், we will try our best. அதற்கு மேல் கடவுள் கையில் தான் இருக்கு! Please sit down ராம்" என்று கூறிக்கொண்டே Operation theater-குல் நுழைந்தார் டாகடர்.

"டாக்டர், எனக்கு என் குழந்தை தான் முக்கியம். குழந்தை இல்லாம நான் இந்த சமுதாயத்தால் தினம் தினம் சாவதற்கு பதிலாக, நான் ஒரே ஒரு முறை குழந்தை பெற்று, நானும் ஒரு தாய் என்ற பெருமிதத்தில் இறந்திடுவேன் டாக்டர். Please என் குழந்தையை எப்படியாவது காப்பாதிடுங்க டாக்டர்".
என்றாள் வசந்தி கண்ணீருடன். டாக்டர், வசந்தியின் கண்களை, ஒருமுறை பார்த்தார். அவளின் கண்ணீருக்கு விடை தெரியாதவாரே, அவள் கரங்களை பிடித்தபடி டாக்டர் உள்ளே செல்ல, Operation theatre கதவுகள் மூடின.

இறைவன் கொடியவன்!

2005-10-14T10:30:00.000Z

Cheran's Thavamai Thavamirunthu

The director who gave us "Autograph" (one of the best films I had ever seen - I could'nt sleep for 2 days!) is back with Thavamai Thavamirunthu. This film is releasing for Diwali. I saw the above picture in Ananda Vikatan and it reinforced my strong belief in Cheran! Its such an artistic picture! An epitome of simplicity, ethinicity, rusticity, elegance and beauty! Just beautiful! I am hooked to the songs from the film and infact I am quite shocked since the songs were composed by Sabesh-Murali (brothers of Deva)! They gave a wonderful BGM in Autograph and I am quite sure the BGM of this movie is one to look for. Do listen to the songs - its just mesmerizing. Ho - I should not forget to say about Padma Priya - the heroine of this film - I am just mesmerized by her beauty from the day I saw her interview in some malayalam channel long time ago! She is damn pretty!

Click to listen to these wonderful songs:

Unnai Saran Adainthen

Theme Music

Enna Parkirai

2005-10-13T00:05:00.000Z

To my dearest Asin,

[Update: Just remembered my old webpage for Asin. I stopped updating them now! : http://www.dcs.kcl.ac.uk/pg/arjuna/index1.html .
Moreover, my yahoogroups for asin: goddessasin - I dont update any news nowdays and I plan to find some new moderators - anyone interested - let me know :)]

காதல் தேவதையே,
உன் அழகைப் பாத்து சந்திரன் மேகதிற்குள் மறைந்தது,
அதன் அவமானம், கண்ணீர் துழிகளாக இம்மண்ணில் விழுந்தன,
நீ பிறந்தது, என்னை கொல்வதர்காகவா?
இன்றே என்னை தீயால் கொன்றுவிடு -
உன் காதல் தீ என்னை தினமும் கொல்லுதடி!!

தீ காயங்களுடன் - ஆர்ஜுனா :(

[Atma and Adi - For tanglish, please refer first comment!]

2005-10-12T00:10:00.000Z

Mahabaratha - DVD

My long cherished dream of having the entire Mahabaratha episodes directed by B.R.Chopra has come true today. Got the entire DVD collection from amazon.co.uk today. Its the greatest epic of all time and its just awesome watching it again - the only problem is the out-of-synch subtitles and its a shame I cant understand hindi :( - hindi thoda thoda malum!. Watched the first two episodes today. I am just waiting to get to the episodes of the Kurukshetra. Its a must buy for all lovers of this great epic.

2005-10-11T21:25:00.000Z

My 100th post!

You made this happen! I would like to thank each and everyone of you who have kept me going and tolerating the utter nonsense I write! I would like to dedicate this song to you guys:

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/05vgpWsYzd.As1NMvHdW/

This is what I feel about you guys! Luv u all! :)

2005-10-10T22:45:00.000Z

I am ranting!

Just wanted to write about the events that happened today..

My singhalese friend "I" came and met me today..She recently got married to a guy she saw in Srilanka and none of her parents, family members and friends know about it. She was telling me how this marriage took place all of a sudden and how this guy has become a pain in her a** now!This guy is still staying in Srilanka, and does not do any work, and always asks her to send money for his living! And if she doesnt repond to his requests for money, he threatens to commit suicide! It seems he was telling her that if his mother passes away, he would definitely commit suicide, since he does not know what to do without his mother! One helluva guy! She was asking me what to do with him! I just told her one thing - Divorce Him!! I cant stand men who depend on women for money! Yuck! There is no use of having this idiot as a husband, so suggested her to divorce him and she feels that it is a wise decision! I am not sure whether what I have done is right or wrong - but this is the right decision according to me! Its better to come out of a relationship rather than trying to adjust with some lazy buffoon who does not love her but just wants her for money! I am not sure how many of you would agree with me on this! A typical balachander type of puratchi! If she had kids, then its a different story, but since she doesnt - its better for her to come out and marry someone else!

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Why on earth do these girls wear makeup and come to temples? They dress as if they are coming to a fashion show!! Ridiculous! It just irritates me to see these women coming to temples wearing all these jewels as if they are parading for a jewellery ad! Atrocious!Ditto with men who come with rings in their all their fingers and gold chains on their necks! It just irritates me!! I cant stand it!

2005-10-06T23:30:00.000Z

Kavignar Arjuna-vin Lollukaatu Ithigasam!

கண்ணே நான் இருக்கும் இடமோ லால்குடி,
நீயோ எனக்கு ஓர் சாத்துகுடி

வீட்டில் வந்து கேட்டாய் காபி பொடி,
அன்று விழுந்தது எனக்கு காதல் அடி

நீ கொஞ்சம் ஏறி வா மாடிப்படி,
அங்கே என்னை இறுக்கி கட்டிப்பிடி

அதை கண்டதும் உன் தாடி வச்ச daddy
எனக்கு போட்டார் பார் தர்ம அடி

நீ மட்டும் ஒரு வார்த்தை சொல்லடி,
நான் விழுகிறேன் உன் தகப்பன் காலடி!

பதில் வருமா,
சுகம் தருமா
வரவிட்டால் குடிப்பேன்,
Canteen குர்மா!

[For tanglish - please refer first comment]

Sari Sari ennai ellarum pugalathinga! No maalais (garlands) or mariyathais please :P - Also if you want to organize any events to felicitate me - please note - I will be busy for the next few months - so no call sheet ! LOL

2005-10-04T23:03:00.000Z

Mini Blogger's Meet - Last Sunday in Pics!

TJ and I met all of a sudden last sunday. We walked along the Thames and then went to the newly built Murugan temple in Eastham! This temple is the most beautiful Hindu temple in UK - it was so beautiful and unlike the other temples which are built in old churches - this temple is magnificiently built, has its own gopuram and loads of parking space. We had prasadam(Ven pongal, Chakra pongal etc - I would have preferred to have some Sambar and papaddum in their menu :P) for dinner and then went to Chennai Dosa for filter coffee!

Eastham Murugan Temple

TJ Swamy

Westminister Clock Tower

London Eye

2005-10-03T16:55:00.000Z

Why does this happen to me? :P

"Entha ponnukum kalyanam agalaati, Arjuna oru kadai kann parvai paatha pothum - nichayama kalyanam aidum - not with him but with someone else" - these were the wise words from my best friend Sriram :))..

My past track record suggests - 13 crushes - out which 9 got married as soon as I fell in luv with them!! And I was never even able to propose to any of these 13 - due to different reasons!

The first time I fell in luv/crush was with a girl called Meera when I was in my 6th std and she was in her 4th - me sari luv for 2 yrs with her - but didnt propose!

Then with "A" :) - during my 9th and 10th - again didnt have the guts to propose nor to tell anyone about this! But now told her!

Then during my first year with this abithakujalambal type girl called P.L (an iyengar) for 3 months or so! Married now!

Then during my second year with "Ni" and her sister "Na" in parallel :)) - (yeah oru kallula irandu maanga :)) ) - but the kallu missed the mangas! :( - Both got married as soon as I liked them and came to London and settled.

Then in my third year, I met a damn beautiful lankan girl called "D" - who was doing her BSc Agri in some stupid college near Trichy. This was the only girl I jollufied! Rombave valinchen! Next week she got proposed to someone and then got married - now in Australia! :(

Then in my first year PhD - one more - who got married - Dont want to tell who it is - incase that person checks this and finds out :))

Then a girl called "M" - damn pretty - my famil friend - things went well with her - response was damn good too! But found out that she was quite arrogant and fights with her sister by pulling her hair - that's it - appadiyai odi vanthuten! I dont want to loose my remaining hair! Vita pothum saami!

Then another girl called "S" - everything went well - told my parents - I want to marry her - my parents agreed - then found out she was in luv with someone - and now she is married too :(

Then few other girls - some got married and some not!

So when I was discussing my luv failures to Aatma - we decided that we shall never fall in luv with anyone and become saints - so that is why I dedicated that song in my previous blog :))..Athukaka ippadi ellarum etho condolence book-la sign podura mathiri - orai senti :))

But when I was reading the Bhagwat Gita - I came across some important verses - where Lord Krishna says to Arjuna - "Ho Arjuna, if you dont fight now, your enemies will think that you are scared of them and you are running away from them - so get up and fight - do your duty"

These words have given me a different outlook now - Yes, I am back again! Aatma - come buddy lets start our search all over again :))

As our "thalai" Ajith says in Attagasam - "Elunthiten - Itho Varen" - LOL

2005-10-02T16:07:00.000Z

Dedicating this awesome song..

I would like to dedicate one of my all time favourite songs to myself, Aatma, TJ Swamy and Saravana, and if there are any more guys with love/crush failures who have become Saints! :(

Please do listen to it and shed a few tears for us :(( !
.."Click and Listen!"

2005-09-30T09:00:00.000Z

Awesome Awesome - Out of the World Music

Guys, Thanks to Keerthi, I have got one of the most amazing musical experience I have ever had!

http://rapidshare.de/files/5696063/Endaru_Mahanu.mp3.html

Check this out - Out of the world experience! I am in ecstasy!Awesome - Awesome! This is what I call sheer BLISS! Check the interlude that comes from 3:15!! You will know why I am in an ecstastic state!

I fall humbly at the feet of the person who has created this amazing master piece! The symphony reminds me of the great Yanni - but not sure.

What is there in Lust - When you have such great Music?

[Ok the latest I hear - this master piece was done by Vidyasagar! It was a symphony attempt by him - and what can I say about this! Awesome Vidya! No words to praise you - the best attempt I have ever heard! Awesome..

Also its a shame that these type of efforts go un-noticed!]

[Found it finally - Its from the mallu film Devadhoodhan starring Mohanlal :)]

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/l/20/s/movie_name.3252/

2005-09-28T17:40:00.000Z

My comments

These are my comments for the blog entitled "Brahman and Maya - my doubts".

Kasthuri: Thanks for your great comment. I advice all readers to read Kasthuri's comment. It was an eye opener. From your comment I conclude - that this world is real from the relativistic point of view and once the sense of "EGO" goes, the world becomes an illusion, since there is only Brahman or GOD! Beautiful explanation.

Regarding your comment in Question 2, again a beautiful explanation. The term "manifestation" is very important as you said. I shall correct the error I made, when I said "creation" rather it should be termed as "manifestation". This term of "manifestation" reminds me of the Bhagwad Gita verse I read recently:

Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 28:

avyaktadini bhutani

vyakta-madhyani bharata

avyakta-nidhanany eva

tatra ka paridevana

Translation: All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?

Beautiful explanations Kasthuri and I salute your Jnana! Thanks a lot for removing my ignorance.

Jacky - Ok, I guess I have an answer to your question, but I guess Kasthuri can clarify this.

In the beginning GOD created the universe and the micro-organisms. These micro-organisms then evolved into plants, animals and then humans. Ok now if you see - when the humans evolved from being animals, they have the animal tendencies. These animal tendencies from their previous birth are the cause of their barbaric life. Then these barbarians after many births due to their experiences gradually reduced their barbaric qualities to become proper human beings! But unfortunately still there are many of us with animal qualities and we need millions of birth to come out of it! So this is my explanation to your question and lets see what Kasthuri is trying to say.

Agni - thanks for your thoughts. I guess Tagore's thoughts are similar to what Kasthuri has pointed.

Anand,Adi, Aatma,TJ, Jeevan,Viji - Thanks for your comments :).

Sriram - What do u mean by Purusha? Is Purusha not the Self? Please clear this doubt.

Phoneix - those were useful thoughts - thanks a lot :)

Once again I would like to thank you all for spending your valuable time in clarifying my doubts :).

2005-09-27T21:22:00.000Z

[Note:I would like to put up my comments for my previous post as a separate blog so that we can have our discussions as blogs for readers to read. My next post would be that. ]

Swami Vivekananda's Awesome Experience of Brahman !

Article from www.cosmicharmony.com - An awesome site - the best spiritual site I have come across.

Sri Ramakrishna wanted to initiate his new pupil, Narendra, into Advaitha Vedanta (the teaching that all this is only the One) and so gave him several Advaitha treatises to read. But the earlier religious background of Narendra would not allow him to accept such teachings. He would rebel saying "It is blasphemy, there is no difference from such philosophy and Atheism. There is no greater sin in the world than to think of oneself as identical with the Creator. I am God, you are God, these created things are God - what can be more absurd than this. The sages who wrote such things must have been insane." Sri Ramakrishna was amused at his pupil's bluntness but told him to go on praying to the God of truth and to believe in whatever aspect of Him that was revealed to him. Narendra however, considered the teachings false and continued to resist and ridicule them. But Sri Ramakrishna knew that Narendra was on the path of Jnana (the higher knowledge) and therefore continued to espouse the Advaithic point of view to him. One day he tried to convince Narendra that he was identical with Brahmam. Narendra left the room and began to discuss the situation with his friend Hazra. He said: "How can that be? This jug is God, this cup is God, whatever we see is God, and we, too are God! Nothing can be more preposterous!" Hazra joined in this criticism and both laughed. Sri Ramakrishna was in his room in a state partly in the Samadhi consciousness and partly in this world. Hearing Narendra's laughter he came out to talk to them. "Hello! What are you talking about?" he said smiling and touched Narendra, who immediately plunged into full Samadhi. Narendra described the effect of the touch:

"That magic touch of the Master immediately brought a change over my mind. I was stupefied to find that really there was nothing in the universe but God! I saw it quite clearly but kept silent, to see if the idea would last. But that influence did not abate in the course of the day. I returned home, but there, too, everything I saw appeared to be Brahmam. I sat down to take my meal, but found that everything - the food, the plate, the person who served, and even myself - was nothing but That. I ate a morsel or two and sat still. I was startled by my mother's words, 'Why do you sit still? Finish your meal.', and began to eat again. But all the while whether eating or lying down or going to college, I had the same experience and felt myself always in a sort of comatose state. While walking in the streets, I noticed cabs plying, but I did not feel inclined to move out of the way, for I felt that the cabs and myself were of one stuff. There was no sensation in my limbs, which I thought were becoming paralyzed. I had no satisfaction from eating and felt as though someone else were eating. Sometimes I lay down during a meal and after a few minutes got up and began to eat again. The result would be that on some days I would take too much, but it seemed to do no harm. My mother became alarmed and said that there must be something wrong with me. She was afraid that I would not live long. When this state altered a little, the world began to appear to me as a dream. While walking in Cornwallis Square, I would strike my head against the iron railings to see if they were real or only a dream. This state of things continued for some days. When I became normal again, I realized that I must have had a glimpse of the Advaitha state. Then it struck me that the words of the scriptures were not false. Thenceforth I could not deny the conclusions of the Advaitha philosophy.

2005-09-27T00:10:00.000Z

Brahman and Maya - My doubts!

Friends, for the past few days, I am immersed in delusion. I have certain doubts and I need your views and suggestions on it. These are my doubts:

According to the Advaitic concept - everything is Brahman. There is one and only one i.e. Brahman and nothing else. So as human beings, our goal in life is to realize that everything is Brahman and there is nothing else other than Brahman. That's fine. But my question is:

Question 1:
Does this universe "really" exist?

Question 2:
If the universe exists then:
After the Kaliyuga when the entire universe is destroyed, God creates another universe with micro-organisms which is again the embodiment of Atman. So if GOD is "creating" micro-organisms, does that mean that micro-organisms exists? Are they true or false?

Question 3:
If the micro-organisms are true, now what is the use of "creating" these micro-organisms since they are not going to realize Brahman? Only humans can realize Brahman! So to become humans these micro-organisms transcend different stages to become humans. So does that mean humans exist?

Question 4:
Following question 4, do we really exist? For Arjuna to realize Brahman - his mind has to become silent. Arjuna should not consider him to be "Arjuna" nor "Brahman" and only when the mind is silent - Arjuna becomes merged with Brahman. So does that mean Arjuna's body exists? Does Arjuna's mind really exists? Also in this example, say Arjuna realizes that everything is Brahman and there is nothing but void - but TJ Swami may not realize that. So does that mean according to Arjuna, there is no entity called TJ Swami ? To summarize, are these bodies real? Are these minds real? Are these senses real?

For advaita to hold true - all these must be false and void. There should be nothing isnt it? So that means there is no mind, there is no body, there is nothing. So if that is true,going back to question 1 and 2 - then why does God create the universe and micro-organisms in the first place? So if GOD is creating something - then that means its true!

Quite confusing isnt it! I am confused! Spoke to TJ Swami about this now and he is also confused! Hopefully someone of you guys can answer us!

2005-09-25T08:12:00.000Z

Suma Iru - Power of Silence - Part 2

Thayumamanvar was a distinguished Tamil poet-saint who lived in the first half of the eighteenth century, from 1705 to 1742 AD. Thayumanavar who was persistently searching for a Guru, came across a Saint called Arul Nandi Sivachariar, who was also known as ‘Mauna Guru’. Arul Nandi Sivachariar came from the lineage of the famous saint Tirumular, whose book, Tirumantiram, written well over a thousand years ago, became one of the canonical works of Saivism.

When Thayumanavar approached him and asked if he could become his disciple, Mauna Guru nodded his head, thereby giving his consent. Thayumanavar then asked if he could follow him wherever he went. Mauna Guru responded by telling him ‘Summa iru,’ which can mean ‘Be still,’ ‘Be quiet,’ and also ‘Remain as you are’. This one phrase apparently brought about a major spiritual transformation in Thayumanavar. In later years, when he began to write ecstatic devotional poetry, he frequently mentioned this event, this phrase, and the effect it had on him. He frequently called it ‘the unique word’ in his verses.

This phrase was also used by Bhagavan Ramana, often with similarly dramatic effect. Muruganar has written in several of his poems that Bhagavan enlightened him by uttering this phrase:

Saying, ‘Enough of dancing, now be still [summa iru],’ Padam [Bhagavan] bestowed on me the state of true jnana that exists forever in my Heart as my own nature. The sovereign grace of Padam completed my sadhana with the words ‘Be still’. What a wonder is this!

The ‘unique word’, summa iru, uttered by a qualified Guru, has an immediate and liberating impact on those who are in a highly mature state. For the vast majority, though, hearing this word from the Guru’s lips is not enough.

Bahgwan Ramana says, "Effortless and choiceless awareness is our real nature. If we can attain it or be in that state, it is all right. But one cannot reach it without effort, the effort of deliberate meditation. All the age-long vasanas carry the mind outward and turn it to external objects. All such thoughts have to be given up and the mind turned inward. For that, effort is necessary for most people. Of course, every book says ‘Summa iru’, i.e., ‘Be quiet or still’. But it is not easy. That is why all this effort is necessary. Even if we find one who has at once achieved the mauna or supreme state indicated by ‘Summa iru’, you may take it that the effort necessary has already been finished in a previous life. So, that effortless and choiceless awareness is reached only after deliberate meditation. That meditation can take any form which appeals to you best. See what helps you to keep away all other thoughts and adopt that method for your meditation."

In this connection Bhagavan quoted verses 5 and 52 from ‘Udal Poyyuravu’ and 36 from ‘Payappuli’ of Saint Thayumanavar. Their gist is as follows. ‘Bliss will follow if you are still. But however much you may tell your mind about the truth, the mind will not keep quiet. It is the mind that won’t keep quiet. It is the mind which tells the mind "Be quiet and you will attain bliss".’ Though all the scriptures have said it, though we hear about it every day from the great ones, and even though our Guru says it, we are never quiet, but stray into the world of maya and sense objects. That is why conscious deliberate effort is required to attain that mauna state or the state of being quiet.

End

References for Parts 1 and 2:

1) Kandhar Anubhuthi - God experience by N.V.Karthikeyan.
2) Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi and Thayumanavar - Robert Butler, T. V. Venkatasubramanian and David Godman.

2005-09-23T08:50:00.000Z

Summa Iru - Power of Silence - Part 1

As promised to my dear friend Aditya, I am posting this article. Also my dear friend Krishna has come up with a real cracker of an article in his blog, dont forget to check that out please. The following verse is Saiva Siddhantha at its best! It tells you the only way to realize Brahman!

Kandhar Anubhuthi - Verse 12 by Saint Arunagirinathar

Semmaan Magalaith Thirudum Thirudan
Pemmaan Murugan Piravaan Iravaan
Summaa Iru Sollara Enralume
Ammaa Porul Onrum Arindhilane

Translation:

"The Stealer who kidnapped Valli, born to the red deer;
That glorious Murugan, deathless and unborn -
When He, speechless, instructed me 'Be Silent',
What wonder! Even a single object I knew not."

Explanation:

"What a wonder! When Lord Murugan - the stealer who kidnapped Valli
born of a red deer, the Glorious One, the birthless and deathless
One -instructed me through silence to 'Be Silent', Lo! I knew no object of the world."

Points to Note:

Wow - St Arunagirinathar delivers a cracker! :).. In this verse, the St emphasizes that Silence is the most important Sadhana or Spiritual practice that is required by a Sadhaka. Here Valli is the Jivatman, the soul aspiring for communion with the Lord. When the Jiva is determined to attain the Lord and engages itself in earnest Sadhana, the Lord tests the Jiva in a variety of ways and finally gives assurance, by way of inner spiritual experience and conviction, of accepting the soul, as he did in the case of Valli (The Lord comes and kidnaps Valli in the middle of the night when everything is Silent - Thus he is referred to as the Stealer of Valli!). So when does the Jiva unite with the Lord? Only when everything is Silent!! When the senses are Silent, When the mind is Silent, When the intellect is Silent and most importantly when there is a spiritual Silence i.e. when the Jiva rests in God Awareness wherein the mind automatically rests in Silence, the mouth speaks not and the body does not move - the higher Spiritual Consciousness takes possession of the Jiva. Herein is revealed the secret that the awakening of the higher spiritual Consciousness is possible only when the outgoing tendencies of the senses, the externalising nature of the mind and the objectifying character of the consciousness are withdrawn and centred in the heart, which is the Abode of the Self.

When Ramana Maharishi was still observing total silence,Sivaprakasam Pillai, a very learned gentleman, asked, "What is the nature of consciousness?" Ramana wrote on his slate, "It is sat chitananda (being, consciousness, bliss) in which there is not even the trace of the 'I' thought. This is also called mauna (Silence) or atma (Self). That is the only thing that is. If the trinity of world, ego and God are considered as separate entities, they are mere illusions, like the appearance of silver in the mother of pearl. God, ego and world are really Sivasvarupa (the form of Siva) or Atmasvarupa (the form of spirit). Ramana says that there is a perpetual source of happiness waiting for us, if only we know how to tap it. Happiness and silence, are co-existent and inclusive of each other. They are inherent and natural to them. Like the musk deer which does not realise that its scent emanates from within itself, human beings are not conscious of the treasure house of happiness within. Happiness lies in discovering our true identity by diving deep within. Silence is not absence of speech and solitude is not physical seclusion or isolation in a cave or a forest or on the mountain top. It is the ability to be in the centre of things, free of the turbulence of thoughts, which besiege and torture the mind. Silence and happiness are universal common property available to all, all the time. "A quiet mind is the foundation of inner peace. No place is quieter than one's soul" (Marcus Aurelius). Ramana taught mainly through the "alchemy of silence".

2005-09-22T05:10:00.000Z

Love and Crush!

Guys, my previous post was just to inform you an interesting incident that happened after 13 years and now I am happy that I have let things out of my mind which I had kept all these years. So my mind is free from all the past thoughts :). Moreover, I need to let you all know that I am too old for romancing and have better work to do than romancing around trees! :))

Now for today's topic: Can you guys educate me the difference between luv and crush?

On a funny note: "Asin namma mela viluntha luvu - shakeela namma mela viluntha crushu (we will get crushed!)" - friends eppadi iruku en hikoo :))

2005-09-21T18:10:00.000Z

I am in Bliss - 2

Word of caution before u read the post:

[Now "A" is not in luv/crush (whatever) with "A" or any other alphabets - If "A" was in luv with "A" - "A" wuldnt have spoken to "A" since "A" always hesitates to talk to his crushes!! ]

Ok guys, finally after 13 years, I met "A" on the Internet today - Thanks to her best friend "N" :). This was the first time I ever chatted to her and she is such a friendly person. I told her about how I fell in luv with her and also showed the blogs I wrote about her :). She acknowledged them in a cheerful manner but I guess she would have been probably kicking the chairs next to her :))..We were discussing a lot of things and unfortunately I dont think its proper for me to reveal them :). I also told her that I would be writing about our meeting in this blog and she kindly gave me the permission to do so :). Thanks "A" :)..I would also like to thank you guys - since without your wishes I wouldnt have met her! I have got one more good friend :)

I am just fascinated by the advent of the Internet. Without the Internet I wouldnt have met my old friends and crushes and I shall always be thankful to Rob Kahn, Vint Cerf, Tim Berners Lee and Orkut Büyükkökten for that!

2005-09-20T17:00:00.000Z

Temples, Priests and Corruption!

I wanted to write a blog about the above topic for the past few weeks and interestingly Kavitha has raised the same issue in one of her blogs. TJ Swami has posted a blog detailing the plight of the brahmins in today's world. So I thought it would be wise for me to write about it today.

I have visited almost all the temples in Tamil Nadu and for me they are my passion. At this moment, I would like to thank my Divine Mother for taking me to these beautiful temples during my childhood days. But nowdays, I hesistate going to temples like Chidambaram, Palani and Tiruchendur because of the corrupt priests whose only goal is to make money out of you! Last december, we went to Tiruchendur to do an abhishekam to Lord Muruga. We met one of the temple's main priest Veerbahu Iyer's son who has been performing pujas every year and sending Vibhuthi to my aunty in London. My aunty wanted to give him 50 pounds, so my Mother and I met him and gave him the money and told him that we wanted to perform an abhishekam. He told us that he can do it, and also asked us to come to the temple in the early morning to perform the pooja. So next day early morning, he and his brothers were ready to do the pooja and we went to the temple and performed the abhishekam to Lord Muruga which went really well. Then the climax came, and all his brothers, cousins, uncles, sons, grandfathers, nephews rounded us for money!!! Not only the priests but even the security guards rounded us! We ended giving 100/- notes to each of them and still the priests werent happy. Mind you we gave 50 pounds just the night before apart from the money we paid towards the abhishekam! What the heck! We had a tough time coming out from these priests and I vowed not to go to Tiruchendur anymore!!

According to me Chidambaram is the worst temple when it comes to corrupted priests! There would be a priest in every sanithi asking you for your address and other details, and if you give them your address, then you are dead!! They end up coming to your houses asking for money saying that they are doing some pooja! You cant even say no to them and you end up giving money! Palani is horrid! There the priests used to scratch the navapashanam (9 herbal elements) on the statue of Lord Murugan and sell it, and now poor Lord Muruga's back is completely removed!

Why do these priests behave like this? I heard the Chidambaram temple is not run by the government. So the priests have to find their own earnings and I was told that they eat only the prasadam that was given to Lord Nataraja. But is this the way to earn money? We go to temples for peace but these priests and security guards dont let us get us any peace in there!

Contrary to what Kavitha said, I loved the temples of Tiruvanamalai and Madurai. There everything seems to be regulated. Last January when I did a sanghabhishekam in Tiruvanamalai, the entire monetary process was coordinated by the temple secretary. We didnt have a single problem and at the end we were very happy.

I guess its high time the government does something and regulates these priests and also make sure they have proper earnings for them to live properly. Your views would be appreciated.

2005-09-19T22:00:00.000Z

Finally a serious post!

For a moment, I was thinking of quitting blogging - I was talking to Saravana about it. I felt that I have become addicted to it and wanted to come out of it. But then realized, if I can be useful to some - then its worth spending my time making people happy! Blogging definitely increases your creative spirit and its a pleasure to make people happy. But I guess its high time, I reduce the number of posts like others and concentrate on spirituality and research!

Thanks to Subha, I recently came across an article by Ramya Nageshwaran. I asked her whether I could provide the link here and she kindly agreed. Please do read the post and also check the website given below. It would be great if you guys could come out with ideas that would be useful to the society.

Do check out this link: http://www.goonj.org/

2005-09-18T19:00:00.000Z

Bloggers meet - details!

Finally we met. TJ Swami and I were absent during the recent bloggers meet in London. So we decided to meet at my home and from there we planned to go to Chakra's house in Chesham. I was expecting TJ to come like Vikram in Anniyan with his long hair hiding his face, but unfortunately TJ had cut his hair and looked more like Remo in Kannum Kannum Nokia ;) After a brief chat, we took the tube to Captain Chakra's house in Chesham. The scenaries we encountered during our travel were awesome. With green valleys and large trees on both sides of the track, for a moment I felt like getting onto the top of the train and start dancing for the song .."Chaiyya Chaiyya" from Uyire! Luckily, there was no way for me to get out - so London was saved from a severe mishap! We arrived at Chesham and called up Chakra to tell him that we had arrived. While we were waiting for him, TJ and I popped into a bakery shop and bought some nice flapjacks and were munching happily. When Chakra came (Listen to Chakra's Introduction Song!) , the entire area came to a standstill. Everyone stopped their activities and stood as if their national anthem was playing. For one second we were wondering what on earth was happening and it took us some time to find out that the Captain of Chesham has entered the area! Chakra came and wished us and took us to his house, and suddenly we started hearing "Long live Captain!" - wow, even our british people have learnt our culture properly :)..

After arriving at Chakra's house, he gave us tea and biscuits. We chatted for almost 4 hours. I was mostly the silent listener since I didnt have the intelligence as TJ and Chakra had. Then we decided to get some food and went to a local take away ( TJ what was the name?) and bought naans, curries and different varieties of rice. When we came home, we found that one of the rice was missing and Captain Chakra got wild. Unfortunately we didnt have the number, so Captain phoned the Chinese shop next to the Indian takeaway and "ordered" them to give their neighbor's number! The Chinese (true to Jawarhal Lal Nehru's statement "Hindi Chindi bhai bhai") got scared of Chakra and gave the number immediately. Chakra then called up those guys and said that the pilov rice was missing and asked them to bring it immediately. We couldnt wait for the rice to come, so we started munching the food. Then the takeaway guy came ( yes u guessed it right - he wore a red cap!), gave the food to Captain Chakra, fell at his feet, then kissed his right hand (Batsha style!!). TJ and I started looking at each others face! We realized that we were sitting next to a great man who was like a godfather to the people of Chesham!

After dinner, it was time for us to bid goodbye to Captain, and took the tubes back home. Inside the tube, TJ was in a jubilient mood and was "pestering" me to take some pics of him :)) . Finally, my station came and I got up and waved goodbye to TJ. A great evening came to an END!

2005-09-18T09:00:00.000Z

Bloggers Meet at Chesham!

Click on the Flickr badge on the right hand side to view more pics of our meet at Chesham.

2005-09-17T11:00:00.000Z

I am in Bliss!

Today, I am so happy..How would you feel if the experience you felt in Cheran's Autograph came to life? It happened to me today. I met my "A" 's best friend "N" today on the Internet and chatted for 3 hours..I was telling "N" about how I fell in luv with "A" and also showed her the blog I wrote about "A". I was happy to hear that "A" is still single (yup for a moment I was in switzerland singing a duet). But the biggest moment came when "N" sent me "A"'s picture!

What a shock!!She has changed so much since I saw her 13 years back! It took some time for me to recognise her (Cheran couldnt recognise his first lover)..I was having this picture of her in my mind..the thin girl with a pony tail, glasses etc..and now she has changed a lot..

I will be chatting to "A" sometime soon :) - and will tell her about my luv story that happened 13 years ago :)..I am happy..very happy indeed..Thanks "N" :)

Now, today is another good day..There is a mini bloggers meet at Captain Chakra's house. I am meeting up Chakra and TJ Swami today :). Swami will be coming to my house in Preston Road and then we will be going to Chakra's house in Chesham. I will be taking my camera with me and will definitely show u guys the pics :). TJ was telling me yesterday that he looks like Anniyan with his hair :)). That should be awesome :). Eagerly waiting to meet my dear friends :).

2005-09-16T17:00:00.000Z

Jatti Siva (contd..) [With BGM and Songs!]

Read the first part here. The first part has been updated with Captain's introduction song.

Captain is humiliated and returns from the villain's house..The people in the village see him returning sad and all start crying (mass hero image) for him..Captain wants to teach the villain a lesson but does not know how..Everyone shout in one go to him saying that he should contest in the next by-elections in their constituency..But Captain says he does not want to enter politics and he wants only to serve jattis to the poor..but people say that only if he becomes the MLA, the village people will be happy to put his jattis..So Captain is persuaded to enter politics..He starts a political party called the Jatti Katchi!! [Listen to the stunning BGM by Yanni for this particular situation - the entire scene for this BGM will be showing the progress of Captain's political party growing in strength]. This creates more anger for the villain who in turn arranges a marriage for his daughter to the local goonda Ponnambalam...The villain fixes the marriage on the election date itself..Now Captain has to win the election and also get his brother married to the villain's daughter.."Listen to the puratchi song."

The day before the elections, Captain plans to distribute free jattis to the villagers..The villain finds an idea to spoil the name of the hero..He asks his goonda team to somehow go and put some scratching powder (aripu podi) into the jattis that are ready to be distributed..But Captain somehow finds this out and saves the villages from severe sori plagueing them!!

The election day arrives and people start voting..Everyone votes for the jatti symbol..Simultaneously marriage preparations are undergoing..The villain team kidnaps sudhakar and hides him in a toilet!! Captain comes to know about this and goes to the marriage hall..He utters this punch dialogue - Nallavankaka naan jattiyum kalatuven, ketvanuku naan muttiyum (knee) kalatuven. Captain beats the villain [yeah he kicks by jumping on the walls] and saves sudhakar..

Now the local goonda mappilai Ponnambalam comes with a knife to stab Captain..and stabs him in the back..The villagers come to know about this and run to the place..[this will be taken using a crane - top view where the entire road will be full of people - to showcase Captain's mass power] Captain is bleeding and the villagers get very angry and start beating the local goonda Ponnambalam and the villain..Sudhakar is crying with his brother on the lap..The villagers beat the 2 villains and remove the villain's jatti..Captain shouts "Niruthungaaaaa" to the villagers..He gets angry to see the villagers tear the jatti of the villain...

Now is the touching climax..

Captain then removes his jatti and gives it to the villain..The villain is shocked to see this..He now feels that he has done wrong..and falls at Captain's feet..and gives his daughter's hand to sudhakar..Captain seeing this feels happy and he breathes his last.... [We can have Ilayaraja singing "Ho ho hoooooo" with all the old women crying by beating their chests]

Captain goes to the heavens and lives happily there dancing with urvasi, rambha and menaka!

[Are u guys crying? Maybe this anuthaba alai will help our dear Captain to win the next election]

The END..

Crafted by Arjuna BE,MSc,MPhil,PhD,MBCS,MIEEE

2005-09-16T16:00:00.000Z

Exclusive - Captain Special [Updated with Captain's Introduction song]

Ok guys, the good news is Captain has agreed to my story! Captain has also kindly permitted me to let you all know the story! Mind you this is a serious story. It has a tragic end similar to Captain's Ramana. So make sure you have your handkerchiefs ready.

Remember Captain wanted me to write a story considering people's important need. So I have written the story based on that 'important' requirement. The story will be put in 2 separate posts. Romba over-a buildup kudukerano? :))

[I am dedicating this story to my dear friend Jeevan. If I am able to get a smile from his face, then I have achieved my objective :) ]

Title: "Jatti Siva" - An Episode in a Nattamai's Life!

Produced by - Captain Cine Creations

"The characters expressed here does not resemble anyone living or dead"

Captain's Introduction Scene:

Scene 1: Oru elai (poor) kutti paiyan is running on the road without a jatti (underwear)..

Scene 2: The camera is shown to someone's legs as he walks to the poor boy.

Scene 3: The camera is still focusing on the legs as he removes his jatti (yeah in slow motion) and gives his jatti to the poor boy!!(Emotional scene with some commercial elements ;) ) - Theatre-la whistle parakum!!

Scene 4: People seeing this will be crying with joy!!(Thaai maarin (mother) manathai thodura scene)

Scene 5:Our kelavi (old lady) comes with an aarathy and does aarathy to the hero saying 'Jatti koduthu maharasa, nee nooru vayasu valanum!" and we then show Captain's (his name is Siva) face (with his eyebrows going up and down)!! (Pularikuthu!!)

[Have u guys got goosebumps listening to the introduction scene? Then why wait..Go and join Captain's party asap!]

Now the main story:

and now the people in the village start singing the introduction song
(After listening to this song - the people of TN should vote only for Captain!!) . Then Captain asks the people why the boy is running without a jatti. The people say that the local jatti company is run by the MLA (villain) , and his company jattis are very expensive to buy and they simply cant afford to buy one [Note: I am tackling a very important issue - which is the daily requirement!]. So Captain vows to start a jatti company and he starts a new company. He starts distributing free jattis (people stand in a very long queue to get the jattis - a situation song will be there praising Captain. )

Since the people in the village are getting free jattis, the villain is very angry since his business is down!!

[Note: The next part is a real life incident that happened to my friend Sudhakar!]

Now the Captain's brother sudhakar enters the scene..He is studying in a college in the city and has come to the village to see his brother..Similarly, the villain's daughter who is studying in bengal also comes to the village to see her father (villain)..The villain tells the daughter abt his plight and the daughter vows to take revenge..So one early morning when sudhakar goes to the aathangarai(river bank) with a sombu(mug) ( I hope u got what I meant), the girl rapes him!! .

(Director's touch - To show the rape scene - the sombu will start rolling down and fall into the water!!)

[Note: Captain wants equal rights for women, so this scene is imperative!]

Here I put the title : Direction - Arjuna BE,MSc,MPhil,PhD,MBCS,MIEEE (he he he)

Sudhakar then cries and tries to commit suicide - but Captain saves him and tells him that he will get her married to him! Captain then approaches the villain and tells that his daughter has raped his brother!!

The villain says "Nool (thread) edam kudukama oosi(pin) nulayamudiyuma?" (In english - without the thread's knowledge can the the pin enter?) [Note: Sorry, konjam Bhagyaraj hangover ;) ]

Captain is shocked to hear this. Tears start rolling in his RED eyes! ( and also in the eyes of all the viewers). Captain then says to the villain that he will get the daughter married to his brother and leaves!!

Intermission

To be contd..

2005-09-15T14:17:00.000Z

A girl I drew 5 years back!

Found this drawing inside a book today! I saw this picture in the Kumudam magazine while I was at REC-Trichy, which inspired me to draw her immediately. My friends thought she resembled one of my classmate - so inorder to save myself, I wrote that this was a drawing of my best friend Muthu's dream girl! I drew this pic on Jan 20, 2000.

2005-09-14T11:00:00.000Z

The King announces the name of his political party!

Engal Ithaya Theiyvam Maduraiyai Meetiyai Sundarapandi One man army Puratchi Kalaignar Dr.Vijaykanth hoisted his party flag early in the morning and later named his party as “Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam” (DMDK) which means Nationalistic Progressive Dravida Party. Captain announced at 9.09 am today amongst thunderous applause from nearly 1.5 Lakh people who had gathered at Thoppur in the suburbs of Madurai. All obsessed fans of thalaivar ("Chinna Gounder" Bala, "Thavasi" Priya, "Narasimha" Saravana, "Captain" Vatsan and many others), its time to celebrate.

2005-09-13T09:00:00.000Z

Spiritual Journey Begins!

I am pleased to announce the advent of the new spiritual blog entitled "Cosmic Consciousness". My dream of uniting all the spiritual stalwarts of the blogging community has come true :). I would like to mention my special thanks to Venky and Agnibharathi for initiating the process along with me. I would also like to thank Saravana, Aditya, TJ Swami, Kasthuri and Anand for joining us as contributors. We look forward for other like minded bloggers to join us in this spiritual journey. Thanks.

2005-09-11T07:00:00.000Z

IMPORTANT - 'Karupu MGR' Alaikirar!!

Check out the videos: Captain's Political Call

Pularikkuthu - Captain Kilambitaraya Kilambitaru! Thamilagam Olirukirathu!!

Captain Vaalga! Varungala Mudhalvaruku oru "O" podungapa!

2005-09-11T06:00:00.000Z

Interesting Photo!

Any guesses on what they would have spoke? ;)

2005-09-10T07:45:00.000Z

Thala's New Film "Paramsivan"

2005-09-09T22:30:00.000Z

4 the Truth!

I have been reading with awe, the different spiritual articles by my dear fellow bloggers..

The articles composed by my dear friends Agni, Anand and Kasthuri are above the realms of ordinary mankind. Kasthuri's amazing logical deductions about Hindusim is just jaw dropping. Even though I do not agree with Anand's philosophy of Vishistadvaita, I should say that his coherent arguments are mind boggling and cannot be disagreed easily. And what to say of Agni :) - He is a modern day Kambar and if I was a girl, I would have fallen in luv with him :)..My dear friends Aditya, TJ, Saravana, and Ganesh write articles that can be easily understood by the common man and I appreciate their devotion to the Lord. I should also say a few words about Aditya. He keeps on writing articles irrespective of anyone giving comments or not. He does not bother about them and keeps writing. I salute your selfless attitude, my friend :). My dear friend Krishna even goes to the extent of singing the glory of the Divine and his love for Lord Krishna mesmerises me. Subha's articles about the Hindu temples and the way she deciphers the beauty of these religious places are simply outstanding. Last but not the least, my dear friend blogger Aatma, whose penchant for spirtual truth mesmerises me. I have a special affinity towards Aatma :)..He was the first person to blogroll me and I am always grateful to him :).

I wish these and many more bloggers, unite as a single force along with my best friend Sriram V Iyer (who rarely blogs because of his work) to take on the evil ideologies that is currently prevailing in this world today. Their knowledge should be used to remove disillusionment of the people and uphold the sanathana dharma that our great religion teaches. Hopefully one day, my dream will become true :).

2005-09-09T16:15:00.000Z

Tring Tring..Captain Calling..

Yesterday mid night, phone rings..

Phone: Tring..Tring..Tring..Tring..

Arjuna: Hello..

Other side: Hello, Vanakam, Naan Captain Pesuren!

Arjuna: Captain who?

Other side: (In an angry tone..) Hey, intha ulagathula 193 naadu iruku..

(before he tortures me..)

Arjuna: Aiyyo..Sir..Captain Vijayakanth Sir..Neengala..

Captain: Aamma, Naan thaan Captain Vijayakanth pesuren!

Arjuna: Enna Captain...enaku poi phone...

Captain: Neenga, en pugala blog full-a paraparatha kelvi paten..athu mattum illa, neenga nalla cinema-vuku kathai eluthivinganum kelvi paten..

Arjuna: Aaama Captain (shivering..)

Captain: Naan September 14th Madurai-la manadu nadathaporen..theriyumila?

Arjuna: Theriyum Captain..

Captain: Sari, adutha padathula neenga thaan ennaku kathai eluthi tharanum..

Arjuna: Ennathu, naana?

Captain: Aama, neenga thaan..En padathai pathutu makkal ellam ennaku thaan vote podanum..ok va?

Arjuna: Sure, Captain..Eluthi thaaren..

Captain: Makaluku etha mathiri kathai pannum..nalla axson(action) movie vennum..Narasimha mathiri super hit aanum, ahhhhhhhnnnn!

Arjuna: (Me laughing inside..not showing outside)

Captain: Enna mounam?

Arjuna: Pannalam Captain..Super kathai pannalam..

Captain: Sari, makkaluku ethu romba thevayo - atha vachu oru kathayai pannunga..

Arjuna: Sure Captain (Me thinking..)

Captain: Ok, Kathayai ready pannitu ennaku solunga..

Arjuna: Ok Captain..

Captain: 'VEELVADHU NAAMAAGA IRUNDHAALUM, VAALVADHU THAMEEELAGA IRUKKATUM',

Arjuna: Saringa Captain (confused..)

Captain: Valka thameeel! Nandri..Vanakam!

Arjuna: Bye Captain (with a sigh of relief)..

Now guys, I am left to write a story for our dear Captain.I am thinking of an important subject now..

[P.S: I shall let you know the story soon...]

2005-09-07T16:15:00.000Z

Happy Pillayar Chathurthi!

I came to know that today is Pillayar Chathurthi, only after accidently watching Surya's interview in Sun TV!! Shows how messed up my life is here in London!! So boring!! Yawnnnnnnnn!

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Who is Vinayaka?

In the sloka beginning with the words, Suklaambaradharam Vishnum, only the form of the deity is described. But there is another inner meaning for the name Vinayaka. Suklaambaradharam means one who is clad in white. Vishnum means he is all-pervading. Sasivarnam means his complexion is grey like that of ash. Chathurbhujam means he has four arms. Prasannavadanam means he has always a pleasing mien. Sarvavighnopasaanthaye means for the removal of all obstacles. Dhyaayeth, meditate (on him). Vinayaka is the deity who removes all bad qualities, instills good qualities and confers peace on the devotee who meditates on him .

Vinayaka means that he is totally master of himself. He has no master above him. He does not depend on anyone. He is also called Ganapathi. This term means he is the lord of the ganas - a class of divine entities. This term also means that he is the master of the intellect and discriminating power in man. He possesses great intelligence and knowledge. Such knowledge issues from a pure and sacred mind. This knowledge leads to wisdom (vijnaana). Because he is the master of Buddhi (intelligence) and Siddhi (wisdom or realization), he is described as the Lord of Buddhi and Siddhi. Buddhi and Siddhi are referred to as the consorts of Vinayka.

The mouse is the vehicle of Vinayaka. What is the inner significance of the mouse? The mouse is considered as the embodiment of the sense of smell. The mouse is a symbol of the attachment to worldly tendencies (vaasanas). It is well known that if you want to catch a mouse, you place a strong-smelling edible inside the mouse-trap. The mouse also symbolizes the darkness of night. The mouse can see well in the dark. As Vinayaka's vehicle the mouse signifies an object that leads man from darkness to light. The Vinayaka-principle, thus, means that which removes all the bad qualities, bad practices and bad thoughts in men and inculcates good qualities, good conduct and good thoughts.

Vinayaka has many teachings that help man liberate himself. Worship of Lord Ganesha has been followed from very ancient times. In the Narayana Upanishad, Lord Ganesha is praised first. In the three Vedas, we find the mention of Lord Ganesha. Even in music, they pray to Ganesha for his grace. Do we have the qualities of Vinayaka? Lord Vinayaka has a pure heart. In fact, Siddhi and Buddhi (fulfilment and intellect) are his two eyes. He considered them as his consorts. For intelligence, we need to have Buddhi. For Buddhi, we need to have gratitude. An ungrateful man can never become an intellectual. Without intellect, one can never be successful. Vinayaka confers success. So, we need to know the inner significance of Lord Vinayaka.Today, before we start any work, we pray to Lord Ganesha. Without praying to the master of masters, Vinayaka, and thereby, acting in an egoistic way, we are bound to fail. Vinayaka Chathurthi is the first festival of the year, followed by other festivals. Bharatiyas begin their daily prayers with a prayer to Lord Ganesha. Vinayaka is the head of spiritual, mental and physical levels. We should sustain and protect all these levels.

- Excerpts from Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba's Divine Discourse (Ganesh Chathurthi - September 12, 1991)

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Btw, this photo caught my attention today. Saw this photo in Junior Vikatan.

Shows why our Captain is an one man army getting ready to save Tamil Nadu! Anyone getting goosebumps? :p

2005-09-06T19:35:00.000Z

Deepak Dev - Malayalam Music at its best!

Have you listened to these songs from Chronic Bachelor:

1) Pakal Poove

2) Silayil Ninnum

3) Swayamvara Chandrikae

How about these songs from Symphony:

1) Chithramani Kaatil

2) Pannimathithey

Or finally these songs from Mohanlal's Naran:

1) Minnadi

2) Naran

These songs were composed by none other than my favourite mallu music director Deepak Dev, a former assistant of A.R.Rahman. His first film was Chronic Bachelor starring Mohanlal (which was remade into Engal Anna, acted by our Future CM One Man Army "Captain" ;) ). I started listening to Mallu songs only after listening to this guy's awesome music in Chronic Bachelor. His music focuses more on melody and he is just awesome! Just try listening to these songs while you are in bed! He should be brought to TFM!

2005-09-02T09:30:00.000Z

Shock!

Who says only fellow blogger and my dear friend Krishna can shock us with his music? LOL - Here check this out and get a heart attack!! I tried to create a one minute techno track with my ejay software and the outcome is truly shocking!! Not for the weak hearted and pregnant women!

http://rapidshare.de/files/4397357/arjuna_sample1.mp3.html

Hope you guys especially Ganesh will pardon me!

Btw, I am currently listening to this song Nakhre from Barsaat umpteen number of times..The music is catchy and Alisha's voice is damn HOT!

2005-09-01T10:00:00.000Z

Thayumanavar, Ramana and Sadguru

Thayumanavar wrote about the qualifications that are necessary for one who is looking for a qualified Guru. Bhagavan Ramana once cited this verse, and endorsed its contents, in the following dialogue:

Question: When does one get the company of sadhus?
Bhagavan: The opportunity to be in the company of a Sadguru comes effortlessly to those who have performed worship of God, japa, tapas, pilgrimages etc for long periods in their previous births. There is a verse by Thayumanavar that points out the same thing:

For those who, in the prescribed manner,
have embarked upon the [pilgrim] path
of divine images, holy sites and holy tanks,
a Sadguru, too, will come
to speak one unique word,
O Supreme of Supremes!

Only he who has done plenty of nishkamya punyas [austerities performed without any thought of a reward or consequence] in previous births will get abundant faith in the Guru. Having faith in the Guru’s words, such a man will follow the path and reach the goal of liberation.

2005-08-31T09:30:00.000Z

Life is Disgusting!

You wont be expecting me to say this after getting a doctorate yesteray..But I wasnt that happy and would never be happy. Why?

Yesterday, I hear a news from my mother saying, the neighbour who stays below our flat in Chennai has cancer! Her name is Priya and she was so pretty. And now due to chemotherapy, she has lost all her hair and is in a real bad state.

Today, I hear another news from my mother saying that, one of our friend's family was killed in an accident while driving to Trichy for a wedding. The entire family (10 members) perished in the incident except his son who is a 13 year old. That uncle looks just like actor Vikram and we used to call him Vikram!

I always felt life was full of sorrows with little happiness here and there..I was always paranoid about death and disease and will continue to be! The very thought of losing your loved ones kills me! Life is not to be enjoyed but to be realised! Life is disgusting!

Seek refuge in Arunachala. He can give you Eternal Happiness!

2005-08-30T18:10:00.000Z

Eventful Day!

Finally Arjuna became Dr.Arjuna today! :)

I am dedicating my degree, onto the Lotus Feet of my Mother Chandraleela, whom I have considered to be an incarnation of the Divine and an epitome of Pure, Selfless Love. I take this moment to thank Lord Arunachala in the form of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for giving me a great Mother - without whom I would have never even existed! Without her sacrifices, I would have never come upto this level in life.

இது என் தாய் போட்ட பிட்ச்சை!

2005-08-29T23:00:00.000Z

Arunachala - My Divine Father

By seeing Chidambaram, by being born, in Tiruvarur, by dying in Kasi,or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation.

The supreme knowledge (Self-knowledge), the import of Vedanta, which cannot be attained without great difficulty, can easily be attained by anyone who sees the form of this hill from wherever it is visible or who even thinks of it by mind from afar. Such is the assurance given by Lord Siva in the Arunachala Mahatmyam about the power of the mere thought of Arunachala, and this assurance has received striking confirmation from the life and teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana.

The Arunachala hill is located in the town of Thiruvannamalai, 185km southwest of the city of Chennai in the south of India. Sri Agasthiar emphatically states that the Arunachala hill is the concrete form of Sri Arunachala, the Universal Lord. It's that form of God that even our ordinary human eyes can perceive. Arunachala, the hill and Arunachala, the Lord are non different. Why? Because the Arunachala Hill itself is a Siva Lingam. This is foundational spiritual reality which has been personally experienced and vouchsafed by all Siddhas.

The Arunachala Hill is a Brahmanda Lingam. It is the biggest Siva lingam in the world. It is the viswaroopa (Universal) form of the Lord. Arunachala is the only holy place where one have the Lord's viswaroopa darshan 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Arunachala is the spiritual focal point of the universe. It is the endless spiritual fount that nourishes all beings. It is the spiritual cornucopia that embraces all spiritual seekers. It is the spiritual magnet that attracts spiritual seekers from all corners of the universe. It is the spiritual panacea for everyone, irrespective of race, religion or nationality.

Sri Arunachala is the quintessential jothi lingam. Wherever you see a jothi (fire), know it to be a part of Arunachala. The Jews light the minorah. Christians light candles. The Zoroastrians light their sacred fire. The Hindus light their lamp jothi. The Tibetan Buddhists light their butter lamps. All these worship procedures honor God. Thus every religion practices jothi worship.

The Arunachala hill is so charged with spiritual energy that spiritual benefits get magnified manifold here. Spiritual activities conducted in Arunachala are thousand times more efficacious when compared to other places. The place is constantly buzzing with millions and millions of Siddhas in their subtle form who bestow countless spiritual blessings on the devotees engaged in spiritual pursuits in Arunachala. Hence the importance of visiting Arunachala and engaging oneself in spiritual activities there.

Everything in the universe is represented in Arunachala. Thus circling the Arunachala hill is like circling the universe. This is why the Siddhas say that circling the Arunachala hill is the most effective spiritual practice for all beings. Circling the Arunachala hill is referred to as Arunachala girivalam. This is the best spiritual exercise for all of us. Regular practice of this spiritual exercise is Girivala Yoga, the simplest yet most effective yogic practice known to man.

Even though circling the Arunachala hill takes just three and a half hours, there's no spiritual activity in the universe which is its equal. Every human being, irrespective of race, religion or nationality MUST do it at least once in his or her lifetime. It doesn't matter if you live ten thousand miles away. You must make the trip to Arunachala just to circle the hill. The spiritual benefits of doing so can NOT be described in words, say the Siddhas.

Sri Agasthiar says that if you circle the Arunachala hill but once, you'll destroy the karma of ten million births. No other spiritual exercise has this kind of power. If circling the Arunachala hill once can bestow so much spiritual good, imagine circling the hill thousands of times! Those who circle the hill thousands of times are the ones who become Siddhas. In his writings Sri Bhagavan Ramana has repeatedly confirmed the mysterious power that the thought of Arunachala has over the mind. In his Tamil Collected Works, under the picture of Arunachala, there is a verse that can be considered as his dhyana sloka (verse of contemplation) upon his Sadguru, Arunachala Siva. In this verse he sings, 'This is Arunachala-Siva, the ocean ofgrace that bestows liberation when thought of''. In the first verse of Sri Arunachala Aksharamanamalai (The Marital Garland of Letters) he sings, 'O Arunachala, you root out the ego of those who think of you in the heart as ''Arunachala'''.

Arunachala is truly a holy place. Of all holy places it is the most sacred! Know that it is the heart of the world. It is truly Siva himself! It is his heart-abode, a secret kshetra. In that place the Lord ever abides the hill of light named Arunachala.

P.S: This blog is a result of various articles I read on the web about Lord Arunachala. Its not my own work and so any praises should go to my Lord Arunachala and the devotees who wrote about Him, not me.

2005-08-28T22:50:00.000Z

Sapthaswarangal

Before, I get into this topic, I should say I am not happy with my previous posts. For the past one week, I have been posting blogs that contained more material aspects rather than focussing on posts that deal with social and philosophical aspects. So the forthcoming series of posts would focus more on these aspects.

Now coming on to the topic..Have you guys been watching Sun TV's sapthaswarangal for the past few months? They have this contest between colleges..I was not a great fan of Sapthaswarangal (as I felt it was quite monotonous) till I watched an episode featuring Crescent Engg College. This was few months back..and this college is simply amazing..Today their semi-final was telecasted. Their lead singer Priya is awesome. Her voice is just out of the world! They are in the semi-final stage just because of her awesome singing backed up with great orchestra. In the preliminaries, she sang "minsara poove" from Padayappa and "poo malai" from Thanga magan - and ho boy, what a performance!! She would definitely give all our current singers a run for their money! And today she comes up with an absolute stunner with the remix version of "janani, janani". I have recorded all the episodes featuring her and shall try to upload it for you guys to view it. Dont miss the final part of the semi-finals next week! Crescent Engg College rocks!

2005-08-26T14:15:00.000Z

My Love Letter to Asin - Quite Funny!

Aatma, here you go :) - I wrote this one long time ago and posted it in my yahoogroup..Reproducing it now..Interestingly Shankar came up with something similar in Anniyan!! Great minds think alike huh ;)

Dear Asin,
I wish to apply for the post of your husband as
advertised in
(ref:http://tamil.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/21022005-4.shtml).
I am currently pursuing a PhD degree at King's College London. I am currently writing up my thesis and I expect to defend my thesis early next year.

Your looks coupled with the unique involvement in business has prompted me to apply for this prestigious position. I am approaching you with the conviction that I can offer the following :

* Willingness to understand you.
* Enthusiasm, dedication and responsibility
* Willingness and capability to become an active member in your family.
* Excellent communication skills.

As a testimony to my interest in you, I have started a yahoogroup for you. I strongly feel, given my background I will be able to make a worthy contribution as your life partner.

I see in you, a mutually beneficial association that will give me a
chance to realize my goals.

Yours faithfully
S.Arjuna

2005-08-26T08:10:00.000Z

Rajni's Sivaji

Source : www.vikatan.com

2005-08-25T17:45:00.000Z

Atrocious!

TCP Checksum contains the 16 bit one's compliment of the one's complement sum of all the 16 bit words in the header and data!!!!!!

Mandai Kayuthu!

2005-08-24T19:30:00.000Z

Awesome Summer Releases!

2005-08-24T10:30:00.000Z

Chakra's "Go Dutch"

When Chakra in his blog mentioned this new phrase of "going dutch", I was wondering what on earth is this..After a rigorous search, I stumbled upon the following:

"DUTCH TREAT - " When you're invited to a 'Dutch treat' or a 'Dutch luncheon,' the host expects each guest to pay his own way. From the "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977), Mr. and Mrs. Morris call "Dutch treat" a derogatory phrase.

Probably no nationality has come in for so consistent a torrent of verbal abuse from the English as their neighbors across the channel the Dutch. In the 17th century the English-Dutch hostility over control of the seas and disputed parts of the New World was intense. The anti-Dutch tradition of early English settlers persisted and gives (America) such terms as 'Dutch treat,' 1887; 'go Dutch,' 1931, no treat at all, each person paying for his own meal or ticket." From the "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson, "The Dutch people have been so offended by the English language over the past three centuries that in 1934 their government decided to drop the word 'Dutch' and use 'Netherlands' whenever possible."

2005-08-23T21:15:00.000Z

Asin and the Imposter!

Today I saw a funny news in SUN TV! The female you see on the top left hand corner on the picture has cheated a guy from Canada by showing the photo of my favourite actress Asin has hers through the Internet! Moreover, this female had received a whopping 2 Lakhs and 70 thousand rupees worth of gifts from him!! This idiotic guy was dreaming of marrying this 'beautiful' girl and went and showed the picture of Asin to his friends, who in turn recognised that it was actress Asin and told him that he has been cheated! Now this guy has reported to the Chennai police, who in turn have caught this female red handed!!

This is indeed funny news. I have a friend here in London who is in the same position. We play tennis together and I am going to show this blog to him as well. He found his girlfriend through the Internet and seeing her 'beautiful' picture, he has fallen in love with her!! He spends 60 pounds per week on phones to India and all he does is sing some stupid songs!. He has sent innumerous gifts to her and her parents! The worst thing is he comes from a struggling middle class family who have high hopes on him! I have advised him so many times, but he never listened! I told him never to trust a girl - that too someone whom he has never seen, but this guy never seems to listen. He has to see this news!

I remember one friend of mine who was in love with an e-girl for 6 months and then found out that 's'-he was none other than his friend who is a boy!

Guys this is a serious warning to you all. Never trust girls and never ever trust e-girls!

Remember: "Seerum Pambai Nambu, Ilikum (Sirikum) Pennai Nambathey!" -Sundali Sithar!

2005-08-23T07:30:00.000Z

Awesome News - Lakalakalaka (Update)

Update:

Its been confirmed that my thalaivar A.R.Rahman will score the music for "Sivaji" - Wow this is definitely good news! Source: www.dinamani.com

Update:

The latest buzz is that AVM produced Rajnikanth film to be directed by Shankar is titled Sivaji.
Meanwhile the buzz in trade circles is that the Rajni-Shankar combo can fetch a market price of Rs 40-50 Crore as the combine distributors share of Chandramukhi and Anniyan worldwide would easily cover Rs 100 Crore! - Sify.com

--------------

I just read this news in Sify.com. Superstar Rajnikanth and director Shankar are coming together in a film to be produced by AVM. This is slated to be the biggest ever film made in South India. The deal was finalized today and it seems Shankar has already started work on the script of the film which is planned for next year's release. This news has been confirmed by AVM Saravanan too, where he said that this film will be their 168th film. Moreover this film will be Rajni’s 9th film with their banner and Shankar’s 9th film as a director. Its time to say lakalakalaka! :)

2005-08-22T08:45:00.000Z

Captain in Times Cover!

Our dearest Captain has become the latest sensation. Times magazine has come up with his photo in their cover page. Awesome - All Indians should be proud of this ;)

Thanks Keerthi ;)

2005-08-21T19:30:00.000Z

Absent Minded Researcher!

Today I went to my aunty's house in Dulwich. When I returned back home, I had to take the no. 3 bus to Brixton from where I was supposed to take the tube. I was waiting for the bus for 12 minutes and then the bus came. So I took out my ticket and waved at the bus. But the bus didnt stop! Then only I realized that I was standing in the opposite bus stop and waving at the bus in which I was supposed to go!!!! I then had to cross over to the opposite bus stop and take the bus back home after waiting for another 12 minutes!

This incident is quite worrying! My absent mindedness has cost me a lot the past 3 months!
My brand new Volkswago Bora got stolen in the gym because I forgot and left my car key in some treadmill. The car was just 4 weeks old! I bought the car on May 12 and lost the car on June 11th.

The insurance gave me another replacement car and I went and crashed this car (in one week's time), as I was lost in contemplation on the Divine!

Four years back, I got down at Baker Street and took the tube to Oxford Circus, and then again went to the opposite platform and took the tube back to Baker Street! And this time I was lost in contemplation on a JAVA program!

One worst incident was, I asked my best friend his name while we were having lunch in our hostel mess at REC, Trichy! I had been knowing him for three years!

My lecturer at REC, Trichy used to say "Arjuna, you are physically present but mentally absent!", and that seems to be very true. Whenever I talk to people, I get lost in my dreams and I just keep on shaking the head as if I am listening to them..and my friend Shweta once got pissed off and said "Arjuna, you dont listen to me, do you?"...I know girls dont like that! They love to be listened, but I can never do that unfortunately :(..

Are these worrying signs of Alzhemirs? Or are these signs of a famous researcher in the making ? ;) - I dont have a clue!

2005-08-19T17:02:00.000Z

Role of the Avatars - Part II
Divine Discourse by my Lord Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba

The advent of Krishna

Who is Krishna? When was He born? Krishna was born in the month of Sraavana, in the Krishnapaksha (dark fortnight), on Ashtami day, in a dark room, as a dark child. Sraavana means that which gives sravanam (hearing), delight to the ear. It is significant that among the nine forms of devotion, the first place is given to Sravanam, listening to the glories of the Lord, and the final stage is Atmanivedanam (total surrender). Today men tend to listen to all kinds of evil things, but do not lend their ears to hear what is pure and holy. What you should hear--sravana-is all about God and not other trivial gossip.

Unfortunately, it is a sign of the Kali age that people are eager to listen to bad tales about others and do not seek to listen to the holy name of the Lord. You are given eyes to seek a vision of the Lord of Kailasa. You are endowed with the feet for going to the Lord's temple and not to loiter in alleys and bylanes. All organs and limbs have been given to man for adoring the Lord.

Dharma, in essence, means making use of every limb for the sacred purpose for which it is intended. See good; think good; speak good; go to good places; do good deeds. What do we mean by the use of the word "good'"? It is not what someone else advises you to do. The Divine is not somewhere outside. He is within you. The consciousness of what is good must arise from within you. That is the voice of Conscience. Act according to the dictates of your Conscience.

When the question is asked, "Where is God?" the answer is given (in the Gita sloka): "Aham Vaiswaanaro bhutva praaninaam deham Asritah; Prana Apaana Samaayuktah Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham." (As Vaiswanaara I have entered every living being and I digest all the four kinds of food). The Lord thus declares that He is within everyone as the digesting agent, who supplies nourishment to all parts of the body. God is present in everyone as Vaiswaanara. Therefore, while taking food, you should offer it to the Divine first by reciting the sloka:
Brahmaarpanam Brahma Havih,Brahmaagnau BrahmanaahuthamBrahmaiva thena Gantha VyamBrahma Karma Samaadhinaa.
(Brahmam is everything: the offering is Brahmam, the sacrificial fire is Brahmam, Brahmam is the goal and the means).

From darkness to light

Krishna was born during the Krishnapaksha, the dark fortnight of the month. The effulgence of the Lord is seen with greater effect when it is dark. In a world of disorder, Krishna was born to establish order. He was born on Ashtami day. Ashtami is associated with trouble and difficulties. When do troubles arise? When righteousness is forgotten. Krishna's advent signifies the dispelling of darkness, the removal of troubles, banishing of ignorance and teaching mankind the Supreme Wisdom.

Krishna's primary role was that of teacher. He taught the Gita to Arjuna. He told Arjuna: "Be only My instrument!" Krishna thereby declared: "Using you as an instrument I am reforming the whole world." All the teachings of the Divine are related to Dharma and Prema (Divine Love).

The gopikas prayed to Krishna that He should never leave their hearts in which they had installed Him. Mira also sang in the same strain. "I dived deep into the ocean and found a pearl. Will you let me slip it out of my hand?" (Swami sang the song in Tamil).

People tend to look upon the devotion of the gopikas in worldly terms. Their minds never turned towards any sensory objects. They were completely free from sensual desires. All their desires were concentrated on God. They viewed the entire universe as the manifestation of God.

Key to inner peace is within you

The gopikas did not concern themselves with the question whether the Divine was attributeless or full of attributes. They preferred to worship the Divine in the form of Krishna and they wanted their forms to merge in the Divine. "Thereby we shall be formless," they declared.
It is when we forget our form that we can merge in the Formless. The Divine cannot be experienced through Dhyana (meditation) or japa (reciting Lord's name). This is a delusion. These practices may give momentary peace of mind. To experience permanent joy and the Knowledge of the Spirit you have to develop your Divine nature. For this, the environment must also be congenial. Such an environment can be secured only in a place with pure and Divine vibrations. This was the reason why the ancient sages sought the solitude of the forests for their penance in divinely charged atmosphere. They betook themselves to the forests because they felt that the happenings in the villages were not conducive to mental purity. This was sign of weakness. It is not necessary to go to a forest if you can concentrate on the Divine Atma dwelling in the heart. The forest is remote. Here you have "For rest" your heart. The key to inner peace is within you and not outside. In the atmosphere of a sacred Divine presence, you can promote more effectively your quest for peace.

Each Avatar has its own relevance

In the understanding of the role of Avatars, the easiest, and the sweetest means was revealed by Krishna Avatar to the largest extent. This does not mean that the other Avatars are irrelevant. Each Avatar is appropriate for the time of its advent. This may be illustrated by a small example. When there is a petty quarrel in the street, a policeman's intervention is enough. When there is riotous crowd, a Police Inspector may be necessary to deal with it. In an insurgency, the Inspector-General of Police will have to take charge of the situation.
When Dharma was showing signs of decline, Rama appeared to protect Dharani (the earth), Dharma Patni (his consort) and Dharma (Righteousness). It was for these three-fold purposes that Rama Avatar took place.

By the time of Krishna Avatar, the forces of wickedness had grown to greater proportions. Krishna was not concerned much about the earth or the wife. His main concern was with Dharma. When Dharma is firmly established, the earth and the Dharma-Patni are also duly protected.

In this context, Rama is described as "Maya maanusha vigraha" (Maya in human form). In the story of Rama, it is related that Rama lamented over the loss of Sita. In Krishna Avatar the picture is different. Women were in distress for the sake of Krishna.

In Rama Avatar, Rama was provoked to take arms against evildoers. In Krishna Avatar, Krishna provoked the conflict and fought the evildoers.
In Rama Avatar, duty comes first and joy later. In Krishna Avatar, joy comes first and then duty.

Looked at in this way, the difference between the Mayaavatar of Rama and the Leelaavatar of Krishna will be apparent. Krishna was always immersed in bliss. Whether it was a burial ground, or a battlefield or a haven of peace, he remained the same. Krishna was standing between two immense opposing armies and He sang a song. That is the Gita, which means song. Would it be possible for anyone to sing in such a situation? One sings only when one is happy. Krishna, because He was the embodiment of joy could sing even on the battlefield.

What is the-use of lamenting over anything? All things are passing clouds. Nothing is lasting. Why then, bewail over any loss? You should not bother about them. This is the teaching of the Avatar. Don't feel distressed over anything that may happen. Every pain is followed by some pleasure. Pleasure is an interval between two pains. It is on this basis that you should lead your lives.

Where there is God there is victory

There is a vast difference between Divine bliss and momentary pleasure. What is called happiness is incidental to a situation and is not permanent. But Ananda (bliss) is different. It is lasting. When you are hungry, you go to the canteen and feel happy after taking food. But that does not last long. Permanent happiness can be got only through devotion to the Divine. Avatars make their advent only to confer Divine bliss on mankind.

The petty difficulties met with in everyday life can be overcome by love. Once you cultivate love, you can overcome any difficulty. Strive for God's grace. But do not regard God as different from you. He is within you. Where there is God, there is victory. That is the inner meaning of the last stanza in the Gita: "Yathra Yogeswarah Krishno Yathra Paartho Dhanurdharah Tatra Sri Vijayo Bhutir-Dhruvaa nitir-mathir mama." The esoteric meaning of this sloka is: "The heart in which the Lord of Yoga dwells and where there is the courage and strength represented by Arjuna, there all prosperity and success are assured."

The meaning of the term "Krishna"

We must understand properly the meaning of the term Krishna. The word has three meanings. One is: "Krishyathi iti Krishnah" (The one who cultivates is Krishna). What is it that has to be cultivated? The Hridayakshetra (field of the heart). Krishna cultivates the field of our hearts by removing the weeds of bad qualities, watering it with love, ploughing it with the use of sadhana, and sowing the seeds of devotion. This is how Krishna cultivates out hearts.
The second meaning of the word is: "Karshathi iti Krishnah." (The one who attracts is Krishna). Krishna attracts you by His eyes, His speech, His sports, and by every action of His. By His words, He softens and calms the hearts of even those filled with hatred and makes them rejoice. Krishna displayed these qualities even as a small child. Once He had entered the house of a gopika at night, climbed a pillar to get at the butter that was kept in a pot suspended from the ceiling. The gopika woke up, caught Him in the act and held fast His legs, saying that she would now expose Him before His mother Yasoda. She asked Him what he was doing at the top of the pillar. Krishna, in the most innocent manner, answered that he was searching for the calf that was missing from His house. The gopika could not contain her laugher at the answer. And as she laughed, she let go Krishna's feet and this gave Him the chance to jump down and make good His escape. A third meaning of the word Krishna is "Kushyathi iti Krishna"(one who is always blissful). Krishna was always in a state of bliss.

It was because He had these various qualities, the sage Garga named Him Krishna. The ordinary meaning of the word Krishna is "one who is dark." But people think only of this meaning and forget the deeper and truer meanings of the Lord's name.

Krishna delighted the world by His Leelas

The essence of Krishna's life is, He proclaimed the Truth to the world, propagated the eternal verities and delighted the world by His Leelas. When Balaram told Yasoda that he had found Krishna eating mud, Yasoda questioned Him about it. In reply, Krishna said: "Oh mother, am I a child, a miscreant or a madcap to eat mud? See for yourself whether there is any mud in my mouth." And when He opened His mouth, Yasoda was awe-struck to see the fourteen worlds of the Cosmos in that Divine mouth. She could not believe her eyes and exclaimed: "Is this a dream? Or is it the Maya of Vishnu? Is it an illusion produced by someone? Is it true? Am I Yasoda or someone else? I am totally bewildered."

Yasoda had no faith in herself and hence could not recognize Krishna's divinity. Confidence in one's self is the prerequisite for the recognition of Divinity. The reason in Yasoda's case is that she always looked upon Krishna as her son and the maternal attachment clouded her understanding.

Every episode connected with Krishna is a marvel. That was why Vyasa declared that all the stories relating to the avatars of Vishnu are full of wonder and beauty.

Every Avatar is an amazing phenomenon. Not to recognize the Avatar is equally a matter for amazement. Even more astonishing is the incapacity to experience the presence of the Avatar. Most astonishing of all is to be in the presence of the Lord and feel miserable. To be in the proximity of the Avatar, to move about with the Avatar, to sing and sport with the Avatar and yet fail to understand the truth of the Avatar is indeed a remarkable phenomenon. When the Avatar principle is understood, you experience real bliss.

When you have faith in the Divine, life becomes a victorious journey.

2005-08-19T09:30:00.000Z

Role of the Avatars - Part I

Divine Discourse by my Lord Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba

Date:14 Aug 1990
Occasion:Krishna Janmashtami
Place:Prashanti Nilayam

Like a feast to a starving man,

Like rain for the parched earth,

Like a child to one yearning for a son

The Lord comes to protect Dharma

And save the virtuous and the good.

Sahasrasirsha Purusha Sahasraakshas Sahasrapaad. The Lord has a myriad heads, myriad eyes and myriad feet. The entire cosmos and every living being in it are reflections of the Divine.

Oblivious to the presence of this sacred Divine within himself, man embarks on the quest for God. He behaves like a man who goes to his neighbor for milk, forgetting the wish-fulfilling cow in his backyard. Avatars are of two kinds: One, Amsaavatar; two, purnaavatar. All human beings are Amsaavatar (partial incarnation of the Divine). "Mamaivaamso jeevaloke jeevabhutah-sanaatanah" (A part of My eternal soul Self has become the Jiva--individual soul--in the world of living beings), says Krishna in the Gita. These partial incarnations, caught up in Maya, develop egoism and possessiveness and lead worldly lives. The Purnaavatars, however, subduing and transcending Maya, manifest their full divinity to the world in their lives. The Purnaavatar may behave, according to the circumstances, as if He were subject to Maya, but in fact He is free from Maya at all times.

The Lord manifests in different Avatars

In the Rama Avatar, for instance, Rama conducted himself as if he was subject to Maya, but upheld Dharma for promoting the welfare of the world. The Krishna Avatar was different. Keeping Maya under control, He manifested His leelas (miraculous deeds). This was why Vyasa, in his Bhagavatha, characterized Krishna as "Leelaamaanusha Vigrahah" (The Divine manifesting as man for performing His Leelas). The Bhagavatha has described in detail the leelas of Krishna and proclaimed His glory to the world.

In the Krishna Avatar, Krishna not only performed many marvelous deeds, but also taught the Supreme Wisdom to the world. He was one who had transcended the gunas, but, for the sake of regeneration of the world, behaved as if He was influenced by the gunas, and delighted the world by His deeds. Sanjay Sahani (who had spoken earlier) said that whatever Krishna did was for the welfare of the world. Krishna did everything, whatever He spoke or whatever action He did, for the good and well being of the world. But some people, not understanding this truth owing to their own limitations, attributed wrong motives for some of Krishna's actions. In this they reflected their own feelings.

The Parama Bhakti of the gopikas

Prema (Love) is nectarine in its sweetness. Bhakti (Love for the Lord) was the highest expression of devotion among the gopikas (the cowherdesses of Gokulam) because they were saturated with the sweetness of Divine Love. They did not seek liberation or higher knowledge. The ecstasy they derived from merely seeking Krishna, they did not get from any other source. Narada coined the phrase, "Parama Bhakti" (Supreme Devotion) to describe the devotion of the gopikas. These supreme devotees regarded the Lord as their companion and most precious treasure. So intense was their devotion that they used to go about as highly intoxicated persons who were unmindful of the world. Leaving their homes, on hearing the music of Krishna's flute, they rushed to the forest in search of Krishna, oblivious to everything.

The Gopikas realized that Jnana (supreme wisdom) consisted in experiencing oneness with the Divine and that all other knowledge was only mundane and related to the physical. Krishna was everything for them. In their feeling of oneness with the Divine, they made no distinction between the animate and the inanimate. They saw the Divine in everything. Pothana (author of the Telugu Bhagavatham) has beautifully described the feelings of the gopikas when they went in search of Krishna in the forest. (Bhagavan recited the poem in which the gopikas describe Krishna and ask the jasmine creepers to tell them whether Krishna is hiding in any of their bushes). Having tasted the nectar of the devotion of Krishna, the gopikas would not think of seeking anything else.

Krishna is said to have stolen butter from the houses of the gopikas. The butter, which He stole, was the pure, milk-white hearts of the gopikas. Butter is pure and soft. The hearts of the gopikas were like butter. (Bhagavan recited poems in which Yasoda tells Krishna about the complaints she had received from the gopikas against Him and says she will tie Him to a mortar so that He may not go to other houses for stealing their butter). Yasoda did not realize the divinity of Krishna, though even in small things Krishna used to reveal His Divine powers.

In the Treta Yuga, Rama came as the very embodiment of Sathya and Dharma (Truth and Righteousness). In the Dwapara Yuga, the Lord incarnated as Krishna, the embodiment of Santhi and Prema.

The world cannot so easily understand how the Love principle works. The Bhagavatha has clearly expounded the connection between Samsara (family life) and the world. Family life is concerned with the bringing up of a family, the acquisition of properties, the enjoyment of comforts and other material benefits. Nature provides alt that a man needs, air to breathe, land for shelter, water to drink, and food to eat. But man is forgetting how to live in harmony with nature according to Nature's laws. Man craves for all kinds of artificial comforts. This was the teaching of Suka to Parikshit (in the Bhagavatha).

The world is full of egoism and acquisitiveness, lust and hatred. When man tries to utilize Nature to get rid of these bad traits, then he will be able to experience peace, love, and forbearance. Love can be got only though love and by no other means. Hence, spiritual aspirants should develop Divine love. Love is Divine. It seeks no return. Its only aim is to realize God.

What is Dharma? It is the harmony of thought, word and deed. This is the mark of true humanness. What kind of man is he whose thoughts, speech and actions are not in accord with each other? Today man must strive for this triple unity. Dharma cannot be destroyed. But what is happening is the decline in the practice of Dharma. Today, the practice of Dharma is itself true sadhana. For the practice of Dharma, the triple purity--purity of thought, word and deed--is essential.

Embodiments of the Divine! Do not think that celebration of the birth of Krishna relates to what happened some millennia ago in the Dwapara Yuga. Everyone has to cherish the Krishna consciousness in one's heart every moment ceaselessly.

(To be contd..)

2005-08-18T19:30:00.000Z

Mahabarata and Amar Chithra Katha

For the past 3 months, I am trying desperately to get hold of the copy of the Amar Chithra Katha's Mahabarata (entire 42 volumes). Amar Chithra Katha has released the Mahabharata as a 3-volume hard bound set each containing 13 volumes and its priced at Rs 835/-. Unfortunately, when I tried to buy the set from http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/, its out of stock! Its a treasure I would cherish, and I shall make sure that I get it!

I was introduced to the great Mahabarata through my mother's divine voice who used to tell me those fascinating stories of the Kuru princes. My mother was instrumental in getting me the first copy of Amar Chithra Katha's Mahabarata. I grew up reading all the 42 volumes which strengthened my knowledge in the greatest epic of all time. The story of Mahabarata was always a fascination to me unlike the Ramayana. For me Ramayana did not have any spice in it!It was like our tamil mega serials with loads of family sentiments. But Mahabarata was a thriller! Maybe its because of the presence of the Superstar Lord Krishna which made it so interesting. To draw an analogy, personally for me Lord Rama was like Shivaji Ganesan, a very good performer but lacked that necessary charm which Lord Krishna (who was like our MGR) had in abundance. The way he romanced, the way he fought the evil, his friendly nature are completely unparalleled. He was of magnificient splendour. He fought against the evil in the society for the welfare of the people. Thus he became the leader of the masses. Maybe its due to the fact that Lord Krishna was a Poorna Avatar unlike Lord Rama who was more like us. This leads us to an interesting discussion. Why did I claim that Lord Krishna was a Poorna Avatar whereas Lord Rama was more like us..I shall be writing about it in my next blog which would be dedicated to the role of the Avatars..In the mean time, put in your thoughts :)

2005-08-17T07:15:00.000Z

Society does not allow them to do so..

Scene 1:
Yesterday when I was travelling on a bus, I saw an incident which made me put this post. There was an old gujju lady trying to get into the bus and was struggling to get in. So a young black guy helped her get onto the bus by holding her hands. This old lady started screaming "leave my hand, leave my hand" and the black guy got so pissed off, he pulled her out of the bus and he went in. When I saw the incident, I was pissed off with this black guy and thought of going and bashing him up, but when I pondered upon the incident, I felt what he did was right! This guy tried to help someone who is in need, but the needy person has insulted him in public. I am quite sure that this guy will never help anyone!

Scene 2:
Three months ago, when I was driving to the tennis courts, one asian guy in his fifties came and asked me for a lift to the tube station. Seeing his plight, I asked him to get in. From his beard, I knew that this guy was a muslim. Seeing me, he should have thought I was a muslim! When he came in, he asked me for my name. When I said my name is Arjuna - he got pissed off! He started saying - "your should throw away your religion - your religion is old and Islam is new - you are betraying God - blah blah" - and mind you he is inside my car and I am helping him out!! I was so pissed off - but being a HINDU - I tolerated it!! I asked him "Are you trying to say that I should throw away anything that is old?". He said "Yes"..So I asked him that means should I throw away my parents, grand parents etc? He didnt have an answer to my question! He said "No, no they are not old as Hinduism!". What rubbish! I just smiled and when the station came I dropped him in. The whole journey he did not smile at me!

This incident made me to rethink my policies. I decided never to give a lift to anyone. Even if he is a needy person I should not give. My family members advised me not to give a lift to old people since if anything happens to them inside my car - then I am in a soup!!! I will be behind bars!

Now the point of my post is, from Scene 1 and Scene 2, what do you infer? What I inferred was, even if a person wants to do good to the society, he ends up in trouble! Its better for him to mind his own business, rather than helping others! In countries like India and Srilanka, if someone gets an accident and if there is someone to help him, and if something bad happens to the person who met an accident, then this person who helped him has to face the consequences! So how will anyone come to help? This totally contradicts what Shankar was trying to say in Anniyan! There are many people in this world who are ready to help the society. But they are not able to do so. And the only sole reason is "Society does not allow them to do so".

2005-08-16T10:35:00.000Z

Inside the mind of a blind man

Before I start the topic - I just want to say that I am not starting a B-grade topic here. I have been contemplating about this question for a long time since I saw BLACK and I guess its high time I get an answer to it.

In BLACK, a scene comes where Rani Mukherjee wants a kiss from her teacher Amitabh Bachan. She is yearning to be loved - so I dont see any lust in there..But a question arose to me..

Will a man who has been blind by birth have any kind of lust within him? He would have never seen his opposite sex to be attracted towards them. He wouldnt even know how a girl would look like. A man's mind is always pure during birth. Only when he grows up, the things he sees and hears make his mind corrupt. So in case of a blind man - he does not see anything bad and if he is also deaf then he would not hear anything bad - so arguably he should not get any lustful feelings - Isnt it? Am I right here?

2005-08-14T15:30:00.000Z

Annan Chakra Alaikiraar

Then-natin Tsunami, thenpandi singam, varungala thamilagam Puratchi Star Annan Chakra, Londonil nadapera virukum ma-perum maanatil pangupera anaithu Indhiya bloggers-yum alaikiraar. Anaivarum alai kadal-ena thirandu vaarir..! Annanin pugal paadir..!

Inviting Indian Bloggers in UK for the first ever Indian Bloggers Meet in London. Keep yourself free on Sunday, 28th August 2005.

Contact Annan via e-mail: sam_chakra [at] yahoo [dot] com or mobile: 07736676377.

Unnai Valtha Vayathilai, Vanagukiren

Annanin Thondan "Chakra" Arjuna

Preston Road Chakra Rasigar Mandram

Udal Mannuku Uyir Chakravuku

2005-08-12T22:35:00.000Z

The Caste System - Inner Significance

The ignorant and arrogant Karunanidhi, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, claimed Bhagwat Gita preaches the caste system that leads to classification of humans by birth and the Gita is not acceptable to the Dravidian tradition. He ridiculed Bhagwat Gita for his stupid political ambitions. What does Karunanidhi know about Hinduism? What does the DK founder Periyar know about Hinduism? These so called aethist politicians dont understand the inner significance of Hinduism and try to potray themselves as the saviours of mankind by ridiculing our religion, saying Hinduism preaches the caste system. When I read the news about Karunanidhi making his idiotic comments last September, I immediately sent an email to Sujatha explaining him the inner significance of the caste system and asked him to write in his "Katrathum Petrathum" section in Anandha Vikatan about it. Sujatha then came up with his own version of the caste system concept the following week.

I wanted to write about the inner significance of the caste system for a long time and I take this opportunity to explain to you what the caste system means according to the Hindu scriptures.

I am reproducing the following para from the famous book "Man's Eternal Quest" by Paramahansa Yogananda.

"Caste in its original conception was not a hereditary status, but a classification based on man's natural capacities. In his evolution, man passes through four distinct grades, designated by ancient Hindu sages as Sudra, Vaisya, Kshatriya and Brahmin. The Sudra is interested primarily in satisfying his bodily needs and desires; the work that best suits his state of development is bodily labour. The Vaisya is ambitious for worldly gain as well as for satisfaction of the senses; he has more creative ability than the Sudra and seeks occupation as a farmer, a businessman, an artist, or wherever his mental energy finds fullfillment. The Kshatriya, having through many lives fulfilled the desires of the Sudra and Vaisya states, begins to seek the meaning of life; he tries to overcome his bad habits, to control his senses, and to do what is right. Kshatriya by occupation are noble rulers, statesmen, warriors. The Brahmin has overcome his lower nature, has a natural affinity for spiritual pursuits, and is God knowing, able therefore to teach and help liberate others."

Thus the caste system is the classification based on the mental state of man's mind rather than birth. It is sad to know that our fellow Hindus didnt understand the inner significance of the caste system which lead to severe ill treatment of the so called lower class people! This has given a reason for these morons to ridicule our great religion that preaches the Eternal Truth. Its high time we study our religious scriptures comprehending its inner significances!

Note: I want to be a Brahmin!

2005-08-11T13:45:00.000Z

Maniratnam to direct a hollywood film

Wow - I just read from Vikatan.com that Maniratnam is about to direct a hollywood film. He has prepared three stories and has narrated them to a famous hollywood production company and he would choose one story for his next venture. More information will be know soon. Music will definitely be composed by the great A.R.Rahman.

Also check this out:

After 'The Rising', which hits the theatres on August 12th, Bobby Bedi will nosedive into making 'The Mahabharata'. Mani Ratnam will direct the venture, which will cost at least 100 crores. In what would be Bollywood's biggest cinematic venture (grapevine says that the budget could touch even 300 crores) and the mother of all blockbusters, the buzz is that Bedi and Ratnam are thinking of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Rani Mukherjee in pivotal roles. Further grapevine suggests that Aishwarya Rai will play Draupadi. Speaking to this writer, Bobby Bedi said, "Yes, I am planning 'The Mahabharata'. I am not too sure whether it will be my next film after 'The Rising' because I plan to shoot only from January 2007 onwards," adding, "I have not yet cast anybody, But yes, I will make the film with big established actors." Bedi says that the thought of making this film arose while reading Girish Karnad's book Agnivarsha that is set in the pre-Mahabharata days. "I read Karnad's book about five years back and that is what set my mind ticking in this direction." Bedi explained why Ratnam will don the director's hat. "I've known Mani for 25 years. I have seen all his films. He is a great filmmaker who dwells upon every detail in his films, which will be of paramount importance in recreating the epic."

Any guesses on the cast and technical crew apart from ARR?

2005-08-10T22:30:00.000Z

Dvaita, Vishistadvaita and Advaita - The true significance.

As per fellow blogger Krishna's request, I am posting this topic. This thread contains high voltage spiritual stuff and its a very important read if you have an inclination towards Hinduism and Spirituality :) ..Please take your time to read it :)

bhaktya tu ananyaya sakya
aham evam-vidho 'rjuna
jnatum drashtum ca tattvena
praveshtum ca parantapa

(Bhagwat Gita Chapter 11, Verse 54)

bhaktya -- by devotional service; tu -- but; ananyaya -- without being mixed with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge; sakyah -- possible; aham -- I; evam-vidhah -- like this; arjuna -- O Arjuna; jnatum -- to know; drashtum -- to see; ca -- and; tattvena -- in fact; praveshtum -- to enter into; ca -- also; parantapa -- O mighty-armed one

The above word to word meaning was given by Srila Prabhupada, who is the founder of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness.

The following are the excerpts of Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba on the three concepts of Hinduism that is required for self realization:

The Three Stages on the Spiritual Path

Fill your heart with one-pointed devotion and God will reveal himself within you. Then you will see him as he truly is. In time, you will merge with him and become one with him.

Embodiments of Love,

There are three principal stages that you must follow on the spiritual path in order to reach your spiritual goal. They have been described in a number of different ways in the Gita. At the end of the 11th chapter, wherein Lord Krishna gives Arjuna the vision of his cosmic form, you will find the three stages presented as follows:

First, you must know that God is here (Jnatum). Then you must have a direct vision of him (Drashtum). Finally, you must merge with him (Praveshtum). These three steps will lead you to liberation.

In the first step, you learn through the words of the scriptures or a teacher, that God really exists. But merely knowing this truth does not give you unlimited joy. You discover that God is here, but you also realize that you and God are separate. This feeling of separation can serve as the basis for subsequent steps on the path, but in itself it does not provide much lasting satisfaction.

Gradually, the anguish of separation from God moves you on to the next step. The desire develops in you to gain the direct personal experience and vision of God. You feel, "I want to see you, dear Lord. How can I experience you directly?" But, you find that it does not happen so easily just by wishing for it. You must deeply pine and yearn for this vision; you must constantly aspire to see him. Whatever form or aspect of God you have come to love in your devotion, you must now yearn for it with all your heart and wish to see it directly. If your yearning is sincere, then after some time he will make himself known to you in a most personal way, and give you this sought-for vision of himself. Here is a small story to illustrate this.

There was a poor cowherd boy, who had a great deal of faith and an intense yearning to see God. One day, in the village where this boy lived, a preacher came to deliver some spiritual discourses. The preacher would gather together an audience and sing the glories and exploits of the Lord. It was not possible for this cowherd boy to give up his work and come to all the meetings, because all day long he had to attend to his cows. But in the evenings he would bring the animals into a sheltered place and then go to hear the preacher give his talk. The cowherd boy would listen with great earnestness and care to all that was being said.

The preacher was a follower of Lord Vishnu, and so he related the characteristic features of God in the form of Vishnu, or Narayana, as he is also called. In the course of the discourse the preacher repeatedly described the traditional image of the Lord as one who was dark complexioned, who wore a white mark on his forehead and rode on a white eagle. The preacher also explained that Lord Vishnu was always prepared to go to the rescue of those who sought shelter in him, and that he would accept as an offering anything that was given to him with full faith and love.

As the preacher repeatedly described these characteristics of the Lord, they made an indelible impression on the heart of that boy. The preacher also said that God is a great lover of music, and that he could be won by directing one's prayers to him in song, sung most reverently from the heart.

Well, this cowherd boy used to carry some food with him for his noontime lunch. Daily he would offer this food to God with all sincerity and devotion, praying to the Lord to partake of it. He began his prayers by singing this song, "O loving Lord, You ride on a white eagle, so I have been told. Come. Please come to me and accept this food." The boy went on praying like this to the Lord for one whole week continuously. He never touched his food because it was not shared by the Lord. By the end of the week he became extremely weak. Besides his weakened physical condition, he was also suffering from extreme anguish because he felt that he wasn't singing properly and therefore the Lord did not respond. He was sure that it was because of his own shortcomings in his songs that the Lord did not come to partake of his food. And so with great determination and devotion he continued to practice his singing, thinking that in the end he would surely win the grace of the Lord.

In his weakened condition he reached the forest. He was feeling extremely exhausted but he was determined not to eat unless his offering was accepted by the Lord. Now his prayerful song poured out of him in a most melodious and sacred way. The boy just kept on singing and singing all the time, imploring the Lord to come down and accept the food and drink that he was offering with so much yearning. When there was perfect harmony in the feeling, in the tune and in the content of the song, the Lord descended. How did he appear before that cowherd boy? He came as a boy of the same age, wearing the simple ochre cloth of a saddhu, a mendicant holy man.

The young cowherd asked the boy he saw standing before him, "Please, dear friend, may I know who you are? Are you a traveler passing through this forest?" The holy boy answered, "I am the Lord. I am Narayana. You prayed to see me and so I have come to give you a vision of myself." Remembering that the Lord liked the sweet sound of music, the cowherd boy continued his questioning in the form of a most melodious song, "But you don't conform to the description given of the Lord, who is dark complexioned, who wears a white mark on his forehead and who rides a white eagle. The preacher said that is how we can know the Lord. But it doesn't seem to be true. O, dear one, if you are really the blessed Lord, please resolve my doubt and let me see you in your true form."

The boy had heard a description of the Lord; now he wanted to see and experience him directly, exactly as he had heard him described and come to believe in him. But God doesn't have any specific name or form; he has a thousand eyes, a thousand ears, a thousand hands and a thousand feet. Yet in order to please and satisfy his devotees who are aspiring to see him, he takes on the particular form which has been earnestly prayed for. To satisfy this cowherd boy the Lord revealed himself by taking on the lustrous form of Vishnu, and accepted the food and drink so lovingly offered by the boy. This is the second stage when one yearns for the vision of the Lord. Even when that vision comes, it will still not be the true form of God but the one chosen through the prayers of the devotee. God loves sincere, heartfelt feelings, and therefore, in keeping with the feeling of his devotee, he will give his vision in the form which pleases the devotee most.

After the Lord left the boy thought to himself, "First I heard a description of him, and then I prayed for a vision of him. Now he has come down and I have seen him directly. But, how can I reach him and be ever with him?" By merely knowing that God exists, a devotee will not be satisfied. Nor does he get full satisfaction by just having a vision of the Lord. Having had the vision, he yearns to be fully merged with him. It is only then that the devotee will be in unending bliss. In the case of this boy, the Lord had given a vision of himself, and then disappeared. But from that moment on the boy kept the picture of the Lord as he had just seen him, in the form of Vishnu, continuously imprinted in his heart. With that lovely form in his mind's eye, he now began inquiring and thinking only of how he could reach him and merge with him. This is the third stage.

In the same way, by either listening to learned people or by reading and studying the scriptures you can get some idea of what God is like. But ultimately you will not be satisfied and happy with just this. It is still only a stage of dualism, for in this stage you and God remain separate. Therefore, you will make an attempt to go beyond the stage of dualism to the next step, which is qualified non-dualism. This refers to the deep aspiration to see and experience God directly. How can you get a vision of him? By picturing in your own heart the form of God you heard described, and then continuously thinking and contemplating on that form. Whatever you do, whatever you say, whatever you see and whatever you listen to, you have to become one with that sacred form.

The specific form of God you have pictured becomes a thought form in your mind. The thought form should then become saturated with the feeling of devotion so that it becomes a feeling form in your heart. Gradually, gradually, these feelings will deepen and strengthen until one day you will have a real vision of the Lord. So, first the Lord is heard of and thought of, then he is sought through intense feelings of devotion and yearning, and finally he reveals himself in form and can be directly experienced. In other words, the thought form turns into a feeling form, which then becomes transformed into real experience. That describes the second stage on the path. Not only do you get the personal vision of the Lord, whom you have aspired to see, but you also get the chance to converse with him face-to-face.

After seeing the Lord thus and talking to him directly, you gain a little more satisfaction. But if you are a true devotee, even this golden opportunity will not give you the full joy you long for. Now you want to reach God and merge with him. You think, "I have heard... I have seen... now I must reach him and be one with him." In the first stage, when through reading and hearing you come to know that God exists, you feel that God is separate and you are separate. This is the state of dualism (Dvaita). But in the second stage you see the Lord and get the feeling that you are part of him. This is the state of qualified non-dualism (Vishistadvaita). Finally you move on to the feeling, 'The Lord and I are one and the same'. This is the Advaita stage of complete non-dualism. Here you think, 'Either I must get merged with him or he must become one with me.' Then there is complete unity.

So long as there remains a separate river distant from the ocean, which is its source and its goal, then the river will retain a separate name and have an individual identity. But once the river merges into the ocean it gets the taste of the ocean, it gets the form of the ocean, and it takes on the name of the ocean. If you want to become one with the Lord, you have to acquire the feelings of the Lord, you have to acquire the form of the Lord and you have to acquire all the sacred characteristics of the Lord. Only then will you be one with him.

You have to feel that all the attributes of the Lord must manifest themselves in you. Affirm to yourself: "The broadmindedness of the Lord is within me. All the selfless feelings of the Lord are within me. The unbounded love of the Lord is within me." When you faithfully live this conviction then you eventually attain the realization that you and he are one. Then there is perfect unity.

You must continuously strive for this feeling of unity. You must make every effort to gain it. Then you will reach that fulfillment one day. This is the ultimate goal of human life. It is only when you reach that place, the place from which you have originally come, that true fulfillment will be yours.

Excerpts from "Discourses on Bhagavad Gita" by Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba

2005-08-09T19:15:00.000Z

My Best Friend

In the past 3 days, I have seen humpteen number of threads on friendship in several blogs. I have a few close friends and I guess this is the right time to introduce a very special friend of mine who is like a brother to me. I am very close to him. He is very helpful. He is very religious. Comes with me to all the temples. Along with me, he has circumbulated the Arunachala Mountain 3 times. He loves the philosophy of Advaita. We have visited Puttaparthy and had dharshan of Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba several times. He helps and participates in all the "homams" we have in our house.

So what is so special about him? There are many guys like him, you may ask :) - Check out my first comment to know why he is very special! Let me know your views on my special friend. Its very important to have people like him in this society!

2005-08-09T13:00:00.000Z

Hats Off
Discovery has landed safely! Phew - the final hour was like watching the last 5 overs of a cricket match! Guys - you have done a fantastic job! This may be the last space shuttle flight! Lets wait and see..

2005-08-09T12:20:00.000Z

Get Inspired With The 17 Year Old CEO

Article from: TIMES NEWS NETWORK

His passion for the Internet has made him CEO of a web solutions and networking company at the age of 17. Suhas Gopinath today runs offices across 11 countries!

At a seminar on 'Education System in India' at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, last year, a boy dressed in casuals stepped out of his car and entered the gate. He is stopped by the security personnel: "This event is only for CEOs, you are a college boy.'' The boy smiled, picked up his
cellphone and soon a whole swarm of organisers arrived at the entrance to usher him in. But then we really can't blame the security. Even the wisest of men probably wont guess that the 17-year-old Suhas Gopinath can be the CEO and President of a Bangalore-based IT solutions company, Globals Inc. Suhas had actually been invited as one of the speakers at the seminar.

"Because of my age and looks, I often land in embarrassing situations and do not know how to handle the confusion, says a candid Suhas, who is currently juggling is corporate life with a BE in Information Science at the M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Information Technology. He owns a car, bought out of his earnings, but doesn't have a license to drive it around the city as he is too young to get a license! As a CEO, he wraps up mega deals, but cannot sign on the dotted line as legally he is not yet an adult. His is a story of a pastime turning into obsession. As a student at Air Force School in Mathikere, he frequented a cyber cafe near his home. "I was overwhelmed by the world of Internet. It became a passion. Though my parents were completely against it, I would spend hours before the computer. My elder brother Shreyas encouraged a lot. I learnt HTML, ASP and every possible software at the cyber cafe, recalls Gopinath.

On May 14, 2000, along with friends Clifford Leslie and Vinay M.N, he floated his own website www.coolhindustani.com. "I did not have the money to start. My parents refused to give my a penny, saying it was not worth it. So I wrote to Network Solutions Inc in the US and they readily agreed,'' he says.

Suhas, really had 'IT' in him. In August, the same year, he set up Globals Inc, a web solutions and networking company, with a team of four. Now, he has 350 employers, offices in 11 countries, and a turnover of $1 million this year.

"Initially we offered the services for free. As most of us were studying and were very young to actually run the company, many clients were not keen on us. But after seeing the work we delivered, they were impressed. Lot of them in fact still are very encouraging,'' he smiles. At the Bangalore, there are more than 15 full-time software engineers today. How does he deal with employees elder to him by many years? "Most of the people who work with me are between the age group of 17-19 yrs. I treat them as friends first, than act like a boss. So the job becomes much more easier, adds Gopinath. But it's a stressful life, he admits."As I got more interested in the company, my studies went for a toss. In my Class X exams I scored 80 per cent, but in PUC could barely get 65 per cent. Even here I try and not bunk too many classes, but clients cannot be given lame excuses. When I have exams, I tell them I am unwell.. he is candid. Success comes with a price and Suhas has understood the importance of it. "At times, I repent that I am not a normal boy, enjoying a teenager's carefree life. Most of the time I am forced to wear blazers and I am always nervous-about work or studies, he says.

While most others of his age are rolling balls down a bowling alley, he is charting the road map for his company. "We are planning to start management consultancy in the industry sector as well. There are plans to expand our services to non-IT areas by next year, explains Suhas. But ask him what's his message for to-be entrepreneurs and he's cautious." I don't think I am mature enough to advise others, but if you have it in you, go for it. One should also make time to enjoy other things in life. With work, you get too busy to even repent, he adds."

2005-08-08T19:10:00.000Z

Intha Vaaram Satellite Technology Vaaram :)

Naan PhD pannathuku - I need to do some justice to what I learnt - so decided to post some hi funda stuff - so please bare with me!!

Its been an eventful day today. I received a mail from Jeff Allen who is currently writing the manual for DTN2 asking me to help him with the manual! I need to do some documentation on the source code! This is going to be interesting stuff. I luv debugging with output streams!

I just received a mail from Adrian J. Hooke, Chairman, CCSDS Engineering Steering Group (CESG), NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Interplanetary Network Directorate,Pasadena, California, USA, asking about my research interests! What a day :)

I cherish storing mails from famous personalities. The most important is a mail from the President of India APJ Abdul Kalaam ( I wished him good luck when he became the President and he has sent a reply thanking a group of people including me!) and 3 mails from thalaivar A.R.Rahman ( I cried when I received the first mail from him) :)..