Have you ever noticed that when you are driving, anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, anyone driving faster than you is a maniac?
-- Comedian George Carlin
-- Comedian George Carlin
Friday, October 25, 2013
I can't say for sure but I think that Heaven isn't exactly in Heaven these days. Wait, before you think that I have gone gaga, let me tell you that I am talking about the Golden Retriever that's part of Bigg Boss house. He is the only reason I can stand the show for at least a few minutes.
BTW, shouldn't PETA be concerned about his well-being? I am sure all that back-biting and bitching isn't good for his health ;-)
BTW, shouldn't PETA be concerned about his well-being? I am sure all that back-biting and bitching isn't good for his health ;-)
I have finished reading Adhyaya 4. But I am still clueless about what exactly is meant by the term 'transcendental knowledge'. It is used everywhere in the purports, and yet hasn't been fully explained. The purports keep talking about being in 'Krishna Consciousness' but till now no practical example has been given - probably because one is supposed to learn it from the master. If that is true, I guess there is no hope for people like me who don't trust folks in saffron robes. I agree that a spiritual person need not be so attired. Nor does he/she need to have a large following. In fact, I would expect a truly spiritual person to be free from such ceremonial trappings. Ironically, it is precisely this fact that will make it harder for one to come across such a person.
It is said that when the student is ready to receive knowledge, the master appears. Maybe, I am not ready enough.
It is said that when the student is ready to receive knowledge, the master appears. Maybe, I am not ready enough.
A trip to a Voter's Help Center
I probably wouldn't have bothered about it but the last time I voted (was it in 2009?) the guy who examined my voter ID card at the booth had told me that the card has expired. I had no idea that the card can expire - after all it does not have any expiry date mentioned on it. But he had allowed me to vote and it was all that mattered. I had forgotten all about it till I saw the ads in the newspapers that asked the populace to visit the Voter's Help Centers for any change in the voter ID cards or for getting a new one made. Still, I could not make myself go to one because I dreaded the setup - a room in some municipal school, 7-8 desks manned by bored-looking government employees, a crowd of harassed public running from pillar to post with a bunch of documents and unbearable stifling heat. No way!
But then I had to make sure I would be able to vote in the upcoming elections. So I mustered up every ounce of courage I didn't know I had and headed for the nearst center with whatever documents (and copies!) I could lay my hands on - PAN card, existing voter ID card, domicile certificate, ration card, passport & photos. A security guard at the municipal school gate directed me to the center and I stepped into the room feeling as if I am entering a dungeon full of hidden traps.
The room wasn't crowded and there was no "unbearable stifling heat" - thanks to the ceiling fans and open windows. Thank God for small mercies! I approached a guy sitting at the nearest desk (as usual, the desks weren't marked!) and showed him my voter ID card. He directed me to a lady who was sitting a couple of desks away 'she will check if your name is in the voter roll' he said helpfully. I approached the lady, she took the card from me and tapped on her desktop. She asked me my address and told me that my name was in the list but it didn't have my photo. Then she asked me to get a form - form 8 - from the nearby desk. My heart sank when I saw the number of pages in that form. 'Do I have to fill up this whole form?' I asked, mightily alarmed. 'No, no, just fill this section' the lady pointed out the relevant sections to me. 'Do you have any adhesive that I can use to stick this photo?'. 'Right there' she said.
When I approached the table that was supposed to contain the 'adhesive' I was taken aback. The bottle and the thick sticky glue in it reminded me of my childhood days when I used to accompany my maternal grandfather to the nearby post office during summer vacations. I hadn't seen it in nearly two decades and was really surprised that it was still being used. At this rate, I won't be surprised if I hear that the government is keeping a few dinosaurs tucked away somewhere just for the heck of it. :-)
I managed to stick the photo to the form without getting myself stuck to the table or the glue bottle. When I trooped back to the desk, the lady told me that I will have to submit a few documents. But when I started fishing them out of my bag, she said pointed to an unmanned table and told me that they will have to be submitted there. Of course, it was so naive of me to expect that everything will be done so soon and without any hassles! 'When is the person expected to be here?' I asked, though I knew the answer. 'He should be here in another 5 minutes'. Yeah, yeah, and I am Miss Universe!
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to wait and die.
So I waited and waited and waited. About 15 minutes passed. Slowly, the room started to fill up as more people walked in. A knot of people formed around the table where form 8 was supposed to be submitted. A guy in front of me complained to no one in particular 'There are 2 people sitting at the other table. Why can't he come here and collect these forms? If we can inform the guy who is sitting across there, he might be able to ask him'. 'Really? then let's go' I said. The two of us approached who possibly was the in-charge of the center. When we informed him about it, he started to say something and then pointed to a guy in a cap who was walking into the room. 'There he is. He will take your forms' he said. So we came back to the table.
I got this one thing to say about this new addition to the room. He might have come late but he was a picture of efficiency - rarely seen in government employees - once he set about his work. Within minutes he instructed all who had gathered around the table as to the next step. People handed him their documents, signed where he asked them to, got the forms stamped, collected their receipts and left.
As far as I am concerned, I got off lightly. Just had to attach one copy each of the ration card and PAN card, sign at a few places and get the form stamped. I heaved a big sigh of relief as the guy tore the receipt off the form and handed it to me. Now, I don't have to think about this before January, 2014 when I can inquire at the same center and confirm that the changes have been done.
When I left, it was heartening to see that the room was almost full of people - many of them appeared to be no more than 18. I hope they are as enthusiastic about it on the voting day!
But then I had to make sure I would be able to vote in the upcoming elections. So I mustered up every ounce of courage I didn't know I had and headed for the nearst center with whatever documents (and copies!) I could lay my hands on - PAN card, existing voter ID card, domicile certificate, ration card, passport & photos. A security guard at the municipal school gate directed me to the center and I stepped into the room feeling as if I am entering a dungeon full of hidden traps.
The room wasn't crowded and there was no "unbearable stifling heat" - thanks to the ceiling fans and open windows. Thank God for small mercies! I approached a guy sitting at the nearest desk (as usual, the desks weren't marked!) and showed him my voter ID card. He directed me to a lady who was sitting a couple of desks away 'she will check if your name is in the voter roll' he said helpfully. I approached the lady, she took the card from me and tapped on her desktop. She asked me my address and told me that my name was in the list but it didn't have my photo. Then she asked me to get a form - form 8 - from the nearby desk. My heart sank when I saw the number of pages in that form. 'Do I have to fill up this whole form?' I asked, mightily alarmed. 'No, no, just fill this section' the lady pointed out the relevant sections to me. 'Do you have any adhesive that I can use to stick this photo?'. 'Right there' she said.
When I approached the table that was supposed to contain the 'adhesive' I was taken aback. The bottle and the thick sticky glue in it reminded me of my childhood days when I used to accompany my maternal grandfather to the nearby post office during summer vacations. I hadn't seen it in nearly two decades and was really surprised that it was still being used. At this rate, I won't be surprised if I hear that the government is keeping a few dinosaurs tucked away somewhere just for the heck of it. :-)
I managed to stick the photo to the form without getting myself stuck to the table or the glue bottle. When I trooped back to the desk, the lady told me that I will have to submit a few documents. But when I started fishing them out of my bag, she said pointed to an unmanned table and told me that they will have to be submitted there. Of course, it was so naive of me to expect that everything will be done so soon and without any hassles! 'When is the person expected to be here?' I asked, though I knew the answer. 'He should be here in another 5 minutes'. Yeah, yeah, and I am Miss Universe!
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to wait and die.
So I waited and waited and waited. About 15 minutes passed. Slowly, the room started to fill up as more people walked in. A knot of people formed around the table where form 8 was supposed to be submitted. A guy in front of me complained to no one in particular 'There are 2 people sitting at the other table. Why can't he come here and collect these forms? If we can inform the guy who is sitting across there, he might be able to ask him'. 'Really? then let's go' I said. The two of us approached who possibly was the in-charge of the center. When we informed him about it, he started to say something and then pointed to a guy in a cap who was walking into the room. 'There he is. He will take your forms' he said. So we came back to the table.
I got this one thing to say about this new addition to the room. He might have come late but he was a picture of efficiency - rarely seen in government employees - once he set about his work. Within minutes he instructed all who had gathered around the table as to the next step. People handed him their documents, signed where he asked them to, got the forms stamped, collected their receipts and left.
As far as I am concerned, I got off lightly. Just had to attach one copy each of the ration card and PAN card, sign at a few places and get the form stamped. I heaved a big sigh of relief as the guy tore the receipt off the form and handed it to me. Now, I don't have to think about this before January, 2014 when I can inquire at the same center and confirm that the changes have been done.
When I left, it was heartening to see that the room was almost full of people - many of them appeared to be no more than 18. I hope they are as enthusiastic about it on the voting day!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Bhagavad Gita - As It Is (Adhyaya 4), Verses - 1 to 23
There was quite a gap after I finished reading Adhyaya 3 - so much so that I feared I was destined to abandon the project once more. But then I started reading 1-2 shlokas
at a time and got back into the regime. I have also decided to note
down my comments as I read so that I don't have to go back and look them
up later.
My first comment is about the purport for Text 1. The shloka doesn't mention it but the purport goes like this:
Bhagavad Gita has to be accepted as it is, from thd disciplic succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god, the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, and Manu spoke to his son Iksvaku.
Okay, let's say this disciplic succession was exactly the same as described here. But doesn't that make it all the more necessary to NOT accept Gita as it is? After all, there is a real possibility that things could have got lost in translation across centuries - given that there were 32 people involved in the succession chain, if the list at the end of the introductory chapter is anything to go by. It also means that there is really no need of any 'purport' because however one might try, it is humanely impossible to keep one's views, opinions and judgement out of it. The chances of one misunderstanding something are more when one is told to accept what is told as it is. No way!
This Adhyaya contains 2 of my favorite verses of the Gita (I must confess though that the reason I know them by heart is B. R. Chopra's TV series Mahabharata!) . The first of them (#7) is:
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत|
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम|
I was glad when I came across the following in the accompanying purport:
It is not a fact that the Lord appears only on Indian soil. He can manifest Himself anywhere and everywhere, and whenever He desires to appear.He speaks as much about religion as can be understood by the particular people under their particular circumstances. But the mission is the same - to lead people to God consciousness and obedience to the principles of religion. Sometimes He descends personally, and sometimes he sends his bonafide representative in the form of His son, or servant, or Himself in some disguised form.
These lines kind of rhymed with what I have always believed - God appears in the form that the devotee chooses and that's why we have different religions all talking about their own scriptures, rituals and beliefs.
I looked forward to reading the purport of my other favorite verse (#8):
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृतां!
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे!
I agreed with most of the purport except a few lines at the end. 'As stated in the Srimad-Bhagawatam, the incarnation in the Age of Kali is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who spread the worship of Krsna by the Sankirtana movement and spread Krsna consciousness throughout India'.
Here, another confession is in order. I don't much care for the modern age swamis and sadhus. So I had skipped the section giving their names and photos at the beginning of this book. This line made me go back and find out just who this Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was. Turns out that he is the founder of the ISKON movement. His name was mentioned in the ancient text Srimad-Bhagawatam? How is that possible? I read that line again and realized that the Srimad-Bhagawatam talks about Krsna's incarnation in every age. And it is the author's interpretation that this 'incarnation in the Age of Kali is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu'.
My suspicion was confirmed by the following lines at the very end of the purport:
Lord Caitanya as the incarnation of Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is described secretly but not directly in the confidential parts of the revealed scriptures, such as the Upanisads, Mahabharata and Bhagavatam.
Guess the author has committed the same crime that he accuses mundane wranglers of committing (Page 217) - speculating on the Gita in their own ways.
The Chaturwarna system is mentioned in verse 13 as follows:
चातुर्वण्यं माया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागाश:|
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विध्द्यकर्तारमव्ययम|
Translation:
According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.
It is clearly mentioned that the Chaturwarna system is based on nature of human beings, and not on one's birth. So, if a Brahman's child displays aptitude and inclination to follow the duties of a Kshatriya, he or she can do so and vice versa. One doesn't need to follow a particular profession just because one is born to parents who practice it. Wonder who twisted the definition of Chaturwarna and how.
My first comment is about the purport for Text 1. The shloka doesn't mention it but the purport goes like this:
Bhagavad Gita has to be accepted as it is, from thd disciplic succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god, the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, and Manu spoke to his son Iksvaku.
Okay, let's say this disciplic succession was exactly the same as described here. But doesn't that make it all the more necessary to NOT accept Gita as it is? After all, there is a real possibility that things could have got lost in translation across centuries - given that there were 32 people involved in the succession chain, if the list at the end of the introductory chapter is anything to go by. It also means that there is really no need of any 'purport' because however one might try, it is humanely impossible to keep one's views, opinions and judgement out of it. The chances of one misunderstanding something are more when one is told to accept what is told as it is. No way!
This Adhyaya contains 2 of my favorite verses of the Gita (I must confess though that the reason I know them by heart is B. R. Chopra's TV series Mahabharata!) . The first of them (#7) is:
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत|
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम|
I was glad when I came across the following in the accompanying purport:
It is not a fact that the Lord appears only on Indian soil. He can manifest Himself anywhere and everywhere, and whenever He desires to appear.He speaks as much about religion as can be understood by the particular people under their particular circumstances. But the mission is the same - to lead people to God consciousness and obedience to the principles of religion. Sometimes He descends personally, and sometimes he sends his bonafide representative in the form of His son, or servant, or Himself in some disguised form.
These lines kind of rhymed with what I have always believed - God appears in the form that the devotee chooses and that's why we have different religions all talking about their own scriptures, rituals and beliefs.
I looked forward to reading the purport of my other favorite verse (#8):
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृतां!
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे!
I agreed with most of the purport except a few lines at the end. 'As stated in the Srimad-Bhagawatam, the incarnation in the Age of Kali is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who spread the worship of Krsna by the Sankirtana movement and spread Krsna consciousness throughout India'.
Here, another confession is in order. I don't much care for the modern age swamis and sadhus. So I had skipped the section giving their names and photos at the beginning of this book. This line made me go back and find out just who this Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was. Turns out that he is the founder of the ISKON movement. His name was mentioned in the ancient text Srimad-Bhagawatam? How is that possible? I read that line again and realized that the Srimad-Bhagawatam talks about Krsna's incarnation in every age. And it is the author's interpretation that this 'incarnation in the Age of Kali is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu'.
My suspicion was confirmed by the following lines at the very end of the purport:
Lord Caitanya as the incarnation of Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is described secretly but not directly in the confidential parts of the revealed scriptures, such as the Upanisads, Mahabharata and Bhagavatam.
Guess the author has committed the same crime that he accuses mundane wranglers of committing (Page 217) - speculating on the Gita in their own ways.
The Chaturwarna system is mentioned in verse 13 as follows:
चातुर्वण्यं माया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागाश:|
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विध्द्यकर्तारमव्ययम|
Translation:
According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.
It is clearly mentioned that the Chaturwarna system is based on nature of human beings, and not on one's birth. So, if a Brahman's child displays aptitude and inclination to follow the duties of a Kshatriya, he or she can do so and vice versa. One doesn't need to follow a particular profession just because one is born to parents who practice it. Wonder who twisted the definition of Chaturwarna and how.
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