I Salute You, Dear Mother

Each one on this earth, man or woman, is beholden to one's mother. "Maatrudevo Bhava"  is the first lesson for the young initiated, advising them to see the Lord first in their own mothers. There is no existence for any of us without our mothers. Some are fortunate to see their mother and live with her for several years. Some have the luxury of having her by their sides till their own ripe old age. A few are unfortunate to lose her at birth itself or before they are able to understand and acknowledge her presence. 

Many devout Indians go to Gaya in Bihar for offering Pindas to their forefathers. Pindapradan or sacred offerings is a way of remembering our elders and expressing our gratitude to them. Is there any place which is specially identified for remembering one's mother exclusively, the who makes innumerable sacrifices to give birth and nurture the child?

MatruGaya or Siddhpur in Patan District of Gujarat, located on the banks of the holy river Saraswati,  is the place for devout Indians to visit and make Pindapradan for the mothers. It is a two hour drive (110 KM) from Ahmedabad airport. Siddhpur has a very interesting history.

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Kardama Prajapati was the son of Lord Brahma and chose Shristhal, earlier name for Siddhpur, for his penance. Pleased with his long penance, Lord Vishnu advised him that Manu and Shatarupa Devi will be approaching him for marrying their daughter, Devahuti. Lord Vishnu also told Kardama that he will himself take birth as their son in due course. Kardama and Devahuti had nine daughters and Lord Vishnu was born as their son Kapila later on. Sage Kapila is recognized as one of the main contributors of the Dualistic form of Indian Philosophy.

Kardama Prajapati renounced the world and proceeded to the forest after handing over the care of Devahuti with son Kapila. In due course of time, Devahuti approached Kapila to enlighten her about higher spiritual pursuits and reaching the Lord. The advice given by Kapila to his mother Devahuti is detailed in Bhagavata Mahapurana in the third skanda (canto).  Kapila lays emphasis on visualizing the Lord as a person and worshipping his lotus feet. As this discussion took place in Shristhal, presently known as Siddhpur, it has become an important pilgrimage center for those who remember their mothers and want to do Pindapradan in their honor and memory. While doing so, the sons remember the varieties of troubles they gave their mothers before, during and after their births. Sixteen pindas are offered by reciting a sloka for each of the pindas. The content of each of the sloka is indeed filled with profound feelings.

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Siddhpur has some more history behind it. It is believed that Bramharshi Dadeechi gave away his backbone here to Lord Indra for making of "Vajraayudha" to enable him to kill Vrutrasura. There is also a lake here called "Bindu Sarovara" which is believed to have been formed from the drops of water that fell from the eyes of Lord Vishnu. Pindadaan is done around this holy lake.

What does the son tell his mother while offering the sixteen Pindas? Their rough translation is somewhat like this:

1. I was responsible for the difficulty you experienced while walking on earth during pregnancy, when I was in your womb.
2. I caused immense hardship for you while growing from month to month in your womb.
3. I kicked you often with my legs without realizing that it would hurt you.
4. I gave you trouble in the form of death-like pains while staying in your womb.
5. I gave many other troubles till the tenth month, when you delivered me.
6. I was the cause of all the suffering you faced as delivery date approached.
7. You had to drink and swallow many bitter liquids and medicines before and during my birth.
8. Your body suffered a lot after birth, while nurturing me.
9. You were rendered miserable due my wetting the bed frequently, especially during nights.
10. You always gave me food and water on priority even while ignoring your own needs.
11. I caused pain and trouble while you breast fed me day and night.
12. You suffered during summer and winter months due to my dependence on you.
13. You suffered more than me whenever I was sick.
14. You ate little and yet gave me full, always.
15. There are no sons like me; I troubled you the most.
16. As you cross the gates of heaven, I remember you and offer these Pindas.

While offering the sixteen pindas, the son mentions that it is for atoning for each of the sins mentioned above.

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Kardama Prajapati, Devahuti and their son Kapila have become an integral part of the lives of people who remember MatruGaya or visit that place for sacred offerings.

It Has Meaning!

The Chief Guest for the function of the day was interacting with the students at the University of Calcutta. The University was itself established in the year 1857, on the recommendations of The Court of Directors of the East India Company. The University was modeled on the lines of University of London. The distinguished guest asked the students a simple question. "What is your opinion about your epics?" he asked, with reference to Indian epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. The students answered that "It is all fictitious and meaningless". To a further question as to whether they had read them, the answer was no. The visitor exclaimed, "Don't say it is meaningless without reading them. It may be good or it may be bad. But it has meaning!"

That was nearly a hundred years ago. The situation has not changed much over the years. 

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Sir John George Woodroffe (1865-1936) was a British Orientalist and educated at the University College at Oxford. After his education and practice for a brief period, he was enrolled as an advocate at the Calcutta High Court. He was later appointed as the standing counsel for the Government of India. His books on Law are used as text books even now. His distinguished work took him to occupy the post of a Judge in Calcutta High Court for a period of 18 years. He was a Fellow of the Calcutta University and the above episode was during one of his visits to the University. John Woodroffe was knighted in 1915 in recognition of his invaluable services to the empire. On his return to England later he was a Reader in Indian Law at the Oxford University.

This in itself is an impressive achievement for a fact. But Sir John Woodroffe's contribution was much more. He was highly interested in the study of the Indian epics and philosophy. He learnt Sanskrit and made a study of Indian epics. His friends called him a "Public Judge and Private Student". He made a scholarly analysis of the various aspects of Indian Philosophy and was highly influenced by the richness of the diversity and multi-dimensional Yogic practices. Under his pseudonym Arthur Avalon, he translated 20 Sanskrit texts to English and was instrumental in bringing the richness of the Indian Yogic practices to the west. His book "The Serpent Power" on Kundalini Yogic practices is highly valued even today. The Garland of Letters is another of his scholarly works.

Woodroffe's lectures and essays opened the doors of Indian practices and philosophy to the westren world. His collection of essays titled "Is India Civilised?" is an example of his many essays on Indian Philosophy. He also translated Mahanirvana Tantram into English. Study of these translations influence many westren scholars later on and helped in giving wide publicity to Indian Yogic Practices in other parts of the world. 

Many psychologists have used John Woodroffe's works to further the study of mind and its impact on body. Notable among them is Carl Gustav Jung, the Swiss Psychologist and Psycho-analyst. Carl Jung is recognized as the founder of Analytical Psychology. It is on record that Carl Jung was greatly influenced by the readings of the works of Sir John Woodroffe which opened the gates of Indian spiritualism and mind studies to him. Jung's principles of "Individual unconscious" and "Collective unconscious" have influence of Indian Yogic Practices.

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We have to be grateful for the services of scholars like Sir John Woodroffe for bringing the treasures of Indian spiritualism to the rest of the world. It is also time that we recognize the worth in our own backyard instead of always quoting westren scholars in psychology studies.

Three Mountains and a Stone

The young ascetic had a solitary goal in his life; the one of learning as much as possible during his lifetime. He started his pursuit at a young age and never looked back. He renounced all earthly pleasures and moved forward in his life's mission without interruption. All his time was spent in learning, mastering whatever was learnt and further learning. Days flew fast and he was not even aware of it. Days became years and decades. He continued on his path unmindful of all other things.

Father time waits for none. The ascetic was now at the end of his life span and was a hundred year old. There is a limit to human body and the end for his body was near. Pleased with his application and dedication to learning, Lord Indra appeared before him and wanted to bless him before his separation from the human body. The sage realized that the Lord of the Devatas, Indra was standing before him. He now knew that his end was near. He had no qualms about embracing certain death and renouncing the body. But he was unhappy that he had not succeeded in his mission to learn everything that is there to learn. 

"Time has come for you to leave. You have achieved a lot in your lifetime. You are a model to other learners. You are eligible to enter higher worlds due to your achievements", said Lord Indra.

"Thank you, Lord Indra. I am indeed grateful. I have no worries about death. How I wish I had finished my learning! Unfortunately that is not to be.", said the sage.

"I will make a special boon for you. I will extend your life span by another hundred years. This is not generally done. However, I am impressed by your urge to continue learning. Finish your studies. I will come after another hundred years.", saying so Lord Indra disappeared. 

The sage continued his goal for another hundred years. Time flew and he was not even aware of limitations of time. Lord Indra again appeared before him and repeated his lines. 

"Time has come. You are to move to higher worlds now. I will provide a place of choice for you in heaven", said Lord Indra.

"I am again beholden to you, my Lord. But my learning is not complete. How I wish I had some more time to finish my learning!", said the sage.

"I am extending your life span by another hundred years to complete your learning. But remember, this is the last chance. I will be back after hundred years.", said Lord Indra and disappeared.

Another hundred years flew in learning new things. Time was gone but learning was not complete! Lord Indra dutifully appeared before the sage and asked whether he was now finished. The sage said that still there was a lot to learn and he was far from finished. Lord Indra asked the sage to turn back and look at the scene behind him. As the sage turned, he saw three big mountains before him. Lord Indra asked the stage to pick up a small stone lying near his foot. His instruction was followed by the sage.

"The stone in your hand represents what you have learnt in three hundred years. The three mountains before you represent the amount of unfinished learning. However much I extend your life span, you may not be able to finish your learning.", said Lord Indra.

"I appreciate the enormity of the task, my Lord. But there must be some method of achieving this task. You are the one capable of helping me in this pursuit. Please guide me.", said the sage. 

Lord Indra was pleased with the approach of the sage. He advised him to appeal to the Sun God to help him to learn the essence of all knowledge. The sage sat in penance and prayed for the blessings of the Sun. He then succeeded in his mission by guidance of the Sun.

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This is the story of Rishi Bharadwaja. Due his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and achieving the essence of all knowledge, he is recognized as one among the seven top most rishis of the present period. The seven sages are collectively called as "Saptarshis" (The seven sages) and have the responsibility of protecting all knowledge sources till the end of present times (Manvantara).  

Rishi Bharadwaja is credited with texts of many branches of knowledge including Rigveda and Ayurveda. He is a highly revered and loved sage. His reference can be seen in both Ramayana and Mahabharata. Rama and Seethe visit Bharadwaja Ashram and spend some time with him during their Vanavas (life in the woods) period. Sage Bharadwaja had a son through a celestial Nymph by name Ghrutachi. This son was named Dronacharya and was given training in use of weapons and warfare, a training he received from his father initially. Dronacharya had a major role in Mahabharata as a Guru to the Kauravas and Pandavas and the Kurukshetra war.

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Sage Bharadwaja's story has many lessons for us. There is no end to learning, is one of them. Continued perseverance in achieving the set goals is another. Finding a short path to understand the essence of learning is one more. There can be many others as well.

We may sometime feel proud about our achievements when certain things we do succeed and bring a sense of elation. Remembering Sage Bharadwaja at such times tempers our sense of pride and instils humbleness in our approach.

Idolville or Lingamburg

Rituals at the marriage hall were in full swing. Hosts were engaged in receiving the guests and everyone was busy doing his part. Refreshments were being served in one part of the hall. On the other side was a long line and yet more people were still coming in and joining the line. Those joining the line were empty handed. When they moved out from the front end of the line, there was nothing in their hands. The distinguished visitor from a foreign land was surprised at this spectacle. What were these people waiting for in the long line? He went along the line to check it out. He did not find anything special there. When their turn came, each one in the line received a spoonful of water from a shining vessel kept on the table. The spoonful water was consumed with reverence and each one felt gratified for the same. The visitor enquired from the host as to what was going on there. The host replied that "Gangajal" was being distributed to the guests. It was the holy water from the river Ganges, the visitor was told. People are standing in a long queue just for receiving a spoonful of mere water! The visitor was flabbergast and stood there dumbstruck. He was having yet another taste of the uniqueness of the country he was visiting.

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Born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens but famous by his pen name Mark Twain (1835-1910), the American writer and humorist is remembered for his writings and contributions to society even today. When he was 11 years old, his father who was a judge died. Samuel joined as a printer's apprentice and later joined as a typesetter in a newspaper. He started contributing articles to the paper and thus started his writing career. He worked in various cities on the Atlantic coast as a printer and spent evenings in libraries. His regular visits to the libraries helped him to educate himself much more than in conventional schools. Among his famous works are Adventures of Tom Sawer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Innocents Abroad. 

Mark Twain earned considerable amounts of money from his literary works. He was also an entrepreneur and keenly interested in scientific inventions. He invested his earnings in various ventures and lost his money. He also made losses from his publishing business Charles Webster and Company. Certain developments and help from friends absolved him from legal responsibility of payment to other fellow investors. But Twain wanted to pay them off even if he was not required to do so. He ventured on a year long journey abroad for a lecture tour that could give him enough earnings to meet his repayment efforts. His tour in 1895-96 took him to Canada, Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka India, South Africa and England. 

The above incident was one of the several interesting episodes he encountered while traveling in India.

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Mark Twain visited India between 18th January and 5th April 1896. His experiences in India and elsewhere during the lecture tour of 1895-96 are chronicled in his travelogue titled "Following the Equator", first published in 1897.  His visit to India made a lasting impression on him and he was struck by the contrasts that existed side by side in its cities and villages. Among its many cities, Benares (Varanasi or Kashi) touched his imagination the most. The number of Shiva Lingas there was something he could never fathom. He is reported to have exclaimed thus: "If Vishnu had foreseen what this town was going to be, he would have called it "Idolville" or "Lingamburg". Notwithstanding his  seemingly uncomfortable sojourn in Benares, he still recorded that it was one of the most wonderful places he had ever seen. Among his many remarks during visit of India is this frequently quoted exclamation: "India is the cradle of the human race, the birth place of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition".  

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Mark Twain was a pauper (insolvent) when he set out on his lecture tour. The tour made him solvent again. India probably made substantial contribution in this change. Hence this parting note from him: "In religion, all other countries are paupers. India is the only millionaire".

Lotus Feet and Foot-care

Vaamana was standing before Emperor Bali, who was in the middle of a sacred ritual. The word "Vaamana" itself signifies small in stature. The small boy had arrived there on a mission. Bali, son of Virochana and grandson of Prahlada, was a benevolent King and had displaced the mighty Indra from his throne. Indra and other devatas were now out of power. Their mother Aditi could not tolerate the sufferings of her sons. She requested her husband Sage Kashyapa to find a solution to the problem. Sage Kashyapa suggested her to undertake a course of worship called "Payovrata", worshipping Lord Vishnu by consuming only milk during the worship period. Pleased with Aditi's worship, Lord Vishnu took birth as her son and was named Vaamana. As he was the younger brother of Indra, he became Upendra. Upendra set out on a mission to restore the throne to his brother Indra. He was now standing before Emperor Bali, with a broad smile on his face.

Bali was flabbergast at the divine aura of little Vaamana. He desired to give something to the boy standing before him. When asked to seek something, Vaamana wanted only three feet area of land to carry on his daily rituals. Before Bali could fulfill the requirement, his Guru Shukracharya wanted to prevent it to save his disciple. Shukracharya knew that Vaamana was none other than Lord Vishnu. He blocked the outlet of the holy pot to prevent flow of water required to complete the transfer of land, by assuming a small form and sitting in the outlet. Vaamana knew this and he pierced the opening with the holy hay ring in his hand. Shukracharya lost one eye in the bargain and came out bleeding in the eye. Bali completed the transfer of land and now Vaamana started measuring the three feet of land transferred to him. Vaamana grew to unbelievable size and became Trivikrama. He lifted his foot and for the first time someone (Bali) was able to see the lower part of the feet of the Lord.  

The entire earth was measured by the right foot alone. As Vaamana lifted the left foot to measure the worlds above the earth, the tip of the top of the thumb pierced the golden shell of the upper universe. The entire thumbnail was not required nor its top part. A small tip of the thumb was adequate to pierce the golden shell of the universe! The holy waters of the upper worlds came out of the hole in the shell in the form of Ganga, the mighty holy river. Lord Brahma came running to collect the holy water in his Kamandala, and washed the feet of Vaamana who was now standing as Trivikrama. This started the practice of washing the feet of the Lord and elders in due course. Prahlada also came running and was happy for his grandson. Happy because he himself was able to make Lord Vishnu to take one form of Narasimha, but his grandson was able to make the Lord take two forms of Vaamana and Trivikrama. Legend has it that with no space available now for the donated third feet of land, Vaamana placed his foot on Bali and sent him to the worlds below (not underworld!). It is believed that Vaamana is still standing as a guard at the gate of Bali's palace in the lower world, as a boon to the donor.

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How was the Lord's foot that Bali saw when Vaamana's foot was raised? This has been described at length in various epics and sources. It is said that the Lord's feet are like Lotus and much much better than that. It is said to be like Lotus only because we do not know anything better than Lotus. Lord's feet are said to be more red than the rising sun. 

What about our own feet? The most tender feet we ever know of is the feet of a just born child. Each day thereafter, the feet change in colour as well as in tenderness. An adult's foot is often something similar to the ground we walk on. Feet happen to be one of the most important part of the body, but hardly receives a fraction of the care one's face gets. They are often cracked and rough. As a person ages, the nails of the fingers in the feet become hard and brittle. Clipping the nails using common nail cutters is a big task. Aged people find this a very exacting affair. In-growing nails, especially in the thumbs, result in severe pain. Diabetic patients suffer from ulcers and many have their fingers removed surgically.

The top tip of the nail of the Lotus Feet of the Lord was good enough to pierce the golden shell of the upper Universe and release holy Ganga water. Unclipped nails of a man often brushes and cuts his own skin and muscle, releasing blood and resulting in wounds and pain.

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Pedicure clinics attend to the treatment of feet, corns and trimming of toenails. A Podiatrist is a person who is trained to identify and treat foot disorders. Woodlands Hotel in the city of Bangalore, located on the Sampangi Tank Road, is a popular place for stay, food and functions like marriage ceremonies etc. In a side shed at this hotel lies a Pedicure clinic that is hidden among the trees and not easily visible. Mehaboob Sharieff and his associates provide footcare services here. Sharieff learnt foot care technique under one Azam Khan, who was trained in Czechoslovakia when Bata made advent in India some seventy years ago. One can get an appointment for foot care session and may have to wait for weeks to fix one as the place is visited by many regulars and diabetic persons. Mahaboob Sharieff's client list includes many well known personalities from the world of films, sports and politicians.

The treatment starts with soaking of the feet in salt water and thorough cleaning of the feet to remove dead cells. A modified dentist chair allows the patient to relax during the nearly one hour process. A number of instruments are used for clipping the nails and cleaning the feet. The instruments are sterilized before another use. The amount of dirt and dead cells that are removed during the process are to be seen to be believed. The clinic also offers foot-friendly footwear that are on display at the clinic. Mahaboob Shariff advises soaking the feet in warm salt water frequently to keep them healthy and in shape. 

Those having problem of foot care and clipping nails in the foot may visit the clinic to have a first hand experience of the service.

Your Child Is Fine!

One of the biggest concerns for young parents is the health of their little ones. Just as the pleasure of seeing a child grow has few equals, watching them suffer during their illness has few equals in pain. The problem is somewhat muted when there is elderly support at home. The experience of the earlier generation in seeing through such difficult times acts as a balm to the young couple. If such comfort is not available to young parents, they are left to fend for themselves and see the child recover to normal health. It need not be any serious illness that requires long hospitalization; even a bout of severe cold or fever makes young parents very uncomfortable. The problem is even more acute for parents who are both working, with similar working hours. 

Forty years ago, health care was not this advanced. Working women with no elderly support at home had to take the help of creche or daycare facilities to tend to babies and toddlers when they were to be away at offices. These centers neither had adequate facilities for tending to sick children nor was any element of professionalism in running them. These were run by either people who desired to supplement their incomes or those with service mind to some extent, save for rare exceptions. Income levels of working mothers was also not sufficient to afford good daycare facilities. A sudden telephone call from the creche (mobiles were not heard of then) would make the mother (or father in some cases) drop all the work at the office and run to the creche to take the child home. Caretakers were naturally not willing to risk the health of other kids by holding back a sick child. 

With the sick child at home now, the parents had to wait for the doctor's shop to open for medical help. They had to wait in the normal line with other patients. Each moment of wait at the clinic was a torture for them. The medicines prescribed by the doctor were sometimes not available at the Medical Shop. There were instances when the parent had to search the entire area by going from shop to shop to get the prescribed medicine. The medicines had some side effects as well. When the problem became acute in the middle of the night, waiting till the morning for the doctor's shop to open was indeed an endless wait for the anxious parents.

Parents were much better prepared for dealing with sickness of the second child. The invaluable experience in dealing with the troubles of the first child would have given them both strength and patience to manage the situations. Suffering was no less now, but the ability to withstand the suffering would have increased. We all old timers went through these anxious days at one time or the other.

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Observing developed childcare facilities today is indeed an experience. Cost of treatment has no doubt increased manifold, but income levels have also gone up at least for some sections of the society. Medical insurance has become an important part of our lives and provides some relief to sick patients and young parents. The type of facilities provided and support extended by hospitals in advanced countries is indeed an indicator of the quality of life there. Some visits to the childcare hospitals accompanying young mothers and their kids recently was a very educative and heartening experiences. Some of the highlights are as under:

• Records of the child's birth and all subsequent visits are maintained by the children hospitals on their computers. The information can be viewed by the parents as well. There is no need for searching volumes of paper records when you take a sick child to the hospital in an emergency.
• All details of immunization requirements are mapped in advance and available for scheduling appointments at the appropriate time. In case of difficulties, appointments can be changed over phone.
• Medication is generally discouraged and the emphasis is on developing natural immunity. Taking the child immediately to the hospital is also somewhat discouraged. Anxious parents can speak to the nurse or hospital for guidance. For normal cold or fever, no medication is recommended. A child is to be taken only if the temperature crosses 105* F. 
• Parents can call the helpline and summon ambulance with paramedics at all times of day and night. 
• Emergency facilities are open 24 hours and sick child is attended immediately.
• There are separate waiting rooms for children with regular appointments and those who arrive on sickness emergencies. Mixing of sick kids with other children is totally avoided.
• There are a series of examination rooms at the centre. A trained nurse receives the child in one of these rooms and checks temperature, weight and other desired parameters. The details are fed to the computers in the room and the nurse proceeds to the other room to see the next child.
• The Pediatrician arrives thereafter and verifies the data in the computer before examining the child. The examination is courteous and smooth. 
• There is no dispensing of medicine through paper prescriptions. The doctor enters the details of the medicines, method of administration and time intervals in the computer. Details of the items are mailed to a pharmacy of the parent's choice immediately.
• Sick child and the parent do not come into contact with other children and parents at the centre in examination rooms as well.
• By the time the parent drives the child to the Pharmacy on the way home, pharmacy keeps the items ready for delivery. The parent can pick up the prescribed medicine from the Pharmacy on the way home.
• In case of any problem of dispensing the prescribed item by the pharmacy, the issue is sorted out by the pharmacy with the doctor directly.
• There is no requirement for payment at the pharmacy if the amount payable is within the insurance coverage available for the child. Only the difference amount is to be paid in case of necessity.
• Pharmacies have drive-in facilities for picking up medicine. This prevents the parent from taking out the child from the car seat and take it inside the pharmacy. There is least inconvenience to the child and this also helps in avoiding contact with others at the Pharmacy.
• Follow-up medical care can be had through telephone contact with the centre.

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Some of these facilities may be available at major cities in our country. But smaller centers are still a long way to go. Availability of such facility in all places would enhance quality of life for all citizens. 

Author, Writer and Editor

The words "Author", "Writer" and "Editor" are frequently used in the context of Literature and allied discussions. What is the connection and relation between these words? Do they mean the same thing or do they have different connotations? Are they interchangeable or is there a clear distinction between them? What is the right meaning of these words and when and how they should be used? What are the responsibilities of an author, a writer and an editor? Is there someone who can be considered and quoted as an author, a writer as well as an editor having done all the three different types of work at different times? It is indeed worthwhile to spend a few minutes and ponder over these issues to have a proper understanding of them.

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In general parlance, the words writer and author are understood with the same meaning. A writer is one who writes something that can be read by himself and others. "Scribe" is the actual word to be used for such persons. A person who takes down what is dictated to him in the form of words is a writer. A stenographer is thus a writer when he reproduces the dictated part in words. A writer may also create a copy of an existing work or document by making a duplicate of it. There is a subtle difference between a writer and an author. Anyone who has a published independent work to his credit, may be in the form of a book (or e-book nowadays), is considered as an author. Thus there is a clear and major difference between a writer and an author. The writer generally has no responsibility of the contents of the document or piece except for a faithful reproduction of what is dictated to him or available in the original document. He is usually an employee and not an independent person. The term "clerical error" can be attributed to him but not to an author. On the other hand, an author has a legal responsibility and also enjoys the associated rights with the creation of the work. What he creates should be a original work. Authoring a work involves a lot of skills and talent and is usually a product of inspiration. Though the word 'Writer" is often used to mean an author, we have to keep this difference in mind while understanding usage of these two words.

An Editor is one who selects and revises available material for publication or wider reading. Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written material for conveying to others. Nowadays, it can also be extended to visual, audio and film medium where the word "editing" is extensively used to indicate bringing out an acceptable form of communication from out of a large volume of material that may be unintelligible in its original form. Editing involves creative skills and precise set of methods. It is not a mechanical work and requires special traits. An editor ought to be studious, have command over the material or contents of the work and subject he is editing. Editing includes collection, correction, condensation, organization and modifications of the contents. All this is to be done without distorting the intentions of the original author or authors. The basic idea of editing is to bring out a correct, consistent, accurate and complete work. Correction includes rectification of errors that may have crept in the work over a period of time and in spelling and grammar as well. 

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What are the duties and responsibilities of an 'Editor" and what are the defects that may crepe in while editing literary works? Saint-philosopher Ananda Tirtha Bhagavatpada of 13th Century, well-known as Shri Madhwacharya for his "Dwaita" philosophy, traveled the length and breadth of the country for collecting the various versions of Mahabharata available at that time. After scrutinizing them he authored his celebrated work "Mahabharata Tatparya Niryana", meaning the proper interpretation of Mahabharata. It is interesting to note that he has made a very pertinent observation about "Editing" in this work. He has enumerated the four different types of errors that crepe in while editing a work and summarized them as under:

क्वचित् ग्रन्थान् प्रक्षिपन्ति क्वचित् अन्तरितानापि |

कुर्यः क्वचिच्चव्यत्यासम् प्रमादात् क्वचिदन्यथा ||

Kwachit granthaan prakshipanti kwachit antaritaanapi

Kuryahkwachiccha vyatyaasam pramadaat kwachidanyathaa

Which are the four errors that come up while editing and an editor should beware? They are:

1. Interpolation: Addition of what the editor desires - these contents are not there in the original work, but added by the editor since he likes it and wants that to find a place in what the reader ultimately gets to read.
2. Deletion: Removing portions not liked by him while editing. Editor uses his logic and discretion for removal of part of the contents.
3. Disorder: Rearranging the contents the way he wants and thus violating the intention of the original author or authors.
4. Ignorance: Errors that crepe in due to the limited or insufficient knowledge of the editor, resulting in wrong content.

An editor would do well to be aware of these four pitfalls to ensure proper and faithful editing of literary and other works, especially of earlier periods. What is the remedy for an editor if he genuinely feels that he does not concur with the original author and has justifiable reasons for such differences? He has the option of giving his views as a suitable footnote. But he ought not interfere with the contents of the original texts.

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That brings us to the important issue of whether there is any person who is an author, a writer as well as an editor? Well, there are many scholars who have enriched literature and other fields in many languages all over the world, by their invaluable contributions as authors, writers and editors. But the foremost and the earliest among them is well known to us. Sage Vyasa, popularly known as Veda Vyasa, is an author, writer as well as editor. He is regarded as the person who classified and edited the Vedas and brought them into present readable form from a maze of large volume of complex works. He wrote many of his other works himself and hence is a writer as well. That he requested and got the assistance of Lord Ganesha as a writer (scribe) and became the author of the epic Mahabharata is indeed a very well-known story!